Welsh Journals

90 BYE-GONES. Oct., 1872. Oswestry Advertizer, Oct. 2, 1872. NOTES. THE WISDOM OF CATWG.—The Cambro Briton (Vol. 1, p. 52) gives, The Seven Questions proposed by Catwg the Wise to Seven Wise Men in his college at Llan- feithin, with their answers. 1, What constitutes supreme goodness in a man ? Equity:—Answered by Talhaiarn the Bard. 2, What shows transcendent wisdom in a man ? To refrain from injuring another when he has the ability :— By St. Teilo. 3, What is the most headstrong vice in a man ? Incontinence :—By Arawn, son of Cynfarcb. 4, Who is the poorest man ? He who has not resolution to take of his own :—By Taliesin, chief of bards. 5, Who is the richest man ? He who coveteth nothing belonging to another:—By Gildas of the Golden Grove. 6, What is the fairest quality in a man ? Sincerity :—By Cynan, son of Clydno Eiddin. 7, What is the greatest folly in a man ? The wish to injure another, without having the power to effect it:—By Ystyffan the Bard of Teilc. ARTHURIAN LOCALITIES IN THE PRINCI¬ PALITY AND THE MARCHES.—We extract the fol¬ lowing note inserted by one of the contributors of Bye- gones in the last number of the Arch. Camb. :— " It has been suggested that a list of the names of any moun¬ tains, rivers, earthworks, stone monuments, &c, bearing the name of Arthur, or of his more celebrated contemporaries, which are still preserved, should be published in the pages of the Archcelogia Cambrensis. If every member would in the course of his reading make a note of such names, and forward them to the editor, we should soon be in possession of a tolerably ex¬ haustive list. I have jotted down the following since the appearance of the query respecting the site of the battle of Camlan:— Anglesey.—1. Bwrdd Arthur, near Traeth Coch (Arthurian Localities, p, 8). 2. Arthur's Quoit (Ibid, p. 8). Carnarvonshire.—1. Dinas Emrys, near Beddgelert. 2. Llyn Geirionydd. 3. Pare Arthur, near Bangor. Denbighshire.—1. Round Table in the parish of Llansannan, mentioned by Leland (Arthurian Localities, pp. 7-8). 2. Moel Arthur, between Mold and Denbigh (Ibid, p. 8). Flintshire.—1. Maen Arthur, between Mold and Ruthin (Ibid, p. 7). Merionethshire.—1. TheCamlans, &c. (OA.,June 5). 2. Llanvor Church, the burial place of Llywarch Hen. Montgomeryshire.—Abercuawg, near Machynlleth, the resi¬ dence of Llywarch Hen, Cardiganshire.—1 Bedd Taliesin, near Borth. 2. Llys Arthur, an earthwork near Aberystwyth. 8. Llongborth, &c, in the parish of Penbrvn (see article under this name in Lewis's Top. Diet.) Caermarthenshire.—l. Merlin's Grove, Merlin's Cave, Gallt Myrddin: and Carreg Myrddin in the neighbourhood of the town of Caermarthen; 2. Arthur's Hound Table Arch. Camb. 1856 (p 103); 3. Buarth Arthur (Ibid p. 107); 4. Oefn Arthur (? Cefn Erthanj on the border of this County, four miles north¬ west of Llywel. Monmouthshire.—Arthur's Round Table near Caerleon. Herefordshire.—1 King Arthur's Cave (Arch. Camb, 1872, p.p. 74-274). 2. Arthur's stone, six miles east of Hay."—E.H. SIR THOMAS ADAMS, KNIGHT.—This worthy was born at Wem, in Shropshire, was Sheriff of London 1644, Lord Mayor 1648, was imprisoned in the_;Tower for his adhesion to the Royal cause : he remitted his Majesty in the hour of his need £10,000, and was created a Baronet a few days after the restoration. Sir Thomas, though advanced in years, was deputed by the City to accompany General Monk to Breda, and to attend the exiled monarch to his restored realms. He endowed Wem School, and founded an Arabic lecture in Cambridge, of which university he had been a member. Sir Thomas died President of St. Thomas's Hospital, and father of the City, 24th February, 1667, aged eighty-two, by a fall in stepping out of his coach. The baronetcy became extinct at the death of Sir Thomas Adams, Capt. R.N., who died without issue, on the Vir¬ ginia station, 12th April, 1770.—See Burke's Extinct Baronetage. WELSH COAST RAILWAYS.—The Shrewsbury Chronicle, Oct. 22, 1847, says, "As long as it was of any avail this newspaper struggled for an Interior Line of Railway, following nearly and making use of parts of the Holyhead Road, as struck out and levelled by the genius of Telford, instead of the now adopted Coast Line. We are not yet convinced that we were wronsr. The first winter (this year) destroyed the sea-wall. What if this sea-coast railway bad been completed, and the trains passing along it when the sea-wall was blown down ?" The Times, Sep. 23, 1872, contains a letter from Colonel Meadows Taylor, describing a narrow escape of the mail train from Holy¬ head to Chester on the previous Wednesday night. They were traveling along between Mostyn and Prestatyn when signal rockets brought them to a standstill, and they dis¬ covered that the sea-wall had given way; and the writer was told that at high tides it had been washed away on previous occasions, only the watchers were vigilant.—Wild Irishman. QUERIES. FOREIGN SURNAMES IN MONTGOMERY¬ SHIRE.—(O.A. Oct. 11, 1871).—Mr R. Williams, in bis paper on this subject in the Mont: Coll : speaks of ' Jarrett' as of "undoubted French or Flemish origin." According to a writer in Notes and Queries, Jan. 6, 1872, the origin of the name is Welsh. The question arose in this way : on Dec. 9,1871, a writer asked if anyone could say how it was that Garret and Geraid were so frequently used as synonymous in old books ? Amongst the answers is one as follows :—"The derivation of Gerald (synonyms Girald, Gerard, Girard, Giraud, &c, and probably also Garret, Jarrett, &c), is possibly from the Welsh ' Geirydd,' a speaker; or, as some think, the Gaelic (and allied forms) ' geier,' ' ger,' an eagle (preserved in ger-falcon, &c). The name of Giraldus Cambrensis, a Welshman, was written in French, Gerald or Girard Barri, or du Barri. His patronymic did not, probably, contain the I, which appeared first in the Latinised form. This transmutation of liquids is illustratpd in many other words, such as Bretwalda, for Bret-warda. The above may not establish the identity of Garret and Gerald, but it shows their close similarity, and perhaps points to their common origin." Perhaps Mr Williams will tell us what he thinks of this ?— Jarrett. OSWESTRY PUBLIC LIBRARY.—Can any old Oswestrian tell me what was the result of the efforts, in 1821, to furnish Oswestry with a Public Library? Were books ever purchased, and, if so, what became of them ?— Jaroo. ABERDOVEY NEW TOWN.—I find in the Salop. Jour., Sept. 7, 1825, an advertisement with this heading, which runs as follows:—" The shareholders in the new town intended to be built hear Aberdovey, are re¬ quested to attend a meeting to be held at the Raven Inn, in Aberdovey, on Thursday the 8th of September, at one o'clock." Has the town ever been built, and what is it called?—A.