Plagues, The Rod of Moses, and a few passages referring to God and to Christ.

"

'It is also said that in former times there was in the Library of St. Asaph Cathedral a very old translation in manuscript of the four Gospels. This translation was considered old in 1282, as in that year a letter of protection and privilege was granted by the Archbishop of Canterbury authorizing the priests to carry the manuscript about as a sacred thing, and to show it to all who desired to see it. This translation was kept at St. Asaph until the time of Bishop Goldwell, the predecessor of Bishop Davies. He was deprived of his see on the ascension of Queen Elizabeth to the throne, because he would not become a Protestant, and went to Rome and died there. It is supposed that he took the old manuscript with him to Rome, where probably it is to-day.

"Ah, indeed," said Samson, who had an inbred hatred toward the Church of Rome, which expressed itself on every available opportunity. "Then it's gone where a great many other good things have gone-never to come back again."

"Yes, Samson," replied Llewellyn, "you are right. Well, another poetical paraphrase of certain portions of the Word of God was written about the middle of the fourteenth century by Dafydd Ddu, of Hiraddug, and consisted of a part of the Psalms, a part of the first chapter of Luke, the song of Zacharias, the angel's greeting to Mary, the song of Simeon, and the song of the three youths.

'It appears, too, from what Dr. Malkin learnt from Iolo Morganwg that Thomas Llewellyn, a noted Welsh

* Iolo Morganwg, or Edward Williams, was a stone mason, also bard and antiquary, was born at Peron, in the parish of Llancarvan, Glamorganshire, on March 10, 1746. He died December 18, 1826, and was buried in the secluded graveyard of Flemingstone, Glamorgan

bard, a distinguished Protestant, and a man of high moral character and devout spirit, translated Tyndal's English Version of the New Testament into the Welsh language about the year 1540. Having in common with some others in those days received a license from Archbishop Grindal to preach, he would often read in different houses the Church Service, which he had in his own handwriting for as yet it had not been printed-and would preach very acceptably to the people who came to hear him. Thus he formed many small Christian communities in the country. It is also said that there is a letter in manuscript in the library of Sir Thomas Mostyn, Flintshire, from Thomas Llewellyn to Dr. Richard Davies, the second Protestant Bishop of St. David's, urging upon him to translate the Scriptures into the Welsh language, and giving a brief account of what he himself had done. It is highly probable that Llewellyn's manuscript was on William Salesbury's table when he was engaged, at the request of the Welsh bishops, in the translation of the New Testament into Welsh.

"Dr. Richard Davies, the Bishop of St. David's, refers to another old Welsh translation of a portion of the Scriptures. He says in his letter prefixed to the first Welsh version of the New Testament, which appeared in 1567'I remember to have seen, when a lad, a translation of the five books of Moses in the British or Welsh tongue, in the possession of a learned gentleman, a near relation of our family.'

"The first book known to be printed in Welsh consisted of a few leaves only, and appeared in 1546. It was

shire. Although he was never at school, he became a distinguished writer and an acknowledged authority in Bardic and Historic Literature.

He lived in the reign of Edward VI. at Glyn-eithinog, near Ystradyfodwg, Glamorganshire.

written by Sir John Price,* of Brecon, was entitled ' Bible,'t but contained The rudiments of the Welsh language, The Calendar, The Creed, The Lord's Prayer, The Ten Commandments, the customary games, &c. The word 'Bible' was printed in large letters at the top of the title-page, probably in the original and more general sense of 'book', or perhaps in order to secure attention, as it contained numerous extracts from the Bible, which in those days was almost entirely unknown in Wales.

"The next book was published in the following year. It was a 'Dictionary in Englyshe and Welshe by Wyllyam Salesbury,' but that may scarcely be called a Welsh book. Four years later (1551) the same author published a translation of the Psalms, the Gospels, and the Epistles, as appointed to be read in churches, at the celebration of the Communion, and on Sundays and fast days.

"Besides these I have not heard of any translation of the Scriptures or any part of them into Welsh until the version of 1567 appeared.

"Tell us something about that translation," said Shadrach, earnestly.

"Not to-night," said Llewellyn, "but I will the next time I call-let me see-this night week."

"Very well," said Shadrach, "and I'll get you a congregation."

Sir John Price, LL. D., was educated at Oxford, and having taken his degrees there was called to the bar. He soon attracted the notice of Henry VIII., was a great favourite at Court during the whole of his reign, and on the dissolution of monasteries was appointed one of the Commissioners for their suppression.

+ Beibl. Yn y llyvyr hwn y Traethyr Gwyddor Kymraeg. Kalendyr. Y Gredo, neu bynkey yr ffydd Gatholig. Y Pader neu Weddi yr Arglwydd. Y Deng air Deddyf. Saith rinwedd yr Eglwys. Y Kampau arferadwy, a'r Gweddiau Gocheladwy ac Keingen (Llundain, 1546, 4 plyg).

CHAPTER VIII.

The Dawn of the Welsh Reformation.

HADRACH Morgan did not fail to fulfil his promise to find a congregation for Llewellyn Pugh. All Shadrach's friends who came to the smithy during the intervening week were acquainted with the fact that the other night Llewellyn Pugh was in a good humour, and told them all manner oflearned things

about old Welsh translations of different parts of the Scriptures, one of which had been written more than a thousand years ago. They had never been printed, and only great scholars like Llewellyn Pugh knew anything about them. Ah, he was a very wonderful man! Shadrach could not make out how he could contain all those things

in his head. Next Monday night he was going to tell them the history of the present translation, and Shadrach expected that he would tell a good many things of interest. David Lewis was going to try to draw him out on John Penry, and if he succeeded they would have a treat.

The result of this was that long before Llewellyn Pugh came most of Shadrach's immediate friends had arrived. There were Hugh Roberts, John Vaughan, Caleb Rhys, David Lewis, Samson Lloyd, and one whom we have not seen in the smithy before-Theodore Augustus Swash.

Theodore Augustus Swash was an Englishman who had some years before come over from Somerset"the country of summer,"* as the Welsh call it. By profession-for he was not an artisan, or even a tradesman, and nothing annoyed him so much as to be mistaken for either by profession he was an insurance and commission agent. He was also a general valuer, a capacity in which a very wide and diversified prospect opened before him, for he had to bring his judgment to bear upon a great variety of objects, from a hen to a horse, and from a rake to a hay-rick. From long stay in the village, and his constant dealings with the surrounding farmers, he had a very fair knowledge of Welsh. His pronunication, however, was execrable, being an incoherent mixture of the true "Zummerzet" and the genuine "Shirgar."t

He had all the style of a gentleman, but unfortunately his profession was not a very lucrative one in that district, hence, though he indulged in broad cloth and a tall hat, his clothes had an unctuous glossiness about the knees and elbows, and his hat a mysterious shine about it which gave evidence of the morning rub with a wet towel.

Gwlad yr haf.

+ Colloquial for Carmarthenshire, or anything pertaining to it, a parallel word to "Zummerzet."