The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-10-01
TINE ROYAL NATIONAL EIS.
TEDDVOD OF WALES.

1f the above important affair held |
during four days last month at
Pwllheli, North Wales. The gath
sring was immense, the large pavil-
ion, built especially for the occas-
ion, aud capable of seating five
thousand persons, being filled after
the first day, continually. The first
day was very wet, raining torrents,
but the weather cleared toward the
and continued fine to the
end. The chief and chair prize,
$40, and fine antique oak chair,
was a poem on Beauty, won by Mr..
Tndno Jones, editor of q Welth pc
called ''The Voice of the
Country" This poem is very high
ly spoken Of by the judges. There
were fourteen competitors, many of
whose productions had great merit.
Mr.. Jones also won the prize for the
best translation into Welsh of
"Gray's Bard" Some of the lead
ing prizes were for the best essay
OH ''The Physiological Aspect of
Total Abstinence from Intoxicating
Drinks ;" ditto on Criticism ;" ditto
on Mind" ditto epic poem on
"Cassivalanans (Caswallon HE
First Campaign Against the Ro-
mans ;" ditto on "Boadicea ;" ditto
on Angel" Among the choral
competitions was a prize of forty
guiness and a gold medal, for the
hest rendering of " How Great is
The Depth" by Mendelsshon.
Among a long list of other prizes,
was the best model of farm house,
for farm of sixty acres of land,
and one of eight guineas on "The
Farmers Hand book, containing
Agricultural Chemistry" The mum
Der of prizes was quite large and
amounted altogether to nearly
So 600. There were twenty-four
paid vocalists and instrumentalists,
several of whom were from the
Royal Academy of Music, London,
aud the University of Wales, whose
performances at the evening COZ
certs were of the highest order. The
whole affair was a grand success,
and the surplus funds will be dOna-
ted to the University of Wales.
The presence of Professor Schu.
derdt, from Germany, who address.
ed the audience in excellent Welsh
produced great applause. lie had
come to Wales. he said, to perfect
himself in their beautiful language
which he considered one OF The
finest languages in the world.
The following portions OF an edi
tOrial of the North Wales Chroni
Gle will be read with interest:
PwLLHELI ROYAL NATIONAL EIsTEDD
FoD AND MUSICAL FESTIVAL
OF WALES.
II is hardly necessary to state her.
that Eisteddfodan are old, revered
and valuable institutions, and have
been instrumental in cultiVating til,
minds of the people. We have only
to glance back and read of the past
and compare it with the present t
see the good that has been effected
for the Welsh people by means o
Eisteddfodau. The spirit of emula
ton has by this means been exer
cised, and people with hot Celti,
blood flowing in their veins havt
thereby become to a great extern
cool, calm, and thoughtful. Appeal
ing to their inherent love of music
and encouraging friendly rivalry
for honors and prizes, has been, i
may be safely said, at least one O
the reasons why such peace and con
cord prevails in Wales at present
Such assemblies cannot fail to hav
q BENEFICIAL effect upon ali classes
The country at large too is benefit
ted by them. No matter how small
or local an Eisteddfod may be, i
never fails 10 attract. The Eistedd
fOdau of the present day differ yer.
much from those of olden times
Perhaps the following resume o
the history of Eisteddfodau will no
be uninteresting. 1t will show wha
an old institution the Eisteddfod /
how much in value and how high
ly appreciated were the bards o
those days, and how proud tin
Welsh ought to be of preservin!
such an old institution
The Eisteddfodau were the Brit
ish Olympics. Fired at first wit
generous emulatiOns our poet
crowded into the list, and carried
off the prize, coDtented with tn
mere honor of victory. At length
when the competitors became nu
: merous and the country became OPP
pressed with the multitude, new
regulations of course were made
The disappointed candidates wer
no longer suffered to torture the ca
of the principslity with thei
wretched competitions. None bu
t bards of merit were suffered to re
place their pieces, and minstrels o
skill to perform. These wen
! through a long probation. Judge
were appointed by commission from
our princes, and after the cOnques
! of Wales by the kings of England
Notwithstanding Edward the 1. ex
ecuted political cruelty over tn
generation of bards of his time, ye
future princes thought fit to reviY
an institution so likely to soften tn
: manners of a fierce people. Tn
e crown had an opportunity OF nOmi
E mating the judges, who decided no
e only on the merit, but the subject
{ of the poems. The bardi were G
= great authority amongst the Cell
3 nations. After Cadwaladr, the mex
: princes who undertook the reform
D of our minstrelsy were Bleddyn a
3 Cynfyn and GryTydd ap SynaI
] The first was contemporary wit
the COnquerer, the last with Kin
Stephen. These enacted that n
person should follow the PrOfessiO
of bard or minstrel, but such Onl
who were admitted by the Eistedd
2 fod, which was held once in tire
!, years. The minstrels were then pro
hibited from invading one another
provinces, and were not permitte,
to degrade themselves by following
any other occupation. After III
time of the princes, the great men
= the descendants, took these peopl
3 under their care and protection, al
: lowing them the liberty of ci=culaI
ing their respective territories thric
. year, viz, at Christmas, Easter an,
: Whltsuntide, and the whole Princi
palito once in three years. Th