A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 259 



and nobles, as far as Beli, Sylvius, ./Ene- 

 as, or even to Adam himfelf. Their 

 poetry was of a humbler kind: it was 

 ufually confined to fubjecls of jocularity 

 and mimickry, inve6live and reproach. 



Of the Mufical Bards, the firft clafs 

 was appropriated to the performers on 

 the harp: the fecond contained per- 

 formers on the fix-ftringed Crwth. The 

 third confifted of fingers, whofe em-* 

 ployment it was, to fing to the harps of 

 others, the compofitions of the Poetical 

 Bards ; but from thefe, a variety of 

 other qualifications was expe6led. 



The Eifteddfod, the Britifh Olympic, 

 was a triennial afiembly of the Bards, 

 for the regulation of poetry and mufic; 

 for conferring honorary degrees, and 

 advancing to the chair of the Eiftedd- 

 fod, by the decifion of a poetical and 

 mufical conteft, fome of the rival candi- 

 dates ; or eftablifhing, in that honorable 

 1 2 feat, 



