day. These three are called station stones; but, in the centre of the circle, a stone, larger than the others, should be so placed, that diverging lines, drawn from its middle to the three station stones, may point severally, and directly, to the three particular positions of the rising sun, which they indicate."—(Iolo MSS., p. 445.) "The place of assembly shall be upon the grassy face of the earth, and chairs shall be placed there, namely stones; and where stones cannot be obtained, then in their stead turfs, and the Chair of assembly shall be in the middle of the Gorsedd."—(p. 627.)

The solar principle, according to which the circles of the Bards are here directed to be formed, is extremely curious; and it would be worth while to put it to the test, especially since so many astronomical theories have already been devised, with a view to explain their characteristic features.

In illustration of the probable origin of the three radiating lines, we may record the following singular traditions:

"The announcement of the Divine name is the first event traditionally preserved, and it occurred as follows: -God, in vocalising his NAME, said /\, and with the word all worlds and animations sprang co-instantaneously to being and life from their non-existence, shouting in ecstasy of joy /\, and thus repeating the name of the Deity."(The Roll of Tradition and Chronology, taken from Edward Williams's transcript of Llewelyn Sion's MS., which was copied from Meyryg Davydd's transcript of an old MS. in the library of Raglan Castle.— See Iolo MSS., p. 424.)

In another document we are told:-"Immediately with the utterance was light, and in the light the form of the name in three voices thrice uttered, co-vocally, co-instantaneously, and in the vision three forms, and they were the figure and form of the light, and together with the utterance and the figure and form of that utterance were the three first letters, and from a combination of their three utterances were formed by letter all other

utterances whatsoever."—(From an old Grammar, apud Coelbren y Beirdd, p. 7.)

A third tradition says:-" Einigan Gawr saw three rays of light, on which were inscribed all knowledge and science. And he took three rods of mountain ash, and inscribed all the sciences upon them, as it should seem in imitation of the three rays of light."-(See Coelbren y Beirdd, p. 6.)

It may be remarked that the favourite symbol of the Bards is /11, and that it stands for the name of God, and is regarded further as a representation of the three diverging rays of light, which Einigan Gawr saw descending towards the earth; and it is somewhat curious that these three lines contain all the elements of the bardic alphabet, as there is not a single letter in it that is not formed of some of these lines.

ITS NAME." The whole circle, formed as described, is called cylch Ambawr (the greensward-enclosing circle), cylch gorsedd (the circle of presidency), cylch gwyngil (the circle of sacred refuge); but it is called trwn (a throne) in some countries. The three stones placed near the entrance are called meini gorsaf (station stones); the stones of the circle are called meini gwynion (sacred stones), and meini crair (stones of testimony); and the centre stone is variously called maen gorsedd (the stone of presidency), crair gorsedd (the token of presidency), maen llog (the stone of compact), and maen armerth (the perfection stone).-(The Voice Conventional apud Iolo MSS., p. 446.)

Ambawr is evidently the original of ambrosial, and it suggests a much more satisfactory meaning than may be discovered in the name of Emrys Wledig or Ambrosius, the patron of Stonehenge; much less in Davies's theory, which professes to find the revolution of the sun in the Greek numerals of which the word may be formed.

Maen llog may be easily recognised in the logan stone; and thus there is reason to infer that all stones popularly known by the latter name, wherever met with, once formed part of a druidical circle.

Meini gwynion were not to be removed, according to the Laws of Dyvnwal Moelmud, under pain of death: "There are three stones, which if any man remove, he shall be indicted as a thief: the boundary stone, the maen gwyn of the convention, and the guide stone: and he that destroys them shall forfeit his life, (or be guilty of capital offence)."—(Myv. Arch., v. iii., p. 301.)

It is remarkable that none of these stones is here called a cromlech, nor have I been able to find that name in any composition of the older Bards, which certainly tends to confirm the view taken of it by the Irish antiquaries at the Cardiff Congress. Nor ought we to forget that Dr. Owen Pughe considers it but as the vulgar name of the maen gorsedd, implying thereby evidently that the Bards themselves never used the word.

It would be worth while to examine strictly whether what are called cromlechau are found to be invariably connected with a circle; for if they be not, they can hardly be regarded as altars, when we consider that all worship, of which sacrifice formed the most essential part, was performed within the sacred inclosure.

ITS USE. We learn from the bardic traditions that the circle was used

1. As a place of worship. Thus the "Voice Conventional" speaks of the Druid as one who "acts in accordance with reason, circumstance, and necessity, and that his duties are to instruct, hold subordinate chairs and conventions, and keep up divine worship at the quarterly lunar holy-days," which meetings it elsewhere refers to the circle. The "Rules and Customs of the Chair of Tir Iarll," evidently in reference to the days of Christianity, further allow "every place of worship, and every precinct of a church, to be a place for bardic assembly."-(Iolo MSS., p. 627.)

2. As a place whence to impart all religious and useful knowledge. "The proper privilege and office of the convention of the Bards is to maintain, preserve, and give, sound instruction in religion, science, and morality.' (Laws of Dyvnwal Moelmud, Myv. Arch., v. iii., p. 290.)

3. As a place in which to transact all things relating more immediately to the organisation and discipline of the bardic system. This is so evident throughout the Institutes of the Bards, that it would be superfluous here to introduce any particular extract with a view to establish the point. I will therefore close this part of the subject with a passage from "the Rules and Customs of the Chair of Tir Iarll," which more or less takes in these three several objects of the bardic circle.

"At every Gorsedd of the Chair of assembly, there should be published the Instructions of the Bards of the Isle of Britain; that is to say, the records of the knowledge and sciences, and of the arrangements, and rules, and privileges, and customs of the Bards. After rehearsing the instructions and records, the exhibitions shall be called for; then any Bard, who has anything which he wishes to exhibit, shall exhibit it to the Chair, whether it be poetry, or genealogical roll, or record of honourable achievement, or improvement in knowledge and science. After the exhibitors, hearing shall be given to such claims and appeals as shall be brought forward. And after that, dialogues and chair disputations concerning poetry and its appurtenances; and afterwards they shall proceed to hold a council of judgment upon the merits of what has been brought before the Chair and the Gorsedd; and then shall publication be made of the decision and the judgment, and the presents shall be made. Then the public worship, and after that the banquet and conferring of honours; then shall all depart to their houses, and every one to his own residence. (Iolo MSS., p. 628.)

NUMBER OF CIRCLES." The three chief conventions (prif orsedd) of the Isle of Britain; the convention of Bryn Gwyddon, at Caerleon-upon-Usk, the convention of Moel Evwr, and the convention of Beiscawen.'

Again,-"The three conventions of perfect song (gyvan gerdd) of the Isle of Britain; the convention of Beiscawen in Dyvnwal (Devon), the convention of Caer Caradawe (Salisbury Plain) in England, and the con

vention of Bryn Gwyddon, in Wales."-(Coelbren y Beirdd, p. 38.)

Both Triads agree in regard to two of the chief conventions, viz., those of Beiscawen and Bryn Gwyddon. It is not unlikely that what is supposed to be the remains of a Roman amphitheatre, but is vulgarly called King Arthur's round table, at Caerleon-upon-Uske, had something to do with the ancient Gorsedd of Bryn Gwyddon. We learn from the Iolo MSS. that the motto of Bryn Gwyddon is "Coel clywed, Gwir gweled," (hearing is believing, seeing is truth): whilst that of Beiscawen is said to be "Nid byth ond bythoedd," (nothing is for ever that is not for ever and ever).

The third congress mentioned in the first Triad, viz., Moel Evwr, will be immediately recognised as that of Abury, or Abury Hill, in Wilts. The reason why Caer Caradawc, or Stonehenge, is substituted in the other Triad, appears to be this-that the Triads refer to different dates; the former to the time previous to the erection of Stonehenge, and the latter to the time when it had superseded Abury. There can be no doubt, when we duly consider the stupendous magnitude of both, and their contiguity to each other, that the one was in a sense the restoration of the other, unless we regard them as rival temples, which is hardly probable. Tradition ascribes the erection of Stonehenge to Emrys Wledig in the fifth century, as a monument to the victims of "the long knives." That Stonehenge is of comparatively recent date, appears clearly from the marks of the chisel and hammer upon the stones, contrary to the original mode of building adopted in the case of Abury and others, which seems to have come down from the Divine command:" If thou make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone."

The bardic circle being a cylch cyngrair, as it is sometimes called, that is, the circle of concord or federation, makes it highly probable that the meeting proposed for the formation of friendship or alliance between the Britons and Saxons, was held within the circle of Abury,