The Visions of the Sleeping Bard

The Visions of the Sleeping Bard

Ellis Wynne was born in 1671 at Glasynys, near Harlech; his father, Edward Wynne, came of the family of Glyn Cywarch (mentioned in the second Vision), his mother, whose name is not known, was heiress of Glasynys. It will be seen from the accompanying table that he was descended from some of the best families in his native county, and through Osborn Wyddel, from the Desmonds of Ireland. His birth-place, which still stands, and is shown in the frontispiece hereto, is situate about a mile and a half from the town of Harlech, in the beautiful Vale of Ardudwy. The natural scenery amidst which he was brought up, cannot have failed to leave a deep impression upon his mind; and in the Visions we come across unmistakeable descriptions of scenes and places around his home. Mountain and sea furnished him with many a graphic picture; the precipitous heights and dark ravines of Hell, its caverns and its cliffs, are all evidently drawn from nature. The neighbourhood is also rich in romantic lore and historic associations; Harlech Castle, some twenty-five years before his birth, had been the scene of many a fray between Roundheads and Cavaliers, and of the last stand made by the Welsh for King Charles. These events were fresh in the memory of his elders, whom he had, no doubt, often heard speaking of those stirring times; members of his own family had, perhaps, fought in the ranks of the rival parties; his fathers grand-uncle, Col. John Jones, was one of those who erstwhile drank of royal blood. It is not known where he received his early education, and it has been generally stated by his biographers that he was not known to p. xvihave entered either of the Universities; but, as the following notice proves, he at least matriculated at Oxford: Probably his stay at the University was brief, and that he left without taking his degree, for I have been unable to find anything further recorded of his academic career. [0a] The Rev. Edmund Prys, Vicar of Clynnog-Fawr, in a prefatory englyn to Ellis Wynnes translation of the Holy Living says that in order to enrich his own, he had ventured upon the study of three other tongues. This fact, together with much that appears in the Visions, justifies the conclusion that his scholarly attainments were of no mean order. But how and where he spent the first thirty years of his life, with the possible exception of a period at Oxford, is quite unknown, the most probable surmise being that they were spent in the enjoyment of a simple rural life, and in the pursuit of his studies, of whatever nature they may have been. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 5671
Author: Wynne, Ellis
Release Date: May 1, 2004
Format: eBook
Language: English

Contributors

Translator: Davies, Robert Gwyneddon, 1870-1928