On Wednesday the 12th instant, the ninth anniversary of this celebrated Literary and Musical Festival was held at Abergavenny, attended by the usual demonstrations of enthusiasm becoming this great national event. Peals of merry bells gave early note of preparation, and at the appointed hour of eleven o’clock a strong muster took place opposite the Sun Inn, and shortly after the members of the society, &c., moved off in full procession to receive the president, who met them at the Spitty, on the Monmouth road, attended by a numerous body of friends in carriages. An address was here presented to him, and immediately after his reply the procession returned to town in the following order:—
The Secretary and Officers of the Society.
Band of Music, playing National Marches. the Performers attired in Scarfs of National Plaid.
Druids’ Banner.
Druids bearing Regalia of their Order.
Banner.
Dadgeiniaid.
Committee and Members of the Society.
Several Banners of the Society, emblazoned with the Red Dragon of Cadwallader, the Plume of Feathers, &c.
A Platform carriage, bearing Six Harpers, drawn by Four Horses, the Postilions dressed in Welsh Woollen Plaid Caps and Jackets.
Officers of the Order of Ivorites.
The President’s Carriage.
A long line of Private Carriages.
Ivorite Banner.
Officers and Members of Ivorite Lodges, bearing Banners and Regalia.
The line of march extended nearly through the whole of the town, as the place fixed for the meeting was nearly opposite the New Church, in the Groffeld; the windows throughout were filled with ladies, who evinced the most lively interest in the proceedings, and the streets were crowded to excess in every part.
On the president entering the room and taking his seat, he was received with a grand chorus of harps, which having ceased, the Eisteddfod was opened by sound of trumpet. Mr. Powell was supported on his right by Lord James Stuart, Sir B. Hall, &c., and on his left by the Indian Prince, who appeared to attract much attention. He was dressed in the picturesque costume of his country, and seemed to take great interest in the proceedings. The marquee was one of Edgington’s extensive structures, furnished for the occasion, and was very tastefully fitted up and decorated. The president’s chair was stationed at the centre of one ride, and the platform for the bards and singers occupied the opposite, while one half of the pavilion was fitted up as a platform for spectators, and the other half with seats to which a lower price was affixed. The interior of the marquee was profusely decorated with the flags of different nations, the stars of various orders of knighthood, together with harps and national devices beautifully formed of dahlias. A splendid crown, mounted on a velvet cushion, occupied the centre pillar, and a superb mistletoe bough hung over the platform.
The company being seated, the president opened the proceedings by giving a short history of Eisteddfodau up to the present time, follower by a history of the triumphant progress of the Abergavenny Cymreigyddion.
Several bards then reciter Englynion, in honour of the occasion; after which, the Rev. Thomas Price gave an animated and interesting history of the progress of the society, the institution of which had been described by Chevalier Bunsen as the commencement of a new era in European literature, and predicted that it would open new fields of research to the scholars of the Continent. The Rev. Gentleman expressed a conviction that, by stimulating persons of spirit and attainments, the society was likely to effect a great revolution in the literature, not only of their own country, but perhaps of the world.
Mr. John Thomas, of Merthyr, and his talented party, gave a specimen of Penillion singing after the manner of Gwent and Morganwg, in their usual skilful manner.
Mr. Taliesin Williams said, that had he not considered it his duty to address the meeting, he should not have thrust upon their notice an anti-climax to the brilliant addresses in which the last reverend speaker threw a light upon the opening of each anniversary of this society. Mr. W. then noticed the favour shown by our gracious Sovereign to the northern branch of the Celtic family, and expressed a hope, at some future period, of a similar honour to Wales—(Cheers.) He then reviewed the influence of the national customs upon the national character of the different people of Europe. He then referred to the awakened attention of the Irish to their national literature, and said it was a curious fact that England, who furnished literary missionaries for the whole world, could not afford a single critic of our Welsh language. He next alluded to a volume, which he held in his hand, containing the Voice Conventional of the Bards, with the genealogies of Siluria—a nation so highly spoken of by the Romans, and relating to whom Mr. Price had on former occasions adduced such interesting facts. Much had been said by the honourable chairman with regard to former Eisteddfodau held under the authority of the royal sign manual; but he could assure them that in the earlier ages the power which convened them was superior to that of the prince himself, who, equally with the peasant, was bound by the authority received from the sanction of those assemblies. At those meetings the Druids conferred their degrees “Ynn gwyneb Hanl a Llygad Goleui:” and, though they might be ridiculed for imitating those proceedings now, still he would maintain that, in recognizing their principle of seeking knowledge at the source of light, they could not be far wrong. Degrees were now given in colleges; and here we have room to claim priority, for the college of St. Iltutus existed in the fourth century, before Oxford or Cambridge dispensed their learning; the tomb of Iltutus was still legible in Luytwit churchyard, and the present generation could there discern the very characters which Arthur himself had read. Mr. W. then pursued this subject at great length, referring to other monumental stones still in existence, and concluded by stating that the work be produced brought to light the names of several lost Welsh worthies, and thus rendered clear the etymology of several places in the principality.
A poem in honour of the bards of Wales was read by the chairman, who stated it to be the production of a fair unknown.
The Rev. W. Williams (Coladfryn), of Caernarvon, then came forward and announced the awards for the Welsh national compositions, of which he was the appointed judge.
The Illustrated London News, London, England, Week Ending October 22, 1842
