THE FIRST PRINCE OF WALES.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 76, 28 July 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE FIRST PRINCE OF WALES.

(From London Society,-)

That had been a simple-minded generation of Welshmen to whom Edward I. presented his baby boy, who had just. seen the light in Caernarvon town, as a veritable Prince of Wales. The victorious king, occupied with affairs of state, was sojourning at RhudJan Castle when a lucky messenger made his appearance, and told the monarch that his queen had again made him the father of son. Other sons the rough-bearded warrior had had, but two had died, and the sickly Alphonso alone survived. The delighted informant was rewarded after the splendid and indiscriminate liberality uf that rude age.! His pouches were crammed wiih broad pieces of gold ; he was dubbed knight ou the spot ; and happier than most modern nights, he was presented with house and ja.id wherewith to support the dignity so easily acquired. The Welshmen longed for a native prince. For llic love of Eleanor de Montfort, tlieir last princo, Llewellyn had done homage to the English King in London, and had received from the English King the hand of his bride in Worcester Cathedral. Not to my light pen, but lo the grave historic page belongs the dolef 1 later narrative of the fierce fight for Wal.-s, whioh scarcely ended when the remorseless Edward placed Llewellyn'^ head on the highest of lhc high turrets of tlm Tower of London. Ido not myself accept the legend that the simple minded mountaineers promised lo submit to any native-born prince, and wlv-n shown the royal infant, at onco transferred to him the promised allegiance. They, poor souls, would cling to any fragment of their banished independence, little dreaming how, in lhc glorious f;itur<-, t:iat do] c idenee would become the firmer and happier independence of cemented interests and united affections. Some slight earnest of ' better times there might be in this English prince, born in that pa! -ice fortress which branded subjection ou their country, hut neverihc■Kjss called by lhe Welsh title. It will be noticed tbat, in the first instance of all, it was not the eldest son of the monarch who was lhe Prince of Wales, but the second, Alphon.so died the same year, and ever sinco the eldest son of England has worn, in loving amity, the hereditary badge of the sister, or, rather the selfsame land of Wales, lhe Welsh prince was duly christened by a Welsh prelate. The Bishop of Bangor received a costly fee such as never since gladdened the clerical heart. Manors and legalities were settled on him in abundance for his services at the font, not.t<jj..jnention tho produce of the fWries nccross the Menai.

It is said that Victor Hugo- is engaged upon a new work, which is to be called ''03," and which is to be a sort of link between *• Noire Dame de Paris'' and " Les Miserables." He has several .other works on hand, but lie has pui all'aside in order to devote himself to this. A biography of Victor Hugo |s shortly to be published in Paris, under the title of " Victor Hugo, raconte par un Temoin de sa Vie." Berlin now possesses four libraries for lending bo;*>ks to the working classes, containing Jb,'iOt) volumes. Dming ihe year 18G2 the number of persons who borrowed books was 4, 311,