Prior to the year 1100, it was the office of the Bard to praise virtue, and to cenfure vice: for he was required to poffefs learning and genius; a skill in pedigrees and arms; metres of poetry; the art of finging, knowledge of harmony, and to be perfect mafter of an inftrument: and according to Cafar's account, the Druid-Bards ftudied to acquire their profeffion twenty years. Such a variety of excellences was unattainable by human capacity. The Bards were now therefore diftributed into three grand orders, (by prince Gruffydd ab Cynan,) of Muficians, Poets, and Heralds; each of which, again branched into subordinate distinctions. Neither of these orders, or distinctions was any longer compatible with those with which it had been connected, or with any other profeffion. According to a more minute arrrange ment, by this feparation, there were of regular Bards, proceeding to degrees in the Eifteddvod, or Seffion of the Bards, fix claffes: that is to fay, three of musicians, and three of poets; which I have already given a particular account of, in the former volume of this work. Although, the poor Bards were fuppreffed at different periods in Wales, yet, for honour fake, (to record, and to blazon English achievements, and to marshal and conduct their pageantries,) it was found indifpenfably neceffary to revive a class of them in England, about the year 1340, which was the Arwyddveirdd, or Herald-Bards; who still continue, in a great degree, their primitive occupation, and also retain their dignities and titles. Their business is to register genealogies, adjust enfigns armorial, regulate funerals, coronations, and other folemnities; and anciently, to carry meffages between princes, and to proclaim war, and peace. This clafs of men was principally efteemed among the three orders of Welsh Poets; and the chief of them was called King of the Bards; which title was revived in England by the brave Henry V. of Monmouth, and is ftill retained by the three principal English heralds: that is, Garter, principal King at Arms; Clarenceux King at Arms; and North-roy King at Arms. Befides these, there are fix provincial, or county Heralds; viz. the Chester Herald, York, Lancaster, Windfor, Richmond, and Somerset ; and, four marfhals, or Purfuivants at Arms ; i. e. the Blue-Mantle, Rouge-cross, Rouge-Dragon, and Portcullis. Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury, was the first who had the title of Marshal in England; after that, Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Pembroke, of Stryghall, was made hereditary Marshal of England; and whose family held that office until it defcended to the predeceffors of the present duke of Norfolk, who now is Earl Marshal of England'. fame musical and poetical character maintained its union with that of king, in his fon Solomon; whose songs, we are told, were no less than a thousand and five. 1 Kings, c. i. ver. 34. Chap. viii. and Chap. iv. ver. 29, 30, 32, &c. 2 See vol. 1. of the Bards, p. 29, &c. And p. 83, &c. When prince Gruffydd ab Cynan reformed that complex character of the Bard, by fimplifying each clafs of them to one profeffion only; even then they were obliged to undergo a novitiate of twelve years, and to take regular triennial degrees at the Eisteddfod, or Seffion of the Bards, before any one could be a Pencerdd, or master of his art; or that of a Bardd-Telyn, (Bard of the Harp,) or doctor of mufic. 2 The Garter principal King at Arms, was firft inftituted and created among the English, by King Henry the Fifth.-See Stow's Annals, p. 584. And Clarenceux King at Arms, was ordained by Edward the Fourth. See Stat. 14 Carl. 2. cap. 33, and H. Spelman. Sir John Wrothefley, Garter principal King at Arms, had his patent for his creation, the 18th of Edward IV. and lies buried in St. Giles's, Cripplegate. The Herald's College was inftituted in 1340, and incorporated by Edward VI. See Weever's Monuments. "Among the alteration of names, it may also be remembered how Kings of Arms, Heralds, and Pursuivants are new named with a bowl of wine poured on their heads by the Prince, or Earl Marshal, when they are invested, and the King crowned Garter, Clarenceux, Northroy, Lancaster, York, Richmond, Somerset, &c. which is as ancient as the time of King Edward the Third. For we read that when news was brought him at Windsor, by a Purfuivant, of the victory at the battle of Auroy; he bountifully rewarded him, and immediately created him Herald, by the name of Windsor." Camden's Remains; who also quotes Frofard. (Sir G. Makenfie fays," The first user of Furr, or Ermine in arms was Brutus the son of Sylvius.") ; as Arms were originally the reward of merit. Camden attributes the first invention of Armories in this island to the Ancient Britons, and Picts.-Stow's Annals, p. 584.—Polidore, lib. 19.-Spelman's Gloffary.-The Bardic Triads, and the firft vol, of the Bardic Relicks, pages 10. 30. 36. 56. 84, 85, &c. The most curious printed books of Heraldry are by John Gwilym, of Herefordshire, Rouge Croix purfuivant; entitled A Display of Heraldry, fol. 1610, and in 1638.-The Sphere of Gentry, hiftorical and genealogical work of Arms and Blazon, by Sylvanus Morgan, fol. 1661; and 1666.-Allo, his Armilogia, five Ars Chromocritica. The Language of Arms by Colours and Metals, &c. by Sylvanus Morgan, 4to. 1666.—Cambria Triumphans, or British and Welsh Hiftory, by Percie Enderbie, fol. 1661.-And, Books by Lodwick Loyd, one of Queen Elizabeth's ferjeants at Arms. The learned Sir Henry Spelman will not allow that any of the Saxon Kings had Arms ftrictly speaking, as they are commonly depicted on a shield; and very juftly finds fault with our Heralds, for describing them in the usual terms of Blazonry. But yet he allows, that they had a banner in time of war; and that the figure in the banner must have been pourtrayed upon fome ground, like that upon White Horfe bill in Berkfhire, is altogether confiftent with reason, and rules of art; and this is what we call the field in an escutcheon. Spelman, Afpilogia, fol. 1654, p. 41.- See more in Nic. Upton, de Offic. Milit. fol. 1654. lib. iv. p. 126, 127, 128. Cafar, Com. lib. v. c. 10. There are two other occupations resembling the Bardic profeffions, which are ftill continued in the English court; and thofe are, the poet Laureat; and the Master of the king's band of Muficians, who composes the music of the birth-day odes, and the new year's ode". In the reign of King Richard the Second, the chief musician had then the title of King of the Minstrels; fimilar to that of King of the Bards, their predeceffors. According to the laws of prince Gruffydd ab Cynan, when mufic, poetry, heraldry, &c. were separated, and each of them made a diftinct profeffion of, it was the office of the vocal fongfter at the nuptials of any of the princely blood, to assist the illustrious bride at the entertainment, and he was required to carve dexterously every kind of fowl that might come before him. There was also a similar occupation formerly in the English court, called the carver; Sir Gabriel Silvius was the carver to the queen of Charles the Second, in the year 1669: that knight was afterwards ambaffador to the court of Denmark. There was another officer in the English court which is now obfolete, that was very fimilar to that of the Welsh poetic, or domeftic Bard of the middle ages, which formerly was kept in noblemen's and gentlemen's houses; whofe occupation was to folace, and to enliven the leifure of his patron with wit and pleasantry, and to instil sentiments of liberality; and that was, the Jefter to convey fome idea respecting this noted character, I fhall beg leave to quote here, the account given of feveral of them by Lord Orford, which is as follows: "Hans Holbein drew Will Somers, king Henry VIII's. jefter, from which there is a print. It is per"haps a little drawback on the fame of heroes and statesmen, that such persons who shared at least an equal portion of royal favour formerly, continue to occupy a place even in the records of time—at least, we antiquaries, who hold every thing worth preferving, merely because it has been preferved, have with the "names of Henry, Charles, Elizabeth, Francis I. Wolfey, Sir Thomas More, &c. treasured up those of "Will Somers, Saxton, Tom Derry, (Queen Ann's jefter ;) Tarlton, (Queen Elizabeth's ;) Pace, another "fool in that reign; Archee, the difturber of Laud's greatnefs; Muckle John, who fucceeded Patch, Wolfey's "fool; Harry Patenfon, Sir Thomas More's; and of Bifquet, and Amaril, the jesters of Francis I. not to mention Hitard†, king Edmund's buffoon; Stonet, and Jeffery Hudson, the dwarf of Henrietta Maria”.” Pace, " 4 I shall mention here the form of the creation of three poets laureat, by the Chancellor of the Univerfity of Strafburgh, in the year 1621. "I create you, being placed in a chair of state, crowned with laurel and ivy, and wearing a ring of gold, and the same do pronounce and constitute, poets laureate, in the name of the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft. Amen." Warton's Hiftory of English Poetry, Second Vol. * This feems to be fomewhat fimilar to the ancient ceremony of chairing the chief Bard, among the Welsh; but instead of laurel wreaths, the Britons used those of oak, (or ever-green oak,) which was the emblem of valour, and virtue; also, we find the birch was in great estimation among the Bards, in the time of Davydd ab Gwilym, about A. D. 1380; there is a tradition that he wore a chaplet, made of birch twigs, ornamented with filver rings, and braided by his sweetheart. As early as the reign of Henry III. there was a court poet; Henry de Avranches; " Magiftro Henrico Verfificator," or Mafter Henry the Verfifier; who is mentioned in Madox's Hiftory of the Exchequer. Alfo it appears by a pipe-roll, Ann. 36, of Henry III, Richard, the King's harper, was allowed annually a pipe of wine, and another for his wife, Beatrice. Sir John Gorver, a native of Gwyr, or Gowerland in Glamorganfhire, was poet laureat to King Richard II. to whom he dedicated his works, about the year 1380. Dr. Johnfon, in his Introduction to the English language, fays, "The firft of our authors, "who can be properly faid to have written English was Sir John Gower, who, in his Confeffion of a Lover, calls Chaucer his difciple, "and may therefore be confidered as the Father of English Poetry." After Gower, his pupil Chaucer, fucceeded him as laureat. "For chief to poets fuch respect belongs, 5 Henry James Pye, Efq. is the prefent Poet Laureat. And Sir William Parfons is the Mafter of the King's Band of Mufic. There was formerly another officer belonging to the court, whofe office I believe is now extinct; and that was, the Mafter of the Revels. In the reign of George II. Mr. Wollafton occupied that fituation. *There is a burlefque figure of him among the armory in the Tower. See Dart's Antiquities of Canterbury, p. 6. A fool mentioned in Seldon's Table Talk. • Of fome of these personages I have found the following anecdotes: Saxton is the first perfon recorded to have worn a wig : In an account of the treasurer of the chambers in the reign of Henry VIII, there is entered, “ Paid for Saxton, the King's fool, for a wig, Pace, Queen Elizabeth's jefter, was fo bitter in his retorts upon her, that he was forbid her presence. But at one time, fome one entreated the Queen that he might come to her, answering for him, that he would be more careful in his difcourfe. So he was brought to her, and the Queen faid, "Come on Pace, « now we shall bear of our faults." No," faid Pace, "I never talk of what is difcourfed by all the world." I thought it neceffary thus far, to give my reader a just idea of the ancient British oracles, or primitive Bards; as well as a comparative sketch of their fucceffors among the English; both of whom in reality, are now but imperfectly known*. "Now the rich ftream of Mufic winds along, "Deep, Majeftic, Smooth, and Strong." Something now remains to be faid refpecting the national Music of the aboriginal Britons, or Welsh, which has been tranfmitted down to us by tradition from time immemorial, and is ftill, the favourite amusement of the natives. Some few of thefe Tunes have been taken from manuscripts; but all the original Welsh poems are transcribed, and translated from ancient manuscripts. The following tunes, fongs, poems, and hiftory, are the refult of fome years research and labour, collected, and adjusted at intervals. The greatest part of these melodies I have committed to writing from hearing them fung by the old people, and from their being played by the most venerable Harpers, in North Wales; and it is very fortunate that I did fo, because most of them are fince dead. Being a native of Meirionydd, where our national customs are best retained, and where I generally used to pass my fummers; being alfo well acquainted with most of the popular Welsh airs from my infancy, from having been brought up in the mufical profeffion, and having always had a predilection for native customs; I may perhaps, have the advantage of my contemporaries on this fubject, or at least I hope I shall be found adequate to the task which I have undertaken, in refcuing fome of the Bardic lore from being irretrievably loft. I have given these native Melodies as genuine as poffible; and have added new Baffes, and Composed Variations to several of them: thofe Tunes to which I have not given Variations, are arranged two or three together, in the fame key, so that they may be played to follow each other, as little Leffons. a wig, 20s.” In the accounts of the Lord Harrington, who was in the fame office under James I. there is, " Paid to T. Mawe før "the dier and lodging of Tom Derry, her Majesty's jefter, 13 weeks, 101.18s. 6d." PATCH, and ARCHEE were political characters. The former, who had been Wolfey's fool, and who, like wiser men, had lived in favour through all the changes of religion and folly with which four fucceffive courts had amused themselves, or tormented every body else, was employed by Sir Francis Knollys to break down the crucifix, which queen Elizabeth ftill retained in her chapel ; and the latter, I suppose on some fuch inftigation, demolished that which Laud erected at St. James's, and which was probably the true cause of that prelate engaging the king and council in his quarrel, though abufive words were the pretence." Lord Orford's Anecdotes of Painting in England, vol. i. According to another account, the following is faid to have been the cause. King Charles I. going to dinner when the chaplain was out of the way, told Archee, his jefter, to fay grace; which he immediately performed thus: " All glory be to God on high, "and little Laud to the devil!" At which all the courtiers smiled, because it reflected on Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, who was a little man: the king told Archee he would give an account of him to his Grace the Archbishop; " and what would you do then?” faid the King. "O," said Archee, "I'll hide myself where he shall never find me." "Where's that?" asked the King. “ In “bis pulpit,” faid Archee," for I am fure he never goes there.” ? See more of jesters, in Jeffrey of Monmouth, book iii. p. 93-Silas Taylor's Hift. of Gavelkind, p. 9, &c. Selden's Titles of Honour. P. 524. And the words, Goliardus, Buffoon, Jefter, or Gesticulari, in the Law Dictionaries, and, in Shakespear's King Lear, &c. Thefe old Airs differ much in ftructure from the modern mufic, and I found it very difficult to adapt regular Baffes to them, according to the strict rule of counterpoint, as their fundamental harmonies are often ambiguous, and even the keys are fometimes but obfcurely indicated by the wild modulation. However, as melody is the foul of mufic, and harmony a fecondary confideration, or an affistant*; I have generally preferred fteering by the original melody, and to aid it with a characteristic harmony, in its own native manner, and the conveniency of the Harp, in preference to that of a complicated modern bass, too regularly managed; because, that uneven tranfition, and abrupt fimplicity, feem best calculated to convey their original bold character. "Britain, whofe genius is in Song expreft, Where grandeur and fimplicity are united, either in fight, fenfe, or found, it naturally makes a most awful, and pleafing impreffion on the mindt. Shakespear feems to have felt a fimilar impulfe, by the following lines: "Now, good Cefaro, but thatpiece of Song, Several of these national Songs, and Tunes breathe the high spirit of Lyric enthusiasm, and I think are more interesting than any other, because each of them records, or refers to fome particular event, and also conveys to us the genuine tafte, customs, and manners of our brave ancestors, as well as hiftorical facts. They were the impulse of nature, compofed by the Bards, at the very time when each circumftance happened; and fung, or performed by them on the various occafions which they refer to. Anciently no Bard defcribed any battle, unless he had been an eye-witness thereof: for, fome of the chief Bards were marshals of battles; they fat in council in the field; and were the king's, or general's intelligencers, how the action went on'. Befides this, the authenticity of thefe ancient fongs and poems renders them the more valuable. For the Welsh laws strictly forbade the Bards to introduce any fable, or perverfion of truth into their works; and if they did fo, they were feverely punished with fines, long imprisonment, and lofs of dignity". Tacitus himself confeffes, the ancient Britons zealously kept their language unmixed; and that their history and annals, as well as those of other Celtic nations, were composed in verse, and fung to the mufic of the harp. Dr. Davies alfo fays, that the law of the Britons exprefsly forbade the Bards to introduce any new words into their rhymes'. It may not be amifs likewise to mention here, how the Welsh songs, and poems are so well remembered; it is, because they are fo admirably constructed, and braided in fuch alliterative harmony by the Bards, that if any part of a fong be remembered, it is almost impoffible but that the rest of it must naturally occur, by the concatenation of the poefy, fomewhat analogous to the following famous couplet of Shakespear, on Cardinal Wolfey: Pitt's Eneid. This art is called Cyfrinach y Beirdd, or Poetic Secret of the Bards+. * See the Rev. Mr. Mafon's Essays on English Church Mufic, p. 81, and 87. Allo Mr. William Jackson's Obfervation on the present State of Mufic in London, p. 9, &c. "Poetry if applied to its true ends, adds a thousand charms to those fentiments of religion, virtue, generofity, and delicate "tenderness, by which the human foul is exalted and refined." 1 Manuscript in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, marked K K K, page 207, &c. 2 The laws of Prince Gruffydd ab Cynan, M.S. Chapone's Letters. In Vit. Agric. cap. 21. 3 Dr. Davies's preface to his British Grammar; and Nicholson's English Historical Library, p. 24. The immortal Milton likewife defcribes the melody of Mufic in a fimilar elegant manner, thus; Barddoniaeth, Péroriaeth, Cerddwriaeth, or Mufic, is of all others the most ancient science. In the time of the primitive Bards, this term was very comprehenfive; and indeed, however confined at present, it is evident from the following quotations, that under the name of Barddoniaetb, Cerddoriaeth, or the musical Art, the ancients included poetry, philofophy, gefture, and even the circle of early sciences. Hermes defines Mufic to be the knowledge of order in all things: This was also the doctrine in the school of Pythagoras'; and in that of Plato, where it was taught that every thing in the universe was music.. Hefychius, the Athenian, gave the name of music to all the arts. Athenæus affures us, that in former times, all laws, human and divine, exhortations to virtue, the knowledge of what concerned the gods and heroes, were written in verse, and fung publickly to the found of inftruments; and that fuch was the custom of the Ifraelites*. Homer fays, it was a part of his hero's education. The poets reprefent muficians at the table of kings, finging the praises of the gods, and heroes: and Virgil mentions Iopas, at the table of Dido, finging to the lyre. But the Harp is recorded to be the most ancient, and perhaps, I may add, the most expressive, and elegant of all musical instruments. Among the ancients it was deemed the symbol of Concord; and most probably, it was the inftrument of all others, first attuned to Harmony, or Counterpoint. The Themes which the Welsh Bards wrote upon, were very multifarious; we have various poems, and fome profe effays in ancient manuscripts, by different Bards, on the following fubjects: theology; ethicks; war; laud, or panegyric; love; beauty; happiness; forrow; fatire; mufic; poetry; mirth; hiftory; genealogy; aftronomy; philofophy; prophecies; magic; mathematics; mechanics; geography; the maritime science; the praises of nature, of art, and of harmony; agriculture; rural sports; games, &c.s And yet these people are called rude and barbarous by fome foreign writers, because, perhaps they were wifer than themselves; or at least, it is evident, that those writers were ignorant respecting their knowledge". Every ▾ Iamblicus in the Life of Pythagoras, tells us, that mufic was a part of the discipline by which he formed the minds of his scholars. 2 Timagenes, and Quintilian, lib. i. c. 11. prove that Mufic is the most ancient science. 3 Athenæus Deipnosophistæ, lib. i. et lib. vi. xiv. And Dr. Brown's Differtation on Mufic and Poetry, 4to. ♦ Ecclefiafticus, c. xxxii. ver. 4, 5, 6.1 Efdras, c. iii. iv. and v. ver. 5, 6, 59, &c. Exodus, c. xv. And 1 Chronicles, c. xxiii. &c. 3 Dr. John Davydd Rhys's Cambrobrytannica Cymræcave Lingua Inftitutiones, p. 146, 147, and 303. Many of the most ancient Welsh poems, and British chronicles, have lately been happily rescued from being loft, by being publifhed, in two large octavo volumes, with an English preface; intitled, THE MYVYRIAN ARCHAIOLOGY OF WALES, collected out of old Manufcripts and Records; and fold by Longman and Rees, in Pater-nofter Row. -1802. • The ancient British word Bardd, or Bard, originally implied a Prophet, Musician, Poet, Philofopher, Teacher, and Herald. His dress was unicoloured, of sky-blue, as an emblem of truth, and of his facred character; not unlike the primitive priesthood; for the Lord commanded Mofes, " And thou shalt make the robe of the Ephod all of blue.” Exodus, c. xxviii. ver. 31. chap. xxxix. ver. 22. and Leviticas, c. xix. ver. 27, and 28. These Seers, or British Beirdd, are mentioned by Lucan, thus: “Plurima fecuri fudiftis carmina Bardi.” "And many Bards that to the trembling chord, Spencer. According to Juv. 16, 13. Bardaicus Judex, feems to have been a Judge Advocate in the Army. In the primitive times it was the office of the priesthood to found the trumpet ; and Barddhirgorn, we call the Trumpet Major. The fyftem of Bardism having fallen into almost total oblivion, Poetry, and Mufic are now the only characteristics preferved, by which the ancient Bardd is recognized. In the early state of mankind, the Bards were the most learned and skilful, therefore they were appointed minifters of ftate, and legislators. The term Bardd, is derived from Bâr, which in Welsh fignifies the top, or eminence; also a bufh, as the miffeltoe of the oak is called Uchelfâr, the high branch; or Pren-awyr, the celestial shrub. Likewise Bârr, is a court of judicature; Barn, is judgment; Barnwr, a Judge; Breyr, and Barwn, is a Baron, a Lord, or Prefident; hence a Bar-pleader, Barrifter; Lord chief Baron; court Baron, &c. d Cafar |