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The Various Degrees of Bards and Musicians *:

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Priv-vardd; the Primitive, Inventive, or Chief Bard:
Pos-vardd; the Diplomatic, or Modern Bard:
Arwydd-vardd; the Enfign, or Heraldic Bard. Whoever would
be a Heraldic Bard, fhould be well verfed in the Hiftories and
Genealogies of Kings and Princes; and entirely acquainted with
the excellences of our three Primary Bards; fuch as, Myrddyn
Emrys, Myrddyn ab Morvryn, and Taliefin Pen Beirdd; and in the
science of Heraldic Bardifm, or perfect skill with respect to the
enfigns, arms, families, and noble deeds, of the princes, and
nobility of Wales.

were 3 kinds:

viz. the Harpist;

There are eight orders of Mufici

ans: viz.

The four

Inferior or

ders, Non

the Crwthift;

and the Singer. L

And of the above, he that is called Cadeirvardd, or Pencerdd, (i. e. Chaired Bard, or Chief Bard,) is such as wears on his breast the Ariandlws; which is in the form of a chair of gold, or filver; or a jewel of a Harp; (the reward of victory,) as a token of diftinction of his being a graduated Teacher, or a Doctor of Mufict. The Piper;

The Juggler;

The Crowder that plays on the three-ftringed Crowd;

Graduates, And the Tabourer.-

or Min

And the Fee of each of thefe four Minstrels was a penny, and they were to

ftrels: viz. perform standing.

* Cambrobrytannica Cymraecave Linguæ Inftitutiones, by Dr. John Davydd Rhys, pp. 146, 147, and 303.

+ Michael Drayton, in Song the IVth of his Poly-olbion, elegantly and faithfully records the various perfonages concerned in the Eifteddvod, or Congrefs of the Bards, where they contended for the prize:

'Mongft whom, fome Bards there were, that in their facred rage,

Recorded the Descents and Acts of every age.

Some with their nimbler Joints that Struck the warbling String;

In fingering fome unfkill'd, but only us'd to Sing

Unto the other's Harp; of which you both might find

Great plenty, and of both excelling in their kind,
That at the 'Steddva oft obtain'd a Victor's Praise ;
Had won the Silver Harp, and worn Apollo's Bays:
Whose verses they deduc'd from those first golden times,
Of fundry forts of Feet, and fundry fuits of Rhimes.
In Englyn's fome there were, that on their Subject strain;
Some makers that again affect the Loftier Vein,
Rehearse their high conceits in Cowydd's; other fome
In Ardel's theirs exprefs, as matter haps to come;
So Varying ftill their Moods, obferving yet in all,
Their Quantities, their Refts, their Ceafures metrical:
For, to that Sacred Skill they moft themselves apply;
Addicted, from their Births, fo much to Poëfy,

That, in the Mountains, thofe, who fcarce have feen a Book,
Moft skilfully will make, as though from Art they took.

From the Druids, Bards, and Ovyddion, the above various Orders originated; which again were corrupted, particularly among the English, and branched into a variety of other profeffions; fuch as Minstrels; Jefters, or Fcols; Magicians, Conjurers, Fortunetellers, and Witches.

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The following were the Fees, or Donations appointed by the Statute of Prince Gruffydd ab Conan, about A. D. 1100, to be given to all the Bards and Muficians, according to their different degrees, by all his Subjects and Vaffals who poffeffed an estate by inheritance of Five-pounds a year and upwards. In another MS. I find it was regulated, that only One fhould go to a perfon whofe domain was Ten-pounds a year, and Two to a Yeoman who had Twenty pounds a year; and, according to that proportion, to a person of a higher rank.

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Y Clérwyr, the Provincial, or Itinerant Bards, were to have a Penny* for every plough; that is, for every day's tilling that a layman did on his farm: and, where money could not be had, they were to recover by diftrefs of goods.

Here follows a part of the Statute of Prince Gruffydd ab Conan, by the consent of the fovereign of the kingdom, with full licence, namely, that there fhould be privileges for the profeffion of Vocal Song, and for Inftrumental Music of the Harp, and of the Crwth, to enjoy Five free acres, which are called Pump erw rydd Beirdd a Chantorion. By erw, here is not meant an acre of land, &c. but the appropriated time wherein the Bards were to go about their Clera, or Mufical Circuit, and is called erw-rydd, because they were at liberty of fo doing within the limited time: viz. 1ft, erw-rydd, from Christmas-day to the Purification of the Virgin Mary; 2d, from Eafter-day to Afcenfion-day; 3d, from Whitfunday to Súly Creiriau, or the Sunday of Relicks; 4th, when a gentleman built a manfion-houfe, he was to give fees to all the Bards within his province, according to their degrees; but this building-fee was afterwards annihilated by confent of the gentry; and another, at their annual Wake, constituted in its place; 5th, at Weddings, or the gift of a Virgin; and, if the married a fecond time, then the musicians received no fee.

And of the three sciences above-mentioned, namely, Vocal Song, Harp Mufic, and Crwth Mufic, there are three degrees in each; that is to fay, Graduated, or highest order; the Difcipline; and the loweft, or Vagabond Minstrelfy.

It will be neceffary to observe, that the comparative value of a penny, in the year 1100, was equivalent to 9 pence or 10 pence now.

It was incumbent on every teacher to have a copy of this regulation, containing the Laws of the Bards, to fhew to his difciples, when they came to receive his inftruction in Lent, &c. Prince Gruffydd ab Conan, the law giver and reformer of the abures of the Bards, died A. D. 1137, (according to Caradoc of Llancarvan's Hiftory of Wales,) after he had reigned above fifty years-The above extracts of the Statute of Prince Gruffydd ab Conan are tranflated from a parchment roll in the Allmolean Mufeum, Oxford; from a manufcript in my collection; and

from Cambrobrytannica Cymraecave Lingua Inftitutiones, a very
rare book, written by Dr. John Davydd Rhys, of Llanvaethlu, in
Anglefey, printed in 1592, and page 295. He took his Doctor's
degree at Sienna, but was educated at Oxford. He returned to
his own country, where he practifed with great fuccefs. At the
request of Sir Edward Stradling, of St. Donat's, he compofed.
this book. He tells us, he wrote the first part at Mr. Morgan
Meredydd's, in Radnorshire; the rest at a place of his own in
Brecknockshire, as he lays, at the age of feventy, and under the
fhade of a hawthorn grove.
Vide his Preface, and Pennant's
Tour in Wales.

The

The following curious and concife memorandums of feveral of the Bards, and of what they have written, were transcribed from a manuscript at Mr. Evan 'Bowen of Pen yr Allt, in the parish of Llanidloes, Montgomeryshire, and now first tranflated into English. The original appears to have been written by the celebrated Herald Bard, Rhys Cain, about A. D. 1570. Richard Brocleton, one of the council for the Marches of Wales, wrote the Hiftory of all Britain; fearching the records in the Tower of London for what was loft amongst the Bards.

George Owen Harry, Lord of Kemeys, in Pembrokeshire, (query, Kemeys, in Montgomery fhire,) wrote a Hiftory of Britain. John Lewis, efq. barrifter at law, wrote the Hiftory of Great Britain, from the first inhabitants thereof, till the death of Cadwalader; and of the kings of Scotland to Eugeneu, or Owen, &c. which work was printed in a folio volume in A. D. 1729.

Ieuan Llwyd, ab Davydd, ab Sion, efq. wrote of all Britain. Thomas Jones, of Tregaron, wrote of Great Britain. John Mill, of Trê 'r Delyn, gent. wrote the Hiftory of all Britain.

Thomas ab Llywelyn, ab Ithel, of Bôd-Vary, wrote the History of all Britain.

John, ab William, ab John, gent. of the fame county, wrote the Hiftory of Britain

Of the county of Glamorgan:

Sir Edward Manfel, knight, wrote the Hiftory of the Island of Britain, and other countries.

Sir Edward Stradling, knight, wrote the Hiftory of Great Britain, &c. about 1560; and I received from him much information. Rhys Ambeuryg, of Cottrel, gent. wrote concerning all Britain; his book is one of the fairest and most intelligent works in Wales; and he communicated much to me.

Anthony Powel, of Tîr Iarll, gent. wrote of all Britain, and other places; he was a learned Poet, and a Chief Bard.

Hywel Swrdwal, Master of Arts, and chief of Song, wrote the Hiftory of the Three Principalities of Wales, from Adam, to the first king, in a fair Latin volume; and from Adam to the time of king Edward the I.; alfo, he wrote a Welsh Chronicle, which is now with Owain Gwynedd, Chief Bard, and a teacher of his fcience.

Lewis Morganwg, Chief Bard, wrote the Hiftory of the Three Provinces of Wales, in a liberal manner. And Teyryg Davydd, and Davydd Benwyn, Bards, of Glamorgan, had his books, which were valuable and well written.

Howel Davydd ab Ieuan ab Rhys, M. A. a Poet, and chief Bard, wrote the Hiftory of all Britain, in Latin; and of the Three Principalities of Wales, in Welf; and his books were well written, and valuable.

Ieuan ab Hywel Swrdwal, A. M. wrote a fair book, in Welsh, of the Three Principalities of Wales, from the time of Cadwalader to that of king Henry the VI.; and he was a Primitive Bard of tranfcendent merit.

Iolo Góch, A. M. and Chief Bard of North Wales, wrote of the Three Principalities of Wales. He was one of the most celebrated Bards, of the Primitive Order, that ever was known.

Guttyn Owen, Chief Bard, of Maelawr, wrote an account of the Three Principalities; and those were very perfect, and the books fairly witten.

Ieuan Brechva, of Deheubarth, in South Wales, wrote a well-authenticated Hiftory of the Three Provinces; and his books I have feen with Hugh ab Davydd, of Kidwelly, gent. and I received in them, from that gentleman, a great deal of valuable information. May God bless him!

Davydd ab Edmund, who won the Bardic Chair of South Wales, in a Royal Congrefs of Bards, he (was of Hanmer,) wrote an account of the Three Principalities, as appears by his

books.

Gutto 'r Glyn, Chief Bard, and one of the Bards of William Herbert, earl of Pembroke, wrote liberally of the Three Principalities; which was well approved.

Davydd, ab Howel, ab Howel ab Evan Vychan, Chief Bard, wrote of the Three Principalities; and his books are fair and valuable. (Probably this was Prydydd Brycheiniog, who flourished about 1440.)

Hywel ab Sir Mathe, wrote a Hiftory of all Britain, and his books are to be seen with me; they are fair, valuable, and intelligent.

Gruffydd Hiraethog, chief Bard, and deputy Herald at Arms; for all Wales under Garter; wrote a Hiftory of all Britain, and other countries. And amongst his difciples were, Simwnt Vychan, chief Bard; William Llyn, chief Bard; William Cynwal, chief Bard; and John Philip, chief Bard, have his books, which are fair, and valuable.

John Bruynog, chief Bard, of the Ifle of Anglefey, wrote the Hiftory of the Three Principalities; and his books are fair and perfect.

John Wyn, ab Griffri, of Montgomeryshire, gent. wrote the Hiftory of all Wales; and his books are, as far as they go, good. authorities to all Wales; I have some of them that may be feen.

Robin Fachwr, or the Genealogift, of North Wales, about A. D. 1610, wrote of the Three Principalities of Wales; and he was a good recitative Poet, good vocal Songster, and wel! verfed in Ancient Poetry.

Morys ab Dacyn, ab Rhys Trevor, of Bettws, in Cydewain, gent. wrote a Hiftory of all Wales; and his books are in my poffeffion, to be feen at this day. -Cætera defiderantur.

Rhys Cain.

There are feveral Welth manufcripts of Bonedd y Saint, ac Achau'r Saint Ynys Prydain, or the noble defcent and genealogies of the Saints of the British Ifle, who were the original founders of Churches, and religious houses in Britain, which still go by their names. There is also a Latin manufcript of the Lives of the Welsh Saints, in the Cotton Library, marked Vefpatian, A. XIV. which is faid to be written by Rythmarch, archbishop of St. David's, the fon of bishop Sulien, about the year 1090. He was a man of the greateft piety, wifdom, and learning, that had flourished a long time in Wales, excepting his father, under whofe tutelage he was educated.

Y Greal, which implies a Mifcellany, or a Collection. St. Gregory, and others, call it Sain Grëal, or St. Grëal. This Holy Collection of Legends, was an Ancient Book of divers Anecdotes, or Stories, written in Welsh; which I have formerly feen, (fays my author, Lewis Morris,) at Hengwrt Library, in Meirionethfbire, very fairly written on vellum, containing 560 pages in 4to. And there is another copy of the fame book in Sir Roger Moftyn's Library. Vincentius, in his Specul. Hift. mentions the fame book of hiftories, and fays it was called Greal, from a Gallice word, (Welsh, I fuppofe,) Gradalis, or Gradale, fignifying a little dish, where fome choice morfel was put; and that it was not to be found in Latin, but common in Gallice. Dr. Davies, in his Dictionary, fays, Greal is a certain Hiftorical Book, containing various Hiftories; and that it was very difficult to be got, because it was fo fcarce." On all the parchments of Emrys, room could not be found for all the information of this man; his reports were to us in Ial, like thofe of the Greal, &c." L. M. the Bard, fays this to Eliffe ab Gr. ab Einion, who was uncommonly verfed in hiftory.-In Mr. Edward Lhwyd's Archeologia Britannica, p. 262, it is titled ftoriae Saint Greal; and in the British Triads, No. 61, it is called ftoria y Greal. In an ancient table, once belonging to Glastonbury, this work is quoted: Ac deinde fecundum quod legitur in libro quo dicitur Graal. Jofeph ab Arimathea, &c. Ufher prima, p. 16, Dublin edition. Capgrave, in the Life of Jofeph of Arimathea, quotes a book: Qui Janctum Gräal appellatur, &c.

Anian, bishop of Bangor, about the year 1291, procured a commiffion from Chancery, to enquire into the tenures of the bishoprick; which furvey, called The Bishop's Extent-Book, is ftill in being. He alfo drew up, as I judge, by agreement of his clergy, (that seeming to have been part of the acts confented to, and determined at his ecclefiaftical fynod, held at Llanvair Garth Branan,) a Miffal, or Pontifical, for the fervice of his church and diocefs; which Miffal I take to be one of thofe diverfities or ufes in finging, heretofore obferved and practifed in our church, and taken, notice of in the Preface, or Order, which follows the Acts of Uniformity, printed before our Liturgy, or Common Prayer Book. This Mial was loft in the troubles in Wales, in the reign of Henry the ÏVth; and again in the time of the great Rebellion; afterwards it was happily recovered, and reflored to the church, where it still remains. This Pontifical, or Liber Bangor, is a folio of a moderate thickness, and contains 32 offices, and has abundance of Anthems, with mufical notes to them for finging.

Sir William Gruffydd, of Penrhyn, knight, and chamberlain of North Wales, about the year 1523, whose generous care and industry were great, in preferving the ancient records from perifhing, and collecting as many of them as he could retrieve from moth and corruption; and then caufing thofe fcattered rolls and fragments, to be fairly written by one Jenkyn Gwyn, in two large volumes of parchments, for the information of pofterity. One whereof is that book kept always in the Chamberlain's office, called by the name of The Extent of North Wales; and the other he tranfmitted into the Auditor's-office at London, where it is preferved to this day. Alfo, Sir John Wynn had formerly a copy of The Extent of North Wales.E. J.

The Names of fome of the early Bards, Poets, &c. which were omitted in pp. 13, 14, 15, and 16.

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in Meirionydd,

1460.

Lewis Dwn, a Poet,

1460.

Tudur Penllyn, a Poet,

1460.

Ieuan ab Tudyr Penllyn, a Poet,

1480.

Tudur Aled, a Poet, who lived at Garth

Geri, in Chwiban, near Llanfannan,

1490.

Llywelyn ab Gyttyn, a Poet, and Crythr Davydd Llwyd ab Llywelyn ab Gruffydd.

Inco Brydydd, a Poet,

Meredydd ab Davydd Vychan, a Poet,
Davydd Gorlech, a Poet,

Evan Dyvi, a Meirionyddshire Poet,
Rhŷs Brychan, a Poet,

-

Myles Davies, of Tre 'r abbat, in Flintshire, wrote Athena Britannica, or Critical Hiftory of the Oxford and Cambridge Writers.

Dr. John Davies, Canon of St. A faph, (was the fon of a weaver at Llanverres, in Denbighfhire;) he was a famous linguift, and author of Antique Lingua Britannica, a Welsh and Latin, 1480. and Latin and Welfh, Dictionary; which he 1480. published in the year 1632. He affifted alfo 1490. in tranflating the Bible into Welsh, which was 1500. correctly published in the year

I 500.
1500.

Edmund Prŷs, of Trawfvynydd, or Tyddyn Du, Rector of Ffestiniog and Maentwrog, and Rhys Gele, y Prydydd Brîth. Archdeacon of Meirionydd; was interred under Rich. Davis, Bard, and Bishop of St. Afaph, 1560. the Communion-table at Maentwrog, in the T'. ab Gr. ab H1. y Gadair, of An-glesey, 1580. year 1623. He was the most celebrated Bard 1590. of his time, and one of the tranflators of the Bible into Welfh, and verfifier of the Pfalms.

Bedw Havefp, a Poet, about

Rhys Gôch, o Lyn Dyvrdwy, a Poet,

1540.

1620.

For the lift of fucceeding Bards, I refer my readers to the end of Dr. Davies's Dictionary; and to Mr. Ed, Llwyd's Archaologia, p. 255.

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