Welsh Journals

Welsh was confined to the fairly narrow range of the chapel, hearth and a few societies. Indeed, the book would have been greatly enriched by a chapter examining more recent events, such as the contribution of Welsh schools to the promotion of the language and the stalwart endeavours of individuals such as Jacob Davies and D. Ben Rees to maintain the Welsh language tradition during the 1950s and 1960s. Nevertheless, this book stands as a worthy tribute to the rich, active Welsh-language culture of Aberdare and the surrounding neighbourhoods and many of the chapters contained in the volume shed valuable light on social and cultural developments in the south Wales coalfield during the twentieth century. ROBERT SMITH Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies, Aberystwyth GLADSTONE. Edited by Peter J. Jagger. The Hambledon Press, London and Rio Grande, 1998. Pp. 302. £ 25.00. Most of the contributions which make up this volume originated as Founder's Day Lectures at St Deiniol's Library, Hawarden-an estimable institution whose foundation and subsequent history is described by the editor in a special essay. It is fitting that such a collection should appear in the library's centenary year. Jagger surely errs, however, in suggesting that Harold Wilson, prodigy though he was, studied there in 1916 (the year of the later Prime Minister's birth!). It might be the case, as with some prime ministers, that lecturers, summoned to give their annual oration, would find their great man's attributes and interests exhausted by the efforts of their predecessors. Happily, such was Gladstone's longevity, bibliophily and political dynamism that there is still a great deal about him which can be interestingly explored. The standard formula is 'Gladstone and but then the distinguished contributors go their own way, both in style and substance. Some examine Gladstone's relationships with other eminent Victorians: Disraeli (Blake), Grote (Bebbington) and Ruskin (Wheeler). Blake's essay notes that it is very rare for any two political opponents to polarise the political sentiments of the day to the extent that Gladstone and Disraeli did, and he explains why. He concludes that Gladstone was a man of his time but Disraeli was timeless. Ruskin, for his part, wrote to Glasgow students that he cared no more either for Mr D'Israeli or for Mr Gladstone than for two old bagpipes with the drones going by steam, but Wheeler cleverly shows that there was