for the present with the following passage, shortly following upon the above :

"These cases of approximation are significant, though few; but all the glosses accessible are not many. The only inference he can draw from them is, that when the Saxon invasion divided the Britons of Wales from those of the South and West, the language of the former suffered changes which did not affect that of South Britain in an equal proportion; that the Welsh became a separate dialect, while in Brittany and Cornwall a language remained in use more nearly representing that from which the ancients drew the Gallic words which they occasionally inserted in their writings. The writer would be much gratified if what he has hinted here should induce a competent Celtic scholar to examine the glosses we have, and to search for others that are probably in existence, though unknown.

"At the epoch when the Ordinalia and Mount Calvary were written, the writer believes that Cornish was as free from admixture of English, as the Welsh is at the present day. A patriotic Welshman, or a foreigner who reads a Welsh book, may demur to this statement, when he sees the number of English words in the pages of the Ordinalia; but on a closer investigation, he will find that most of these English words appear in whole phrases, that they are generally quotations or asseverations used ornamentally by the speaker, much in the same way that French was dragged in, right or wrong, by the fashionable characters in some of our old plays. He will also find that such quotations do not appear in the Poem of Mount Calvary, which was probably of the same age. It must also be remembered, that a Welshman has always before him a pure and ancient literature for his guidance and imitation, enabling him to select a Celtic word for his ideas in writing, when in speaking he might have used an English synonym; that a Cornish writer had no such model, but that he probably wrote for the vulgar only, and would prefer an English word if he thought it would be better understood; perhaps he might wish to display his superior knowledge. Public notices printed at the present day in Wales for the information of the people, such as may now and then be seen in the larger Welsh towns, will be found to have as many English words incorporated as we meet with in the early Cornish Poem."

(To be continued.)

SOME ACCOUNT OF LLANDAFF CATHEDRAL, &c.
OF LLANDAff. (Second Edition.) 1 vol.
Rivingtons. 1860.

By the BISHOP 4to. London:

This handsome volume is worthy not only of the author, but also of the venerable building to which it refers; it is just the book that we required to finish the story of Llandaff Cathedral, and to do justice to that happy movement which at the eleventh hour prompted so many persons to come forward and join in the good work. We had previously known most of the material points of the history of this cathedral, of its spoliation, of its neglect, of its quasi-desecration, of its restoration; but the present bishop has collected all the historical facts into one convenient conspectus, and has illustrated them thoroughly well, so that, now, members of our Association are fully in possession of all that is really wanted to be known about the building.

We do not purpose to review this book with the object of making known its contents we are most of us acquainted with them already;

ARCH. CAMB., THIRD SERIES, VOL. VI.

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but we cannot debar ourselves from the pleasure of making a few observations upon it. And, in the first place, the account is written lucidly and systematically, plainly and scholar-like; there is no verbiage in it; it is simple and satisfactory. In the next, the illustrations are excellent; one of them in particular, a view of the ruined nave by moonlight, executed by Miss Ollivant, is most effective. Another, the outline sketch of the Cathedral of Llandaff in 1734-considered as the ne plus ultra of ecclesiastical architecture-is uncommonly curious; it is an exact measure of the taste and feeling of that day. Let us congratulate ourselves that we live a century later! And yet it has always struck us as a peculiar anomaly that Wood, who really was one of the first architects that England has produced, should have so completely failed, even in this cheap design, which the parsimony of a capitular body imposed upon him. His works at Bath are among the very finest national monuments that England possesses of the modern Italian style-the Circus is unequalled by anything in this country-the north side of Queen Square has no rival in Londonthe Exchange at Bristol, the internal court we mean, is of extreme beauty; we confess that the Pump Room at Bath is not perfection; so, certainly, Llandaff Cathedral, à la Wood, was the very bathos of the architect's taste; it is a positive anomaly. We never could make out how a man of such talent designed such an abominable abortion! It is gone however! we cannot say peace be to its memory!" it is deserving of our heartiest execrations!

66

And so also is that horribly sordid, and we had almost said dishonest, spirit that pervaded the official guardians of the cathedral, even from before the great spoliation down to our own times. It is worthy of all abhorrence-a bad specimen of a bad spirit-not the only one in this country! Just as much as we anathematize this, so would we canonize the memories of those who have been the renovators of this sacred pile. From Dean Bruce Knight to Dean Williams--from Bishop Copleston to Bishop Ollivant--all are worthy of gratitude and respect for the noble spirit they have manifested. Nor are the laity less deserving of praise; they have come forward right generously, and they will not cease to stand to the work till it is finished.

Here, however, another subject of wonder strikes us. Is there no family, no individual, in Wales, in England, that would consider it an honour and a privilege to be allowed to rebuild a cathedral singlehanded? Is there no man of some £40,000 a year who would deem it honourable for his name, and for his children after him, to have it said that he had rebuilt Llandaff-by himself-alone? Is the admiration of contemporaries, is the gratitude of posterity, so cheap, that the disbursement of one year's income, spread over ten years, would not be a good political, as well as moral investment? Title for title, surely the fame of the rebuilder of a cathedral would be as good as that of being M.P.-much more valuable than that of a peerage given as a reward for long party services, or as a bribe for consenting to abstain from party pillage!

There are two other Welsh cathedrals which require rebuilding from the very foundations, not in poor neighbourhoods; and the fourth, which really is in a poverty-stricken county, calls urgently for extensive repairs. Are there not three Welshmen of sufficient means and generosity to come forward and arrogate to themselves the honour of restoring from their own unaided resources these houses of God? We observe the bishop devotes the proceeds of the sale of this second edition of his book (it costs only fourteen shillings) to the purchase of an organ, and the establishment of a choir at Llandaff; and we earnestly trust that the members of our Association will aid his lordship in so generous and praiseworthy a design.

THE CHARITY OF THOMAS HOWELL, A.D. 1540. By THOMAS FALCONER, Esq., Judge of County Courts. London: Reynell. 1860.

It was

This is a very curious and interesting publication, we mean to the antiquary as well as to the educationist, and the jurist. It is only in so far as it concerns local history that we can notice it in these pages; the main body of its contents, referring to the nature and the administration of a charitable bequest, would be interesting to the lawyer, not to the archæologist. Still even the latter cannot avoid feeling alive to the subject, inasmuch as it affords another instance of a bequest made for certain good and charitable purposes coming ultimately to be devoted to others of rather a different nature. impossible for any antiquary, and especially a legal or historical antiquary, not to feel much excitement during the late proceedings of the Royal Commissioners for the remodelling of Oxford and Cambridge. Time-hallowed and legally confirmed institutions were then handled with all the ready roughness of modern popular legislation; and in this present instance, as in many others, the Court of Chancery, like a Star Chamber revived-and the Legislature itself in the form of a special Act of Parliament-have interposed their authority between a wealthy London company and certain persons of the "little unknown" in Monmouthshire and Wales; rescuing a fine estate from one party, and applying it in a manner that the latter, if they have any bonâ fide right under the beneficent testator's will, may reasonably demur to.

In this pamphlet, written by a learned member of our Association, there is much to interest not only the special but also the general archæological reader. One of the chief things to be noticed is the testator's will, which is decidedly worthy of being put on record once more, even in our own pages. It is as follows:

"Thomas Howell, by his will dated in 1540, and made by him during his residence at Seville, bequeathed as follows:

"Item, I comaunde myne executours that I leve in Syvell, that incontynent, after my deathe, they doo send to the citie of London 12,000 duckats of gold, by billes of cambio, for to delyver to the House called Draper's Hall -to delyver theyme to the Wardeynes thereof; and the said Wardeynes, so sone as they have receyved the same 12,000 duckats to buy therewith 400

duckats of rent yearly for evermore-in possession for evermore. And it is my will, that the said 400 duckats be disposed unto four maydens, being orphanes,-next of my kynne and of bludde-to theire marriage-if they can be founde-every one of them to have 100 duckats and if they cannot be founde of my lynnage, then to be geven to other foure maydens, though they be not of my lynnage, so that they be orphanes, honnest, of goode fame and every of them 100 duckats and so, every yere, for to marry four maydens for ever. And if the said 12,000 duckats will bye more lande then the said 12,000 duckats to be spente to the marriage of maydens, being orphanes, increasing the foure maydens aforesaide as shall seme by the discretion aforesaide of the Master and Wardeynes of the saide House of Draper's Hall; and that this memoria to remain in writing in the Booke of Memoryes in the said House in suche mannere as it shall at no time be undone for ever.""

If ever a will was pithy and plain, and impervious to legal cavil, it was this. But then comes the history of how the money never was paid in full; of how the Company of Drapers forgot the change in the value of money, and adhered to the letter, but omitted the spirit; and how, had it not been, we believe, for the spirited exertions of another member of our Association-a good legal antiquary by the way-this same snug charity might have slumbered on for ever till it crumbled away in the mouldering dust of future ages. We are then informed how the Court of Chancery was moved-not quickly; and how the Legislature interfered; and how at length the charity has been applied to found two large girls' schools in North and South Wales; and how we do not hear of its being used "for to marry four maydens for ever."

We are bound here to find a flaw, and to object that the lineage of Thomas Howell may not be able to produce four marriageable maidens at any given time; on the other hand, if the young girls are not produceable on the spur of the moment, we commend the provident charity of the founder, who doubtless intended that the funds should annually accumulate, for future contingencies. We do not feel inclined to go into the question of the right or wrong distribution of the charity funds under the present settlement, for this would transport us from archæological to hodiernal matters-not at all within our province. We cannot, however, avoid bearing testimony to the great legal acumen which this pamphlet shows; and we would in particular point out to our readers' notice the eloquent rebuke given by the author to the late Lord Langdale, by putting into his mouth what he ought to have said to the Draper's Company instead of what he did say. It is drawn in admirable language, and is a grand passage of forensic eloquence, as well as of constitutional law.

This pamphlet ought to be added to all collections of Welsh history; it is very able, and is likely to be much talked of. We wish its learned author would investigate the history of other Welsh charities of former days.

Archæologia Cambrensis.

THIRD SERIES, No. XXIII.-JULY, 1860.

ON SOME OLD FAMILIES IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF LAMPETER, CARDIGANSHIRE.

(Read at Cardigan.)

THE materials of this account have not been obtained without some research and labour, and I trust that it will be interesting to those connected by blood with the families of the county of Cardigan, if not to the archæological inquirer. I wish, before going any farther, to acknowledge my obligations, for valuable assistance in compiling the paper, to the Rev. H. R. Lloyd, Vicar of Owersby, Lincolnshire, and to Mr. Gwynne Stedman Thomas, of the town of Caermarthen. I am also indirectly indebted to Mr. Walter Lloyd, of Caermarthen, for some particulars in the later history of Peterwell.

It was one of Voltaire's sneers, that heraldic knowledge is "the science of fools with long memories;" and a Welshman's fondness for pedigree has always been the subject of ridicule; yet no one will deny that genealogical memoranda are valuable aids to history. But the Welshman's predilection arose from the state of the law with regard to property. The Welshman's pedigree was his title-deed, by which he claimed his birthright in the country. Every one was obliged to show his descent through nine generations in order to be acknowledged a free native, and by which right he claimed his portion of land in the community. He was affected, with respect to legal process, in his collateral affinities through nine degrees. For instance, every murder committed had a fine levied on the relations of the murderer, divided into nine parts; his brother paying the greatest, and the ninth in 1 "Nid wyf fi yn perthyn iddo o fewn i'r nawfed ach," is a common saying in these parts.

ARCH. CAMB., THIRD SERIES, VOL. VI.

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