Cymro a'r Celt Llundain

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. It is very commonly believed that editors, in their profound regard for the integrity of their own journals, have a distinct averse- ness to owning up to their little journal- istic peccadilloes. My dear sir," the American editor is reported as saying, we admit that it is unfortunate that in error we announced your death this morning but to ask us to contradict our own statement is unreasonable. To be perfectly fair with you, however, we are willing to include your name to morrow morning among the Bly-ths With these thoughts in my mind, it is not without misgiving that I timorously approach the sanctum sanctorum of the CELT with a wish to point out that in the caste of the play (" Cambro-Britons performed at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, in 1798) about which I had something to say last week one of the characters is given as Lady Griffiths' spade." This should have been Lady Griffith's shade." The Lady Graffydd-wife of Gruffydd ap Llewelyn ap Iorwerth, and mother of Llew- elyn ein llyw olaf and Prince David- was in her tomb when the events of the play were happening, and it was when the brothers, who were now on terms of enmity with each other, had met by accident in front of her shrine in the Abbey at Chester, and were engaged in bitter altercation, that the shade of the departed mother appeared to them, and was the means of re-cementing them in the bonds of brotherhood. Mr. James Boaden, the author of the play, intro- duced the supernatural agent into the piece (as he explains in the Preface) for the pur- pose of bringing about a reconciliation between the brothers, notwithstanding that it was a departure from the strict historical narrative, and the scene (Act II) must have been of an effective character, for as well as the crumbling away of the upper part of the tomb "with a mighty noise," and the emergence of the Shade from its centre, a Chorus of Spirits sang the following verse- Dear is the incense that repentance flings, And cherubs waft it heavenward with their wings Grateful the voice that bids your hatred cease- A mother's mandate of eternal peace." Then the scene is thus described- Here the funeral dress falls off; drapery of a fine cerulean colour gradually unfolds itself her figure seems glorified; and through the open window she is drawn, as it were, into the air, while music, as of immortal spirits, attends her progress. The brothers gaze silently after the vision, and the curtain drops." The Author, as I have hinted above, apologises in the Preface for this little ex- cursion into the realms of fancy, but says that otherwise he is unconscious of any very material departure from historic record, and the following sentiment of his at once gains one's admiration If I have not conducted Llewelyn to his miserable end, I shall have the thanks of every man who, as a patriot, wishes that he may triumph who seeks to maintain the independance of his country." Among the players were a Mr. Johnstone and a Mr. Johnston they are both given a final e in last week's CELT. The part of the Bard was taken by Mr. Johnston. But to correct this is perhaps pushing matters to the point of punctilio. Interpreting by anticipation, the mental attitude of the Editor of the CELT towards this long-drawn rigmarole, I have borrowed from Shakespeare the title which stands at the head of this letter.-Ap N. A BRACE OF QUERIES. 1. There was printed at Chichester in 1789 (by J. Sea- grave) a bulky quarto volume of about 600 pages bearing the following title Primi- tive History from the Creation to Cadmus. By W. Williams, Esq., formerly of St. John's College, Cambridge." Can any reader of the CELT tell me who this author was ? His name is not to be found in the D.N.B. 2. Who was the author of a two- volume historical novel, published in London in 1857 by Saunders and Otley, Conduit- street, entitled, Vendigaid, or the Blessed One A Tale of the Thirteenth Century ? -Ap N.

Y DYFODOL. Boed Ysgrifenyddion y gwahanol Gymdeithasau anfon ar fyrder restr o'u cyfarfodydd arbennig, i'w gosod yn y Golojn hon. rs;¡r Gosodir y Cyfarfodydd, ltc" a hysbysebir yn y CELT, yn rhad yng ngholofn Y Byfodol" ond codir tdl o Is. yr un am y rhai na hysbysebir. Gorphenaf. 7—Camberwell. St. Mary's Church Garden Party. 7—Wandsworth. London Welsh F.C. Garden Party. Hydref. 6-Wilton Square. Te a Chyngerdd Blynyddol. 20-Shirland Road. Annual Concert. 26-Clapham Junction. Grand Evening Concert, Battersea Town Hall. Tachwedd. 3.—St. Benet. Cyngerdd Blynyddol yn St. Bride's Institute. 17—Eisteddfod Fawreddog Capel Stratford. 24-Eisteddfod Flynyddol Jewin. Rhagfyr. 1—Cyngerdd Blynyddol Cymdeithas y Tabernacl. Chwefror- 18—Eisteddfod Flynyddol Cymdeitbas y Tabernacl Cymreig, King's Cross.

ALDRIDGE'S HORSE REPOSITORY. Should you require to purchase a HORSE for business on THE MILK ROUND or for pleasure attend Messrs. ALDRIDGE'S Sales on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10.30 a.m., UPPER ST. MARTIN'S LANE, LONDON W.C. Horses of every class old by Auction each Wednesday an Saturday. On view Mondays and Thursdays. Catalogues forwarded MADOe DRVIES, R.R.C.M., Teacher, L.C.M. Voice Production and Solo Singing. Telephone 8914 Central. NOTE NEW. ADDRESS 495, OXFORD STREET, W. (Near Marble Arch).

difficulty at present is, where will the cere- mony take place ? As it is hoped to secure the Prince to lay the foundation stone of the national Library at Aberystwyth next year, would not that be a fitting time and place to perform the ceremony ? A CELT correspondent writes The other day I was reading a book of poems composed by the Rev. T. E. Nicholas, Glais, near Swansea. I was so struck with the one Ar fy Nhaith' that I thought it worth repro- ducing some of the verses in these columns: Ar fy nhaith, wrth fy ngwaith Canaf Salmau pur y nefoedd Y mae haul Duw yn hael Ar lechweddau'r hen fynyddoedd. Ar y bryn, yn y glyn, Swn y werin sy'n gorchfygu, Mawrion byd, er eu Ilid Heddyw sydd yn gorfod cefnu. Er pob nam y mae cam Gwerin Cymru i'r goleuni; Bywyd rhydd heddyw sydd, Ar ei dolydd yn ymdonni. I have never read anything better than the above in any collection of Welsh poems." Last Saturday, the Merthyr Board of Guardians passed a resolution in favour of having Wales recognised on the Royal Standard. The usual stupid and imper- tinent note appeared in the Cardiff Echo. Here is an extract: The Pauper will be excited over the proposal to add Wales to the Royal Standard. It is conceivable that a hot propaganda is going forward in the Merthyr Workhouse against the Government and all the powers that be for not taking immediate steps to quarter Wales on the Royal Standard. The position won, it would give an extra flavour to the tobacco and the snuff allowed, and a day's rejoicing over the event might produce a holiday and an extra allowance of good things of a pauper's existence in honour of the event. CHANGE OF ADDRESS.—We are informed by Messrs. T. R. Thomas & Co., Dairy Agents, Strand, that owing to the expiration of the lease of their old premises, they have re- moved to 147, Strand (three doors east from their old address), where they will be glad to see their regular patrons, or anyone who is desirous of securing a good business. Few people are aware that the introduction to Strachan's text book on early Welsh was largely based upon the researches made by Mr. Timothy Lewis, now Professor Anwyl's assistant at Aberystwyth, or, as the students term him, our Junior Celtic." The late Professor Strachan made no secret of his debt to Mr. Lewis, and had he lived would have acknowledged it with the courtesy of which he was capable. Mr. Lewis's glossary to the Black Book of Chirk, it is understood, is almost ready for the press, and he is to edit for the University of Wales a text of the Laws, the MS of which is at the National Library. The only way to thoroughly under- stand early Welsh poetry is through the laws, for there every word has a distinct and known meaning. Mr. Lewis is thus confer- ing upon students an enormous boon by publishing his glossary, and we look forward with great interest to its publication.