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CELTIA AND PAN CELTICISM.
CELTIA AND PAN CELTICISM. ( Continued.) Such, then, is the movement of which Celtia is the organ. Knowing that the movement is so full of life, we would natur- ally expect the magazine to carry a little of its vivacity, and judging by the first number issued under the editorship of Mr. S. R. John, we are not going to be disappointed. Within its thirty pages, we have full accounts of the great race-revival, to which we referred in our last week's issue, as it manifests itself in the several Celtic countries of Europe; and probably this is, and ever will be, its most valuable feature. Such columns are From the Six Nations," Leabhraichean Agus Ceol, and its Report columns in general must always prove in- spiring. Taldir, in an interview reported in Celtia by Mr. T. Huws Davies, expressed the sentiment, Gresyn na fuasai'n bosibl dwyn rhagor o werin Cymru i gydymdeimlad a Llydaw, a rhagor o werin Llydaw i gydym- deimlad a Chymru." This magazine, with great care and strenuous efforts, may achieve that great aim. Let no one, however, run away with the idea that Celtia is but a newspaper, with the appearance of a magazine. This particular number contains a most scholarly and well- written article by Professor John Edward- Lloyd on Irish Influences on Early Welsh History." It contains a vast amount of original research, and must prove of very great value as a suggestion for further work in the same direction. To obtain anything similar to this article in an English magazine, one would have to turn to the pages of an eminently specialised magazine like the Historical Review. This also proves the seriousness of the ideals of the leaders of the Pan Celtic movement. It contains another article on The Call of the Clod," by Mr. C. R. John. Some of us had seen this article nreviously, when it appeared in the extinct Welsh Review. It is a very fine piece of literary criticism, con- taining an occasional gem of expression. The Celtic poets of to-day are in sad need of a true literary critic, and what we have in this article is an earnest of the true under- standing of the aims and ideals of criticism. Huws DAVIES.
LITERARY AND OTHER NOTES.
LITERARY AND OTHER NOTES. ADVICE TO LONDONERS. One of the most notable features of this year's Eisteddfod has been the unprece- dented amount of attention devoted to its doings by the London newspapers, or, at least, by the best of them. As it takes a very long time to prove to the satis- faction of the Saxon that anything outside football and cricket fields, and the Houses of Parliament (with the notable exception of ferocious murders and consequent execu- tions) is worthy of anything better than con- tempt, Wales can congratulate itself on a brilliant success in this direction. Even the Englishman, unimaginative, dull, con- temptuous, as he is, at last admits that the Eisteddfod is at least interesting, and, possibly, productive of some amount of intellectual fruit. Not that the Englishman's appreciation really matters one scrap. We in Wales, and our brothers in Ireland are seldom moved to ecstasy by anything English only, we never forget that to win the Englishman's appreciation is one sure way of getting into his valuable pocket. We are quite frank. The last remark is very much to the point. The 1909 Eisteddfod will be held in London, and we must get into his pocket then. We must not think, however, that the Welsh Boarding-House Keeper's method is the best method for achieving that honest end. In one quiet corner of Welsh Wales I knew as a lad a dear little cottage called Penylan. Daring the last ten years English tourists have been crowding into that country neighbourhood, and the daughter of Penylan wrote to me from Ivy Cottage," informing me that they had been forced to change the name of the old house because the lazy gibing Saxons found the old name unpro- nounceable. None of that for 1909, please, Londoners We have given our solemn word of honour at Swansea that the Eistedd- fod, when held in London, should be entirely Welsh—and we must keep our promise. It must be Welsh through and through, and by making it an absolutely Welsh affair, we shall bully the Englishman into support- ing it. Let no one run away, however, with the mad idea that my desire is that no word of any language but Welsh shall be spoken at the Eisteddfod of 1909. Very far from it. Let me take a concrete instance so as to make my intention quite clear to those of my readers who have become anglicised and therefore limited in intelligence. We had the National Eisteddfod in London in the year of our Lord 1887. It was not a success -financially-and the blame was laid on the English theatres. Ministers, deacons, poets and litterateurs came up from the country, and for years they had denounced and ranted against the theatre. Once in London, their WORST nature got the BETTER of them, and original sin drove them in crowds to the theatres. That was all very sad, and has to be guarded against this time, and here is my suggestion, for protecting the weak from their evil desires. We must stage during the week openly and fearlessly, a Welsh play, or a repertoire of Celtic plays, and in so doing we shall also give the Celtic drama a much-needed impetus. Some one will answer, and very reasonably, But we have no Welsh play." To this objection, I have but one reply, but it is thunderous in its finality, The London Committee can find one, and ought to find one." Let them at once offer a prize of a hundred guineas for a Welsh play (in English) and appoint a committee of one leading actor or actress (Miss Edith Wynne Mattheson, for instance, with her Welsh associations), one leading play-wright (W. B. Yeats, the poet, or George Bernard Shaw, the only modern playwright in England, would do), one eminent Welsh litterateur (0. M. Edwards or Ernest Rhys, say), with Mr. Vincent Evans (as representative of the Eisteddfod Association) to adjudicate. If no play worth the trouble of staging be received by the adjudication committee, then let the adjudication committee write one. The Irish Theatre might also contribute a play or two, for the event; but be sure that it is done, and make capital out of the desire for dissipation of theologians and other old fogeys. One more point. A smart Welshman, who thinks he knows more than he actually does, will say that this is a sermon in Cap and bells." It is nothing of the kind. It is an earnest plea for originality. I should like to fee the majority of Welsh people raising their hands in "holy horror" on the appearance of the London programme. Let every old conservative denounce us and declaim against us with the greatest viol- ence from August 1908 until the day before the Eisteddfod in 1909, and we may be quite sure of meeting him at the Eisteddfod when it comes. It is humanity's little way, and if we want to make the London Eisteddfod of 1909 a tremendous thing," we must first of all frighten the people, then shock them, and lastly take their money. There are six great Welshmen in London (one of them is the writer of this column), but they are irresponsible, wild, cynical, revolutionary, irreligious and mad, like all great men. If they will have their say in the drafting of the 1909 Eisteddfod programme, it will be a great success. It is very likely though that they will be muzzled with the inevitable consequence that the Eisteddfod, yes, even in London, the capital of Celtic Bohemia, will turn out a stale, bourgeoise, common- place, semi-religious, semi-political, respect- able, miserable show. NORICK.
AETH GWEN YN OL I GYMRU.
AETH GWEN YN OL I GYMRU. Aeth Gwen yn ol i Gymru Fy nghalon sydd yn brudd, Pwy fyth nad all hiraethu Am harddwch teg ei grudd ? Lledneisrwydd a gwyleidd-dra Flodeuai'n ol ei throed, Rhyw lili'n llawn gyfriniol swyn Oedd hon yn ugain oed. Aeth Gwen yn ol i Gymru Wrth blygu i'r fath ddeddf, Fy nhelyn drawsgyweiriwyd I ganu yn y Ileddf Caed cwpan fy llawenydd Yn ami fwy na'i lond Wrth rodio yn ei chwmni hi 0 gwmpas Hollow Pond." Aeth Gwen yn ol i Gymru o Lundain fawr ei bri, Ond nid cyn taflu rhwydau Ei serch am danaf fi. Yn chwythu'n berlewygol Y mae awelon serch, Ar f'ysbryd er pan welais wMd Y firain fwyndeg ferch. Aeth Gwen yn ol i Gymru, Ond nid yw Cymru'n mhell, Caf eto ei chwmpeini Medd Angel gobaith gwell." Caf fesur ei gwefusau Ar fryniau "Gwlad y gan," A phrofi mai melusach cwrdd Ar ol bod ar wahan. Walthamstow. CARDl.
A WELSH MINER= VIOLINIST.
A WELSH MINER= VIOLINIST. An Appeal for Funds. An appeal for funds is being made to assist the young Welsh miner-violinist, Tom Jones, to complete his studies at the Hampstead Conservatoire. As this fund is likely to extend over a period of two years or two years and a half, promises will be thankfully received for payment during that period. It might be added that Mr. Tom Jones has had an offer from the Institution, at which he is studying, for an extended term of his scholarship, therefore it is hoped by those interested, that the fund raised will be sufficient to enable him to accept this kind offer. Any remittances sent to the Tom Jones Fund," c/o The Editor, CELT Office, 21], Gray's Inn Road, London, will be acknow- ledged with thanks, and will be handed to the Treasurer without delay. SUBSCRIPTIONS RECEIVED. £ s. dL Lord Aberdare 5 5 0 D. A. Thomas, Esq., M.P. 5 5 0 J. Jay Williams, Esq. 1 1 0 J. Prichard Jones, Esq., J.P. J. E. F. Hodges, Esq. 1 Wm. Owen, Esq. 1 T. W. Glyn Evans 0 10 ( T. J. Evans 0 5 Misses S. & L. Evans (5/-each) 0 10 9 Wm. Evans, Esq., Board of Trade 2 2 <9 H. H. Evans, Esq., Bwllfa Colliery 1 2. if) F. Bardin Harrison, Esq., Cwmdare 1 1 0 J. Emlyn Jones, Esq., London 1 1 T. Leason Thomas. 010 G Dewi Thomas, Esq., Euston Q <5 a