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WORKMEN'S TOPICS. I

The Household. ----------

Another Victory,

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",--. PROMINENT PREACHERS,e.,.'.…

--patIENCE.

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Parliamentary History of Radnorshire.…

GARDENING HINTS.

Women in Public Affairs.

The Civil War in South Wales.…

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The Civil War in South Wales. ROUNDHEAD AND CAVALIER ON TAFF SIDE, [SECOND ARTICLE.] Chepstow Castle's capitulation to the Parlia- mentarian troops under Col. Thomas Morgan is thus described by Col. Morgan himself :— 1645. Oct. 10, Chepstow. Being informed uppon Satterday last there was some riseiug in the counties of Glamorgan and Monmouth to stand upon their ownegaurds under the command of Sir Trevor Williams and Collonell Mathews, with. sane shewes of beeing for the Parliament, I.made use of that oppertunitie and drew out five hundred of my horse and four hundred footefrom Gloucester towards Chepstcw, with which I entred the toune and summoned the Castle'of Collonell Fitzmorris for the Parliament's use, unto which he sent a. very peremtorey answer, saying he kept it for his master the king, but beeing very desirous to reduce that garrison unto dew obedience of Parliament, I still continewed in the towne with that partie, and sent to the governour of Bristoll for three hundred foote for my assistance in the busseness, which he willingly did, who camo up to me upon Thursday night. Then I.rtysed a battrey within halfe musquet shott of the casitle, and planted two brass oolvering and one of iron with which. when I had made a reasonable breach, there came to my hand certaine intelligence of the enemy's moveing from Worcester, Hertford, Lymster, Ragland, and Monmouth, and intende to quarter two thousand horsa and foote this night at Aberganey, upon which I prepared with all possible speed to storme it, and for that purpose I drew out four hundred men, and had sett them in a posture immediately to have faulne on. which the enemy discovered, and bett a parley of which I admitted." The governour was told that if he would deliver up to me the castle with all the armes, ordnance, amunicion, and other provisions therein, for the Parliamente's use and render himself with all the officers and souldiers my prisoners, hee and they should have faire quarter for theire lives, which he imbraced and yealded himself and all with him my prisoners, and immediately marched out. The prisoners are Collonell Fitmorris, Governour, Majour Bridg- man. Deputie Governor, Captain Hallcwe Lieutenant Jones, Ensigne Dawson, and one hundred and six prisoners. I founde in the towne and castle eighteen peeces of ordnance, great and smale, fifteen barills of powder, four hundred barills of butter, six hogsheads of bisquet, with greate quantities of other provi. sions. The countrey both here and in the Forest of Deane doe much rejoyce at our prosperous proceeding in the clearing this passage, by reson of the free traids they are now in hope to enjoye to London, Gloucester, Bristoll, and other parts of the kingdouie, and I have appointed Collonell Henges governour of the towne and castle of Chepstowe." CHEPSTOW NEARLY LOST AGAIN. A very lugubrious picture of the condition of South Wales from a Parliamentarian's point of view is painted by Col. Thomas Herbert, under date December 6th, 1645, from Chepstow. He describes the enemy as so overpowering the coun- try with their horse that they awe the whole shire, and raise their contribution at leisure, infinitely to the fcerrour of our friends and the daily hazard of Monmouth and Chepstow—the two keys' and most considerable garrisons of Wales—which are likely to fall suddenly into the enemies power. Yesterday, upon the enemies beatmg up our quarters at Abergany and Rosse—where we lost some horse—the turnout was all over this county that Monmouth was sur- prised by the Ragland foot. Upon which the governor of Chepstow drew all his men—scarce 100—into the castle, leaving the towne desolate, so that had the enemy come they might have entred without resistance You see, therefore, in what too poore oaiiditiou that place is io. and so full 01 Maliguants that Ragland has intelli- gence then daily. Aberustwyth Castle is taken, we heare, and puld down. THE BLOODTHIRSTY CLUBMEN. The peripatetic freebooters, known as clubmen in those times, seem to have been desperate characters, judging by a letter from Chichester, on October 13th 1 1645 :— By reason' of the Clubmen's insurrection we can neither raise men or moneys for Sir Thomas Fairfax's arriiyi. they not suffering our officers to impress, or when impressed taking them away by violence, sendiug sometimes a. constable or tithingman. with the blood running about his &ars. Not an £100-though above jB4,000 due—being brought in since their first rising, no collector daring to distrain for fear of having his brains dashed out, 40 servants and women rising together, armed with prongs and other weapons." A CARMARTHEN STALWART. According to his own account, Captain Ralph Grundy nearly approached the martyr stage in his devotion to the Roundheads. Under date October 28th. 1652, he petitions the committee for petitions, stating that at the beginning of the Parliament he was the only person in Carmar- thenshire that acted for them, published their declarations and remonstrances, and opposed the raising of arms against them, with the inevitable result that he was plundered, his brother murdered, and himself condemned to death as a traitor, but, escaping to Pembrokeshire, he there served the Parliament in arms, while the enemy enjoyed his estate. He naturally asks the com- mittee to take his deplorable case into con- sideration," which we hope they did, to the advantage not only of the gallant captain himself, but of his heirs and assigns, whose descendants may still be in the land of the living. A POPISH SPY AT PEMBROKE. An incident of some interest in connection with the subsequent Irish landing In Wales, is de- «cribed*in a letter dated Haverfordwest, April 9th, 1612, from Timothy Tourneur to Mr Speaker Lenthall. At' my coming to hold the great sessions of tHfe County of Pembroke, this last week, there was showed unto me the examination of Hugh Mol'oy, a Franciscan friar or Romish priest, taken before the mayor of Pembroke and another justice. And finding therein sufficient grounds to proceed against him for treason upon the Jaw made against men of his quality, did cause him to be indicted, arraigned, and tried, and the jury having found him guilty, I gave judgment on the verdict as m the case of high treason. I have directed the sheriff, however, to stay execu- tion, Tas he was stayed "amongst other Popish Irish by command of the House. The story of this man's life and behaviour to bring him within the case of high treason is amply set forth in his examination." We wonder how Hugh Molloy, Franciscan friar or Romish priest, ultimately fared. HE WANTED THEM REMOVED. On December 12th, 1645, copies of intercepted letters from Col. Pritchard, the governor of Cardiff Castle, were sent to Mr Speaker Lenthall. In these the governor sought to have certain persons "removed." "There is," says he, Shreene Thomas aud his father, and Parson Edwards at Swansea and there is Major-Genl. StradlingandtheBishopof Armagh atSt.Donnett's [Donats], a place of great consequence, a strong castle and comes to the water side and there is the Bishop Pearce, seized on but set at liberty upon bail; and, if I be not mistaken, Bishop Main- waring. In the sirquit [circuit] they are all very violent, which doth discourage the well-affected, and being all knit in sanguinity, no course is taken with them." "If Col. Edwtrd Pritchard did not immediately have the whole of bis wishes gratified in the "removal" of the persons bo names, he had not long to waif, for the capture of Major-Genl. Stradling, of St. Donat's, which took place at the rout of the king's forces at St. Nicholas, in May, 1848, by Col. Horton, who reported from the field of battle that many of the enemy were slain, 3,000 prisoneis taken, together with a great store ot arms and ammunition, and many colours. AFTER THE BATTLE OF ST. NICHOLAS. About two months after the decisive engage- ment at St. Nicholas, the following letter was written by Col. Henry Herbert to William Lenthall, discovered among the Welbeck Abbey MS*. T "1648, July 28th, Bergenenny.—I was sent by the House into Wales, where I have served them to my best ability in all faithfulness, having spent a great'part of my time with Lieut.- General Cromwell, and on Tuesday (25th) parted from him not far from Gloucester. I am now returned to Monmouthshire, where suddenly Colonel Horton and the gentry are to meet to put Wales into the best posture we can for the service of the Parliament,"&c.

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ITHE POET'S SABBATH.

YOUTHFUL MODESTY.

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Welsh Tit-Bits. .

Improve the Shining Hour.I

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GOSSIPS' CORNER. .

--.-------A SATURDAY SERMON,