First Part. Printed in London
by E. Powell for the Author, 1703,"
{1a} The opening lines.--Ellis Wynne opens his vision as so many early
English poets are wont, with a description of the season when, and the
circumstances under which he fell asleep. Compare especially Langland's
Visions, prologus:
In a somer seson whan soft was the sonne
I went wyde in this world wondres to here,
Ac on a May mornynge on Malvern hulles
Me befel a ferly of fairy me thoughte,
I was wery forwandred and went me to reste
Under a brode bank bi a bornes side
And as I lay and leued and loked in the wateres
I slombred in a slepyng it sweyved so merye.
{1b} One of the mountains.--The scene these opening lines describe was
one with which the Bard was perfectly familiar. He had often climbed the
slopes of the Vale of Ardudwy to view the glorious panorama around him
from Bardsey Isle to Strumble Head, the whole length of rock-bound coast
lay before him, while behind was the Snowdonian range, from Snowdon
itself to Cader Idris; and often, no doubt, he had watched the sun
sinking "far away over the Irish Sea, and reaching his western ramparts"
beyond the Wicklow Hills.
Pages:
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191