King Henry: "I wear it for a memorable honour; for I am Welsh, you know, good countryman." It seems that there was a custom in London 250 years ago of hanging effigies of Welshmen on St. David's Day; for Pepys says:-- (March 1, 1667). In Mark Lane I do observe (it being St. David's Day), the picture of a man dressed like a Welshman, hanging by the neck upon one of the poles that stand out at the top of one of the merchants' houses, in full proportion and very handsomely done, which is one of the oddest sights I have seen a good while. SHROVE TUESDAY. Shrove Tuesday, which is called in Welsh Dydd Mawrth Ynyd, was formerly kept as a holiday; but not much notice is taken of the day now, except that the old custom of pancakes eating still survives in most places. "Deuwch heno, fy nghyfeillion, Merched glan a'r bechgyn mwynion, A chydunwn heb un gofyd, Wneyd Crammwythau ar Nos Ynyd." Come to-night my friends, Fair young maidens and gentle young men; And let us join without sorrow To make pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. The day was once also noted for foot-ball kicking in some districts, and also for throwing at cocks, that is hens which had laid no eggs before that day were threshed with a flail as being good for nothing. Mr. Williams in his excellent Welsh essay on the Folk Lore of Carmarthenshire, says that he had been informed by a middle aged person of a curious old custom of playing with eggs. Mr. Williams's informant when a child and other children with him, had been taught by an old woman how to play some peculiar game with eggs on this day, which was something as follows:--Eggs were boiled for two or three hours till they were as hard as stones. The children used to colour their eggs for the prettiest by boiling them in coffee with certain herbs, etc., then for half of the day, they kept throwing the eggs at each other. This curious kind of play reminds me of a similar practice which I noticed in South America many years ago, more especially in the Argentine Republic, where it was customary for the first half of the day for people to throw eggs, water, etc., at each other, and this was done even in the sheets of Buenos Ayres. The custom was known as "El Carnival," that is giving way to the flesh before the beginning of Lent or Fasting Time. In the North of England boys play with eggs on Easter Eve, and centuries ago eggs were blest by the Priest and preserved as Amulates. It was once customary for the tenants of Nanteos, in North Cardiganshire, to give to their landlord Shrove Hens and Eggs (ieir ac wyau Ynyd). This was undoubtedly a survival of the old custom of paying rent, or a portion of it, "in kind." To render in kind ducks and geese, loads of coal, etc., was continued yearly, both in Cardiganshire and Carmarthenshire within living memory. LENT.