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DEATH OF DR. PRICE, LLANTRISANT.

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DEATH OF DR. PRICE, LLANTRISANT. AN ECCENTRIC PHYSICIAN. THE BODY TO BE CREMATED. On Monday Dr. William Price, the well-known Welsh physician, died at his residence at Llantri- -santo Wales has lost its most eccentric character by the death of Dr. Price. He was a most pecu- liarly constituted man. That he was able as a physician is generally believed, especially by those workmen's wives who remember Dr. Price in his prime. Down to the time of his death his features retained striking characteristics, and old age had invested them with much dignity. His two eyes Tesembled those of a hawk his nose was slightly aquiline in shape, and his forehead was broad, and lofty. He kept all his beard, and it grew in shape something; similar to a goatee and reaching down to his breast. It was silken and perfectly white. His hair, also white as snow, was likewise allowed to-grow long, and it was plaited in long skeins, the ends of which were looped up about the lower parts of his head. But his remarkable eccentricities through all periods of his long life left, no doubt, in the minds of those who knew him intimately that his bvain was seriously affected. It seemed as if his great natural gifts were always strugg-ling with a mind diseased," but as far as is known he could satisfactorily command his mind in the exercise of his profession. That he was most daring in surgery is well known, and he was more than once called to account for it: but nothing was ever proved against him. Long be- fore most of those now alive can recollect his eccentricities expressed themselves in the man- ner in which he dressed himself. On his head he wore a whole fox-skin—the head, ears. and tail included. His trousers was of light green colour, lined with scarlet at the bottom of the legs, each of which were scolloped at the ends. His vest was scarlet, with golden buttons, and he wore a light green cloak, also deeply scolloped around the border. Until the last few years he walked as lightly as a youth and he always expressed the belief that he would live to be at least a hundred." He prided himself on his knowledge of Druidic lore, and he was in consequence often confounded with the late Druidic philosopher, Myvyr Morganwg," Pontypridd, a truly great man. through strange in his views. Dr. Price's dress and head-dress were attempts to imitate the stvle of apparel he supposed an Ovate Druid of the olden time wore. He had seen some where the Ovate wore green, the Bard sky-blue, and the Druid white—the first to imitate verdant spring, the second the season, and the last old age and sanctity. The fox-skin cap was his badge as a healer or doctor. Dr. Price was torn about 92 years ago, in the neighbourhood of Rhydri, near Caerphilly. His family were most ancient and respectable. It is stated that the Doctor Coch (Red Doctor) who carried the red dragon at the Battle of Bosworth field was one of his ancestors. His father fell desperately in love with his mother's maid, and they were married at Machen Church. Old people, ,vho heard it from their parents, state that when re- turning home from the church after the wedding the bridegroom was dancing about :the road. and with great glee was shouting, "I have had her— look look at the same time pointing her out to the people. After his death his son, Dr. Price, being then a medical man, dissected the old man's head with a view to ascertain what was the matter with his brain. It is reported that many years after, when the late Lord Chancellor Chelmsford was at the Bar, he had occasion to cross-examine Dr. Price. But before commencing his task he asked the judge to request Dr. Price to hand his pistols to the usher. t; Have you pistols about you?" asked the Judge. "Yes, I have," said the doctor, and, in compliance with the directions of his lordship, he handed them to the officer of the court. Now, Dr. Price," said Mr. Thesiger (as the future Lord Chancellor was then called), Now, Dr. Price, is it true that you dissected your own father's head ? Yes," replied the witness, promptly, and I will dissect yours also, if you like." Dr. Price entered upon the study of medicine with the late Dr. Llewellyn, Caerphilly. All that can be learnt about that period of his career is that he got into serious trouble through thrashing a fellow student. He went to the London hospitals, and successfully passed the necessary examinations in 1821. Early in life he was the medical attendant at Pentyrch Works, and resided at a place in the neighbourhood which he named Ynys-y-Llewod- Duon (The Field of the Black Lions), which name the place has retained to this day. He the rented Porth-y-Glo Farm. near Upperboat, from the father of the late Mr. Grover, solicitor, Crockhertown House, Cardiff. He filled the farm with goats and cattle. The goats inflicted great injury to every green tree on the farm and in the neighbourhood. After he had been there some time Mr. Grover gave him notica to leave, but Dr. Price would not go. An action of ejectment was instituted, and, in the midst of intense popular excitement, his goats and cattle were turned out into the highway. Dr. Price himself had retired into the farthest room in the house. He was carried out sitting on a chair, and placed on the road. At this period he was the doctor of the ",reforest Works, then em- ploying many people. His eccentricities endeared him to th-i late Mr. Francis Crawshay, with whom he was a. great favourite, and to whom he im- -parted some of his Druidic" peculiarities. A circular building containing many cottages was erected, and called "Cylch yr Hedydd" (The Circle of the Lark)—a bird sacred among the Druids, as well as their disciples, the Greeks. A circular pine grove was planted near the home of the Crawshays, and it is there still. It is well known that he spent a large fortune in litigation, and that he was always unsuccessful in his lawsuits, except in those relating to the practice of his profession. As is also well-known, he was involved in the Chartist agitation in 1839, and after the riot at Newport, Mon., he escaped to France, where he remained for several years. He spoke French like a native of Paris. 3iHis last great frolic was fulfilling what he called a Druidic prophecy by" electing" a virgin to be his spouse. Dr. Price having persuaded himself that he was the High Priest of the Sun grown old, grew gradually unesasy because he had no son to succeed him. One day eleven years ago, when he had entered upon the eighty-first year of his age, an exceptionally fine Kymrie girl of nine- teen called at his surgery at Llantrisant. What is thy name?" inquired the aged High Priest of the Sun. Gwen, sir," was the modest reply. Isis has come," murmured the High Priest. The Mother of the Gods has visited my habitation-a ymwelodd a fy mangre 1" And he gazed wist- fully at her. Then he whispered. Her forehead is high like that of the Goddess Minerva Given, in Welsh means Holy, being the feminine of Gwyn (Sanctus), and the name had great weight with the doctor. Whether by art, mafic, ,or how cannot be told, the aged High Priest persuaded Gwen to remain as his house-keeper. She was young, and both her parents had recently died. A son was born to Gwen, or the Holy One, and Dr. Price named it Iesu Grist (Jesus Christ), because he deemed him young Hesus, or Hu Gadarn of Britain The child lived many months, but eventually he 4ied. Then took place a most extraordinary scene. The doctor had decided upon liberating to the elements, by means of fire, the particles of the body Jesus He was the owner of the High Green Fields, to the east of the town of Llaniri- sant. On a Saturday afternoon men were em- ployed in carting coal, timber, and a cask of pitch to a spot on the fields which command a magnifi- cent panoramic view of the vast plain of Glamor- gan, the Channel, and the coast of Devon and Somerset beyond it. On Sunday night the doctor himself carried the body of the babe in his arms to the hill-top, and placed it on the funeral pile, with its face directed towards where the suu had gone down to Hades-the west. The doctor, who was robed in white, then chanted a strange requiem, and finally fired the pym in the presence of many people. The fire leaped on high, and people in the adjacent valleys returning home from their chapels behelA on the high hill an old- world funeral rite restored. It is stated that it was a most moving spectacle-the bedy of the babe seated in the midst of the flames, which lejkped several yards high. But suddenly Sergeant Tamblyn and another officer arrived on the scene, and, breaking through the cordon of people, snatched the babe from the pyra, kicked the com- bustibles in every direction, and took Dr. Price into custody. The dead Hesus was placed in A hamper with straw in it, head downwards. When the cells where the hamper was were visited, one of the child's legs and little feet were projecting upwards through the straw. Dr. Price was committed by the local bench to the assizes at Cardiff. The case was tried before Mr. Justice Stephens and a com- mon jury. After the evidence had been given, the learned judge ruled that Dr. Price had not violated the law—that the law of this country does not lay down any rule as to how the dead shall be dis- posed of—and Dr. Price was discharged. Since then Dr. Price became the father of two children— a boy and a girl. The boy is named lesu Grist," and the girl Penelopen." Gwen left the doctor some few years ago, and resides on her own pro- perty, near Llauharry, but continues to look after the little ones. Miss Llewellyn and Miss Price, after a consultation together, have finally resolved that the body of the deceased shall be publicly cremated in accordance with the explicit instructions he has left in his will. The day upon which the cremation will take place has not yet been fixed, and will not be until after a consultation with Police-superintendent E. Jones, which will take place at Pontypridd. Acting upon the suggestion of Mr. E. John, J.P., a local magistrate, and Mr. Roderick Lewis, Miss Llewellyn and Miss Price have resolved to take the police authorities* into their confidence, and to solicit their assistance in carrying out the crema- tion ceremony with decency and free from moles- tation. Precautionary measures of a stringent character will be adopted to prevent the gathering of a large crowd. It has already been decided that admission to the Oaevlan fields, where the body will be burned, shall be obtained only by tickets to be procured from certain parties to be yet appointed. InarisWer to a correspondent whether a crematorium, something on the principle of the one at Woking, would be constructed for the occasion, Miss Llewellyn promptly said "No." The doctor," she added, had no faith in crematoriums of that kind. He desired that his body should be burned in the open air, and it shall be, if I get my way. My neighbours seem to think that it is not rir.hthe should be cremated. Their belief is in burials but the doctor's belief was in cremation, and I should never forgive myself if I were to bury him." The deceased provides in his will that his body shall be consumed on the Caerlan fields at noon- day that the body shall be attired in-the clothes worn at death that the fuel 'upon which the body shall be placed shall consist of a core of timber and two tons of coal; and that no attempt shall be made to preserve the ashes of the body, but that they shall be spread all over the earth to help the grass and fiowors to grow." 8I.I!I8D r:

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