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ON THE DANGER THAT ATTENDS PLAYING WITH GUNS A description of the appalling accident which happened at Tyglyn, Aberaeron, Cardiganshire, in October 1825. THIS epic verse, whose human quality more than makes up for any unexpected scansion, was found among the Tyglyn-Aeron family papers.1 It is written in a clean flowing hand on plain sheets of paper sewn together inside the leaf of an old account book which has been used as a cover. Although the black ink has faded to sepia, the maternal feelings which prompted it (for it must surely have been written by Edward's mother) are almost as vivid now as they must have been on that distant autumn afternoon which so nearly ended in tragedy. The charming naivety of some of the verse only heightens the anguish and underlines the simple faith which, in combination with the help of her practical sister-in-law, upheld Mrs. Atwood8 in this dreadful crisis. At the end of the poem is the note The event so faithfully recorded here, took place at Tyglyn in Cardiganshire on 3rd October, 1825. The ages of the young parties, were as under Alban and Edward Atwood (the hero or victim of the drama) were grandsons of the Reverend Alban Thomas Jones Gwynne and were then staying with his widow, their step-grandmother, at Tyglyn. Their ten Gwynne cousins lived at Monachty, the neighbouring property which, together with a handsome fortune, the Reverend Mr. Gwynne and his wife had so romantically inherited (it was with this inheritance that they had founded the new town of Aberaeron). With their parents and grandmother safely out visiting, it is easy to imagine the feelings of the seven boys free to roam the grounds of this most pleasant Cardiganshire mansion house the whole afternoon before 1National Library of Wales MS. 4706. This manuscript is reproduced by kind permission of the Librarian. 'Margaret, d. of Alban Thomas and his first wife, Martha Maria (nle Acton), m. John Atwood of Pen y Garreg, 1786-1829. John Jones 15 years George 14 years Alban .12 years Edward 10 years Edward Gwynne 9 years William 7 years J. Griniths 5 years