Welsh Journals

If Mr. W. George joins our party, his services in the framing (when the time comes) of an Educational, Health, Judiciary, etc., policy will be most welcome, and not least efforts by him for the restoration of common land and public rights of way-efforts which were an early love of his. As for selecting a Capital for Wales, this should be decided not by the British Home Secretary, but through a Referendum of the people of Wales, every elector being given an opportunity of recording his vote. Shrewsbury (the ancient Pengwern) might be allowed to compete on condition that the City and Salop County agreed to be brought into Wales once more through terms embodied in the Welsh Home Rule Bill, as has indeed been suggested bv that good historian, Professor J. E. Lloyd. How glorious it would be to be able to redeem Cambria Irredenta through its own good will. Hereford and other Border Counties would perhaps follow suit to Shrewsbury. Shrewsbury Castle, which has recently been presented to the city, with its noble, recon- The Red Gold of Meirion. By Nansi Powell Price. THE GOLD of Meirion is red gold, like the hair of Angharad, daughter of Hywel, Prince of Ardudwy. When the Romans came to Wales, the Tylwyth Teg still lingered among the mountains. They, alone knew the secret hiding place of the ore which the invaders coveted. Now it happened that while the engineers pros- pected the country for gold, a battle was fought in the valley below and, among the slain lay Hywel, Prince of Ardudwy. When night came and the river mist rose thick, Angharad went along the silent meadows to search for her father. "It is Angharad," said the watching Romans, "Let us take her captive to our lonely fortress." In those days, the Commander of the Roman Army in Britain was Constantius, who afterwards became Emperor. From his wife, the Welsh Helen, he had heard tales of the gold in the hills of Ardudwy. "The gold of my country will pave the way to a Roman throne," she said. So Constantius, that he could watch the search, moved from Uriconium to the mountain outpost, Mur y Castell, in Ardudwy and the road by which they came is called 'Sarn Helen' to this day. Many well born Roman maidens came to Mur y Castell to wait on Helen, and among them was Claudia, a kinswoman of Constantius. As the sunflower seeks the sun, so the dark eyes of Claudia turned to the tall form of Julius, chief engineer to Constantius. structed Council Chamber, would make an admir- able Parliament-house. Was it not at Shrewsbury that Prince David of Wales was hanged, quartered, and beheaded ? What an opportunity for an act of poetic justice! A real Welsh University also, not an Angli- cised one) in the same city would act as an admirable bulwark to Welsh language and nationality. Speaking of a Parliament House, what fine vision the Swansea Eisteddfod Committee have shown in offering a £ 100 prize for designs for a Welsh Parliament-house with all accessories. To return, we are determined to secure, not only "home-spun" (a la Mr Lloyd George) Education, but a complete, elaborate and well- matched "home-spun" parliamentary outfit or system-administrative and legislative,-and not through dependence on the existing foreign-made (so to speak) parties, subsidised from London war-chests, but through an entirely new and "Home-spun" Political Party of our own-The Welsh National Party-Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru. Now, late one evening came the soldiers to the camp and with them they brought Angharad. "Angharad, the Maid of Ardudwy-that Welsh Firefly has been brought here, captive," said the Roman ladies to each other, "And all that men say of her beauty is true. Already Claudia fumes at the manner in which Julius gazes on the stranger." For Julius had looked in the face of Angharad and had looked away his heart. Together the lovers wandered over the wild hill country, and, watching them, Claudia's heart grew full of malice. Now Angharad was more than mortal. She knew the language of the wild wind, understood the song of the birds. To her, disguised as an owl, came Morwydd, Queen of the Tylwyth Teg. "Angharad, daughter of Hywel," she said, "I have come to warn you. All day long Claudia sits in her turret, plotting revenge. Take heed, Angharad." So the long summer days passed by and yet the gold was not found. When Julius was away, cutting steps in the rocks for the mule transport to Harlech, then Claudia saw her opportunity. "This Welsh Firefly plots against you, Con- stantius," she said, her dark eyes alight with anger, "She carries tales of our doings to the rebel Welsh. Her slow blue eyes have cast their spell on Julius and distract him from his work. Of a truth he is no nearer finding the gold than when we first journeyed to this wilderness. I pray you, bid her begone." And because he was weary of waiting for the treasure, Constantius's heart was changed