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To-day neither opinion is held, the Bardd Cwsc is simply a classic and nothing more. The Visions derive considerable value from the light they throw upon the moral and social condition of our country two centuries ago.
But admitting so much, the Bardd Cwsc still remains a purely Welsh classic; whatever in name and incident Ellis Wynne has borrowed from the Spaniard he has dressed up in Welsh home-spun, leaving little or nothing indicative of foreign influence. The sins he preached against, the sinners he condemned, were, he knew too well, indigenous to Welsh and Spanish soil.
Ellis Wynne was only too ready to forego the honor of being the acknowledged author of the Visions if thereby he could the better serve his country. The Bardd Cwsc is not only the most popular of Welsh prose works, but it has also retained its place among the best of our classics.
George Borrow sums up his comments upon the two authors in the following words: "Upon the whole, the Cymric work is superior to the Spanish; there is more unity of purpose in it, and it is far less encumbered with useless matter." The implication contained in the foregoing remarks of Borrow that the Bardd Cwsc is encumbered to a certain degree with useless matter, is no doubt well founded.
The Bardd Cwsc was first published in London in 1703, a small 24mo. volume of some 150 pages, with the following title-page "GWELEDIGAETHEU Y BARDD CWSC. Y Rhann Gyntaf. The text followed in this volume is that of Mr. Isaac Foulkes' edition, but recourse has also been had to the original edition for the purpose of comparison.
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