The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-23 00:00:00

A MARRIAGE IN WALES.

(From Bentley's Miscellany.)
On the morning for the ceremony the tarm was in utter
confusion, and Sarah's body-guard were erecting artful
barricades in all directions to prevent the entrance of the
hridegroota and his friends. In the centre of the wicket
gate a species of quintain was erected, also for the same
purpose. Suddenly, a shrill whistle wag heard, and the
hostilities commenced. The e early numbered about 50,
all mounted on email Welsh ponies ; at the head rode
the piper, his horse being almost hidden by trappings
and feathers. On reaching the quistain a halt was called.
" Will you let us in or no a-keg the piper. " No, we
will not let you in," s'x of Sarah's body-guard replied.
The attack the❑ commenced with great vigour, and al-
though there were many hairbreadth escapes, the attack-
ing party succeeded in effecting a lodgment, and marched
on the scone barricades, which seemed to offer a more
serious resistance ; but the little ponies bounded over
them, and the assailants drew up in front of the house,
the door of which was securely fastened. Now it is the
fashion in Wales that this attack should be made—not
with crowbars and hammers, as might be expected—but
with verses. The two parties carry on a rhyming con-
test, until the besieged can no longer give a reply, and
the fortress is compelled to yield. The party managed to
get the door opened, and in a few minutes Griffith, the
leader of the assailants, came out of the house, bearing
Sarah in one arm, and waving his 114 triumAantly.
Sarah shrieked, and defended herself with hands and feet,
but the lucky bridegroom camp to the rescue, took her
in his arms, and, after placing her in the sadele before
him, galloped off at break-neck speed. But the bridal.
guard had soon mounted their ponies, and pursued the
ravishers at full speed over hedges aed ditches, along
the Conway-r•mad. Beneath the Penmenmawr the
robbers were caught up, and a regular battle ensued.
Blows of the fist and stick were exchanged in the
most admirable manner, but poor Sarah was most to
be pitied. Her body -guard tried to drag her down by
the legs and arms, and set to work with more freedom
than a lady would endure who might bavo less power-
ful mu-ties and more prudery than a Welsh girl. At
length the bridegroom's party, with their numerical
superiority, teuec3oded in disarming the otht re and
gaining an entire victory. The horsemen then proceeded
to a tent, which had been put up at Gorddunoc Farm,
and were fellowed by a large number of marriage guests,
who had collected on the high road to see the fun. The
entire farm looked as if au auction were going to be
'rne yard was crowded with marriage present.,
furniture, kettles, bucket., pots and pans. Now and
then a rider• came trooping in, bearing a chair or a clock
on the saddle-box. Tne procession then started for Llan-
fairfechan, where it arrived about noun. 0 wen and
Sarah were soon made man and wife, and the day's sport
began. At the entrance to the tent eat the blacksmith of
Aber, and on a tub near him stood a hoz- Every person
that entered threw in a tr4le—" a shilling for the food,
a shilling for the drink, sir, and anything more will be
accepted. And when the christening comes we shallhave
another day's jollity." At the other end of the table sat
the harper and piper on a slight elevati in. There were
probehly some 300 guests assembled, old and young,
boys and girl.. Immediately after dinner the tables were
removed and the dancing began. The blacksmith of
Ata r was continually walking about a nong the couples,
and carrying on the cigar trade wi.h censiderable profit.
The Wel-di are not passionately fond of dancing, but
they make up fur it by their love for singing. There
is not a (Moue, or a merry-making, where they do not
eventually congregate round the harp, and commence
their pennillions to the variations of the harper. They
sing on without interruption, one after the other, and
each a different strophe from the preceding one. As a
general rule, a merry contest is carried on ; each singer
tries to contradict his foreman through the pennill, in
which process the cleverer persona often extemporise in
the most astonishing way. The majority of them, how-
ever, have hundreds of peneillions in their heads, which
they have ready for any occasion. The tune selected is
usually the air " Ar hyd y Nos," better known to Saxon
ears under the name of "Pour Mary Anne !"

Letters from well-informed correspondents in receipt
of late advises from South Australia entirely contradict
the statement of its being contemplated to raise seven
millions, or any other sum of great magnitude, for rail-
way works in that colony. In the colony of Victoria
eight millions is the amount proposed.
TURN KM OUT.--The governor of the Charter-house
is no less a personage than Archdeacon Ha'e, who can-
not be said to be driven by sheer need, in the absence
of any ealaried appointment, to take the sinecure gover-
norship at the paltry rate of 1,2001. a year ; for it is
said that he has one or two other sources o income,
similarly paltry as to their amount of emoluments. But
what does Sutton himself say, in those original docu-
ments which have been quoted again and again in the
City Pt-ess, loi.g before Inspector Skirrow put on his
lavender kids to pen a flittering report ? Sutton says,
the master shall be an unmarried man—Archdeacon
Hale is married. Sutton says, "He shall have no
other place of preferment or benefit, either in church or
commonwealth;" but Archdeacon Hale is a man
burdened with other appointments—he is Archdeacon
of Middlesex and canon of St. Paul's. Sutton's conditions
require him to be constantly caring for the comfort of
the legitimate objects of the chanty, and in actual
" charge of the hospital ;" but Archdeacon Hale has
said with his own lips, that he purposely refrains from
interfering with the brethren, because such conduct
mighleavet
n thatappear
gr
opul place, neat apology for the sinecure performance of wbat
inquisitorial, which we consider a very
Charter-honse ou;o:hf.tt:;ltpordnir
should be a responsible duty. But Sutton says, further,
that if any of these conditions are infringed, " be shall
noti'e t,, (04.
Monday next bein cies:tp:lglaeocgeatdol iithfyah,
have
etrhebef
euesed Mastertod
served° of
wstoiht;h:
'the bankers' el
ea
rin_eg.htohtte,:edawy forill eitohsee Rio)ry'athl
emfiaorraire gdae,-
de-
livery of draughts at 21 p.m I