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236 T^HE HISTORY
a herald to, record all the acts of the princes and
nobles, and to give arms according to deserts.
They were also poets, and cou'd prognosticate
certain things, and gave them out in metre.
And
further there were three kinds of Beirdd (the
plural of Bardd) viz. Privardd, Posivardd, Arwyddvardd.
The Priveirdd {jp\nv2L\\y) were Merlin
Silvester, Merlin Ambrosius, and Taliessin; and
the reason they were call'd Priveirdd v.as, because
they invented
and taught such philosophy
and other learning as were never read or heard of
by any man before. The interpretation of this
word Privardd is prince, or first learner, or learned
man :
for JBardd was an appellation of all learned
men, and professors of learning, and prophets,
as also were attributed to them the titles of Privardd,
Posvardd, and Artiyddvard, Sardd Telyn.
And they call
Sardd Gortheyrn, that is,
Merlin Ambrosius by the name of
Vortiger's Philosopher,
or learned man, or Prophesyer. Sardd Telyn is
he that is doctor of the musicians of the harp, and
is the chief harp in the
land, having his abode in
the king's palace: and note no man may be called
Privardd, but he that inventeth such learning,
and arts, or science, as were never taught before.
The second kind of Bardd is Posvardd, and those
Posveirdd were afterwards Prydiddion: for they
did imitate and teach vhat the Priveirdd had set
forth, and must take tlicir author front one ofthem
for they themselves are no authors, but registers