Welsh Journals

Dec, 1877. BYE-GONE S. 333 The increased attendance at the meeting indicates a growing nterest in the Society among the Welsh inhabitants of the me¬ tropolis ; and this interest is shared by the inhabitants of some of the largest towns in Wales. The Council have, at the present time, under their consideration applications to establish branches in the Principality. During the year there were issued to the members the First and Second Parts of Y Cymmrodor,—the Record of the Soeiety's Transactions ; and two portions of a reprint of William Sales- bury's Welsh-English Dictionary. In the parts issued appeared an Elegy on the Death of Goronwy Owen, by the author of 'The Epic of Hades;' also papers by the late Professor Peter (Loan Pedr), on the Welsh Particles ; by Professor Rudler, on Museums for Wales ; by M \ Brinley Richards, on the Harp ; by Professor Rhys, of Oxford, on the late Professor Peter ; a Welsh Poem by the Rev. R. Williams {Hwfa Mon), with an English Translation ; an Essay on William Salesbury by the Editor; together with several minor papers. Y Cymmrodor contains an interesting history of the two pre¬ vious Societies of the Cymmrodorion as a preface to its future transactions. A Supplement completing the annual issue of the Transactions of the Society is fast going through the press, and will shortly be delivered to the members. It will contain the closing page's of the History of the Cymmrodorion to the end of the present year, a list of members, with the financial statement for the year. The Council acknowledge with no little gratification, that the study of Celtic liter ture— the promotion of which has been one of the principal objects of the Cymmrodorion Society—has now been recognized in all its importance at some of the chief seats of learning. A Celtic Chair has been established at the Univer¬ sity of Oxford, to which Mr. John Rhys, one of the members of the Cymmrodorion Society, has been appointed. And a similar chair is about to be founded, through the instrumentality of Professor Blackie, at the University of Edinburgh. The following resolution has been adopted, and the Council are taking steps to carry it out as soon as possible :— ' That with the view of encouraging the study of the Welsh language in educational institutions in Wales (such institutions to be hereafter decided upon by the Council), a medal, or medals, be given annually by the Society to the candidate or candidates, who shall stand highest on the list of competitors examined for the purpose.' The Council are informed that the great work to which the Rev. Silvan Evans, B.D., Rector of Llanwrin, has devoted many years of his life—a compendious Welsh-English Dictionary—i.. now ready for the press : and they trust that means may be found speedily to place the work before the public. They notice also the valuable addition to Welsh Literature of Professor Rhys's work, on Welsh Philology, comprising the inter¬ esting paper ' On the Position of the Celts in the Japhetic Family of Nations,' which was read by the author at one of the early meetings of the Cymmrodorion. The Council desire to express their sympathy with the move¬ ment set on foot by Mr. John Thomas (Pencerdd Gwalia), loi establishing a permanent Scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music, for natives of Wales. They have to deplore the great loss the Society has sustained during the year, by death, of their valued contributor, Professor Peter, of Bala, and also of one of their most talented members, Mr. Richard Da vies {Mynyddog). The Council desire to place on record their grateful acknowledgments to the Governors of the London Institu¬ tion for the use of their Theatre, on the 12th and 30th of May- last. Eighteen meetings of the Council have been held. ■The Secretary's financial statement, which is appended to this report, has been audited by Messrs. Howel Thomas and Thomas Warner. It shows the total receipts to have been £HS 18s. 5kl., and the total expenditure, £132 14s. 3£d. Ihe following gentlemen have consented to deliver lectures auring the ensuing session of 1877-78 :—Professor Cowell, Pro¬ cessor Hughes, Professor Rhys, Mr. John Thomas, Mr. Aviet Agabeg. Papers for the forthcoming Cymmrodor have been already £rom,sed by Professor Rhys, Mrs. Walter AnnaThomas, and the Dan' Is 0wen> Diocesan Inspector of Schools. A series of tfP?rs, »y the last gentleman have been written on 'The "jrtli places and haunts of the Welsh poets,' and placed at the disposal of the Editor of Y Cymmrodor." The adoption of the report was moved by the Chairman, seconded by Mr. Hugh Owen, and supported by Mr. Bowen, Q.C. The following gentlemen were elected as new members in the council:—Messrs. David Lewis, T. Marchant Williams, John Owens, J. Jenkins, and Aviet Agabeg. Thanks to the lecturers was proposed by Mr. Morgan Lloyd, M.P., and seconded by Mr. William Griffiths. Thanks to the Rev. Robert Jones, as editor of Y Cymmrodor, by Mr. Hugh Owen and Mr. Bowen, Q.C. Thanks to the chairman of the council by Mr. J. Ignatius Williams and Mr. Ivor James. Thanks to the secretary by the chairman and Mr. Wm. St. J. H. Hancock. Other addresses were made, when the meeting terminated with congratulations on the success of the Cymmrodorion. DECEMBER 5, 1877. NOTES. ANOTHER FASTING GIRL. — I don't re¬ member whether you have recorded their histories in Bye-gones, but your readers are aware how famous Wales has been at different ages for its Fasting-girls. An old and tough specimen is recorded in the Annual Register for 1812, as follows :— Died, at Colynin, near Dolgelly, in her 89th year, Mary Thomas, who had been be 1-ridden "thirty-five years, and during the last ten years of her life took no other nourishment than a few spoonfuls of weak liquid, and that but seldom. If yon have not recorded the other Welsh specimens men¬ tioned here and there in tours and histories, it would be well to do so I think. T.yfft. AUTHORSHIP OF THE MABINOGION-In Parti of the "Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological Society," recently issued, there is an article on "'Bridg¬ north Hermitage," by Mr. Hubert Smith, in which, p. 169, a passing allusion is made to the authorship of the Mab¬ inogion, and erroneously identifying with it a well-known living personage, in these words "the Welsh Hermit of the cell of St. Gover, mentioned by the talented authoress of the Mabinogion in her excellent work entitled Good Cookrr>/." Now, the authoress of the Good Cookery is Lady Llanover, who had no hand whatever in either the com¬ position or translation of the Mabinogion, which are proved to be as old at least as the twelfth or beginning of the thirteenth century, but who their author or authors were is not known. Their translator was Lady Charlotte Guest- Schreiber, whose version of them, with the original, was issued in three elegant royal octavo volumes in 1S49, and of the English portion, a second edition has lately ap¬ peared. Allied to them is the Seint Greed translated by the learned author of the Lexicon Cornu-Britannicum, which is a work well deserving of the patronage of Mr. Hubert Smith and every archaeologist interested in mediaeval romances. Llallawg.__ PIERS GRIFFITH'S HORN AT PENRHYN CASTLE.—Last year, I think, there was a correspon¬ dence in Biic-gones relating to this horn. I was then some¬ what doubtful if my recollection was correct as to one of the letters upon it. I have again carefully examined it, and give you the result. The inscription is as follows :— " + R.G. K."; on a wreath, a stag's head; " .P.G." The "R.G." are the initials of Sir Rees Griffith, father of Piers, the " K." is the initial of Katherine Mostyn, second wife of Sir Rees. " P.G." are the initials of Piers Griffith himself, but I cannot account for the stag's head. I do not think it is the crest of the Griffiths, and I am sure it is not that of the Mostyn family. Perhaps, though a drinking horn, it may have been emblematical of the 84