Chapter III: Part 3

The commander of the French Army said of the Balaclava Charge that it was magnificent, but that it was not war. I do not know what the French general called war, but my recollection of the charge is that it was something very nearly like it. I have to thank the Power above for being here now, fifty-five years after the charge took place. Whether this statue will commemorate me for a long time or not is of little moment, but I know it will commemorate for ever the sculptor, Mr. Goscombe John.

_Unveiling of equestrian statue of Viscount Tredegar in Cathays Park,
Cardiff, on 55th Anniversary of the Balaclava Charge,
October 25th, 1909_

THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF MONMOUTHSHIRE.

Anyone who lives in Monmouthshire, a county rich in its old castles, churches, camps, and cromlechs, cannot fail to be some sort of an archaeologist, and it is this mild type I represent. I have always had a great fancy for history, and anyone who studies the archaeology of Monmouthshire must be well grounded in the history of England. The county has held a prominent place in history from the earliest period down to the present day, commencing with the Silures, and passing on to the Romans, Saxons, and Normans. Some locality or other in the county was connected with each of those periods.

One little failing about archaeology which has always been a sore point with me is that it is apt to destroy some of those little illusions which we like to keep up. I hope when we go to Caerwent, during the next day or two, my illusion concerning King Arthur will not be dispelled, for I love to think of King Arthur and his Round Table having been at that place. Alexander wept because there were no new worlds to conquer, but I hope archaeologists will not weep because there are no new ruins to be discovered. An old stone has been picked up on the moors at Caldicot, and scientific men know that the stone proves the Marches to have been reclaimed from the sea by the Romans. The question of the origin of Roman encampments is one about which there is a great deal of doubt, and I hope to hear some new story when we inspect the ancient part in Tredegar Park.

_Fourth Annual Meeting, Cambrian Archaeological Association,
August 24th, 1885._

MONMOUTHSHIRE STILL WELSH.

In the reign of Henry VIII, Monmouthshire was annexed to England, and therefore we are not now exactly in Wales. But 300 years have not eradicated the Welsh language and the Welsh traditions.

_Farmers' Association Dinner, Bassaleg,
October 23rd, 1877._

FREEDOM OF MORGAN BROTHERHOOD.

I take my opinion of freedom from Dr. Samuel Johnson, and that is good enough for me. Dr. Johnson said that freedom was "to go to bed when you wish, to get up when you like, to eat and drink whatever you choose, to say whatever occurs to you at the moment, and to earn your living as best you may."

The Lord Mayor has hoped that he will prove to be a member of the Tredegar family. The name of Morgan is a splendid name. You can, with that name, get your pedigree from wherever you like. Whenever I talk of bishops, I remember to speak of Bishop Morgan. If I speak to a football player, I talk of Buccaneer Morgan, and so it goes on in any subject you wish. I do not care--even if there is a great murder--a Morgan is sure to be in it! I do not wish to detract from the Lord Mayor's desire to be in the pedigree, but, at all events, we can all belong to a Morgan Brotherhood.

_Reply to toast of "Our Guest," at City Hall, Cardiff,
October 25th, 1909._

When the agitation for the new Technical Institute was going on, I daresay most of you heard all sorts of objections to it on the ground of expense and of there being no necessity for an institute of this description. Some of the agitators went back to Solomon. They said, "Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived, and he has told us that 'He who increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.' So why," said they, "do you want to have more knowledge?" Another objector said, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing," and then somebody else said, "Of the making of books there is no end," and "Much study is a weariness of the flesh."

All those old sayings were trotted out, but there was the other side to bring before you. There was the dear old lady who was so proud of her son--he was a kind of artist--that she thought he would become a second Gainsborough. He got on very well, as she thought, and one day, meeting his professor, she said, "Oh, Professor, do you think my son will ever learn to draw?" and he replied, "Yes, madam, if you harness him to a wagon." Happily, Newport went the right way, and built what I fancy is quite one of the most up-to-date technical institutions in the country.

_Technical Institute Prize Distribution, Newport,
December 21st, 1910._

It is very difficult to address a mixed school of boys and girls. You require totally different things for boys and girls. A learned gentleman was once asked his ideal of a girl, and he replied, "Most like a boy." Asked his ideal of a boy, he replied, "Only a human boy who dislikes learning anything." I was a human boy myself once, about 70 years ago, and I hated learning anything except running about and making myself disagreeable to everyone. My experience of girls is that girls want to learn when a boy doesn't. A girl is nearly always anxious to learn, whilst a boy only wants to amuse himself.

A great M.P. gave an address about education a week or so ago, and said our system was all wrong, that facts were no use, and that thinking was what they wanted. I totally disagree with him. Facts are wanted, for it is from facts you get on to thinking. One examiner was much amused by the notion of a boy who said that what struck him most was the toughness of wood, the wetness of water, and the magnificent soapiness of soap. That boy was going to get on; he was thinking more about facts than anything else.

Another great school question is with regard to punishment, whether it is good to order a boy or girl to write out a certain number of lines or learn so many lines of poetry. A well known gentleman of the world, politically and otherwise, when at school was what they called "a devil of a chap to jaw." That was the expression of a fellow pupil. He was constantly in the playground jawing, and they sentenced him to run around the ground five times when he spoke for more than three minutes. That was supposed to cure him, but it did not. He speaks now more than anyone in the House of Commons.

_Pontywaun School Prize Distribution,
March 17th, 1911._

A HYBRID COUNTY.

We in Monmouthshire are in a sort of hybrid county. A great many people think we are in Wales and a great many people think we are not. Cardiff is very jealous of us--jealous because we can get drunk on Sundays and they can't. I hope we shall continue to be a county of ourselves, and when this great Home Rule question, which is so much talked about, is settled we shall, no doubt, have a Parliament at Newport-on-Usk, or else at Monmouth-upon-Wye.

_Newport Athletic Club Dinner,
April 27th, 1891._

INTEREST IN EXPLORATION.

I wish to renew interest among the people of the neighbourhood in the exploration work at Caerwent. The reason, perhaps, why some of the interest has fallen off, is the illness and death of the late Vicar of Caerwent, who always took the greatest possible delight in explaining to visitors the history of the ancient city and the nature of the work of excavation.

There is a great deal of fresh ground to be explored. I am glad to find that there is an increasing interest in Great Britain in this kind of work, and I hope it will continue to increase. If we expect to find any interest at all in matters of this kind, it would be in Rome, and yet we find that in that city it has been decided recently to pull down some of the most valuable remains in the city, the great Roman wall, which for so long a period kept out the Goths and the Vandals who besieged the city. If that is possible in Rome, any indifference to this kind of work in Great Britain is not surprising. There is a fascination about the work of exploring, as we are always expecting to find something which has not been found before, and which may be very useful for historical purposes.

All this part of the world is very interesting, not only Caerwent, but Llanvaches, where we find early Christian evidences, and Newport, where we have a castle of the Middle Ages. I cannot help thinking, when I look at the collection of Roman coins in the Caerwent Museum, that it is not absolutely impossible that one of them may be the very coin which Our Saviour took and asked whose image it bore. For all we know, that very coin may have been in the possession of a Roman soldier stationed in Jerusalem at the time of the Crucifixion, and brought by him to Caerwent.

_Newport Town Hall, on the occasion of a Lecture on
"The Excavations at Caerwent,"
March 24th, 1908._

OLIVER CROMWELL AND NEWPORT.

There are few Newportonians in this hall who do not remember perfectly well the curious little house, with a low 16th century portico, situated at the bottom of Stow Hill. It was regarded with great veneration by antiquarians, but was no doubt looked upon as a great nuisance by the great body of the people. However, that old portico is now treasured at Tredegar House. The house was called "Oliver Cromwell's House."

I think you will agree with me when I say that few people slept in so many bedrooms as King Charles I. or Oliver Cromwell is said to have done. There is a room at Tredegar House called King Charles the First's room, but it was not built until ten years after that Monarch was beheaded.

With regard to the little house called Oliver Cromwell's House, there is some reason to believe that Oliver Cromwell might have occupied it. It was, sometime, occupied by the Parliamentary troops, because I have at this moment an old fire back, which was found in the cellar with the Royal Arms of England and the Crown dated 16-- something knocked off. No doubt this was found in the house by Parliamentarians, who immediately proceeded to knock off the crown. We know that Oliver Cromwell passed that way, because he went to the siege of Pembroke and found great difficulty in taking that town.

I have a copy of a letter Cromwell wrote to Colonel Saunders, one of his leaders, in which, after congratulating him upon his zeal and close attention, he referred to "the malignants--Trevor Williams of Llangibby Castle, and one Sir William Morgan, of Tredegar," and directed him to seize them at once. That shows that Oliver Cromwell knew all about Caerleon, Newport and Tredegar.

_Opening of Tredegar Hall, Newport,
March 14th, 1895._

WELSH PEOPLE EVEN IN CARDIFF.

I am glad to find that the Welsh Church movement has been such a success. I was asked on one occasion if there were many Welsh people in Cardiff, and I confessed there were. When further asked if there was a Welsh Church there I had to admit with shame that there was not. From that moment I resolved to back up as much as I could the movement for providing a Church for the Welsh-speaking inhabitants of Cardiff. No one could walk the streets of Cardiff without being impressed with the number of Welsh people one met and heard talking in their own language. Probably a great number of those simply came into the town for the day, but a considerable number must be residents of the town.

I see a great many ladies present, and I would urge them to do what they can, for, in the words of a Church magnate, who was, if not an archbishop or a bishop, certainly an archdeacon--"mendicity is good, but women-dicity is better."

_Laying of the Foundation Stone of a Welsh Church at Cardiff,
July 2nd, 1890._

THE SIEGE OF CAERPHILLY CASTLE.

I am impressed by the energy displayed by the agriculturists of the district in sending such satisfactory exhibits. At the same time, you must not fancy yourselves quite too grand at the present day, because, if you read history you will find that during the siege of Caerphilly Castle, some 400 or 500 years ago--when the castle was taken--there were 2,000 oxen, 12,000 cows, 20,000 sheep, 600 horses, 2,000 pigs and 200 tuns of wine inside the Castle walls. Two hundred tuns of wine! That is better than a Temperance Hotel.... If you walk round this show you will not see one single sign of depression. It grows larger every year. Cattle grow better, the horses better, the women grow prettier, and the men grow fatter.

_East Glamorgan Agricultural Show, Caerphilly,
September 7th, 1899._

GWERN-Y-CLEPPA.

The foundations of Gwern-y-Cleppa, the palace of Ivor Hael, have been traced around a tree in Cleppa Park. Although it has been termed a palace, I think it more likely to have been something of a manor house, for Ivor was the younger son of a younger son, and therefore not likely to have had very large possessions. Ivor's generous nature has been well depicted by his celebrated bard, Dafydd ap Gwilym.

I have read in a book an account of an incident which tradition alleges took place near the spot on which we are standing. This was a contest between Dafydd and his rival bard, Rhys Meigan. Dafydd's shafts of satire overwhelmed his opponent, who fell dead--the victim of ridicule.

_Cardiff Naturalists' Visit to Gwern-y-Cleppa,
May 10th, 1893._

IN PRAISE OF EISTEDDFODAU.

As long ago as the 15th century an ancestor whom I have been reading about lately--Ivor Hael--appears to have been celebrated particularly for his support of the Eisteddfodau of that period and of music in general. Later on, my grandfather and father always did their best to promote the idea of the Eisteddfod, and on several occasions presided at those gatherings. I, personally, consider the Eisteddfod a great institution.

One of the reasons why many of our English friends do not support Eisteddfodau, and are inclined to speak slightingly of them, is because of the religious side which commences with the Gorsedd; but I think if our friends paid a little more attention to it, and attended oftener, they would not be inclined to ridicule the institution.

An Eisteddfod, anywhere, is a very interesting event, but one at Pontypridd seems to be of all others the most interesting. Pontypridd itself is full of reminiscences of old and modern Wales. On that very stone--the Rocking Stone--on the hill where some of us have been to-day, some very earnest bards, no doubt, at different times had their seats, and it does not require a very vivid imagination to picture on that stone one of those unfortunate bards that were left after the Massacre of the Bards of Edward.

Then we have not far away the remains of the old monastery of Pen Rhys, where tradition says rested Ap Tudor, or at all events to whom the monastery was erected. At that very place, that great terror of England and of the Normans--Owen Glendower--who was at that time residing at Llantrisant, was stated to have presided at an Eisteddfod soon after his incursion into Wales. Great bardic addresses were delivered there, and one, written to Sir John Morgan of Tredegar, is now in the archives of Tredegar.

Coming to later times, we have Cadwgan of the Battleaxe, who was supposed to have been sharpening his battleaxe at the time he was going down the Rhondda, so that it must have been pretty sharp by the time he arrived at his destination.

There is at the present moment a wave of music-hall melodies passing over the country, and I think it is one of the duties of the Eisteddfodau to try to counteract the music-hall fancy, now so prevalent. Not many days ago, I was reminded of an incident in which a lady asked a friend whether he was fond of music, and he replied "Yes, if it is not too good." Unfortunately, that is the opinion of about one-half of the civilized world.

The aim of the Eisteddfod is to patronise good music which, combined with high art, has a tendency, as the Latin poet puts it, to soften manners and assuage the natural ruggedness of human nature.

_Eisteddfod, Pontypridd,
July 31st, 1893._

Miniature Eisteddfodau, one of which we are celebrating, are most interesting, as being a sort of prelude to the great National Eisteddfod which takes place annually. There is something peculiarly interesting in these essentially Welsh gatherings, because however much we who live on this side of the Rumney may, from legislative causes, be considered English, we never hear of an Eisteddfod taking place on the other side of Offa's Dyke, which in my opinion is the boundary of Wales.

Offa's Dyke was formerly a great mound and ditch erected by King Offa somewhere in the year 900 or thereabouts, as a boundary between Wales and England, and it ran from the mouth of the Wye to Chepstow. We seldom hear of an Eisteddfod taking place on the other side of the dyke. It is true there are the great Choral Festivals, but those are festivals held in the grand Cathedrals, at which very grand company assemble, and where some of the most celebrated singers sing; they are not competitive in any sense. Here we have competitions, not so much for the prizes as for the honour of the thing, for the honour of the Welsh nation, and for the advancement of music and art in Wales.

_Risca,
October 5th, 1896._

TREDEGAR HOUSE.

Tredegar House is generally believed to have been designed by Inigo Jones, but it was not built until after that architect's death. It was built by William Morgan, and finished about 1672. A residence formerly stood on the spot, which Leland mentioned as "a fair place of stone." Owen Glendower, when he ravaged Wentloog, and destroyed houses, churches and Newport Castle, probably destroyed Tredegar House. On an inquisition being taken after this period of the value of the lordship, the return was _nil_.

_Cambrian Association Meeting,
August 28th, 1885._

A LITTLE FAMILY HISTORY.

As far as I have been able to read the family history, I have made the discovery that the Morgans were never remarkable for very great talent; but for many generations we have lived in much the same spot, and it has been our motto to make life happy to those around us, and to assist those with whom we come in contact. I believe my family have lived for this object. There are many days in the history of the family that are much treasured by us, but there will be no one day more honoured than the memory of this one. When I hand these addresses to Lady Tredegar, and express to her the kind sentiments everyone has made use of as to the memory of the late Lord Tredegar, we shall one and all be thankful, and the memory of this day will live long in the heart of every member of the Tredegar family.

_Tredegar Memorial Corn Exchange, Newport,
September 4th, 1878._

The Mayor has spoken of the commercial spirit which, he stated, has recently been evinced by the Tredegar family. His Worship in that respect erred a little, for several hundred years ago there was a gentleman who called himself Merchant Morgan. He sailed on the Spanish Main, and brought back with him a great deal of money which he had made in trade--or otherwise. From that day to this, the Morgans have been very well off. Later, there were ironworks in Tredegar Park, carried on by Sir William Morgan. Those works paid also, and when he had money enough Sir William Morgan removed them away, restored the green fields, and left other people to attend to the works.

_Mayoral Banquet, Newport,
December 15th, 1881._

Sir Henry Morgan played an important part in the stirring drama of Empire-building. His name has become a household word, and his daring exploits on the Spanish Main in the 17th century rival in song and story the heroic adventures of Drake, Frobisher, and Hawkins. It is mainly to him that we own the island of Jamaica, the most wealthy of our West Indian possessions. He was not a plaster saint, it is true; but it is incorrect to call him a pirate, for there is no gainsaying the fact that all his actions were justified by instructions he received from time to time from his Monarch, Charles II, who countenanced every movement of his, and even empowered him to commission whatever persons he thought fit, to be partakers with him and his Majesty in his various expeditions and enterprises. He was cruel in the ordinary sense of cruelty exercised in warfare, no doubt, but only when in arms against the blood-thirsty Spaniards. As a leader of men he was never surpassed by any captain of the seas, and in his glorious conquest of Panama--which the great Sir Francis Drake in 1569 had failed to take with 4,000 men when the city was but poorly fortified--Sir Henry ransacked it in 1670 when it had become doubly fortified, having with him only 1,200 men, and without the aid of any pikemen or horsemen.

The charges of cruelty and rapacity levelled against him are beneath contempt and criticism. The Spaniards tortured and murdered wholesale, and who can wonder that the heroic Welshman made just reprisals, and carried out the Biblical adjuration "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth," when punishing the apostles of the Inquisition and assassination.

It is due to one John Esquemeling, the author of the first account of buccaneers, "The History of the Buccaneers of America," first published in 1684, that Sir Henry was designated a "pirate." Esquemeling had served under Morgan, and, being dissatisfied with the share of prize money allotted to him after the expedition at Panama, nursed his revenge until his return to Holland some years after. Sir Henry took action against him, and claimed to obtain substantial damages from Esquemeling for his malicious and misleading statement.

THE LATE COLONEL MORGAN.

The death of my brother, Colonel Morgan, has plunged us into grief, and all the neighbourhood felt the death of one whom they all loved, almost as much as I did myself. I feel that life can never be the same to me again.

_Servants' Ball,
January 11th, 1910._

THE MONMOUTHSHIRE TRIBUTE.

Some 50 years ago two Statesmen were discussing the merits of Mr. Pitt and Mr. Fox. The first statesman said the oratory of Mr. Pitt was remarkable because he was never at a loss for a word. The other statesman replied, "Yes, but Mr. Fox was never at a loss for the right word." I, this afternoon, cannot find the right word. I can hardly find any word at all to express adequately to you what I feel on this occasion. I have put this question to myself many times in the last month or so--"What does it all mean? What have I ever done to deserve this great tribute?" I thought that my duty was to go back over my past life, and I began very early, a very long time ago. I went back to the Chartist Riots. I don't suppose there are any of you here who know much about them except by hearsay. I was a very little boy at the time, spending my holidays at Ruperra Castle, and I was just going with my little terrier to hunt a rabbit that had got into the cabbage garden, when the post-boy, who had been sent to Newport to bring out the letters, rode in, pale and quivering, and flung himself from his pony and said that the Chartists were in Newport--"they are lying dead all over the street, and the streets were running with blood. He passed through a lot of people with swords and pikes, but whether they were coming on to Ruperra he did not know." What he effectively did was to pose as a great hero among the maid-servants, and I remember afterwards going up to the post-boy, saying, "Bother your Chartists; come out and help me to catch this rabbit."

That was my first beginning in sport--my first excitement. Then I thought a little bit more. I have a distant recollection that very soon after, I was gazetted as a Viscount. I saw in a newspaper which does not hold the same opinions as I do, the question, "What on earth is Lord Tredegar made a Viscount for?" and the answer was, "I suppose because he has been Master of the Tredegar Hounds for 30 years." I thought, therefore, that I had better leave sport alone for this occasion. For some time I have had running in my mind a stanza written by one who may be called the Australian bush poet, Mr. L. Gordon, a gallant man, who spent most of his time roughing it in the bush. The lines are as follows:--

I've had my share of pastime, I've had my share of toil,
It is useless now to trouble. This I know;
I'd live the same life over if I had the chance again
And the chances are I'd go where most men go.

Mr. Gordon thought he knew where most men go; I don't. I don't pretend to know, but I had thought, until lately, that I would not wish to live the same life over again. But now, when I am here this afternoon, and have received from the hands of so many of my greatest friends these magnificent testimonials of their opinion of me, I can hardly go wrong if I say I would live the same life over if I had to live again.

Well, when I went on with my early history, I found that very, very soon I got among tombstones and family vaults, and I thought that the less I called to mind those among whom I spent my early life the happier it would be for me, certainly on this occasion. But still I wonder what it is that I have done, that has caused so many of my friends and neighbours to gather together to present me with this great tribute of their affection and respect.

It is true that I have had more than my share of this world's goods. There is one thing that has always comforted me when this has been thrown in my teeth, and that is that it was a young man who went away sorrowfully because he had great possessions. I believe I have tried, more or less successfully, to help those in difficulties, and to give to many comfort and happiness who otherwise would have been in much distress and suffering; but I am quite sure that there is no person in this hall who would not have done exactly the same under the same circumstances. I have no doubt that I shall be able to find a place in Tredegar House for this picture. It will, I hope, be a monument in Tredegar House to help those who come after me to try and do some good in their generation with the wealth which may be at their disposal. I thank you from the very bottom of my heart for this great tribute you have paid me.

_This Speech was made in December, 1907, in acknowledgment of
Monmouthshire's tribute to Lord Tredegar, which took the
form of an oil painting of himself, a gold cup, an album,
and L2,000, which his Lordship handed over to various
Hospitals._

THE JUBILEE OF QUEEN VICTORIA.

We are about to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee, not so much because Her Majesty has merely reigned fifty years, but because she has reigned 50 years in the hearts of her people.

_County Meeting with reference to Queen Victoria's Jubilee, Newport,
February 9th, 1887._

THE LATE QUEEN VICTORIA.

The expression of the country's appreciation of the character of her late Majesty has been done grandly and well. Statesmen on both political sides have told of their experience of her, not merely their opinion, but the result of the interviews they have had with her. All classes have borne testimony to her goodness and greatness. We, as humble subjects of Her Majesty, knew her sympathetic qualities. Everybody present has benefitted in some way directly or indirectly through her. I think of the line which says--"One touch of nature makes the whole world kin." It was the touch of nature in her character, and her sympathizing feelings, which have made the whole of the civilized world, and much of the uncivilized world, mourn on this occasion.

_Monmouthshire County Council,
February 6th, 1901._

THE LATE KING EDWARD.

It has been well said by a poet that "Fierce is the light that beats upon the throne." Since those words were written the light beating upon the throne has become ten times more powerful, but in the case of King Edward that fact has only tended to emphasise His Majesty's charm of life and of personality, and the power of his will, which have benefitted not only this country but the whole civilised world.

_Usk Quarter Sessions, June 22nd, 1910--in moving a
Vote of Condolence on the death of King Edward._

THE PENNY WHISTLE OF REPUBLICANISM.

There never was a time when the country was more loyal. The penny whistle of republicanism which tried to blow its notes some time ago has, I believe, burst itself, for it found no sympathetic echo in the heart of the nation. I believe there is no harder worked man in the United Kingdom than the Prince of Wales. From morning to night he is at the beck and call of somebody or other, and we always find him ready to respond to the calls made upon him.

_Tredegar Show,
December 16th, 1875._

ON PRETORIA DAY.

We have done our best to publicly recognise the success that has been achieved in the occupation of Pretoria, and to do honour to Lord Roberts and his gallant army. You can tell the kind of man Lord Roberts is by his despatches. You can depend on it that whenever you read a despatch from Lord Roberts you are reading what is true, complete and accurate. I hope we shall soon see Lord Roberts, who is an old and good friend of mine, in Newport again.

_Pretoria Day,
June 7th, 1900._

ADMIRATION FOR AMERICAN SAILORS.

I have a great admiration for American sailors and the American people generally. When the Crimean War broke out, in the summer of 1854, the first soldiers sent out of England were the cavalry regiments, and I went with them. At that time England had been at peace for 40 years, and when war commenced the authorities knew little about the transport of cavalry. We did not go out as a whole regiment in a large liner, and arrive at our destination without the loss of a horse, as would be the case now. We were sent out in troops of 40 or 50 at a time, in small sailing vessels of 500 tons. In the ship in which I sailed the horses were packed in the hold, and when they got to the Bay of Biscay a violent gale sprang up. In a few hours half a dozen horses broke loose and struggled about in the hold. There was only one American sailor among the crew, and he went down and "calculated" and uttered dreadful oaths. But he had not been down in the hold half an hour before he had all the horses tied up again. Ever since then I have had the greatest respect for American sailors.

_Cardiff Eisteddfod,
August 4th, 1902._

IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARMY.

I always feel some diffidence in returning thanks for the Army, since I am no longer in it; but I may add that I am proud to have belonged to it. No gentleman who has been in Her Majesty's Service can look back with other than happy feelings to that time. When I first joined the Army, it was not in its present state. Many things connected with that Service have improved. Among others, the social condition of the soldier has been improved. I feel that no individual in this country, however high his position may be, need be ashamed of his connection with the Army.

At one time, the people of Newport knew more about soldiers than now. Some time ago I asked the Duke of Cambridge to send a regiment, or part of a regiment, to Newport, and his Grace said, in answer to me, that the people would be obliged to stir up a riot in the county if they wished to secure the presence of soldiers! I hope such a contingency will not arise, living as I do in the county. However, his Grace promised to do his best in the matter, and I hope we shall soon again have the advantage of a regiment in Newport.

_Dinner to Lord Tredegar and Alexandra Dock Directors,
July 27th, 1865._

THE BOY SCOUT MOVEMENT.

The Boy Scout movement instructs the boy just at the time when he is between school and a trade, when it would perhaps be better if he stayed a bit longer at school, for the time hangs heavy on his hands; and that is the time when you catch hold of these boys and give them an interest in their country, and an interest in the necessity of having somebody to protect the country. The Scouts that I have had any experience of are all boys who seem to have improved in their manners, their ways, and their education very soon after they have joined the Boy Scouts.

_Meeting in Newport in connection with the Boy Scout Movement,
March 14th, 1911._

NOT KNOWN HERE.

When the ironworks were started here they received the name of Tredegar, and the town itself was also called Tredegar. It is rather disagreeable to me at times. I have letters addressed, "Lord Tredegar, Tredegar, Monmouthshire." They are sent to Tredegar, where they are marked by the postal officials: "Not known here; try Tredegar Park."

LIFE'S TRAGEDY AND COMEDY.

Life is said to be a comedy to those who think and a tragedy to those who feel, and as we all feel and think we must meet with a good deal of comedy and a good deal of tragedy. I hope you all have more comedy than tragedy.

_Presentation to Lord Tredegar of Miner's Lamp and
Silver Medal at Risca Eisteddfod,
October 5th, 1896._

NEWPORT A SECOND LIVERPOOL

I hope the day is not far distant when Newport will be a second Liverpool, and Maindee a second Birkenhead.

_Tredegar Show,
December 13th, 1864._

OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE.

I have read somewhere that an Oxford man walks about looking as if Oxford and the rest of the world belong to him. A Cambridge man, on the other hand, walks as if he does not care a--well, does not care two straws who the place belongs to.

_Seventy-fifth Anniversary of St. David's College, Lampeter,
October 9th, 1902._

DOCTORS-OLD STYLE AND NEW.

The owning of a hospital is not a very lively proceeding, but I cannot help giving a few of my reminiscences in connection with doctors. I can go back to the real old-style of doctor; not the present-day smart young gentleman with the radium light in his pocket, but the old-fashioned gentleman who first of all pulled out a watch as big as a warming-pan, and who felt the pulse and asked the patient to put out his tongue, and ended up by saying "Haw!" That meant a tremendous lot, for he did not tell any more.

I well remember a medical friend of mine saying once that he lived in a land flowing with rhubarb, magnesia, and black draughts. That was the way we were treated as children, and which possibly enabled us to live a long life.

_Opening of a Hospital at Abertysswg,
October 3rd, 1910._

ALL SORTS AND CONDITIONS.

I am one of those who like mixing with all sorts and conditions of men. I can dine with lords and ladies whenever I like, but I cannot always dine with an assembly of working men.

_May Horse Show Dinner,
May 4th, 1893._

A CONTRAST IN CORRESPONDENCE.

I have a great deal of correspondence of one sort and another. I keep no secretary, and my correspondence is with all sorts and conditions of men. Only this morning, in the hurried moment before I left, I wrote two letters, one to a descendant of Warwick the Kingmaker, and the other to a little boy living in the back slums of Newport about a football match. That is the sort of correspondence I like, for I like to mix with all sorts and conditions of men and do what I can for them.

_Foundation-Stone Laying, Presbyterian Church, Newport,
August 27th, 1895._

DREAMS AND TEARS.

I never remember to have had a dream that was merry. I never remember to have awakened from a dream with a smile or a laugh; but many times have I done so with tears on my cheeks.

_Bazaar at Ystrad Mynach,
September 9th, 1909._

THE PRECIPICE OF MATRIMONY.

You have heard things said about Matrimony. It is an annual occurrence at this dinner, until I have become like a man who can walk along the verge of a precipice and look down without falling over. I have looked so long without a desire to plunge, that I am able now to look over without any danger of falling.

_The Tredegar Show,
December 17th, 1867._

HOW TO LIVE FOR EVER.

People who regularly study the newspapers come across advertisements of many things calculated to make them doubt whether there is any need for a cottage hospital at all. In fact, as far as I can see, judging by these advertisements, there is no reason why anybody should die.

_Pontypridd Cottage Hospital,
May 5th, 1910._

PUNCTUALITY "THE THIEF OF TIME."

As an old military man, I fully appreciate the value of punctuality. Undoubtedly punctuality is the first great duty in this world if we wish to carry on business satisfactorily. There are those who say punctuality is a great mistake, because a deal of time has to be spent in waiting for other people. That is a very pleasant way of looking at an unpunctual individual.

_Intermediate School Prize Distribution,
October 19th, 1898._

NO KNOWLEDGE OF KISSES.

There is no prize worth much that does not take some trouble to gain. I have heard that kisses, when taken without much trouble, are not worth having. Of course I do not know anything about that sort of thing. My brother and I had a fine looking animal. We used to smoke our cigars as we gazed at it, and think there was nothing like it in the world. We thought we would send it to Birmingham; and then, if any good, to Smithfield. It was of no use, however. It reminded me of a celebrated trainer who used to come into this county, who said: "Oh, you've nothing at home to try him with. You think your horse goes very fast past trees." I expect it was very much the same thing with our ox. It looked very good alongside the cattle trough.

A SMART RETORT.

When I had the pleasure of presenting Bedwellty Park to this town (Tredegar) one of my critics asked: "Are you quite sure, Lord Tredegar, that you have not given the Tredegar people a white elephant?" That simile did not trouble me, for I told them I was quite sure in a few months the park would be as black as the rest of Tredegar.

_Bazaar at Tredegar,
May 23rd, 1902._

THE BUSHRANGER'S METHOD.

Just as I came into the hall, I encountered an individual dressed in a rather extraordinary garb. I looked him up and down, and saw that he was well armed. It reminded me of the case of a minister in the backwoods calling on a bushranger to go round with the hat. The latter did so, and the first young man he came to dropped in two or three cents. The bushranger looked at him in a peculiar way, cocked his pistol in a significant manner, and said, "Young man, this is a two dollar show." The young man at once dropped in two dollars. I think that perhaps my friend might come round with me presently, we might frighten some of the gentlemen who have come here with full purses.

_Congregational Church Bazaar, Newport,
October 22nd, 1896._

MAKING THE WAIST PLACES GLAD.

I have a little advice to give to you in conclusion. A school-boy was being examined in Scripture knowledge, and was asked the meaning of the words, "Make the waste places glad." He answered, "Put your arm around a lady's waist and make her glad." That, I think, is a very good hint for the young men present, and I advise them to make the evening as pleasant as they can for the ladies. To the ladies I would say this--"Don't put too much faith in the promise of love that may be whispered in your ears before the close of the ball."

_Servants' Ball,
January 4th, 1899._

AS OTHERS SEE US.

A celebrated philosopher has said there are three different personalities about a man. First, there is what God thinks about him; secondly, what his friends think about him; and, thirdly, what he thinks of himself.... There is another personality to be thought of, and that is the opinion of newspapers. It is very difficult to arrange those different personalities, because one's own opinion is entirely different from other people's. I like a gentleman who proposes my health to lay it on thick, as some of it is sure to stick, whether I deserve it or not.

_Opening of the New Hospital, Abergavenny,
October 6th, 1902._

THE MIGHTY LORD MAYOR.

Many people have the impression that the Lord Mayor of London is the greatest man in this kingdom. There is a line or two in an old song relating to a lover who did not like to pop the question to his girl. He said:--

"If I were a Lord Mayor,
A Marquis or an Earl,
Blowed if I wouldn't marry
Old Brown's girl."

That represents a great deal of the feeling in this country about the magnificence of the position of the Lord Mayor of London.

_Newport Conservative Meeting,
July 25th, 1901._

A DAY OF GREAT JOY.

It is a high honour, because it is the greatest that the Lord Mayor and Corporation have the power of conferring upon anybody. My only drawback is the fear that I cannot be worthy of the others whose names are on the roll of Cardiff's freemen. You know that comparisons are odious, and when you read the names on that list and compare mine with them, I hope you will look with leniency upon me. The Lord Mayor promised me just now that he would not be very long in his address and in his references to me on this occasion. At one moment I felt very much inclined to remind him of his promise, as the great King Henry IV did with a Lord Mayor who went on his knees to deliver the keys of the city. Without delivering them he rose from his knees and said, "I have twelve reasons for not yielding up the keys of the city. The first is that there are no keys." The King said, "That is quite enough; we don't want any more reasons." I felt inclined to stop the Lord Mayor and say, "You have said quite enough about me; I will take the remainder for granted."

I see no reason why I should not be civil to the members of the Corporation unless they are uncivil to me. I should probably then do what other people would do. The Lord Mayor has said that Glamorgan could not claim me as a Glamorgan man. Well, I was born in Glamorgan, at Ruperra Castle, on this side of the Rumney. I know that if a man is born in a stable it doesn't make him a horse, but I always understood that the place of your birth had a certain claim upon you.

It is not very long ago that I was discussing with somebody what I was going to do in the future, and I quoted the line from Shakespeare: "My grief lies onward, but my joy is behind." I think now that I spoke a little too soon, this day being one of great joy to me, as you can easily understand.

_Presentation of the Freedom of Cardiff to Viscount Tredegar,
October 25th, 1909._

THE GOOD OLD ENGLISH OATH.

I never was good at personal abuse. I have got a good old-fashioned oath when I am angry--a good old English oath, good enough for most people--but that is only when I am very angry. And though we have been told that this is the greatest crisis we have ever seen, unfortunately I cannot get angry enough about it to abuse other people. But in the circumstances, if I am put to it, I think I would quote Falstaff, who said, "If any part of a lie will do me grace, I will gild it with the heaviest terms I have."

_South Monmouthshire Conservative Association,
December 22nd, 1909._

PRAISE IN BUCKETSFUL.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, the celebrated American writer, said that when he was young he liked his praises in teaspoonfuls. When he got a little older he liked them in tablespoonfuls, and later on in ladles. I think I have had a good ladleful this afternoon. If I live a little longer, I should like it in buckets.

_Cardiff,
September 14th, 1897._

AN EASY SOLUTION.

I have a notion by which we could be relieved of two wearisome questions. I should like the suffragettes to marry the passive resisters and go away for a long honeymoon.

_Servants' Ball,
1907._

A READY ANSWER.

Four or five years ago I received a letter from the War Office asking how many horses I would put at the service of Her Majesty in case of emergency. I wrote back and said, "All of them." By return of post I received a letter saying that I had given a very patriotic answer, but that it did not help them in the least; what they wanted to know was how many horses I could put upon the register. I sent back and registered eighteen horses. That was the whole of the Tredegar Hunt. Well, a couple of days ago I received a notice that all of those horses would be wanted. So if the Tredegar Hunt collapses suddenly, you will know the cause of it.

_St. Mellons Ploughing Dinner,
October 12th, 1899._

WELCOME.

What a beautiful word is the English word "Welcome!" What a world of sympathy it expresses! It does not matter whether the welcome comes from a father, mother, brother, or sister, or from the girl of your own heart. It is always the same. I have arrived at the time of life when I can not expect an eye to look brighter when I come, but many eyes are brighter when they fall on these volunteers who left their homes, not when they thought the war was over, but in the time of England's darkest hour. That was the time when our gallant Yeomanry and Service Companies went to assist their country in its distress. They went to redeem again the honour of England, which at one moment looked as if it were rather smirched. They must have seen suffering by disease and bullet wounds, and in other ways, and must have been brought face to face with all kinds of distress, and witnessed the agony of death from disease and bullets. All that tends to make a man more sympathetic to those whom at other times he might be inclined to blame.

_Presentation to returned Volunteers (Boer War), Rogerstone,
July 26th, 1901._

THE SEVEN AGES.

I liken myself to Shakespeare's "Seven ages." I have been the baby, the schoolboy, the lover, and the warrior, and I am now the Justice, but unlike the poet's justice, I can not boast of "a fair round belly with good capon lined." Having disappointed the poet in one thing, I hope to disappoint him in another, and not to degenerate into a "lean and slippered pantaloon."

_Servants' Ball,
January 10th, 1893._

A DELICATE POINT.

The bazaar may be described as an "European fair," because the stalls represent most of the nations of Europe. The reason for that is that if we went to Africa or other dark countries, some difficulty might be experienced in getting the ladies to wear the costumes of those districts.

_Opening of "World's Fair" Bazaar, Newport,
April 29th, 1891._

THE HISTORIC HOUSE OF LORDS.

It is in itself no great thing to be a lord; in fact, there used to be a saying, "As drunk as a lord." But it is a great thing to sit in the House of Lords. That House is an institution which I believe every country wishing for constitutional government has, for the last hundred years, striven to imitate, but without success, and in my opinion they are never likely to succeed, because the House of Lords is an institution which, being the growth of centuries, can not be imitated in a day. It is recruited from various classes of society, and it is simply impossible to create a body similar to it all in a moment.

In the old days, some three hundred years ago, King James, being in need of money, thought it would be a very good thing to create an extra rank, namely, that of baronet, and he sold baronetcies at L1,000 a piece, which brought him in a goodly sum of money. Anyone applying for a baronetcy was required to show a certain amount of pedigree, proving that he had had a grandfather or something of that sort. Now, if his Sovereign calls him, there is nothing to prevent any one, having talent and worth, from entering the House of Lords, even if he never had a grandfather. Great divines, great soldiers, great statesmen, great lawyers, and great engineers, representatives of all the rank and wealth of the country, are to be found in that august body; and I think it is a long time since any expression on the part of the House of Lords has been adverse to the general opinion of the country.

_Licensed Victuallers' Dinner,
January 16th, 1876._

FINIS.

WESTERN MAIL, LIMITED, PRINTERS, CARDIFF