*If, in the progress of the ode, the motive of Odin's descent, the dream of Ballder, had been again hinted at, the abrupt simplicity with which this stanza sets out might account for Mr. Gray's omitting the five preceding ones.

* Vegtamr, Valtams, names of toil and war.

+ Mr. Gray follows the common explication of this perplexed passage, and makes Haudr or Hother, the brother of Ballder. Saxo, whose information cannot have been much inferior to Snorro's, makes him the son of Hodbrodd, Ballder's rival for Nanna, and the declared enemy of the Asi. Lib. iii. Hist. Dan. i.

* The oracles had told that Ballder might be redeemed from Hela, by what they knew could not happen, the unanimous intercession of the sex. Odin, after having received answers to every question that coincided with the decrees of fate, makes use of an artifice to come at the knowledge of Ballder's final destiny, by inventing a vision of female lamentation, and betrays himself by this trick to the prophetess, who saw only realities.

THE TRIUMPHS OF OWEN.

A FRAGMENT.

FROM THE WELCH.

[From Mr. Evans's specimens of the Welch Poetry*; London, 1764, Quarto. Owen succeeded his father Griffin in the principality of North Wales, A. D. 1120. This battle was fought near forty years afterwards.]

OWEN's praise demands my song,

Owen swift, and Owen strong;
Fairest flower of Roderic's stem,

Gwyneth's shield (g), and Britain's gem.

(g) Gwyneth. North Wales.

*The following is the prose version of Mr. Evans, p. 25.

Panegyric upon Owain Gwynedd, Prince of North Wales, by Gwalchmai, the son of Melir, in the year 1157.

1. I will extol the generous Hero, descended from the race of Roderic, the bulwark of his country; a prince eminent for his good qualities, the glory of Britain, Owen the brave and expert in arms, a Prince that neither hoardeth nor coveteth riches.

2. Three fleets arrived, vessels of the main; three powerful fleets of the first rate, furiously to attack him on the sudden : one from Jwerddon (Ireland,) the other full of well-armed Lochlinians (Danes

He nor heaps his brooded stores,
Nor on all profusely pours;
Lord of every regal art,
Liberal hand, and open heart.

Big with hosts of mighty name,
Squadrons three against him came;
This the force of Eirin hiding,
Side by side as proudly riding,
On her shadow long and gay
Lochlin (h) plows the wat'ry way;

(h) Lochlin. Denmark.

and Normans) making a grand appearance on the floods, the third from the transmarine Normans, which was attended with an immense, though successless toil.

3. The Dragon of Mona's sons was so brave in action, that there was a great tumult on their furious attack; and before the Prince himself there was vast confusion, havoc, conflict, honourable death, bloody battle, horrible consternation, and upon Tal Malvre a thousand banners; there was an outrageous carnage, and the rage of spears and hasty signs of violent indignation. Blood raised the tide of the Menai, and the crimson of human gore stained the brine. There were glittering cuirasses, and the agony of gashing wounds, and the mangled warriors prostrate before the chief, distinguished by his crimson lance. Lloegria was put into confusion; the contest and confusion was great; and the glory of our Prince's wide-wasting sword shall be celebrated in an hundred languages to give him his merited praise.