66> A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 



plough-land ; and, in proportion, out of 

 every half plough-land of their difirict. 



Befides the regular, or graduated 

 Bards, there were four other clafles of 

 inferior, and unlicenced Bards; thefe 

 were of the meaner, and more unfkilful 

 fort of muficians and poets, and were 

 what might be termed minjlrels. They 

 were pipers, players on the three- 

 flri'nged Crwth, taborers, and buffoons. 

 They had no connection with the Eif- 

 teddfod ; and their eftimation and their 

 profits were equally inconfiderable. 



The period that intervened, between 

 the reign of Gryffydd ap Cynan, and 

 that of the laft Prince Llewelyn, is the 

 brlghteft in theWelfh annals. It abounds 

 with perhaps the nobleft monuments of 

 genius their nation can boaft. The 

 names of the Bards are numerous; but 

 their remains unluckily very few. 



4 Early 



