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St. David's Day.I ----......

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St. David's Day. I Local Celebrations ST. DAVIDS, PONTYPRIDD. On Wednesday evening, March the 1st, a goodly number of ladies and gentlcmen assembled at St. David's Hall, at the invRa- (ion of the Mutual Improvement society to ceL- brute St. David's Day. The chair was d by the president,, Mr C. Morgan, GtJLiwsatad Road. A very interesting address was given by Mr Prys Jones, of Court House Street, on VVelsh Traditions and Superstiticns. Mr Jones' pleasing address was attentively listened to, and enjoyed by those present. During the evening the proceedings were enlivened by songs, choruses, etc., ably rendered by the following ladies and gentlemen:—The Ponty- pridd Ladies Choir (conducted by Miss A. D. Williams), Mrs Evans (Morfvdd Mcrgamvg), Miss Agnes Rowlands, Miss Janet Hughes, Mr Walter Chick, and Mr Harry John, whilst It little fellow named Albie J^nes, of Cil- fynydd, rendered the "Charge of the Light Brigade," "Carlos," and "Excelsior" with marked effect, his. elocution and dramatic action evoked the loudest applause. Coffee and refreshments were served during the even. ing by the lady members of the society. The session's programme is fast drawing to a close three items only remaining. On Wedensday rext. March 8th, Mr E. Roberts, Taff Vale House, will deliver an address upon "John Morlev." Mardh 15th, Mr Griffith Griffiths, ot the Capital and Counties Bank, will lecture on the "Early days of Welsh Methodism," illustrated by limelight. The session will be brought to a close on Wednesday, March 22nd. when The evening will be devoted to things Scotch. Mr Jno. Stevenson, of the London and Provincial Bank is reported to have & splendid programme in readiness for the 22nd. PONTYPRIDD A large gathering assembled at the Green- meadow Hotel, Pontypridd, on Wednesday evening to celebrate the anniversary of Dewi Sant. Justice having been done to an ex- cellent dinner served by Host Gowan, the ch-air was taken by Councillor Sam Evans. J.P., and the vice-chair by Profe-ssor Desmane. "The town and trade of Pontypridd" was submitted by Sérgeant Perkins, and responded to by the Chairman and Mr J. W. John, the former expressing a hope that the Guardians would soon undertake the classification of paupers. Ponityprjdd, in lifts estimation, owing to its central position, was bound to flourish, and he hoped to see the County Offices soon established in the town. Then came the toast of the evening, viz., "The memory of Saint David," which was entrusted to Mr T. Rees (South Wales Daily News), who,, in the course of his exhaustive and interesting speech, said The task has been entrusted me of submitt- ing what you will agree with me is the most important toast of the evening, viz., that of 'The memory of St. David, the patron saint of Wales. I do not know what special qualities, if any at all, I possess to be asked to do so, and I regret that it has not been placed in more competent hands. I crave your irdulgence, however, for a few minutes, whilst I shall endeavour, to the best of my ability. to carry out my work, though I fear I shall not be able to render that justice to the subject which it deserves. To Welshmen all th" world over, this is an auspicious day, and wherever they may be found, in towns across the border, and in distant lands, we find that they gather together to honour the memory of one who was a great scholar and patriot. and whose services in the cause of Christianity and civilization are kept in loving remembrance. Many centuries have passed since his days, and history has, comparatively speaking, but little to tell us of him, and even that little is somewhat contradictory. It is said that the patron saints of Scotland, England, Ire- land and Wales were so chosen because in their lives they represented the most striking and peculiar characteristics of their respect- ive countries. The English people have al- ways been renowned for their feats of arms, hence the propriety of ahoosing for their tutelan sai: St. Georje who v. as famous for bt military deeds and valour. The Scottish peo- ple choose St. Andrew, but it is difficult to understand why they should have selected him from among the twelve. Was it because he was more long-headed and cautious than his fellows? Some said he was chosen because it was he who discovered the land with the five loaves and fishes, and we all know that a peculiar characteristic of a typical Scotchman is his *eirart»Me keenness and business oapaci ty. The Welsh people of old were no mean warriors, For even the great Caesar himself bore testimony to their valour, whilst Milton described them as ""An old haughty nation, proud in arms." (Applause). It was fitting, however, that the patron saint of Wales should be a religious hero, and St. David was chosen because of his great piety and devotion. The same remarks also apply to St. Patrick, whose memory is ever kept green by the sons and daughters of the Emerald Isle. When we think of the close relationship which has of late years existed between the Irish and the Welsh people, the secret perhaps may be found in the fact that their patron saint was a Welsh- man, for history tells us that St. Patrick was born at Gower. He was a contemporary of St. Davi3, and was educated in a college at Llantwit Major. He there became a teacher of the doctrines of Christianity, and was taken a prisoner to Ireland by Irish rovers, who at that time greatly infested Wales. He never returned to his native country, but it is said that he succeeded in the course of 60 years in converting the aboriginal Irish into Christians, and that he was buried at the advanced age of 121 at Glastonbury, by our own patron saint. So much, gentlemen, of a Welshman, who by his great religious works has endeared himself for all time to our Irish neighbours. Having -digressed so far, I will now endeavour to give you a brief outline of the life of St. David. We know but little of the details of his life, but it is certain— notwithstanding what has been written to tha contrary that he was a myth, and that every- thing concerning him was the work of a dream- er and a visionary-that lie flourished in the fifth century, and wns a consj>iciou3 figure of the Arthurian era. He was the son of Sandde afc Cedig ab Cunedda Wiedic,r-and his mother was Non. His father was. it is stated, a des- cendant of the Royal house of Oededlgien, or Cardigan, and it is said that he met Non whilst hunting near St. Davids. Aspersions have been cast upon the legitimacy of St. David, but relative to this matter I will only say thnt some of the noblest and greatest men and women the world has ever seen have been traduced nnd villffie-T, and that slander- ous tongues are unfortunately as busy to-day •je th?v were in remote ages. Acmnl;na to Gimldni. the great historian, he was born near the plaoe that ts now known as St. David's, and vu bapkad 8tI Forth Cteis ia • that neighbourhood by the Bishop of Munster. ) He ia .anl have been educated in the famous college then existing at LIantwit Major- where St. Patrick was at one time a teacher —and afterwards in that of Paulinus, at Tygwyn-ar-Taf, which being Anglocised means the White House on the Tail, where he is supposed to have spent ten years in the study of the scriptures, and where Teilo. the second Bishop of Llandaff, was one of his fellow students. Little is known of the way in which St. David spent the years of his youth, but after preparing himself for the preaching cf the Gospel he travelled extensively, and visi:ed Rome -,vher. one writer states. h" wts ordained an arch-bishop. Subsequently e founded a monastery in the Valley of Rhcs, which. was afterwards called Mevevia. and then St. David. There he lived in retirement with his disciples, practising the religious austerities sanctioned by the r-iperstition of the age. He first seems to have been roused from his seclusion to attend a synod at Llah dewibrefi, Cardigan, where there were present 118 bishops, besides abbots, monks, and a very large congregation of the laity. It is generally believed that it was at this synod St. David was elected Primate of the Welsh Church, and I have read a very curious incident re- garding it. The bishops, so the story goes, agreed that the one among them who' could preach the Word with the greatest grace and eloquence, and whose voice could be heard by the most distant of the vast con- c ;ursc, should be elected the chief of the church. St. David was not present, and after all the bishops had given what are described as their Wessons," all agreed that there was t not one among them who could be heard by all, and therefore none worthy of being elected Pimate. Then one rose antl said that lie knew of a young man, who was meek and fair to behoTt!, ""and who always had an angel as a companion; that he was known as St. David, and had been appointed an arch-bishop .in Rome, and further that in a vision he had seen an an,el speaking to him and telling him to go to St. David. Afte these remarkable words St. David was sent for, but it is said that he declined to go to the synod because .f his umility. Two (f the bisho s—Deiniol, who assisted his father in establishing the celebrated monastery of Bangor.is-y-coed, on the hanks of the Dee, in Flintshire, where 1.200 Cymric priests, whilst in the act of praying for the success of the Christian arms in the battle which was then being fought, Wierd cruelly massacred by Ethelforth, the king of Northumbria—and Dyfrig, who, other historians tell us, resigned the primacy of to attend. He was urged to preach from elevated ground,, but he declined, and it is said that his burning eloquence and silver ,onpile Lis v)ic3 linking forlh like a clear trumpet, deeply roused his hearers. It is also said that upon that occasion a strange inci- dent happened, the ground upon which St. David stood being raised to a great height by an unseen power. He spoke with such eloquence that he silenced the advocates of the Peagian heresy, and utterly vanquished them, with the result that he was by common consent elected Primate. The heresy referred to had been founded about the beginning of that century by Morgan, a very learned Welsh- m, n, and it spread so rapidly, and took such rent, t&at it cans»l great ai jjl o the ortho- dox Christians. St. David lead the crusale against it and his exertions were eventually crowned with success, for the heresy was over- thrown. That stands out pre-eminently as St. Drvid's greatest achievement. It is generally believed that Wales was divided into dicceeaa in his time, and it was about five centuries later that the Welsh bishops acknowledged the soverignty of the Archbishop of ant- bury. Under St. David the cause of religion prospered greatly in Cambria, and ripened with much fruit every day. He was a noble type of man, and it is said by Giraldus, that he was held up as a mirror and pattern of life to his contemporaries; that he informed all by words, and instructed them by example, that as a preacher he was most powerful through his eloquence, but more so in his works, that In was a doctrine to his bearers, a guide to the religious, a life to the poor, a support to the orph n s, a vrotHion to .i,i. Hid a father to the fatherless. (Applause). St David obtained the permission of King Arthur to remove the archiepiscopal see from Caer- llecn to oj" i avid in oonsejuenc* of his fatae*iii-lav saving given all bis lands in Pembrokeshire to the church, and as Oaerlleon Vi n too much exposed to the in ursions of the warlike Saxons. As I have already said St. David lived during the days of King Arthur the most popular and renowned of all heroes of ancient and modern times. As the founder o' European chivalry, and the champion of Christen ou. Rgainst the pagan bon es of the North, he created a new era, and his expkrts form pait of the literature of almost every language in Europe and Asia. The life and career of this monarch belongs rather to the history of chivalry and civilization than to any one land or race. He sucoqpded to the throne in the years 500, and was educated at Caerlleon. We have all read of the Knights of the Round Table, who were attached to the Order of Christian chivalry, (founded %Y Arthur, and their object was to oppose the progress of paganism and Romanism, to be loyal to the British throne, to protect the defenceless, to show mercy to the fallen, to honour womanhood, and never to turn their backs upon a foe. What noble sentiment*: And what a fine example to emulate! (Ap- plause). If men in these days carried them out would they not leave the world better than they found it? You might ask, "What has all this to do with St. David?" Gentle- men, we have every reason to believe that our revered patron saint had much to do with the high irtandtil of life and morality of those days as exemplified ;n the sentiments which I just alluded to, for was not King Arthur educated by him at Caerlleon? The King's Court there was the resort of all the genius and erudition of the aga. and St. David is said to have been one of its brightest and j-i res4, orna n»nts- \V"en we feme .&100" that the education of the future king was entrusted ta our patron saint, may we not reasonably suppose that the high and noble principles which governed his life were inculcated by Pt. David ? He had doubtless a great deal ro do do in moulding the fine character of the king, ond the influence which be exercised over him is doubtless felt to-day, for it must have had a far-reaching effect upon the propagation rf Christianity, and the spread of civilization. St. David lived for Snany years after the allotted span of life, and died at the age of 82, in the year 544, and in the monastery I which he founded in St. David's. where he was buried with honours by Maelgwyn Gwyn- edd, King of Gwynedd, or North Wn ea, and the frst surcessor of Arthur. He was rinc'tfpl by the Pope ab ot ll20, atd ba ha", long maintained the highest station among the paints ef the country, notwithstanding the efforts that have been made to disparagebie memory. Since the 12th century his pre- eminence has been undisputed, and so famous was his shrine that it attracted volaries not only from all parts of Wales, but also from foreign countries, and three of the kings of England-William the Conqueror, Henry II, and Edward I, and his Queen—are said to have undertaken the journey to St. David's, which when repeated was deemed equal to one pilgrimage to Rome. Gentlemen, I must now draw to a close. I fear I have wearied you with my long, but not, I trust, uninterest- ing e'-rk-. vY^* are, like thousands of our lIL vm-n e sewhere, fisscuib'ed to- night to do meek and reverent homage to St. David's memory. The celebration of St. David's Day is becoming more popular every year, and that to me is an eloquent testimony to the fact that Wales and Welshmen are ftill progressing, and that there is a great and widely-felt re-awakening in the national life of our beloved country. It is to-day more vigorous than it has ever been, and when we look back at the long past. and think of the many bitter strugles and viscistudes through which our land has passed, the figure of our patron siaint shines forth like a bright beacon light. 'V..e wts, an) still is famous as the land of the harp, of music, and song—"Gwlad y delyn; gwlad y gan." For years she has been struggling to secure a better educational system, so that her sons and daughters may be bptter equipped for the severe battles of life. Surely but slowly the efforts which have been unceasingly made in that direction are being crowned with success, and we find that Welshmen are holding their own in politics,, in science, and in trade gener- ally. Above all, however, Wales is known as a Christian country, for Welshmen, in spite of long and bitter persecutions, have through the ages clung tenaciously to the faith taught bv J DaVL I The highest culture iid the highest religion go hana in hand, and who amongst us would oare to dwell upon what the conditions of Gallant Little Wales and her people would be to-day had the religion of our early ancestors not at all times been their -c guiding light? Welshmen have always been patriotic, loving their country, their language, and tTieir religion, and I am sure, gentlemel- that I am simply expressing the sentiments of all of you when I hope that these annual '/atlering. will Jong o a' up, ind ".ttt they wih be the means of uniting all Welshmen, and all with whom they are brought into contact in tha pilgrimage of life, in a still closer and stronger bond of brotherhood and friendship. (Applause). Gentlemen. I ask jou all to join with me in drinking silently 10 "The menory of St. David, the patron saint cf Wtles "The land we live in" was given by Mr James Brown, and replied to by Mr J. D. Jones (insurance superintendent), and during the evening an address was given by Mr R. Gwyngy-11 Hughes in the vernacular. "The Chairman" was submitted by Mr Valentine, Bristol, in an able speech, and during the evening songs were given by Messrs G. Miller, F. C. Rees, and W. Davies (Post Office), The latter also made a distinct hit with his clever recitation of G. R. Sims' "The Lifeboat." Mr Valentine, with his recitation of "Molly Muldoon" created much merriment. The English and Welsh national anthems brought on on]oyalie v" eg to a cloie The seere- tary, Mr F. C. Rees deserves every credit ht his capable organisation of the affair. j HOPTaNSTOVi N. The annual meeting to celebrate St. David's n • inory under the t u -pi- of be Treli fod, Gwenynen (Hafod), and If or Tael ;">i.?es o Ivorites was held at the Molly Bum 11.11, jAOt-lmsbown, on We>»ie»- ay nighi. There was a good attendance present, aid the chair was occupied by Mr Thomas .Tones, com, actor, Hafod. and the vice-chair bq Mr John Morgan, Hafod. The toast of the even- ing, "The memory of St. David, the patron ti 11 of Wales was g ten v Mt R. Gwjngyil Hughes in his usual enthusiastic style in the vernacular, and in the c Ul"'t! of his speech he dealth at length with the history of St. David an the "ork be ha" accon-ulished. The toast was received with enthusiasm. Subee- ItP; tly tlis vx ;3 cha-rman, who is the past oCt. trict president, • elivere 1 an. address upon Ifor Hael and Ivoritism, and a resolution, which was moved by Mr My. Mills (Tafonwy), seconded by Mr Moses Jones, secretary of 11. ITrehafod Lodge, was Unanimously 1 assc-.i, rv.nderrinn;* tne action of Mr Justice Darling with refer,,t-m to "tte use of he Wohh l language in the Assise Court at Carnarvon. Tie rroemli-igs enlivenjaI by a number of songs etc., the vocalists being Messrs To d Lewis, B. Collins, Elias Jones, Dd Dcvies, E. r.vift anl Iflss Maggie Vills, vho also accompanied on the. pianoforte. Mr Edwr.id Evans, Hafod, also gave a recitation, and (lur. ing the evening Mr Gwyngyll Hughes read several verses dealing with the celebration of St. David's Day, one of them referring to a statement which Mr Hughes declared had been made by Korien that St. David was a myth, and Mr Hughes, in his vigorous reply in verse to the sage of Treforest caused considerable merriment. The verse is given be]- Hwn wna Morien, anwybydu, Ni bu gwr o'i fath yn Nghymru, Medd y "Derwydd" doeth, heb ffeithiau, Ond, pwy gred ei ffug honiadau; Credwn yn ein Sant gmarcheidiol Hanes hwn sydd wirioneddol, A chyfrolau gei'r i brofi. Archesgobaeth "Sant" Tydewi.- PORTH. On Wednesday evening, a very interesting concert was held at the Britannia Inn, under the auspices of the "Glan Rhondda Lodge" of True Ivorites. The chair was very ably filled by Mr John Jones, and the vice-chair by Mr Thomas Jones. After a few pertinent remarks on the object of the meeting by the Cebair-n in, the concert commenced in earnest, and was kept up until 11 o'clock, when it was drawn to a doee by the whole of the company sing- ing "Hen Wlad fy Nhadau." St. David's Day is looking up in this neighbourhood the t'.a few years, more interest being taken in tnese meetings and a crowded house being 'he result. Amongst those who took part in iLe proceedings were:— singers, Messrs Benjamin Lewis, Gwilym James, Philip Jones, Rowland ia.,es, Edward Humitri*, William I. Wil- comics. Messrs Fred Harris, William Wilt: \0151, and Alee Davies; recitations and addresses bj Messrs Evan Evans, John Pugh and Garfield Thomas; pianists, Messrs Edward Evans and Evan Thomas; violin, Mr William Griffi -,Is.

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