Welsh Journals

to know what he meant by this. Did he mean that, had he a degree, movement to England would have been easier, and did he mean by the term 'undergraduate' what his bishop might have described as a 'literate', that is, a person without a degree? Or was he indicating that some of his ordained contemporaries had taken clerical leave of absence in order to read for a university degree? The last is an interesting possibility, though I know of no case where this was done during that time. In a letter of February 1797 13 the hint is given that Lewis serves a group of parishes for his patron at Ystradteilo, but was unlicensed (or had a 'sham' licence), though he had served the cure longer than most licensed men, and was residing in the parish ofYstrad Meurig and keeping a school. Being unlicensed meant that he had to accept a lower stipend than the bishop would require, and had less security. It appears Lewis was wondering about presenting himself for ordination as a priest, having served five or so years as a deacon, a not unusual occurrence at that time, when examinations had to be passed befoe one was made deacon or ordained priest. It might even be that Williams of Ystrad Meurig was preparing him for this examination. The bishop's chaplain (who generally acted as an examiner) was not favourable to him, regarding Lewis as the most illiterate person in the diocese and describing him to his patron by the dubious compliment of 'fatheaded dullness', so Lewis felt some uncertainty whether to go forward or not. His flock, he continued, lived seven miles away, and he had paid two and a half guineas for a horse 'to go amongst them', rather than to go 'slipshod' on foot to do the weekly duty. This duty kept him busy every Sunday, and he was out all day on school or parish business from the time he got up until the time he returned to his evening meal. In addition to all these woes, his congregation, which in his predecessor's time had filled the church, had now dwindled away to a few dozen. Some of them believed he was bound for America. The hint is given that he was looking for another 'title' for his ordination as priest (that is, a licensed curacy), but that Davies, the vicar of Llanafan, was not willing to be pestered for a title for sometime to come, as his curate, Mr Williams, would serve it cheaper with his 'sham' title and school-keeping. Lewis's despondency comes out in his fear that he had taken a profession he should not have meddled with, rather than one which might have made better use of the one talent he possessed! Like Uzziah he had put his hand to the ark improperly. The path before him, Lewis continued 'is gloomy, dark and discouraging enough', and for a time he wondered about leaving his curacy and taking a post as a humble assistant in some low school in the London area. This desire, he realised, resembled more 'a silly