fung to those inftruments, and were called Datgeiniaid.

"In the reign of Gryffydh ap Cynan, a law was enacted to af certain the privileges of the bards and minstrels, and to restrain their licentious manners. This ftatute prefcribed the emoluments each was to receive, as well as the perfons on whom fuch emoluments were impofed. It was likewife enacted, that neither the bards nor the minstrels fhould lead the lives of vagabonds, nor fing verfes in houfes of public refort; that they fhould not be in toxicated with liquor, or be quar. relfome perfons, or be addicted to women; and that they fhould neither be thieves themselves, nor be the companions of fuch; they were prohibited likewife from entering into any houfe, or making fatirical fongs on any perfon, without the licence of the parties concerned. If a bard or a minstrel fhould violate these restraints in their conduct, by a fingular and unexampled feverity, every man was made an officer of juftice, and was authorised not only to arrest and to punish difcre:ionally, but to feize on whatever property the offender had about him. This ftatute, the feverity of which in fome degree points out its neceffity, has been frequently put in force by the reigning authority of the country, as appears by feveral commiffions directing the better regulation of the order.

"From this time under the aufpicious protection of the Welsh princes, many excellent bards a rofe. Meilir, who was the bard of Gryffydh ap Cynan, was alfo employed in a military character, and was fent by that prince to tranfact a negociation in England. Gwalchmai the fon of Meilir, in a poem entitled Gorhoffedd, glories that he

had defended the marches of Wales against the English. Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr, or Cynddelw the great bard, was a perfon eminent for his valour, and lived in the court of Madoc ap Meredydh the prince of Powis.

"From the time of Owen Gwy. nedh, to the death of that great prince the laft Llewelyn, feveral bards flourished of diftinguished talents; the most eminent of whom was Llywarch Prydydh-y-Moch, who has celebrated in many odes the victories of Llewelyn the Great; likewife Dafydh Pentras, Dan'el ap Llofgurn Mew, and Llewelyn Fardd ap Cyward. Cotemporary with these flourished Philip Brydydh, who was an eminent bard in Cardigan.

"Tyranny having erected her banner in Wales, by the cruel policy of Edward, in the maffacre of the bards, that ancient seat of freedom and of poetry, was for a long time deprived of the exercife of their talents.

"During the fpirited, and for a time the profperous infurrection of Owen Glendwrdwy, the Mufcs again appeared in the country: en. couraged by the munificence of that leader, and animated by the tranfi tory ray which had dawned upon liberty. Among the number of thofe bards who appeared at the court of Glendwrdwy, was Iclo Goch, who celebrated, in a high ftrain of eulogy, the magnificence and the victories of his patron. At the fame time flourished Dafydh ap Gwilim, a native of Caerdigan.

"The Welf, having made the laft effort for their expiring freedom, funk into a ftate of flavery, the most deep and fevere. The bards were prohibited by law from making their annual progrefs, and from holding public affemblies; which privileges

privileges were called by the natives clera and cymhortha. During this dark period, and the conteft between the houses of York and Lancafter, the genius of poetry was nearly extinguifhed, or was only employed in foothing the mifery of the times by obfcure predictions of more profperous days.

"A brighter profpect opening on the Welsh in the reign of Henry the Seventh, a feries of bards from this time arofe; who, being chiefly maintained in the families of the chieftains, afcertained the genealogies; and, the caufes of reciting warlike exploits having ceafed, they celebrated the civil virtues of their patrons, their magnanimity, their hofpitable fpirit, their talents, and the graces of their perfons. They, likewife, amid ft other duties, had the mournful office of compofing an elegy on the death of

the chieftain in whofe family they refided; which was fung to the fur viving relations in honour of the dead; reciting the noble families from which the deceased had sprung, and the great actions performed by himfelf or his ancestors.

"Since the reign of queen Elizabeth, there has not been any regular affembly of the bards. The motives of emulation and reward being thus removed, and the fpirit of ancient freedom being extin guifhed, the poetic fire, for which this nation had been fo renowned, gradually declined. But fome fparks of that ancient fire yet remain a mong the Welsh, which in seasons of feftivity, break out into a fingu. lar kind of poetry, called Pennyll; and which, as a native art, may long furvive, though time, or the influence of English manners, should crafe every other original trait.

"THE HE Royal Household confitted of the following officers and domestics.

"The Mafler of the Palace. He was fometimes the heir apparent, always of the royal blood. His authority extended to every perfon of the household, and when any of them fell under the king's difpleasure, this officer entertained him till a reconciliation was effected. He received a fhare of all military plunder, and, on three feftivals in the year, was obliged by his office to deliver the harp into the hands of the domeftic bard, He was alfo, it is probable, the king's treasurer,

"The Domestic Chaplain, was by his office appointed to say grace, to celebrate mafs, and to be confulted in matters of conscience. He was alfo fecretary to the king, and to the principal court of jus tice. In the king's abfence, the domeftic chaplain, the judge of the palace, and the fteward of the household, fupported the royal dignity, and exercifed the authority annexed to it.

"The Steward of the Household, fuperintended the inferior domeftics; receiving, among other emoluments, the skius of lambs, kids, and fawns, and all other creatures from an ox to an cel, killed for the use of the

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king's

king's kitchen. He was the king's tafter; and drank, but did not eat, at the king's table. He diftributed among the household their wages, he affigned them proper feats in the hall of the palace, and allotted the apartments where they were to lodge.

The Mafter of the Hawks, was required to fleep near his birds: he had his bed in the king's granary, where they were kept, and not in the palace, left they fhould be injured by the fmoke. He was reftricted to a certain meafure of mead and ale, that he might not neglect his duty. In fpring he had the fkin of a hind, and in autumn that of a ftag, for gloves to guard his hands, and thongs for the geffes of his hawks. The eagle, the crane, the hawk, the falcon, and the raven, were confide ed as royal birds; when any of thefe were killed without authority, a fine was paid to the king. The king owed three fervices to the mafter of the hawks; on the day when he took a curlicu, a hern, or a bittern. He held the horfe of this officer while he took the bird, held his ftirrup while he mounted and difmounted; and that night hopoured him likewife with three different prefents. If the king was not in the field, he rofe fronr his feat to receive this officer upon his return; or if he did not rife, he gave him the garment he then

wore.

"The Judge of the Palace. The court in which this judge prefided was the principal court of Wales. It is faid that he always lodged in the hall of the palace, and that the cufhion on which the king was feated in the day, ferved for his pillow at night. On this appointment, he received an ivory chefsboard from the king, a gold ring

from the queen, and another gold ring from the domeftic bard; which he always kept as the infignia of his office. When he entered, or departed out of the palace, the great gate was opened for him, that his dignity might not be degraded by pafting under a wicket. He cetermined the rank and duty of the feveral officers of the houfehold. He decided poetical contests; and received from the victorious bard, whom he rewarded with a filver chair, the badge of poetical pre-eminence, a gold-rig, a drinking horn, and a cufhion. If complaint was made to the king, that the judge of the palace had pronounced an unjust fentence, and the accufation was proved, he was then forever deprived of his office, and condemned to lose his tongue, or pay the ufual ranfom for that member. The other judges were alfo fubject to thefe fevere but falutary conditions. A perfon ignorant of the laws, whom the king defigned to make his principal judge, was required to refide previoufly for a whole year in the palace, that he might obtain from the other judges, who reforted thither from the country, a compe tent knowledge of his duty and profeffion. During this year, the difficult caufes which occurred, were flated and referred by him to the king; at the expiration of this term he was to receive the facrament from the hands of the domeftic chaplain, and to fwear at the altar that he would never knowingly pronounce an unjust sentence, nor never be influenced by bribes or intreaties, hatred or affection; he was then placed by the king in his feat, and invested with the judicial authority; and afterwards received prefents from the whole household. It was reckoned among

the

the remarkable and peculiar cuftoms of the Welsh, that the tongues of all animals flaughtered for the houfehold were given to the judge of the palace.

"The Master of the Horfe. His lodging was near the royal ftables and granary; and it was his duty to make an equal diftribution of provender among the royal horfes. From every perfon on whom the king had bestowed one of his horfes, this officer received a prefent. To him and to his equerries belonged all colts, not two years old, included in the king's fhare of fpoils taken in war. To him alfo belonged the riding caps, faddles, bridles, and fpurs, which the king had used and laid afide. The fpurs, we are told, were of gold, filver, and brafs. It was part of his duty, to produce the horfe belonging to the judge of the palace in good condition and in his complete furniture. The judge, in return for this care, inftructed him in the nature of his rank and privileges. The extent of his protection was the diflance to which the fwifteft horfe in the king's ftables could

run.

"The Chamberlain, was obliged to eat and fleep in the king's private apartment, which he was appointed to guard. It was his duty to fill, and present to the king, his drink ing horn; and to keep alfo his plate and rings, for all of which he was accountable. When the king's bed-furniture and wearing apparel were laid afide, they were given to the chamberlain." If a perfon, walking in the king's chamber at night, without a light in his hand, happened to be lain, the laws gave no compenfation for his death.

"The Domestic Bard, was confidered as next in rank to the chief

bard of Wales. He was obliged, at the queen's command, to ling in her own chamber, three different pieces of poetry fet to mufic, but in a low voice, that the court might not be disturbed in the hall. At his appointment he received a harp from the king, and a gold ring from the queen. On three great festivals in the year, he received and wore the garments of the fteward of the household, and at thofe entertainments fat next to the mafter of the palace. He accom panied the army when they marched into the enemies country; and when they prepared for battle, he fung before them an ancient poem called Unbenniaeth Prydain, or the Monarchy of Britain; and for this fervice was rewarded with the most valuable beasts of the plunder which they brought back from these incurfions.

"An Officer to command Silence. This he performed firft by his voice, and afterwards by triking with his rod of office a pillar near which the domeftic chaplain ufually fat; and to him a fine was due for every disturbance in the court. He took charge of the implements of husbandry, and of the flocks and herds belonging to the king's demefne, in the abfence of the bailiff, or during the vacancy of his place. He was alfo a col. lector of the royal revenues.

"The Master of the Hounds In the hunting feafon he was entertained, together with his fervantsand dogs, by the tenants who held lands in villanage from the king. Hinds were hunted from the middle of February to Midfummer, and ftags from that time to the middle of October. From the ninth day of November to the end of that month, he hunted the wild boar. On the first day of November he brought

brought his hounds and all the hunting apparatus for the king's infpection and then the fkins of the animals he had killed in the preceding feafon were divided, according to a fettled proportion, between the king, himself, and his attendants. A little before Chriftmas he returned to the court, to fupport his rank and enjoy his privileges. During his refidence at the palace he was lodged in the kiln-houfe, where corn was prepared by fire for the dogs. His bugle was the horn of an ox, va. lued at one pound. Whenever his oath was required, he fwore by his horn, hounds, and leafhes. Early in the morning before he put on his boots; and then only, he was liable to be cited to appear, before a court of judicature. The mafter of the hounds, or any other person who fhared with the king, had a right to divide, and the king to choose. It was his duty, to accompany the army on its march with his horn; and to found the alarm, and the fignal of battle. His protection extended to any diftance which the found of his horn could reach. The laws declared, that the beaver, the martin, and the float were the king's, where ever killed; and that with the furry fkin of thefe animals his robes were to be bordered. The legal price of a beaver's fkin was ftated at ten fhillings.

"The Medd or Mead-brewer. This liquor, which was the wine commonly used by the Welf, was made with honey mixed in a vat with boiling water, and fpiced. The wax feparated by this procefs from the honey, was partly given to the mead-brewer, and partly applied to the ufes of the hall, which was the refectory of the palace, and to thofe of the queen's dining a partment.

"The Phyfician of the Houfchold, was alfo a practitioner of furgery. In flight cafes he cured the king's domeftics without a fee. When he healed a common wound, he claimed the torn and bloody garments of the wounded perfon. When the brain was laid open, the bowels in fight, or a thigh, leg, or arm was fractured, he received one pound for the cure. He was entitled to a bond from the family of his patients, by which he was indemnified, if death enfued from his prefcriptions; if he did not take this precaution, and the patient happened to die, he was liable to a legal profecution. He always attended the army on its march.

"The Cup-bearer, had charge of the mead-cellar, and filled and prefented the drinking horns.

"The Door keeper, whofe duty it was to carry meffages to the king and his court. His ftation and lodging was the gate-house. He was required to know perfonally all the officers of the household, that he might not refuse admittance to any of them, which refufal was confidered and punished as a violation of privilege. If he deferted his poft, and happened to receive any infult, he could obtain on that account no compenfation. He cleared the way before the king, and with his rod kept off the crowd. He preferved the hall of the palace free from intruders, and did not fit, but kneel in the king's prefence. The door-keeper of the palace, and the door keeper of the royal chamber, lodged with the gatekeeper in the gate-house.

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The Cook, to whofe office appertained the fkins of all animals flaughtered for the use of the kitchen. He always carried the latt dish out of the kitchen, and placed it before the king, who immediately rewarded him with meat and drink.

"The