It is a high honour, because it is the greatest that the Lord Mayor
and Corporation have the power of conferring upon anybody. My only
drawback is the fear that I cannot be worthy of the others whose names
are on the roll of Cardiff's freemen. You know that comparisons are
odious, and when you read the names on that list and compare mine with
them, I hope you will look with leniency upon me. The Lord Mayor
promised me just now that he would not be very long in his address and
in his references to me on this occasion. At one moment I felt very
much inclined to remind him of his promise, as the great King Henry IV
did with a Lord Mayor who went on his knees to deliver the keys of the
city. Without delivering them he rose from his knees and said, "I have
twelve reasons for not yielding up the keys of the city. The first is
that there are no keys." The King said, "That is quite enough; we
don't want any more reasons." I felt inclined to stop the Lord Mayor
and say, "You have said quite enough about me; I will take the
remainder for granted."
[Illustration: "_I see no reason why I should not be civil to the
Members of the Corporation unless they are uncivil to me. I should
probably do then what other people would do._"]
I see no reason why I should not be civil to the members of the
Corporation unless they are uncivil to me. I should probably then do
what other people would do. The Lord Mayor has said that Glamorgan
could not claim me as a Glamorgan man. Well, I was born in Glamorgan,
at Ruperra Castle, on this side of the Rumney. I know that if a man is
born in a stable it doesn't make him a horse, but I always understood
that the place of your birth had a certain claim upon you.
It is not very long ago that I was discussing with somebody what I was
going to do in the future, and I quoted the line from Shakespeare: "My
grief lies onward, but my joy is behind." I think now that I spoke a
little too soon, this day being one of great joy to me, as you can
easily understand.
_Presentation of the Freedom of Cardiff to Viscount Tredegar,
October 25th, 1909._