Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald and North and South Wales Independent

one of the 'best works done during reoent years was that bv the Guild of .GraJdruate.s in the way of collecting the words and the peculiarities ot the dialects. It- was by the study of tnese dialects that they could best umlcrstand the connection between the South Welshmen and the Cornishmen and the Bretons, who probably sprang from the Britons of South Britain. THE IRISH SOCIETIES. Air Fournier then gave a sh'ort report ot the work done by the thra societies en8'^ advancement of the Ir»h languag | ut' however, a scarcity of blhn^ala^?he%ime this would soon be overcome, and the time •would arrive when there a echcol without its bilingual teachers (applause). THE WELSH (WORK. Professor Anwyl gave a report ot the work done by the Welsh Rational bocietv. Mrs Gwyneth Vaughan fol owed with a re- port df the work done by Lndeb- y Ddraig GoCh'" THE iSIiE OF MAN-, Mr Moore, the Speaker of t.he Bouse of Keys spoke on behalf of tlie work done in the Isle of Mbn, and said that t'hey were trying their betst to follow the good example of their brethren, an/1 were very delighted to be ad- mitted so cordially to be members of the PaA- CeTLic Association; and considering how few they were and how. overwhelmed every summer with a great flood of Sassenach, it was wonder- ful that they had mailua-ged to preserve so far as they had their native tongue. They had., of course, the advantage of Home Rule, which was denied to the larger Celtic nations. They could; manage their own little affairs and were loyal citizens all the same of the great empire to wJrkh tney belonged. It would be found in the future thait- the question of Government could only be solved when the different nation)a<Liitiea which formed the component parts of the Brit- ish Empire would each have Home Rule, which would, enable them to transact their local affaÍTø wdh rso.meivrha.t more despatch and economy than at present. It was a dream of his to see a truly Imperial Government managing truly Imperial matters with local parliaments in eeoh part of the kingdom managing its own local Taiis. for they were more capable of under- ^andinz them oetter than those outside could pekssibly do. Mass Morrissev submitted the report of the Manx Language Society. SCOTTISH AFFAIRS. ■Mres Oarmichael reported upon the work done in the highlands of Scotland, and said that the Gaelic Society had waited upon the chairman of the Scottish Education Department to ask that Gaelic be introduced into the schools, and thev had been told that if the peopl-e of the Highlands showed themselves anxious to have l>lie taught they could have it. The Rev Mr Munro followed, and said! he >>rr>u,%b.f. the {rrettniisre of Ben Cruachan to Snow- don. He hoped the "Mod" would revive in- terest in Gaelic music. They bad one publica- tion of importance, namely, the "Celtic Review, with which Miss Carmiehael was connected, aTadt they had every pTo-speot of a new Gaelic chair established in Glasgow, which would have v powerful influence on the Gaelic movement, for in Glasgow there were more Highlanders than in many .northern towns. It would inter- est them to know that there were more than 1000 Gaelic sermons preached in Scotland every Bnnday, and into the Isles English had not- yet penetrated. THE BRETON REPORT. M. Jaffrennon reported upon., the worE" done by the Regional Union, and said that over 1.000,000 people spoke the Breton tongue. They haf fire newspapers in the Breton languages, And one had a circulation of 10.000. whilst there were several magazines. Thev also had estab- lished an Eisteddfod, which was bold far sevm ctays every year, and Gorsedd, with 40 Bards. They had no Archdruiid, for there could .be only one, but they had their Great Bard (M. Fustic). As yet, Breton was not taught in the schools, but it was practised in the churches and chapels and all religious teaching wias given in Breton. Marquas de l'Esterbeillon also spoke. THE CLAIMS OF CORNWALL. Mr Henry Jenuer then came forward to press the claims of Cornwall to be recognised as a separate Celtic Nation, and .said that it should be so recognised because it was one. He then dealt with the history of Cornwall from the earliest times. There had never been a. time when there were not some Cornishmen who did trat know Cornish. It wias general in 1700, and up b the end of the 18th century persons could speak it, and survived to the middle of the 19th century. Old people habitually recuted: the Lord's Prayer and the Creed in Cornish. Were they willing to go and be—Anglo--<Saroned? {laughter). One, day Cornwall would awaken, and show herself a Celtic nation eoual to any "f them. Their Li-a. Cineil, their "Maen Hir" ■wanted its topmost, stone (applause). Revs Percy Tresair and the Rev W. Somer- -ville followed, arici after a short discussion, a ■which several members took part, it. was atgreed on the motion of Lord Castletown, seconded by Mr Theodore Napier, to recognise OormgaJl afi a Celtic nation. THTE AFTERNOON MEETING". SIR WILLIAM PR:EECE ON "COSTUME, CUSTOM, AND FOLKLORE." Sir Wiilliam Preece, K.C.B., F.R.S., presided over tJhe afternoon meettang, which was remark- -ably well attended, and opened it with the fol- low! n;cr very interesting address i — No one is more conscious than I am, that- work on Celtic lore dioes not qualify me to fill this chair. My work has been in other branches of science. A recent enforced, visit in Egypt of long duration has however supplied me with sufficient of the wisdom of the Egyp- tians to enable me I hope to excite in you some new considerations. There is a remarkable connection between the religions, language, customs, and Tites of the Ancient Egyptian and those of the Ancient ly 1hiton. Tacitus mentions the mysteries of Ger- many as being similar to those of Egypt and Britain. Prof. John Rhys points out in his "Celtic Britain" that the Druids were so like Eirvptian Magicians that an old Ir\«h writer calls Jannes and Jambres Egyptian Druids. In Egypt we are on the threshold! of Civilisa- tion. Six thousand years ago, Government, Art, Literature, and Religion flourished. How many thousands of years were expended in evol- ving this civilised condition there are no exist- ing"means of knowing! Records and inscrip- tions engraved upon the rock for ever and writ- ten on "papyri" in language quite easy to read, teach us that the ancient Egyptian was a better Christian than the Christian of to-day. The oldest book in the world the "Prisse pa- pyrus." containing the maxims of "Ptah-hetep, was written about 4500 years ago—maxims? that are instructive and directive to-day. The most -,perfect Papyrus is that of Ani in the British Museum written about- 3500 years ago. It con- i'uns a confession which shows that the ancient Egyptian possessed a conception of sin that might be repeated with advantage now in our places of worship. The<=>e documents show that the ethics of the Ancient Egyptian were of the highest order. He knew and practised: his duty to his God and to his neighbour. Originally (4500 B.C.) the conception of a.! Supreme Beinar. the Creator of the World and the Father of Heaven, was prevalent. He was symbolised by the Sun, but gradually this simple and errand belief became debased. The T>?ople worshipped the Symbol rather than the Beintx. The various attributes of God were sub- tr- sequently separately symbolised. Each new symbol in its turn was worshipped! and idol- ised Polytheism be-came rampant. Each new conqueror, Semite, Persian, Ethiopian, Greek, and Roman, brought with him a new religion which had passed throusrh a similar debasing process. The gods and goddesses multiplied •and confusion became worse confounded. The powers* of Nature i>ersoninod &nu theorised. Idols, animals, birds, serpents, even trees, rivers. and winds were worshipped. Still throughout- all the centuries the hymns to Amen-Rn, the great sod of Etrypt, resemble the •grand Hebrew Scriptural tributes to our Al- mighty. However far hack we tro. even to pre- historical times, as evidenced in the early tombs, a belief existed in. an. oderml life and a resurrection. Not much is known of Dr-idism. The early Celts had no written litcrntnre. When thev adopted a literature they used the Roman Script. The 0(ram inscriptions iare comparatively mo- dern. Caesar, Diodoms. Rtra-bo, Tacitus, Pliny Tit1 mu('}¡ about the Druids, who were the Priests..7tadct>«. Doctors, Teachers. Philoso- phers. Scientists, and' Magicians of the Celts. Thev lenew astroromy. Th."y worshipped the Beiny and tli-x, made the Oak his sym- "1. Their only temnl-o was an oak prove," an *»ak tr-e beiner their holv of holies. It was re- .'•irded not onlv flS the emblem but as the tem- porary residence of God, ptoses regarded tbe Tabernscle in the wilderness. This was essen- tially an Egyptian idea. Every Egyptian Tem- ple had an inner sanctuary—tlie holy ot holies— where the deity was supposed to reside. The Druids taught an eternal life and, like the Egyptians, believed in the resurrection, for winch they prepared. The establishment of the Greek Colony in Marseilles in 600 B.C. brought Greek influence and' Greek ideas into Gaul. The connection between Gaul anal j Britain was intimate. The simple tenets of early Druidism became debased by the admis- sion of the polytheism of the East. We know that the Phoenicians were in Spain in 500 B.C., and tradition asserts that they obtained their tin from Britain. Their object in coming to Britain was commerce not con- quest. There is no proof that they occupied any part of the country, but they may have imported the Greek alphabet and some Phoeni- cian and Grecian lore. The Druids knew and used the mechanical powers. Stonehenge and Avebury, Cromlechs, Logan Stones, Menhirs and Dolmen, testify to their mechanical skill. They were great Thetorician-s and instilled! eloquence into their pupils. This art has not disappeared. They practised magio and divina- tion, and performed apparent miracles, as the Egyptian priests did before 'Pharaoh and in which Moses and Aaron excelled. The Druid contest between the Dedannans and Firbolgs, in Ireland, where magical fogs and storms were raised, and in which the former prevailed owing to their superior skill, recalls this contest de- tailed in Exodus. Pliny says, "In Britain the magic arts are cultivated with such astonishing success, and M many ceremonies, at this day, that the Briton seems to be capable of instructing even the Persians themselves in these arts.' Most of the magic of this period! seems to be .only the science of to-day. The term Druid means a chief priest: it is derived from "der" superior and "gwydd" a priest or instructor. There were two classes, "Derwydds" (Druids) and "Go-wydds" (Ovids). Strabo divided them into three classes, "bardi," "vates," and "drnides." Every chief had his druid and every chief clruid had his guard of 30 men. They were wealthy, but they borrowed money to be paid in the life to come.. "Like money by the Druids borrowed In t' other world to be restored." (Hudibras.) This practice, I believe, has not yet left Wales. In all countries nations come and! go. The ruling race changes frequently, but the workers ruling race changes frequently, but the workers remain. The fighting men are killed off, but the mothers and children flourish, and with them their language. It is impossible, to eradicate a language. The Cymraeg of to-day i* virtualh the speech of the Ancient Briton. The Coptic of to-day retains the roots, idiom, and form of the Ancient Egyptian. Thought and early edu- cation is conducted in the language of tli-c mother and of childhood, and thus from genera- tion to generation the Welsh and' Irish of to- day retain the form and roote of the early Celts. French and Spanish are but modern forms of Latin. We are assembled here to foster and preserve the purity and value of the living Celtic languages. Professor Rhys pointed out- tihit the Celtic language is full of a pre-Aryan influence, end Professor Morris Jones has dealt ably with the pre-Aryan Syntax in Insular Celtic. The abor- igines 'of Wales were probably savages, but they were ousted by the Iberians, who came here through Gaul and Spain from North Africa. The Copts and the Berbers are their survivals to-day in and near Egypt. Ethnology proves this by the shape of the skull. and Philo- log-v confirms it by the similaTity of language. Ancient Egyptian agrees very closely with this pre-Celtic dialect, not only in the order of words in a. sentence, the peculiar personal suffixes, the periphrastic conjugation of pTO- nouns and! propositions, the mode of word- building, but in the remarkable use of letters end single syllabus which have no equivalent in English and an apparent system of mutation. In many cases, the co-incidence i; absolute. The verb in these languages comes before the subject.. This is not the case in any Aryan tongue. It is im- possible to ignore this remarkable conection or to resist the conclusion that Welsh and Ancient Egyptian are closely allied. Time: will not allow me to give the proofs, but a reference to Professor Morris Jones' admirable paper* will fill the want. It is, however, peculiar that we have no -evidence in Celtic of hieroglyphic or hieratic writing. This may be due to the fact that the Iberians left Egypt very early in pre- historic times. In Egypt history commences with "Menu," who Was either p. god, a hero, or a king. It was a name to conjure with. It is found everywhere on tne banl-, of the Nile. So in Britain we have <rMon," "Manannjon," "Man," "Mertai." Menw or Menyw is reicorded as one of the first instructors and legislators of Cymry. "Cynddelw" wrote "Cynddelw" wrote "Ym myw Alenw aches buchee beirddion." The Eastern influence is seen in the formation of personal names. There is more that is Semitic in this practice than Aryan. We find in Irish Ou Chorb—CoTb's Hound. Fer Corb—CoTb's Man. Nia- Corb--Corb'-s Champion. Mac Corb—C orb's Son. M'lNT Corb—Corb's Slave. The modern Gilmore in Scotland is "Gillie Muire"-the Servant of Mary. In Arabic to-day we have Son of God. Abd-el-Kaiir—the Slave of Kadr. In Welsh Ap Rhys—the Son of Rhys. The Aryan practice as seen in Greek and Latin and continued in modern Euro,pe is quita differ- ent. Principal Rhys says :—"No evidence couJd well be more conclusive as to the former pre. sence in these Inlands of a population of native* of non-Aryan origin." ("Welsh People," p. 74). There is great similarity in the name of the gods of Egypt and of the Celts, "Teutates" of the Celt was "Tehuti" of the Egyptian— a name wfhich remains in our English iSiesday. One more link — the Aryan race has been everywhere patriarchal, but the Berber and pre- Aryan race in Britain were matriarchal. I ihfuve no evidence of the existence of this sys- tem in ancient Egypt, but the Pharaonic system of marrying one's sister leads one to think that it may have been in existence. When the king died1 in Berber ot was deposed—a common oc- currence—it was not his son who succeeded him, but the son of his sister. The matriarchal sys- term still exists in Southern India, but it is dying out fast. We have very early representations on the monuments, papyri and tombs in Egypt of the vestments and duties of the Priest. The dis- tinguiehing feature of the dress of a chief priest is a short white petticoat, like a kilt and the skin of an animal—lion, tiger, or -panther-thrown gracefully over his shoulders with the tail hang- ing down his baek and the paws in front. Sometimes be is shown wearing a long: white surplice. The Druids also wore long white surplices. They carried a wand and wore animlebs-Cna "Druids' egg"—about their necks. They like the Egyptians were fond of ornaments, gold ■chains,+' brooches, and bracelets. The word "surplice" is deriv-ed from "super" over, and "pellis" a skin, and we can assume from this t-liat they wore skins under this garment. Both the Egyptian^ and the Druids had mys- tic danices ,in their ritual. Each had arks or boats in their religious processions. The Druid- ical ark wae a symbol of the deluge, and was un- doubtedly Aryan in its origin. I have not found any tradition of the dekuge in ancient Egyptian lore, but my survey is quite limited. Egyptian religion is characterised by the wor- ship of animals—particularly "the buIl"-a sytm- bol of cour,age and strength. The Druids had altso Hu the royal bull and "Beunú" the ox of the ship. ("Bu"—an ox, find "Naw"-Ha ship). In Ireland we have the magical bull of Cooley -the object of Queen Maeve's famous raid. The worship of Isis (Ceridwonj was- brought into Britain by a. tribe called "Pharaon" (or tlie higher powers) by the ancient British. Their priests (Pheryll) were mertj*llurgists, and they possessed books of magic. They came into Wales from Cornwall, and they introduced the worship of the Eagle and Wolf. Snowdon was made their headquarters. They were probably Phoenicians. The Egyptians worshipped both the Eagle and the Wolf. "Asyut" was called: .Vide "The Welsh People" by John Rhys and D. Brvnmor Jones. Appendix B. London 1900. t"A drwyd Derwyddion 0 eurdorf eurdorclkogion "Sedulous Druids of the splendid race, wear- ers of gold chains," Cynddelw, 12t,h century. by the Greeks "Lycopolis," "wolf city," and wolf mummies are abundant there. I brought a mummied wolf's skull home with me, The name "Pharaon" and the cult Of the Eagle and Wolf are most suggestive. Davies says .that this people's rites "passed irom Egypt and Syria into Phrygia and Pont-us, from thenc# into Thrace and the cities of Greece. They were carried into Etruria and thence into the regions of the Celta." The Phoenicians and Etruscans were the same people. Recently they have been alSsociaited with, the Hittites and with the Hyksos OT Shep- herd Kings who ruled over Egypt for 500 years 2200 B'. C. to 1700 B. C. This is perhaps the time when they influenced Britain. It is known that the Phoendciarus were trading with Britain before the days of Homer. The peculiar tenets held by the ancient Egypt- iams and by the ancient Britons, the beliefs in the Supreme Being, the future life and the resurrection pTepared both nations for Christ- ianity, and wlien the missionaries came, Egypt, siak of Roman paganism and gross immorality, unanimously embraced the new religion while the ancient Briton was not slow to follow the same example. The ethics of the Druids impressed on the Nation the doctrines :— (1) To worship God!. (2) To do no evil. (3) To be valiant in baittle. Thesie teaching has not been lost on us. The Welsh nation is externally, and on Sundays a very religious nation, but their internal practices otf Christian etlhics would be very much im- proved if we could impress upon them the max- ims of Phtah-hetep and Ani, Egyptian magnates of about 5000 ye.ar., ago. I liVrpfc I have fulfilled my promise tJiat I would show a remarkable connection between I^gypt and theland of the Celt. THE HIGHLAND DRESS AND ITS HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT. Mr. Napier in his paper stated that although the subject of the Highland dress had been a matter of considerable dispute, yet there could be no doubt whatever but that the Kilt, like the Harp and Bagpipe, had an Eastern origin In the Egyptian Temples on the Nile are bas-relief, showing Egyptians wearing striped coloured tnnics, evidently kilts; but was it Tartan? The stripes ran verticallv, and did not cross each other like Tartan. The Romans and other Eastern nations also wore the kilt Did the Gael of Caledonia and Erin copy it from them, or was it original in Celtic lands ? It is seen carved on the sculptured stones in Scotland, in ancient Pictania. The Balblair Stone in Inverness-shire, and carved stones at Dull, Forteviot, St. Vigeans, and St. Andrews all show instances of men wearing a pleated kilt He shewed that the first written historical evidence for the kilt in Scotland was in the Norwegian Saga, describing Magnus Barefoot's Expedition to the Western Isles of Scotland in 1093. The costume of the inhabitants then con- sisbed of "short tunics and "upper garments," leaving the legs bare. The garments were evidently the fcilcbeg, or little gilt and the mantle or plaid; bat there is no mention of Tartan. In the Chartularies of Aberdeen (13th century) the ecclesiastics were forbidden to wear" red, green, and striped clothing." Was not this Tartan? Long before this period Tartan, or breacan, was in use both in Gaul, Wales, and Ireland. The Accounts for 1474 of John, Bishop of Glasgow, Treasnrer to James III. of Scotland, show that "double tartan" was used for lining collars for the Queen. The Gaelic Tale of Curio mentions brecan" as being absent from the bedding ot the Giant Anteus. The Acts of Parliament for Scotland for 1429 for- bid the wearing of "hewyt" (i.e. striped or tartan) clothing. John Major, in his History, describing the Highland garb in 1521, writes :— From the middle of thigh to the foot they go uncovered." Their "over-garment is a loose plaid," and a "shirt saffron-dyed." There is, as yet, no mention of the Trews as part of the Highland dress. In 1538 in the Accounts of the Lord High Trea- surer of Scotland for King James V., we read of "variant cnllorit velvet" for" ane schorfc Heland coit" for the King, and "Heland ter- tane" for long lose, or trews. This is the first mention of tartan trews as a part of the High- land dress, which was probably at this time not in general use in the Highlands, but confined to Royalty and the Court, although trews were in use much earlier in Ireland. John Elder's letter to King Henry VIII. in 1543 details the costume and habits of the "Redd shankes," more particularly their shoes and manner of living. M. Jealt de Beaugue describes, in 1548, the costume of the Highland warriors in the fight against the English invaders, as having stained shirts," and a certain light covering made of wool of various colours. The stained shirts were the "saffron-dyed" ones described by Major; and the variegated light woollen covering was the tartan plaid. The Highlanders are said to have used the Bagpipe in this campaign. In the Costume of the Clans, Alexander of Isla, sent by King James V. to help the Irish Claua in 1532, is said to have had on his head a "barrat" of velvet purple, jewelled, with feathers of an eagle, and a small ostrich one, a yellow holland shirt," scarlet doublet stecked and embroidered in silk and gold, and a great tartan mantill" girded about him, with seal- skin bnskyns," and sword and targe. Also Lindsay of Pitscottie, in 1573, writes of the "wyld Scottis" who were clothed with a mantle, and a saffroned shirt, after the Irish manner," going c, bare-legged to the knee." John Leslie, Bishop of Ross -the loyal defender of Queen Mary-in his De origine moribus et rebus gestis Scotorum," published in 1578, writes thus of the Highland costume of that period:- "All wore mantles of one sort-long and flow- ing, but capable of being neatly gathered up at pleasure into folds the nobles preferred those of "various colours." They also wore "saffron- dyed shirts," and "short woo len jackets." The mantles here mentioned were probably belted plaids—the breacan-an-fheile. Women's costume is first mentioned by Leslie as consisting of a "gown reaching to the ancles," and embroidered, and over it a mant'e woven of different colours," or tartan. They used bracelets and necklaces for ornaments. Buchanan in his History, in 1582, writes that Highlanders "delight in variegated garments, especially striped." He also mentions the use of Harp and Bagpipe. The author of Vestiarum Scoticum affirms that tartan plaids were in use before this time in the Lowlands of Scotland. This is confirmed by the sumptuary "Acts by the Kirk of Scotland" in 1575, forbidding their ministers the use of all kynd of light and variant hewes in cloathing, as red, blew, yeliow, and sicklyke," and also all using of plaids in the Kirk, &c." The Council Register of the Burgh of Aberdeen, in 1576, forbids the use of plaids by its officials. The women in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and other towns were prohibited from wearing "plaids about their heads." But these absurd restric- tions Droved fntile In the "Inventories of the Royal Wardrobe" (1578) belonging to Mary, Queen of Scots, among the items are a blue hiland mantill," and a "quhite hiland mantill "-evidently composed of blue and white tartan cloth. There is an old painting of Quean Mary dressed in the Highland arisaid of red and green coloured tartan, now designated the Lennox tirtsn. It is illustrated in silk in Stewart's Old and Rare Tartans," and is, Mr. Napier believes, the oldest representa- tion of Highland tartm in any painting, as well as of the costume of Highland ladies. In Derricke's "Image of Ireland," 1581, there is mention of pleated shirts "not reaching past the thigh," and the" Mantell," also "Irish trouzes," similar in shape to the Highland ones. Before quitting the 16th century, Mr. Napier would allude to the invariable use of tartan during that century, and more specially to the saffron-dyed shirt, which might be said to char- acterize it. As stated before the tartan trews had been made for King James the Fifth's use, but were not generally worn at home by High- land folk. At the beginning of the next, or 17th century, in 1607, Camden in his Britannia refers to "striped mantles as in use in the north. Taylor in his Penny less Pilgrimage (published in 1618), who visited the Brffimar Highlands in August, writes thus of the garb worn by the natives "They have short hose, made of a worm etuffe of divers colours, which they c'ill "tartane," no breeches, bat a "jerkin" of the same material as their hose, viz., tartalt, ani a plaid about their shoulders being a "mantle of divers colours much finer and lighter" than their hose, with blue flat caps," or bonnets on their heads. The tn. tan "jerkin" is evidently the feileleg, or little kilt; for it is distirguished Jr^m the plaid or ra»nt'.e covering the shoulders, ,v hich was properly the Bhcu der phic\ "Blie flat caps" have superseded the red bonnets, or conical barraids worn in the previous century. Taylor states that the gentlemen rode to the hunting with him in his costume, viz the kilt; and much earlier, in 1557, a troop of "Scots Light Cavalry" is said by Rabutin to have ridden to battle in France wearing kilts and red bonnets." We come now, said Mr. Napier, to the middle of the 17th century, the Cavalier period, and the most magnificent epoch of costume, when Gen- tlemen everywhere Pressed like Gentlemen. In the period from 1637 to 1647, Gordon of Rothiemay describes the Highlanders in the Scottish Army as wearing a short linen shirt" dyed saffron. In winter they wore trews, which "cover the thighs, legs, and feet." They have a "short coat," cota-goroid, and a "loose cloak Etriped and partly-coloured, which they gird breadth-wise with a leathern belt so as it scarce covers the knees. For the greater part of the plaid covers the uppermost parts of the body. Sometimes it is all folded round the body about the region of the belt for disengaging and leaving the hands free; and sometimes 'tis wrapped round all that is above the flank. When they go to sleep they loose the belt, and roll themselves in the plaid." This is manifestly the breaCalt an fheile, or belted plaid. The trews were in use in winter and for travelling. In Defoe's Memoirs of a Cavalier, 1639, it is stated that the Highlanders in the Army that marched into England wore "doublet, breeches, and stock;ngs of a stuff they call plaid, striped across, red and yellow, with short cloaks of the same." In 1677, Thomas Kirk, a traveller, describes thus the costume worn at Inverness: —"Doublets slashed in the sleeves," tartan trews, or instead a sort of breeches, not unlike a petticoat, that reaches not so long by far as their knees. their knee and thigh being naked," with short hose. This is evident the feilebcg, or litte kilt. The Wodrow MS thus describes the "High- land Host" in 1678, Not one of them hath breeches," but they had tartan hose and brogues. Lieut.-Colonel Cleland's poem on the same alludes to both the kilt and trews—the latter worn by their chief commanders." In a coat of arms granted to Skene of that Ilk ¡ in 1672, both the kilt and trewtf are used in the I garb of its supporters. Near the close of the century, in 1688, Sacheverell, Governor of the Isle of Man, visited II the Western Isle, and says: — The usual habit of both sexes is the plaid," the men wearing theirs leaving the thighs bare, also "buskins," or short hose and a "shot pouch," or sporran. pouch," or sporran. The Grameid, which is an Heroic Poem in Latin, by James Philip, in 1689, translated by the Scottish History Society, describes the tartan costumes of the chiefs and chieftain s who followed Viscount Dundee, "Bonnie Dundee," to the battle of Killiecrankie. The belted plaid was sometimes worn over the trews, as by John Macrae, of Inversheil, who was wounded in that battle. Before leaving the Cavalier period, he would refer to an oil painting at Donibristle House, in Fife, of a Highland Chief, of the time of Charles II., said to be an Earl of Moray, in the fnll Highland Cavalier costume of the period. He wears the tartan breacan-an-fheile, or belted plaid and sport tartan hose with Vandyke points and slashed doublet, with flat bonnet and ostrich plumes, and wears a basket-kilted claymore. The fullest description of Highland costume at the end of the 17th century is given by Martin in his Description of the Western Islands oj Scotland. He states that the Leni-croich, or saffon shirt, had been laid aside about a hundred years by the Islanders. They now wear "coat, waistcoat, and breeches," and" bonnets" on their heads. Many wore trews, some plain, others striped. The plaid consists of divers colours of fioe wool. He describes the belted plaid as in use:- When they travel on foot the plaid is tied on the breast with; a bodkin of bone or wood. The plaid is tied round the middle with a leather belt, it is pleated from the b9lt to the knee very nicely." Martin gives the best description of the A l'isaid, or Highland ladies' costume, now entirely out of use. It is evident that Territorial, if not blau tartans, were in use in Martin's times. Captain Hamilton, in 1703, states that the Laird of Grant had ordered 600 of his men with tartan coats of one colour and fashion." The author of A Journey through Scotland, published in 1723, states that at the Crieff fair the Highland gentlemen wore slas'd short! waistcoats" and "breeches and stockings of one piece of Btrip'd stuff » (tartan trews), with a plaid for a cloak, and a blue bonnet." Their attendants,: however, were all in belted plaids, girt like women's petticoats down to the knee, their thighs and half of the leg all bare." The gentlemen used the trews and plaid for travelling on horseback, while tho ordinary Highlanders wore the "belted plaid the ordinary national garb. It is Captain Burt, however, in his Letters from a Gentleman in the North of Scotland, and who resided in the Highlands in 1730, who gives the best description of the Highland garb. tie says:—" Few beside Gentlemen wear the trouze -that is the breeches and stockings all of one piece," and over this habit they wear a plaid," the whole [garb being of chequered tartan or plaiding." This is their riding costume. But when they travel on foot they vary it into the quelt" or kilt. This is done by setting a small portion of the plaid into folds and girding it round the waist to make of it a short petticoat that reaches half-way down the thigh," and the rest of it is brought over the shoulders and fastened before the neck with a fork or bodkin. This is, without doubt, the breacan-on-fhetle, or belted plaid, not the feilebeg. Among the weapons used by the Highlanders at Inverness was what Burt calls a skeen-ochles (sgian-achlais) or armpit knife, now entirely dis- carded for the stocking knife, which has no authority beyond the 19th century. Tartan plaids were in universal use in the Lowlands during the first half of the 18th century, largely as a national protest against the unhappy and unpopular Union with England, and they continued in use until after Culloden, when they were prohibited. Prince Charles Edward, in his gallant attempt to win back the throne of his ancestors in 1745, generally wore the Highland garb, either the tartan trews, doublet and plain, or the belted plaid, as seen in the oilpainting presented by him to Captain Walsh, of La Doutelle. After ill-fated Culloden he generally wore the feilebeg, or little kilt, in his wanderings in the High- lands. The infamous Disarming Act, of 1746 pro- hibiting the use of "Highland clothes" almost proved the death-knell of that costume, but after thirty-six years it was repealed by Parliament, and a renewal of costume took place. Duncan Ban Maclntyre composed an ode to celebrate this gJlIod event:- Indulgent laws at last restore The noble dress our father wore; Exulting, let as now resume The bonnet blue and eagle plume, The tartan coat and jaunty vest, And belted plaid become as best. With limbs unchained and footsteps free, The pleated kilt just shows the knee; In hose and brogues we'll roam at will O'er purple moor and heather hill. There was a rapid resumption of Highland i dress in the Hebrides and elsewhere. The Rev. J. L. Buchanan Writes (1782-90)" The men wear the short coat, the feilebeg and the short hose, with bonnets sewed with black ribbons (Hanoverian colour) around their brims." Their coats on" commonly tartan, striped with black, « colour," their waistcoata on either of the same or some such stuff," and the feilabegs on commonly of breacan." The Tm?n ™.re » small plaid "called guilechan about their shoulders, fastened by a large broach." The A risaids were quite laid aside in all the country. In t j6 Central Highlands the baited P'&Id was revived, according to Go ugh, and was" fastened on the Bhoulders with a broche," and tartan trews were also in vogue. There is a fall description of the national dress in a letter from a Highland gentleman to Charles Grant, Vicomte de Vanx, and printed in his Memoires de la Maison Grant in 1796. It gives particulars also as to the beltine of the plaid, and finally adds:—1"N.B.—No kilt ought ever to hang lower than the hough or the Jtttee—scarccly that far down." Mr. Napier then made some remarks as to the modern Highland dress, and its revival in the time of George IV.'s visit to Scotland, when the clan tartans were re-arranged. The 19th century witnessed the displacement of the belted plaid by the feilabeg or little kilt as worn at present, and inaugurated the great goatskin sporran. He drew attention to Lord Archibald Camp- bell's 11 Rules for wearing the Highland Dress," as printed in Celtic Monthly, approving of his state- I ment as to the kilt having been worn shorter than it is now, showing the whole of the knee- pan and some way above." Mr. Napier regrets the present degraded habit of wearing it, so as, wholly or partly, to hide the knees, and con- I siders that by so wearing it, they degrade it to I be like a woman's petticoat rather than a man's kilt. He stated that in the whole of the eleven volumes of the Celtic Monthly, out of 46 portrait3 of the gentlemen in Highland costume, fully 31, or two thirds of them, wear the kilt inordinately long, and among those persons are Col. Pir F. D. Maclean, Bart., Macleod of Dunvejan, The Mackintosh, the late Cluiny Macpherson, Messrs. John å. Mac^illivray, Duncan Mac- kinnon, Jobn Mackay (CElti; Monthly), John Mackintosh, Jas. Baillie of Uochfour, and the 1 te Sir Chas. Cameron, M.Y. Mr. iSapier finally descanted upon the hygienic and other advantages of the Highland garb, and more especially us ei incentive to patriotic sentiment. He expressed his indebtedness for many of the extracts to Skene's Highlaviers of Scotland, the Collectanea de Rebus Albanicis, and fctewart's Old and Ran Tartans. IRISH DRESS. Loid Castletown gave a very interesting address on the question of dress. He said that r tlitre was a great difference of opinion with regard to thie origin of any national costume, he contended! that, in nearly all cases it was but the relic of an earlier era of costume once pre- valent through thfe various branches of any great family like the Celtic, and only singular to any country when it- had ceased to exist'else- where. Concerning Highland costume, he was inclined to tihink the petticoat was all one with fali'nina, and he passed round a picture of dress depicting t-ne costume of various eras. Referring to the Irhh dress, he stated that the Irish had a wealth of liist-orical dress without attempting to claim the- piiile-bcy of Alba. He did not fotr one moment, give ttie idea that a I revival of Irish costume or either the 11th or 16th cvntury as nvcetsurv to t-he cultivation of national feeling. He oi^y realised that it was his duty as Prudent of the Ceitio Association to give them the opinion he rad formed after care- fully reading of the similarities and differences between the garb of Alba and Erin. He hoped that some day a historiai. mig-ht arise in Ireland! who would write a concise hist-ory of tihe whole subject, from tile, latest discovered authorities and dispel once ior all the idea that, except in .the years! following the flood' their ancestors evfer went without clothing at all. He proposed that- the whole matter be left to He proposed that the whole, matter be left to a committee of thie- Association and of expert artists to decide the yifcstion. Professor Rhys followed, and said that he did no tihink they had a's yet all the. data. He dwelt with the d'ress of the priests in this country which he held was Roman. He thtougM that the (juetstiom of the Irish dress ouglk really to te left to the people of Western Ireland; tlhemiaelvies. and he would not like to put his handI in the hornet's nest. He had been on am Irish Commission, bolt not-hiing would induce him to take part in the question of settling Irish1 diess (laughter). Archdcaconi Williams said He would {strongly recommend: the cassock for common n/se as" it was t-he cheapest, tllie most useful, and lasting garment. They put on the cassock and nothing else, for thy were fully dr^sed (laughter). It I had been snortened to ;apron in many in- stance:?, but it Avas not ai Roman1 but a Catholic dress. He would suggest- that a; committee of ladies should evolve a "dr;ss f<.r the gentlemen, and a committee of gentlemen shoujd evolve a ladies garment (laughter). The Rev J. Somervilie recommended the intro- duction of yellow garments:, yuelx a-s the Papal guards wore. It would he very becoming to fair people. The Scotch dress was a survival of the old Roman dress. S:r William Pii_vce six! that if the Marquis of Anglesey had been present ha would have enlightened them upon the subject (laughter). He thougilit the suggVsticn of Lord Castletown was an excellent one, amd hoped it, would be adopted, and that the committee would bring up a report at the next meeting-. This w-asa.gl'd to, and the meeting ter- minated. RECEPTIOX AT THE CASTLE. In the.afternoon the members and delegates and a number of county gentry attended a- re- ception given by Mr C. A. Jones, the deputy- constable of tbe Castle, on behalf of Sir John Puleston, at Carnarvon Castle. In addition to those already named, there were also present Sir Owen and Lady Roberts and part v Ladv Flower and, party Sir Hugh and Ladv Row- and and 'pat-ty Mr and Mr* Oegg, Mr and I Mrs Kn:-c^haw and party Dean of Bangor and < party; Mr W. A. Da-rbisliire and party; Mr Charles Darbishire and party; Mr Prkciiard Jones (Messrs Dickson and Jones, London) Sir Marohant Williams, Miss Rathbone and party, Menai Bridge Archdeacon T. Williams, Mr Navlor and Miss N ay lor; Mr and Mrs Trevor Hughes and partyMr J. Menzies and partv; Mr and Mrs Stewart-Barnard, Brynbras Castle., &c. There were general expression* of regret, tha, the Constable of the Castle (Sir Joitn Puleston) had been prevented from at- tending owing to the unsatisfactory state of his health. At tliis reception too the interesting ceremony of placing the top trtone (representing Cornwall) on the Lia Ciniel was y^rlormed by Mr H. Jenner. He did so, and expressed his sentiments in Cornish. After the stone had been laid, Lord Castletown called! for three ohteers for the *dx nations, whicti were heartily given. -.J' .J'.J ;], Hwfa Mon then gave a bardic address; and Miss Gwladys Roberts sang. Mr W. O. Jones followed with some penillion, to the accompini- ment of Telynores Mawddwy. THE FIRST CONCERT. The committee have occasion to be proud of I the firet concert held- The Mar-quie de FEsteir- beillon presided over a- fashionable gathering Buoh as has not been seen in the Pavilion for a long taiine. All the reserved seats had been taken up, the second, seats were uncomfortably full, and the giaUery wae simply packed. They appreciated1 the music too, despite the fa^t chtat at the out-set a little delay, caused possibly by j the imperfection of the arrangements, made tlie audience chafe. The quality of the music, was deieidedly high class, and every phase of Celkic music, Highland and Irish pipers, Irish dances, and harps. Welsh choral singing, Welsh harp music, and Breton eongs were represented. The president, aelivered a short- address in Breton. The choir, under the able leadership of Mir Walter Thomas, did credit to him, ajvl covered them-selvee with honour. They gave an excellent rendering of Mr,* Xeedham's ".Saluta- tion to the Celts," and with the Breton melodies fairly brought down the house. The vocalists, Miss Agnes Treaty, Mi^e Gwladys Roberts, R.A.M., Mr Vaughan Davies, Mr Emlyn Da- vies. and Mr Roderic McLeod, as well as M. and Mme' Botrel, did full justice to tbe various 6ongs and chants, and justified the wisdom of the committee's selection. The penniUion sin'g- ers were Messrs W. 0. Jones, Ap Eos Mon, J and Telynor Mawddwy, represented the best class of Welsh penndllion singens, and the per- formances of Miss Esther Corless, and Mrs j Griffith Richards on the Irish and Welsh harps rc^peotavely weTe mueiaal treats of a remark- ably high order of merit, ) Mr R. Bryan, t-he chairman of the Musical Committee, had arranged the Breton and Welsh airs. Engli&lumen present were amazed at the remarkable variety of the music, and, to them, the novelties introduced. The takings at. the gate, apart from the prices paid for the reserved seats, exceeded £ 97. THURSDAY'S PROCEEDINGS. I PROFESSOR RHYS ON THE TRUE METHOD OF CELTIC STUDY. I At the morning sectional meet.ing Professor Rhys. LLD., presided. In opening the'pro- ceedings, he spoke as follows —I take it that my business here is to introduce to YOll Professor Strachan. who will Lreat. you to ani elaborate ac, count. of Irish philoloigy, what it has done in the past niIli, whait it is going Ito dtv in the future..Somehow or other it so -happens that I -havb never met the professor till tlus morning, but the hck -of that pleasure has been partially made up by the pleasure and edification of read- ing his researches into Celtic philology. And very hard reading it :gfer.erally is at", Professor Strachiirj is a ve.ry hard wcrker, who devotes his attention to subjects of great difficulty. I have lately been reading -his s'tusdy of the syntax of Old Irish, especially lh¿ exact value and meaning 'of The tenses of it he Oitd Irish verb, a very difficult and complicate- question which he is gradually teaching us to und'erst-ind he does his work quietly and thoroughly without dis- tracting tlfe reader's attention with philological fireworks. Peihtvp-s, before I call on 'the pro- fe^y-or to address tilts audience. I may be allowed to sav a woTd on his subject for I have no fear that I shall trespass on what he' is about- to tell us. Wbe-n I was last- over in Ireland all my friends t\"aere were busily engaged learning Irish but after tie lanrua-.ge had for centuries been tabooed I wondared what sort of Irisdi this; wiTI be. I cc-uld see that the Irish people had I set its heart, on cultivating; The old language oi the count.ry. and I am curious as to the result- Now Professor Strachan has been conducting most successful classes in Irish, language and philology in Dublin, so he will be able to g-JV0 us his opinion on that point. In any case, this enthusiastic devotion to the study of Irish is no momentary or desultory freak. It is in reality one of the aspects of a. great awakening of the national life in. IielaJid'—an awakening which extends to Irish industries, Irish art", Irish music, Irish pastime, and Irish life generally. Her« comes in very naturally all that may be described as interest in Irish history, Irish anti- quitiiies, Irish literature, and IrÚh language, I he perversa policy of trying bv all means, fair and unfair, to mak-e the Irish people English j has been Tried for hundeds of vears, and it hUB been found a failure, as it deserved to be. Nobodv TneSjO make Scotsmen into Englishmen, and it would be a sad result to adhieve, for to whom could.1 we then point if we wished to bring th* Englishman to realise his true position. The tiigiishman, especially in the South of England, is noit anxious to move on, either in tlie matter of education or anything- But. we ca.n now point M ine jsoot as t-ne prospering example, and we nope soon to be able to do so to the Kymro ano the Gael of Erin. At all events in Ireland the mo<#t- thoughtful people there have come of tine accord: to dle conclusion that the ideal is not to try to transmogrify good Irish- men into indifferent Englishmen* that it is better to let them develope on lines more con- genial to the Western Gael, to iec them pick up the threads of their 'earlier -history, and w encourage them to habits of national selfrespect. It is needless to say that, like an individual, a nation is all the better for havings it-s Pelfrespect, fostered, better in every way I should say whether industrially, socially,* or pohtically. The Irishman brought up to regard Ireland nci as his own country anct to be proud of her will eventually prove.' I believe, as lova-I as the Kymro or thfe Gael cf the Highland's or of the Isle of Man. It is thta attempt to make the Iri^h iuur English that has from the beuinming ereared trouble in Ireland the Celt- can "be led. but he is a very awkward creature to drive. To come back to th* question of language, I may tell our Celtic friends from other lands what is going on in this country, tha.: is, in Wales, We have now foA University Colleges h,er-e, amd in them all W have regular eours-ns of teaching an Welsh. literature and Welsh piiiio- logy. iwo of those professors are h.-re with us this morning. Our professors turn cut a lar-e number of young men and women wieh a sound knowledge of the Welsh lan-mage and its litera- ture. Some of them have been so ^uecessfuilv n cess uil trained that we expect to sc-e them utilising their sch-olamiip in the v111of &ome of t-he most important of our Welsh poet-s ar-d the Welsh literature of the Middfe Ages. There is. I need hardly say, plenty of work before them, and: t-hev rre eager to distinguish themselves bv und'ertaiung it; so there are better times coming for Welsh acholarship. But. Welsh has never been pressed so low ae Irish wa.3 yome rime ago. 1 remember well he institution of the Welsh in our-schools was a verv stupid and cruel way of promoting- the learning of En,g-lish. But the pressure direcred to crussSiang: Welsh did not oil the whole at anv time amount to much more than producing irritation. Minie-uimes, perhaps, it, acted as a healthy stimu- lant At ailr events the Sundlay School grew up in time to save it from the danger of extinction. The dangers of Welsh come fiom other direc- tions, from the overwhelming commercial and political importance of the official language of this greet- Anglo-Celtic Empire. But- business has been carried on here in English- for many centua-ies without its making' a-ny appreciable impression on the vernacular of the Principality. There ip, however, a more subtle wav in which Welsh' is threatened, aixl that is by the constant habit of translating from English in a loose way that, adimite English idioms more and more. The principal antidote to that is supplied by the graduates from our colleges, to which I have already alluded. Their influence is beiriniiin-g to tell on the slo-pshod half-English kind of Weish of the anonymous correspondents of our Welsh newspapers and other penodical literature in our language. Lc is felt more and more that ,u if you write Welph it should be Wehsh. and not English clothed in badly-fittinig Welsh words. The ruination of she syntax of the lang-uaige is more deplorable thtm 'tba Anglichsng "of its vocabulary or the mistaken orthography of the Puwiaid." We hope now that in the "col leges we have found th,? means of arresting the pro- gress of this evil. The tendencv of th. Kvnirv of the present day is to read the iiirvvepapers fiK-rt- than the Bibie; it is of vital importance Uia'j tlie language of the newspapers s-hould be thoroughly good. Than as to philoloiry, the weakness of OUT position Ts this we should like to see our best students of Welsh learning a certain amount of the cognate languauets, such as the LJydaweg, the Breton of our Armorican I kinsmen, which comes nearest to our own mother tongue. Then still more important for philo- logical purposes is it that our most promising I students should acquaint themselves to a certain extent with Gaelic, eatiher of Ireland or of the Highlands and the Isle of Mam; but more especially the Old Gaelic of Ireland in the 8:Ji and 9tih centuries. We cannot hope to produce Celtic scholars in Wales unless in addition to Welsh tibey acquire some knowledge of one or I more of the other Celtic languiaiges." The same thing applies to the Irish students, whom Pro- fessor tStrachan instructs, it is verv desirable I that the best of t-hem should have* some idea of Welsh1 or Breton. It is ai question-, of course, largely of time and expense, but we hope that by and br the Welsh University may bid able to do more in the. direction of Celtic I philology without any prejudice to anv other course of study. For one tiling you may re^t assured of, Welshmen wirll not- relax their efforts to secure a mastery of the world-wide langniaee of the Empire, any more than our kinsmen in I Llydaw will renounce the French language wliatever their differences may happen to be with .tha pret.servt government of the French Republic. Our Celtic instincts here and1 on the othi-T> sdd<a of -the 'ifcinigiu'sji Channel help us to appreciate perhaps more than anybody else the othi-T> ride of the 'ifcinigiu'sji Channel help us to appreciate perhaps more than anybody else the "entente cord ale" witih Fraince. NVe are all delighted to s*ia among; us such distinguished I representatives of Llydaw, and of the greot. R-public of France. To our more distamlv- relat-sd kindred, the Gwvddvl OT the G^els from Erin, from tie Highland's-, and from Manaw, I wish to point out, if it, has not. already been I done, that tb-ey are here on the classic irrnund of the iMabinogion. Tii--v can almost, 3.*e from here the ancient, mound of Dina* Dinlle. where the great, magician G-wydion ab Don had Llew Llawgyffes reared .and up in the mountains by the lakes of Xantli-e grew the I mighty oak. among the boughs of which Gwydion found Llew in the form of a wounded eagle. Over th^re, across tlie 'harbour. is another place which figures in the storv as Maenor Coed Alun it. still bears the name of C'ted Almi among-the Welsh-speakimr peasantrr of this neighbourhood in (spite of seniebcdv affect-ed by the "Helen maniia rampant -It Car- iiiii oir, navin-g tried hard to cfianafe- it. into Cooo Helen. But- it would take me too Ion.: to men- tion ail tne. places about here associated w;th tlie Sons of Don. They were our Tuaiha De Daixuiii, so I hope our Gaelic friends will feel that- t-h-ey a.re at lixmie ifctere. I referred just now (to our Gaeidc friends as our more dis- tantly-relvjired kindred as compared with our Bieton brethren, but for this portion of Wale's* I must, absoiutelv withdraw th.tr. In the 5th and 6-:ih centra-i'-ia there can hardly be «nv doubt that' The language of this portion of Wales, as far as the River Clwyd, was the same- prac- tically as the language of the Gwyddyl of Ireland. ^Thc.«* means that here and now the native Welsh people of this district are as Gaelic in point of race as the average native of Ireland. W e know this from the ancient, in- scriptions of Xorth W ales, which Lave been for many yea-iis a nobby of mine and winch I am trying to edit- for publication. Now. that- I have come back to myself. I f.2el that is a subject- too large for me to begin -to discuss. So I will no further wa.'ft-e VOUT time, b'ut- ccli at oiic-^ on Professor Straeihan to address ue. (Continued on page 8).