For the record, rhubarb is botanically considered a vegetable, despite it typically being used as a fruit. Contrast with tomatoes, which are botanically a fruit, but typically used as a vegetable. There are many such plants whose botanical designation is not in line with the common use of the plant. Go figure.
Fish cakes for breakfast? Is that still a thing in any part of England these days? How does the rest of that menu sound to you 21st century Brits? Especially the dinner: roast beef, Yorkshire, potatoes, greens, and horse-radish sauce, plum tart, cheese. Would that fit right in with your dinner menu today?
Et non sua pomo: literally, 'and not his apple'. This phrase shows up very sparsely in other texts, but I can't find anything shedding any special light upon its meaning.
askesis: the practice of severe self-discipline, typically for religious reasons; asceticism
Lombroso: Cesare Lombroso, a 19th century eugenicist, criminologist, phrenologist, physician, and founder of the Italian school of criminology. From wikipedia: "Lombroso rejected the established classical school, which held that crime was a characteristic trait of human nature. Instead, using concepts drawn from physiognomy, degeneration theory, psychiatry, and Social Darwinism, Lombroso's theory of anthropological criminology essentially stated that criminality was inherited, and that someone "born criminal" could be identified by physical (congenital) defects, which confirmed a criminal as savage or atavistic."
And then we get some Welsh words... Machen does love his Welsh, and I have no experience with the language. I tried my best.
albed: wearing an alb. What's an alb? A long, white robe worn by priests and other ministers, underneath most of the other vestments.
Fons Sacer non in communem Vsum convertendus est: the sacred fountain is not to be put to common use
neumata inferorum: the winds of hell
Nunc certe scio quod omnia legenda; omnes historiæ, omnes fabulæ, omnis Scriptura sint de ME narrata: I wasn't sure what to make of that "ME", it surely isn't the English pronoun, so it must be a stand-in for some other word. But what word? The best I could come up with was 'memoria'. If you actually know without having to blindly guess at it, please leave a comment below. If we go with 'memoria' our translation might run something like: Now I know for sure that I must read everything; all history, all fables, all Scripture should be told from memory
The picture used is of the Llanllawer Holy Well in Pembrokeshire, Wales, taken by Tracy Campbell (a.k.a. TheAntonine). Obviously it's not going to be the same Well of Life, but it is a holy well of reputed healing powers that is located in Wales. It's the closest thing I could find.
To follow along: https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks07/0700361h.html
