Welsh Journals

Bu Grwmwel a'i fradwyr, fel Herod a'i filwyr, Trwy Frydain gwnaent frwydyr, a llwybyr eu Haw; Xid oeddynt hwy addas reolwyr y deyrnas, Ond atgas bla andras i blyndraw Hwy dyngent anudon yn erbyn y goron, Hwy yspeiliant fel lladron, arwyddion di-ras; Cneifio'r gwyr cryfa', a ginio y rhai gwana'- A wnaeth y mylisia maleisus. Bonedd !­-Cyffredin — gweddiwch ar deulin 'Hir einioes fo i'n brenin' pen brigyn ein hro; I lwyddo ar ei goron fel clauar wlith Hermon, Bendithion Duw'r ffraethlon a ffrwytho." And lastly these beautiful and well known englynion said to have been composed in his last illness Myn'd i'r ail adail ar redeg-yr wyf, Lie ceir oes ychwaneg, I baradyws bur wiwdeg Yn enw Duw­-yn uniondeg." All honour to Cadvan for the humble little memorial in stone which he set up fifteen years ago out of the pence and shllings laboriously got together by him, in the little enclosure in front of the homestead. Who in middle age would go otter hunting would do well to provide himself before hand with a sound reliable hedge crusher of fifteen stone or so, for things are so nice and pleasant afterwards and there is no barbed wire to expos- tulate upon one's nether end. As has been said already, man is an adaptable creature, and if he cannot conveniently get over a high hedge and doesn't like barbed wire, a wise one tries for a way round and generally finds it. And there you have it-a hedge crusher. Acting on this sound principle, Uwchaled had no difficultv what- ever with the hedges or with the barbed wire either, for Mathafarn was always at hand to act the part of a kind and sincere friend; and well he did his job especially in his interesting argu- ments with the barbed wire for all the world like testy and learned counsel "at it" in a stuffy court in late July over a difficult case that might go either way and "M'Lud" as bemused and as testy as the learned counsel themselves and all three of them hungry for the Long Vacation greatly overdue. So always take with you a reliable hedge crusher one, that is to say, who whilst careful about the least possible damage to other people's property as well. Provided thus, otter hunting is good sport and good fun, and a man is free to feast his eyes on the beauties of the scene on river and bank and the hills around, to see hounds at work and to catch the echoes of their music as off they go at speed on a fresh drag and leave him behind to follow deep in their wake. So began and ended a good day with the B.O.H. with two kills to their credit after five hours of most enjoyable sport. Sunday a dies non, which, though leaving be- hind it very pleasant recollections for the two holiday makers, records nothing of interest to the general reader. A fine morning for walking opened on Monday with sky slightly overcast and a breeze fanning. Later on the sun came out, but the breeze kept the air cool, and there were no signs of our old friend the symphony. Glyndyfrdwy in the vale of that name over the steep hill once again, past the church but to the left of the Llangollen road, was the idea, but after getting to the top and striking the turn at the farm of Bryn y Groes, in stead of continuing right on, a very tempting turn again to the right soon afterwards suggested the shorter route to Llantysilio out by the chain bridge at Berwyn, even at the sacrifice of two or three miles of the mountain walk. Besides, the lure of some surprisingly good pastures and tillage land on the Berwyn road to investigate and to speculate upon their surprising "heart" and cultivation at a height of two thousand feet was too good to be missed; so Glyndyfrdwy had to go. But the explanation was simple enough, for the Plas yn Vivod estate had to be struck again. And it was hereabouts that they alighted upon the tenant at work ploughing, who couldn't say enough for his landlord and who loved the land and his farm. "And when I feel like a holiday I just put in a few more hours at it and enjoy myself!" Happy, contented soul. And what say ye, ye discontented ones? But so does Adam's glorious old craft fashion and mould all whom Mother Earth claims for her own, and happy indeed are they who follow the call and find their pastime as well as their work therein. No wonder then that our friend of the plough had a landlord after his own heart, for like brings like together or should do. May they both reap of its increase and the horn of plenty sound in their years. Whilst Mathafarn was talking turnips and catch crops, Uwchaled went along and had an interesting chat with an honest old specimen of Sus Cambrensis, who in garrulous content was poking around in a field further on. After a scratch or two on the back to make things friendly and pleasant, Uwchaled congratulated Sus on his fine family history and good looks. Whereupon followed this interesting dialogue. "Ah it's a pity other people don't think so as well. Good enough for the old folks years ago, but not so to-day with their Middle Whites and their large Blacks, and their Gloucester Old Spots-Gloucester Old Mongrels! and their crosses and double crosses. Nothing's good enough for a Welshman that comes out of his own country-cofiwch hyn, gyfaill.. That fellow down somewhere in England-a Welsh man, too-ought to be shot with his Middle White nonsense-fit only for pork Talk about bacon Who ever got a decent side from a Middle White? Why doesn't the man do his own country a good turn and have some of us