HISTORICAL ACCOUNT

But I have reasons for thinking that in his reign, and afterwards, they had a chair and a president of their own. In Mr. Pennant's Tour in Wales, page 434, there is an engraving of the silver Harp in the possession of Sir Roger Mostyn, "which has been from time immemorial in the gift of his ancestors, to bestow on the chief of the faculty The "faculty" here refers to the professional guild of musicians.. This badge of honor is about five or six inches long, and equipped with strings equal to the number of the Muses The nine Muses of Greek mythology; therefore, nine strings.." It was probably worn by the Chief Musician, just as the silver chair was by the chief Poet.

The revenues of the Bards came from presents at princely and other weddings original: "nuptials", and from fees during their annual circuits at Christmas, Easter, and Whitsuntide The week of Pentecost., and in their triennial clera, or grand circuit. Their fees and presents were regulated in proportion to their degrees; and the number of visitors was matched to the social status of the person who received them. Likewise, in order to encourage the clerwr A traveling minstrel or circuiting bard. to keep up the language and the memory of the exploits and pedigrees of the Britons, they were allowed a certain sum out of every "plough-land" An old unit of land measurement representing what one yoke of oxen could plow in a year., and a proportional amount out of every half plough-land in their district. A month before each festival, the pupils asked their teachers what routes they should take in their upcoming circuit, so that too many would not resort to the same part of the country. A Pencerdd A Chief Singer or Master Bard. was not licensed to visit the common people unless he chose to accept a fee beneath his station and dignity; nor could any Bard of an inferior degree appear before the gentry and nobles. The Bards were not permitted to request presents beyond a certain value, under penalty of being deprived of their musical instruments and practice for three years. When this happened, the illegally requested present was forfeited to the prince.

The Eisteddfod was followed by the grand triennial Clera, which was not limited (as the festival circuits were) to commots and cantrefs Medieval Welsh land divisions; a cantref was roughly equivalent to a "hundred.", but extended through all Wales. Such was the benevolence of the Welsh institutions that Bards afflicted with blindness, or any other natural disability, were granted the privilege of Clera, as were the four poetical and five musical graduates. At a wake or festival, a circuiting Bard was not permitted, during its duration, to leave the house he first visited without the consent of the master of the house, or an invitation given to him by another. If he wandered from house to house, or became intoxicated, he was deprived of his Clera fees, which were then given to the church. If he committed any indecency toward a mistress or maid, he was fined and imprisoned, and lost his Clera privileges for seven years.

Every art has its subordinate professors. Besides the four classes of regular or graduated Bards I have described, there were four other classes of inferior and unlicensed Bards (if that name may be given to them without profanation): these were Pipers, Players on the three-stringed Crwth An ancient bowed lyre., Taborers Players of a small drum called a tabor., and Buffoons. Regarding the pipe, the three-stringed Crwth, and the tabor, the reader will find some mention near the illustration of the musical instruments of the Welsh. The performers who used them were looked upon among Bards as weeds among flowers; they had no connection with the Eisteddfod, and their reputation and profits were equally insignificant. One of their number, the Datceiniad Pen Pasgwr A vocal performer or declaimer who recited poems without an instrument., was a minstrel who only rehearsed and played no instrument. On festive occasions, he stood in the middle of the hall where the company was assembled, and beating time with his staff, sang a poem to the band. When any of the regular Bards were present, he attended them as a servant and did not presume to sing unless they signaled their approval.

The only connection that existed between the higher and lower orders of the Bards is found in the appointment of the Cyff Clêr Literally the "butt of the bards" or "stock of the minstrels." at the marriage of a prince, or any person of princely descent. A year and a day before the celebration of the wedding, notice was given to a Pencerdd to prepare himself to take on that role. When the time came, he appeared in the hall, and a humorous subject being proposed, the inferior Bards surrounded him and attacked him with their ridicule. In these mocking, satirical outbursts, they were restrained from any personal insults or real offense. The Cyff Clêr sat in a chair in the middle of them and silently allowed them to say whatever they chose that might serve to entertain the assembly. For this unpleasant service, he received a considerable fee. The next day he appeared again in the hall, answered his revilers, and provoked the laughter and gained the applause of everyone present by exposing them in their turn, throwing all their ridicule back upon them.

At Christmas in the year 1176, Rhys, prince of South Wales, gave a magnificent entertainment with feats of arms and other shows in his new castle of Cardigan or Aberteifi, for a great number of illustrious natives and foreigners. Notice of this had been given a year and a day beforehand by proclamation throughout all Britain and Ireland. The musical Bards of North Wales and South Wales, who had been expressly invited...

• Dr. Rhys's Institutes of the Welsh Language, p. 296, etc. Rhyddorck's Grammar, p. 179, etc. and Pennant's Tour in Wales, printed 1778, p. 427, etc.