Welsh Journals

Nov., 1875. BYE-GONES. 318 by the same person amidst the roar of the elements. ' Quite full!' exclaimed the patriarch, as the ark lurched deeply. 'Full!' exclaimed the voice, which was now close alongside. ' Ah ! Morgan Jones, is that you ? We are quite full.' ' Then take care of this packet; as for myself never mind, but take care of the packet.' The packet was carefully handed aboard, the eyes of Morgan Jones saw the patriarch receive it into his own hands, when the huge ark gave a terrific lurch, and hitting poor Morgan, he sank under the counter, was thumped by the keel, and was seen no more : but the packet was received, and proved to be his pedigree from Adam." Taffz. CURRENT NOTES. The Pall Mall Gazette falls foul of Dr Charles Mackay for his letters in the Athenceum on Celtic words in Shak- speare. "Of the philological blindness induced by Celtic studies," says the Pall Mall, " Dr Mackay is a brilliant example," and "it would be useless to follow Dr Mackay through all his blundeis." Several writers in the Athenceum have also adversely criticised Dr. Mackay's letters.—(See " Current Notes," Oct. 13.) At Narberth Road Eisteddfod, held on Friday, October 15th, the Rev. J. K. Thomas, Independent Minister, Taly- bont, in delivering his adjudication on the " Essays on the Maenclochog New Railway " stated that in the Welsh essay (there were but two competitors, one Welsh and one English) it was stated that there was still a tradition amongst the oldest people in the neighbourhood of Maen¬ clochog. that when the devil offered all the nations of the earth to the Saviour, if He would prostate himself, the devil expressly reserved to himself Little Newcastle and Maen¬ clochog. (Much laughter.) Afterwards he threw in Little Newcastle, but had retained Maenclochog to this day. (Renewed laughter.) The conductor (the Rev. D. S. Davies, Baptist Minister, Login), said he was happy to announce that there was no doubt that Login had been thrown in. November 3, 1875. NOTES. "MINSHULL THE PRINTER."—This Oswestry I eccentric of forty years ago has been more than once quoted in Bye-gones. He kept the King's Arms beer-house in Salop-road, and had, for some time, a small printing office of his own, from which he used to pour forth lampoons by the dozen. Whatever may have been his failings, he was a thorough liberal when to express liberal opinions was not j unattended with danger. And this must be said of him, | that " party feeling " did not prevent his hitting all round where he saw, as he thought, things going wrong. I enclose you his " Prison Thoughts," in the hope that some older | Oswestrian than myself will explain some of the local allu¬ sions. F.G. MINSHULL'S PRISON THOUGHTS. (Tune—Irish Washerwoman), Thinks I, now I am in my cell For public crying with my Bell, My prison thoughts, like Dodd, I'll write, (The thoughts I thought about last night), Thinks I, it's something very odd That Jacob should put me in Quod ; For it was Joby Lea's will, To cry the preaching near his mill. Thinks I, I must a Bellman seek But Gittins had not cried a week, Thinks I, how shall I now go on ? Some said " Go up to-----------------;" Thinks I, I'll not, he's not yet Mayor. So to his worship did repair ; He was from home : alack ! thinks I, I must, I think, the sermons cry, I think there was no harm in this, But Jacob thought Job's work amiss. Thinks I bis anger did not burn Against the miller of The Wern, Who cried his d« g both well and loud Hooted and followed by the crowd; Thinks I, I'm under the same law Tho' Jacob laid on me his paw. Thinks I, all this is for the Debt Reform will place such work at rest. Thinks I, whenever I'm the Mayor, All parties shall true justice share ; Thinks I, there shall creep in no rigs To serve the Tories or the Whigs. I think, conuption, if we wait, Will soon be driven from the state; Its end I think is drawing near Which makes, I think its friends so queer Thinks I, before this dogg'rel ends I'll warmly thank my numerous friends Who, when they came to me in gaol, Brought good support in wine and ale; Yea such a lot, thinks I, the store Would last me here a month or more. Thinks I the company shall it share Who to the prison do repair. Oh ! what a mercy you will think That I'm allowed a pen and ink, To write my thoughts within the gaol. But I'm afraid my thoughts will fail, I think you'd s^y my thoughts are trash, And only thought for filthy cash; Now you'll think light, tho' some do wrong, And so I think I'll end my song. Cell, Oswestry Gaol, Aug. 3rd, 1835. Printed for R. Minsbull, by W. Pryce, Beatrice-street; and sold at the King's Arms, Salop-road, Oswestry. Price One Penny. [There are several of Minshull's doggrel verses that could no doubt be published without giving offence, but certainly not all of them. We shrtll be glad it such of our readers as may possess copies of auy will grmt us the loan of them. We have "The Second Lesson," in which some of the leading Liberals and Dis¬ senters figure, and sh uid be glad if any reader can supply us with " The Twelve Tribes." Th^se were two of the best things Minshull wrote.—Ed.] THE WILLIAMSES OF PENTIR.—A correspon¬ dent has quoted (Feb. 10, 1875) from a pamphlet giving the history of the Race of Tudor. In the same little book may be found an account of the three sons of Hugh Williams, of Pentir, whose deaths are recorded on a marble tablet in Pentir Church, as follows :—Hugh Williams, the eldest son, died April 1, 1788, aged 48 ; the Rev. Henry Williams, died March 8 1803, aged 57 ; John Williams, died June 8, 1804, aged 52. " These three," says Mr Greene, •« Hugh the squire, Henry the parson, and John the doctor, are spoken of to this day for their good humour and kindness by the people at Pentir. They lived together as bachelors, and kept a capital pack of hounds. Hugh was twice High Sheriff for the county, as his predecessors seem to have constantly Blled this office. He died such an enor¬ mous size that part of the church door had to be enlarged to admit his coffin. He kept a jester, decked out with cap and bells, who once locked the squire fer a whole day in the tower over the hall, that he might know how sweet is the sauce of hunger. They seem to have enriched all their 80