THE FOUR ANCIENT BOOKS OF WALES
The _Myvyrian Archaiology_—Oldest texts—The Black Book of
Caermarthen—The Book of Aneurin—The Book of Taliessin—The Red
Book of Hergest—Gildas and Nennius—The ancient Laws and
Institutes—A great dialectic battle—The princes of song—“I
Yscolan”—A Welsh Ossianic poem—Characteristics of the early
poetry—The medieval romances—Their history—Modern translations
of the Mabinogion—Two classes of tales—The legend of
Taliessin—His curious odes—Kilhwch and Olwen—The Lady of the
Fountain—Three striking features of the Arthurian romances—Their
influence on Western Europe 217