PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF MANCUNIUM. I have to add a few words of explanation with regard to Mr. Phelps's drawing. It has been prepared from a careful geological survey of the ground and a due consideration of the physical features of the locality, and is supposed to be viewed from the Gaythorn side. The structural details were obtained from the ground plan that accompanies it, and must be considered correct and properly authenticated. Only those points have been introduced of which remnants and indications were still visible, and of which we have accurate and incontestable records, such as are found in Whitaker's and Thompson Watkin's accounts, and, in addition to this, the further discoveries made by myself the last four years, so that imagination has been excluded from the reconstruction which has been attempted. The only regret is that former destruction and a want of personal watching within the last twenty to thirty years has prevented us from filling in more detail of buildings and structures; as it is, the view offers only a mere outline sketch. With regard to the fosses that originally surrounded the northern and eastern wall, I wish to remark that inadvertently the northern fosses which are just shown should not have been drawn curving round the western wall. These fosses, as shown on Whitaker's "View of Mancunium," extended in a straight line considerably beyond the northern side and then turned, but did not merge into the western rock-excavated fosse, which slanted off at a fair distance and at an angle towards the Medlock, as already adverted to in the footnotes of my paper. The probable course the latter took is indicated on Whitaker's View by the series of gardens on the Knott Mill side, which occupied their original position. The prospective view does not show the fosses, and the northern Roman suburb has been indicated instead in faint outlines; this has been done to save the preparation of two separate views: either we have to omit the town and show only the fosses, or vice versá. When the town was erected the fosses were probably already in toto or partially filled up, for we have the road to Buxton built over them, as proved during the excavations. The rocky height is also a little exaggerated for greater prominence. It is necessary to mention this for fear of misinterpretation. SIMWNT FYCHAN'S WELSH TRANSLA TION OF MARTIAL'S EPIGRAM OF THE BY WILLIAM E. A. AXON. HERE is in the Halliwell Collection (No. 470) of the Chetham Library a broadside, printed in 1571, which is believed to be unique. The following is a literal transcript of this interesting relic: Martial to bimself/ treating of Worldly blessednes, in Latin, English and Walscb. Ex. M. valer. Martialis ad feipfum, Libro, 10. Itam quæ faciunt beatiorem Iucvndiff, Martialis hæc funt. Non triftis Thorus, attamen pudicus. C The same in English Martial, thou most mery mate, These things do make mans life most blest Goods not gotten by labour great, But left by friendes, now gone to rest, For sturdy strife no time to finde A seldome gowne, a quiet minde. Strength naturall, a body found, A table where no Cookeries bee, No doleful bed, yet of chaft forte, Sleepe that may make the darknes fhort. That thing that thou tby selfe art made The day of death feare not one whit, C The same in the Britishc tong, which the people at this Traethawt Martial vardd am wynvyd neu ddedwyddit bydol. Gynt yr oedd gnot ar addysc, Gwr docth yn agori dysc, Mawr boet eb vn cymar byth Diddan vydol d[d]edwyddyd, 1 helaeth ddamwyniol olud. 2 Trada dwf tir didifar, Tanu yd tew yn i ar 3 Tan tymboraidd at bynny Tec amlwe mewn divwe dy, 4 Allan o dra digllawn drin drwblus Gyfraith drablin: 5 Anuynych gynefinaw A twydd a bair dramgwydd draw. 6 Da veddwl gloyw ddibwl glan, Ddigynwrf ddiddig anian. 7 Egni corpb rbac annoc bawl. Heu gam bydr yn gymbedrawl, 8 Coel eb anwir. cael beunydd, Corph iach i ddwyn cywir Fydd, 9 Cofus wirionder cyfiawn, Call dwys, ni phair colli dawn: 10 Cymdeithion glewion glan, Cydrodd, bu ddidranc ocdran. 11 Facb, boff gyfeddach o cbaid, Ddidlanynad dda n_bnaic,* 12 Glan vwrdd beb ar vriglawn vactb 13 Ros diofal naws difctb Difeddw (pand da vydd y peth) 14 Dewis boff wely diwair, Didrift budd didrwit a bair, 15 bun a wnelo tro nyd drwg, 16 Na wyllyfio n well ifod, Hoc vydd, yn vnic ei vod. TERVYN. Simon Vachan ei cycanawdd wrth 1571. [A rough woodcut of three crescent moons interlocked.] Imprinted at London by John Awdely. The printer was himself a votary of the muses. John Awdeley, or Awdelay as it is sometimes written, was also known as John Sampson or Sampson Awdelay. Little is known of his history. In 1556 he was an apprentice, but by 1559 was a freeman of the Stationers' Company, and is last heard of as one of the signers of a petition to the queen against some monopolies. He published a number of broadsides and ballads, some of which he wrote. an author he must be judged by his "Fraternitye of Vacabonds," which describes the ways and methods of the beggars and thieves of the Elizabethan age, and is a curious and interesting document. As This Welsh broadside from Awdeley's press has not escaped the bibliographers. It has been described both. by Halliwell and Hazlitt, but they have not noticed the * Professor J. Morris Jones writes: "This line is very corrupt. The best guess I can make is, 'Ddianynad dda in enaid.'" colophon in Welsh, from which we learn that the poem was made "at the request and exposition of 'M. S. Th.' by Simon Vachan.'" The poem is wrongly described as "Martial to himself." It forms Epigram XLVII. of Book X., and is addressed to Julius Martialis, and has many times been translated. The first English version was that of the Earl of Surrey, but this of Simwnt Fychan is certainly the first attempt to naturalise Martial in Wales, and is probably also the earliest printed translation of a Latin classic in that language. I am not able to pronounce any opinion as to the quality of the version, but Professor W. Lewis Jones, of Bangor, tells me that it is an enlarged paraphrase of the original, and is interesting mainly as a curious literary exercise. To him and to Professor J. Morris Jones I return my hearty thanks for their suggestions and kindness in reading the proof. Awdely's types are in some cases battered almost beyond. identification. It is interesting to note that, with the exception of the Bible (1546), New Testament (1567), the Milan tracts (1567-68), and Salesbury's Dictionary (1547), no earlier piece of Welsh printed literature is recorded. It is possible that "M. S. Th." may stand for Master Simon Thelwall, who is buried at Ruthin Church, where there is a monument inscribed "Here lyeth the bodie of Simon Thelwall, of Plase-ward Esq on of her Maties consell of estate established in the Marches of Wales who departed this World the 18th of Apr: an'o 1586, being of the age of 60; & Margaret his wife the dau: of Sir Will' Griffith of Penrhyn, Kt an'o 1594." He was one of those named in Queen Elizabeth's proclamation for the holding of the Caerwys Eisteddfod, at which Simwnt Fychan received his bardic degree. The Thelwalls came originally from Cheshire, but had settled in Wales. |
