The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-10

!, protection or the Pope OF Rome! and Il
protection OF thy lord! do not take
false path"
Considering the " with whic
swearing on u haligdom, sacred reli,
was regarded, by the Welsh as niue
as by the old Saxons. IL may be sup
posed hat this simple system wa
not the least efficacious of the vari
Gus means of suppressing dishonest,
that have been devised by variou
peoples at different times. SO awfl,
was the test that II the debtor tool
the oath on the holydom and the suret,
refused the debtor went s%traightwa,
free. If the surety sworc counter I,
the debtors oath. then the debtor ha,
to procure eve compurgators {,
swear to his innocence. a debtor un
able to clear himself had. besides pay.
ing the original claim. to meet TIA,
charge Of perjury.
or the many laws the most char.
acteristic, perhaps. were those relat.
ing to fire. Hearth fires burned da,
and night In Welsh houses; and "a.
these structures were Of wood, Will
straw thatch, u little carelessness
might easily cause II confiagratior
that would sweep away n whole town
Fire was treated in the codes as 1;
tangible, almost as a live. thing. pco-
pie borrowed and lent IL. stole il. made
gifts of II. II II one gave fire away
and 1t did damag" he was liable i'm
various degrees up to one-thirl of
the injury To property. If he merely
LEM the fire he incurred no liability.
If Il person burned his house and
that house burned another. and SO on.
each householder appears to have
been liable to the next householder.
but no further" No indemnity had 10
De made for damage caused 10y burn
ing the heath in March. or by the
fires of "A smithy or a bath in "a ham
let. II the smithy and bath were as
much as seven fathoms distant from
the nearest house. and IL the smithy
were covered with shingles. tiles or
sod instead of thatch. "If swine
enter Il house and scatter the fire
about so az to burn the house. and
the swine escape, let the owner of
The win pay for their act. II the
swine he burned. IL is an equation
between them. as being two IRA
,ional things: and. therefore. when
there Is an equation. 10y law. there is
tn be nothing redressed. hut one Is to
lie set against another" III "A person,
in carrying fire from the house of
another. should occasion sparks To fly
about. let him pay for his act. unless
he ran iinput" part of it To the fire
In the NTH century the Welsh
warrcd with the Saxons. In the latter
years nf tho eighth century it was that,
brfa. king Of McrCiH. built his dvkc
from Dee mouth Ia the WYE. ~ "A
barrier t" invasion from Wales. Wars
with tho Danes in tho ninth century
brought the numerous petty king
d"ms Of Wales into something like
national union. About $40 Athelstan.
king Of England. kept up this Welsh
unity IN tho lcNying Of tribute. The
Welsh paid tribute To- Harold. but re-
it to the Nurmans until William !
he onqucr"r invaded their corner Of
land. From hat time the Eng
FISH kings claimed Wales as part If
heir dominion. hut the Welsh steadily
In 1876, I.,ewel!yn OF
80 = = 49, '''t ~ ~ Nv lltlA' tt I
and victor over British armies.
recognized by Henry Ill, Prince
II Wales. The country was recog-
also in a weaty. In 1915. how
'ver. England again fought Wales. |
I.lewellyn was defeated. In l2>a
he rebelled, his forces were defeated
he was killed. In 1888 his sue
'essor and brother, David, was cap
.ured and executed as a traitor. BY
statute Of Rhuddlem, 10 Edward
e. 9. .. Wales was united to England,
the king gave TO his son. who
'ecame Edward H.. the title Prince Of
Edward II. was born in Car
larvon Castle. The Welsh rebelled
II l2S7, 1924 ana 1915. and. for the
time. n 400 This last attempt
: Independence !-s,od untiI l+15. when
Glonduwrr. is leader. died. In
'36 the complete identity IF the two
in law was established. and
n the re!Gns of George ~. and WILL
nm ". the last traces cf political
istinCtion We're abolished.
Mr.. stone begins with tho precla-
idl period and stops at the union
Nth England. There are chapters on
he bruids. the Brythons. "The Birth
+ the Cymry.' The Welsh Ro-
lancoS." THE Norman Castles" and
p%pondices on the harrows, crumlechs.
and other monuments of
ne ancients. These are ~intcrspcrscd
trough tn" eleven chapters in which
lc political history of the Welsh ma
is narrated. The battles of the
'rds and princes are related. and the
ersistence of Welsh nationality. de-
ned in terms Of tn" poets commit
lily of memories and of hopes is
ept constantly in sight.