Cymro a'r Celt Llundain

Cardiff newspapers, he is not very far astray in that position. He also says that Cardigan- shire is a veritable theological incubator at the present day. The highest aim of life for the Cardi seems to be the pulpit, and its young men suffer much on account of this. APROPOS of theological colleges, Mr. 0. M. Edwards has some very biting remarks in this month's Cymru. He maintains that less Welsh is heard within the walls of these institutions than within the walls of any other educational institutions in Wales-and he is not far wrong. He says that he has heard a young Welshman in a Welsh pulpit quoting from a German Expositor in English. The thought proved that he had no acquaintance with German, and the words that he had but very second-rate knowledge of English. This is timely warning. Brown- ing is quoted far oftener in the Welsh pulpit of to-day than Islwyn. In a word, the pulpit of Wales is becoming snobbish and vain. THERE is a very decided interest taken in the Folk-song of Wales at the present time. Next Wednesday evening, Mr. Ivor Williams, the assistant-professor of Welsh at the Bangor Constituent College, will read a paper before the Cymmrodorion Society on Welsh songs. We believe that Mr. Williams has a very fine collection of these old songs. To Mr. A. P. Graves is due the honour for creating a new interest in this department of Welsh music and literature. AN old Welsh farmer has just scored well off an unprogressive parish council in North Wales. The old gentleman found a Gipsy relic on his farm, in the form of a dead donkey, and he wrote to his parish council requesting them to make arrangements for the interment of the deceased. Their reply was to the effect that they would not think of depriving him of the honour. But all was not yet over. He courteously sent them a counterblast, to the effect that he had taken action in the first instance under the assump- tion that it was the Welsh custom for the nearest relatives to bury the dead. CARDIFF COLLEGE.—To complete the por- tion of the new college buildings now being erected at Cardiff, a sum of £31,000 will be needed. Past students of the college, who have received the most benefit from the institution, do not seem to have so far re- sponded as worthily as they might have done to the appeal for subscriptions. At any rate, the result of the appeal is disappointing when compared with what past students have done for Bangor and Aberystwyth. OLDEN TIME ORGANISTS. The earliest known organist of Llandaff Cathedral was one Rese (or Rees). He held office in 1608. "In that year," says the record, £ 7 was granted to him as his wage, to be paid unto him quarterly." A marginal note states that the chapter did disagree, and not consent to this act." WELSH IN SCHOOLS.—Advocates of Welsh teaching in schools will note with interest the following paragraph in the Board of Education's report for 1906 7, now issued Strong evidence was placed before the Board of a large body of public opinion in Wales in favour of a more general study of the Welsh language in the schools and training colleges of the Principality. To satisfy these demands it was found necessary to insist that proper provision should be made in all Welsh colleges for the teaching of Welsh as one of the first conditions of recognition, and an optional course in Welsh was drawn up, both elementary and higher. It is hoped that the steps thus taken will help to provide the Welsh schools with the Welsh-speaking teachers whose services are called for." MENTION of the fact that Aberdare will be this year's venue of the Wales v. Ireland Association Football International contest reminds us that in the early days of Aber- dare history-in the 11th century-the place was the scene of a contest of another kind, viz., a fierce battle for the throne of South Wales. Few but the antiquarian visitors to the well laid-out and interesting town would imagine that here Norman and Welsh fought to the death. In all the com- batants were over 7,000 men. The battle raged hottest in the centre of the town, long afterwards called Maes-y-Gwaed" (the field of blood).