Penarth Chronicle and District Advertiser

Penartli Free Library. AN INTERESTING PRESENTATION. At 7 o'clock on Monday evening, at the District Council Offices, a very interesting presentation took place, when Mr W. L. Morris. J.P.. became the re- I cipient of a gilt-silver key in commemoration of his opening the Free Library lastFebruary- Besides the I members of the Council, there were present—Messrs George Carslake Thompson, LL.M. (Chairman of the Libraries'Committee), F. Ballinger (Cardiff librarian), Rev E. S. Roberts, B.A., Jenkin Llewellyn, Evan Morse, Professor Tanner, and Harry Love. Mr Thompson, in making the presentation, said it afforded him very great pleasure, as Mr Morris had been so zealously and worthily associated with the inception of the library. (Applause)- He hoped the donee would not look at the key's intrinsic worth so much as the spirit which prompted the subscribers in making this tangible recognition of so interesting an occasion as the founding of such an institution. (Hear, hear)- Mr Morris suitably replied, and observed that it was very gratifying to him to see the Reading Room so well patronised. It was undoubtedly a great boon to the town. (Applause)- Mr Purnell moved a vote of thanks to Mr Thompson. In seconding this, Professor Tanner remarked that whatever the Chairman of the Libraries' Committee undertook he always did it vigorously and gracefully and had truly represented the feelings of all interested in the matter. (Hear,hear). The key is exceedingly chaste, and bears the fol lowing inscription: Presented to W. L. Morris, Esq., J.P., on the occasion of his opening the Free Library, February 4th, 1895." The obverse side is surmounted by a boar's head, and subscribed on raised j blua enamel in gold lettering is Penarth Urban j District Council-

A Famous Welsh. Sermon. omp..z4- IT WAS FOUND IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO. The late Rector of Merthyr, in his lecture on The Church in Wales, or How Welshmen Became Dissenters," said he found in the British Museum 25 years ago a very old tract, the title of which was, "The Funeral Sermon of one David Morgan, Rector of Llanymawddwy: A Funeral Sermon for a Dead Body." The most singular thing was that the text was in English, although at that time there was no place in the world more Welsh than Dinas Mawddwy. The post got there only once in fourteen aays. The rector was the veritable man that used co be chaffed for having prayed for fourteen days for King William after Queen Victoria had ascended the Throne. It was a most extraordinary thing that they should have had this old David Morgan preaching in English. He was not at all particular as to his Divinity; his ser- mons were full of anachronisms. He would illustrate the first century of the Christian era by pictures taken out of the eighteenth. The sermon began with these words: Good people of TJlanymawdtiwy- Mr dear beloved brethren: We are met together here to-day for a great preachment—a preachment for a dead body, the body of good Squire Thomas, the squire of our parish. We did all Jove him, though he bad scolded us shocking; but he dead now, as depd as a door nail; yes, indeed, for I did see him with my own two eyes before they screwed him up." He (the lecturer) should tell them, in order to state everything fair for poor David Morgan, that the Bible had been stolen. The sermon was this The text is taken from the four and twentieth chapter of the prophet Maccabaeus. Well, indeed, I have forgotten the number of the verse, but I do know the words- I do know in three languages. The Latin language —it is the language of all learned people I do know them in the English language-it is the language of all genteel people; I do know Watch and pray-' I do know them in the Welsh language, of course it is the language of all vulgar people. Now, I will stick to my text; I will, indeed. Our great-grand- father Adam was a very good old man, and he was a very happy old man until he did marry a wife. He did live in the Garden of Paradise; he did want for nothing there, for everything did grow into his own hand. He did not want for neither a basin nor a spoon. Talk about gardens! There was a garden The garden of Squire Thomas was nothing to it, and you Know that has four walls, and it would take 20,000 of Squire Thomas's to make such a Garden of Paradise. All sort of trees did grow there; plum trees, gooseberry trees, strawberry trees, pear trees, and apple trees. Talk about apple dumplings! And you, men of Llanymawddwy, do boast of your apple dumplings as if there were no apple dumplings in all the world like them; and, indeed, they are very good, only they want a little more sugar but if you had apples from the Garden of Paradise you would want no sugar at all. Well, I did tell you that he did marry a wife, our old grandfather and oh there was a beautiful woman, there was a fine figure, and there was hai", but it did not grow all ovei- I er head and down her back; she did wear it all sorts of shapes; she wore it like a Tower of Babel oa her head, and it was all her own hair. Still she was I do tell you the most beautifuUest of all women, hut she was a very peculiar woman. She wanted to know everything—things she ought not to know, and oh! women of Llanymawddwy, she did go about the gar- den, and what did happen to her ? She did get with the devil, and the devil did teach her all sorts of things, and persuaded her to go and rob the orchard and eat the apple. She, did eat the apple, every bit of it, pippin and all, and the devil did persuide her to put one in her pocket and take it home for her husband, and he did obey his wife, like good man. Well! alter this she had two brave boys, but one was a bad boy, an unlawful rogue, like his mother. He did concern with devil, the devil did tenJ!t him to kill his own brother, and this was the cause of all the mischief in the world. It did bring lawyers into the world, all the constables in the world, all the excisemen- people who go prying about for a drop of good liquor, but there was never a drop of good liquor afterwards. Mind you do not go to the alehouse, it is very bad there.; he did go and drink all day there, and come home at night and abuse his family shocking; be did kick his wife and abuse his children, like what you do William Thomas, and the same as you did last Saturday night. Well, I did tell you about judgment coming; into the world. Rsmember this there will be one great day of judgment, and the parson of Llanymawddwy will be asked the question as to the sheep in his possession. I will tell the truth plump and plain. I will say there is no sheeps: you are all turned goats with shaggy hair all over. for you have never given me tithe wool from the very day I have been here till now."

PATCH WORK. PATOIIWOKK P tehwork. Agents I Wanted. Ladies, families, auli others to try out I Parcels, containing about 200 assorted pieces of beau- I tiful prints, suitable for aprons, cushions, quilts. One I sample parcel, Is 6d two, 2s 6d four, 4s 9d carriage I paid. Also velvets, satin-. &c.,one parcel, 2s. 6d I two, 4s 6d four, 6s 3d.—J. BLACK, 71 Burlington I Street, MANCHETER. ■