Edward Richard
Ystrad Meurig
Am fanylion o fywyd Edward Richard a'i ysgol trowch at lyfr D.G. Osborne-
by
D.G. Osborne – Jones
(Carmarthen,1934)
It was his love of Greek poetry . . . that enabled him to compose one of the most perfect englyn in Welsh, a poem utterly classical both in temper and form:
Edward Richard . . . lived in a small thatched cottage, and sold ale to within three years of his death. Mr Williams who succeeded Mr Richard at the free School has built himself a good House out of the stones collected from the ruins of Ystrad Meurig Castle
Edward Richard
(Argraff Arlunydd)
EDWARD RICHARD of YSTRAD MEURIG
Edward Richard a fu enwog Athraw yn y ieithoedd dysgedig yn Ystrad Meurig . . . o'r Flwyddyn 1735, hyd amser ei farwolaeth, Mawrth y 4ydd, 1777 . . . Ei gydnabyddiaeth â'i gynnefindra ef a'r beirdd Rhufeinig a Groegaidd a wnat i'w waith ragori mewn purder, eglurder, dwysder, a rhwyddineb iaith . . Mae ei gerddi yn waith . . . mwyaf hynod a chynnil erioed yn y Gymraeg, wedi eu llunio yn ôl Portreiad Vigil yn mhlith y Rhufeiniaid, a Theocritus yn mhlith y Groegiaid.
Ned or Dre was the vulgar name by which the Bard was known in the neighbourhood.
The village of Ystradmeiric had, formerly, it seem, the privileges of a corporation-
But the strongest witness to the thoroughness of Richard's classical studies is the incomplete catalogue of his library in which Greek and Latin texts easily predominate . . . he possessed five editions of Theocritus . . . to have five different editions is evidence enough of Richard's love of him.
Trallodau, beiau bywyd ― ni welais
Nac wylwch o'm plegyd;
Wyf iach o bob afiechyd,
Ac yn fy medd, gwyn fy myd
The patriotic Edward Richard, the founder of the Grammar School at Ystrad Meurig,
who was considered equal as a teacher to Arnold of Rugby, or Butler of Shrewsbury,
was one day conversing with one of the principals of the University of Oxford about
their scholars. There was no end to the praise which the learned Oxonian was bestowing
on his students. Mr Richard at last declared that he believed that the best boys
of Ystrad Meurig were quite equal in learning to the student of Oxford. “O dear”
uttered the other, “there is no comparison between them.” “Well” said Mr Richard,
“the best plan is to examine them, and I will lay a hundred pounds on my pupils against
an equal sum on the side of your scholars.” When the appointed day of the examination
came, Mr Richard ordered twelve of his scholars to be dressed like common labourers,
and to be posted at different stations on the road, about a mile or so fromYstrad
Meurig, each student possessing a shovel and mattock with orders how to act when
the strangers came to view. At last the Oxonians made their appearance on ponies,
and enquried the distance to Ystrad Meurig of the first labourer they met, and the
answer was given in pure Latin. They asked the same question to the second, and were
answered in classical Greek, and so with the third, when he also answered in excellent
Hebrew. The Oxonians were confounded and wanted to turn back, saying “If the common
labourers about here are so proficient in the learned languages what must be the
expertness of the best scholars?” When the Oxonians arrived in the village they were
greatly dissapointed in witnessing a long straw-
Tudalen 2