THE TRIADS OF PRIVILEGE AND USAGE.

1. THE THREE PRIMARY PRESIDING Bards of the Isle of Britain: Plennydd; Alawn; and Gwron.

2. For three reasons are Bards called Bards according to the privilege and usage of the Bards of the Isle of Britain: one reason is, because it was in the Isle of Britain that Bardism was first understood; the second, because no other country in the world had ever a just comprehension of systematic Bardism; the third, because genuine Bardism cannot be upheld except in virtue of the usages, systems, and voice of Gorsedd of the Bards of the Isle of Britain. On that account, of whatever country they may be, they are called Bards according to the privilege and usage of the Bards of the Isle of Britain.1

3. There are three kinds of Bards of the Isle of Britain: Primitive Bards before Christianity; after that, the Bards of Beli; and the pseudo-Bards, that is, the Poets, who are not regulated by the ancient privileges and usages of the Bards of the Isle of Britain.2

4. There are three Bards of equality, namely: the Primitive Bard; the Druid; and the Ovate; for there should not, and cannot be supremacy to one over another of those three, though each has a privilege over the other, according to the privilege and speciality of office and obligation.

5. There are three colours, which differ one from the other in the robes of the three principal kinds of Bards of the Isle of Britain, namely: blue,3the colour of the sky, distinguishes the dress of the Primitive Bard Positive, who is called Licentiate of Privilege, inasmuch as he has a gratuitous privilege, and a free license from the day he is dismissed from under the hands of his teacher before a Gorsedd or Chair of systematic vocal song; the robe of the Druid-bard is white;1and the robe of an Ovate-bard is green.2And there ought not to be two or more colours in the robe of one or other of these three, for a variety of colours in one or other of them is contrary to usage and order, and inconsistent with reason.

6. There are three things symbolized by the three colours of the Bards’ robes. The colour of the Primitive Bard is blue, and the signification of that colour