few of us have done our best, but all alike we have been daily harassed by the want of data respecting the sources of our information, and uncertainty dogs our every step. We shall be reluctant to abandon our labour of love and the work of years, but as nothing can be accomplished satisfactorily till the cataloguing is done, there is no alternative left us. It is wasted labour to reproduce single texts except in the case of really important MSS.

I may be allowed to state that I know some owners are anxious to have their MSS. fully catalogued. The advantage to the owners is so evident that it is difficult to conceive of even the most captious refusing to profit by it. For a MS. properly catalogued can never be stolen, not even to the extent of a single leaf, without certain detection. The gain would be an all round one. Owners would know the true value of their MSS., and would, in consequence, neither neglect them, nor treat comparatively worthless transcripts as if they were unique, which occasionally happens. It has been my experience that the difficulty of getting access to MSS. is in the inverse ratio of their value and importance. Given a dirty ill-smelling late copy of some trivial poetry, and it takes all the diplomacy of friends and acquaintances to get a sight of it.

Let us now turn to Sir John Hibbert's answer to questions addressed to him, a few weeks ago, on the subject of cataloguing Welsh MSS. We do not ask for a "permanent assistant commissioner," because we feel confident that the work can be done thoroughly in from three to five years, if the man appointed is competent to do the work, and is not interfered with or harassed by impractical rules and regulations. For instance, if you have to consider first of all whether a MS. is "historical" or not, you must read it carefully, especially in the case of poetry, before you can decide whether it should be catalogued or omitted. Now this takes time, and time is money in an enterprise of this sort. But if we are permitted to give the first and last two lines of every poem irrespective of its subject, we save time and expense, and make the catalogue

useful and complete. Moreover this comes strictly within the object of the Manuscripts Commission, as set forth in the Queen's warrant, signed on April 2, 1869. There is seemingly a disposition to narrow down the original scope of this commission, when dealing with Welsh MSS., to documents technically historical, as if battles and political intrigues were the sole subjects which constituted history. I hold that whatever pertains to the activities and developments of the human mind is as much history as, say, the account of the marital experiments of Henry VIII. There is often more history than poetry in the mediæval Welsh bards, and without their help no historian can revivify their time for us. We cannot therefore afford to ignore them in our proposed catalogue. But I cannot do better than read to you here certain parts of the Queen's

warrant.

"Whereas it has been represented unto us that there are belonging to many institutions and private families various collections of MSS. and papers of general public interest, a knowledge of which would be of great utility in the illustration of History, Constitutional Law, Science, and general Literature, and that in some cases these papers are liable to be lost or obliterated; and whereas we are informed that many of the possessors of such MSS. would be willing to give access to them, and permit their contents to be made public, provided that nothing of a private character, or relating to the title of existing owners, should be divulged;

"And whereas it appears to us that there would be considerable public advantage in its being generally known where such papers and MSS. are deposited, and that the contents of those which tend to the elucidation of History and the illustration of Constitutional Law, Science, and Literature, should be published;

"And for the purpose of carrying out the said inquiry, we do hereby authorize you, the commissioners named,-to call in the aid and cooperation of all possessors of MSS. and papers, &c., &c. And we do further by these presents authorize you, with the consent of the owners of such MSS., to make abstracts and catalogues of such MSS.'

We thus see that "papers of general public interest illustrating history, law, and general literature," fall within the direct scope of the Commission, so that all we want and ask for comes well within the original conception of cataloguing.

We are not asking for any special boon or advantage. We do not ask for the inclusion of theological tracts, though such have been included in the Rolls publications, professedly devoted to history in its most restricted sense. We simply want Wales to be put on a footing of equality with other parts of the kingdom. To give a concrete example of my meaning, let me refer you to page 84 of the second report of the MSS. Commission. If you examine the manner Brogyntyn MS. No. 10 has been catalogued, you will have an exact idea of what we are seeking. And while you look at that you may as well see how MSS. numbered 1 to 9 (and 12) have been catalogued, and contrast the difference, and find out, if you can, the reason for the different treatment.* Welsh MSS. are held in contempt because an Englishman is apt to feel that what he does not know is not knowledge. But this is no reason why we should tamely assent to such a treatment. Lest you should think that I am exaggerating, I must call your attention to the fact that not a single Welsh MS. has ever been facsimiled, as far as I know, at the expense of the State. How is it with regard to England? We have four volumes of national MSS., selected under the direction of the Master of the Rolls; we have three tomes of Anglo-Saxon MSS., whose proportions have more in common with a front door than with an ordinary book. Again, the national MSS. of Scotland are given lavishly in huge and numerous tomes; those of Ireland have at least two bulky volumes devoted to them, while Wales is completely ignored, and I submit, gentlemen, we should not sit dumb and acquiescent. But, as far as I am concerned, I do not feel this subject can be compared in importance with the matter of cataloguing our MSS., to which alone I implore your attention.

We lay emphasis on a special com

The explanation lies in the fact that MS. 10 happens to be written in English, while its neighbours are in Welsh, a language not understood of the Cataloguer.

missioner or assistant commissioner being appointed for two reasons. First, an official accredited by the Government would have ready access to MSS. everywhere, a thing impossible to a private student, until he can in some way secure an introduction, which often means years of patient waiting, from some persona grata to the owner. And, secondly, such an appointment would become at once generally known all over the country, and would help to bring to light many MSS. now in hiding. Besides, such an official, having the responsibility thrown upon his own shoulders, would be far more likely to do his work efficiently; and for his own credit he would leave no stone unturned till he was satisfied he had got hold of every MS. If such an official were empowered to select a certain number of MSS. to be facsimiled to illustrate Welsh writing, it would be a boon indeed. Still, as I said before, we can do without the facisimles, but not without the catalogue, which should have a full and complete index. Specialists casually employed by the Record Office could not take the initiative in anything, the work would be spasmodically done, and spread over as many years as possible; there would be no uniformity in the quality of the work or the method adopted; the reports would be scattered in numberless volumes which a private student could neither buy nor provide room for; and there would have to be a series of indexes in which Welsh subjects would be jumbled up with a hopeless mass of alien material. If, on the other hand, one man were appointed, he would do his work continuously till it was finished; all Welsh subjects would be found together in two or three octavo volumes at a price within the reach of all ; one index would unlock the whole secret on any subject in the shortest time possible, and every Welsh specialist would know where to find his materials and go on his way rejoicing.

ALL hail, thou earth-encircling sea!

How excellent thy psalm of praise,
When to thy God thy heart dost raise !-

The tempest's roar thy melody!

Thy dashing billows are thy choir,

And form thou heedest not, and woe
To him would curb thy breaker's flow
Or challenge thy swift current's ire-

When through the gale thy voice doth sound,
And bears thy anthem far away,
Where highest heaven shall hear the lay,
And all the haughty hills around.

A thunder-clap of mighty peal,

Fell o'er the margin of a cloud,The sea, to worship called aloud, And hills from base to crest to reel. Thou, in thy giant cradle,-than all

The hoary mountains weightier far, Of more extent than many a star,Did'st hear thy Father's mighty call.

Vain dreams and empty smiles retire,

And vanish in the clouds on high; Now deep and loud swells forth thy cry, And all thy waves to heaven aspire.

The storm thy simple lauds doth raise,

The stars, thy lamps do brightly shine,-Thou seekest not a gorgeous shrine, Or aid of art to speak thy praise,

And form thou heedest not.

O sea! Thy bosom swells to God above,So let my heart, redeemed by love, Obey the same divine decree.

Alone, in awful wonder, I

Here listen to thy thund'rous roar, Whose echoes reach from shore to shore, And fill the circumambient sky.

My trembling soul in silence sighs

Its artless song of duteous love,
Like yon pale star that shines above,
And mutely prays with downcast eyes.

More grace doth feeling's breath impart
Than soul-less forms and gifted ways;
O Lord, accept my lowly praise,
The silence of a grateful heart.

No earth-built temple dost Thou need,
No pomp of ritual here is Thine;
The heart, O Father, is Thy shrine,
And human rites Thou dost not heed.
O Thou, who over all dost reign!
No palace fair in all the lands,
Or stateliest temple made with hands
Thy glorious Godhead can contain.
A vision of Thy holy face,

Where, Father, shall I go to seek? Where loudest doth Thy Spirit speak? Where deepest is Thy healing grace?

June 27th.-Mr. Edward Parry, editor of Gwladgarur, called; a tall, portly, lively man of about 35 to 38; rather corpulent; silver snuff-box; pressed me to write for the Gwladgarur; promised; showed medals; refused order in way of business; he enquired of some very old books; comes half-yearly; fell over a tombstone in running from him to school.

29th. Was visited by Mr. J. Pughe; called at New Inn; took a G. of A. each; furnished ourselves with a bottle of A. and Tob., and went to Llwyn Ne', where we sat in a dingle overhung with wood; my seat was on a grassy mound in the middle of gurgling stream. He sat on the grassy bank; the bottle and glasses were posited on a stone in the brook; we were encircled with overgrown grass and shrubs, and we enjoyed our situation most exquisitely -it was truly rural and primitive. Wife rated me for staying too long with him.

July 4th.-Four and five p.m., thunder and lightning and rain; fair evening; bathed in the sea.

18th.-Went to to Cochybig to bring Burkitt, which I had bound; drank tea there; Dr. Faust's picture to Eliza; learnt in the newspapers Mr. Lewis' motion for obtaining Welsh bishops succeeded; came home; Robert Jones, of Llanllyfni, preached at Ty Ucha. Eleven p.m. message to go to Miss R. to the

portico desired to dissuade R. G. from marrying her six months.

Mr.

19th. We all slept till eight a.m. Goodall, for Unsworth and Co., called; went to pay him at Plas; it was schooltime, about two p.m.; sat half an hour there; he gave me three glasses of grogwhiskey. I believe, by what he said about himself and concurrent events, that he is fond of d-r-op. I resolve to be more on my guard (see next day).

20th. Troubled on account of a dream respecting my eldest daughter. O God, avert any pending danger for the sake of Jesus Christ.

21st. Exceedingly irritable; mad at school, dejected at home; quite ridiculous for passionate fury.

25th. Coming from Bontlyfni, where I had gone in the evening, I met Mr. and Mrs. Williams, Cae Dcctor; they both appeared very courteous and kind; Mr. W., who had called at my house during my absence, requested I would bring my medals to him when I should next go to town; understood from Mr. Hughes that they were agitating for a situation for

me.

28th.-Robert Hughes, Uwchlaw'rffynnon, called; had three G. of A. with him at N. I.

29th. Saw a Cywydd to Glyn conflagration by D. Jones, Methodist preacher, Carnarvon; it is a very good composition on the whole; the cynghanedd is often violated, and throughout rather feeble,

but the ideas are commendable, and the metre pretty well kept.

30th-John Parry, of Porthysgadan, called, going on petty jury to the sessions; was glad to see him, the sight of him is so associated with a thousand agreeable ideas; very dejected; bound all my letters in one volume.

31st. Sunday; felt the love of God in my heart; admired His majesty and attributes; acknowledged his mercies; imparted some religious instruction to my little daughter as well as I could. August 2nd.

Saw Miss Bodvel at St. Beuno, with Mr. Hughes; a very dear, lovely, and beautiful flower. Vestry day; in the evening John Parry, of Porthysgadan, called; treated him at New Inn to a glass of ale; he did not appear sensible of my friendship, therefore I abjure him in future, and will tender him no favours.

6th. A great day with me;

ceeded towards Chwilog, via Rhedynog and Brynygwynt. Ah! charming name. Loitered in a field near the latter place to indulge in some thousand reveries of contemplation and soft recollections of days and facts long gone by; desired my angel would produce a sympathetic feeling in the object whose separation from me I so much regretted; saw the windows of her grandmamma's old house closed up! Saw the small back window, where I oft stood in eager expectation,-nothing altered ; saw a spot by the roadside leading from Pwllheli, close to the hedge, where I had once an enraptured interview with my lost MReached Chwilog via Penarth Bach and Drws Deugoed; shook hands with Jane first at the door; she was very affectionate. John Thomas sat on a settle by the fire reading Dick's Philosophy of Religion; said he could speak nothing against the book, but neither could he approve of it; he somehow did not like it, though he knew not why. Drank tea there; wrote some artificer's mark and name to whom John

started from home 9 a.m.; called at Sportsman and Waterloo on to Pont Rhyd Goch; got back a gown I had sold to a bad payer there; on to the new schoolhouse near Plas Gwyn; there I found John Jones, glazier, formerly of Llangybi; inspected the new building and premises; very well adapted for the for the purpose of instructing children; situation pleasant and healthy; house and schoolroom commodious; I wish for the place. Went on to Abererch, recollected how often I went that way before, 20 years ago, to Berch School; called at G-gn, half P. of A. there; at Ty Isaf, ate bread and butter and milk; at Dolly Panty moeliad's, bought a pennyworth of cakes there; pro

Thomas paid £1 10s.,-in a small account book of John Thomas,-and in acknowledgment whereof the mark was inserted; saw John Thomas pay the money. Reached Llangybi; spoke to William Humphreys at the inn door; went in, took one P. of P.; R. Jones, Tyddyn Meilyr, was there; Mr. and Mrs. Thomas at tea; did not see them; came home over the mountain, bringing with me a large quarto Bible and a volume of Seren Gomer to bind for John Thomas. My long walk, my burden, and the continuous acclivity of my