〃Time　passed　on　till　I　was　about　eight　years　old；　and　then　in　the
  summer　I　was　lucky　enough　to　be　sent　to　school　for　three　weeks；　and
  as　soon　as　I　had　learnt　to　spell　and　read　a　few　words　I　conceived　a
  mighty　desire　to　learn　to　write；　so　I　went　in　quest　of　elderberries
  to　make　me　ink；　and　my　first　essay　in　writing　was　trying　to　copy　on
  the　sides　of　the　leaves　of　books　the　letters　of　the　words　I　read。
  It　happened；　however；　that　a　shop　in　the　village　caught　fire；　and
  the　greater　part　of　it　was　burnt；　only　a　few　trifles　being　saved；
  and　amongst　the　scorched　articles　my　mother　got　for　a　penny　a
  number　of　sheets　of　paper　burnt　at　the　edges；　and　sewed　them
  together　to　serve　as　copy…books　for　me。　　Without　loss　of　time　I
  went　to　the　smith　of　Waendwysog；　who　wrote　for　me　the　letters　on
  the　upper　part　of　the　leaves；　and　careful　enough　was　I　to　fill　the
  whole　paper　with　scrawlings　which　looked　for　all　the　world　like
  crow's　feet。　　I　went　on　getting　paper　and　ink；　and　something　to
  copy　now　from　this　person；　and　now　from　that；　until　I　learned　to
  read　Welsh　and　to　write　it　at　the　same　time。〃
  He　copied　out　a　great　many　carols　and　songs；　and　the　neighbours
  observing　his　fondness　for　learning　persuaded　his　father　to　allow
  him　to　go　to　the　village　school　to　learn　English。　　At　the　end　of
  three　weeks；　however；　his　father；　considering　that　he　was　losing
  his　time；　would　allow　him　to　go　no　longer；　but　took　him　into　the
  fields　in　order　that　the　boy　might　assist　him　in　his　labour。
  Nevertheless　Tom　would　not　give　up　his　literary　pursuits；　but
  continued　scribbling；　and　copying　out　songs　and　carols。　　When　he
  was　about　ten　he　formed　an　acquaintance　with　an　old　man；　chapel…
  reader　in　Pentre　y　Foelas；　who　had　a　great　many　old　books　in　his
  possession；　which　he　allowed　Tom　to　read；　he　then　had　the　honour　of
  becoming　an　amanuensis　to　a　poet。
  〃I　became　very　intimate；〃　says　he；　〃with　a　man　who　was　a　poet；　he
  could　neither　read　nor　write；　but　he　was　a　poet　by　nature；　having　a
  muse　wonderfully　glib　at　making　triplets　and　quartets。　　He　was
  nicknamed　Tum　Tai　of　the　Moor。　　He　made　an　englyn　for　me　to　put　in
  a　book　in　which　I　was　inserting　all　the　verses　I　could　collect：
  〃'Tom　Evans'　the　lad　for　hunting　up　songs；
  Tom　Evans　to　whom　the　best　learning　belongs；
  Betwixt　his　two　pasteboards　he　verses　has　got；
  Sufficient　to　fill　the　whole　country；　I　wot。'
  〃I　was　in　the　habit　of　writing　my　name　Tom　or　Thomas　Evans　before　I
  went　to　school　for　a　fortnight　in　order　to　learn　English；　but　then
  I　altered　it；　into　Thomas　Edwards；　for　Evan　Edwards　was　the　name　of
  my　father；　and　I　should　have　been　making　myself　a　bastard　had　I
  continued　calling　myself　by　my　first　name。　　However；　I　had　the
  honour　of　being　secretary　to　the　old　poet。　　When　he　had　made　a　song
  he　would　keep　it　in　his　memory　till　I　came　to　him。　　Sometimes　after
  the　old　man　had　repeated　his　composition　to　me　I　would　begin　to
  dispute　with　him；　asking　whether　the　thing　would　not　be　better
  another　way；　and　he　could　hardly　keep　from　flying　into　a　passion
  with　me　for　putting　his　work　to　the　torture。〃
  It　was　then　the　custom　for　young　lads　to　go　about　playing　what　were
  called　interludes；　namely　dramatic　pieces　on　religious　or　moral
  subjects；　written　by　rustic　poets。　　Shortly　after　Tom　had　attained
  the　age　of　twelve　he　went　about　with　certain　lads　of　Nantglyn
  playing　these　pieces；　generally　acting　the　part　of　a　girl；　because；
  as　he　says；　he　had　the　best　voice。　　About　this　time　he　wrote　an
  interlude　himself；　founded　on　〃John　Bunyan's　Spiritual　Courtship；〃
  which　was；　however；　stolen　from　him　by　a　young　fellow　from
  Anglesey；　along　with　the　greater　part　of　the　poems　and　pieces　which
  he　had　copied。　　This　affair　at　first　very　much　disheartened　Tom：
  plucking　up　his　spirits；　however；　he　went　on　composing；　and　soon
  acquired　amongst　his　neighbours　the　title　of　〃the　poet；〃　to　the
  great　mortification　of　his　parents；　who　were　anxious　to　see　him
  become　an　industrious　husbandman。
  〃Before　I　was　quite　fourteen；〃　says　he；　〃I　had　made　another
  interlude；　but　when　my　father　and　mother　heard　about　it　they　did
  all　they　could　to　induce　me　to　destroy　it。　　However；　I　would　not
  burn　it；　but　gave　it　to　Hugh　of　Llangwin；　a　celebrated　poet　of　the
  time；　who　took　it　to　Landyrnog；　where　he　sold　it　for　ten　shillings
  to　the　lads　of　the　place；　who　performed　it　the　following　summer；
  but　I　never　got　anything　for　my　labour；　save　a　sup　of　ale　from　the
  players　when　I　met　them。　　This　at　the　heel　of　other　things　would
  have　induced　me　to　give　up　poetry；　had　it　been　in　the　power　of
  anything　to　do　so。　　I　made　two　interludes；〃　he　continues；　〃one　for
  the　people　of　Llanbedr　in　the　Vale　of　Clwyd；　and　the　other　for　the
  lads　of　Llanarmon　in　Yale；　one　on　the　subject　of　Naaman's　leprosy；
  and　the　other　about　hypocrisy；　which　was　a　re…fashionment　of　the
  work　of　Richard　Parry　of　Ddiserth。　　When　I　was　young　I　had　such　a
  rage　or　madness　for　poetizing；　that　I　would　make　a　song　on　almost
  anything　I　saw　…　and　it　was　a　mercy　that　many　did　not　kill　me　or
  break　my　bones；　on　account　of　my　evil　tongue。　　My　parents　often
  told　me　I　should　have　some　mischief　done　me　if　I　went　on　in　the　way
  in　which　I　was　going。　　Once　on　a　time　being　with　some　companions　as
  bad　as　myself；　I　happened　to　use　some　very　free　language　in　a　place
  where　three　lovers　were　with　a　young　lass　of　my　neighbourhood；　who
  lived　at　a　place　called　Ty　Celyn；　with　whom　they　kept　company。　　I
  said　in　discourse　that　they　were　the　cocks　of　Ty　Celyn。　　The　girl
  heard　me；　and　conceived　a　spite　against　me　on　account　of　my
  scurrilous　language。　　She　had　a　brother；　who　was　a　cruel　fighter；
  he　took　the　part　of　his　sister；　and　determined　to　chastise　me。　　One
  Sunday　evening　he　shouted　to　me　as　I　was　coming　from　Nantglyn　…　our
  ways　were　the　same　till　we　got　nearly　home　…　he　had　determined　to
  give　me　a　thrashing；　and　he　had　with　him　a　piece　of　oak　stick　just
  suited　for　the　purpose。　　After　we　had　taunted　each　other　for　some
  time；　as　we　went　along；　he　flung　his　stick　on　the　ground；　and
  stripped　himself　stark　naked。　　I　took　off　my　hat　and　my　neck…cloth；
  and　took　his　stick　in　my　hand；　whereupon　running　to　the　hedge　he
  took　a　stake；　and　straight　we　set　to　like　two　furies。　　After
  fighting　some　time；　our　sticks　were　shivered　to　pieces　and　quite
  short；　sometimes　we　were　upon　the　ground；　but　did　not　give　up
  fighting　on　that　account。　　Many　people　came　up　and　would　fain　have
  parted　us；　but　he　would　by　no　means　let　them。　　At　last　we　agreed　to
  go　and　pull　fresh　stakes；　and　then　we　went　at　it　again　until　he
  could　no　longer　stand。　　The　marks　of　this　battle　are　upon　him　and
  me　to　this　day。　　At　last；　covered　with　a　gore　of　blood；　he　was
  dragged　home　by　his　neighbours。　　He　was　in　a　dreadful　condition；
  and　many　thought　he　would　die。　　On　the　morrow　there　came　an　alarm
  that　he　was　dead；　whereupon　I　escaped　across　the　mountain　to　Pentre
  y　Foelas　to　the　old　man　Sion　Dafydd　to　read　his　old　books。〃
  After　staying　there　a　little　time；　and　getting　his　wounds　tended　by
  an　old　woman；　he　departed　and　skulked　about　in　various　places；
  doing　now　and　then　a　little　work；　until　hearing　his　adversary　was
  recovering；　he　returned　to　his　home。　　He　went　on　writing　and
  performing　interludes　till　he　fell　in　love　with　a　young　woman
  rather　religiously　inclined；　whom　he　married　in　the　year　1763；　when
  he　was　in　his　twenty…fourth　year。　　The　young　couple　settled　down　on
  a　little　place　near　the　town　of　Denbigh；　called　Ale　Fowlio。　　They
  kept　three　cows　and　four　horses。　　The　wife　superintended　the　cows；
  and　Tom　with　his　horses　carried　wood　from　Gwenynos　to　Ruddlan；　and
  soon　excelled　all　other　carters　〃in　loading　and　in　everything
  connected　with　the　management　of　wood。〃　　Tom　in　the　pride　of　his
  heart　must　needs　be　helping　his　fellow…carriers；　whilst　labouring
  with　them　in　the　forests；　till　his　wife　told　him　he　was　a　fool　for
  his　pains；　and　advised　him　to　go　and　load　in　the　afternoon；　when
  nobody　would　be　about；　offering　to　go　and　help　him。　　He　listened　to
  her　advice　and　took　her　with　him。
  〃The　dear　creature；〃　says　he；　〃assisted　me　for　some　time；　but　as
  she　was　with　child；　and　on　that　account　not　exactly　fit　to　turn　the
  roll　of　the　crane　with　levers　of　iron；　I　formed　the　plan　of　hooking
  the　horses　to　the　rope；　in　order　to　raise　up　the　wood　which　was　to
  be　loaded；　and　by　long　teaching　the　horses　to　pull　and　to　stop；　I
  contrived　to　make　loading　a　much　easier　task；　both　to　my　wife　and
  myself。　　Now　this　was　the　first　hooking　of　horses　to　the　rope　of
  the　crane　which　was　ever　done　either　in　Wales　or　England。
  Subsequently　I　had　plenty　of　leisure　and　rest　instead　of　toiling
  amidst　other　carriers。〃
  Leaving　Ale　Fowlio　he　took　up　his　abode　nearer　to　Denbigh；　and
  continued　carrying　wood。　　Several　of　his　horses　died；　and　he　was
  soon　in　difficulties；　and　was　glad　to　accept　an　invitation　from
  certain　miners　of　the　county　of　Flint　to　go　and　play　them　an
  interlude。　　As　he　was　playing　them　one　called　〃A　Vision　of　the
  Course　of　the　World；〃　which　he　had　written　for　the　occasion；　and
  which　was　founded　on；　and　named　after；　the　first　part　of　the　work
  o