Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-03-08

10 it, also. On entering dwelling, ~hica he
was Careful 10 do al time when all the me m
| bers of the family were assembled, he struck
the floor with his staff to command attention :;
t and then, with graceful obeisance to the mas
ter and mis- ress Of the family, he began his
address. This was sometimes in a pre- scribrd
! form. but more frequently extemporary, and
| lett TO the Judgment of the speaker, who al
ways rendered il as complimentary as possible,
for the purpose Of inducing his auditors To &C,
cept his invitation and having succeeded.
! with another bow he left the apartment, having
previously drunk 10 the happiness and prospe,
rity Of the company.
90 the day Of the ceremony, the nup,a Of.
terings having been previously made, and the
names OF The donors registered IN d book, with
the amount OF the donations, the marriage was
celebrated at an early hour; he bride and
bridegroom separating afterwards, aud returns
| ing 10 their respective families; when the sig
mel for thu commencement Of the sport was
! gwen by the piper who was invariably present
on these occasions, mounted OF horse trained
| Tor the purpose. The frs, achievement to be
I performed was the seizure Of the bride, and
the carrying her off from her friends In or.
der TO effect this, the companions OF the bride
groom, mounted OH horsebatk .t and he piper
| PLAYING merrilv in the mids; of them, SCI off
| u, full speed Tor the house which contsined the
! oojtc, OF their pursuit: but they always encoun
| tered many obstacles in their progress: such
as ropes OF straw drawn across The road, blocks
of wood, and large stones planted in he mid,
/ de Of it, and artificial pitfalls.
Blu, the principal obstruction was the G,pyn
| tyn (Anglice, QWntain.J consisting Of on up
r,gh, pole, on :he top Of which, and placed ho>
rIzontally, was lorg beam fixed 10 the pole
by an iron pin, which permi' ted ii to tarn free
ly round when pushed. At one end Of this beam
hung a bag Of sand at h. other a Nat and mar
row pa k. which the rider, as hr passed, struck
with his spear or staff; and if he was not ex
tremely dex'erous and expeditions in his move.
men,s, he WAS liable to be dismounted with a
S roke of he sand bag. TO the great amuse-
mcnt aud delight Of his companions The
Gwynlyn was guarded by the chosen cham
pions OF the bride, who, if it passed sue
cessiaiy challenged the sdvcnturer % trial
Of skill at some athletic game, "a challenge which
! could not be declined; aud, consequently, 10
guard he GwyDtyn was accounted service al
! once arGunus aud honorable Having sur
! mounted 'hesc difficulties they FASTENED % ,hc
door Of the BRIDE, and il the door was shu'
against them, assaied il, and those IN the house,
not with battering rams and petaris, Out with
music and poetry, particularly the latter. I'LL
| the, had compiled their opponents 10 admit
them when they seized the bride, and carried
her off in triumph: Her friends and psIt>
sans, at convenient time discovered their
loss, and of course pursued the fugiilves. -
When they overlook hem mock contest en-
sued, Ia which the pursuers were ALWAYS van
! auished, and acknowledging their lnierioIi'y,
welded u2 he BRIDE 10 the now undisputed
possession Of the man Of her choice. All af-
| rpb hn hr,Fi .
deuce, and the remainder OF he day was spent
in mirth and ftsiv,ty Trials Of skill in va,
rous rustic games first took place, and after
these, singing aud dancing 10 The harp; The
ctsytc in the mean time circnla ing apace, and
prnonging the en,ert ainments 10 d lac hour.
| In This manner were The Welsh, in The DAYS
Of yore, accustomed 10 c,lebra'e one OF The
mos ,mportsn, and happies events in their
| lives; and it has been ably argued, thai more
| than one OF thu Gus oms above related, may b.
! traced To Roman origin. Ihr curious Lere-
nopy of carrying off he bride m y b. compar-
ed 10 a pas ime ius,i,u I'd by Romuiu>, in com
memoration Of the rape If he Sabine Virg in>;
and Rosinus in his Roman Antiquities, quotes
from Apelius description OF his ous'om,
which GER ainly bears some lIlle resemblance
to the one practised in Wales He says, that
when the brid- was dressed in her bridal gar
menus number OF yoarg men, h2u'ishIng
theta swords as ifrsgiug Tor battle, burst into
her chamber, and carried hrr off AS the Ro-
| m.ns were some time in Britain, and the lam
lilies connected with hem, or such as could
no, return with their legi0ns when recalled,
nigh, have se,lled in South Wales, where, ny
the bye, these ceremonies we're ?ractised, 1t Is
no great TAX upon probability to sup ose that
such was the actual orisinof this custom al.
,nouGh it appears to me TO have originated
in The commits ,ion of @hat is legally termed
" forcible abducliun;" for in country so wilc
as " les once was, Iris crime must have been
frrqupu " perpe,raed. Whether the Gwyn-
tyn Or DUN ain, was in use among the Romans
we can form no opinion, Us in he writings oil
| antiquity we find no 'allusion TO such an appa-
rarus. The natn,, inderd is decidedly oil bii.
tin or Welsh origin: and in the er'mo"y Of
| guarding II, there Exists something OF the ST.
| Multitude 10 the manner in which he knights
e,r,u, of old hung their shields upon tree,
J. defying the prowess Of their cotemPoraries:,-
80 however, thinks Mr.. Peer Rohertst who