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NOTES.
187

Grynn, and Pen Piguon, &c.Page 142.

These personages appear to have received their names altogether from the office which they held; and we cannot expect to find any very authentic records concerning "Sight the son of Seer," and "Ear the son of Hearer" which is the iuterpretation of Drem vab Dremhitid, and Clust vab Clustveinyd.

To these two worthies, however, the following allusion is made in a composition attributed to Iolo Goch, 1400.

"When will that be?

"When Bleuddyn Rabi Rhol is as quick-sighted as Tremydd ap Tremhidyddy the man who could discern a mote in the sunbeam, in the foor comers of the world.

"When the ears of deaf Deicin Fongam of Machynlleth are as good as those of Clustfain ap Clustfeiuydd, the man who could hear the sound of the dewdrop in June falling from the grass stalk, in the four comers of the world."

It may be well to remark in this place, that several of the characters which are incidentally introduced in Geraint ab Erbin, appear again in others of the Mabinogion, where they will be more particularly noticed.


Diapered Satin.Page 142.

I have ventured thus to translate the words "Pali caerawg," though the strict meaning of "caerawg" is "mural"; and Dr. Owen Pughe, in his Dictionary, gives it the signification of "kersey-woven," as applied to a particular kind of cloth, and says that the epithet is derived "from the similitude of its texture to the work in stone walls." In speaking of satin, it seemed, however, more appropriate to use the term diapered, which Wharton, who has a long note upon the subject (Eng, Poe. 11. 9, 1824), believes, properly, to signify "embroidering on a rich ground, as tissue, cloth of gold, dec." Thus, in the Squire of Low Degree, the King of Hungary promises hi^ daughter "clothes of fyne golde" for her head.

" With damaske whyte and asure blewe,
Well dyaperd with lyllyes newe."

And Chaucer talks of

* * " a stede bay, trapped in stele,
Govered with cloth of gold diapred wele."

Cant T. V. 2159.