136 CBANBORNE THE SO-CALLED CASTLE. 



Capper's Topographical Dictionary says of it, "A general 

 Court is held annually at the Tinwald Hill, an old mound of 

 earth forming the court of justice." 



The ceremony of opening a gorsedd now used at Bardic meet- 

 ings in Wales is holden to be the ancient one of the Druidical 

 times. 



At the opening of a Gorsedd the Gorsedd Bard is on his Bench, 

 and an officer puts into his hand a sword a little out of the 

 sheath. He asks "Is it peace?" It is answered "It is." 

 The sword is sheathed, and the President proclaims the Gorsedd, 

 Then is proclaimed the Great Bardic motto, " Truth against the 

 world and in the face of the sun " (y gwyr yn erbyn y byd, &c.) 

 Then the Bardic Prayer for the Court. " Give us, God, thy pro- 

 tection, and in protection strength, and in strength understand- 

 ing, and in understanding knowledge of righteousness, and in 

 knowledge of righteousness love of it, and in love to love every 

 Being, and with the love of every Being the love of God," and 

 then a proclamation that all lawful men shall have the protection 

 of the court.* 



The laws of Hywyl Dda bid that a judge should sit on the 

 Gorsedd with his back to the sun, with the plaintiff and defen- 

 dant, or accuser and accused before him with the light on their 

 faces. 



* Report of the Eisteddvod of Wrexam, 1876. 



