DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61904#0131
CONWAY AND ITS CASTLE. II9
hall, roofed in by fail-cloth fupported down the centre by mails
wreathed with evergreens. The walls, tapeftried with luxu-
riant ivy, are decorated with ornamental Welfh mottoes and
devices, whilft a great variety of banners droop from above,
confpicuous amongft which are the Prince’s feathers, with the
motto Eich dyn (your man), which the Wellh antiquarian
afferts has been corrupted into Ich dien (I ferve).
This beautiful hall, fo appropriate for the occafion, which
opened out into the old banquetting and other apartments of
the caflle, was filled with feats and a raifed platform for the
tranfadfion of the bufinefs of the day, confpicuous on which
flood the carved chair of the chief bard, and an array of harps
and other mufical inftruments. The true primitive Wellh
harps, with their Ample unadorned frames of ftained wood,
tall, thin, high-fhouldered inftruments, of which there were
five, were naturally the moft interefting. The hall foon filled, and
the leaders of the Eifteddfod, ladies as well as gentlemen, and
the various muficians and fingers, took their places. The
bufinefs began, and the periods of the old Wellh tongue in profe
and poetry rolled grandly through the hall. But juft when the
enthufiafm was growing ever warmer an unfortunate difafter
occurred. It began to rain, and ere long torrents were
pouring through the infecure roofing down upon the aflembly.
A general movement took place; mufical inftruments, and harps
efpecially, were anxioully covered by their refpedtive owners ;
umbrellas were hoifted, and people crowded together under the
dry fpaces of the tent-like roof. In the meantime the bufinefs
went llowly on ; a Ihort Welfli poem was read, but, like the
rich lower notes of the finging of the Wellh nightingale, as
fhe was called, was partially loft in the conftant drip, drip, of the
rain, and the anxiety of everybody not to be wet through.
A difafter of this kind, however, is not without its advan-
hall, roofed in by fail-cloth fupported down the centre by mails
wreathed with evergreens. The walls, tapeftried with luxu-
riant ivy, are decorated with ornamental Welfh mottoes and
devices, whilft a great variety of banners droop from above,
confpicuous amongft which are the Prince’s feathers, with the
motto Eich dyn (your man), which the Wellh antiquarian
afferts has been corrupted into Ich dien (I ferve).
This beautiful hall, fo appropriate for the occafion, which
opened out into the old banquetting and other apartments of
the caflle, was filled with feats and a raifed platform for the
tranfadfion of the bufinefs of the day, confpicuous on which
flood the carved chair of the chief bard, and an array of harps
and other mufical inftruments. The true primitive Wellh
harps, with their Ample unadorned frames of ftained wood,
tall, thin, high-fhouldered inftruments, of which there were
five, were naturally the moft interefting. The hall foon filled, and
the leaders of the Eifteddfod, ladies as well as gentlemen, and
the various muficians and fingers, took their places. The
bufinefs began, and the periods of the old Wellh tongue in profe
and poetry rolled grandly through the hall. But juft when the
enthufiafm was growing ever warmer an unfortunate difafter
occurred. It began to rain, and ere long torrents were
pouring through the infecure roofing down upon the aflembly.
A general movement took place; mufical inftruments, and harps
efpecially, were anxioully covered by their refpedtive owners ;
umbrellas were hoifted, and people crowded together under the
dry fpaces of the tent-like roof. In the meantime the bufinefs
went llowly on ; a Ihort Welfli poem was read, but, like the
rich lower notes of the finging of the Wellh nightingale, as
fhe was called, was partially loft in the conftant drip, drip, of the
rain, and the anxiety of everybody not to be wet through.
A difafter of this kind, however, is not without its advan-