The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-25
The Welsh Tongue
Over 1000 Years Old.
Claimed to Be One of the Most Ancient and
Least Corrupted of Languages-Live Notes.

'The Welsh tongue" says the fam
Gus photographer and historian Of the
seventeenth century. the Rev. Thomas
Richards, Of Coy church, GlamOrgan-
shire. "is admitted to be one Of the
most ancient and least corrupted Ian
guages in the western part of the
world" Though 1t is at present but of
small extent, being only spoken In
Wales. in one Of the provinces of
France Australia, and in the United
States. yet there has been a time when
II extended not only over the island
Of Great Britain, but over the greater
part of the continent of Europe. for II
maintained by learned men that the
Gauls were the same people as the an
cient Britains and spoke the same Ian
guage. and for proof of this assertion.
they advance such arguments as seem
to be very strong and conclusive; as.
that both nations had their druids for
priests to interpret the mysteries OF re-
ligion and their bards to sing the great
exploits of famous men; that the Gauls.
who would be thoroughly instructed in
the discipline of the Druids, used to
come over into Britain to our pruids.
to learn 1t. which they could not do. as
the Druids had no books, unless their
Instructions were in the same language
as that which was used by the Gauls;
that both nations had one and the same
form OF government; that they We're
very like in their manners, customs and
ways Of living: that many of the cit
les. mountains, rivers, etc, In France
and wherein the Gauls dwelt. cannot
b. well accounted for unless we have
recourse to the Welsh: that very many
OF the Celtic or Gauellic words, which
Are still p reserved In authors. agree
very well with our Welsh words in
aound and sense. These are some OF
the arguments. which are brought by
learned antiquarians. to prove that the
Welsh and Gauls to be one and the
same people. Neither have the ancient
Britons any reason to disclaim their
descent from that renowned and
mighty nation, who were so famous
for their military achievements, and
with whom the Romans themselves, for
many years, maintained war. not
for honor and empire. but purely for
self preservation. And we have great
cause to admire and celebrate the div
ine goodness towards us, that after so
many. vicissitudes and revolutions, not
withstanding we have been conquered
by the Romans driven afterwards by
the Saxons into the mountains of the
western part Of the island. and ut last
Eubdued by the Normans. who set
themselves to abolish our language,
making express laws for that purpose;
yet our name has not been quite blot
tel ont rnv n No hifh-
erto not only enjoy the true name OF
our ancestors, but have preserved en-
tire and uncorrupted for the most part
without any notable change or mix
ture with any other tongue. the prim-
tive language. spoken as we'll by the
ancient Gauls and ancient BritOns
(WelslD thousands Of years ago. The
learned Abbott Pezron mentions this
with admiration, and counts it a mat
ter of great honor to us. THE language
of the Titans. saith he. which is that
of the ancient Gauls and ancient Brit
Ons (Welsh). Is. after a revolution of
above four thousand years. preserved
even to our time. A strange thing, g,that
30 ancient a language should now be
spoken by the Armorican of France.
and by the ancient Britons of Wales.
These are the people who have the
honor to preserve the language of the
posterity of Conner. Japhet's eldest son,
and the nephew Of Shem, the language
oS these princes called Saturn and Ju-
piter, who passed for great deities
amongst the ancients." And as this
language has continued for such long
series of ages past SO we have no rea-
son to doubt but that 1t is the divine
will that 1t be preserved to the end of
time. The Welsh nation may suffer
Wuch, and maybe in a great measure
ruined or at least very much weak
ened, but we assure ourselves, that 1t
will never be wholly ruined by the an
ser Of power of any mortal man. unless
the anger of heaven concur to its de-
atruction. Nor can we believe that
M,y other nation or language besides
the Welsh, shall answer at the great
.the greater part Of the corner Of the
world.
Aberdnre in 1882.
There are perhaps few towns in the
h1ngdom that have undergone a greater
st,ange within a comparatively limited
period than Aberdare: and there are
still many amongst us who can look
hack upon the time when Aberdare was
q mere village-at present the parish
contains a population of over 10000;
'ahd, thanks to such men as the chair
man Of our district council and others,
the town is we'll paved, lighted and
Grained; 1t can also boast Of beauti-
frll public park, and, last but not least,
& possesses an abundant supply Of ex-
ctalent water: therefore 1t Is no Won
der. that Sweet 'Berdar has often been
designated the "Queen or the Hills"
II may not be uninteresting to quote
1Yom directory of the city of Bristol
and South Wales. published by Scham-
Sell e. Co. in February. 1852, which we
have before US, The following is the
tist under the heading Of Gentry and
Clergy" of Aberdare and the neighbor-
hood contained therein: Henry Austin
h-uce. Duffryn; Ctawshay Bailey. Abb
er&man House: Rev. Benjamin Evans,
IIirtSaun: Richard Fothergill. Aher-
nant House. Aberdare: Rev. j. Grimth.
vicar, Aberdare; George Rowland Nor
gan. Gadlys: Rev. David Noel. Aber-
dare: Rev. Il. b. Price, Aberdare: Ed
ward Lewis Richards. Aberaman; Mrs.
Jtnet Roberts; Philip Taylor, Hir-
waun: John Watkins. Hirwaun: ThOs.
W ayne. Glandare; William Wayne.