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"The Bards and Druids, says a Welch writer, had, before letters were known, reduced the art of memory to a well-regulated system: Song was one of the methods of giving permanency and accuracy to oral tradition. Songs skilfully composed, on interesting subjects, were learned with avidity, they soon became popular, and could be transmitted from person to person, and from place to place, through a succession of ages, without the help of letters.

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Long details and diffuse declamations are ill adapted to the memory, for this reason, in addition to Song, the Bards invented a variety of aphoristical forms: therefore these were easily learned and easily rememembered; it became necessary to adhere to this form invariably in matters of instruction. Every new production of this kind, whether aphorism or didactic song, was laid before the grand meetings of the equinoxes and solstices; if admitted at a first meeting, it was reconsidered at a second; if then approved, it was again brought forward at a third meeting, and being approved of there, it was then confirmed, or else referred to the tricnnial supreme convention, where all that had been confirmed at the provincial meetings were recited, and the disciples, that were attending from every province, were engaged to learn them, that so they might be as widely diffused as possible: they were also recited, at least annually at every convention in Britain. This being the invariablecustom, it was impossible for perversion or interpolation to take place: thus, these well regulated traditional verses and maxims were superior to writings, which were under no such restrictions; and were a better guardian of truth than letters ever were before printing was invented, excepting the instance of the Sacred Writings, which, indeed, were guarded with no less jealous care than the British oral tradition."

The usual form of the Bardic aphorism was that which is termed the triad, that is, a form in which the matter to be communicated has three distinct parts. A few specimens will be sufficient to illustrate this species of composition.

With these specimens, and a few brief observations on them, I shall

conclude the present Lecture.

Definition of Poetical Genius.

The three primary and indispensable requisites of Poetical Genius.

An eye that can see nature

A heart that can feel nature

A resolution that dares to follow nature

On the principal intention of Poetry, the Bards had the following aphorism; The three final designs of Poetry are

Accumulation of goodness;

Enlargement of understanding; and
Increase of delight.

The three excellencies of Poetry are

The true and the wonderful united;

Beauty and wisdom united;

Art and nature united.

We will conclude with one instance of that which is termed, a moral triad ;

The three great laws of a man's actions are

What he forbids another;

What he requires from another;

What he cares not how it is done by another.

By this aphoristic form and oral tradition, we are carried back to the early practice of the Eastern people; for we find it among the Arabians; as in the following instance; and also, that their laws were comprised in oral verses.

GOD, say they, hath given four things to the Arabians;

TENTS instead of houses;

TURBANS instead of diadems;
SWORDS instead of intrenchments;

POEMS instead of written laws.

This aphoristic form runs through the whole of Soloman's Proverbs, with this difference, that, with tho exception of a few aphorisms of four members, they are chiefly biads, or apothegms of two parts; as

A friend loveth at all times:

A brother is born for adversity.

A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast;

The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

The Songs of the Bards have their prototypes in the Songs of Moses, Miriam, Baruch, Deborah, &c. Thus the Aphorisms, the Didactic verses, the Heroic poems, and the Funeral lamentations of the Britons, are more properly to be referred to patriarchal origin, derived to them through the medium of the Canaanitish merchants, than ascribed to the ards as their invention in short, every thing that we can gather from our own observation of the vestiges of primeval Britain, or can learn from ancient writers, tends to identify the British priests and the superstitions they practiced, with the Baalitish priests of Palastine, and their superstitions.

In our next Lecture on the Sepulchres and other earth-works of the ancient Britons, we shall have abundance of collateral evidence in support of this

assertion.

END OF LECTURE I.

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