Cylchgronau Cymru

forgotten, for he goes to Warminster to see Signor Polito's "wild beasts," as well as "The Panorama of Cadiz" in London, and at Oxford the wonderful ascent of Sadler in his balloon. There are many other items of interest in the manuscript, but we must refrain. One is chary of referring to Thomas Owen's books, for most unfavourable animadversions were made with regard to two of them in the "Gentleman's Magazine" when they appeared. We read that the critic saw "no object in pro- ducing such a book," and as to the "Geoponica" we are told, "These two volumes contain a large proportion of useless, or at least uninteresting matter mixed with some particulars conformable to modern practice. Without a doubt, measured in material and commercial terms they were value- less for practical purposes, but they are interest- ing and highly entertaining. They display untiring industry and great scholarship. The translations involved collation with Hebrew and Arabic Ver- sions. John Donaldson, who was an authority on such matters, in 1854, claims for them,­"The character of these translations has been that of honest performances. The books written and published by Thomas Owen were: — (1) The three books of M. Teren- tius Varro concerning Agriculture, 1800 (257 pages). Price 5/6. (2) M. Porcius Cato con- cerning Agriculture, 1803 (144 pages). (3) "Geo- ponica, — Agricultural pursuits. Vol. I, 1805 (298 pages). Vol. II, 1806 (301 pages). Price 15/ (4) Palladius Rutilius Taurus Æmilianus de re rustica. The fourteen books on Agriculture, 1807 (349 pages). Price 8/ In 1873 Barton Lodge, Rector of Colchester, edited for the Early English Text Society, "Palladius on Husbondrie," from a manuscript of about 1420, which had been found in Colchester Castle. The editor, in his introduction, remarks, "that he was not aware of the existence of any Y FLODEUGERDD GYMRAEG Wedi ei dethol a'i golygu gan W. J. Grufjydd. Caerdydd: Gwasg Prifysgol Cymru 1931. pp. xxiv, 220. 7s. 6d. The standard anthology of free verse in Welsh was Caniadau Cymru, edited by the late Professor W. Lewis Jones, Bangor, and published by Jarvis and Foster in 1907. All who studied under Pro- fessor Lewis Jones will agree that no one was bet- ter qualified for such a task, and his anthology soon gained the popularity it deserved. This new anthology edited by Professor W. J. Gruffydd other translation of Palladius into English, though he had been published in the vernacular of most other European nations." Seemingly he was unaware of the translation of Thomas Owen. The Colchester version is in verse, whereas that of Owen is in prose, and so not limited by the exi- gencies which rhyme and metre generally impose. From the introductory parts of these volumes the reader will discover that a careful comparison and scholarly collations have been made of differ- ent versions in various manuscripts in several of the Eastern languages. Thomas Owen had great gift of translation, and that not in accordance with what is termed Augustan or "cockney" ideas. Thomas Owen held his Fellowship and Benefice to his death in 1812. He was buried with his forefathers in the old churchyard of Pentraeth near the west-end of the church, and his tomb- stone bears the following inscription:- Here likewise rest the remains of their son, the Reverend Thomas Owen, M.A. For sometime Fellow of Queen's College in the University of Oxford, and Rector of Upton Scudamore in the County of Wilts. He was an eminent scholar, as his edited translations of the works of Cato and Varro, and works from the Greek Geoponica do abundantly testify. Also his proficiency in the Hebrew and Arabic languages ranked him high among the learned, and the goodness of his heart with the serenity of his manners enhanced him to all. He died the 1st day of February, 1812, Aged 63 years. At the time of his death the "Gentleman's Magazine" remarked, "The truly learned Thomas Owen." We are pleased to understand that a more permanent memorial to this good man's life and work is about to be placed in Pentraeth Church. REVIEWS has a wider range than Caniadau Cymru, as it in- cludes poems ranging from the 16th century to the present day. It includes also many old penillion by anonymous writers, as well as hymns, which had been purposely excluded from Caniadau Cymru. Professor Gruffvdd's classification of the poems is made according to subject matter, e.g., spring, summer, hunting, nature, birds, love, etc.a feature which adds a good deal to the value of the book. Caniadau Cymru ended with Ceiriog, but Y Flodeugerdd contains also the works of about a