Weekly Mail

"(f!mpu Fu:" NOTES AND QUERIES" relating to the past history of Wales and the Border Counties. [Contributions intended for publication in this column should be addressed Editor, Notes and Queries, WEEKLY MAIL, Cardiff." Real names and addresses must be given in confidence, and MSS. must be written legibly on one side of the paper onlp,j WEEKLY MAIL," NOVEMBER 7, 1890.

NOTES. PEMBROKESHIRE CROMLECHAU. Some fourteen years ago, under the guidance of Mr. Abel Tbomas, M.P. for East Carmarthenshire, I paid a viiit to the Longhouse and other Crom-

PLAN OF THE CROMLECH AT LONGIIOUSE. PEMBROKE. [The outer line u* form of the slab. and A Band C, the position of the upright atones on which it is supported.) i KOTJGH FLAN OF THE I, XIBTING TBACES OF MDNB CIRCLES BOUND THN LONGHOUSZ, OHOM IigCH XJJS PE BEOKE3HXBE CROMLECHS J CHOMLECB AT TBE-LLY8, PBMJBHOKE, BCSTOHBP PKOM THE B.8.W. "YN Y DYFROEDD MAWR A'R TONAU. It is a common tradition in this parish (Llandiloi Talybont) that the above hymn was composed by a native, one John Williams. The story goes that while returning home one eveaing over the marsh he entered the graveyard of the old church, and went to sleep on one of the tombstones. The tide was rapidly coning in, and on awaking he found he was surrounded by it. This circumstance, so it is said, gave rise to the production of the well- known hymn, which has moved the hearts of so many generations of Welshmen. Can any reader of Cymru lu corroborate ? Fontardulais. MORWYN MORGAN WO. WELSH WORDS.—Welsh etymology has been until recently a thiog of very uncertain import, and is still, especially in popular hands. Professor Rhya is no doubt doing a great deal towards, placing it on a proper footing. But so far we have no dictionary that knows anything at all about the subject. Some of the attempts made would be very amusi.-ig were they not so misleading. Richards, of Coychurch (in some respects the best dictionary in the language), affords an interesting specimen. Amryson," which means contention," strife," is referred to" amryw" and" son," wheroas it ought to be referred to a root, "Rhya," cf. "Rhyswr," "a champion," "a warrior"; Irish ReM "—" a skirmish" (O'Reilly). T. C. U, A verdare. SIR JOHN PRICE.—Sir John Price, the cele- brated antiquary, wa.s a native of Breconahire, and a son of Rhys ap Gwilym Gwyn, who represented one of the eldest families in the county. Sir John was educated at Broadgate Hall, or Pembroke Cot- j lege, Oxford, where, in the year 1534, he graduated as LL.D. He was encouraged and patronised in i his studies by William, Earl of Pembroke, and he made rapid progress, especially in studying the history and antiquity of his native land He became a law student, and was called to the Bar. He attracted the notice of King Henry VIII., lechau ot fembtOKesture. l enclose you scenes of the finer of them. The county is rich in such remains, but the majority are fallen. The Crom- lech known &a Pentre Ivan, near Newport, Pem- broke, is the largest, having a clear space from eight to ten feet from ground to cap-stone. Probably the cap of Longhouse Cromlech is heavier, being thicker throughout. Tre-Uys is highly interesting, with ita square cap delicately poised on two supports only. A little known but very fine Maenhir stands at Rhos-clegyr, not far from Fishguard. Longhouae Cromlech, at the period mentioned, was walled up with small stones to keep sheep out, and stood in the line of the bank of the road. In this part of Pembroke- shire, instead of hedges, banks serve as field divi- sions. Around it the position of two circles of standing stones can be asceruined. At present the bank bas been cleared from the monument, which, standing free in the meadow, is still more Imposing than formerly. T.R.T. Cardiff. ■ by whom be was appointed to be one of the coun- sellors of the Borders Court. He married Joan, daughter of John Williams, Esq., of Southwarb, who was a son of William Evan, or William Morgan, of Eglwyswen, and eldest brother of Morgan Williams, who was married to a daughter of Walter Cromwell, of Putney, of whom Oliver Cromwell was a descendant. Sir John Price took e deal of interest in completing the union of Wales with England, and it is supposed that he was the author of the petition to Henry VIII., the compo- sition of which reflects great credit upon the author. He was knighted by his king, and filled the office of high sheriff for Brecon in the year 1541, and for Hereford in 1553. He translated the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments, which were printed in the year 1555. His Hisioria Britmnicae Defends, which was written in reply to Folydore Virgil, was not published until twenty years after his death, by his son, Sir Richard Price. He was also the author of A Description of Wales, which was enlarged by Mr. Humphrey Lloyd and published as a preface to the English hiatory translated by Lloyd, and enlarged and published by Dr. Powel in 1584. He also wrote a Latin essay on the Sacrament, which proved of great help to his friend Leland in composing his Asseriio Arthuri. Llanvotlog, Angltsta. J. MXVENYBD MOROAN,

QUERIES. MARRIAGE BY CAPTURE.—Was marriage by capture a custom ever observed in the Princi- pality ? B. B. Trealaw.

To Correspondents LL. B. J." (Carmarthen).—A longer reply re the Rev. Daniel WiUiams, covering the same ground, appeared in Cymru Fu on July 26.

THE WOMAN IN THE BLUE BONNET. I guess young Jones will get on. He's in an office in Water-street. He's careless, and 1 had made so many mistakes that he knew the one he made last would be fatal. He went I back from lunoh the other day, and a fellow clerk met him on the stairs. You'll get it, Jciws. The old man's just boiling, and he's been calling for you for the last fifteen minutes." Jones stopped on the landing and cogitated. He must head off the old man somehow. He ran downstairs and up the street as hard as he could to go to a florist's. There he pur- chased a sweet button-hole, and marched gaily back. Mr. Tones!" came in a loud tone from the private office as be entered. Yes, sir," and he deposited his har, hid the flower in his coat, walked into the private ofiioe, and closed the door carefully, Mr. Jones, I have frequentJy-" 1 beg yoar pardon, air, but I have a private message for you." Mr. Jones, you've —a private rota-, sage 1 What is it t" t His tone changed as Jones quietly laid the fiower on the desk before him, What is this P" u It's a little bouquet. A lady came in while you were out—a young lady-and in- quired for you. < He is not in,' 1 said, Can I do anything for you. Can I trust you 1" she asked. With the utmost confidence I I said.. Will you give this flower to Mr. Johnson ? And don't let anybody see you, and tell him it was left by the lady in the blue bonnet. And here it is, sir." Dear me; that's odd Jones saw a beam ootne into his face, and he knew he was all right. it The lady in the blue bonnet I Bless my soul, Jonee, that's curious, I don t know any; what was she like?" She was nry pretty." "Pretty! Very well, Mr. Jones, yoalll really have to be a little more oareful. You've been making another—by the way, Jones, if you can find out anything about the lady-—- you needn't mention, of course—you can let me know." And the old man been's looking fixedly at every woman in a blue bormeij he has met since.

Ed wa, d MileN solicitor, Leicester, shot himselj dead at the County Club, Leicester, on Tuesdr.y morning. Ass tor Tyler and Ce.'a CSQU Medal Fl»ua«i,

PEOPLE WE READ ABOUT. » »■ < Few know that Mr, Sims Reeves wM organist at North Cray Church at the tgi of 14. t Henry F. Moore, the original of Long* fellow s Village lilacksmitb," is still alive,' He resides in Medford, Massachusets. « Mr. Froude pays this tribute to Lady Beaconsfield: She was a heroine, if any woman ever deserved the name. She de-J voted herself to Disraeli with a completeness which left no room in her mind for any otber thought." # "It was," wrote Mr. Gladstone to Madam* Patti, after the Edinburgh concert, a rarf treat to hear from your Italian lips the song. of my own tongue rendered with a delicacy of modulation and a fineness of utterance suoh as no native in my recollection ever reached or even approaohed. X MilS Braddon is the daughter of a solicito;g and was born in 1837 in Soho-square, London, She was on the stage in her early life. The first money the earned by her pen was for 4 play entitled The Loves of Aroadia," which was duly staged, but did not run for IODgè Her power is essentially dramatic, but Ihci was Dot a success as a writer of plays. Sid produced several novels of marked merit, but none of them seemed to hit the popular faaey. Even her chef cVceuvre, the book which brought her fame and wealth, did not at first, probably because it appeared ia obscure papers; but on its appearance in Temple Bar it attracted very wide atteiatioull and immediately placed her in the first rank of novelists. Other books from her skilful and prolific pen followed in rapid succession* The appointment of the Dean of PaterN borough to the see of Worcester addj another Cambridge bishop to the benoh. Dr, Per own e has the reputation of being a dia< tinguished scholar, and although belonging to the Evangelical party, he is neither a persecutor nor a bigot. He is of Huguenot desoent, and was born in 1823, in Burdwatti Bengal, where his father was a missionary. He had a distioguised University career, where he has held a number of appointments, in- cluding the Hulsean Professorship of Divinity, and for ten years he was principal of Lam- peter College. Dr. Perowne was also one of the revisors of the Old Testament and one of the Royal Commission on Ecclesiastical Courts. As a high theologian he takes the firct rank, and the appointment ia a graceful recognition of his great learning. • Mr. Leslie Crotty, the most popular bari- tone in the Carl liosa Opera Company, ovree his position to what is generally termed "good fortune." He had, as a young man, no idea whatever of being a profeseionaL But one day, after a Turkish bath, he was lying in the oooling room, aud commenced (rather sotto wee) to sing I The heart bowed down,' the song which is now so associated with his name. A Catholic olergyman lying near was greatly struck with the wonderful mellow tone and richness of voice displayed by Mr, Crotty. The clergyman complimented him, and suggested that with proper training a great future awaited the possessor of so good a voice. Mr. Crotty took his counsel to heart, and the result must have been highly gratifying to the kindly clerio. The state- ment is said to be striotly true, and the clergyman's name was the Rev. Paul Rehoe. Mr. H. M. Stanley has managed by much pluck and determination, mingled with not a little judicious advertisement, to perch himself on a very high pedestal, and now a number of people are testing the security of his position by vigorously shaking it. Thll, rear-guard are the attacking party and the first shot in what promises to be a lively engagement was fired by Mr. Walter Barttelot over the dead body of his brother Now Lieutenant Troup has oome into action, and goes for his former chief in a downright bulldog fashion, which will have to be dealt with more seriously than Mr. Stanley has at present. Mr. Herbert Ward, too, another of Ma, WABD. MB. BOXtfT. Ma. Tnoop. the rear-guard, appeals on the Barttelot aid& for in a leoture last Saturdry night, he said? "I lived with Major Barttelot in the Yambuy* Camp from August, 1887, till March, 188&J and, putting aside a few differences of opinion1 in judgment, I am not aware that Major Barttelot committed any act that reflected on hie cbaraoter as a British oinoet." Another of the rear-guard, Mr. William Bonny, is more favourable to Mr. Stanley, and deplores that Major Barttelot has been pulled out of hia grave," but, on the other hand, Lieutenant Baert, who was Tippoo Tib's secretary at the time of the Emin Relief Expedition, ex- presses the oertainfcy that, Mr. Stanley can prove nothing impeaching Major Barttelotla honour." And DOW, yet another accuser against Mr. Stanley, in the person of Dr, Peters, who says that the great travelled was saved from destitution and starvation by the man he went to U reIOM," and who didn't want bo be reamed; and he even accuses Mr Stanley of having got Emin away by promised he did no* fsHU. A very pretty quarrel all round, aad oae which proves, above all things/ .that Stanley has 5aben a leaf oat %j r Whistler's booh, md thoroughly mastered « the gentle art of making enemies. k