Welsh Journals

so it is not strange that vaccillation is still the order (or disorder) of the day. We presume, however, that the universally known scape- goat of the press is responsible for the form dyddorol on page 38. The persistence in popular speech of words and expressions that have vanished from literature is a well-known phenomenon, and Welsh is no exception to the rule. Mr. Samuel illustrates this repeatedly by reference to dialectical peculiarities found in South Wales, but he is perhaps not aware that in parts of North Wales arnan is still the form colloquially used, instead of the literary arnom." Yr hen leidr gyno fo and similar expressions found on the borders of Merioneth and Denbighshire, if not elsewhere, would also illustrate the "ganddo of the Mabinogion to which Mr. Samuel does not seem to have referred. The interchange of f and w in briwo, brifo (p. 22), might also be paralleled from tywod, tyfod (Denbighshire), and cawod, cafod (Carnarvonshire); the latter form being also found in Psalm lxv. 10, in both the Bible and Prayer Book versions. Mr. Samuel's list of unusual words contains pedestri," which still survives in Rhyd y pedestri in Carnarvonshire. His list of words whose gender has changed is also interesting, and could, as he points out, be illustrated from present day usage. A striking example is the word temtasiwn," which in the Bible (1 Cor. x. 13) is masculine, but in modern Welsh is always feminine. A few obvious misprints occur, such as bzth and gynenid on page 10, but for a book containing so many unusual forms the number of mistakes is surprisingly small. We heartily commend this little work to all who love yr hen iaith." Reminiscences oj the Rev. D. Edwardes, M.A. Wilding & Son, Shrewsbury. Reminiscences as a rule fail to interest the reading public because of the great difficulties in the path of the writer who sets out to tell the things of interest in his life. Too often, what seems important and worthy of recapitulation to him, seems dull and uninteresting to everyone else. However, the little book of the Reverend D. Edwardes is an exception to the rule. It tells us of 75 years pilgrimage and it is intensely interesting as well as instructive. The late Headmaster of Denstone has a delightful sense of humour, which constantly peeps out, and adds to the joy of reading his reminiscences which are arranged in chronological order, The author is a Cardiganshire man, his birthplace being Nantcwnlle, and not the least interesting part of his book is the first part dealing with his youthful days in this county. His early education was beset with many difficulties, but he trampled over these with truly heroic spirit. He pays great tribute to Rowlands of Llangeitho, of whom he often wondered "if there was anything he did not know." He tells us interesting things of Llan- dovery School in its infant days.