Welsh Journals

Some Glimpses of Cardiganshire 1 By E. D. JONES When I was asked a short time ago to address you to-day, it was suggested that I might say something about Cardiganshire and its manuscripts. Though the tether which our worthy Secretary gave me was ample enough, he placed an ever-increasing restriction on the length of my stay in the field this afternoon. I soon realised that I would have to content myself with a very small corner in which to browse. Then, setting this figure of speech aside, I ventured to assume that so near the end of a hectic run of Eisteddfod meetings you would neither expect nor welcome a heavy discourse. It occurred to me that most of you would be merely sojourners and pilgrims in this sweet shire of Cardigan," and I remembered with what kindness Ceredigion welcomed the pilgrim even at the very dawn of its literary history. You will recall how Ieuan the son of Sulien, in true Taliesin style though in another tongue, extolled his patria hostibus exossa, peregrinis atque benigna hospitio cunctos excellens iure britannos. As you have come here as pilgrims and not as enemies another Cardi to-day invites you to spend a little time in the company of pilgrims and wayfarers, bards and travellers, who in different periods and from diverse motives tramped the roads of Cardiganshire. We could scarcely begin in a better place than this ancient town of Aberteifi, which the old chronicler at Strata Florida with pardonable warmth dubbed the key of Wales when he came to record how that quisling Maelgwn, son of the great Lord Rhys, in 1199, sold the town and district to King John out of malice towards his brother Griffith. Historically, this is one of the most important gates into Ceredigion, though for the last century the passing railway age detached it from its hinterland. You will remember that it was here The gist of this paper was read in the British tongue at the Annual Meeting at Cardigan during National Eisteddfod Week, 1942.