On the recommendation of "Hwfa Mon" (the Archdruid),
"Eifionydd" (the registrar), "Cadvan," "Pedrog," "Gwynedd,"
and "Dyfed," of the Gorsedd Committee, who stated that the
subject chosen for the arwrgerdd (heroic poem), for which a
prize of £20 and a silver crown is offered, was unsuitable for
an arwrgerdd, the subject was changed, "Llewelyn Fawr" being
substituted for "St. Tudno."--Instead of the galar-gan, the
subject of which was "Clwydfardd," for which £15 was the
prize, it was decided to offer a prize of £15 and a gold medal
for the best awdl on "Clwydfardd," the Gorsedd stating that an
awdl would be much more appropriate, as the late Archdruid was
a great admirer of the twenty-four metres. Instead of the hir
a thoddaid "Cestyll Cymru" (Castles of Wales) it was decided
to offer a prize of £2 2_s._ for the best hir a thoddaid
"Beddargraph 'Elis Wyn o Wyrfai,'" and also £2 2_s._ for the
best hir a thoddaid "Beddargraph 'Tudno.'"
* * * * *
The Bishop of HEREFORD has requested the parishes in his diocese to
send up petitions respecting the Armenian atrocities. One of these
parishes is Walford-on-Wye, and I propose to confer immortality upon
the reply sent by its Vicar to the Bishop.
"I regret" (says this truly Christian cleric) "having been
unable to respond in the way you desired to your appeal
respecting the persecution of Christians in Armenia. My not
doing so was owing to the circumstance that at the present
time a remonstrance from our nation can have no moral
weight whatever. We have now in office a Government which is
exercising all its ingenuity in plans for the persecution and
plunder of Christians here, and so long as we tolerate the
continuance of such a Government in office the Turk would
be justified in telling us to reform this scandal before we
presume to remonstrate with him."
* * * * *
In other words, the Vicar of Walford-on-Wye disapproves of the Welsh
Church Disestablishment Bill, and refuses on that account to join in
a protest against the torture and murder of his Armenian
fellow-creatures. The logic of the Vicar is as convincing as his
Christian sympathy is admirable. Let him be known henceforth as the
Vicar of Reason Wye.
* * * * *
What on earth is a "Rational Sick and Burial Association?" They
possess one at Acton Turville; and, only the other day, it held great
junketings. I may possibly have been rationally sick, but I have
certainly never yet been rationally, or even irrationally, buried,
nor, I take it, have the very vigorous members of the Association.
However, they had a procession, which started from the club-room,
headed by the Malmesbury band, and then walked to Badminton,
calling at the Duke of BEAUFORT'S, where they were all treated with
refreshments. Imagine his sporting Grace's feelings at being called
upon to treat with refreshments a procession of the rationally sick
and buried. They then dined. The _menu_ is not given, but no doubt
included bread made from mummy-wheat, Dead-sea fruit, and copious
libations of bier (spelling again!).
* * * * *
Close to Bristol, too, there is a place rejoicing in the name of
Fishponds, where, at the Full Moon Hotel, the Loyal Pride of Fishponds
Lodge of the Bristol Equalised District of the Order of Druids meets
for its various celebrations. The members sometimes "perambulate the
village, headed by the band of the Mangotsfield detachment of the
Bristol Rifles."
* * * * *
Now strike the clashing cymbals, and sound the big bassoon,
The Loyal Pride of Fishponds Lodge has left the old "Full Moon,"
Yet, though their band be warlike, they mean nor war nor pillage,
'Tis charity that bids them thus perambulate the village.
No member of the Order would dare to come too late
When Fishponds calls her Druids out to celebrate a _fête_.
Then, while with martial music, the left foot on the beat,
The Lodge awakes the echoes loud in every village street,
The villagers of Fishponds forsake their early bed,
And each one at his window displays a nightcapped head,
Salutes the hoary Druids, nor fails to greet with cheers,
The Mangotsfield detachment of Bristol Volunteers.
* * * * *
A Correspondent writes to the _Scotsman_, protesting against the
omission of the grey plover from the list of birds to be protected
under the Wild Birds Protection Act. "That the eggs," he adds, "are
gathered by keepers and others for sale, should certainly be no
argument; and any keeper might well be ashamed to watch a poor
harmless bird all day through binoculars for the purpose of making a
few shillings by the sale of its eggs." We live and learn. I have been
eating plover's eggs for years without the least suspicion that
the poor harmless mother-bird had been shamefully watched through
binoculars by a keeper in search of shillings. All the same. I
heartily indorse the suggestion that the plover should be protected.
* * * * *
SIR DONALD CURRIE must have the eye of an eagle. Speaking at a
luncheon held in Newcastle the other day in connection with the
Trinity Presbyterian Church, he declared that "nothing had ever
charmed him more than to observe at the luncheon that day the
marvellous ability, but much more the marvellous unanimity and
Christian fellowship manifested by the Nonconformist bodies." I doff
my cap to the man who can infer not only marvellous unanimity and
Christian fellowship, but also marvellous ability from his observation
of bodies at luncheon. After this it must be the merest child's-play
to navigate the _Tantallon Castle_ to the Baltic Canal.
* * * * *
At a recent meeting of the Blackrock Town Commissioners, so I gather
from the _Freeman's Journal_, Dr. KOUGH, the Vice-Chairman, objected
to the adoption of a petition in favour of the Intoxicating Liquors
(Ireland) Bill. He said the petition had been carried by a side-wind.
Obviously, in the Doctor's opinion, the only thing to be done was to
Kough-drop it.
* * * * *