The London Welshman

Oxford Notes. WHEN our Societies have held their first meetings, we consider ourselves for the term in fairly goqd working order. The Edward Llwyd held its first meeting on Monday last, when Mr. T. W. Langman, of Jesus College, read a paper, the subject of which was connected with the Foundation and History of his College. The subject was opportune in the fact that Jesus College was founded specially to provide a centre for the education of those Welshmen who sought to complete their training at the English University. THERE is a common idea that this College has grown into a Welsh one, that the Welsh naturally congregated together, and placed themselves under the same jurisdiction. Of course this is true, when we compare the per- centage of Welshmen at Jesus to the number elsewhere. But the fact is that the College is to-day becoming more of an English one. Many scholarships and exhibitions awarded here are closed to Englishmen. But it is not very difficult for a man of any alien race to come under the appellation "Welsh" in regard to these awards. Men born in Wales, or educated there, or whose parents are Welsh, are of course as much entitled to be classified thus as a person who can speak the language. The ten- dency of the College to throw off its exclusively Welsh tone is illustrated by the rumour current to the effect that a good proportion of these closed scholarships are about to be thrown open to all candidates whatsoever. Some Welshmen may think this course not a very patriotic one, but they are those who let patriotism blind their eyes. AMONG the papers to be read before the Davydd ap Gwilym Society during the term, are the following Ficer Pritchard," by Mr. A. W. Davies; "Esgob Morgan," by Mr.J. T. Davies, while two members have nor yet sent in their subj ects. Dr. Rhys is to entertain the Society in the Bursary at Jesus College, on the last Saturday of term. DR. and Mrs. Rhys have just returned from their trip to Jamaica, and the Principal was at the head of the Fellow's table in Jesus Hall, soon after his arrival, looking very well after his voyage. We hear that the outing has also proved of great benefit to Mrs. Rhys, who has had failing health for some time past. MR. J. O. GRIFFITHS read his paper, entitled, Hen Gymeriad Cymreig," to the Davydd ap Gwilym Society, on Saturday last. This proved to be an artistic pourtrayal of a well-known character in the neighbourhood of Llanrwst. Sion Catrin was the name he was best known by, though on the pirish register he was John Hughes. No one however dared address him with the latter title without incurring the wrath of Sion. Such a man as this one was, is not a rare character in Wales. Of no fixed abode, and no permanent occupation, bion depended upon his gossip for his livelihood, while his chief characteristic was a delight in attending the funerals of whomsoever that died in the neigh- bourhood. He was what might be called an Old School Historian, that is, his whole knowledge of history consisted in the dates of the births and deaths of noted persons. Sion knew the exact number of persons who had died, and their respective dates in the Conway Vale around Llanrwst, and he had attended the funerals of all whom he could. Mr. Griffiths' peroration was a glowing and prospective account of what the reader thought Sion Catrin was doing, now we had attended his last funeral. OF the younger generation of Welshmen up at Oxford, Mr. J. O. Griffiths is the most distin- guished. His University career has been as brilliant as his modesty is charming, and it is hard to say which attribute surpasses the other Mr. Griffiths entered Balliol from Llandovery as a scholar. He immediately carried off the highest juniors prize in mathematics awarded by the University. In the fulness of time the Senior Mathematical Scholarship fell to his share, while to-day the Davydd ap Gwilym has the honour of having a Fellow of St. John's as one of its most active members. Mr. Griffiths, too, is one of the pillars of the Edward Llwyd." IN the lines of the London Welsh Rugby team who played the University last week in the Parks, figured Messrs. A. W. Davies, J. T. Davies, of Jesus College, and Mr. H. Morris, of University. All three have played for the University in their turn, and had not Mr. J. T. Davies, who is an old Lampeter man, been unfortunate with his knee, it is confidently asserted he would have had his Blue this year. With regard to Mr. Morris, of University College, who is now only in his first year, it is certain he will obtain that coveted distinction. WE noticed with pleasure that Mr. 0. M. Edwards paid a visit to the l arks during the game, and was keenly interested in the fortunes of the London Welsh, with whom we rather think his sympathies lay.

SELLING MILK AND COLLECTING PICTURES. The last number of Lloyd's Weekly News contains the following :— Experts of the fine arts are discussing the collection of valuable coloured prints acquired during many years by an old man who trundles a milk barrow in the West of London. It is said he has some samples of almost priceless gems in his collection—coloured prints by famous artists of the old English and Italian schools. His existence was discovered by the merest chance. The other day a collector was talking to a well-known print-seller of Oxford Street when the connoiseur milkman-who, by the way, is a Welshman-flung open the swing-door of the office, and asked the price of a coloured print the print-seller was in possession of. Ten pounds,' answered the dealer. 'I'll give you eight,' responded the milkman. The dealer shook his head, and the milkman, stepping into the roadway, trundled off with his trolley and milk cans to finish his afternoon round. "The collector who had witnessed the incident was informed by the print-seller that the milkman had one of the richest collections of coloured engravings in London, and was a keen buyer. The other day a Lloyd's representative found the dairyman fine art collector in his little shop. His wife was present, and heard with surprise beaming all over her face the news that her husband had made a reputation for himself as an art expert, and considerably over a thousand pounds worth of coloured prints were hanging on her walls. She confessed she had often reproved him for his apparent folly of spending all his money on old 'pictures,' but now she knew the dealers would give her husband a cheque of £ 1,000 for his treasures. She first chided herself and then bluntly exclaimed, 'Why did he waste all his time in selling ha'porths of milk ? Some of the treasures were then brought to view. One specimen of Morland's, the Girl and the Pigs,' was signed by the artist. Another example by the same artist, 'The Slave Trade,' 1791, is ill a perfect state of preservation. The collection contains many works by Joshua Reynolds, R. Westall, G. B. Cipriani, and F. Bartolozzi, Ledder and Carden, Bucks and Baxter. The colouring of Baxter the milk- man critic admires above all other artists." Can any of our readers give us some further information about this art-loving dairyman ? Are there many connoisseurs among the Welsh milkmen in London? We should like to know also if he has any water colours in his collection ?