Cylchgronau Cymru

THE NATIONALIST. 9 Talhaiarn's Awdl to be superior to that of Emrys, and Robyn Ddu goes a step further, and states that Islwyn's Awdl on " Prince Albert " is even better than Talhaiarn's. But the question is, and was, not which was, or is the best Awdl on " Prince Albert," but which Awdl was properly adjudged the best by the adjudicators. Let me explain. The adjudi¬ cators were Mr. David Griffith (Clwydfardd) and the Rev. James Davies (Iago Emlyn), while the Rev. William Rees (Gwilvm Hiraethog) was the Umpire. The compositions were first sent to Clwydfardd, who un¬ hesitatingly pronounced Talhaiarn's to be the best In sending the compositions to his co-adjudicator, Clwydfardd informed him of the decision to which he himself had come in respect to them. Iago Emlyn was quite unable to fall in with his colleague's choice ; he was inclined to the opinion that another awdl was the best, an awdl which afterwards turned out to be that of Gwalchmai. Iago Emlyn, however, had not the least doubt in his mind that Talhaiarn's Awdl was not the best or even the second best; but before coming to a definite decision on the subject, he, very improperly, sent to the Umpire the five compositions which he considered the best in the competition (Talhaiarn's not being one of the five), and asked the Umpire to select from among the five the one awdl which, in his opinion, was the best. He promptly and firmly declared the awdl of Emrys to be the best. In this decision Iago Emlyn acquiesced, and Emrys was duly installed the Chaired Bard of the Swansea Eisteddfod. It is perfectly clear that, technically speaking, Emrys was a passive usurper. Only one of the two duly appointed adjudi¬ cators adjudicated ; the other adjudicator simply acquiesced in the decision of an Umpire, who, clearly, had no right to decide as to the merits of any particular compositions save those in respect to which the two adjudicators were in disagreement. The fact that Talhaiarn was a Churchman, and that Iago Emlyn, Emrys and Gwilym Hiraethog were Congregational ministers, I deeply regret to say, led many people, great and small, to allege, and even to believe, that the Eisteddfod was ruled by a clique of Congregationalists, and that the Chair was awarded to Emrys simply because he was a Congregational minister ! There is really not a vestige of foundation for this very serious charge, and it is painful to think that even Nicander, Glasynys and other eminent bards openly made it and repeated it to the very last, and based upon it their predictions of the