a literary instrument.

How came the bishops, it may be asked, to allow such men to hold cures? The reply is, that the bishops were not then responsible for the linguistic qualification of the clergy. When a vacant living was to be filled, the presentee was required to officiate in the presence of his future parishioners; and if they expressed themselves satisfied, the bishop proceeded to institute. Such a tribunal was not likely to be rigid in its procedure. In the case of Dr. Bowles of Trefdraeth, it was alleged that the churchwardens inscribed their names on a blank sheet of paper, which the Doctor afterwards supplied with a certificate of his own competency in the language; and though he turned out lamentably incompetent, no complaint was made for some three or four years, when, having fallen out with his squire about tithes, he was sued in the Court of Arches for his bad Welsh.

Things have materially improved in this respect within the present century. Bishop Burgess was, I believe, the first to inaugurate the present system of examination by competent Welsh scholars; and at the present time every candidate for orders intending to serve in a Welsh cure is subjected to examination, both in the colloquial and literary knowledge of the vernacular. It is quite necessary to take this precaution; for though the literary use of Welsh has very much extended during the last half-century, and though increased facilities. for studying the language are offered, there still remains an indisposition on the part of students to avail themselves of the opportunity. They think they know their own language sufficiently, and they are more attracted to the new fields of knowledge opened to them through the medium of the English language. Hence, one still occasionally hears of a clergyman who is weak in his Welsh; and it is seldom, as far as my small experience goes, that one Welshman expresses unqualified admiration of another Welshman's literary Welsh. There is still room for improvement, and the problem to be solved is, how to combine a thoroughly Welsh diction with general literary culture. The former is seldom attained by any who have not been brought up to it as their fireside language: the latter requires a longer and more expensive education than falls within the compass of a student of the class just indicated. A two years', or even a three years' course at a college is insufficient, certainly for both, perhaps for either purpose. Improved intermediate education at the one end, and an extra year's study at the other end, spent in special preparation for the Welsh ministry, might do much to supply the deficiency. But our Church institutions must be supplied with more ample funds before this can be accomplished.

With all these drawbacks to the success of the Church, I imagine it to be beyond all question that there has been a marked advance, both in Welsh diction and general culture, among the clergy of the present day. And this is the more gratifying, inasmuch as the demand for Welsh clergy has risen so remarkably of late. This might conceivably have led to a lowering of the standard: on the contrary, advance in quality has proceeded pari passu with advance in quantity. The supply is ample, and so the standard raises itself. So far for the Welsh side. But a bi-lingual clergyman should also be viewed from the side of his English; and here also there is room for improvement in the case of the majority of those who have imbibed the pronunciation of Welsh in their infancy. But a perfect bi-lingualist in any two

languages is a rare phenomenon, and we ought not to look for perfection in Wales.

Further illustrations of the effects of the linguistic condition of the country may be found in the paucity and poverty of publications adapted to Welsh educational and parochial uses, and in the weakness of the Welsh Church Press. It is no blame to Wales that it cannot compete with England in the production of educational books, and particularly in illustrated books, such as we give as prizes in our National schools, and which beyond anything else stimulate the young to a love of reading. Even the supply of books and tracts for parochial use is scanty, and the sale sluggish. The bi-lingual Welshman seems to be in danger of falling between the two stools of English and Welsh literature, the former so abundant and so attractive, the latter, on the other hand, commending itself to the judgment of the clergy as better suited to the purposes of Church work, and to the requirements of the present day. Into the thorny question of the Church Press, I shall not further intrude than to express my conviction that the linguistic condition of the country has more to do with its weakness than is generally supposed. Comparisons are occasionally instituted between the Church Press and the Nonconformist Press, as though the cases were parallel. I question whether they are so. Nonconformity is, comparatively speaking, uni-lingual. It has, moreover, its divisions and subdivisions. each of which is duly represented by its own organ. Its Press thrives on the abundance of its polemics, internal and external. Whatever polemics Welsh Churchmen have, they have in common with their brethren in England; and with certain classes the same Press serves for the two countries. This circumstance must affect our Church Press by restricting the sale of its productions. Yet there remains an important section of Churchmen in Wales who are accessible only through the medium of their native tongue, and who would have reason to complain if they were not supplied with information in the form they desire to have it. It would be presumptuous in me to offer advice on this very difficult topic. All I venture to say is, that I think that not sufficient consideration is paid to the linguistic condition of the country in the various explanations put forth to account for the weakness of the Church press, the tendency being to throw the whole blame on individuals or bodies, sometimes the clergy, more frequently the dignitaries, most frequently the bishops. Possibly a larger view of the situation might lead to a modification of the machinery by which the desired end is to be attained. But, however this may be, our thanks and sympathy are due to those who, amidst much discouragement, are bearing the burthen and heat of the day in the management of the Welsh Church Press.

The general drift of the foregoing remarks has been to show the complication of difficulties imposed on the Church by the linguistic condition of the country, and that they originate in circumstances over which the Church has no control. It is not only the "bi-lingual difficulty," commonly so-called, but that larger bi-lingualism which arises out of the contact of two languages, each strong in its own special line of strength, each valued for its work in its own department, and each holding an important place in the life of the nation. It has fallen to the lot of the Church, in the order of God's providence, to harmonize, if it be possible, the conflicting claims of the two, and to hold the balance

between them without partisanship towards either. Nonconformity has been as yet exempt from the difficulty; and to this is largely due its success in Wales. It ought to be thankful for the immunity, and to be willing to acknowledge that the Church has been heavily handicapped in this respect, in her endeavours to accomplish her mission to the people of Wales. No such consideration is shown by the political opponents of the Church. Their most bitter and plausible attacks are at bottom founded on the language. I may cite as samples the following:—that there was culpable remissness in not producing at an earlier period a Welsh version of the Bible, the difficulties of the task being prudently ignored by those who make the accusation. That the country was "flooded" with English clergymen, brought in by English bishops for the express purpose of Anglicizing the country, the fact being that the cases of an English-born clergyman being imported into a Welshspeaking parish are comparatively rare, as the names of the clergy show. That the Church is the Church of the English-speaking upper class, and not of the Welsh-speaking middle and lower classes, though she offers her ministrations in both languages, and does her best to satisfy the wants of both sections. That she is an "alien" Church, because she is united with the Church in England in a single polity called the Church of England (Eglwys Loegr, as in default of a better equivalent it is rendered in Welsh, though the strictly geographical term, Lloegr, fails to convey the ecclesiastical sense of "England" in the title Church of England). That she is an anti-national Church, though four-fifths of her clergy are Welshmen to the back-bone, born on the soil of Wales, speaking its language, steeped in its traditions. These, and similar accusations which appeal strongly to the passions of the ill-informed, are all based on the language. A closer research into the history of the Church, the country, and the language, will reduce these charges to their true dimensions. Far be it from me to say that the Church has been faultless in her treatment of the Welsh language; but we may, at all events, fairly claim that the truth be told, the whole truth; the truth, not only of her shortcomings, but also of her varied and peculiar difficulties.

ADDRESSES.

The Ven. JOHN GRIFFITHS, Residentiary Canon and
Archdeacon of Llandaff.

It is mine to speak-to make a speech, and not read a paper on this, the last, but not in any sense the least important of the many important subjects of this great Congress.

The subject, we are this afternoon considering, has not the Catholicity of character that most of the other subjects that have been dealt with, had.

It is more a local or provincial than a general subject. It affects a branch of that great spiritual vine, around which our sympathies have been this week gathering, rather than the vine itself—a branch, however, the health and vigour of which has an important bearing on the tree itself.

If I am to be guided, by what I heard in another place of concourse, last Wednesday, I must reverse the metaphor, and speak of the Church in Wales as a venerable trunk

of very early planting-a trunk from which mighty branches have sprung, and are today yielding a plentiful supply of precious fruit.

We were told, indeed, that we were to regard the Welsh Church as the mother of the powerful daughter who, with becoming filial affection, at this time, visits her aged and rather afflicted parent, and brings with her sympathy, affection, and aid.

Time will not permit of playing with metaphors; these must give place to more solid work, and to dealing with a few facts: the first fact is written on the thesis before me-the Church in Wales, be she mother or daughter-call her what you will— has many and serious difficulties to contend with. I confine myself to one difficulty— that arising from her linguistic condition.

Paradoxical as the statement may appear, her strength, in the possession of two languages, contributes to her weakness.

Two languages within her gates contend for the mastery. The contention has been going on long, with various issues. It rages to-day. The old and the new-each claiming for itself superior dignity and usefulness, collides with the other. The din of contending parties is heard, more loudly within the Church, than without it, in its social surroundings. The new brings with it testimonials of the highest character; recommendations from the highest sources of influence and power; sends some of her grandest and greatest sons to live and labour among us, and bids the old depart. The old sullenly refuses, and silently maintains its ancient right; asserts, indeed, its superiority, not in ordinary matters of every day-life, but in matters, not confined to the present, but which extend to the solemn future; she claims for herself an adaptation for her own work, which belongs to no other language; and sometimes, when provoked, puts forward the plea of superiority of structure, of greater depth of expression, of greater eloquence of diction, and the possession of vaster resources.

This may provoke a smile, but "Câs ni charo'r wlad ai maco." The contest seems to show but slight abatement, hence the difficulty the Church has to feel. It invades her educational efforts; it hinders her ministerial work.

What is the Church to do? In the first place she must not shut her eyes to her past experiences—may I add her past mistakes. Before she commits herself to any rash policy, let her carefully consider what language is, what the position it holds in the mysterious machinery of an intelligent soul-possessing being.

We know it to be the outer expression of the inner man: but modes of expression differ; different nations speak different languages. "Multæ terriculis linguæ."

The Welsh language, a branch of the great Indo-European language, differs much from the English language, which we know is a compound of almost all the known European tongues. Now, philological science tells us, how existing languages have grown up, by a gradual process of development, in accordance with the thoughts, feelings, and requirements of the people who use them. A language, therefore, is an intimate part of the inner life of a people. It is moulded to it, as the body is to the skin it covers, and as characteristic of it as the expression of a man's face.

The inner life of one people can never be the same as that of another people with which it has not hitherto been in full converse; and the language of one people can never really replace that of another, until the inner life of one people has become fully familiar to the other, or, by long use has become adapted to express the particular turn of thought of the people who have adopted it; in a word, until it has become thoroughly assimilated—a process which one, or even ten, generations can hardly see fully completed.

Now in science, in business, in plain narration of facts, the substitution is easy enough. In such matters, we have to deal with little more than vocabulary. The

vocabulary of one language, supposing it to be copious, definite, and pronounceable, is as good as the vocabulary of any other language.

But the work of the Church, whether it be educational or ministerial, must go beyond, far deeper than this ordinary conversational power-we have to deal with a far more complex matter. I need not say that the grand mission of the Gospel is to reach the heart. Can we better do this than by using the language of the heart? The heart has its language as well as the lips.

It is found that the syntax, the accent, the emphasis—what is called the genius of the language-have grown up with a people, and are subtly attuned to the soundingboard within, which responds energetically to their call, while dumb to other instruments equally powerful.

I know that the Welsh language is thought by many to be a mere uncultivated tongue-in fact, not worthy to be called a language. This is not true. For late centuries, it has fallen behind in the development of scientific and business terms; the position of isolation and comparative poverty of Wales will, in a great measure, account for this; the prevalence of English among the classes, and the educationally neglected condition of the masses, up to a comparatively late date, will help to explain it.

I should like to convince my Saxon friends that the essential structure of our dear old language is elaborate, cultivated, and subtle. It is the conscious work of a long series of poetical writers, from the sixth century downwards, and expressly designed by them to touch the feelings and move the hearts of the people by whom it is spoken. It was doubtless with the best intentions, and with the hope of conferring on the Welsh people temporal advantages, that many of our clergy disused and discouraged the use of the Welsh language in their schools and in their ministrations; but even granting these premises, it is doubtful if the course taken is a justifiable one. They could not possibly have been acquainted with the labours of that great man Griffith Jones, the vicar of Llanddawror, who did more for real education in Wales than any single man this country ever produced.

The crass ignorance of the country moved his pious soul. For years he labouredhe laboured single-handed. He had witnessed the failure of a few English schools which had been tried. During his lifetime he established four thousand schools, in which men and women were educated in the language they understood. He thus became the pioneer of the greatest religious reformation that the Principality ever felt. The Welsh Sunday schools, inaugurated by him, became the saviours of our country, and are still, second only to the pulpit, the most powerful institutions for religious enlightenment and Scripture teaching that we have among us.

Secular education has always been a high mission of the Church, but surely not the highest. Whatever may be aimed at in the school or in the pulpit, the preacher's first mission, I repeat, is to reach the heart. Truly, a potent instrument is ready to the Welsh clergyman's hand; one of the most potent to be found in any land. May I humbly ask, is it for the educationist, is it for the preacher to turn aside and refuse to use it?

Of late years Wales has awoke to the fact that its traditional system of school training, has failed in its professed object of planting a knowledge of English in every village of the country; and if the ineffable temporal blessings of a knowledge of that world-wide tongue are to be conferred, as we heartily desire they should, on our Welsh children, the Welsh scholastic system must retrace its steps, and commence again the rational course it should never have deviated from, of cherishing first the faculty of speech, in the form in which it is most readily at hand. One by one, the leading authorities of Wales have acceded to the modern views.

The Educational Conference at Shrewsbury, the Royal Commission, the Education