Welsh Journals

LITERARY AND AET NOTES. 371 given by the Misses Eoby and Annie Williams, the latter of whom was enthusiastically encored in her song, " The Lady of the Sea." The lady in aid of whose philanthropic work the concert was given is Welsh to the core, and as Miss Megan Watts is well-known in all parts of the Principality. Our March " note" anent the Carmarthenshire super¬ stition of ;' the Sin Eater " appears to have excited the liveliest curiosity. Letters asking for further information upon the subject have reached us from all quarters, including one from " an American Reader." We have much pleasure in announcing that the Red Dragon for May will contain a paper, by a well- known Welsh antiquarian, explanatory of the extraordinary custom. We are indebted to Mr. D. Long Price for the following really charming translation of one of the finest passages in Tennyson's Morte VArthur:— THE PASSING OF ARTHUR. Cyfnewid mae'r hen drefn, a'r newydd ddaw, Dwg Duw ei waith i ben mewn Uawer ffordd, Rhag i un ddefod dda, o bara, lygru'r byd. Cysura dy hun ; Pa gysur sy' ynof fi ? Treuliais fy einioes, a'r hyn ynddi 'wnes, Gwnaed Duw o'i fewn ei hun ei buro! ond tydi, Os byth na weli di fy ngwyneb mwy, Gweddia dros fy enaid. Mwy wna gweddi Na thybia'r byd. Gan hyny, gad 'i'th lais Esgyn fel ffynon drosof n6s a dydd. Can's beth yw dynion well n'ar 'nifail mud, Sy'n meithrin bywyd tywyll yn ei siol, Os, tra'n gwel'd Duw, ni chodant ddwylaw gweddi Drostynt eu hunain a'u cyfeillion hoff ? Can's felly mae'r holl ddaear gron bob ffordd Yn nghlwm gan ddidiau aur o gylch traed Duw. Ac 'nawr ffarwel, 'Rwy'n myn'd yn mhell o ffordd Gyda'r rhai weli—os yn wir yr af— (Can's tywyll yw'm holl feddwl gan amheuaeth), I ynys—ddyffryn tawel, cudd, Afallon ; Lie ni ddaw cesair, gwlaw, nac eira oes, A'r gwynt ni chwyth yn uchel, ond mae'n gorwedd Mewn dolydd dyfynion, teg mewn lawnt a pherllan A phantydd coedog ar Ian mor o haf ; Yno caf welliant o fy mhoenus glwyf. " An invalid lady " writes us expressing a wish that her best thanks be conveyed to Mr. Howell, of St. Athan, for very many pleasant hours spent in reading his varied " Reminiscences of Merthyr Tydfil." y 2