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+The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Cambrian Sketch-Book, by R. Rice Davies
+
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+
+
+
+Title: The Cambrian Sketch-Book
+       Tales, Scenes, and Legends of Wild Wales
+
+
+Author: R. Rice Davies
+
+
+
+Release Date: April 26, 2012  [eBook #39539]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+
+***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CAMBRIAN SKETCH-BOOK***
+
+
+This ebook was transcribed by Les Bowler
+
+                            [Picture: Snowdon]
+
+
+
+
+
+                                   THE
+                          CAMBRIAN SKETCH-BOOK.
+
+
+                            _TALES_, _SCENES_,
+                       _AND LEGENDS OF WILD WALES_.
+
+                                * * * * *
+
+                                    BY
+                             R. RICE DAVIES.
+
+        _Author of_ “_The Handy Book on Tax Laws_,” “_Havelock_,”
+           “_Essay on Recreation Grounds for Swansea_,” _etc._
+
+                                * * * * *
+
+                                 London:
+                         SIMPKIN, MARSHALL & CO.
+
+                                 Swansea:
+                   THE CAMBRIAN WELSH AND ENGLISH BOOK
+                            PUBLISHING COMPANY
+
+
+
+
+To the Right Honourable
+THE LADY LLANOVER.
+
+
+MADAM,
+
+Among the illustrious men and women of Cambria it would be difficult to
+select one to whom this book could be so appropriately inscribed as your
+ladyship.  You are, and ever have been, the warm and sincere friend of my
+country; you are profoundly versed in her historic, poetic, literary, and
+legendary annals; you are a liberal and munificent contributor to almost
+every great movement designed to promote the social and intellectual, the
+moral and religious, welfare of the people of our ancient Principality;
+and you have attained a high and imperishable fame as a graceful and
+eloquent writer.  In these pages your ladyship will find depicted scenes
+connected with the past history of the land; tales of years that are
+gone, which roll before us with their dark or splendid deeds, and
+specimens of the wild but graceful legends which have shed a poetic charm
+upon almost every nook and corner of Wales.  I cherish the hope that
+their perusal will afford your ladyship delight and pleasure, while their
+contents, possibly, may help to increase your ladyship’s interest in and
+attachment to the land you so much love.
+
+                                                              I am, Madam,
+                                                        Very respectfully,
+                                         Your ladyship’s obedient Servant,
+                                                           R. RICE DAVIES.
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE.
+
+
+The history of the Cambrian race is interesting not only to the
+antiquarian, but also to all real lovers of traditional and legendary
+lore.  It is a race which had its origin in the mythical age, in the far
+back and remote past, in that period of the world’s history when
+intellectual and moral darkness covered the earth, and when gross
+darkness, like a black pall, enveloped the minds of the people.  The
+country which this race originally occupied is simply a matter of
+conjecture—an unascertained fact; while the period when the Cambrian
+people first left their own native soil, the land of their love and their
+fondest affection, and wandered over hill and plain, over mountain and
+dismal swamp, through woods and primeval forests, wading through mighty
+fordable rivers, and crossing stormy seas, until they reached the pebbled
+strand of this our sea-girt isle, is still a matter of uncertainty—one of
+the mysteries of this mysterious world.  That they occupied this island,
+and were in undisturbed possession of it many hundred years before the
+appearance in our world of Him who is the true Light of humanity, there
+exists abundance of evidence; and it is not unlikely, but on the contrary
+highly probable, that sections of this ancient people were _then_
+engaged, as _now_, in developing the mineral wealth of the country.
+
+Coming down to a later date, a less remote period, we have actual
+descriptive accounts of the Welsh people, of their manners and customs,
+their habits and mode of life, their religious rites and form of worship;
+and considering the then state of the world, we are astonished at the
+comparative high state of civilization to which this ancient race had at
+that time attained.  But to trace the history of their civilization down
+through the ages is foreign to my present purpose, however tempting the
+theme.  The object I had in view in preparing this work for the press,
+was not to place before the reader a consecutive narrative, but to select
+topics with a view to illustrate some of the traits of character of this
+ancient, singular, and extremely interesting people—a people who, in
+spite of oppression, injustice, and isolation, have nobly clung to the
+old faith; who have ever as citizens been loyal, patriotic, and virtuous;
+and who, moreover, in the face of very serious disadvantages, have
+obtained a position of intellectual and moral manhood, which cannot fail
+to inspire us with admiration and wonder.  Let me say here, that if this
+work deepens the Welshman’s love of country, and induces the English
+reader to regard us in a more favourable light than that adopted by a
+class of Saxon critics, I shall consider I have not laboured in vain.
+
+As regards the tales and sketches of this volume, they are not ideal
+pictures of Cambrian life and character, but are for the most part
+founded on fact.  For example, the ascent of Snowdon was undertaken
+alone, some ten years ago, and by the most difficult, tedious, and
+hazardous route.  I often wonder at my want of prudence in ascending from
+Capel Curig, that glorious old Alpine height, on a cold, dank, and misty
+autumnal morning, without a guide or a friendly hand to point the way.
+Alone I accomplished the journey, without experiencing much difficulty,
+or meeting a single mishap.  The story of Dunraven Castle is founded on a
+historical fact.  It is one of the most painful of the many painful
+incidents of those terrible times.  Parson Jones is not an ideal but a
+real character painted from life.  His fame as a charmer, a conjuror, and
+magician, was celebrated far and wide.  I well remember farmers’ wives
+and others visiting him in order to secure his assistance in driving away
+evil spirits from their dwellings.  A wonderful man was Parson Jones!  An
+able divine, a true preacher of the cross, a lovable and childlike man
+was he.  When his body was consigned to the tomb, the people felt that
+they had lost one of their best earthly friends.  As to the legends of
+Lake Savathan and Elidorus, they have been handed down in written
+history.  The tale of Cadwgan is a real picture of Cambrian life.  The
+story of Saint Winifred is founded on an old Welsh legend.  A marvellous
+work has recently been written by one of England’s greatest novelists; it
+is not impossible that the idea of the “Coming Race” had its origin in
+the tale of Elidorus.
+
+In this work I have avoided the literary paths trodden by previous
+Cambrian authors: writers who, in their own sphere of literature, have
+left behind them imperishable names.  I believe that the mine of wealth I
+have endeavoured to explore is new, while virgin is the soil.  Deeply
+interesting are the legends which have been handed down from a people,
+who, alas! alas! no longer tread the sacred ground of wild Wales.  In the
+selection of topics, I have only discovered for the theme of my pen a few
+precious gems, having culled here and there a few fair and fragrant
+flowers, thus leaving for future literary labours, many others of tints
+equally beautiful and sweets equally delicious.  Almost every dell and
+hamlet, every sylvan glade and mountain side of wild Wales abounds with
+legends and tales, stories of real life which are too interesting to be
+lost, and too important in the lessons they afford to remain hid in the
+bosom of members of our ancient race.
+
+It is possible that exception will be taken to the ideal
+pictures—creations of the author’s fancy—of the fairies and fairy land,
+which form rather a prominent feature of this work.  For introducing to
+the reader the people of the fairy kingdom beneath the bay of Swansea, I
+have no apology to make.  In the thoughts they breathe and in the
+opinions they express they are very human, while the land in which they
+dwell bears witness to the presence of the energizing power and infinite
+benevolence of the Supreme.  From our childhood we have been accustomed
+to listen to the wonderful tales relating to Lilliputian races, in which
+the narrators described their sayings and doings, their gambols and
+frolics, their pranks and merry-making, their sweet music and dulcet
+notes; and in our wanderings, we have often gazed on the green rings
+wherein they danced on mead and meadow.  And are we not ready to confess
+that those fairy stories possessed a special charm—an interest which even
+reality itself hardly awakens?  I am aware that belief in the existence
+of those aërial forms, those ghostly, impalpable, and ambiguous beings,
+has been regarded as an evidence of mental blindness, and the absence of
+high culture and civilization.  This charge cannot be maintained.  The
+peoples of all European nations believe in the existence of those
+wonderful people, and, personally, I should regret to see their faith
+undermined.  Fairies are associated with the spiritual and super-human;
+with virtue and purity; thus they help us to look upward to the
+spirit-world, where flesh and blood, where materialism and its unhallowed
+fruits have not, and can never have, even a temporary lodgment.
+
+Should this work meet with the approval of my fellow-countrymen, I shall
+in the early part of next spring issue a second volume of the Cambrian
+Sketch-Book.  I shall include in that volume: Sir Rice ap Thomas, a
+historical romance, already written; and The Lost Son Found, a tale of
+the Lowland Hundred.  A beautiful country was Cantref-y-Gwaelod, where
+now roll the waters of the Atlantic—a magnificent plain with fortified
+cities, and co-extensive with Cardigan Bay.  Several other legends and
+tales of North and South Wales will also appear in the intended volume.
+
+It now only remains for me to express my hearty thanks to Charles Bath,
+Esq., of Fynone, for his kindness in placing at my service a very old
+view of Swansea, a faithful transcript of which has been made by the
+artist for the present volume.  I make this public acknowledgment to our
+townsman for the reason that he is always ready to aid all efforts having
+in view the publication and circulation of works relating to dear old
+Cambria.
+
+                                                           R. RICE DAVIES.
+
+   SWANSEA, _July_, 1875.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+                                                                  PAGE
+ASCENT OF SNOWDON                                                    3
+A STORY OF DUNRAVEN CASTLE IN THE OLDEN TIMES                       21
+PARSON JONES                                                        79
+CADWGAN WYNN                                                       121
+TRADITIONS OF LLYN SAVATHAN                                        227
+TREFFYNON; OR, LEGENDS OF SAINT WINIFRED                           243
+THE VISIT OF ELIDORUS TO THE FAIRY KINGDOM BENEATH THE BAY         269
+CEFN-Y-BEDD                                                        319
+
+
+
+
+ASCENT OF SNOWDON.
+
+
+    “How high and swift flits the thin rack along,
+    Skirted with rainbow dyes; now deep below—
+    While the fierce sun strikes the illumined top,
+    Slow sails the gloomy storm, and all beneath,
+    By vaporous exhalation hid, is lost
+    In darkness: save at once where drifted mists,
+    Cut by strong gusts of eddying winds, expose
+    The transitory scene.
+    Now swift on either side the gathered clouds,
+    As by a sudden touch of magic, wide
+    Recede, and the fair face of heaven and earth
+    Appears.  Amid the vast horizon’s stretch,
+    In restless gaze the eye of wonder darts
+    O’er the expanse,—mountains on mountains piled,
+    And winding bays and promontories huge,
+    And lakes and wandering rivers from their source
+    Traced to the distant ocean.”
+
+                                                           BINGLEY’S TOUR.
+
+It was a bright and glorious August morning, in the year 18—, when,
+having a few weeks’ freedom from the busy toils of official labour, I
+resolved to have an “out,” as they call it in the north of England, where
+I then resided—a brief tour of pleasure.  Never in these northern
+latitudes had I witnessed a more lovely morning.  The sun shone brightly,
+and with a dazzling splendour only surpassed by the gorgeous brilliancy
+of an Eastern clime.  When we looked upwards, not a cloud could be seen
+in the concave hemisphere above.  Far, far away, the most distant objects
+could be plainly and distinctly seen.  In the forest not a spray moved,
+nor was there a sweet kiss of the leaves on that breezeless morn.
+Neither on river nor lake could there be discerned a single ripple.
+Everywhere, except in the adjacent grove, did quietude and stillness
+reign.  There, however, the birds sent forth their merry and joyous
+notes, and the tone of their voices, and the songs they sung, told of
+joys, and proclaimed the existence of happy feelings, which but few among
+the sons of men are permitted to realize.  Oh, how calm and how still was
+the scene around!  Indeed, all nature, except the winged songsters of the
+grove, appeared to repose quietly and peacefully on the bosom of its God.
+
+A grand morning this, said I, for starting on an “out;” but the pressing
+question was, whither should I go.  During my brief preparation, I
+fancied I heard the voice of the eagle, and the voice said, “Come to me.
+Come and behold the high mountain whereon I dwell, and the great rocks in
+which I build my nest.  Come and see, from my high elevation and Alpine
+heights, the magnificent lochs whose waters spread far and wide in the
+broad and expansive valleys.  Oh, come, and behold the land of the brave
+and heroic Wallace.”
+
+A moment before deciding whether or not I should accept the invitation of
+the king of birds, there was wafted on the gentle breeze that had just
+sprung up, the voice of a little bird which inhabits the far west; and
+the little bird said, “Come and visit the land in which I dwell.  In this
+land you will behold some of the greatest wonders of the world.  Were you
+to visit the North or the South, the East or the West, the sunny
+fountains of Africa, the coral strands of India, or the icy regions of
+the frigid zone, yet in no part of the wide world could you discover
+objects so grand and majestic as our Giant’s Causeway; while Killarney is
+unrivalled for sublime and beautiful scenery.”  Well, little bird, said
+I, I love your nation; your people have warm hearts and generous
+sympathies.  Just, however, as I was about saying “aye” to the invitation
+of the little bird of the Green Isle, there came from the south—o’er
+moorland valley, o’er mighty rivers and hills, o’er cities, towns, and
+villages, the charming and enchanting voice of the lark, and its tones
+were so winning and so sweet, that I was almost moved to shed tears of
+joy.  But what was the purport of her song?  The burden of her song was
+Cambria! the beautiful and the blest; the land of Poetry and the Ideal.
+“Come,” carolled the lark, “and behold some of the beauties of Wild
+Wales.  In no land are glades so verdant, are rocks so rugged and bold,
+are cwms and dells so exquisitely beautiful and lovely as are to be seen
+here.  Nowhere but here can you behold hill after hill, and mountain
+after mountain, rise above each other, presenting a picture so awfully
+wild, so grand, and so majestically sublime.  Besides,” said the lark,
+“this is your own land.  It is the place of your birth.  It is the home
+of your father’s sepulchre.  Oh! come here, for here are generous hearts,
+ready to bid you welcome.  In the border land is many an old friend who
+will rejoice and kill the fatted calf when he sees you approach his
+dwelling.”  I could no longer resist the irresistible voice, and replied
+to her, Oh, sweet songster of the moorland, thither will I go, and
+to-morrow I will listen to your heavenly strains among your own hills.
+
+I need not describe the journey from the North to Conway, as it is
+familiar to most travellers.  Nor shall I refer to the beautiful Menai,
+or the magnificent ruins and historic renown of the good old town of
+Carnarvon.  Nor shall I refer, with a view to depict the scene, to many
+other deeply-interesting spots, some of which I could not but gaze upon
+with feelings of profound reverence, the rather as they told the tales of
+other times, which rolled before me with their deeds.  As I looked upon
+and contemplated these scenes, I was deeply affected, while my vision was
+dimmed by the tears that welled up from my heart.  Moreover, as I still
+gazed upon the historic fields of blood and battle, I thought I saw the
+shadow of my country’s martyrs and heroes passing before my eyes—the
+shadows of the great and heroic men who, strong in the righteousness of
+their cause, fought for the liberty of our brave, courageous, and
+lion-hearted ancestors, and for the independence and the freedom of the
+land of my love and my sympathies.  Since the days of that long and
+sanguinary struggle, time and the disposition of men and nations have
+immeasurably changed for the better.  Happily for us, we have now a ruler
+who loves her subjects, whose sway is the very opposite of that despotic
+tyrant’s rule, who loved to imbrue his hands in the blood of contemporary
+princes.  Edward, however, has gone to his _place_.  Oh that his memory
+and his deeds of blood had perished with him!  As I looked upon the scene
+around Conway, and viewed it in relation to and in connection with the
+dark deeds of Edward, the following lines of the poet Gray came to my
+remembrance:—
+
+    “Hark how each giant oak and desert cave
+      Sighs to the torrent’s awful voice beneath!
+    O’er thee, O King, their hundred arms they wave,
+      Revenge on thee in hoarser murmurs breathe,
+    Vocal no more.”
+
+From Conway I proceeded to Llanrwst, thence to Bettws-y-Coed, which is
+situated in a lovely verdant cwm, and is the most charming and the most
+exquisitely beautiful spot I have ever beheld.  I have seen many an
+enchanting scene, but Bettws-y-Coed is incomparably finer, and surpasses,
+both in magnificent boldness and soft and quiet grandeur, any other
+landscape upon which I have been permitted to gaze.  As night was rapidly
+approaching, and as I had arranged to ascend Snowdon the following
+morning, I had to tear myself away from so enchanting a scene.  From
+there I proceeded to the Swallow Falls, thence to Capel Curig, a village
+which affords some of the most picturesque landscapes which can be met
+with in Wales.  Of this prospect it might be truly said:—
+
+    “Here hills and vales, the woodland and the plain,
+    Here earth and water seem to strive again;
+    Not, chaos-like, together crushed and bruised,
+    But, as the world, harmoniously confused.”
+
+However, I lingered not to contemplate the scene, but proceeded on my
+journey towards Penygwryd, which I reached just as the great king of day
+disappeared behind the Cambrian Alps.
+
+The next morning, after partaking of an early breakfast of ham and eggs
+and coffee, I proceeded to the hotel lawn to see whether the day was
+favourable for an ascent of Yr Wyddfa, the “uwch y mynydd uchaf” of
+England and Wales.  Since the previous day I regretted to find that the
+weather had undergone a complete change; the summit of Eryri was now
+enveloped in dark clouds, the morning was cold, and the air was dank and
+chilly.  The moaning of the wind in the great mountain gullies and cwms
+rendered the scene both awful and sublime.  Meeting mine host on the
+lawn, I inquired if I might venture to ascend Snowdon without the service
+of a guide.  He strongly dissuaded me from attempting an ascent alone, as
+it would necessarily be attended with great risk.  However, after
+debating the matter some time, I resolved to carry out my original design
+of going unattended.  When I reached the summit I was delighted beyond
+measure at having accomplished the ascent, by the longest and most
+difficult route, without the aid of a guide.  Having wished Mr. Owen a
+hearty farewell, I commenced the ascent of Snowdon.  Proceeding up the
+road towards the Pass of Llanberis so far as Pen-y-Pass, I branched off
+to the left, and soon came to Llyn Teyrn, thence taking the trackless
+mountain above Cwm Dyli, direct towards Llyn Glaslyn; and thence by a
+circuitous and difficult route, which a kind mountain miner showed me, to
+the highest point of the Mother of Hills.
+
+Although I found this route laborious, I was amply recompensed by
+beholding “scenes of extraordinary wildness and grandeur, over which
+solitude seemed to brood with undisturbed silence, scarcely ever broken
+by the wing of bird or the voice of melody.”  In every direction
+prospects the most magnificent opened to view, and every crag and rock
+which I surmounted was furnished with objects of picturesque effect or
+deep and absorbing interest.  From many a crag I looked down upon the
+cwms and deep dells beneath, and I fancied I could pick out here and
+there the very dingles to which our heroic ancestors were compelled to
+resort for protection, when pursued by numberless hosts of the enemy
+after they had sustained defeat.  In these cwms they were, however, safe.
+Even proud and haughty Edward dared not follow the Britons to their
+mountain fastnesses.  To them Snowdon had ever proved a kind and guardian
+angel: hence the reason why they fled thither in the hour of their
+defeat.  No wonder, therefore, that they loved the old mountain deeply
+and passionately; and no wonder, too, that they composed songs to her
+honour and renown.
+
+When I attained the summit of the mountain, the sight presented to my
+view was awfully and majestically wild and grand.  The whole circuit of
+the Snowdonian range was enveloped in a thick and dark mist, which was so
+dense that I fancied I could cut it with the finest edged tool.  The
+howling of the winds in the cwms and dingles which run down the mountain
+on every side was really appalling.  Indeed, the prospect was horrible to
+contemplate.  It gave an idea, says a writer on the subject, of numbers
+of abysses concealed by a thick smoke furiously circulating around us.
+Now and then, however, a strong gust of wind created an opening in the
+mist, which, for a moment, gave me a magnificent prospect of sea and
+lake, of deep chasms, and high and lofty mountains, of almost fathomless
+dingles and ravines; while towns and hamlets appeared in the distance
+like small specks on the surface of the earth.  But the prospect was only
+momentary.  The clouds of mist which were rent asunder by the strong
+current of wind would, in the twinkling of an eye, again form and unite,
+and thus present a compact and complete whole, leaving me involved in a
+darkness that might be felt.  In a minute it would again separate into a
+thousand parts, and fly in wild eddies up the gullies and dingles, thus
+affording me another opportunity of seeing the Isle of Mona, the mountain
+of Plynlimmon, Hell’s Mouth, the Iraeth Bach, and that magnificent bay
+which once formed the rich and fertile plain of Cantref-y-Gwaelod, with
+its sixteen fortified cities and towns, whose inhabitants met with a
+watery grave through the drunkenness of Seithenyn, who is styled in the
+“Triads” as one of the three notorious drunkards of the isle of Britain.
+Contemplating the scene so strange, yet so grand, the following lines of
+the poet Rogers struck me as extremely applicable to my then situation:—
+
+                                              “The morning air
+    Plays on my cheek, how gently, flinging round
+    A silvery gleam; and now the purple mists
+    Rise like a curtain; now the sun looks out,
+    Filling, o’erflowing with his glorious light,
+    This noble amphitheatre of hills.”
+
+After spending nearly two hours on the summit in gazing upon the wild,
+yet the grand and majestic scene presented to my view, I felt, as I had
+to walk to Pont Aberglaslyn, and back to Penygwryd, a distance of nearly
+twenty miles, that I dare not delay my departure longer; hence I made
+instant preparation to descend.  I, however, left this Alpine top, and
+bade farewell to old Snowdon, with feelings of deep sorrow and poignant
+grief.  On leaving this most prominent historic spot in the past history
+of my country, I could not but enter into the deep feeling of reverence
+with which my forefathers regarded this mountain and its adjacent hills,
+valleys, and plains.  Thought I to myself, was it a wonder that they
+almost worshipped Yr Wyddfa?  Indeed they had every reason for paying
+honour and homage to it.  To them it had ever been a never-failing
+friend—a sure and safe retreat when they suffered and sustained defeat in
+battle.  To them it afforded a rich and never-failing refuge, in which
+they lodged the young and the feeble and the non-combatants when they
+went forth to fight the common foe—the implacable enemies of their dear
+fatherland—foes and enemies, too, who were strangers to generosity, but
+who loved conquest for the sake of conquest, and who were alike
+indifferent to the sacrifice of human blood as they were to English
+treasures.  When they followed our brave and heroic countrymen into the
+mountain fastnesses of Snowdon, they generally suffered terrible
+slaughter, and repented having left those fortresses and plains where
+they so much loved to dwell.  Considering the many and the terrible
+disasters which befell their marches in its fastnesses, no wonder they
+preferred residing at some distance removed from so impregnable a refuge.
+To the Welsh warriors it had been a natural guardian angel: hence the
+reason why they loved it so deeply, so ardently, and with the whole
+passion of the soul.
+
+After I had descended some distance towards Beddgelert, I turned in order
+to take a parting farewell-look of this the mother of Cambrian mountains;
+and in viewing its high and lofty summit, now almost wholly enveloped in
+mist, I was forcibly struck with the wild, dreary, and boundless scene.
+From the point on which I stood this ancient hill appeared to be
+untrodden by human foot, and tenanted only by wandering sheep and goats,
+except the hoarse-croaking ravens.  It was, indeed, sublime to stand, as
+I stood then, on that spot, and commune with solitude around—to gaze upon
+Snowdon and her manifold adjacent hills, slumbering calmly beneath me.
+With me there was no form, no human being, no living thing; but I
+rejoiced that there, amid this stupendous scene, I could commune freely
+and uninterruptedly with nature and nature’s God, and with the spirits of
+my brave and heroic forefathers, whose bones lie buried in that wild and
+dreary scene; and, as I finally parted from the scene, I sang the
+following well-known lines, and so my voice re-echoed through the dales
+and caverns:—
+
+    “Rest, ye brave dead, ’midst the hills of your sires.
+    Oh, who would not slumber when Freedom expires?
+    Lonely and voiceless your halls must remain,
+    The children of song may not breathe in the chain.”
+
+
+
+
+A STORY OF DUNRAVEN CASTLE IN THE OLDEN TIMES;
+OR,
+GOD’S JUDGMENT AGAINST WRECKERS.
+
+
+THE PROEM.
+
+
+On the southern coast of the county of Glamorgan, and situate at the back
+of a high rocky promontory commanding a magnificent view of the Bristol
+Channel, and just opposite the little sea-bathing village of
+Southerndown, which appears desolate amid its desolation, stands the
+modern Castle of Dunraven, which was built by the late Mr. Thomas
+Wyndham.  This castle is erected on the site of a very ancient structure,
+which, in the olden times, was called Dindryfan.  The old castle is in
+some respects the most interesting in the Principality.  It was there one
+of Cambria’s greatest warriors and one of her purest patriots lived and
+reigned.  Dunraven was the centre of those wonderful military movements
+which gained for their author wide-spread fame and imperishable renown.
+It was there that the great commander and war-tactician delivered those
+eloquent harangues, which not only inspired confidence in so great and
+skilful a leader, but also nerved the patriot’s arm, enabling his trusty
+followers to go forth to meet the foe fearlessly, courageously, and with
+a resolute resolve to conquer or to die for their country’s welfare and
+the independence of their fatherland.  Caractacus, or as he is generally
+called by Cambrian writers, Caraddwg, was a great man and an illustrious
+warrior, celebrated no less for his heroism than for his many other
+virtues.  Hence, when one visits Dunraven, the scenes of his childhood
+and riper years, one seems to imbibe his spirit, to be inspired with the
+highest admiration for his genius, and to feel the profoundest reverence
+for the man who, though vanquished in his encounter with the
+well-disciplined forces of Octavius yet was not ashamed—rather in it did
+he glory—after many years of exile from the land of his birth, of his
+love, and of his deepest and fondest affection, to return to the very
+scenes of his childhood and princely rule, in order to proclaim the good
+news of the gospel, the truths and glories of which he had learned and
+realized during his residence in the far-famed city of Rome.
+
+Subsequent to the death of Caraddwg, Dunraven continued to be the seat of
+the Reguli of Glamorgan until the Norman Conquest.  When Robert
+Fitz-Hamon divided the country he and his armies had conquered, he
+assigned this castle and manor to William de Londres, who, in consequence
+of their worthless value, gave them to his butler, afterwards Sir Arnold
+Butler.  When the male issue of the Butler family became extinct, the
+castle and manor fell to Walter Vaughan, who was a descendant of the
+female branch of the Butlers.  It is to this person our story relates.
+Oh that his crimes had never been recorded by the pen of the historian!
+Oh that his life and its deeds of horror and loathing, which, when we
+contemplate, makes one’s blood run cold, had remained unwritten!  As,
+however, these have been handed down to this distant age, I will
+endeavour to depict the scene, though I can form but a very dim and hazy
+conception of the barbarities and cruelties practised by that evil man in
+those distant times.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+_THE LOVERS_.
+
+
+It was a lovely autumn evening, when a young man and young woman might
+have been seen walking hand in hand along the carriage drive which led
+from the village of St. Bride’s to Dunraven Castle.  The young man was in
+his usual buoyant and cheerful mood, happy and joyous, but his companion
+was pensive and sad.  From childhood John ap William and Myfanwy
+Gwenllian had been companions.  In childhood they had pledged themselves
+to be true to each other.  In childhood they had walked together, day
+after day, either on the rocky headland below the village of
+Southerndown, or on the sands of Dunraven Bay, picking off the rocks
+flowers of various tints and hues, or gathering in the little haven or
+bay beautiful stones or pebbles, or seaweeds and shells.  Besides, during
+those childish excursions they were often seen gazing on the ocean
+surges, or on the bright blue waves, now almost quiet and still, now
+dashing up in awful and appalling fury against the high and stupendous
+rocks surrounding the bay.  Often, too, might they have been seen
+watching the ships as they sailed up and down the channel.  John
+especially, loved the sea and its pebbly shore.  He was never so happy as
+when, with his beloved Myfanwy, he was watching the tidal eddies, or
+viewing the frail barques as they rode so majestically o’er the briny
+waves, carrying in their laps, as it were, the merchandise and the wealth
+of the world—the products of the earth’s richest blessings from shore to
+shore and from clime to clime.  John contemplated this scene as a
+Christian philosopher.  He looked upon commerce between nation and nation
+and between peoples and peoples as one of the greatest agents in
+advancing the world’s civilization, as it necessarily carried to distant
+lands those products of industry which so much contribute towards the
+comfort and the material happiness and the general welfare of the race.
+But while he looked upon commercial enterprise as a channel through which
+material blessings might be conveyed, he moreover regarded it as tending
+directly to unite nation with nation, to realize and cement in the bonds
+of a holy brotherhood different races and separate nations and kingdoms;
+thus rendering war almost impossible.  Happy would it be if the statesmen
+of the world would act up to these high principles!
+
+Besides, though John had never been from home—Bridgend being the furthest
+extent within the range of his geographical knowledge—nevertheless, from
+his reflection on the beneficial results flowing from commercial
+enterprise, and his strong passion for a roving life, and being,
+moreover, desirous to follow his father’s profession, who was commander
+of a merchant vessel, he had resolved, in his early years, to go to sea
+when he grew old enough, if a favourable opportunity offered itself.
+Myfanwy, however, used all her powers of argument and suasion with a view
+to prevent him from following so hazardous a calling; but without
+success.  Upon a seafaring life he was resolved.  To visit distant lands,
+and to behold strange peoples and countries, was the all-prevailing and
+the constant desire of his heart’s deepest emotion.  Hence on attaining
+his thirteenth year, he was apprenticed to his father.  When, however,
+the day arrived for leaving home, and for bidding adieu to his beloved
+mother and his darling Myfanwy, the grief he felt on parting with those
+he so deeply and tenderly loved, almost broke his heart.  At last he tore
+himself from their embraces and fond caresses, and on the following day
+he joined his father’s ship at Bristol, which was even then a city of
+considerable commercial importance.
+
+As young ap William was a joyous and spirited boy, always full of fun and
+joviality, and was never so well pleased as when he collected around him
+a number of the sailors, and told them tales of other times, especially
+tales connected with the lives of the great warriors and heroes of his
+country he, in consequence, became a great favourite with his father’s
+crew, who loved him for his own and his father’s sake.  During this time
+he did not, however, neglect his studies; nor was he lacking in acquiring
+a thorough knowledge of his profession.  He studied navigation, paid
+great attention to charts; while in a short time he gained such an
+intimate acquaintance with the management of the vessel, that before two
+years elapsed the chief mate pronounced him to be the best and ablest
+sailor on board.
+
+Before he attained his eighteenth year he could steer and manage a vessel
+with any captain in the mercantile marine; and as the first mate then
+retired from the service, John was appointed, by the owners of the ship,
+as his successor, with a promise that on the first vacancy he should have
+the command of one of their largest vessels.  During those years John had
+saved several hundred pounds.  This sum his father invested in the
+purchase of a small freehold estate in his native parish, to which John
+intended to retire after he had saved enough to secure a sufficient
+competency for himself and his beloved Myfanwy.  To that day he looked
+forward with feelings of longing anticipation.  On that day he had often
+said he would forget the past, would recall to his mind neither sorrow
+nor human woes; but would for once live a day wholly devoted to pleasure
+and to joy, looking on from then to a still more bright and happy future.
+Alas! alas! how different often are results from our expectations.
+Weeping cometh in the morning as well as at night.  When we are most bent
+on pleasure, when we fancy we are about to realize, according to our
+anticipations, its fullest fruition, a dark cloud, charged with mournful
+tidings, bursts on our head.  The day on which he led Myfanwy to the
+altar was the day on which he himself became an orphan.  Indeed, he had
+not left the churchyard before being apprised of the sad intelligence
+that a father whom he loved so much was now a mangled corpse.  He went
+home to weep and to grieve, though he did not sorrow as one who had no
+hope.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+_A NOBLE RESOLVE NOBLY CARRIED OUT_.
+
+
+It was morning.  Walter Vaughan and his heir were partaking of an early
+meal before going to the chase.  Just previous to their departure,
+“faithful Evan,” as he was called by the neighbours, entered the hall,
+and handed his master a letter, which he received with a trembling hand.
+Mr. Vaughan hastily broke the seal, and commenced perusing its contents,
+but before he had concluded its perusal, he became as pale as death, he
+shook like an aspen leaf, and his hand trembled violently.  The young
+lord, seeing his father’s distress and mental agony, became seriously
+alarmed, and, in a paroxysm of anguish and grief, exclaimed in weeping
+tones:—
+
+“Oh, father, my dear and fond parent! what is the matter?  Are you ill?”
+
+“My boy,” replied the lord, “I am a ruined man!”
+
+“Ruined, did you say?”
+
+“Yes, completely and, I fear, irretrievably ruined.”
+
+“How, and by what means has so great a calamity befallen you?”
+
+“This I will explain in a few words.  Some time ago I placed my affairs
+in the hands of an attorney, whom I then believed to be an honest man.
+He has, however, proved himself to be a faithless friend and an arrant
+rogue.  This is his letter, in which he informs me that the lawsuit has
+been decided in favour of my opponent, who is my bitterest foe.  This
+vagabond lawyer further tells me, that the costs are so enormous that I
+shall be compelled to sell my estates in order to meet the liability.  He
+even doubts whether the castle and manor of Dunraven will realize
+sufficient, over and above the present encumbrance, to meet the debt.”
+
+“But you need not, dear father, dispose of the estate to satisfy the
+claims of these lawyers.  There is the twenty thousand pounds my uncle
+left me in the bank.  I will send an authority to the manager to pay you
+that sum.  Surely, that will be sufficient to meet all claims.”
+
+“My dear and noble-hearted boy, it almost breaks my heart to be obliged
+to tell you that your money, even to the last shilling, has already been
+spent.”
+
+“Surely, you have not raised the whole of that sum?”
+
+“Yes, every penny has gone; and now, dear Walter, your patrimony in a few
+weeks will, I fear, become the possession of others.”
+
+“This is sad news, my father,” replied Walter junior.  “It is, indeed, a
+terrible disaster.  But don’t grieve.  What’s done can’t be undone.  I am
+resolved yet to redeem it, if time be granted me.  I am now penniless;
+but I will make my own fortune.  I will yet gain for myself a name and a
+rank which shall be equal to, if it does not surpass, that of my
+illustrious ancestors.  Now being bereft of all, the poorest of the poor,
+and dependent upon my own powers and will, I will repair the ruin.”
+
+“By what means will you accomplish this, Walter?” inquired the father.
+
+“Oh, father, by means which are honourable; and by pursuits which lead to
+fortune.  By work, by labour, by industry, by indomitable plodding, and
+by engaging in the calling of men who have thereby accumulated untold
+wealth, and are possessed of unbounded riches.”
+
+“I do not, my son, understand you.  To what pursuit do you refer?”
+
+“To be plain, then, this is my resolve: to engage at once in commercial
+undertakings, thus following in the footsteps of my late lamented uncle.”
+
+“But, considering the position we occupy in society as the lords of
+Dunraven, for you to enter upon such an undertaking would be a
+degradation.”
+
+“But, father, is it not a greater degradation to be poor—to see our lands
+in the possession of others, to be provided with bread by the toil and
+labour of others—in short, to see men work, while we refuse to lift up a
+hand to help them, when we are dependent upon their industry?”
+
+“It is hard to do this, my noble boy; but to me it is still more painful
+to part with you.”
+
+“You, dear father, have ever been kind and indulgent to me.  Believe me,
+for I speak from my heart of hearts, that to leave you, though it be but
+for a season, is to me a matter of deep sorrow.  It is, however, a stern
+necessity that compels my departure.  I shall, nevertheless, leave you,
+though with sadness, yet with a buoyant hope, destined, I doubt not to be
+realised, to return to the home of my fathers laden with gold.  The
+prospect of that day will cheer me in my labour, will nerve my arm, and
+help me to surmount any difficulties which may pass athwart my path.”
+
+“God grant you success, my son, for which I will pray fervently during
+your forced absence.  But whither will you go?”
+
+“I think, dear father, that I can secure immediate employment—an
+employment, too, which will in no way be degrading to me as your heir.
+Yesterday I received a letter from my old friend and companion, Mr.
+Jones, of Marseilles, who is one of the greatest merchants of that famous
+city, in which he has asked me to look out for a gentleman to act as
+confidential clerk.  He further says, that if the right man secures the
+appointment, and proves to be one who can be trusted, with business
+habits, tact, and energy, he holds out the prospect of an advantageous
+partnership.  As he is in immediate want of a young man possessing those
+qualities, which I fancy I possess, I will write him offering my
+services, which, considering my altered circumstances, I think he will
+only feel too proud to accept.”
+
+Young Walter was indeed just the kind of youth Mr. Jones wanted.  He had
+received the best education which the Oxford of those times afforded.  He
+had the bump of order largely developed.  He was persevering,
+painstaking, energetic, and an indomitable plodder; whatever his hand
+found to do, he did it with all his might.  Anything he undertook he
+would not give up until he had thoroughly mastered it.  Moreover, he was
+thoroughly conscientious.  In this virtue he followed his mother’s rather
+than his father’s family.  Indeed, the old lord was regarded, and was
+justly considered, as an unprincipled, grasping, and unscrupulous man;
+and it was his greedy love of gold, and his insatiable thirst for larger
+possessions, which he sought to secure by unjust means and foul play,
+that had, in consequence of non-success, brought about his ruin.  He had
+set up a claim to the heirship of another gentleman’s estate, though its
+owner’s ancestors were in its possession and enjoyment when Vaughan’s
+forefathers were menials.  The court, happily, decided the suit in favour
+of the rightful owner, and to mark their sense of the wrong the lord of
+Dunraven intended doing, ordered him to pay the costs of ten years’
+litigation.  It was this final decision of which his lawyer had apprised
+him in the letter previously alluded to.  His son, on the other hand, was
+an upright and an honourable man, who would rather suffer wrong than do
+an unjust act.  Mr. Jones was well aware of these noble qualities with
+which young Walter was endowed; hence, on the receipt of the letter
+offering his services, he wrote him a note full of kindly feeling and
+sympathy, and further pressing his old friend and correspondent to join
+him in London the following week, as he should be over in England for a
+few days on important matters connected with his business.  On the
+receipt of this communication from Mr. Jones, young Walter commenced
+preparing for leaving home.  At last the day arrived for his departure,
+and bidding his father an affectionate adieu, he went forth into the
+broad world, either to be carried on the tide which leads to fortune, or
+to sink beneath its devouring crests.
+
+On Walter’s arrival in London, his old friend and earliest companion was
+waiting at his hotel ready to receive him.  His reception was most
+cordial on the part of Mr. Jones.  After spending a few days in town,
+they took ship for Marseilles.  On arriving at their destination, the
+heir of Dunraven was at once installed in office; and before a week had
+elapsed, his employer saw that he had secured a valuable acquisition to
+his establishment.
+
+After Mr. Vaughan had been in the establishment about six months, Mr.
+Jones came to the office one morning earlier than usual.  Though none of
+the hands had arrived, he found to his surprise and joy his new clerk at
+the desk.  “I am glad,” addressing Walter, “you are here, for I want to
+consult you on a matter of great importance.  I have been debating with
+my junior partner,” continued Mr. Jones, “as to the wisdom or unwisdom of
+sending to the London market a new kind of silk, which a manufacturer has
+just introduced.  He strongly opposes its purchase, while I, on the other
+hand, am convinced it is just the thing that will take.  You are a good
+judge of quality and beauty, so give me your candid opinion as to whether
+it is wise or not to make a large or any purchase of this class of
+goods.”
+
+“I presume you will not require an immediate answer,” replied Walter.
+“If you will kindly give me an hour to think over it, I will then offer
+my opinion.”
+
+During that hour the young clerk was busily engaged in carefully
+examining the material with the aid of a powerful magnifying glass, and
+was struck with both the fineness of the texture and the beauty of its
+design.  On the return of his principal, he said that, in his opinion,
+the silk was just the kind of goods which would command a ready sale in
+the London market, and strongly recommended that the whole stock should
+be bought up, and immediately shipped.  Mr. Jones acted on the opinion,
+which turned out to be the most fortunate speculation in which he had
+ever engaged.  The sum actually realized was £20,000, of this sum he
+presented the young clerk with £5000, and in addition offered—an offer
+which was gladly and gratefully accepted—a partnership in the business.
+After this, the house of Jones & Company rose higher and higher in the
+commercial world, and the annual profits of the business were so great,
+that at the expiration of the seven years of partnership the young lord
+of Dunraven had at his command a sufficient sum to pay off the
+incumbrance of the estate.  To that effect he wrote his father, and on
+the receipt of the money, he called his creditors together and paid them
+their demands.  The lord of Dunraven thus became once more a free and
+independent man; but, alas! he did not give up his calling, but, with new
+life and renewed energy pursued the mission of the Evil One: being
+constantly at the post of mischief, and with eager eyes and a longing
+heart, looking out on the stormy wavy channel for treasures which, by
+foul play, he was resolved to bring into his meshes.  Prosper thou, lord
+of Dunraven, but in thy prosperity remember that the sword of justice is
+hovering over thy head, and in the midst of thy prosperity it will strike
+thee down.  The day of vengeance tarries; but it will come, and when it
+arrives, oh, how terrible will be thy doom!
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+_THE ALLIANCE OF THE LORD OF DUNRAVEN WITH MAC THE DEVIL_, _AND SOME
+OFITS RESULTS_.
+
+
+It was about three years subsequent to the departure of the son and heir
+of Dunraven, that the old lord resolved to take into his service MacLean,
+_alias_ Mac the Devil.  He knew that this man was a desperate character
+and a thorough daredevil, who neither feared God nor regarded man; in
+short, that for money and Scotch whisky, he would do the devil’s work
+according to his satanic majesty’s own special plan.  There was no crime
+of which Mac was not guilty, but, by reason of the stealthy way in which
+he carried out his doings of iniquity, he always succeeded in avoiding
+detection.  Though blood was on his hands, though he had robbed the
+fatherless, and murdered, for the sake of pelf, the innocent, yet he
+walked the earth with head erect as a guiltless person, little dreaming
+of the terrible doom awaiting him.  However, his cup of iniquity was not
+yet full, though daily it was nearing the brim.  He was in the act of
+planning some new crime when he received a message from the lord of
+Dunraven to attend him at the castle.  Mac, with trembling hands and a
+sinking heart, at once attended to the commands of Mr. Vaughan, though,
+on his way there, he had many misgivings as to the prudence of the step
+he was taking.  He, however, soon convinced himself that were he to
+disobey the summons he must quit for ever the neighbourhood, as he dare
+not confront the lord of Dunraven if guilty of disobedience to his
+lordship’s commands.  To the castle, therefore, he repaired, and on his
+arrival he was ushered by the faithful Evan into the library, where Mr.
+Vaughan was awaiting him.  On Mac’s entering he was requested to take a
+seat, when Mr. Vaughan, with a degree of sternness he seldom manifested,
+reproached him for leading a life so fraught with danger.
+
+“I do not, my lord,” said Mac, touching his head, “understand your
+meaning.”
+
+“Oh, you don’t, don’t you?  If then I say you are deeply steeped in
+crime, that you are a murderer, a thief, a rogue, and a villain, should I
+not speak the truth, and would you not understand my charge?”
+
+“Saying so, and proving its truth, are, I ken, two very different things,
+my lord.  You can’t prove that I am otherwise than an innocent man.”
+
+“Don’t you be too sure of that, Mac.  Indeed, I already possess evidence,
+which, if necessary, can at any moment be produced, completely
+substantiating my charge; and, Mac, I have a great mind to produce that
+evidence to the authorities.”
+
+“You dare not do that, my lord,” replied Mac.
+
+“You scoundrel! dare you threaten me in my own castle?  If you say
+another word, and use that language to me, I’ll send for the bum-bailiff
+at once, and, as a magistrate, order you into his custody.”
+
+“I say again, my lord, that you daren’t carry out your threat.”
+
+“Why daren’t I, I should be glad to know?”
+
+“Because if you were to do so I’d peach.”
+
+“You would do what, Mac?”
+
+“I’d peach; that is, I’d tell all about your lordship’s doings.”
+
+“Be d—d, you would?”
+
+“Yes.”
+
+“But who would believe you, you scoundrel?”
+
+“Me they may not, my lord of Dunraven; but they’d believe the evidence of
+others.”
+
+“But can you or your friends, you vagabond, bear any evil testimony
+against me?  I live in my own castle, and never mix with the world.  It
+is well known to all around, that my life and my time is devoted to
+study, to the practice of virtue, and to acts of piety.  Me they know as
+a model citizen and a Christian man and a gentleman.  Therefore, my
+character would be proof against insinuations, or charges patched up by
+you or your hellish crew.  You and your criminal companions might say,
+and even swear—you are capable of anything bad—you saw me in the act of
+committing a crime, but neither your word nor your oath would have any
+weight with those who know you, were the life of a dog only involved.”
+
+“Dinna you be too sure of that, my lord,” rejoined Mac; “I ken, and
+Squire Jones knows too, the sad fate of the ship _Bristol_, of the
+_Elizabeth_ of Swansea, and of the _City of Paris_.  He and I know also
+by whose hands the false light was hung out on Dunraven Head, and by
+whose hands the captains and the crews were murdered—who afterwards
+seized the wrecks, who sent them to market to be sold, and who received
+the money.  If I may be so bold, I could tell further that, within this
+castle, and in a cell beneath this room, there is a poor unfortunate man,
+who was put into an iron cage, and locked there by you,—the lord of
+Dunraven castle,—and that he is daily fed by crumbs from your table.  If
+this man were free, he could tell a tale at which humanity would shudder.
+You, my lord, think I sleep with my eyes shut, that I tremble at sight of
+the sea, that I’m afraid of the darkness and the tempests; and you knew
+not that when those vessels went down, and when all the hands on board
+perished, except this poor man in the cage, I was near you, my lord,—even
+close by your side, though unperceived.  Knowing these facts, I now dare
+you, my lord, to molest me or breathe a word injurious to my character.
+If you do so, I’ll peach, and I’ll take care that the lord of Dunraven
+shall be my fellow-prisoner.  You have called me a scoundrel.  Doesn’t
+that foul term apply equally to you, my lord?  But your sin will yet find
+you out.”
+
+For these terrible revelations Mr. Vaughan was wholly unprepared.  During
+their recital he shook as a man having the palsy.  He uttered, too, the
+most awful imprecations, and cursed and swore like a man possessed of the
+devil.  These, however, had no influence over the mind of the hard-headed
+and hard-hearted Scotchman, who continued his tale heedless of the
+foaming rage of Mr. Vaughan.  _He_ never dreamt that his crimes were
+known to mortal, beyond the circle of his demoniac companions.  He had so
+cautiously arranged his plans, and had carried them out so stealthily,
+that he fancied the knowledge of his rascality was confined to those
+desperadoes whom he had specially hired to carry out his nefarious
+designs.  Now, however, his deeds were known not only to Mac, but to his
+great enemy, Squire Jones; thus the man whom he sought to rob of his
+rightful possessions was also cognizant of those deeds.  Mr. Vaughan’s
+first thought, when Mac had finished his tale, was to take away, there
+and then, either his life or his liberty.  But a moment’s reflection
+compelled him to hesitate in adopting so dangerous a course, as it was
+known in the village of Southerndown that Mac had been summoned to the
+castle.  Considering the matter more seriously, he came to the conclusion
+that there was only one course open to him: namely, to take Mac into his
+service, and make him captain of the crew.  By pursuing this course, he
+would completely shut the mouths of Mac’s friends, and by securing the
+services of so skilful and so daring a wrecker, richer and more abundant
+harvests might yet be reaped.  Drawing himself to his full height, he
+said to his defiant visitor,—
+
+“I do not, Mac, admit your charges, and I say further that they are
+incapable of proof; but as I sustained so heavy a loss by law, and as
+drowning men will not stand on ceremony, but will accept the assistance
+of their bitterest foe when they feel themselves sinking beneath the
+devouring waves, I am therefore prepared to take you into my employ, and
+if you prove faithful to my interests and obedient to my orders, you may
+rise to wealth and to honour.”
+
+“But in what way, my lord, do you intend me to serve you?”
+
+“You know, Mac, your special calling, and not wholly unknown to me,—don’t
+be alarmed,—is the success which has followed your labours.  Being under
+my protection, by being in my service, you may well look forward to still
+greater results.  I need not say you are well aware that your present
+position is fraught with danger, and that one word from me would put a
+stop to your career.  If your words be true, _our_ interests clash.
+Besides, Mac, the stealthy and criminal vagabond, prowling about in
+search of prey, is in a very different position to Mac, the servant of
+the lord of Dunraven.  With that sentiment you agree, do you not?”
+
+“I must admit, my lord, you have put the case very clearly, and your
+reasons in favour of my accepting your offer are strong.  I can’t
+withstand them, so I’ll say Aye to your proposal.”
+
+“You have acted like a man of sense, Mac, as I always took you to be.
+To-night, work will have to be done; so go home and tell Molly, your
+wife, of your engagement, and don’t fail to meet me at the Watch Tower at
+four o’clock.”
+
+No sooner had Mac left the castle to pay a visit to his wife, with a view
+to apprise her of his engagement, than Mr. Vaughan also took his
+departure, and immediately afterwards joined the watcher at the Tower,
+which was situate on the highest point of the promontory.  On entering
+the observatory, he inquired for the result of the day’s observations,
+which, on being put into his hand, made him remark that matters did not
+look very bright.
+
+“When things are at the worst,” replied the watcher, “they generally
+mend.  I think we shall have some work to do before to-morrow morning.”
+
+“Your reason for that opinion, my faithful Duncan.”
+
+“You see yonder flag hoisted on St. Donat’s Watch Tower?  That flag has
+never yet deceived me.  Depend upon it, it is the harbinger of good news.
+The wind, too, blows hard from the south, and, if I’m not mistaken, there
+will be a fearful gale before midnight, and the ships coming down channel
+must necessarily be driven towards our coast.”
+
+“Your information, my Duncan, is cheering: I, too, am bearer of good news
+to you.  I have just engaged Mac the Devil, and shall appoint him to the
+office of captain of the beach and boatmen.”
+
+“I’m so glad you’ve taken my cousin into your service.  Mac is a smart
+man, he is well up in the trade, he is fearless, and, what is still more
+important, will not stick at trifles in obtaining his end.”
+
+“You approve then, Duncan, of my arrangement?”
+
+“Most certainly, sir.  In our line of business Mac has no equal.  He has
+the strength of a giant, while he is a stranger to fear, and fortunately
+has no conscience.  I never heard of his failure in accomplishing his
+object by fair means or foul.  When he fails to thrash a dozen sailors
+with his fists, and to pitch them into the sea, he resorts to the pistol,
+which, in his hand, never misses in its aim.  In our calling, my lord, I
+yield to none but Mac.  He is my superior in everything, except in this
+observatory.  Oh, were he here to-night!  We shall want a man of his
+metal.”
+
+“This time your wish will be gratified.  I expect Mac here every moment.
+Look, he’s coming down the road from Southerndown, in our direction.  *
+*  *  Call up the men from the beach, Duncan; I wish them to be present
+when Mac arrives, so as to inform them of the appointment.”
+
+The men were duly summoned by the head watcher.  On arriving at the
+tower, they stood in a row, in front of the entrance, to await their
+master’s commands.  Presently he appeared, accompanied by Duncan and Mac,
+and, addressing his men, spoke of their fidelity to his interest, called
+their attention to the many splendid victories achieved over the enemy,
+of the rich laurels already reaped from wrecks, and, further, that there
+was the strongest ground for hoping that their past gains were but as a
+drop of the bucket to those they might expect to realize hereafter.  “But
+your success,” said Mr. Vaughan, “will depend wholly upon yourselves.
+You must be united, there must be harmony in your ranks, hearty
+co-operation; while all must cheerfully bow to the order of the
+commander-in-chief.  To that office I have selected a man after your own
+heart.  You who are in favour of having Mac for your captain, hold up
+your hands.”
+
+To this request every hand was held up, whereupon Mac took his post at
+the head of the wreckers.  They were then regaled with a liberal supply
+of whisky, and when each one had taken his fill they repaired again to
+the beach.  No sooner, however, had they departed than there were seen
+coming down the channel two fine vessels.  The wind now blew a frightful
+gale, raising up the waters into waves like mountains, on whose crests
+the ships were carried at their mercy.  Everything appeared favourable to
+the wreckers.  In the west the sun had declined.  The shades of night
+were falling fast.  Every minute the darkness thickened.  The tempest
+increased in fury, while the roar of the ocean and the winds howling in
+the rocks and caverns around Dunraven Head, were most appalling.
+Notwithstanding the tempest, neither Mr. Vaughan nor Duncan moved from
+the spot of observation.  As the vessels neared the point, the fatal
+light was placed in the tower.  The captains of both ships now fully
+realised their danger: that there was no hope of saving either their
+ships or their own lives.  The crews, too, were well aware of being on
+the enemy’s ground, and, informing their commanders of their
+apprehension, at once unanimously resolved, if they must perish by
+treachery so base and devilish, that others should also perish at their
+hands.  On their ships being driven into the bay they heroically prepared
+themselves for the combat.  Each one armed himself with a cutlass, and
+when the vessels were dashed against the rocks of Dunraven Head, they, as
+one man, leaped into the boiling surge, and swam for the shore.  But in
+this heroic attempt to save their lives, several received severe
+injuries, while others sank to rise no more.  However, the greater
+portion of them arrived safely on the beach, but no sooner had they
+landed than they saw, creeping along the shore, under the shelter of the
+rocks, a strong body of men well armed.  The sailors, however, were in no
+way alarmed at the appearance of the enemy.  Before quitting their
+vessels they were well aware that the lord of Dunraven was on the alert.
+Of this the light on the Watch Tower was a sufficient proof.  Hence, when
+they saw the wreckers approaching they placed themselves on the
+defensive, and patiently awaited the attack.  They had not long to wait,
+for the Dunraven men immediately came up and called upon the sailors to
+surrender.  To that call, however, they paid no heed, but drawing out
+their daggers, fell with terrible force upon the wreckers, who, however,
+stood their ground manfully.  The battle was a desperate one, while the
+slaughter was most appalling to witness.  Many a brave man on both sides
+fell, mortally wounded.  For a time the sailors had the best of the fray.
+Their arms were nerved, too, by the consideration that, if beaten, death
+would be the lot of each.  Just, however, when they thought their victory
+was sure, there came up to the rescue of the wreckers their captain, who,
+with his own hand, killed six of the sailors.  The work of butchery now
+commenced in earnest.  One after another of the sailors fell, never to
+rise again.  Indeed not one single man of their number survived to tell
+the tale.  When the work of slaughter was completed, the captain ordered
+all the bodies to be carried to the adjoining cavern, where they were
+buried in a large chasm in the rock.  After interring the dead, Mac and
+the survivors returned to the beach, and watched there for the morning
+dawn.  During the night both vessels were broken to atoms by the fury of
+the waves, and as daylight appeared, the shore, for half a mile, was
+literally covered with articles of great value, which on being sold,
+realised a large sum.
+
+The deeds of that terrible night spread far and wide.  The owners of the
+vessels and merchants pressed the Government to send down a special
+commission of inquiry.  For several weeks these commissioners carried on
+their investigations; but, while collecting a large amount of evidence,
+yet in consequence of the absence of one witness, whose evidence was
+essential to bring the charge home to the lord of Dunraven, they failed
+in substantiating the case against Mr. Vaughan.  A week subsequent to the
+departure of the commissioners, that witness was found; but he could tell
+no tale, being a mangled corpse.  The body had been washed ashore near
+Porthcawl.  The remains were those of Captain ap William, the father of
+John.  The news of this discovery was at once carried to his widow, who
+was busily engaged in preparing her son’s wedding dinner when the
+messenger arrived.  After breaking the fatal news to Mrs. ap William, the
+messenger continued his journey to the little village of St. Bride’s,
+and, going up to the church, he met at the porch the newly-married pair.
+To Captain John, as he was generally called, the messenger told his sad
+tale.  Both John and his wife were deeply affected on being apprised of
+their bereavement.  They returned to their home to weep and to mourn; so
+John’s bridal day, which he hoped would be a day of unclouded joy, proved
+to be one of sadness, of sorrow, and of death.  He thus fully realized,
+by personal experience, the truth of the inspired saying, that we know
+not what a day may bring forth.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+_THE TERRIBLE DOOM_.
+
+
+During the progress of the inquiry into the circumstances connected with
+the wreck, every effort was made by the authorities to discover the
+whereabouts of those who were believed to be engaged in the affair; but
+those inquiries were, unfortunately, unattended with success.  The usual
+haunts of the wreckers were repeatedly searched, their dwellings were
+watched, and even guarded night and day.  The villages and the
+neighbouring hamlets were visited on several consecutive days, yet they
+failed to find a single individual able to afford any intelligence or
+information as to the hiding-place of the desperadoes.  The non-success
+of these inquiries was considered as most singular, no less than
+inexplicable.  On the morning following the sad occurrence, several of
+the wreckers, including Mac the Devil, had been seen on the beach below
+Dunraven Castle, but it appeared that no sooner had they completed the
+packing and loading of the treasures collected, than they all disappeared
+in a most sudden manner from view, and that disappearance was effected in
+a most unaccountable way.  Whither they went, or how they left the beach,
+no one could tell.  They were distinctly seen, and in a moment afterwards
+they were lost to view, as if the earth had opened and swallowed them up.
+
+Owing to their non-discovery, speculation was rife as to their probable
+hiding-place.  Some thought it most likely that they were hidden in the
+cellars under Dunraven Castle; others contended that Mr. Vaughan was too
+shrewd a man to place them there, especially as he himself was suspected
+of participating in the battle, and that that suspicion might lead to an
+inquiry which might be followed up by a personal search.  Others
+concluded that they had quitted the neighbourhood, and were hiding in the
+woods about Margam, or up the Ogmore Valley.  There was one old gentleman
+who treated all these opinions with contempt.  Every village and parish
+has its wise man, to whom, in an emergency, an appeal is made, and the
+old gentleman alluded to was the then wise man of Southerndown, as Hopkin
+Llewelyn is in our day.  He gave it as his opinion, that the wreckers
+were neither in the woods of Ogmore Valley nor Margam, nor would they be
+found in the Dunraven cellars, but were still in the neighbourhood, and
+within the sound of their voices; in short, that they were hid in some
+subterraneous cavern in the bay, which had hitherto remained
+undiscovered, and hence was known only to the wreckers.  He further
+predicted that as soon as the storm should blow over, by the departure of
+the commissioners, and the usual quietude of the locality assume its
+general aspect, the wreckers would again return to their old haunts,
+having Mac at their head; and would be then found wandering from point to
+point, having no special occupation, nor ostensible means of livelihood.
+The prediction of the village seer was verified to the letter.  No sooner
+had the commissioners left than the wreckers did return, and they
+appeared at their place of rendezvous, the Cups, as if nothing had
+happened.  Here they spent the morning of each day in drinking beer and
+whisky; and here they spent their money with as much prodigality as if
+they were the owners of gold mines.  The landlord of the Cups received
+their money without even asking whether they came to it by honest or
+lawless means.  When asked how he could be so lost to every sense of
+right as to accept money from men who certainly had earned it by being
+engaged in a nefarious calling, he replied that he was perfectly
+indifferent, and that it was no concern of his how they came by their
+silver and gold, so long as they paid him for what they drank.  In this
+reply we recognise the true philosophy of the trade.  Landlords, as a
+rule, care but little for the sorrows, the poverty, and the wants of
+their drinking clients and their families.  They want to sell drink, and
+hence never for a moment reflect whether or not their customers can
+afford to spend a shilling, or as to the manner by means of which it was
+earned.  He, of the Cups, was, in money matters, true to his calling; but
+we cannot commend the wisdom, or rather unwisdom, of the wreckers in
+spending their money at the old house, when the children of some of them
+wanted bread.
+
+On the morning following one of these carouses, Mac paid a visit to the
+tower to see his cousin Duncan.  Though they had met several times since
+the day on which they came from their hiding-places, yet they had not
+been fortunate enough to secure an uninterrupted and unobserved
+conversation.  To this both had anxiously looked forward.  Fortunately,
+when Mac entered, ho found his cousin in the observatory alone.  Placing
+his books and instruments on the table, Duncan turned his chair to the
+fire, and requested his visitor to be seated on the opposite side of the
+fire.  As the kettle was boiling on the hob, the host prepared two pints
+of excellent whisky toddy, one of which he handed Mac, who, on sipping
+the mixture remarked that it was “capital stuff,” and moreover inquired
+of Duncan where he obtained it.
+
+“It came, Mac, from the old country; imported direct from the distiller.
+This is just the beverage for a stormy night, is it not, Mac?”
+
+“On _that night_ I’d have given a pound for a pint of toddy like this.”
+
+“By the bye, Mac,” said Duncan, “you did the thing very neatly that
+night.”
+
+“I’m obliged to you, cousin, for your good opinion.  What did Mr. Vaughan
+say about our doings?  He saw the whole scene.”
+
+“My lord said to me, that unless you had been present, all would have
+been lost, as the sailors up to the time you came up had the best of the
+battle.”
+
+“Mr. Vaughan was right there, Duncan.  Had I not come up at the moment I
+did, every wrecker would have been a dead man.”
+
+“So my lord, who was on the rock above you, said.”
+
+“Oh, Duncan, it was a sad sight!  I hope, cousin, I shall never be
+compelled to witness a similar scene.
+
+“It is a sickening and a degrading calling, this of ours, in which
+victory has no honour, and triumph no glory.  While it is a merry life
+and profitable to those engaged in it, it is surrounded with scenes which
+are shocking to behold.”
+
+“As our master has such a large estate, Duncan, why does he carry on so
+hazardous and so dangerous a calling?”
+
+“The secret is this, he loves gold, and his heart is set on attaining
+riches; and to secure them he’ll take away any man’s life if it stands
+between him and the prize he covets.”
+
+“I should think he shook in his shoes when those men were down here.  Was
+he not alarmed, Duncan?”
+
+“Our master was, Mac, certainly alarmed; but, take my word, he’ll go on
+just in the same way.  He is just like the little animal which, when once
+it tastes the blood of its victim, never gives up pursuit until it has
+secured the prey.  The lord of Dunraven will, in my opinion, continue
+wrecking until some great calamity befalls his house or his family.”
+
+The subsequent doings of Mr. Vaughan fully established the opinion of
+Duncan.  Although he had been in imminent danger of having his crime
+discovered, yet, when those who conducted the inquiry had left the
+vicinity, the lord of Dunraven, with renewed energy and more resolute
+determination, carried on his nefarious calling.  In each succeeding
+winter, vessels were wrecked in Dunraven Bay which had been decoyed
+thither by the false lights he had caused to be placed in the tower.
+From these wrecks he realized large sums.  Had he been permitted to
+pursue his satanic designs for a few years longer, he would have become
+the richest man in the vale of Glamorgan.
+
+In consequence of the great losses ship-owners had sustained by reason of
+these wrecks, and the terror which the scenes of Dunraven had inspired,
+both owners and masters of vessels trading up and down the Bristol
+Channel were alarmed, and were in constant apprehensions lest they should
+experience the same disaster which had unhappily befallen so many of
+their brethren.  Captain ap William, however, was not deterred from
+pursuing his seafaring calling by these disasters, though his wife,
+previously to his starting on every voyage, warned him of the danger of
+following so hazardous a pursuit.  Yet, in spite of those warnings, and
+the urgent solicitations of his wife to remain at home, he continued
+going to sea.
+
+It was after one of these wrecks, when more than ordinary violence had
+been used by the men of Dunraven, that the captain and his wife were
+walking from St. Bride’s along the carriage way to Dunraven.  This was
+their favourite walk, and it was, moreover, associated with many a happy
+scene in days of yore.  After pursuing their walk for some time in
+silence, Mrs. ap William began to weep.
+
+“Why those tears, Myfanwy?” asked her husband.
+
+“I weep, John,” she replied, “in thought of the prospect of our
+separation.  Oh, you will not leave me again, will you?”
+
+“Indeed, wife, I must.”
+
+“But where is the necessity for you to risk your life again?  We have
+enough to keep us in independence and comfort.”
+
+“I have promised my employers to go on this one voyage.”
+
+“Can’t they get another captain to take charge of the ship?”
+
+“Doubtless they could, but they won’t trust every man with my vessel.”
+
+“Oh, I wish you would stay at home!  Indeed, indeed, I fear, if you leave
+me, I shall never see you again.  Last night I dreamt, and in my dream I
+fancied I saw your body being taken from the sea, your hair clotted, and
+your face covered with blood.  Oh, I do fear, if you again leave me, I
+shall never see you alive!”
+
+“Do not be alarmed for my safety, Myfanwy.  Life is as safe on the ocean
+as on the land.  The same Providence watches over the seaman as the
+landsman.  He being at the helm, He controlling and guiding the destiny
+of us all, will be my friend, even should danger threaten me.  So cheer
+up, thou treasure of my heart, and since you are so urgent that I should
+give up my calling, I now promise that on my return from this one voyage
+I will remain at home.”
+
+“I can urge you no further, John.  During your absence I’ll pray for your
+safe return.”
+
+The following morning Captain John ap William took his departure.  He
+joined his ship at Bristol, and from that port he sailed for the city of
+Lisbon with a cargo of West of England goods.  From thence he sailed to
+London, thence to Hamburg, and after several voyages between the two
+last-mentioned cities, chartered his ship to the Mediterranean, and took
+a valuable cargo at Marseilles for Bristol.
+
+During her husband’s absence, Myfanwy felt constant anxiety on his
+behalf, an anxiety intensified owing to the sad havoc among shipping at
+Dunraven Bay.  As it was now winter, her feeling of apprehension
+increased in intensity, as she daily expected his return.  October had
+come and gone, but he had not returned, nor had she received, for several
+weeks, a letter from him.  November had come in more than usually stormy.
+All over the country trees had been uprooted, houses were blown down, and
+on the rocks above Dunraven Bay, and below Southerndown, the winds were
+so terrible that persons were in the imminent risk of being blown over if
+they went within even fifty yards of the precipice.  On Friday morning
+the hurricane increased in its fury.  As the evening approached, the
+storm became fearful, while the tumultuous waves increased in violence,
+foaming, then wildly raving, then receding in circling eddies for awhile,
+into their gloomy bosom; then, again, returning with renewed force and
+augmented fury.  Upon their tumultuous and angry surges a large vessel,
+heavily laden, was being driven towards the bay of Dunraven by the fierce
+tempest.  If that fine ship, which bore on her bosom the rich merchandise
+of continental skill and industry, be dashed against the desperate
+assemblage of rocks, crags, and shoals surrounding the bay—imagination
+with its utmost stretch could form but a very imperfect idea of so
+direful and so appalling a spectacle.  As the villagers gazed upon the
+tumultuous billows, they saw the ship, which had battled many a stormy
+breeze, uplifted on the briny surge, then plunging headlong down the
+repelling rock.  In that terrible collision, a hole nearly three feet
+square, was made in the bottom, through which the sea rushed in with
+terrible force, on which she began to sink.  When this was discovered,
+the crew, in wild despair, called to the men on the beach to come and
+help them.  They, however, moved not, but waited the issue with the most
+stolid indifference.  Amid that cry of despairing anguish the sea rolled
+in with increased violence and fury, the waves dashing over the
+fast-sinking ship, and carrying along with them the unfortunate crew.
+Presently there was seen clinging to a frail board a young man, comely in
+form and handsomely dressed.  Having fastened himself to this, the
+wreckers heard him beseeching them, in most piteous cries to come and
+help him.  However, to that cry no attention was paid.  Seeing this, he,
+with a voice which moved even the hard hearts of the wreckers, called
+out, “Oh, my father, my father! if you love your son, who has been a
+dutiful and a faithful son to you—if there be in your bosom any affection
+for him who has only lived to promote your welfare and interest; who, in
+your declining years, has laboured and striven, and thereby has succeeded
+in redeeming the manor of Dunraven from its heavy incumbrance—send the
+men to save me from a watery grave!”  That cry the lord of Dunraven
+heard.  It pierced his very soul.  His countenance was marked with
+anguish, blended with despair.  All he could say was, “It is my own son
+Walter, and I have caused his death!”  He then fell down in a fit.  When
+the wreckers heard their master’s exclamation they, as one man, took to
+the sea.  Towards the drowning man they pressed forward with great
+energy, and at last succeeded in touching the frail board.  At that
+moment there was a terrible sea, which, in receding, carried away the
+young lord of Dunraven and the whole of the wreckers, except Mac the
+Devil, who succeeded in gaining the shore.  The Lord of Dunraven, when he
+recovered from the swoon, learned all that had happened, even of his
+son’s death.  From that night Mr. Vaughan was never seen at Dunraven
+Castle.  He went forth, bowed down with age and with sin, a wandering
+ghost, seeking rest but finding none.  No one ever heard that he was
+sorry on account of the crimes he had committed against heaven and earth.
+In a few years afterwards news came to Wales that in an encounter with a
+highwayman, in the North of England, the once great lord of Dunraven was
+slain, and his body was thrown over the rocks into the sea.  In his
+pockets were found papers which led to his identification.  As his money
+had been taken by the robber, he was buried at the expense of the parish
+in which his body was found.  Such was the life and such the end of a man
+who sought riches by robbery, and gold by the sacrifice of human life.
+Indeed, he lived a miserable life, and died a miserable death.
+
+As regards the other persons of this history but little remains to be
+told.  Mac, on that night, disappeared from the scene.  But every nook
+and corner of the coast was watched and carefully guarded night and day.
+The people of the neighbourhood expressed their confidence that Mac was
+still in the locality, in his old hiding-place.  After watching for a
+fortnight, during which there were no signs of his appearance, they were
+almost persuaded to give up the affair.  However, they resolved still to
+continue guarding the coast for another week.  The day before that week
+expired, one of the watchers saw in the sea, coming out from between two
+rocks, a man diving.  Evidently he had come from some subterranean
+cavern, with an outlet under the water.  This man was Mac the Devil.  He
+was there and then taken, and lodged in gaol.  At the following assizes
+he was found guilty of murder and was condemned to die.  Before his death
+he confessed all, and left behind him a record of his exploits, and a
+detailed account of his connection with the lord of Dunraven.  Before
+that record was read, Mr. Vaughan had breathed his last.
+
+But what became of Captain John?  It was his vessel that went down, and
+it was young Vaughan’s cargo with which she was laden.  On the morning
+subsequent to the wreck he was found on the seashore in Dunraven Bay,
+with his body much bruised, and his face covered with blood.  He was,
+however, still alive, and thanks to the careful nursing of his wife and
+medical skill, he soon recovered, and gave up going to sea.  Ever
+afterwards he lived at home.  He became an excellent farmer, and saved
+money.  He lived to a good old age, and left behind a numerous family,
+who were as distinguished for their virtue as they were for their
+industry.  In this world he moreover lived as he wished to die, leaving
+behind him a pattern of religiousness which his children, and their
+children after them, followed.  Thus, while the end of the good captain
+was happy and peaceful, that of the lord of Dunraven was full of anguish,
+while he met with a doom which it is terrible to contemplate.
+
+
+
+
+PARSON JONES,
+AND HIS CONQUESTS OVER THE ARCH-FIEND OF PANDEMONIUM.
+
+
+[The following strange stories of Cambrian life contain not an _ideal_
+but a _real_ picture of society in days of yore.  For obvious reasons,
+some of the names of the _dramatis personæ_ are not given, but the family
+of Jones being so large, _the man_ will not be recognised by the
+retention of the name he actually bore.  Further, it is believed that the
+whole of his relations are dead.  He had two nieces that survived him,
+who on his death were by no means _young ladies_.  They then quitted
+Wales, never more to return.  One more word only need be added, namely,
+that Mr. Jones’s fame as a preacher was universal, and the belief that he
+had power over Satan was firmly entertained by all, though he himself
+repudiated the possession of such power.  Mr. Jones lived to nearly a
+hundred years of age, and died about thirty years ago.]
+
+                                * * * * *
+
+Hail! all hail! to thee, thou illustrious dead!  Though thy spirit has
+long since left the regions of earth, and has passed into the _Gwlad
+well_, yet thy memory is fresh and green, and thy deeds of charity, thy
+unassuming piety, thy faithful preaching of the Cross, thy example of
+saintly resignation, as well as thy holy sanctitude, still live in the
+hearts and memories of those who were privileged to listen, sabbath after
+sabbath, to the glorious truths which fell from thy lips, and who,
+moreover, were permitted to gaze upon and witness the holy ripening of
+thy nature for a bright and a glorious immortality.  Of thee might it be
+truly said, that thy enemies were few, and thy friends and well-wishers
+legion.  The reason of this was obvious.  While others laboured for
+earthly honour and a perishable renown, the aspiration and desire of thy
+soul was to do the work of Him in whose armour thou wast clothed, and to
+be recognised, and honoured, and acknowledged of thy Father at the
+Judgment of the Great Day.  Thy departure to that better land was to thee
+a happy departure.  On thy spirit leaving its tabernacle of clay, it took
+its flight, amid the songs of angelic choirs, to that world wherein the
+Lamb shall ever lead it to perennial springs and fountains of
+blessedness, and where every tear shall be wiped away by the Redeemer.
+But though the change to thee was a welcome one, oh, how _un_welcome was
+it to thy sorrowing children on earth, who were left behind in the
+wilderness!  Though many, many years have passed away since the day of
+thy departure to join the choirs above, during which I have mixed much
+with the busy world,—have seen the upheaving of peoples, revolution
+following revolution, and have witnessed parts of Europe deluged with the
+blood of some of its best and most patriotic sons,—yet I well remember,
+as if it were but as yesterday, the sorrowful tidings of thy death, when
+all joined in saying, “That a prince and a great man had that day fallen
+in Israel.”  Nevertheless, amid our pensive sorrow and grief, which
+almost rent many a stout heart; all were yet cheered and solaced with the
+thought, that though the dark cloud of the future obscured our vision,
+preventing our beholding the face of the dear departed, nevertheless he
+was reposing joyfully in the eternal sunshine, and reclining on the bosom
+of his Lord.
+
+Now, though Parson Jones was a good and holy man, yet young and old, rich
+and poor, the youth in his teens as well as those over whose heads
+seventy summers had passed, not only admitted, but actually declared,
+that he was a strange mortal.  His life and character were to them an
+enigma.  While the outward—the rational man—was clear and plain, yet the
+inner life—the hidden and mysterious workings of the intellectual and
+spiritual man—was above their comprehension and beyond their ken.  Though
+they owned that their beloved pastor held communion with Heaven, yet many
+affirmed, and positively believed, that he had constant intercourse with
+the Evil One.  Though they devoutly entertained the opinion that he held
+uninterrupted converse with Him who was the desire of all nations, yet
+they clung to the opinion that he had fellowship with him who reigns over
+the abode of woe.  While they believed that their dear friend possessed
+that faith by which mountains are removed, and by means of which the
+rolling and angry billows are hushed into calm repose on the bosom of the
+vast and mighty deep, nevertheless, the tale went from cottage to
+cottage, and from hamlet to hamlet, and was told and retold, with deep
+seriousness, in high and in low places, that Parson Jones could raise and
+lay the devil.  And if legions of ministering angels hovered round his
+path, imparting to him comfort, solace, and joy, it was almost
+universally believed that he had consultations with the grim spirits of
+the nethermost regions.  Hence they concluded that he was not only
+all-powerful with Heaven, but that Satan himself, with all his servants
+and allies, would fly at his bidding.  In consequence of this belief,
+Parson Jones had, at his parsonage, a constant succession of visitors.
+If the busy housewife was unsuccessful in her churning, Parson Jones must
+be at once consulted, as he only, in the vicinity, had power to break the
+spell, and drive to their place those evil spirits which interfered with
+the beneficial operations of mankind.  If the farmer found his cattle
+ailing, of course the good parson’s advice was at once sought, which in
+all case was readily obtained, the belief being that he only in that
+neighbourhood could counteract and overcome the evil influence of the
+witches, who, by their malevolence and wicked arts, sought to bring
+destruction and ruin upon him and his household.  Again, if a house in
+the locality were haunted, the sleepers being awakened from their
+slumbers of the night by unearthly cries, by groans and terrible noises,
+we need hardly say the good vicar was sent for; and after one of his
+visits, the simple-hearted people of the troubled dwelling believed, and
+positively affirmed, that he had put his imperial Satanic majesty in his
+snuff-box!  And from that night their home was never disturbed by the
+presence of a spiritual visitor, and they congratulated themselves on
+having permanently got rid of the disturber of their peace and repose,
+feeling certain that the possessor of the snuff-box would see to it that
+the lid would be kept securely fastened.  These acts of Parson Jones were
+not done in a corner; hence the news of his victory over the Evil One
+spread far and wide; but while a few gave no credence to the tales that
+were told, yet the people—the masses, both rich and poor, the wise and
+the unlearned—believed in the stories which were told of the good vicar’s
+doings.
+
+As my father’s residence was adjacent to the vicarage, as he and the
+worthy parson were sworn friends, and as the latter had a strong personal
+liking to me, as also a deep interest in my future welfare and prospects,
+I having on several occasions acquainted him with my strong aversion to
+my father’s pursuits, and that I intended to seek my fortune in the wide,
+wide world—these and other matters brought me into frequent contact with
+our common friend, at whose house I was a constant and ever welcome
+visitor.  There was, however, another reason why I was so often found at
+his hospitable dwelling, which, in passing, I will just mention.  From my
+earliest school days I had imbibed a strong thirst for knowledge, while
+the sciences of astronomy, algebra, Euclid, and trigonometry, had for me
+peculiar, and I might add, fascinating charms.  In pursuing those
+studies, however, I often met with difficulties, which, unaided, and
+without the assistance of a teacher, I failed to overcome.  The good
+parson being well informed of my pursuits, and being anxious to render me
+all the assistance in his power, arranged that I was to spend every
+Monday evening at his residence, where, in his study, he would quietly
+explain the problems and calculations I had failed to solve.  As a
+teacher he was so successful that, after going quietly over my
+calculations, and explaining where I had gone wrong, he invariably
+managed to make the whole matter as clear to my perception as that two
+and two make four.
+
+Mr. Jones was deeply read in the science of astronomy, and on his
+perceiving that I was weekly making considerable progress in a science he
+so deeply loved,—a science, too, which he regarded as more sublime than
+any other, inasmuch as it proclaimed the power, the wisdom, and the
+greatness of Him who binds the sweet influences of the Pleiades and
+loosens the bands of Orion, who can bring forth Mazzaroth in his season
+and guides Arcturus with his sons,—it was no wonder, considering the
+identity of our common feeling and inclination, that I became a nightly
+visitor at the parsonage.  During those visits I learned much respecting
+other branches of knowledge with which, previously, I was but little
+acquainted.  Thus, wide fields of human knowledge appeared to open before
+me, the possession of which was the deep aspiration of my soul.
+
+But I must own that my visits to the parsonage afforded me an interest
+beyond that of scientific and literary pursuits.  Night after night there
+were other visitors at the good man’s house, who came there to tell tales
+about apparitions, ghosts, the doings of the witches, and the various
+forms in which his imperial majesty of Pandemonium had appeared to them.
+To these marvellous stories I always listened with deep interest, as from
+my youngest days I had been taught by my nurse to believe in the
+existence of ghosts.  The people of the neighbourhood believed that the
+parson had power over the evil spirits when they troubled men, hence the
+reason of his assistance having been so frequently sought.  Many a tale I
+have heard in the vicar’s little study; but for the present I shall only
+record the following strange stories.
+
+                                * * * * *
+
+It was a stormy night in the month of January, when I was with Mr. Jones
+in his study.  After sitting there some time, over a problem in the Sixth
+Book of Euclid, the door gently opened, and in walked Mrs. Lloyd, the
+wife of a neighbouring farmer, who, at the request of Mr. Jones, took a
+seat by the fire.  When she entered the room I observed that she was
+deeply agitated, the cause of which we soon learnt.  As soon as she had
+warmed herself and dried her garments, my friend and benefactor, in the
+kindest possible way, asked the reason of her having come out on so
+stormy and so boisterous a night.
+
+“I’m kum to see yoo, Mr. Jones,” she said, “and to tell yoo the sad
+calamity which has happened at our house.”
+
+“I hope Mr. Lloyd is not ill?”
+
+“Oh no, parson; leastwise he was well in body when I left whome, but
+sorely troubled in mind.”
+
+“What is the matter, my good friend?” inquired Mr. Jones.
+
+“Oh, sir! it’s too dreadful.  I kunna tell yoo.  I s’pose I must, for I’m
+kum here on purpose.”
+
+“Unless you tell me the cause of your trouble, ma’am, I cannot give you
+advice.”
+
+“You know, parson, Moll McGee, of Cwmdu, dunna yoo?”
+
+“Yes, ma’am; I know that person very well.”
+
+“Yoo know, dunna yoo, Mr. Jones, that she’s a witch.”
+
+“She is so reported, Mrs. Lloyd; but you must not believe all you hear.”
+
+“But, yoo do know very well she’s a real witch, so dunna yoo deny it.”
+
+“I have no personal knowledge of the fact, ma’am,” replied the good
+parson; “I have always found her a harmless and inoffensive woman, though
+some persons say she has put her mark on certain families.”
+
+“I should think she has, indeed; so dunna yoo think she ought to be
+hanged and quartered, and her body and bones, and her heart and liver,
+burned by the common hangman, for causing so much trouble and loss to
+poor and innocent folks?”
+
+“Surely she has not paid you a visit, has she?”
+
+“She ha, though; and, what is worse, she has spoiled a beautiful churning
+of milk, and killed our pony, which Lloyd was offered thirty pounds for
+at last May fair.”
+
+“I am sorry to hear this of Mrs. McGee,” observed Mr. Jones; “but, my
+dear madam, when and how did this happen?”
+
+“When my daughter Mary was churning on Wednesday morning, who should kum
+up to the dairy door but Moll the witch.  She sez, sez she, ‘Will you
+give me some buttermilk, Mrs. Lloyd?’
+
+“‘No,’ sez I; ‘I’ve no buttermilk to spare.’
+
+“‘But yoo must,’ sez she, ‘give me some.’
+
+“‘I have sed the word, Mrs. McGee, that I’ve none to spare; and if I had,
+you shudna have any.’
+
+“‘Why?’ sez she.
+
+“‘Why,’ sez I; ‘because yoo are a bad woman.’
+
+“‘You had better give me som,’ sez she agen; ‘for if you won’t it ’ul be
+the worse for yoo.’
+
+“‘What will yoo do, Mary?’ sez I.
+
+“‘I’ll mark yore cattle,’ sez she, ‘and I’ll _leave_ the mark there too,
+for your hard-heartedness.’
+
+“‘Then,’ replied I, ‘I won’t give yoo milk.  Yoo’ll witch my things, will
+yoo?  Do thy worst Moll,’ sez I, ‘for I dunna fear thee.’
+
+“‘Then,’ sez she, ‘may yur milk never turn into butter, may yur cows
+cease to give yoo milk, and may yoo find some of yur beasts in the black
+quarry before another week’s gone, and may the curse of Mary of the Black
+Dingle ever follow yoo and yours.’
+
+“The old hag, when she finished her curse, turned upon her heel, and in a
+moment afterwards my daughter and me saw her going through the gate in
+the form of a large black monkey.  After she left, we continued to churn
+away with all our might and main, but the butter wouldna come, and since
+that day the cows have refused to give us any milk.”
+
+“But what about the pony, Mrs. Lloyd?”
+
+“Oh, I had almost forgotten to tell yoo about that.  Well, last night, as
+Lloyd was coming whome from the fields, he saw a black monkey on the back
+of the pony.  The brute was urging the poor creature forward by sticking
+her devilish claws in the pony’s side.  And will yoo believe it—God ha’
+mercy upon us! for we live in strange times,—the monkey drove the pony
+straight for the quarry.  Lloyd saw her fall over the rock, and running
+up to the edge of the quarry, saw the poor creature dashed to atoms at
+the bottom, and Moll standing by grinning.  But p’raps yoo wunna believe
+the truth of my story, but it is as true as I’m a Christian woman.”
+
+“Indeed, Mrs. Lloyd,” replied Mr. Jones with great firmness, “I don’t
+believe that Mary McGee, or any mortal, possesses the power which you
+evidently believe she does possess.  Heaven has not delegated to sinful
+mortal, nor even to any of His creatures, power to inflict injury
+affecting life or limb upon any of the creatures He has made, and by
+whose power and goodness they are sustained.”
+
+“Yoo are a learned man, and I’m no scholard, tho’ I kun read my Bible,
+thank God! and that book tells me that evil spirits did enter into man
+and beast; and parson, yoo cunna make me believe that the arch-fiend has
+not entered into the heart of that woman.”
+
+“Oh! don’t, I beseech you, my friend, give too much credence to idle
+tales and silly talk; and pray don’t believe that she is the real cause
+of, and the instrument by which, this affliction has come upon you.  If
+you were to sift thoroughly the evidence respecting Mary’s malpractices,
+you would discover, in the end, that the whole is based upon hearsay, and
+on the inventions of persons who might have fancied it possible for such
+things to exist.”
+
+“Mr. Jones, Mr. Jones,” replied Mrs. Lloyd, “these tales are not idle
+invention; I wish they was.  But as true as God made Llandegley Rocks,
+and I s’pose He made them, my cows wanna give no milk, and the cream
+wunna turn to butter, churn as much as we will; and it’s a fact ’bout the
+old hag and our pony, as Lloyd witnessed the whole matter.  I believe,
+and Lloyd believes, and my daughter believes it too, that our calamities
+are the result of the evil influences of this witch, who has been
+practising upon our creatures her infernal and malignant arts.  I have
+now told you my tale, parson, and I want your advice.”
+
+“What do you wish me to do, Mrs. Lloyd?”
+
+“Oh, sir! there is only one thing yoo can do.”
+
+“What is that, my friend?”
+
+“What is that, yoo ask?  Ye know very well.  Why, break the spell, to be
+sure.  Until that’s done we shall neither have butter nor milk, and then
+how shall we be able to pay our rent?”
+
+“Indeed, ma’am, I don’t see how I can assist you.  Oh, I do wish you
+would not place any faith in this woman’s power.”
+
+“I cunna help it, Mr. Jones.  But I do believe this, that yoo can master
+her, and yoo only.  I know yoo have power over these evil spirits and
+witches, but especially over Moll McGee.”
+
+“Why do you think so, ma’am?”
+
+“Oh,” replied Mrs. Lloyd, “she’s afeared of yoo.  Indeed, she said she
+was afeared of yoo; and no wonder, for we know very well that yoo can
+master her master—the great fiend himself.”
+
+“Pray, Mrs. Lloyd,” remarked the vicar, “don’t for a moment entertain the
+belief that such power belongeth to man, nor that I, one of the most
+sinful of God’s creatures, have authority over the ruler of darkness.
+However, as your cattle are afflicted, I will step up in the morning, and
+examine them.”
+
+“I’m so thankful to yoo, Misther Jones, for your kindness.  I shall now
+go whome with a lighter heart than I came, for I know you will break the
+witch’s spell.”
+
+I thought Mr. Jones would give her a lecture about her faith in his
+power.  However, for this she waited not; for on securing his promise she
+rose from her chair, and took her departure, wishing us both a hearty
+good-night.
+
+In about a quarter of an hour after Mrs. Lloyd had left, who should walk
+into the study but Mrs. McGee, who took possession of Mrs. Lloyd’s seat
+without any invitation from the vicar.  When she had made herself
+comfortable before the blazing fire of wood on the hearth, Mr. Jones
+addressed her:—
+
+“Why are you out so late to-night, Molly?”
+
+“I’ve come to speak with you on business.”
+
+“But it is rather late for business now.  Why did you not come earlier?”
+
+“I couldn’t do so.”
+
+“Why?”
+
+“Because Mrs. Lloyd had not visited you till to-night.”
+
+“But what had her visit to do with you?”
+
+“Everything; ’cause she come to tell you a tale ’bout me.”
+
+“I fear, Molly, she has a very just cause of complaint, against you
+especially, if reports be true.”
+
+“Bad luck to her, and all she has, Mr. Jones!”
+
+“Withdraw that word this moment, Molly; or,” his piercing eye being fixed
+on the woman, which appeared to enter her soul, “I must use my power—that
+is, I must request you to leave my house this instant.”
+
+“But don’t you think she was a hard-hearted woman not to give a poor body
+a dhrop of buttermilk?”
+
+“I can’t say that, Molly; but if she be hard-hearted, there is no reason
+why any one should wish her ill.  I must, therefore, insist on your
+withdrawing your wish.”
+
+“If I do so, Mister Jones, it wonnot be for her, but for your sake, who
+has always been kind to me.”
+
+“You have spoken like a sensible woman, Molly.  I have one more request
+to make, Mrs. McGee; that is, promise me you won’t go near Mrs. Lloyd
+again.”
+
+“Dear-a-me, you are a strange mon, parson.  Between you an’ me and the
+post, I’ve no wish to go near the likes of her, as she has no pity on a
+poor starving woman.”
+
+“As you have now promised me not to go near Mrs. Lloyd, just go into the
+kitchen and get some supper, and make haste home, for it is getting
+late.”
+
+When Mrs. McGee left us, I also left to depart.  On the ensuing afternoon
+I was informed, that before daylight next morning, Mr. Jones, before the
+family were up, had paid a visit to Mrs. Lloyd’s cow-house, and had given
+to each beast a small ball made up of herbs.  When these were swallowed
+the cattle appeared scarcely able to contain themselves for delight.  Mr.
+Jones saw by their appearance that his medicine (?) had proved
+successful; so calling up the family, he informed them that the spell was
+broken.  The cows no longer refused to give milk, and Mrs. Lloyd even
+declared that it was superior in quality to what she previously had.
+Subsequently, she experienced no difficulty in her churning operations.
+The fame of Mr. Jones spread, in consequence, far and wide, and,
+unfortunately for his own peace and comfort, applications to him for
+assistance, when the witches had afflicted man or beast, became
+incessant.
+
+
+
+PARSON JONES’S TALE OF NAT THE SMITH AND THE THREE WISHES.
+
+
+It was a dreary night in the month of December when there sat in the
+chimney-corner of the Jolly Fiddler—which, as you know, is the chief
+public-house in the little village of Nantglyn—Nat the smith.  Nat, as
+you are aware, is a real good fellow, and a hard-working man, but,
+unfortunately, he is terribly fond of his beer.  I have been told that he
+has spent a little fortune at the Jolly Fiddler, and I can well believe
+it, for he pays nightly visits to the house, which he never leaves until
+he has had two quarts of ale; and I fear that latterly he has not
+confined himself to that quantity.  However, I am anticipating this part
+of my story, and must first narrate, as succinctly as possible, the
+incidents of Nat’s life during the past seven years.  Besides, I am
+anxious to finish telling you the story to-night, though I am not sure I
+can complete it, as there is a gap in the history of my friend Nat which
+has not yet been made up.  With the above remarks by way of introduction,
+we will now go back to the dreary night of December already alluded to.
+
+After Nat had sat for some time in the chimney-corner at the Jolly
+Fiddler, he called out to the landlord,—
+
+“Another quart, Bill; and mind it’s from the barrel in the corner.”
+
+“All right, Nat,” replied the landlord; “you shall ha’ a quart of the
+best.”
+
+“Here’s the sixpence, Bill,” said Nat, when the ale was placed before him
+on the table; “and, upon my soul, I’ve not another copper left.”
+
+“Never mind about the money, Nat; I’ll trust you for as much as you like
+to drink.”
+
+“Thee knows, Will, I never allow scoring for beer.  Ready money or no
+ale, is my motto.”
+
+“And a good motto it is, Nat.  Oh, I wish all my customers was like you;
+for if they was, I should have no fear of being marched off to Lunnun
+(London) to be whitewashed.”  (A provincialism implying the passing the
+Bankruptcy Court.)
+
+“There is no danger of me going up there, Will,” rejoined Nat.  “’Cause
+why, no one will trust me.”
+
+“Dunna thee say that, Nat; for thee knows very well that I’ll trust
+thee.”
+
+“Trust or no trust, Will, here goes,” and putting the jug of foaming ale
+to his mouth he drank a good draught; and then smacking his lips, said,
+“Upon my word, this is the real ‘cwrw da.’  A quart of this is worth a
+gallon of the last brewing.”
+
+“So it ought to be, Nat; for I put four bushels of best malt to this
+barrel in the corner.”
+
+“There’s no mistake, Bill, about its strength; and between us, as old
+friends, my only fear is that I shall not be able to get my fair
+allowance of it.”
+
+“Oh! of that you need not be afraid, Nat; ’cause why, I only give this
+beer to my constant and my very best customers, and—”
+
+“Of which I am one, I s’pose you was going to say.”
+
+“And if I had said so, Nat, I should ha’ spoken the literal truth.”
+
+During the above conversation a gentleman, unperceived by the landlord
+and his best customer, entered the kitchen of the Jolly Fiddler.  He was
+clad in a suit of black, over which he wore a long cloak of invisible
+green, the bottom of which trailed on the ground.  He had on his head a
+felt wideawake, which was so inclined in front that his eyes were not
+perceptible, while the rest of his face was shut from view by an immense
+quantity of long, smooth, glossy hair, which descended over and below his
+shoulders.  He had entered the kitchen of the Jolly Fiddler silently, and
+taking up a position between the door and chimney-corner in which the
+smith was sitting, and at the landlord’s back, his presence was
+unperceived by both.  On that spot he had stood during the conversation
+between Nat and Bill, to which he had listened with great attention.
+When the landlord turned away from his friend Nat, to attend to the
+duties of his house, he was astonished to find the presence of the
+stranger, whose strange appearance struck him with awe, and his tongue
+clove to the roof of his mouth.  However he summoned up his courage, and
+taking a slanting direction, he escaped through a side door into the
+little back parlour of the inn.
+
+Nat was not a spectator of this scene.  When Will left him, he took his
+quart of ale in his hand, and composing himself in the chimney corner, he
+sat there, intently watching the glowing wood-fire before him.  There he
+sat, now and then sipping his ale, as professed wine-drinkers sip their
+port, remarking to himself, after each succeeding draught, “This is
+capital stuff! it warms the cockles of one’s heart as it goes down; but,
+poor me! when, oh when, shall I have sixpence in my pocket to buy another
+quart?  Oh, it’s a sad thing to be poor in this rich land of plenty!
+It’s not right for me and my class to starve for good ale, when our
+wealthy neighbours have their cellars full, and plenty of gold to buy
+more.  If I was rich, the poor man should never want for a pint or a jug
+of the real ‘cwrw da.’  Ah, me! I sha’ never be rich.  I’m born to be
+poor, and to labour as them sparks fly up the chimney.  It’s sad, very
+sad, and heart-breaking, to have an empty pocket when one’s soul is
+thirsty.”
+
+Nat sat thus musing and talking to himself for nearly half an hour.  At
+last he finished his ale, and then, taking his stick in his hand, rose to
+go home.  There was no one in the kitchen now.  Nat thought this very
+strange, as Bill was generally about; but he fancied, as he rose to
+depart, that he saw the shadow of a human form on the wall.  Of this he
+took no particular notice at the time; but, on listening to Will’s story
+the following day, Nat felt that the supposed shadow was a terrible
+reality.
+
+Nat left the inn with a heavy heart.  It is true he had had his quart of
+good ale, but he thought that, as work was slack, he would have
+considerable difficulty “in raising the wind” for several days, and this
+affliction had a depressing influence on his spirits.  At last he reached
+the little wicket gate leading from the highway to his cottage; but on
+his opening it, he was awe-struck on seeing coming from his house along
+the garden-path, a gentleman clad in deep mourning.  As there was
+something in the appearance of the gentleman Nat did not like, he
+attempted to avoid him by leaving the path free; but when Nat turned out
+of the path the figure turned too, and came up, meeting the smith face to
+face, and addressed him thus:—
+
+“You are rather late to-night, Mr. Smith.”
+
+“If I be late, sir,” retorted Nat, “I do not see it’s any business of
+yours.”
+
+“Don’t be angry with me, friend, I meant no harm, for my object in
+meeting you here is to afford you help and counsel.”
+
+“I need, sir, no man’s help,” replied Nat; “and when I require advice
+I’ll seek it at the house of a friend.”
+
+“But, friend Vulcan, I can give you the help which no _man_ can.”
+
+“Give it then, sir, to those who seek; as for me I desire it not.”
+
+“You are poor, friend, and penniless.”
+
+“But is poverty, sir, a crime?”
+
+“Oh no, friend, poverty is not a crime; but you must own, Mr. Smith, that
+an empty pocket is very inconvenient for a thirsty soul.”
+
+“How do you know, sir, that my pocket’s empty?”
+
+“My knowledge of the fact, friend, is derived from your own confession.”
+
+“But, sir, I never confessed to you, ’cause why, I never saw you before.”
+
+“You speak truly on that point, friend Vulcan; nevertheless, I must tell
+you I heard your confession to-night at the Jolly Fiddler.”
+
+“I did not see you there, sir.”
+
+“Perhaps not.  I was there, notwithstanding; and I heard you declaring to
+Will, the landlord, that you then parted with the last sixpence.”
+
+“If I’ve spent all, sir, I can work and earn more.”
+
+“Oh, sir, you can work: but I know you do not like work; and if you will
+comply with my wishes, you shall have all you require without working
+another hour.”
+
+“What is your wish, sir, and the nature of your service?”
+
+“I will tell you, Mr. Vulcan, in a few words.  But, first, let me say
+that I take a deep interest in you, and am supremely anxious to promote
+your welfare.  Now, if you will consent to become my son, at the
+expiration of seven years from this hour, I will grant you any three
+things you might desire, whatever they may be.”
+
+“You’ll do what, sir?”
+
+“I’ll grant you any three things—riches, wealth, possessions, or anything
+else.”
+
+“And for these benefits, what do you require from me?”
+
+“All I require, Mr. Nat, is that, at the expiration of seven years, you
+will acknowledge me as your master.”
+
+“Indeed, sir,—that is, I don’t know what to say to your proposal.  Now
+I’m a free man, and I’d rather be my own master than be the slave of
+another.”
+
+“But, friend, when you have plenty of money you will be your own master,
+and besides, with a full pocket you can drink as much as you like of
+Will’s best beer.  I shall guarantee in the bond your pockets shall be
+always full.”
+
+“To-morrow night, if you will meet me, I will give you an answer.”
+
+“To-morrow, friend, it will be too late.  Your decision must be now or
+never.  If you desire a merry and a jolly life, having a full pocket and
+plenty of good ale, sign this bond, which read for yourself.”
+
+Nat took the document from the hand of the stranger, which he carefully
+read twice over.  When completing its second perusal, he remarked that it
+appeared all right, though not wholly satisfactory as it contained no
+sentence _securing the blessings_ for which he had to wish _during the
+seven years_.
+
+“Will it be satisfactory to you then, friend, if words to that effect are
+added?”
+
+“Yes, sir,” replied Nat.
+
+The stranger then wrote upon the bond the words Nat desired should be
+added, and presenting it to the smith, he at once signed the document,
+when, on its being done, the stranger vanished out of his sight, leaving
+Nat there in darkness and alone.  However, he ultimately found the door
+of his cottage, and, on entering, went at once to bed.
+
+It was noon on the succeeding morning before Nat awoke.  He had, like all
+beer and spirit drinkers, slept himself sober.  When he was aroused from
+his slumbers, he began to think over the previous night’s scene, and,
+step by step, he was at last able to trace the whole of his doings from
+the time he left home until his return, and then he fully realized his
+present position.  The sad fact that he had sold himself body and soul to
+the arch-fiend was now a terrible reality.  “I have been a fool, and no
+mistake,” said he to himself; “but what’s done can’t be helped.  Here is
+the bond, the conditions of which I’m bound to carry out.”  He then got
+up, and dressed himself, and going downstairs, he found his dinner, which
+consisted of potatoes and milk, on the table.  After partaking of a
+portion of the dinner his too-indulgent wife had prepared for him,
+addressing his faithful Betsy he unconsciously exclaimed:
+
+“I wish, old girl, we had fried bacon with the potatoes.”
+
+No sooner had the words escaped his lips than there appeared before him
+on the little round table a plateful of savoury bacon, on which he was so
+enraged with his own want of prudence, that he wished it and its contents
+under the grate, when it was removed thither by some invisible hand.
+Nat, on witnessing this, foamed with passion, and danced and cursed and
+swore like one possessed with the evil one.  He carried on his ravings
+for some time to the astonishment of his wife, as she could not divine
+the cause of his strange conduct; and amid one of his fits of rage he
+exclaimed, “Oh, that I had a jug of Will’s best beer, for my mouth and my
+tongue are on fire!”  In a moment the foaming ale was placed on the
+table, and Nat swallowed it at a single draught.  When he placed the
+empty jug on the table, he said, addressing his wife:
+
+“O Betsy! what a fool I’ve been.  I was promised riches, possessions, and
+honours, if I’d do a particular thing, but my only reward is a jug of
+ale.”
+
+From that day Nat was an altered man.  He ceased his visits to the Jolly
+Fiddler.  Occasionally he was to be found in his shop, but more
+frequently he might be seen walking up and down the mountain-side alone,
+with an air of pensive sadness on his brow.  As years rolled on he became
+more dejected and depressed in spirits, the cause of which was known to
+no mortal.  He did not even tell his wife the terrible secret of his
+unhappiness.  Years and years passed on with this heavy load on his
+heart.  At last it came to the very day but one when he had to fulfil the
+condition of the bond.  Why or wherefore I do not know, but the thought
+struck him about me, and thinking, perhaps, that I could afford him some
+little aid, he started off yesterday morning, and he spent several hours
+with me here last night.  He told me the whole of his tale, and when he
+had completed its recital, I said to him very kindly, but firmly,—
+
+“You have done, my friend, a very wicked thing.”
+
+“O sir, I know I have; but my heart is so depressed, pray do not,
+therefore, upbraid me now, but try and afford me some assistance.”
+
+“I really can’t see my way to help you, especially as your enemy is so
+subtle.”
+
+“But, my dear pastor, I think you can break the net in which he has
+caught me.”
+
+“There is only one way of defeating him, Nat; that way is, by prayer and
+supplication for Divine help and guidance when the hour of your doom
+comes.”
+
+“O sir, I have poured out my whole soul to my Redeemer, but I’ve received
+no answer to my prayer.”
+
+“Relief, Nat, may yet come.  Oh, don’t cease in your petitions to the
+throne of mercy.”
+
+“I’m terribly afraid, sir, that my sins are so black, there is no hope
+for me.”
+
+“While there is life, friend, there is hope; and even yet, at the
+eleventh hour, a way of escape may be opened to you.”
+
+“Heaven be praised if there be, sir; but this bond is too explicit in
+terms, and he who holds the counterpart is too exacting, for me to hope
+for an escape.”
+
+“You have the bond, then, Nat?”
+
+“Yes, sir! here it is.”
+
+“Have you received the benefits of its conditions?”
+
+“The only benefit I received was one jug of beer.  As for the bacon, that
+was devoured by the flames.”
+
+“There is a line, which appears as an afterthought, added to the bond,
+namely, guaranteeing the security of the blessings wished for during a
+period of seven years.  Do you now say, Nat, that you have not
+participated in the benefits of the wishes during the seven years?”
+
+“I declare, sir, in the most solemn manner, that the only benefit I had
+was the jug of ale already referred to.”
+
+“Now, Nat, I think I can help you out of your difficulty, and I will pray
+Heaven to succour and assist you in the terrible encounter awaiting you.
+But to insure success you must observe to the letter my directions.  Will
+you promise me?”
+
+“Most solemnly I promise to obey you to the letter.”
+
+“You must fulfil your engagement with the enemy, and if he insists on
+your carrying out the condition of the bond, then tell him to his face
+that you will not do so, unless he will first carry out _his_ conditions
+about the seven years.  If he refuses, then demand another wish, and as
+you have received no benefit from the previous ones, he will, I think,
+concede the point.  If so, then let your wish be that something terrible
+might happen to him.”
+
+Now, said the parson to me, I can proceed no further with my tale.  Every
+moment I am anxiously waiting news, or the return of Nat.  If he comes
+you shall hear the rest of the story from his own lips,—whereupon Nat
+entered, and throwing up his hat to the top of the room, cried out, “He
+is conquered! he is conquered!  Hurrah for Parson Jones!  Hurrah for the
+good Vicar of Llan! before whom both witches and devils flee.”  At last
+Nat became calm and composed, when he proceeded to complete the tale,
+which I tell in his own words:—
+
+“I met the old chap at the appointed time and place, when he produced the
+bond, and asked me if I was ready to accompany him.
+
+“I said, said I, ‘Not yet, my lord.’
+
+“‘Why?’ said he.
+
+“‘Because,’ said I, ‘you have not fulfilled the conditions of the bond.’
+
+“‘In what have I failed?’ asked he.
+
+“‘In this,’ said I, ‘I was, by the bond, to enjoy the blessings for seven
+years, and I’ve had only one jug of beer.’
+
+“‘But that was your fault,’ said he.
+
+“‘Whether it be my fault or not,’ said I, ‘I will not come with you
+unless you fulfil your conditions.’
+
+“‘I will not wait for you another seven years,’ said he; ‘but I will
+permit your having one more wish.’
+
+“‘You’ll do what?’ said I.
+
+“‘I will grant you the privilege of one more wish.’
+
+“‘You really will?’ said I.
+
+“‘Yes; but, mind, my only reason for granting it,’ said he, ‘is that you
+appear to feel that I have taken an advantage of you.’
+
+“‘Well, then,’ said I, ‘I wish you on the back of your fiery dragon; and,
+then, that the dragon carry you straight to Llynfan, and that you both be
+drowned in that lake, and never appear to disturb me more.’
+
+“When I had finished my wish there was a terrible clap of thunder, which
+shook the earth beneath me to its very foundation, and it was followed by
+a vivid flash of lightning which lit up the whole mountain; and, looking
+across the valley, I then saw both the dragon and its rider disappear in
+that fathomless llyn.  When I saw this I dropped down upon the cold
+ground, and then poured forth my heart’s thanksgivings to Him who had
+wrought me, through you, my dear pastor, so great, so glorious a
+victory.”
+
+                       [Picture: Pont Aberglaslyn]
+
+
+
+
+CADWGAN WYNN;
+OR THE
+LOST INHERITANCE REGAINED.
+
+
+    Fled are the fairy views of hill and dale;
+    Sublimely throned on the steep mountain brow.
+    Stern nature frowns: her desolating rage
+    Driving the whirlwind, or swoln flood, or blast
+    Of fiery air imprisoned, from their base
+    Has wildly hurled the uplifted rocks around
+    The gloomy pass, where Aberglaslyn’s arch
+    Yawns o’er the torrent.  The disjointed crags
+    O’er the steep precipice in fragments vast
+    Impending, to the astonished mind recall
+    The fabled horrors by demoniac force
+    Of Lapland wizards wrought; who, borne upon
+    The whirlwind’s wing, what time the vexèd sea
+    Dashed ’gainst Norwegia’s cliffs, to solid mass
+    Turned the swoln billows, and the o’erhanging waves
+    Fixed e’er they fell.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+_SHADE AND LIGHT—SORROW—BUT HOPE IN SORROW_.
+
+
+In the enchanting vale below Pont Aberglaslyn there stood, many many
+years ago, a small villa, which at the time of which we write was covered
+over with ivy.  Surrounding this beautiful rural retreat were gardens and
+pleasure grounds, which were designed and laid out with great artistic
+taste and skill in the arrangement of walks, shrubs, rose-trees, flowers,
+and evergreens.
+
+At the time our story commences, the villa was occupied by a gentleman
+whose family had seen better days; but, through the prodigality of
+ancestors and the vast sums they had squandered in horse-racing,
+cock-fighting, and gambling, the rent-roll of their estate which
+approached £12,000 a year, now scarcely reached a hundredth part of that
+sum after the interest had been paid.  Indeed, when the then owner came
+into possession of his patrimony on the death of his father, his net
+income barely reached £6 a week.  On discovering his pecuniary position,
+he felt he could no longer afford to occupy the family mansion, and like
+a wise man he prudently resolved to leave it, and remove to the villa we
+have already described.  During the residence of the family at the old
+Hall, Mrs. Wynn—that being the name of the family—left her household
+affairs to her servants, who unfortunately paid but little regard to
+domestic economy.  However, when she took up her residence in her new
+abode she wisely undertook the chief management of her household; while
+Mr. Wynn devoted his time to the cultivation of the garden and
+superintending the education of his son and daughter.  Both proved apt
+learners; what they learned they remembered.  Whatever book they read,
+they retained its contents in their singularly retentive memories.  In
+pursuing their studies, fortunately they had this great advantage in
+their favour,—namely, that their parent was a ripe scholar and an eminent
+man of letters, while as a teacher he possessed abilities of the highest
+order.  Having such an instructor, no wonder his beloved pupils made such
+rapid progress.  After teaching them thoroughly the rudiments, Mr. Wynn
+led on his children step by step to higher grounds; but in all his
+lessons he sought to instil into their young minds a strong and
+passionate desire, a longing thirst, for knowledge, the possession of
+which had afforded him some of the happiest and the most pleasurable
+hours of his life.  Thus occupied, year after year came and rolled by,
+and each revolving year brought increased happiness to the little family
+of the villa.  Truly did they live in each other’s love.
+
+When their son Cadwgan had attained his fifteenth year, his sister
+Gwenfan being two years younger, their father was on one Saturday called
+away to the ancient town of Carnarvon, in order to transact some special
+business with the family solicitor.  When he left home in the morning he
+promised to return the same evening, but though his wife and children
+waited his return until midnight, he came not.  At last, sick and weary
+at heart, they retired to rest; but during the remainder of the night
+they were not roused by his well-known knock at the hall-door.  Early on
+the ensuing Sabbath morning, a special messenger arrived at the villa
+from Carnarvon, with the sorrowful intelligence that Squire Wynn had been
+seized with a virulent attack of small-pox, a disease which was then
+fearfully raging in the town and neighbourhood, and the messenger urged
+Mrs. Wynn to hasten to the bedside of her husband, if she desired to see
+him alive.  With an aching heart she kissed and bade adieu to her son and
+daughter, and hastened to the bedside of the almost lifeless form of him
+who had ever been the light of her eyes and the joy of her heart.  She
+saw at the first glance that the hour of his departure had come.  She
+threw herself on the bed by his side, when he tenderly embraced her,
+saying, “Heaven bless you, my angel!” and then pointing his finger
+upwards, “Meet me there, and bring our dear ones with you.”  He then
+heaved a deep sigh, and his spirit took its flight to the _gwlad well_
+(the better land).  Before that day’s sun had descended into the western
+sea, Mrs. Wynn was attacked with the same fatal malady; and before the
+dawn of the following morning, her gentle and loving spirit had fled its
+earthly tabernacle for the land of eternal and ethereal joy.  Thus were
+their children bereft of both father and mother in a single day, and
+before they were made acquainted with the terrible loss they had
+sustained, the forms they loved so well had been placed in the same tomb.
+
+To the children the Monday and Tuesday following were days of anxious
+thought.  No tidings had reached them of the sad event that had happened.
+It was late on Tuesday evening that a kind friend arrived from the
+solicitor bringing the sad intelligence of their parents’ decease.  They
+were overwhelmed with sorrow on account of their loss.  Days and days
+elapsed before they could realize their position.  At last they were
+painfully impressed with the fact that they were alone in the world.  No
+loving word now, in welcome and joyous voice, greeted them on entering
+their home.  The arm-chair in which their father sat evening after
+evening, when he was used to tell them tales of years that had gone, and
+the couch on which their mother reclined before retiring to her bedroom,
+were both unoccupied.  The sudden death of both, taken in connection with
+the responsibilities of the present and their anxieties pertaining to the
+future, nearly broke their young and tender hearts.  But they sorrowed
+not as those who had no hope.  From childhood they had been taught to
+love the dear Name which is above every name, and confident of His
+favour, and with full reliance on the promise that He would be a father
+to the fatherless, their gentle spirits became calm and peaceful.
+Moreover, they looked forward to a bright immortality, when they would
+join those whom their souls loved.  Thus, as day after day came and
+departed, they became more resigned to their lot.  Their griefs were
+assuaged by night voices from the world above.  Often, in the evening
+twilight, they heard whispers from the spirits of the dear departed ones.
+And the spirits said, after a few more years of toil, of labour, of
+sorrow, of anxiety and trouble, you will come up hither, and then you
+shall mingle your voices with ours, in praising Him, who has washed us
+from our sins in His own blood.  That day there will be a joyous reunion
+in this spirit world where parting is no more.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+_AN INHERITANCE LOST_, _BUT A FRIEND FOUND_.
+
+
+“Is not this a lovely April morning?” remarked Cadwgan to his sister, as
+they walked hand-in-hand across the lawn.
+
+“It is, indeed, a most lovely morning, brother.  And is not the scene
+around most enchanting?”
+
+“You, Gwenfan, have always been a great admirer of the spring.”
+
+“And you, dear Cadwgan, have been its enthusiastic admirer.”
+
+“I have loved it, my dear sister, because it is the season of the year
+when nature puts on its most joyous apparel.  The trees and flowers, the
+hedgerows and forests, the cornfields and meads, all all are decked in
+their green robes.  When spring comes, after the deathlike appearance of
+winter with its cold and chilling air, nature springs into new life; the
+trees send forth their green leaves, the rose its blossom, the meadows
+put on their usual dress, and Nature appears to say to all, Come, come,
+and behold my triumphant resurrection from the death of winter.”
+
+“And does not the animal creation, my brother, participate in the glories
+of spring?”
+
+“Sister, oh, do listen to the joyous melody of the skylark, and see, see
+how he mounts higher and higher, and sings as he ascends!  From yon
+thorny bush don’t you hear the blackbird’s sweet notes? while the mellow
+bullfinch answers those notes from yonder sylvan grove.”
+
+“It is love, my dearest brother, that creates this music; all this waste
+of melody is the heavenly voice of sweetest love.”
+
+“Don’t say, my dear sister, that this melody is wasted.  Music is never
+wasted when there are people listening to its soothing and joyous
+strains.”
+
+“But people, Cadwgan, do not always give ear to the charming voices of
+these winged songsters.  And are there not hundreds, and perhaps
+thousands, who fail to appreciate, who are never moved by, their
+enchanting notes?”
+
+“That there are persons, my wise sister, who listen unmoved to the melody
+of birds, I would be the last to deny; but is there not an equally large
+number of persons who see no beauty in verdant glades, in the bubbling
+crystal fountain, in the rippling streamlet, and in the flowers as they
+open their petals to draw in the morning dewdrop?”
+
+“As you have referred to flowers, come, dear Cadwgan, and look at my
+smiling blushing roses.  Oh, they look so lovely!  Exquisitely beautiful
+are they, and their perfume fills the morning air with the most delicious
+fragrance.”
+
+“They are, my dear Gwenfan, most beautiful; but pray tell me the secret
+of your success in training them to so great a perfection.”
+
+“That I can explain in a few words.  I have nursed them well.  I have
+paid them as much attention as I have paid to my birds, and I love them
+almost as much,—don’t I, pretty, smiling, blushing roses?”
+
+“It will be hard for you to part with this lovely dwelling, won’t it,
+Gwenfan; especially as it is endeared to us by so many happy and hallowed
+associations?”
+
+“But we shan’t leave here, brother; shall we?”
+
+“I am afraid we shall be obliged to do so, sister.”
+
+“I am so sorry to hear you say so.”
+
+“I am sorry too, to break the news to you.  The thought of leaving our
+dear home almost breaks my heart.”
+
+“I had hoped, Cadwgan, never to say adieu to the abode of our beloved
+parents, though the void created by our sad bereavement can never be
+filled up.  But, if we must leave, whither shall we go?”
+
+“At present, my darling sister, I know not where we shall have to pitch
+our tent; but our heavenly Father, in His good providence, will, if we
+trust Him, provide for us a shelter.”
+
+“I do love and trust Him, my dear brother; but, oh, at this moment, the
+future appears to me dark and beamless.  I fail to see even a fringe of
+the cloud with a silver lining.”
+
+“But if we look to the light, our future may still be bright and joyous;
+as will be the appearance of yonder vale when the dark cloud you see up
+there passes away.  In a few minutes this sylvan dell will be lighted up
+by the golden beams of the morning sun.”
+
+“Look, brother, look!  The cloud is rapidly moving on its journey.  The
+rays of the king of day will soon fall upon and penetrate both woodland
+and brake, warming and cheering the dwellers in mossy beds and grassy
+mounds, imparting hope and joy to all.”
+
+“So may it be with us, dear Gwenfan.  When we least expect aid from on
+high, that aid comes, and at once the darkness and gloom are chased
+away.”
+
+But here his sister called her brother’s attention to a lady driving a
+pony carriage.  “I declare,” she said, “the lady is coming to the villa.
+See! see! her servant has opened the entrance gate at the bottom of the
+lawn.  Oh, who can she be?  Do you expect any one to visit us, brother?”
+
+“I expect no one, but hope that she may be a messenger of good, not of
+evil; a harbinger of comfort, and not the bearer of bad tidings and thus
+increase our affliction and sorrow.  Our cup of grief is already full and
+overflowing.”
+
+As the carriage approached nearer to the villa, the children saw that its
+occupant was clad in deep mourning, and that she resembled some one whom
+they well knew, but whom they could not at the moment recollect.
+Presently, the carriage was driven up to the door, and the lady inquired
+of the orphans if the house was called Bryn Villa, and if they were the
+children of Mr. and Mrs. Wynn.
+
+“I am, madam, their son,” replied Cadwgan, “and this is my sister
+Gwenfan.”
+
+“May I presume to ask the name of the lady who takes care of you?”
+
+“We have no one taking care of us, madam,” replied Gwenfan.  “I look
+after my brother, and he looks after me.”
+
+“But have you no one with you,—no grown up person in charge of the house,
+and in charge of its management?”
+
+“We have only a maid-servant in the house, ma’am,” answered the brother;
+“and she has been with us since we were little ones.”
+
+“You are then, my dears, left alone in the world.  Unless I have been
+misinformed, you have lost both parents.”
+
+“Both are dead, ma’am,” answered Gwenfan, weeping; “and neither my
+brother nor I am aware of having a single relative living.”
+
+“Had not your papa a sister?” inquired the lady.
+
+“We never heard dear papa speak of a sister, or any relative,” answered
+Cadwgan.
+
+“Dear me, sir, that is certainly very strange; because I happen to know
+of his having a sister, whom he loved very dearly.”
+
+“Of her, ma’am,” replied the youth, “papa never spoke.  I remember
+hearing him say, he had no one left in the world to care for, except dear
+mamma and us.”
+
+“For the present we will say no more on the subject.  But having driven
+many a long mile, my dears, since the morning, and still having a long
+journey before me, I must claim your hospitality for food for my servant
+and pony.”
+
+“You are heartily welcome, ma’am, to partake of the best our house can
+afford,” replied the children.  “Your servant will perhaps drive the pony
+into the yard, and he will find there our man servant who will attend to
+his wants.”
+
+The lady then descended from her phaeton, and was conducted by the
+children into the house.  During the time refreshments were being
+prepared she made a minute inspection of the parlour.  When she had
+thoroughly surveyed it, and was about to take a rest on the sofa, she saw
+what appeared to be a picture, but the likeness was shut from view by a
+curtain of green baize which hung over and covered both the picture and
+frame.  The lady’s curiosity was aroused, but just then she heard the
+footsteps of the servant and the children in the passage; but before they
+entered the room, she had succeeded in drawing aside the baize, and had a
+glimpse of the likeness beneath.  When the children entered they
+perceived that the lady appeared slightly agitated, though, necessarily,
+they were wholly ignorant of its cause.
+
+During the time she was engaged in partaking of the refreshments which
+had been provided her, she talked and chatted away on all manner of
+topics, but studiously avoided making any allusion to herself.  She asked
+the children many questions about people in the neighbourhood,
+particularly about Mrs. Jones, of the Glen; her sons and daughters, if
+they were all married, and did they reside in the locality.  She
+specially asked if young Squire Jones were still a bachelor.
+
+The children gave their visitor an account of the several families she
+inquired for, and informed her that Mr. Jones was still single, that he
+resided at the Glen, and had succeeded to his uncle’s property, which
+brought in some £12,000 a year.
+
+                                * * * * *
+
+“And you never heard, my dears, your papa mentioning relatives either
+living or dead.”
+
+“Indeed, we don’t recollect our papa making any allusion to relatives,
+except,” said Cadwgan, “on one occasion, when he said to mamma, ‘I am
+afraid she is dead; for were she alive she would certainly write to us.’”
+
+“I know, my dears, to whom he referred, and think I can satisfy you that
+she is not dead, but still lives.”
+
+“Any information, ma’am,” replied the youth, “with which you can furnish
+us will place us under deep obligations to you.”
+
+“Have you, my dears, ever seen the picture under the green baize?”
+
+“No, ma’am.”
+
+“Then you don’t know whose likeness it is?”
+
+“Indeed, ma’am,” replied the brother and sister, “we don’t.”
+
+“Tell me, my dears,”—removing the covering,—“tell me if you have ever
+seen any one like that portrait.”
+
+For a moment the children hesitated; and after looking first at the
+portrait and then at the lady, said, “The picture, ma’am, is very like
+you; or you resemble the portrait.”
+
+“You are quite right, my loves.  Your dear papa was my brother, and you,
+my dears, are my nephew and niece.  Come to my arms, and be assured that,
+as far as I can, I will make up for the loss you have sustained.  I will
+love you deeply, fondly, ardently; and for my brother’s sake, and that of
+your kind, gentle, and loving mother, who was as dear to me as my dear
+sister Gwenfan, who was the light and joy of our homes, and for your own
+sakes, I will be your guide, your friend, your counsellor and stay.”
+
+In a moment the children were locked in the tender and loving embrace of
+their aunt.  They all wept, though their sorrows were mixed with joy.  To
+some extent the discovery thus made relieved the sadness and gloom of the
+hour.  In the hour of gloom, when aid was least expected, a comforter had
+been found.  But upon this scene we must not dwell.  Their aunt was a
+woman of action, and rest with her was impossible until she had
+thoroughly mastered the children’s affairs.  Hence, as soon as she and
+her pony had had refreshment and an hour’s rest, she, with her niece and
+nephew, started off for Carnarvon to see the family solicitor, and from
+that gentleman learnt that the old family estate of the Wynns was
+mortgaged to its full value, and that the mortgagee had now given notice
+to foreclose unless the sum borrowed was repaid within a month.  “To do
+this,” said the solicitor, “is, I fear, impossible, because the amount
+borrowed—£80,000—is so large that in these times there are but few
+capitalists who have it at their command.”  He then gave it as his
+deliberate opinion that the best thing was for the mortgagee to sell, and
+if he realized a sum beyond the encumbrance, it might be invested for the
+joint use of the children.
+
+This advice was acted upon by the aunt and orphans.  A few weeks after
+this conversation, Wynn Castle and its domain and estate were sold by
+auction, the fortunate purchaser being a London merchant of great wealth,
+who during the first three years of its possession expended on
+improvements £20,000.
+
+When the affairs of Wynn Castle were all arranged, Cadwgan resolved to
+seek his fortune in the wide wide world.  His aunt and sister did their
+best to dissuade him from leaving home, but he turned a deaf ear to their
+arguments and entreaties.  At last they reluctantly acquiesced, and it
+was finally arranged that his aunt and sister were to remain at the Villa
+(this house and grounds forming no part of the Wynn Castle estate), the
+former promising to supply as far as she was able the void which death
+had created.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+_THE WIDE WORLD_.
+
+
+It was a beautiful summer morning when Cadwgan departed from the home of
+his love, the place endeared to him by so many happy associations.  The
+parting scene between him and his sister was most painful.  From
+childhood they had not been separate from each other a single day.
+Gwenfan’s love for her brother was deep, ardent, and tender.  Every want
+of his she anticipated, while she paid the minutest attention to his
+feelings, even in small and trivial matters.  To part with her only
+brother was indeed a sore trial; but she now felt she could no longer
+resist his wishes, though the thought almost broke her heart.  Then
+Cadwgan’s grief was equally intense.  He however felt that duty called
+him away; and somehow there came into his soul a conviction that a day
+might come when fortune would smile upon him, and on that day his sister
+would bless him for having forsaken the joys of home with its smiles and
+sunshine, in obedience to what he regarded as a solemn duty.  At last he
+tore himself away from his sister’s and aunt’s tender and affectionate
+caresses, leaving the home of his childhood; and before the sun was up,
+grand old Snowdon, with its circumjacent hills and mountain-tops, had
+disappeared from his view.  However, he lingered not on his journey, but
+when the last old friend of his youth had disappeared he put on new
+speed, resolving to arrive at the metropolis of England and the world
+before the end of the following week.
+
+We shall not attempt to describe the journey and the incidents which
+occurred by the way.  Suffice it to say, that in due course he reached
+the great city, and during the first few days after his arrival he
+wandered from street to street, traversing its parks, alleys, and great
+thoroughfares; and during those days’ wanderings he saw much of the busy
+scenes of city life, especially those places where merchant princes most
+do congregate.
+
+After being in London about a week, faint, weary and worn, hungry and
+footsore, he sat down one evening in one of the recesses of London
+Bridge, and wept.  Though thousands passed by not a soul took any notice
+of the sorrowing and weeping boy.  As the shades of night began to fall
+faster and faster on the scene, the bridge became less crowded, and as
+the evening advanced, became almost deserted.  The poor youth now thought
+seriously on his lonely and forlorn condition.  To procure a bed was
+almost impossible, as he knew not where to go; and even if he did know,
+he could ill afford to spare two shillings—the sum his landlord had
+charged him the previous evening—because his little purse was nearly
+empty.  When the few shillings which remained were gone, he saw no
+prospect before him but hunger and starvation, which he now considered
+would be his inevitable fate.  He now repented of his somewhat rash act
+of leaving home before consulting with some one as to the best course he
+should pursue.  But his repentance was too late.  He placed himself in
+the hand of his heavenly Father, and prayed to Him for help and guidance.
+That prayer brought peace to his troubled spirit.
+
+It was a beautiful and balmy summer night, and he asked himself the
+question, why could he not make himself quite comfortable there for a
+single night?  Having resolved to sleep there for one night at least, he
+at once commenced to arrange his pillow, which consisted of his carpet
+bag.  Having placed the bag on the ledge between the parapet and the
+footpath, he lay down to sleep.  Just as he was about to close his eyes a
+gentleman came up, and stepping on the ledge close to the youth’s bag,
+looked over the parapet on the ebbing tide below.  Having remained in
+that position a few minutes, he turned round for the purpose of
+descending to the regular path in order to continue his journey, but in
+his descent he saw the youth apparently asleep.  He gazed on his
+countenance for a few moments, and said,—
+
+“What are you doing there, my child, this time of night?”
+
+“I hope, sir,” replied Cadwgan, “that my sleeping here for a night will
+not be wrong.  I’m not in the way of any one, sir, and I won’t do any
+mischief.”
+
+“But have you no other place to go to, my child?  You can procure a bed
+somewhere, can’t you?”
+
+“I might possibly do so, sir, but I can’t well spare the money to pay for
+a night’s lodgings.”
+
+“But have you no friends or relations in town, my boy, to whom you could
+apply for assistance?”
+
+“I’ve no friends in London, sir.”
+
+“I presume you have relations in the country who are in a position to aid
+you.”
+
+“I’ve a sister, sir, but she is nearly three hundred miles from here.”
+
+“Where did you come from, my child?”
+
+“From Wales, sir.”
+
+“Is Wales your home—I mean your native country?”
+
+“Yes, sir.”
+
+“North or South Wales?”
+
+“The North, sir.”
+
+“Where in North Wales does your sister live?”
+
+“She lives at Bryn Villa, near Pont Aberglaslyn.”
+
+“Surely, your name, my child, is not Wynn, is it?”
+
+“That is my name, sir.”
+
+“Then you are the son of Squire Wynn, of Wynn Castle?”
+
+“Mr. Wynn was my father.”
+
+“And how is that dear good man?”
+
+“My father and mother, sir, are both dead.  I have no one left to care
+for me but my sister, except my aunt.”
+
+“I am truly sorry to hear tidings so sad.  What is your aunt’s name?”
+
+“Her name is Gwenfan Wynn, which is the name of my sister.”
+
+“But are you not in error in calling her Wynn?  I heard she got married
+some years ago.”
+
+“My aunt was never married.”
+
+“Are you sure of that, my child?”
+
+“Quite sure, sir.”
+
+“You greatly surprise me.  I was given to understand she married a Scotch
+gentleman, many, many years ago.”
+
+“She did leave home with the intention of being married to a Mr. McDonel,
+but finding, fortunately before it was too late, that the representations
+he made of himself about his property, estate, and high connections, were
+all false, she broke off the match, and not wishing to return home then,
+when she would probably be subjected to perhaps unkind observations, took
+a situation in a nobleman’s family then about to visit Italy, with whom
+she has lived until within the last few weeks.  The family only recently
+returned to England, and on the evening after their arrival, my aunt saw
+in the _Times_ the announcement of my parents’ death.  She immediately
+left London, and came to us in Wales.  She is now with my dear sister
+acting as her guardian and friend.”
+
+“I thank you, my child, for your information.  You must now accompany me
+to my residence.  You shall not want for a home and a friend as long as
+Owen Jones lives.”
+
+“But, sir, I do not wish, nor can I consent, to live on charity.  I’ve
+come up to London to work for my bread, and if Heaven smiles on my
+efforts I shall attain an honourable independency.”
+
+“As to your future plans, my child, more anon.  For the present my home
+must and shall be yours.  When you have recovered from the fatigue of
+your journey, I will endeavour to obtain for you a situation in some
+respectable mercantile house.  You must in the meantime be my guest.  I
+hope happy days are in store for you.”
+
+The youth then rose from his couch (Mr. Jones had, during the above
+conversation, been sitting on the ledge of the parapet by his side), but
+when he attempted to move he almost fell down from exhaustion.  His newly
+found friend, who had intended to have walked home, hailed a coach, which
+soon arrived at his house, which was a semi-detached villa, in Brixton.
+
+On their arrival, Mr. Jones introduced the youth to his wife and only
+daughter.  The former on being informed who he was, welcomed him with
+affectionate cordiality.  Mrs. Jones had known his father and mother
+years ago, she being a native of a village but a few miles from Wynn
+Castle.
+
+In his new home Cadwgan spent an exceedingly pleasant evening.  He had to
+answer a thousand questions about people and families who resided in the
+vicinity of his far distant home among the mountains.  At last he was
+permitted to retire to his room, and having had no sound sleep for
+several nights, and being weary and tired, was soon asleep.  He awoke in
+the morning feeling he was almost a new man.
+
+At breakfast, Mr. Jones asked the youth what kind of employment would
+best meet his wishes.
+
+“I am indifferent, sir, as to the kind of situation; my object and most
+anxious desire is to earn my living by hard work.”
+
+“I am extremely sorry, my young friend, that I have no vacancy for a
+young gentleman of your talents and education in my establishment.
+However, in the course of a few days I hope to succeed in procuring you a
+situation in one of the great city houses.  In the meantime you are my
+guest.  My wife and daughter shall take you out during the day, in order
+to show you the lions of this great city; but in the evenings they must
+not monopolize your whole attention, as I have much to say to you and
+many inquiries to make about dear old friends in old Cambria, which has
+been to us a good and kind mother.”  Then turning to his wife he
+said,—“Be sure to take particular care of our young visitor, and don’t
+fail to bring him back without injury to health or limb.”
+
+“You need be under no apprehension on that point, Owen,” answered Mrs.
+Jones.  “No harm shall befall him when under my charge.  I shall guard
+him from harm as if he were one of my own children.”
+
+“I have no doubt you will, wife.  I must now leave you.  I hope you will
+spend a very pleasant day.”
+
+Mr. Jones then left, and proceeded to his house of business; but during
+his walk he thought, not of mercantile transaction or of his dear old
+native land, oh, no: his thoughts were wholly occupied with the adventure
+of the previous evening.
+
+Soon after the departure of Mr. Jones, his wife and daughter and young
+Wynn started off for the purpose of seeing some of the wonders of London,
+but the day closed before they saw one hundredth part of its glories.
+Day after day they continued to drive about from one part of the
+metropolis to another, and during these excursions Cadwgan had acquired a
+pretty accurate knowledge of the geography of London.
+
+When at dinner on the following Sunday, Mr. Jones informed his young
+visitor of his having at last succeeded in procuring for him a situation
+as clerk in the old established house of Messrs. Davies, Roberts &
+Company, the celebrated tea merchants, and that he was to commence his
+duties on the following Monday.  This information was exceedingly
+cheering to the youth, as the certainty of employment was now assured.
+Not wishing to be under obligation to his friends longer than he could
+possibly help, he expressed a wish to procure lodgings in some
+respectable family at once, and asked Mr. Jones if he knew of any place
+in the neighbourhood likely to suit him.
+
+“We’ll talk on that matter, my boy, another time,” replied Mr. Jones.
+“For the present, at least, you must remain with us.  If you do leave us
+in the way you propose, remember, be your stay in London long or short,
+you must consider our house your home.  Before you can possibly make any
+arrangements you must first see if the situation will suit you; whether
+your employers like you, and you like them.  If you give them
+satisfaction, and your position is likely to be permanent, why then we
+will, if you wish, permit you to leave us; and I’ve no doubt but that
+Mrs. Jones and my daughter will find you comfortable apartments.”
+
+“Well, sir, I’m in your hands.  You have overpowered me with kindness
+which I shall never be able to repay.  When hungry, weary, and helpless,
+when friendless and without a ray of hope, you came to me as an angel of
+mercy, you took me into your house, and during my residence under your
+hospitable roof, Mrs. Jones and you have treated me as if I were your
+child.  To you I shall always feel grateful; and come what may, your
+image will ever repose in my heart of hearts.”
+
+“Tut, tut! my boy, our kindness is nothing.  If we have succeeded in
+making you happy, and in giving you a start in life, is not that a
+sufficient reward?  But our little attention requites in a very small
+degree the obligations which I am under to your noble father’s family.  I
+am still their debtor to an amount I shall never be able to repay.”
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+_THE VICTORY OF INNOCENCE_.
+
+
+The establishment of Messrs. Davies, Roberts & Company, was situated in
+one of those narrow streets, and was one of those dark and dingy-looking
+buildings, which were far from being uncommon in old London.  The
+premises, however, were large and commodious, and were specially adapted
+for their important trade.  When Cadwgan saw it for the first time,
+namely, on the morning succeeding the conversation between Mr. Jones and
+himself recorded in the previous chapter, he was painfully struck with
+the contrast it presented with his own light and airy home, surrounded as
+that home was by rich fields of pasture land and trees of every kind and
+hue.  However, he was by no means disheartened, and was far from disposed
+to give up the contest in life’s battle without a struggle, so he entered
+the building with his friend Mr. Jones cheerfully, and presently was
+asked into the presence of Mr. Roberts, the head of the firm.
+
+“And this is the young gentleman you spoke to me about, friend Jones?”
+
+“Yes.  Mr. Cadwgan Wynn.  I hope for the sake of our common country and
+our friendship, that you will not be unmindful of his interest.”
+
+“His progress here, friend Jones, will depend wholly upon himself.  If he
+prove himself quick, painstaking, and honest, he shall not want a
+friend.”
+
+“His honesty and rectitude I will guarantee; and methinks as he comes
+from a shrewd stock, he will, with a few years’ experience, prove a
+valuable hand,—one whom it will be difficult for you to do without.”
+
+“I am aware, Jones, that I can fully rely on your recommendation.  Now,
+Mr. Wynn, when will you be ready to go into harness?”
+
+“I am prepared, sir, to commence my duties at once.  If convenient for
+you to make arrangements, I’ll remain here to-day.”
+
+“By all means remain.  Come, follow me, and I will introduce you to Mr.
+McLiver, our chief cashier, in whose department you will be engaged for
+the present.”
+
+Mr. McLiver was a Scotchman, who had been in the service of the firm many
+years.  From almost the lowest place, he had risen step by step until he
+attained the most important post in the house.  In him the firm had
+unbounded confidence, and as he apparently managed his department with
+skill and economy Mr. Roberts permitted him to select nearly the whole of
+the clerks attached thereto.  In less than two years from the date of his
+appointment to his present post he had managed, by hook or by crook, to
+get rid of nearly the whole of the old hands, and their places he
+supplied with Scotchmen of his own kith and kin.  From the first day of
+entering the office, Mr. McLiver regarded Cadwgan as an intruder, an
+interloper; hence he looked upon the youth with aversion, and availed
+himself of every opportunity to vex and annoy him.  But this was not all.
+Any little mistake Mr. Wynn might make in his books or accounts, was
+carried to Mr. Roberts.  But to these complaints he turned a deaf ear,
+while at the same time he strictly enjoined upon Mr. McLiver to take all
+possible care to have Cadwgan thoroughly instructed in all business
+matters; above all, that he should be made a good accountant.  Though the
+Scotchman faithfully promised to carry out to the letter his employer’s
+instructions, yet he intentionally refrained from doing so; while he
+continued to annoy the youth by making personal allusions to his country,
+and on more than one occasion he called him a Welsh blockhead.  Of his
+conduct Cadwgan never made any complaint, nor did he make the slightest
+allusion to it, even to Mr. Jones.  He worked on, was constantly
+labouring at his books and accounts, and in spite of the cashier he soon
+became a first-rate accountant.  Before he had been in the establishment
+five years, he was the best man in the house as regarded profound
+knowledge of intricate details.
+
+On the afternoon of the fifth anniversary of his official life, Mr.
+Roberts called Cadwgan into his private office, and expressed to him the
+high opinion he had formed of his ability and character; and to his great
+surprise informed him that being about to rearrange the work of the
+office, he had resolved to divide the office work into sections, and that
+it was his (Mr. Roberts’) intention and wish that he should take the
+position of chief accountant in the establishment, and that there would
+be a number of clerks under him; that for the future Mr. McLiver would
+simply receive moneys due to the firm, and pay all demands against it,
+but all accounts must pass through the hands of the accountants, which
+should bear the chief’s signature as being correct.
+
+Cadwgan’s eyes filled with tears on being apprized of his promotion to so
+important a post, and he thanked Mr. Roberts from his heart of hearts for
+his confidence and kindness.
+
+The morning on which Mr. Wynn was to commence his new duties, Mr. McLiver
+repaired to Mr. Roberts’ private office, where he found that gentleman
+occupying his usual seat, engaged in reading the money article of that
+morning’s _Times_.  Addressing that gentleman in a somewhat peremptory
+manner, he said he had just stepped in to ask if it was really true that
+the young Welshman was to be placed in such an important and responsible
+position in the establishment.
+
+“It is quite true, Mr. McLiver.  The appointment has already been made,
+and in the opinion of my son and myself Mr. Wynn has richly earned the
+post assigned him.  We are of opinion that, of all the clerks, he is by
+far the best qualified to discharge the duties of the office.”
+
+“But consider, sir, my many years of faithful service in your house.  I
+think that service merits some consideration from you.”
+
+“But what is your wish, Mr. McLiver?”
+
+“My wish, sir, is, that you confer this appointment upon my cousin.  He
+has been longer in your employ than Wynn, and I am sure he possesses
+ability far superior to that of this young man.”
+
+“That is quite impossible, Mr. McLiver.  Mr. Wynn’s appointment has
+already been made, and he has been duly informed of my resolve.  In fact
+he has accepted our offer.”
+
+“In that case, sir, I fear I must send in my resignation.  I could not
+think of having my books and accounts overhauled by this intruder.”
+
+“You may leave, sir, if you wish; and I will give you a cheque for your
+quarter’s salary.”
+
+“Am I right then in concluding you have lost confidence in me?  Are you
+desirous that the connection between us be severed?”
+
+“By no means, sir.  If you leave, it will be your own act and deed.”
+
+“Then you wish me to remain in your service?”
+
+“Of course I do, Mr. McLiver.  But you will bear in mind that all my
+arrangements and plans must be carried out to the letter.  There must be
+no divided authority here, so long as I’m master.  I desire you to
+confine yourself, wholly, to the duties of your department, which require
+your undivided attention; and I will be answerable for the proper
+discharge of the duties of the new accountant’s office.”
+
+“I bow to your decision, Mr. Roberts, and hope you will not have any
+cause to regret the arrangements you have made.”
+
+“Of that, sir, time will tell.  You, Mr. McLiver, will not have to make
+up my loss.”
+
+McLiver, finding it was useless to press the matter further, wished his
+chief good morning, and returned to his own office in a very bad humour.
+
+On entering, he uttered the most awful imprecations against Welshmen in
+general, and Mr. Wynn in particular.  He swore that he would be revenged.
+He turned to his cousin, and thus addressed him:—
+
+“It is owing to you, you d—d scoundrel, that I owe my present disgrace.”
+
+“To me, sir!  What the d—l do you mean?”
+
+“I mean, Donald, that if you had been steady and honest and plodding,
+this calamity would not have befallen our clan.”
+
+“A fellow must have a spree, McLiver, now and then.  That is human
+nature.”
+
+“D—n human nature!  Donald, you talk like a fool.”
+
+“I’m sorry for you, cousin.  I’m truly sorry for you.”
+
+“It is a d—d bad job for me, that you have indulged in dissipation to the
+extent you have.”
+
+“But old Roberts has paid the piper, Mac, though he little suspects it.
+He is little aware where the money comes from to keep up your grand
+establishment.  If he knew all wouldn’t there be a jolly blow up!”
+
+“You son of paupers, you parish ’prentice, if you talk to me in that way
+I’ll knock your b—y head off your shoulders, by G—d I’ll do it, though
+you be my father’s brother’s son.”
+
+“Come, come, cousin; it won’t do for thee and me to quarrel and fall out
+now.  We’ve sailed too long in the same boat—I mean, we’ve dipped our
+fingers too deeply in the same till to peach upon each other, or to
+quarrel.  Methinks our present duty is to guard against being found out.”
+
+“Your advice is good, Donald; but that our delinquencies will come to the
+knowledge of old Roberts, d—n him, is a matter of certainty.  That young
+Welsh nincompoop imp has his eyes everywhere; his ears are always open.
+I should not be at all surprised even if our present talk reached him.
+For us it was an evil day when he came here.  If I were sure of not being
+found out, I’d soon put an end to his presence.”
+
+“Bad as I am, cousin, I’d not commit murder.  That we must not do.  Our
+best plan is to concoct some scheme to dethrone this upstart.  Old
+Roberts has willed he should reign over us; be it our mission to bring
+him to the dust.”
+
+“A good suggestion, Donald.  By gam! we must take care, though, to lay
+the snare well so as to be certain of our bird.”
+
+                                * * * * *
+
+During several months succeeding the above conversation the business of
+the house of Davies, Roberts & Company went on in its usual quiet way,
+but in those months the young Welshman and his staff had succeeded in
+overhauling the books of the firm for several years.  At the accounts
+they had worked night and day.  When the investigation had been completed
+his clerks knew nothing about the result, nor indeed of the object which
+they had in view in making so strict an investigation.  So far Mr. Wynn
+had discovered defalcations amounting to nearly £20,000, though the
+bottom of the peculation had not yet been reached.  The books showed that
+McLiver had carried on his swindling in a regularly systematic manner,
+and had escaped detection for the reason that all his subordinates, which
+made up nearly the whole staff, were creatures of his own—principally his
+own kith and kin.  When Cadwgan had completed his labours, he had
+ascertained, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the amount abstracted was
+£24,500.  During the months he had been engaged in auditing the books,
+Cadwgan had made certain inquiries of houses with which his employers had
+had business transactions, so he was in a position to prove by written
+evidence the particulars and the exact sum of each fraudulent
+transaction.  These inquiries had been carried on privately; neither to
+Mr. Roberts, nor to any member of his staff, had he let fall a word
+calculated to awaken suspicion.  It was late on a Saturday night when
+Cadwgan finished his labours.  When descending from his office down to
+the large entrance hall, with his papers in his hand, he was surprised to
+find Mr. McLiver and his cousin Donald there.  They did not stop to
+speak, but passed on into their own office.  As they heard Mr. Wynn,
+before he descended, shut his office door and lock it, they naturally
+concluded he was the last person in the buildings.  Presently, McLiver
+and Donald left the house together, the porter closing the door on their
+descending into the street.
+
+That evening was anxiously spent by Mr. Wynn.  He retired to rest late,
+but slept not.  That the facts he possessed would be most damaging to his
+arch-enemy there could be no doubt; that he might possibly be the means
+of saving his employers from being ruined, was in his judgment equally
+certain.
+
+On the following Sunday morning Cadwgan paid a visit to his friend Mr.
+Owen Jones, to whom he revealed the state of affairs of the firm.  Mr.
+Jones was a man of the world, and, moreover, was a wise and sagacious man
+of business.  After talking over the matter, it was arranged that Mr.
+Jones should accompany his young friend to the establishment of Messrs.
+Davies, Roberts & Company the next morning, when the whole facts should
+be placed before Mr. Roberts.
+
+On their arrival at the establishment on Monday morning, Mr. Jones and
+Cadwgan at once went to Mr. Roberts’ private office, when that gentleman
+looked at Mr. Wynn with a hard and scowling brow.  As Mr. Jones had
+always experienced the greatest kindness from Mr. Roberts (they had been
+more like brothers than friends), he was surprised and astonished in
+observing his altered look, and boldly asked the cause of his seeming
+displeasure.
+
+“Cause, sir!” exclaimed Mr. Roberts.  “Did you say cause!  There is
+methinks enough of cause!  To be robbed of £3000 by this young man, whom
+you introduced to me, for whom I have done so much, whose interest and
+welfare I have done so much to promote—’tis enough to make me curse the
+day on which I was weak and foolish enough to comply with your pressing
+request to take him into my service.  Cause, indeed!  To be robbed thus
+is a sufficient cause for my anger.”
+
+“Did you say, sir,” remarked Cadwgan, “that I had robbed you of £3000?”
+
+“Certainly, I said so.  And you don’t deny it.”
+
+“I emphatically deny your charge, sir, and demand the name of my
+accuser.”
+
+“I accuse you, sir.  Is not that enough?”
+
+“But, Mr. Roberts, you are a just man, and I presume you will not condemn
+me before placing in my possession the evidence upon which your judgment
+rests.”
+
+“My informant, sir, is my confidential clerk, Mr. McLiver.  He is
+prepared to swear to the fact of your being the robber, and his cousin
+Donald will corroborate his statement.”
+
+McLiver was then summoned by Mr. Roberts; and in reply to his inquiries
+stated, that on the previous Saturday evening he and his cousin had
+secreted themselves in the house, that during the time they were in their
+hiding-place Mr. Wynn came down from his own room and went into the
+cashier’s office, and by means of false keys opened the safe and rifled
+the drawers of their contents, which he put into a bag, then retired.  He
+continued to say, that he and his cousin waited there some time, that Mr.
+Wynn went back to his own office, and afterwards came down stairs with
+the bag in his hand, which was so heavy that he was almost weighed down.
+He left the office taking the bag of gold with him.  Donald corroborated
+his cousin’s statement.
+
+Mr. Jones, as was natural, appeared much excited during the Scotchman’s
+narrative.  He almost believed in his young friend’s guilt, because the
+evidence was so direct and circumstantial.  Mr. Wynn stood calm and
+collected; he never moved during the few minutes which the delivery of
+the evidence against him occupied, though his dark piercing eye, intently
+fixed upon McLiver, made that man quail beneath its penetrating glance.
+When they had finished their story, Mr. Wynn asked his employer’s
+permission to call evidence in his favour,—a request which was readily
+acceded to, because he really loved the youth.  He then called into the
+office, one by one, six of his confidential clerks, the gentlemen who had
+been specially engaged with him in investigating the old accounts, who,
+in reply to his question, said that Mr. Wynn never left the office until
+his final departure, which was very late, and that they watched him going
+out though unperceived.  The care-taker gave evidence that Mr. Wynn did
+not return after his departure.  When they had completed the evidence,
+Mr. McLiver asked, “And what were you doing at the office that time of
+night?”
+
+“We were engaged in making copies of important documents for Mr. Wynn.”
+
+“What became of those?” asked Mr. Roberts.
+
+“They were all put, sir, into Mr. Wynn’s bag.”
+
+“Who put them into the bag?”
+
+“We did, sir,” replied Mr. Williams.
+
+“Was the bag locked, Mr. Williams?”
+
+“Yes, sir, it was locked; and the key has been in my possession since.”
+
+“Before we examine the contents of the bag I wish to know if you are
+quite sure that Mr. Wynn did not leave the office during any portion of
+the evening, that is, before his final departure; and that you and your
+fellow-clerks saw him out.”
+
+They replied, that they were prepared to make oath on the point.
+
+“Why did you watch his departure?” asked Mr. Roberts.
+
+“I had overheard a conversation,” said Mr. Williams, the clerk of Mr.
+Wynn’s department, “between Mr. McLiver and his cousin Donald, in which
+certain threatening words were used towards Mr. Wynn.  We watched his
+departure, thinking it quite possible that they might be lurking about
+the buildings in order to effect his ruin.”
+
+When McLiver and Donald heard the above evidence they became agitated,
+and their faces became as white as snow.  Mr. Roberts scarcely knew what
+to do.  After considering a few minutes, he turned to McLiver, saying, “I
+fear your tale is untrue; for these six gentlemen, whom I have always
+found truthful and honourable, have in the most direct manner flatly
+contradicted you in every particular.  I hope you and your cousin have
+not conspired to injure this young man.”
+
+“You have hit the right nail on the head this time,” said Mr. Jones, “and
+no mistake.  But is this £3000 the whole of your loss, friend Roberts?”
+
+“The whole as far as I know.”
+
+“Happy man! what a blessed thing it is to be rich, and unable to reckon
+up the whole of one’s profits.”
+
+“I suppose, Jones,” remarked Mr. Roberts pettishly, “you wouldn’t like to
+lose £3000.”
+
+“I am afraid, my friend, you will find your loss not £3000, but nine
+times three, if the £3000 has really disappeared.”
+
+“What do you really mean, Jones?  You appear to know more of my affairs
+than I know myself.”
+
+“In a few words, I mean to say, Roberts, that that immaculate gentleman,
+the accuser of my young friend here, who is also the best friend you ever
+had, has robbed you to the tune of some £25,000, in addition to this
+£3000; for I presume he has taken that sum too; and Mr. Wynn has evidence
+in his bag,—it is still locked,—which will completely substantiate the
+fact.  When you know the whole, you’ll bless the day, friend Roberts, on
+which my child was introduced into your establishment.”
+
+“For the present we will suspend our judgment.  Jones, Mr. Wynn, all of
+you, go to Mr. Wynn’s office.  We will compare Mr. Wynn’s papers with our
+ledgers and day books.”  The bag was unlocked, and paper after paper was
+produced, and document after document submitted for inspection and
+comparison.  Cadwgan detailed step by step his proceedings in order to
+ascertain the exact sum total of the money abstracted by Mr. McLiver and
+Donald.  After he had gone through these, he produced the documents and
+vouchers he had collected from firms with which Messrs. Davies, Roberts &
+Company had had transactions, and on being compared with the ledger, it
+was found that in many cases the actual sum paid to merchants for goods
+did not amount to a moiety of the sum inserted in the ledger.  The
+evidence of McLiver’s guilt was overwhelming.  When Mr. Roberts saw this,
+he took Mr. Wynn into his arms, embraced him as if he was his own child,
+and with tears in his eyes besought his pardon for having for a moment
+entertained suspicions of his honesty and rectitude.
+
+“The matter to me is now made plain.  The real culprit is the man whom I
+regarded as upright, pure, and honest.  He has shamefully abused my
+confidence.  To him I entrusted my money; and what, sir,” turning to
+McLiver, “have you to say in your defence?”
+
+“I will neither acknowledge nor deny my guilt, sir, in the presence of
+that Welsh puppy, who is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a caitiff cut-throat
+miscreant, a cunning, intriguing, and deceitful urchin from the Welsh
+mountains.  When he meets me and Donald in the street, I promise him he
+shall be well paid for his treachery and circumvention.”
+
+“That is,” said Mr. Roberts, “on condition you leave me a free man.  For
+the present, sir, you must consider yourself and your cousin—I believe
+him to be equally guilty with yourself—in the hands of the authorities.
+The officers of justice are now in an adjoining room.  They are there
+awaiting my orders.  There is no occasion to detain them, as your guilt
+is but too clearly made out.”
+
+The door was then opened, and McLiver and Donald were placed in their
+charge, and were marched off to prison.
+
+On the room being cleared of the presence of all excepting Mr. Jones and
+Cadwgan, Mr. Roberts asked the latter how he had succeeded in making such
+important discoveries, and the reason which had moved him in entering
+upon an investigation which had cost him and his staff so much time and
+labour.
+
+“For a long time, sir, I have firmly believed in his dishonesty.  In the
+first place, and this fact first awakened my suspicion, I, by means which
+it is unnecessary for me to detail, ascertained that he was keeping a
+grand house, and had livery servants and carriages, and gave grand
+parties, which I knew he could not do with £400 a year.  His cousin,
+Donald, is a fast young man who spent his earnings in dissipation, and
+for years has been the constant companion of young men who are believed
+to live by swindling their respective employers.  On making these
+discoveries, Mr. Sykes, who is an honest Yorkshireman, and my friend Mr.
+Williams, resolved to take special notice of their movements, and wisely
+kept records of what they saw and heard, which could at any time be
+produced in the event of anything turning up.  We discovered first, that
+tea had been bought by your house of a very inferior quality, which was
+paid for at double the actual invoice price, and in some cases the charge
+was sixty per cent above the actual cost.”
+
+“But, Mr. Wynn, how did he manage this?”
+
+“Oh, easily enough, sir.”
+
+“But how?”
+
+“We found by inquiry, that McLiver had two relatives as cashiers in the
+houses with which you did business; and as all moneys passed through
+their hands, they could commit frauds to almost any extent without fear
+of being detected.  They had confederates, so by acting together had but
+little difficulty in carrying out their system of plunder, especially as
+the books and accounts were under their control.  When you made your new
+arrangements, they, that is, Mr. McLiver and Donald, were apprehensive
+that disclosures would be made, and you will remember, sir, that McLiver
+almost protested against your scheme.”
+
+“I well remember, Mr. Wynn, that he was terribly angry, but little did I
+then think that its cause originated in fear.”
+
+“After the appointment had been made, and we had entered upon our duties,
+Mr. Sykes ascertained—in short he overheard a conversation between the
+two in which certain threats were made towards me, and in that
+conversation McLiver and Donald upbraided each other about their
+peculation.  We had thus sufficient evidence to warrant us in concluding
+that they had robbed you.  Having discovered this, we then planned the
+investigation, which has occupied our evenings ever since.  It was late
+on Saturday night when we arrived at the final result.  The rest you
+know.”
+
+“Yes, yes, Cadwgan, I know the rest.  In the presence of my dear and
+valued friend Jones, I offer you my humblest apology for having suspected
+you of dishonesty; I shall never be able to repay you for the services
+you have rendered me.”
+
+“I’m repaid already by your confidence and esteem.”
+
+“And hereafter, Mr. Wynn, I will seek to do so in a more substantial way.
+But tell me, what can you possibly know about the quality of tea?  You
+remarked just now it was inferior; how did you ascertain this?”
+
+“I know the quality of teas by the smell.” {178}
+
+“By the smell!”
+
+“Yes, sir; by the smell.”
+
+“Is that really so?”
+
+“Yes, sir.”
+
+“Here are two samples: please give me your judgment upon them.”
+
+Mr. Wynn took the samples, and having smelt them, returned them to his
+employer, saying, this is worth so much, the other sample is not worth
+buying.
+
+“Well, Mr. Wynn, I am satisfied, and more than satisfied, with your
+conduct during the years you have been in our house.  For your goodness,
+and the deep interest you have taken in all matters connected with my
+affairs, from the bottom of my heart I thank you.  You are necessarily
+agitated by reason of the scene through which you have just passed.  You
+must be fatigued too by reason of the extra work you have, for my sake,
+imposed upon yourself.  I cannot now say in what way I shall reward you,
+but if you and friend Jones will come and dine at my house (bring Mrs.
+Jones and your daughter with you), I will then tell you the course I
+shall adopt, and the arrangements I propose to make with reference to
+your position and prospects.  Your disinterested service calls for an
+ample reward.”
+
+“I require no reward, Mr. Roberts,” said Cadwgan.  “I have simply done my
+duty.”
+
+“Well, well, Mr. Wynn, you may think so.  You must not, however, condemn
+me for holding the contrary opinion.”
+
+“I should esteem it a favour, sir, if you would give Mr. Sykes and Mr.
+Williams a holiday.  They are not well, and I fear the pressure upon them
+during the past few weeks has overtaxed their strength.”
+
+“By all means let them go.  Please give them this, and tell them it is a
+small token of my high appreciation of their conduct.”
+
+Mr. Wynn was delighted at being made the channel of Mr. Roberts’s
+communication.  When the papers were opened, it was found that they were
+two £10 Bank of England notes.  On receiving the gift, the Yorkshireman
+held it up, and said,—“I little expected this.”  Mr. Williams, too, was
+equally surprised.  They then wished each other good morning, and it need
+hardly be said that Mr. Wynn’s assistants thoroughly enjoyed their day’s
+trip to Windsor.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+_THE RIGHT MAN COMING AT THE RIGHT TIME_.
+
+
+“Is it not strange, dear aunt,” said Gwenfan, “that Cadwgan has been so
+long silent?  We have not heard from him for more than a month.  He might
+just have sent a line to say he was well, and when we may expect him?”
+
+“Cadwgan, my dear child, has now a great deal to do.  Since his
+promotion, doubtless his time is fully occupied.”
+
+“I should like to see a likeness of the young lady to whom he refers in
+his letters.  If the description he gives be anything approaching the
+truth, she must be queen both in personal appearance and purity of mind.”
+
+“Do you refer to Miss Jones, my child?”
+
+“Yes, aunt bach; I refer certainly to her.  I think my naughty brother is
+in love with her.”
+
+“It will be an excellent match, Gwenfan, for Miss Jones is an only child
+of very rich parents.”
+
+“I was not aware, aunt, that Mr. Jones was a person of great wealth,
+though I thought he was well to do.”
+
+“It is said, that her papa will give her £50,000 on the morning of her
+marriage, with the certainty of farther expectations.”
+
+“Well, I should like to see Cadwgan settled, if he had a kind, good, and
+loving wife.  For myself, aunty, I intend to remain single, and be like
+you, an old maid.”
+
+“Oh, you do, do you?  You will alter your opinion, I’ll be bound when the
+right man comes.”
+
+“But will the right man come, aunty?  Never, never, say I.”
+
+“Oh, the right man will certainly come, Gwenfan.  I declare there he is.
+Look! look! be quick!  Why, he is coming here.  If you wish to escape his
+net, fly, my niece, at once to your room.”
+
+“Fly?  I will not do that, aunty,” said Gwenfan, laughing.  “Though
+perhaps we had better retire and prepare ourselves to receive him.”
+
+“Well thought of, my child; and tell the servant, if he seeks us, to show
+him into the drawing-room, where we will presently join him.”
+
+When the servant opened the door, the young gentleman inquired if Miss
+Wynn were within, as he wished to see her on a matter of some importance.
+Receiving a reply in the affirmative, the servant conducted the stranger
+to the drawing-room, on entering which he took a seat in the great
+bay-window, from which he gazed on the glorious prospect around.  So
+enchanted was he with the sight, the exquisite beauty of the scene, that
+he did not notice the entrance of the ladies, who had been a few minutes
+in the room before he became aware of their presence.  At last Miss Aunt
+Wynn approached the chair on which he was seated, when the ruffle of her
+dress awoke him from his reverie.  He then rose, apologised for his
+abrupt visit, but excused himself by saying that circumstances had
+occurred which had compelled him to alter his original arrangement, hence
+he found himself there two days earlier than he had expected.
+
+“But ladies, in my having to apologise, I forget to introduce myself.  My
+name is Rhys Roberts, and I presume,” pointing to the young lady standing
+by her aunt’s chair, “that she is your niece, Miss Gwenfan Wynn.”
+
+“Yes, sir; this young lady is my niece.”
+
+“I thought so.  She is the very image of her brother.”
+
+“And do you know my brother?” asked Gwenfan.
+
+“Know him!  He is my father’s chief hand, and my most intimate friend.”
+
+“When did you see or hear from my brother, sir?”
+
+“When I left London, we arranged to meet here.  I have been expecting a
+letter from him daily, but no letter has reached me.  I cannot think what
+has become of him.  It is quite possible he may be detained on important
+business.  He had a very important matter in hand when I left.”
+
+“We have not heard from him,” said the aunt, “for a month, and his sister
+and I are getting very anxious about him.”
+
+“You need not, ladies, be in any alarm.  During the last month, he has
+been working night and day, and has had scarcely a moment to spare.  He
+has now completed his labours, so on Monday, or on Tuesday next at the
+farthest, you may expect him.”
+
+“In that case, we shall have the pleasure of your company until his
+arrival,” remarked the aunt.  “My nephew’s friend will ever receive here
+a hearty welcome.”
+
+“I’m extremely obliged to you, madam, for your kind offer of hospitality,
+and as I wish, and am most anxious, to pay a visit to the most remarkable
+places in your neighbourhood, I embrace your kind offer, if you and Miss
+Gwenfan will promise to act as my cicerones, as doubtless you are
+thoroughly acquainted with every nook and corner of the country where the
+beauteous spots are to be found.”
+
+“We shall, sir,” said the ladies, “be delighted to show you the most
+romantic spots to be found in wild Wales.  For grandeur and bold scenery
+our neighbourhood has no equal.  But, Mr. Roberts, you must judge for
+yourself.  When you have traversed our mountains and valleys, our high
+hills and sylvan glades, you will say that the beauties of the
+surrounding scene are beyond the descriptive powers of the most eloquent
+pen of this age.”
+
+During the few days of their tour, they visited Bettws-y-Coed, Capel
+Curig, the Swallow Falls, Pont Aberglaslyn, Llyngwynant, Tan y Bwlch,
+Maentwrog, Ffestiniog, Rhayadr Ddû, Tremadoc, Harlech, and Aberdovy,
+returning late on Saturday night from the latter town.  Both the ladies
+and Mr. Roberts had thoroughly enjoyed their outing; the latter
+especially, having now for the first time beheld the scenes, was charmed
+with the grand sights which he had beheld.
+
+During this excursion there had sprung up, unconsciously to himself, a
+feeling of more than respect for Miss Gwenfan, whilst she and her aunt
+concluded that Mr. Roberts was one of the most kind-hearted, generous,
+and amiable young gentlemen with whom they had ever come in contact.  It
+must, too, be owned that Mr. Roberts had awakened in her young heart
+emotions of a kind, and in a degree, to which that heart had been
+previously a stranger.
+
+When Mr. Roberts retired to his dressing-room he wrote in his diary the
+following sentence: “Happy, thrice happy, will be the man who secures
+such a prize as Miss Gwenfan!  In her heart is lodged the deepest
+reverence for truth, for virtue, and religion.  She is, too, as beautiful
+as she is good.  Her attachment to and admiration of her native country
+and its people is as deep and as enthusiastic as was that of the glorious
+old patriots of olden times.  Then the days I have passed in her society
+have been the happiest I ever spent.  I can hardly realize the happiness
+I have enjoyed.  They are like a dream, though in the foreground of the
+vision there stands the good and beautiful maiden, with her curly locks,
+her auburn hair, her dark eye, and a countenance as clear as the crystal
+streamlet.  In spite of myself I love her.  I now retire to rest.  May
+her dreams be as pleasant as I hope mine will be!”
+
+At breakfast, on the following Sabbath morning, Mr. Roberts asked the
+ladies if they would accompany him to the Methodist Church, at Tan y
+Bwlch, as he was particularly desirous of hearing the Rev. Thomas
+Charles, of Bala, who at that time was considered one of the most eminent
+clergymen in Wales.
+
+“It is fortunate, Mr. Roberts, you put the question to us,” replied the
+ladies.
+
+“And why?”
+
+“Oh, you have simply anticipated us in your request.”
+
+“Then you had arranged to go?”
+
+“Yes, conditionally on your accompanying us to hear that great and good
+man.”
+
+“I am delighted, madam, in the prospect of seeing and hearing one so
+distinguished for learning and piety, one who has made so many sacrifices
+for the spiritual welfare of his countrymen.”
+
+On their arrival at the church they found it crammed to suffocation,
+scarcely a single inch remained unoccupied.  However, as the Misses Wynn
+and Mr. Roberts came in a carriage, and Bryn Villa being always open to
+receive clergymen of this and all other denominations, the deacons
+managed to find them seats.  Mr. Charles’ discourse was above the
+average; some of the passages were most eloquent, and many members of the
+congregation were bathed in tears.
+
+On their way home Mr. Roberts referred to a passage in Mr. Charles’
+sermon, which he considered most beautiful.  “You remember he said,
+‘implicitly to follow the counsel of the best and wisest of men, is to
+depend on an arm of flesh.  They only are right and safe who make God’s
+glory their end, God’s word their rule, God’s spirit the guide of their
+actions, and God’s providence the guide of their affairs.  They may not
+be led by the nearest, but they will be by the best road; as it will
+certainly appear when they come to their journey’s end.’  If the
+Christian Church, and if all religious people were to act according to
+Mr. Charles’ sublime idea, the race would be happier than it is.  The
+standard he set before us is a high one.  I’ve found it difficult to live
+up to it.”
+
+“I have no doubt you have, Mr. Roberts,” remarked the aunt.  “We must,
+however, do our best, then Heaven will surely smile upon us, though we
+but imperfectly perform our religious duty.”
+
+“It is that thought, madam, which cheers me in my hour of gloom and
+sadness.  I often think that I should have given up striving to live to
+God were it not for the glorious promises He has given His Church and
+people.  In my endeavour to attain to the highest form of spiritual life,
+your nephew, Miss Wynn, your dear brother, Miss Gwenfan, has helped me by
+his wise counsel, while his deep religiousness and high Christian
+character have been incentives to me to aspire to reach the highest
+good.”
+
+The reference to her brother brought tears to Gwenfan’s eyes.  Ever since
+he had left home, she had prayed every night and morning that he might be
+kept from evil, kept unspotted from the world, kept safely in the
+pavilion of the unseen and eternal.
+
+Mr. Roberts, seeing the young lady in tears, asked if he could in any way
+alleviate her sorrow; but she at once replied,—
+
+“I weep not, sir, because my heart is sad.  I am almost overcome with joy
+by reason of your reference to dear Cadwgan.  Oh, I do rejoice with
+unspeakable satisfaction, that he has not forgotten the holy lessons our
+dear parents taught us.  Though they are gone, I feel their spirits often
+visit us, and I think they watch over us with the same care and
+solicitude as when they were present in the flesh.”
+
+“Happy, my dear Miss Wynn, must be the brother whose beloved sister,
+living here amongst the Welsh mountains, prays daily for his welfare.  I
+can bear testimony to his practical piety, his eminent godliness, his
+deep devotional spirit.  He has taught me to love and adore the Name
+which is above every name.  There is, too, a fragrance about Cadwgan’s
+acts and life.  Truly has he been the guide of my inexperience, my
+counsellor, my friend.  During the past three years, scarcely a day has
+passed without our having conversation on the highest things.  Since we
+parted the other day, I have missed him much.  Oh, I wish he had come!
+But there _is_ your brother.  Look!  He is waiting our return.”
+
+In a moment afterward Cadwgan and his sister were locked in each other’s
+arms.
+
+During the following week Miss Gwenfan Wynn and Mr. Roberts were almost
+constantly together; and it must be owned that there grew up between
+those two young and innocent hearts a feeling more warm, more ardent, and
+more fervent than usually exists between friends and acquaintances; a
+feeling which if permitted to ripen and develop, would result in the
+union of heart with heart, soul with soul,—a feeling the intensity of
+which would survive even the tomb.
+
+After the happy days thus spent together, Miss Wynn one evening remarked
+to her niece, “Has not the right man come, my child?  I suppose I shall
+hear no more of your living the life of an old maid?”
+
+“Oh, aunt, you are too cruel.  I like Mr. Roberts much, but only as
+Cadwgan’s friend.”
+
+“Well, well; we shall see what we shall see.  You will be Mrs. Roberts
+one of these days.  There, don’t blush my child.  There is no harm in
+your loving so noble a youth.”
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+_VIRTUE REWARDED_.
+
+
+On leaving the warehouse one evening, soon after his return from Wales,
+Mr. Roberts remarked, “You must dine with us to-morrow, Mr. Wynn, and my
+old friend Jones will accompany you.  He has already arranged to form one
+of our party, and I am glad for my own sake and yours that we shall have
+the pleasure of his society.  He is one of the best men I know in this
+huge city.”
+
+As soon as the ladies had retired, Mr. Roberts pushed the bottle to Mr.
+Jones, with the observation, “This is your favourite wine, and please to
+make yourself as free with it as you’re welcome.  I think Mr. Wynn and
+you, my son, prefer sherry.  I’ll try port, which is my favourite drink.”
+
+After a general conversation on the general topics of the day, Mr.
+Roberts turned to Mr. Jones, and said that he thanked him most gratefully
+for having pleaded so eloquently the claims of his young friend, Wynn.
+“You will doubtless remember, Jones, that I was most unwilling to receive
+him into the establishment, in the first place on his own account;
+secondly, I did not consider mine a proper place for a young gentleman of
+his social position.  You, however, urged his claims, and considering our
+personal friendship, and my previous connection with the Wynn family, I
+at last reluctantly yielded to your wishes, though in doing so I was
+perfectly aware that I should create in the mind of McLiver hostile
+feelings to myself and Cadwgan there.  I little expected that my
+cashier’s objection would spring from conviction of wrongdoing.  I
+believed in his integrity, and had confidence in his honesty; and as he
+apparently served me faithfully I was prepared to yield to some extent to
+his wishes, though he was well aware of my unbending disposition when
+once I had resolved to carry a particular point.  McLiver having
+discovered my resolve to be Mr. Wynn’s friend, I must own that he did not
+oppose my wishes to the extent I at first anticipated.
+
+“Now from the first day on which Mr. Wynn entered upon his duties, I am
+bound to say that I found him plodding, persevering, and honest; his
+first and chief concern being to promote my interest.  In this, he set us
+all an example we should do well to copy.
+
+“To the proceedings of the other day—a day which to me will be ever
+memorable, I will not allude further than to express a hope that I have
+Cadwgan’s complete pardon for having for once suspected his dishonesty.
+And this is a fitting occasion for me to thank you, Jones, for the deep
+interest you have shown in my affairs in connection with our young
+friend.  Had Cadwgan not done what he did, the scoundrel’s rascality
+would in all probability have effected my ruin.  But how came you, Mr.
+Wynn, to suspect his dishonesty?”
+
+“My tale, sir, is soon told,” remarked Cadwgan.  “From time to time
+little things cropped up in connection with business transactions and in
+the accounts, the appearance of which I did not at all like.  To my mind
+there was satisfactory and conclusive evidence that the man was not
+dealing honourably by you, and that you were a victim of his dishonesty.
+You must bear in mind this, I had but a suspicion.  I could not prove
+that what I suspected was actual and real.
+
+“Being in a state of doubt, I really did not know what to do.  I could
+not suggest my suspicion to you because the person was in your
+confidence.  After thinking over the matter some days and nights I
+resolved to sound my fellow-clerks, Messrs. Sykes and Williams, for I
+knew I could depend on them.  Strange to say they had long suspected his
+guilt, but were afraid to give expression to their opinion, because Mr.
+McLiver appeared all-powerful.
+
+“After a conference we agreed to get up evidence.  We ascertained he was
+living at the rate of £2000 or £3000 a year, though he had no income but
+his salary.  We found, too, that he paid for all goods when ordered.  On
+making further inquiry we discovered that his cousin Donald, though he
+had a smaller salary than I had, spent several pounds weekly in
+dissipation.
+
+“Then the constant visits of relatives who are employed in similar
+establishments in the city, and the worthless stuff sent from the houses
+where they were engaged, these things awakened in my mind the strongest
+suspicion that the parties were conspiring together to rob you and their
+employers.
+
+“As the books were all in McLiver’s hands and under his control, we could
+do nothing; but when you appointed me to the post of accountant, Mr.
+Sykes, Mr. Williams, and myself resolved to ascertain if our suspicion
+was well founded.  During the past three months we have given the whole
+of our spare time during the day to the past five years’ accounts, while
+we seldom left the office until late at night.  The result of our labours
+you know.  I fancy one of the clerks in my department must have told
+McLiver what we were doing, and doubtless his guilt awoke in his mind a
+sense of the dangerous position in which he had placed himself.  Then in
+order if possible to crush me before the work was done, he and his cousin
+Donald concocted the charge against me—themselves being the robbers.  I
+do not for a moment think they wished my punishment.  What they did
+desire was to secure my expulsion from your establishment, that thus
+their malpractices might possibly remain undetected.”
+
+“But where are his relations employed, Mr. Wynn?” asked Mr. Roberts.
+
+“Mr. McNab, his uncle, is cashier to the Chinese Tea Company, and his
+brother is with Morant & Hogsflesh.”
+
+“Do you really believe these parties were confederates?”
+
+“No doubt of it, sir.”
+
+“In that case what would you advise?”
+
+“In justice to yourself and the high reputation of your house, it is your
+duty to furnish them with the whole of our discovered facts.  It is
+important they should be informed of their servants’ dishonesty.”
+
+“By gad, Mr. Wynn, I’ll advise their punishment; and if their employers
+won’t do it, I will.”
+
+“I am afraid that your advice will be too late.”
+
+“How so, Cadwgan?”
+
+“Both have already fled to the Continent.  It appears that they, like
+McLiver, helped themselves to their employers’ money before they went.”
+
+“But how did they find out McLiver was in prison, Mr. Wynn?”
+
+“Some one of your servants or clerks must have carried the news to them.”
+
+“We’ll get the scoundrels back, cost what it will.  To-morrow the
+officers of justice shall fly in pursuit.  We’ll find them somewhere.”
+
+“No doubt, sir, they deserve severe punishment, though I am sorry for
+McNab, because he has a large family, and in punishing him you will
+punish his innocent wife and children.”
+
+“They, Mr. Wynn, shall not come to want.  While resolving to punish the
+guilty, I’ll see to the interests of the guiltless.”
+
+“Give me your hand, friend Roberts,” said Mr. Jones.  “You are a noble
+fellow; your heart is in the right place; and I’ll join you in so holy a
+work.”
+
+“I must now turn,” said Mr. Roberts, “to a more pleasant theme.  It has
+been by you, Mr. Wynn, I have been saved from ruin.  You have business
+talents of a high order.  I would trust you with untold gold.  You have
+proved your fidelity and tact under circumstances the most trying.  In
+our relationship I plainly see the finger of Heaven.  I now plainly see
+that it is my interest no less than your own that our relationship should
+be closer than it has hitherto been.  The business, as you are aware, is
+wholly my own.  Thank Heaven, I possess all the wealth I desire.
+However, I love work, and at present I’m not quite prepared to throw off
+the harness.  I shall do so, however, in a few years.  In view of that
+day I think it well to prepare for it.  I have therefore resolved to take
+into partnership my son Rhys and you, and we’ll take equal profits.  The
+money in the business I shall regard as a set-off against your ability
+and talent, and when I go out I will leave in your joint hands the
+capital necessary for successfully carrying on the concern.  Are you
+prepared, Mr. Wynn, to accept my offer?”
+
+“With deep gratitude and thanks I do indeed accept your offer, Mr.
+Roberts.  I shall never be able to repay you for your goodness and
+kindness.  To me you have been always kind, always generous, ever noble
+and disinterested.  To Mr. Jones and you I owe my present position and
+the prospects before me.  My gratitude, sir, I shall carry with me to the
+grave.”
+
+“I rejoice,” remarked Mr. Jones, who had hitherto been an almost silent
+listener, “to see this day, and I shall pray Heaven that the sun of
+prosperity may ever continue to shine on your concern, and that never an
+incident may occur calculated to disturb the kindly feeling and mutual
+confidence between you, friend Roberts, and your new partners.”
+
+“To that, Jones, I say amen.  Still I think there is not much danger on
+that score.  We all know each other; that’s an important point.  Unless
+my suspicions are wrong, which I think is not likely, that roving son of
+mine has managed to fall in love; and I warn you, Mr. Wynn, especially if
+you desire your sister to become your little housekeeper, to take care of
+her.  If you don’t do so, his siege on her heart’s citadel will prove, I
+fear, successful.  Well, I forgive him for making love without his
+father’s permission; and you, Mr. Wynn, must pardon him too.”
+
+                                * * * * *
+
+“Now, Mr. Wynn, in view of our new arrangements, what alterations would
+you propose in the conduct of the business, bearing this in mind, that
+you will have to undertake the purchase of all goods?”
+
+“In that case, Mr. Roberts, I recommend your appointing Mr. Williams to
+the office I now fill.  He is a relative of yours, and is a thoroughly
+competent man.  Then Mr. Sykes would succeed McLiver.  His honesty and
+integrity are beyond question.  Had it not been for their able
+assistance, I should never have succeeded in unravelling the mysteries of
+your affairs.”
+
+“Your proposal, Mr. Wynn, does infinite credit to your sagacity.  Let the
+arrangements be carried out at once.  The deed of partnership has already
+been prepared, and now awaits your signature.  My son signed it before he
+left on his recent tour.”
+
+Under the new management, the company of Roberts, Wynn & Roberts, grew
+mightily.  From one end of the kingdom to the other their teas were in
+great repute.  They had for their patrons royal princes and the nobles of
+the land.  The demand grew year after year, and the increased sale
+brought large additional profits.  During the fifth year of the
+partnership, these profits amounted to £45,000, though Mr. Wynn did not
+take above £750, one half of which he sent his aunt and sister for their
+use.  Cadwgan had during those five years put by £55,000.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+_THE LOST INHERITANCE REGAINED_.
+
+
+The day previous to the return of Mr. Wynn and young Roberts to town,
+they went out alone for a stroll.  They took the road leading to Pont
+Aberglaslyn, and as both gentlemen were excellent pedestrians, they soon
+arrived at that exquisitely beautiful glen.  When on the bridge, they
+gazed in silence for some minutes on the dark mad water beneath.  After
+some minutes’ silence, Mr. Wynn asked his friend if he had previously
+visited the glen.
+
+“Yes; I have been here once, Cadwgan.”
+
+“Don’t you think it’s a charming spot?”
+
+“In my judgment, Cadwgan, this is the grandest scene in all Wales.”
+
+“Then you prefer it to Bettws-y-Coed?”
+
+“I do.  This place has a charm for me which that sylvan vale has not.”
+
+“So it has for me, my friend.  The meandering river flowing down this
+valley, the high hills on either side of the glen, the stupendous and
+overhanging rocks, with a thousand different colours, foliage, trees,
+shrubs, and mosses, with grand old Snowdon in the distance: these, and
+early recollections and associations, have rendered this place dearer to
+me than all other scenes in my dear native land.  I am glad that our
+views of this delectable valley are identical, though I cannot convey to
+you the depth of my emotion in contemplating the scene.”
+
+“Cadwgan,” replied Mr. Roberts, “the spot on which I now stand is as dear
+to me as my life.  You have been my adviser, my counsellor, my friend—ay,
+more than a brother to me.  Oh, advise me how to act!  I confessed here
+to your sister my love, and offered her my hand and heart.  I asked her
+to become mine; but oh, Cadwgan, she rejected my offer!”
+
+“Did she, that is, my sister, give any reason for declining your offer?”
+
+“Indeed she did not.”
+
+“Did she tell you she was engaged already?”
+
+“Nay; she told me she was free.”
+
+“Did you ask her for an immediate answer?”
+
+“Yes.”
+
+“What was her reply?”
+
+“That she could not be mine.”
+
+“Then she gave you no other reason?”
+
+“No, no, Cadwgan; but was not that enough?  Since then I’ve been the most
+miserable of men.  Oh, you must dissuade her from acting towards me so
+cruelly.”
+
+“I am glad, Roberts, my sister acted as she did, though I deeply regret
+the pain her refusal has occasioned you.  I blame you for confessing your
+love, though I do not blame you for feeling admiration for my dear
+sister.”
+
+“I take it, Cadwgan, you are not favourable to my suit.”
+
+“So far from being unfavourable, my dear Roberts, I will confess to you
+that I know of no one whom I should so like to have for a brother as
+yourself.”
+
+“Then you are willing for me to renew my suit hereafter?”
+
+“Most willing.”
+
+“But you have expressed your approval of your sister’s rejection of my
+suit?”
+
+“Yes.”
+
+“You are incomprehensible to me.  Pray explain yourself, my dear
+Cadwgan.”
+
+“I’ll do so in a few words.  Before I can permit my dear sister to
+entertain your proposal, your father must be fully informed of your
+intention.  His views of such an alliance might be very different from
+yours.  He might wish you to marry the daughter of a wealthy city
+merchant, therefore he would regard your proposal as foolish and
+imprudent.”
+
+“Cadwgan, you do my dear father great injustice.  He has an abundance of
+wealth.  He would be the last man to make my marriage a matter of money
+speculation.  I know better than you can his feelings, and am sure that,
+in a matter so momentous, his first consideration would be my happiness.”
+
+“I have no doubt but such are your father’s feelings; still, as I am but
+a clerk in his establishment, I can’t permit you to address my sister
+until his consent is given fully and freely.”
+
+“Well, knowing your high character and scruples, I must tell you that I
+have taken steps in order to anticipate your objection.”
+
+“I hope you have not written Mr. Roberts?”
+
+“Indeed I have, Cadwgan.”
+
+“I’m very sorry; you really should have waited.”
+
+“Nay, nay, I couldn’t wait.”
+
+“Has your father replied?”
+
+“Yes; his answer came this morning.”
+
+“I suppose he has ordered your immediate return home?”
+
+“Oh no.  I’m to stay another week if I like.”
+
+“Well, has he given you his consent for you to propose to my dear
+sister?”
+
+“Yes; I have his hearty approval.”
+
+“Then my sister was not aware of this when you offered her your hand?”
+
+“Certainly not.  My father’s letter came this morning.”
+
+“Have you informed her of your father’s feeling in the matter?”
+
+“No. I delayed doing so until I spoke to you.”
+
+“I’m glad you have kept the information from Gwenfan.  But she must not
+be kept in ignorance longer than can be helped; and since you have opened
+your mind freely to me, I may as well tell you that at the proper time
+and after I have consulted your father, she is prepared to accept your
+hand.  As her brother and guardian, I will then, my dear Roberts, give
+her to you.  I know you will watch over her with the deepest affection
+and solicitude.  In this matter I have only one request to make, which I
+am sure will be readily granted.  Will you promise?”
+
+“To me, dear friend, you will is law.”
+
+“My request is a simple one, namely, that your marriage be deferred for a
+time?”
+
+“You are too cruel to defer the day of my being made perfectly happy.”
+
+“But for your and her sake I think there should be reasonable delay.  It
+is true your father is a rich man, but for the present you are simply a
+son of a city prince.  Possibly he might give you £1000 a year, but I
+should like to see you in business yourself before you settle down.  Then
+my dear sister is young: only little over eighteen years.  Three or four
+years is not long to wait.”
+
+“For the present I will not argue the point with you, you will learn that
+I am not in the position you fancy I am.  I cannot explain myself further
+now, but when we return to town, you, dear Cadwgan, will know all.
+Others will reveal facts to you which I am bound to keep secret.”
+
+“Well, well, we’ll talk on this matter again.  We must now return to the
+Villa, and make our arrangements for our immediate return to London.
+Early to-morrow morning we must leave, otherwise we shall arrive at the
+warehouse on the day our leave expires.”
+
+During the evening, Mr. Roberts and Gwenfan had a long conversation.
+When he returned to the library to join Cadwgan, he whispered, “It is all
+settled; I’m now happy.”
+
+In the following August, Miss Wynn and her aunt paid a long visit to
+London.  During their stay, they were frequent visitors at Mr. Roberts’
+urban mansion.  The more he saw of the gentle, quiet, and lovely Gwenfan,
+the more he liked her; and when the time came when those loving hearts
+were to be made one, he took his son’s and future daughter’s hands in
+his, saying, “Be true to each other; and you, my son, guard this
+beautiful Cambrian plant, for I am persuaded she is worth her weight in
+gold.  You, Rhys, have made a wise choice, I would rather have Gwenfan
+for my daughter than a princess of the royal blood.  May Heaven bless
+your union!”
+
+We now pass over a brief period of history.  Mr. Roberts had now ceased
+to be a partner in the firm.  From the date of Mr. Wynn joining the firm
+until Mr. Roberts’ retirement, the house had prospered year after year.
+The partners became wealthy men, were of high repute in the city, and Mr.
+Wynn, who was considered the soul of the business, was looked up to as a
+man almost unequalled for business talents, while his word was regarded
+as law by all with whom he had any mercantile transactions.
+
+Of Mr. Roberts’ intended retirement, Mr. Wynn knew nothing until the very
+morning it was carried out.  When they met in the former’s private
+office, he asked,—
+
+“How many years, Mr. Wynn, has our partnership lasted?”
+
+“Five years, sir.”
+
+“How long have you been with me?”
+
+“Ten years to-day, sir, I entered your service.”
+
+“Oh, how rapidly the time passes!  Well I have to thank my heavenly
+Father for having directed your footsteps here.  You have proved yourself
+a faithful friend, since the date of our partnership.  By your tact,
+judgment, business habits, industry, and integrity, you have raised our
+house to the highest commercial position.  You are almost as dear to me,
+Cadwgan, as if you were my own child.”
+
+“From you,” replied Mr. Wynn, “I have received the greatest kindness and
+consideration.  To me you have been a second father.  No parent could
+have shown a deeper interest in a son than you have shown in me.”
+
+“As you are now a rich man, Cadwgan, why don’t you seek a wife.  I’m sure
+you would be a better and happier man?”
+
+“I have, Mr. Roberts, anticipated your wish.”
+
+“I’m glad to hear it, Cadwgan, though you surprise me.  I was not aware
+of your having fixed your heart on any young lady.  I hope she is worthy
+of you.”
+
+“From you, sir, I keep nothing.  The lady is Miss Jones; she has accepted
+my offer, and her parents have given their consent to our union.”
+
+“I’m glad to hear this, for your sake and hers.  Jones is a capital
+fellow, and his daughter is a noble girl.  She has in her own right a
+splendid fortune, and her father must be a rich man.  She will make you
+an excellent wife.  Her fortune is in the funds, and if necessary you
+could turn it to immediate account.  I hope you will get back the old
+place.
+
+“Now, Mr. Wynn, as you have told me your secret, I see no reason why I
+should withhold from you mine.  I, too, am about to contract a marriage;
+I do not find it good to be alone; I am going to be wedded to my first
+love.  Strange to say, her name is Wynn.  Do you know any lady in your
+parts of North Wales of that name?”
+
+“Indeed, sir, I don’t at present recollect any lady of the name of Wynn.”
+
+“Try, Cadwgan, and remember.  My impression is you must remember; she is
+acquainted with you.”
+
+“Surely, Mr. Roberts, you don’t refer to my aunt?”
+
+“I do though.  Are you willing to give her to me?”
+
+“Most willing, sir, as far as I am concerned.”
+
+“Then you are pleased at the prospect of a closer connection between us?
+You have placed me in possession of your feeling.  Now please give me the
+reason of its existence?”
+
+“That I will do, sir, in a few words.  Though she is my aunt, and the
+only relative I have in the world, except my dear sister, I must say that
+she is one of the kindest and best of women.  I am sure she will make you
+happy.  But, sir, I did not know you had ever seen my aunt until she came
+to visit me in London?”
+
+“Miss Wynn was my earliest love.  I proposed to her, but her brother,
+your dear father, objected to our union.  I left for London immediately
+afterwards, got married, settled down in business, but from the day of my
+departure until her visit to you we never met.  Mr. Jones was fully aware
+of the circumstance of my being rejected.  It was, indeed, the fact of my
+proposal of which Jones took advantage to plead so persistently for you
+when he wished you to come here.  Little did I know then what a noble boy
+you were, what a treasure I was to have in you.  But let that pass: I
+have one favour to ask you.  Will you grant it?”
+
+“Yes, sir, to the extent of every penny I possess.”
+
+“Will you consent to be married on the same day as myself?  And we will
+arrange that Rhys and your sister shall also be united on the occasion.
+Next, will you sign that parchment, without asking any question, or
+examining its contents? you can make yourself acquainted with the
+particulars hereafter.”
+
+“Heartily I say yes, to your questions.”
+
+“My dear boy, I thank you from my heart of hearts for your goodness and
+confidence.  The document contains a dissolution of partnership so far as
+I am concerned.  You, and your future brother are now the owners of
+everything here.”
+
+“Mr. Roberts,” replied Cadwgan, with tears in his eyes, “how can I ever
+repay you for so noble and so generous an act?”
+
+“My dear boy, you have already repaid me with your grateful tear, by your
+ten years of faithful services, and by the splendid gift of your aunt.
+There is the ledger, which you can scan at leisure.  You will find the
+facts fully set forth.  Here is a mortgage deed for £50,000,—a sum which
+simply represents your share of the profits of the business during the
+period of our partnership.  The other mortgagee is your intended
+father-in-law, who has invested his daughter’s fortune in the same
+property as her trustee and guardian.  The two sums amount to £115,000,
+which are secured on your paternal estate, Wynn Castle.  On the day of
+your marriage, the estate, which has been greatly improved since your
+poor father’s death, will be conveyed to you as sole owner, by cancelling
+those deeds.  How this matter has been arranged it is not necessary for
+you to know.  I rejoice beyond measure in your being about to take
+possession of your lost inheritance, and to regain it by means so
+honourable to yourself.  My prayer shall be that Heaven will bless you
+with health and prosperity, and that you may long live to enjoy it.  I
+have now done my day’s work, so for the present must wish you good
+morning.  We shall soon meet again.”
+
+But few additional words are necessary to complete this history.  In a
+few months after the above interview, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Roberts junior,
+and Cadwgan were married to the ladies of their choice.
+
+During a portion of each summer, Mr. and Mrs. Cadwgan Wynn, and Mr. and
+Mrs. Roberts, senior and junior spent several weeks at Wynn Castle, where
+Mr. and Mrs. Owen Jones had taken up their permanent abode.  The various
+tenants on the estate rejoiced in possessing such an excellent landlord,
+but their joy was unbounded on the morning the news reached them of the
+birth of a son and heir.  On the return to the castle after this event,
+his tenantry presented him with an address, to which he replied as
+follows:—
+
+“Friends and neighbours,—After many years of exile from the land of my
+birth and the home of my father’s sepulchre, I feel it my first duty to
+return my gratitude to Him who guides and directs the destiny of us all,
+for having in His good and merciful providence again directed my
+footsteps to the land of my love and my warmest affection.  Twelve years
+to day I went out in the wide world, poor and almost penniless.  I
+resolved, with Heaven’s help, to succeed, that is if success could be
+achieved by honesty, integrity, and plodding.  After wandering about
+London for several days, I found myself one summer evening on London
+Bridge, faint, anxious, and sick, with but a few shillings in my pocket.
+Just as I was about to settle down to sleep on the cold stone, a good
+Welsh Samaritan who was passing by had compassion on the forlorn one, and
+took me to his home.  Strange to say, his noble daughter fell in love
+with me, poor and friendless though I was.  That lady is my wife and the
+mother of my son.  I might tell you that her love for dear old Cambria is
+as deep and as intense as is her love for her offspring.  Moreover, her
+heart is full of sympathy for the sons and daughters of human suffering
+wherever found, and she will consider it not only a pleasure but a duty
+to visit and administer consolation and solace to the distressed in this
+beautiful valley.  But, says my friend on my right, you must not remain
+idle; you have work to do.  My dear friend, the Rev. Thomas Charles, who
+is an honour to our country, is doing much for the intellectual, moral,
+and religious welfare of the people.  You ought to support his efforts by
+every means in your power.  Him I will aid with my purse and influence.
+I hope in this effort we shall be united, conformists and nonconformists,
+joining hand in hand and heart with heart, so that our people may become
+an intelligent and religious people.  To bring about such a glorious
+consummation is the chief desire of my soul.  I have only one more word
+to add, that is to thank you for your beautiful address.  Be assured that
+I and my wife will endeavour to earn your good opinion.  We will try to
+promote your commercial welfare, and with it your highest interest.”
+
+                                * * * * *
+
+McLiver in due time was brought before the bar of justice, and his guilt
+having been clearly established, was banished the kingdom.  After
+undergoing ten years of punishment in Van Diemen’s Land, he obtained his
+release, and settled down in one of the Australian colonies as a small
+farmer.  His uncle and cousin were finally apprehended, and being found
+guilty were transported.  Donald was allowed to go free, as his guilt
+could not be legally established.  Some years afterwards Mr. Wynn learned
+that he was engaged in the fish trade in one of the Orkney Islands.
+
+
+
+
+TRADITIONS OF LLYN SAVATHAN;
+OR LLANGORSE, OR TALYLLYN LAKE.
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+_TRADITIONS OF GIRALDUS_.
+
+
+                “Not a tree,
+    A llyn, a leaf, a blossom, but contains
+    A folio volume.  We may read, and read,
+    And read again, and still find something new.”
+
+Respecting Llyn Savathan, which also bears the several names of Lake
+Brecheinoc, Brecinaumere, Llangorse, and Talyllyn Pool, Giraldus relates
+that in the reign of Henry I., Gruffydd, son of Rhys ap Theodor, held
+under the king one comot, namely, the fourth part of the cantref of Caoc,
+in the cantref Mawr.  When Gruffydd, on his return from the king’s court,
+passed near this lake, which at this cold season of the year was covered
+with wild fowl of various sorts, being accompanied by Milo, Earl of
+Hereford and Lord of Brecon, and Payn FitzJohn, Lord of Ewyas, who at
+that time were secretaries and privy counsellors to the King, Earl Milo,
+wishing to draw from Gruffydd some discourse concerning his innate
+nobility, rather jocularly than seriously thus addressed him: “It is an
+ancient saying in Wales, that if the natural prince of the country,
+coming to this lake, shall order the birds to sing, they will immediately
+obey him.”  To which Gruffydd replied, “Do you, therefore, who now hold
+the dominion of this land, first give the command.”  But he and Payn,
+having in vain commanded, and Gruffydd perceiving that it was necessary
+for him to do so in his turn, dismounted from his horse, and falling on
+his knees towards the east, as if he had been about to engage in battle,
+prostrate on the ground, with his eyes and hands uplifted to heaven,
+poured forth devout prayers to the Lord; and at length rising up, and
+signing his face and forehead with the figure of the cross, thus openly
+spake, “Almighty God, and Lord Jesus Christ, who knowest all things,
+declare here, this day, Thy power.  If Thou hast caused me to descend
+lineally from the natural princes of Cambria, I command these birds, in
+Thy name, to declare it.”  And immediately, beating the waters with their
+wings, the birds began to cry aloud and proclaim him.  The spectators
+were astonished and confounded; and Earl Milo, with FitzJohn, hastily
+returned to court, and related this singular occurrence to Henry, who is
+said to have replied, “By the death of Christ, it is not a matter of so
+much wonder; for although by our great authority we commit acts of
+violence and wrong against these people, yet they are known to be the
+rightful inheritors of this land.”
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+_THE LAST WARNING_.
+
+
+Long previous to the time to which the tradition of Giraldus relates, the
+place occupied by Llyn Savathan formed a beautiful and picturesque
+valley, through which the waters of the Llewenny meandered and flowed
+gently along in their progress towards the Wye.  On the left bank of the
+Llynfi, and within half a mile of its channel, there stood the church of
+Llangasty, which was dedicated to Saint Gasty, an eminent British saint
+who flourished in the fifth century, and was murdered on the Van
+Mountain, in the parish of Merthyr Cynog.  On the other side of the
+Llynfi, and nearly opposite the church, there stood a magnificent palace,
+belonging to and occupied by a tyrannical prince, who neither feared God
+nor regarded man, who scorned religion, and loathed everything which was
+pure and good and beautiful; a prince who, by the magnitude of his
+extortions and the relentlessness with which he pursued his unfortunate
+vassals, became the object of hate and intense aversion to all who had
+dealings or came in contact with him.  Moreover, as he grew older, his
+extortions became more burdensome, while his tyranny increased in its
+fury, notwithstanding the warnings he received from those who desired the
+perpetuation of his reign.  To all those warnings he turned a deaf ear,
+while he punished with the utmost rigour those who sought to thwart him
+in his infamous practices.
+
+It was a cold December morning, when Father Olyver, of Llangasty,
+repaired to the palace in order to condole with the prince on the death
+of a son.  On entering the reception-room, and finding the prince alone,
+he thus addressed him—
+
+“My heart grieves and is sad, my prince, at the loss you have sustained.
+Another prop of your house has been taken away, and oh, reflect, I pray,
+on your present mode of life; consider your ways and be wise.”
+
+“Cease thy babbling, Father Olyver,” replied the prince.  “ D— it, man,
+all must die.  The death of another son, thou senseless priest, only
+diminishes my responsibility as a father, and now I shall have more to
+leave to the survivors.”
+
+“Pray, don’t speak thus, my lord, of your child.  The fruit of your loins
+should ever be regarded with affection.”
+
+“I loved the boy when living, Father Olyver.  But now, man, he has ceased
+to live; the spirit, the soul, has gone; a clod of earth only remains.”
+
+“Be it so, my lord.  Yet I must own that I look on his untimely end as a
+terrible warning to you.  The event tells you to set your house in order,
+for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
+
+“All right, Father Olyver.  I suppose, when He comes, I must go like the
+rest, in spite of the saints and mother Church.”
+
+“But are you prepared, my prince, when the voice calls?”
+
+“Of course I am, father.  Let his majesty come whenever he pleases, I’ll
+accompany him.”
+
+“Are you ready, my dear prince, to appear, without fear, before your God
+when He calls you hence?”
+
+“There are beautiful maidens, too, father, before whom I must and delight
+to appear, after my evening’s carousals!  Ah! ah! ah!  I’ll be bound that
+even you, Father Olyver, with your sanctimonious jib, are not indifferent
+to the smiles of a pretty wench, and you won’t turn away when you happen
+to have a glimpse of a fine ankle.  Human nature is human nature all the
+world over.  I warrant priests of mother Church don’t always keep it in
+subjection.  Oh!  Oh!”
+
+“This is not the time, nor is it a fitting occasion, my lord, to indulge
+in such language,” replied the priest.  “For one day, at least,
+especially in the presence of the dead, I beseech you to cease speaking
+thus.”
+
+“Why should I, man, refrain from telling the truth even now?  Bedad, I’ve
+hit the right nail on the head this time at any rate.”
+
+“For the present, however, I shall regard your charge of me and my orders
+in silence.  I have come here to perform the last rites of the Church
+over the dead.  The day to me is one of unusual solemnity.  I loved your
+son as if he had been my own child.  He was a good and pious youth,
+notwithstanding the evil influences by which he was surrounded.  But he
+is gone, and the place that knew him shall know him no more.  And now, my
+lord, what hour have you fixed for carrying his remains to that silent
+bourne from whence no traveller ever comes back?”
+
+“We propose to bury at five; and after the funeral I have, Father Olyver,
+a grand banquet in my palace, and we anticipate a merry meeting.”
+
+“And cannot you, my lord, give up folly and pleasure for a single day?
+Can’t you devote one evening to pursuits which harmonize with the
+solemnity of the day?  You have received from time to time, and year
+after year, the most terrible warnings, yet you heed them not.  You hear
+the sound of the trumpet, to which you have paid no attention.  If you
+continue to live as you have lived, my dear prince—if you resolve, come
+what will, to steel your heart, and defy the Almighty,—the day is not far
+distant when the wrath of an angry God will descend upon you and yours,
+and on that day—rather on that dark and dismal night—the sword of His
+justice will descend, and the innocent and the guilty shall perish
+together.  I now leave you, my prince, but in a few hours we shall meet
+again at the grave of departed virtue, and something tells me that when
+we then part it will be a parting for ever.”
+
+At the time appointed the funeral cortège arrived at Llangasty.  The
+young prince was buried with extraordinary pomp.  When the service was
+concluded, Father Olyver went up and pressed the hand of the prince, and
+bidding him good-bye, whispered in his ear, “Remember, my lord, the
+warning voice: it has spoken once, twice, ay, thrice; the next time it
+will speak in thunder and lightning, when the earth shall move and reel
+like a drunken man.  So now, farewell.  I fear we shall never meet
+again.”
+
+The good priest then turned away from prince and people.  He re-entered
+the church for evening song, while the prince and the mourners returned
+to the palace to make merry and be glad.  Before they arrived home, the
+day had disappeared, and the night had come.  Darkness had settled down
+upon the earth.  When they entered the palace, they little dreamt of
+being on the very brink of a precipice over which they would be hurled by
+the fiat of the Eternal.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+_THE FATAL BANQUET_; _OR_, _VENGEANCE AT HAND_.
+
+
+The palace of the Prince of Llynfi was characterized by drunkenness and
+vice, dissipation and sensuality, intemperance and debauchery.  Virtue
+had no lodgment there.  Righteousness had no habitation there.  Justice,
+religion, and truth were wholly absent from the palace of the prince.  He
+and his family gave themselves up to pleasure, to riotous living, and to
+revellings; and from day to day, week to week, and month to month, they
+lived as if there was no God—no hereafter—no judgment to come!  Moreover,
+they had so sunk in sin and iniquity, that they were quite insensible to
+those feelings which are common and general, and indeed universal, in the
+lowest state of humanity.  Flower after flower of the family circle had
+withered and died, or had been plucked from the tree of life by the will
+of the Almighty, yet from the heart of the survivors there never escaped
+a sigh; never a tear was shed; their hearts had become a flinty rock, and
+were as insensible of impression as the Parian marble.  Thus they lived:
+thus, too, they died; for at last they were cut down as cumberers of the
+ground.
+
+Before the untimely death of the son, the prince had arranged for a grand
+banquet to take place on the very day his mortal remains were consigned
+to the tomb.  During the progress of preparation for the funeral,
+preparations were also being made for the expected banquet.  On their
+return from the church, many of the guests had already arrived and many
+more soon followed.  By nine o’clock the palace was filled with a
+splendid array of the licentious male and female inhabitants of the
+villages in the surrounding country.  According to old traditions, two
+renowned minstrels from a distance had been summoned to cheer them in
+their revels; and riot and disorder, such as had never before been
+witnessed even in that palace, resounded among the hills.  The party had
+been many hours assembled: it was midnight.  In the midst of their
+revellings there was suddenly heard a crash of thunder, which shook the
+palace to its foundation; and this was immediately followed by louder and
+louder peals, which boomed through the valley as the noise of a thousand
+pieces of artillery.  The prince and his riotous companions were
+awe-struck, and presently they heard a voice saying in deep, solemn
+tones, “Vengeance is at hand!”  In a moment the two minstrels arose, and
+beholding in the air a mysterious hand beckoning to them, they fled after
+it as it retreated.  The hand moved faster and faster, and as it moved
+they increased their speed.  After they had gone a considerable distance
+the earth heaved violently, and appeared to totter on its foundations.
+For a moment they turned round to see the distance they had come.  They
+saw the ground divide in twain, and up through this large chasm they
+beheld the waters rushing forth like the ocean when convulsed, and
+mingling with the roaring sound of the waters were the dying shrieks of
+the revellers.  Pausing for another moment in their flight, the minstrels
+observed, with great terror, a wide expanse of boiling and agitated
+waters where the palace and village had stood, engulfing the palace and
+its wicked and impious inmates far below its bosom.  Since then, Llyn
+Savathan has ever been regarded as an unhallowed spot; the great
+wickedness of the prince and his followers having drawn upon them the
+just judgment of the Eternal.
+
+
+
+
+TREFFYNNON;
+OR,
+LEGENDS OF SAINT WINIFRED.
+
+
+    “The lifeless tears she shed into a fountain turn,
+    And, that for her alone the water should not mourn,
+    The pure vermilion blood that issued from her veins
+    Unto this very day the pearly gravel stains,
+    As erst the white and red were mixèd in her cheek.
+    And that one part of her might be the other like,
+    Her hair was turned to moss, whose sweetness doth declare,
+    In liveliness of youth the natural sweets she bare.”
+
+                                                          MICHAEL DRAYTON.
+
+When but a mere youth, I had a strong and extreme longing to visit
+Holywell, or Treffynnon, which according to my youthful fancy was the
+most wonderful place under the sun.  This desire had its origin in the
+following circumstances.
+
+About three miles from my paternal abode there was situate a small
+village, which had risen into fame and notoriety by reason of its annual
+May fair.  At this fair an immense number of people congregated.  Young
+men and maidens were there.  Farmers’ sons and daughters flocked in great
+numbers; and this being the annual hiring fair, hundreds of men and women
+servants went to find either new masters or fresh mistresses.  Then from
+the neighbouring towns and villages, people came for the purpose of
+providing fun, amusement, and entertainment for the holiday seekers.
+Shows innumerable were there; Mr. Cheap Jack vending his wares, with
+which he combined interesting stories and flashes of wit, had thousands
+of willing and enchanted listeners, and a goodly number of ready
+purchasers.  On the roadside from one end of the village to the other was
+a continuous row of stalls, laden with every conceivable variety of
+articles.  All these marvellous things filled my boyish fancy with
+amazement and wonder.
+
+But what struck me most, was a person who had a stall situate near the
+bridge, on which were placed in rows several thousands of small wooden
+boxes, which in circumference were about the size of a crown piece, and
+three quarters of an inch deep.  These boxes he arranged with great
+deliberation and care, and when he completed his work, not a single box
+could be seen out of its proper place.
+
+This person was fantastically dressed.  He wore a three-cornered hat, the
+brim of which was tipped with gold.  He had pink velvet breeches, with a
+waistcoat of similar material; red stockings, and shoes with silver
+buckles.  His frock coat, made of good West of England broadcloth, had,
+in consequence of many years’ wear, become a dark blood colour.  In his
+hat were placed two rows of feathers, arranged in the form of the Prince
+of Wales’ plume.  He was certainly a most singular looking figure, and
+from the hour when he commenced to expatiate on the virtues of his wares
+until the dusk of the evening, attracted an immense audience.
+
+When his preparations were finished, he took in his left hand one of the
+little boxes, from which he removed the lid, or cover, and commenced to
+address the crowd in the following fashion.  “This box, ladies and
+gentlemen,” he said, “contains wonderful ointment.  It will cure the
+itch, the stitch, and nettle-rash.  It is a sure remedy for all diseases
+of the skin.  It will, when applied, remove warts from the fingers, corns
+from the toes, and bunions from the feet.  It is an effectual cure for
+cuts, bruises, and for every kind of wounds.  Time, ladies and gentlemen,
+would fail me to speak of its wonderful properties, and the history of
+cases it has cured would fill a dozen large volumes.  Every man should
+therefore possess half a dozen boxes of this valuable salve.  They should
+be placed in the nobleman’s palace, in every farm house, in every poor
+man’s cottage.  The use of this wonderful ointment will save you many a
+long doctor’s bill, and, between you and me, doctors are doing their best
+to stop its sale, because one box of this salve is worth a hundred visits
+of the physician.  People have paid lots of money to doctors without
+getting any benefit; they then came to me, and by using one box only,
+were made perfectly whole.  This ointment is the grandest discovery of
+the age.  It was found out, not by man’s skill, oh, no; but an angel came
+from distant worlds and directed my sainted mother how to make it.  The
+secret is with me, and it must remain with me; for were it known, its
+efficacy would disappear.
+
+“You, ladies and gentlemen, would doubtless like to know the several
+constituent parts of this justly renowned ointment, but as I have already
+said, I dare not reveal the secret.  The spirit of one who when on this
+earth was as pure as she was comely and beautiful, told the secret to my
+sainted mother.  I refer to Saint Winifred, who was murdered twelve
+hundred years ago.  From the spot on which she was beheaded, her head
+rolled down the declivity, and did not stop until it reached the altar of
+the church, and immediately there sprang up a spring of water, which in
+volume is unequalled in the world.  The wonderful salve is not called
+after the saint, this her spirit forbade, but Eli Treffynnon, or Holywell
+salve.  As I make it myself, I can offer to sell it at twopence per box,
+though doctors charge sixpence for a far inferior article.  Twopence per
+box being the price, for which I charge no more nor will I take less.
+Who will buy? who will buy?  Now is your time, for I shall not visit
+these parts for twelve months.”
+
+The people then rushed to the vendor of Eli Treffynnon, and in less than
+an hour he had disposed of more than a thousand boxes of the ointment.
+
+“A wonderful man that, is he not?” said I to my companion.
+
+“Yes, truly.”
+
+_Myself_.  Can you tell me where Treffynnon is?
+
+“Not exactly,” replied my companion; “but it is in the north.”
+
+_Myself_.  In the north of England or Scotland, which?
+
+“Oh, no, in neither; but in North Wales.”
+
+_Myself_.  Is it a town or a village?
+
+“A town, I believe; but it is not a large place.”
+
+_Myself_.  Have you ever heard of the remarkable well before?
+
+“Oh, yes.  I’ve seen an account of it in an old book.”
+
+_Myself_.  If I knew the way, I would go and see this wonderful fountain.
+
+“Don’t talk nonsense.  Go two hundred miles to see a spring!”
+
+_Myself_.  Why not?
+
+“Why?  Because you can see plenty of fountains nearer home.”
+
+_Myself_.  But this is a well.
+
+“Yes; a well to be sure.  But don’t the waters of all rivers come from
+wells?”
+
+_Myself_.  Of course they do.  But it requires a hundred wells to make up
+the Severn, the Wye, and the Ithon, but here is a large river from one
+well, one spring.  I’ll certainly go one of these days and see it.
+
+Many, many years, however, came, and passed away, before the design I
+then formed was carried out.
+
+                                * * * * *
+
+My first visit to Holywell, or Treffynnon, took place just about the
+close of the Crimean War.  I arrived in the town late one evening in mid
+winter, but as the night was extremely dark, while the rain descended in
+torrents, I refrained from leaving my hotel, the name of which I do not
+at present remember.  It was then the principal inn of the town, with a
+first rate bill of fare.
+
+Being a private gentleman, and therefore debarred from joining the
+commercials, breakfast was prepared for me in a snug little parlour which
+was generally used by the landlady as her private sitting-room.  Before I
+had taken my seat at the breakfast, the waitress came into the room, all
+smiles, and asked me if I had any objection to a gentleman joining me at
+the morning meal.
+
+“Who is the gentleman?” I asked the waitress.
+
+“Oh, Squire Eli, of Ffynnon Hall.”
+
+_Myself_.  What kind of a person is he?  Is he old or young, has he a
+hump on his back, and does he wear spectacles? is he a nice,
+good-tempered fellow, or sour as crab beer?  Tell me, gentle maid, the
+kind of companion I am to be honoured with.
+
+“Oh, sir, how you do talk.  Squire is a nice, well-spoken gentleman; and
+I am sure you’ll like him.”
+
+_Myself_.  Show the gentleman up; but tell your mistress that she will be
+a loser by his introduction, because I generally eat twice as much in
+company as when alone.
+
+Presently Mr. Eli made his appearance, and I expressed to him how greatly
+pleased I was at his honouring me with his presence.
+
+He replied to my remarks in a very neat speech, and said he was delighted
+in the opportunity of making my acquaintance, having heard of me from a
+common friend.
+
+Before rising from the table I said, “What a beautiful name you have
+selected for your seat!”
+
+“Then do you know Welsh?”
+
+_Myself_.  I know a little; I wish I knew more.  It is the grandest
+language under the sun.
+
+“For expressiveness and eloquence and poetry, you are right.”
+
+_Myself_.  I presume you selected the name because you have a crystal
+fountain by the Hall?
+
+“Oh, dear, no.  There is a fountain it is true, but its existence in no
+way determined me to select the name; and, between us, I don’t think
+there is a similar designation for a house in North or South Wales.”
+
+_Myself_.  Have you visited the south, Mr. Eli?
+
+“Visited the South!  Why, there is not a town or village in the six
+counties I’ve not been in.  I know the country well.”
+
+“Have you ever been at Bridgend, in the county of R.?”
+
+“At Bridgend!  Of course I have; many and many a time.”
+
+_Myself_.  If I’m not mistaken, I have seen you there.
+
+“Probably you have; that is, if you ever attended its annual May fair.”
+
+_Myself_.  Then you are the man, the veritable vendor of Eli Treffynnon?
+
+“Of course I am.  I thought the waitress had duly informed you of that.”
+
+_Myself_.  No, no; but never mind.  I’m delighted to see you.  Your
+speech on your ointment awoke in my bosom an intense longing to see this
+place; and I’ve come almost specially to see for myself its wonders.  I
+hope, therefore, Mr. Eli, you have no special engagement this morning.
+
+“And suppose I have not?”
+
+_Myself_.  In that case I trust you will be my cicerone.  I am extremely
+anxious to know the history and traditions of the wonderful well.
+
+“I’ll accompany you with pleasure, and tell its wondrous history.  When
+shall we start?”
+
+_Myself_.  Now, if you please.
+
+Just as we reached the lower part of the principal street, we saw a man
+with measured steps approaching us.  The man had a leathern strap
+fastened round his neck, at the other end of which was suspended a large
+bell, a cushion being buckled to the right knee.  Every time the
+cushioned knee came forward the bell jingled, and it being of
+considerable size its tones could be heard a long distance from the scene
+of the man’s perambulations.  When he came up to the place where we were
+standing, I asked Mr. Eli the question,—
+
+“Is that man mad?”
+
+“By no means: he is in his right mind.”
+
+_Myself_.  No sane man, I should think, would be guilty of such folly.
+
+“The man,” replied Mr. Eli, “is doing a Christian duty.”
+
+_Myself_.  I fail to see any act of devotion in carrying a bell about the
+town.  Please, Mr. Eli, explain yourself.
+
+“You, a stranger, very naturally conclude the man is demented.  When you
+know the object of his mission you will come to a different opinion.”
+
+_Myself_.  Pray, Mr. Eli, enlighten me.
+
+“We have a church here, my dear sir.”
+
+_Myself_.  Yes.
+
+“That church is situate in a hole at the head of a deep dell.”
+
+_Myself_.  But what has that to do with this man?
+
+“This,” replied Mr. Eli; “we cannot, up the town, hear the church chimes,
+though we are not two hundred yards from them.”
+
+_Myself_.  But the man does not carry your church bells on his knee.
+
+“Oh, dear me, no; but this man walks round the town just before divine
+service, and the ringing of his bell warns the people that it is time for
+them to go to church.”
+
+_Myself_.  A singular invention, certainly.  Pity they built the church
+in such an outlandish place.
+
+_Mr. Eli_.  Oh, don’t say so.  The church was built there by direction.
+It is close to the well of St. Winifred, the healing waters of which, as
+you are aware, are celebrated far and near.
+
+_Myself_.  Then the tales you and others tell about the efficacy of the
+waters of the fountain are really true?
+
+“Yes, of course, they are perfectly true.  When all is said and written
+about the waters, we can truly say that the half is not told.”
+
+_Myself_.  I should like to possess a true and authentic history of the
+place.
+
+“Doubtless,” replied Mr. Eli, “you would.  Its history has yet to be
+written.”
+
+_Myself_.  There is, then, evidence, Mr. Eli, that people who have bathed
+in its waters have been made whole?
+
+“Yes; plenty of evidence,” replied Mr. Eli; “and if you will now
+accompany me to the well, I’ll show you some of the many witnesses.”
+
+When we entered the building, my friend conducted me to a spot where we
+had a good view of the interior.  He pointed with his finger to the roof,
+at the same time remarking, “Up there, look up there, for there is the
+evidence, the witnesses, to which I referred.”
+
+_Myself_.  Do you mean those barrows, hand carts, crutches, and staves,
+and other things too numerous to mention, fastened to the ceiling?
+
+“Of course I do.  Are they not irresistible witnesses to the healing
+power of these waters?”
+
+_Myself_.  I really fail to see your point, Mr. Eli.  Pray explain
+yourself more fully.
+
+“People come here,” said my friend, “from all parts of the world.  Some
+come on wheel-barrows, some on crutches, some by the aid of
+walking-sticks; they bathe in these healing waters, like they did when
+our Lord was upon earth, and are cleansed.  They leave here new men and
+women, and having no further need of either crutch or barrow, leave them
+behind as witnesses to the power of this wonderful fountain.”
+
+_Myself_.  You have greatly excited my curiosity, Mr. Eli.  Pray furnish
+me with some information respecting the history of this place.
+
+“You are heartily welcome to the facts and traditions I have been
+fortunate enough to succeed in collecting, which can be briefly told.
+They are as follows:—
+
+“Once upon a time, that is, about twelve hundred and twenty-five years
+ago, this Treffynnon was a royal city, and then the king’s palace was
+within its precincts.  The then reigning sovereign was Allen the First,
+and his dominion extended over the whole of the hundred of Coleshill,
+from the royal mines of which he derived a princely income.  The king had
+a son of the name of Cradocus, a name which has led old writers to
+conclude that his mother was a daughter of some Roman, who, preferring
+this country to his own, and having espoused a British lady, settled down
+here.
+
+“At the time of which I speak, there resided in Holywell a potent lord of
+the Trewith, who married Lady Wento, an only sister of Saint Beuno,
+descendants of an ancient and illustrious Montgomeryshire family.  The
+only issue of this marriage was a daughter, a beautiful and lovely
+maiden, who was as pure as she was beautiful, whose name was Winifred.
+
+“When she had grown up to be a young lady, her uncle, Saint Beuno, who
+resided at Clynnog, in Carnarvonshire, came on one occasion to this royal
+town to pay a friendly visit to his family.  During his stay he obtained
+a grant of land from Lord Trewith, his brother-in-law, upon which he
+erected a church.  Now the altar of that church was close by yon bubbling
+fountain.”
+
+_Myself_.  Have you historical proofs of this, Mr. Eli? I asked.
+
+“You will see by-and-by the evidence upon which I rely.”
+
+_Myself_.  Pray proceed; your narrative is deeply interesting.
+
+“After the erection of the church,” Mr. Eli continued, “Saint Beuno took
+under his charge his niece Winifred, who vowed to remain a virgin, and to
+devote her life to works of charity, mercy, and religion.
+
+“On a lovely Sunday evening, on the 22nd of June, the Lady Winifred left
+her parents’ castle for the purpose of taking a walk in the cool of the
+day.  When she attained the summit of the hill her progress was stayed by
+Prince Cradocus, who, being struck with her extreme beauty, at once made
+a proposal of marriage.
+
+“‘Prince,’ replied Lady Winifred, ‘I can form no earthly ties.  I have
+already vowed my life and wealth to the work of my Saviour.’
+
+“‘But, noble and beautiful lady, I have sworn you shall be mine, and
+nothing shall prevent the fulfilment of my oath.’
+
+“‘Your offer, illustrious prince, comes too late; my vow is irrevocable.’
+
+“‘Pray, Lady Winifred, don’t say that.  Your hand I am resolved to
+possess, and you shall share with me the throne of my ancestors.’
+
+“‘For earthly thrones, prince, I care not; my treasures are not here but
+above.’
+
+“‘If you persist, noble lady, in your refusal, I am resolved to effect my
+object by force.’
+
+“‘You dare not do that, prince.  You must not further molest me.  Stand
+by, for I would proceed on my way.’
+
+“Cradocus was vexed at being thus robbed of his prey, and getting into a
+fearful passion, took his sword from its sheath, and there and then,—oh,
+horror of horrors! cut off the head of the virgin.  For his guilty act,
+vengeance from on high soon overtook him.  On the spot where he committed
+the crime, he fell down a dead man, and the earth opening, swallowed his
+impious corpse. {260}  There is, however, a tradition, that Cradocus’s
+master, the devil, carried off his body to the dismal regions of despair.
+
+“Now about the well.  I’ve told you, that it was on the hillside above
+here where Cradocus committed the foul deed.  It appears that when the
+head was severed from the body it commenced to roll down the steep hill
+by which we descended, and stopped when it reached the altar, before
+which a number of devout people were kneeling.  The very moment the head
+stopped there came up this fountain, the waters of which possess the same
+miraculous power as did those waters of the pool of Bethesda referred to
+in the Gospel of St. John.
+
+“It appears Saint Beuno was the officiating priest at the altar when this
+sad event took place.  Recognising the head as that of his beloved niece,
+he took it up, and ran with it to where the mangled body lay, to which he
+rejoined it.  To the astonishment of all present, the head at once united
+itself to the body, the place of separation being only marked by a white
+ring or line, which extended round the neck.  From that hour she was
+called Saint Winifred, and was always after regarded as a holy person, a
+special vessel chosen by Christ to do His work.  After this event she
+lived fifteen years, and gained universal fame by her deeds of love and
+charity.  Well, though more than twelve hundred years have come and gone
+since then, this fountain is as powerful to-day as it was then in healing
+and in curing diseases.  Hundreds, aye, thousands, have blessed the day
+on which they bathed in this Iachâd Ffynnon—healing fountain.  Now, my
+story is done.”
+
+_Myself_.  And a most interesting tale it is, Mr. Eli, for which I thank
+you very much.  There is one more circumstance I wish to be informed of
+in order to have a complete history of the sainted lady.
+
+“To what do you refer?” asked Mr. Eli.
+
+_Myself_.  I presume the lady died here.
+
+“Oh yes; she died in her father’s mansion.”
+
+_Myself_.  In that case, I presume, her sepulchre is in your churchyard?
+
+“Not so, my friend,” replied Mr. Eli.
+
+_Myself_.  Then she was not buried here?
+
+“No, she was not interred here, and for this reason.  Her uncle, Saint
+Beuno, died on the 21st of April, 660, and his remains were interred in
+the Abbey Church of Bardsey Island.  On his death, Saint Winifred retired
+to Gwytheriu, and placed herself under the protection of St. Elerius, who
+at that time was living in devotional seclusion in that sequestered
+mountain village.  At that time there was there a convent of nuns under
+the superintendence of Theonia.  Saint Winifred assumed the veil, and on
+the death of Theonia became the abbess.  On her death, the remains were
+removed from Treffynnon to Gwytheriu, and interred near the graves of St.
+Cybi and St. Sannan.  After a lapse of five hundred years from the date
+of her death, the bones of St. Winifred were removed with great pomp to
+the church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Shrewsbury.  The wooden chest in
+which the remains were preserved is still kept.  The translation of the
+saint’s remains took place in the reign of King Stephen.”
+
+_Myself_.  It’s a pity that no monument to her memory has been erected
+here.  Don’t you think so, Mr. Eli?
+
+“I cannot share your opinion, my friend.  This well and its wonderful
+cures are monuments which will live when Parian marble shall crumble into
+dust.  But there is another monument.  Observe,” said Mr. Eli, “the sweet
+scented moss which grows there by the well-side, the _Jungermannia
+esplenoides_ of Linnæus.  On each anniversary of the decollation of Saint
+Winifred, this moss, and the stones of the fountain, assume the colour of
+blood.  This annual change in the tint of the moss is an immortal
+monument of the dear departed saint, as if it said:—
+
+    “For thee, blest maid, my tears, my endless pain,
+    Shall in immortal monuments remain.
+    The image of thy death each year renew,
+    And prove my grief, to distant ages, true.”
+
+After making a general inspection of the well, and examining the
+grotesque figures of animals and other works of sculpture, my friend and
+I paid a brief visit to the chapel over the well.  During our stay there,
+he placed in my hand a copy of the following letter, addressed by the
+queen of James II., to Sir Roger Mostyn.
+
+    “SIR ROGER MOSTYN,—
+
+    “It having pleased the king, by his royal grant, to bestow upon me
+    the ancient chapel adjoining St. Winifred’s Well, these are to desire
+    you to give present possession, in my name, of the said chapel, to
+    Mr. Thomas Roberts, who will deliver this letter into your hands.  It
+    being also my intention to have the place decently repaired, and put
+    to a good use, I further desire that you will afford him your favour
+    and protection, that he may not be disturbed in the performance
+    thereof.  You may rest assured that what you do herein, according to
+    my desire, shall be very kindly remembered by
+
+                                                        “Your good friend,
+                                                             “MARY REGINA.
+
+    “WHITEHALL,
+          _May_ 8_th_, 1687.”
+
+On leaving the chapel, I cordially thanked my friend for the information
+he had imparted respecting the Winifred legend; and told him, that some
+day I would try to make his name and his Eli Treffynnon as immortal as
+the saint whose history he had so eloquently told.  But before my tale
+sees the light, my entertainer has gone to that bourne from whence no
+traveller returns; yet it may be,—who knows?—that his spirit still visits
+our world, and communes with dear ones and friends left behind.
+
+              [Picture: View of Swansea in September, 1748]
+
+
+
+
+THE VISIT OF ELIDORUS TO THE FAIRY KINGDOM BENEATH THE BAY.
+
+
+A short time before our visit to Swansea, wrote Giraldus Cambrensis, a
+circumstance worthy of note occurred in these parts, which Elidorus, a
+priest, most strenuously affirmed had befallen him.  When a youth of
+twelve years, and learning his letters, since, as Solomon says, “The root
+of learning is bitter, although the fruit is sweet,” in order to avoid
+the discipline and frequent stripes inflicted on him by his preceptor, he
+ran away, and concealed himself under the hollow bank of a river.  After
+fasting in that situation for two days, two little men of pigmy stature
+appeared to him, saying, “If you will come with us, we will lead you into
+a country full of delights and sports.”  Assenting and rising up, he
+followed his guides through a path, at first subterraneous and dark, into
+a most beautiful country, adorned with rivers and meadows, woods and
+plains, but obscure, and not illuminated with the full light of the sun.
+All the days were cloudy, and the nights extremely dark, on account of
+the absence of the moon and stars.  The boy was brought before the king,
+and introduced to him in the presence of the court; who, having examined
+him for a long time, delivered him to his son, who was then a boy.  The
+men were of the smallest stature, but very well proportioned in their
+make; they were all of a fair complexion, with luxuriant hair falling
+over their shoulders like that of women.  They had horses and greyhounds
+adapted to their size.  They neither ate flesh nor fish, but lived on
+milk diet, made up into messes with saffron.  They never took an oath,
+for they detested nothing so much as lies.  As often as they returned
+from our upper hemisphere, they reprobated our ambition, infidelities,
+and inconstancies.  They had no form of public worship, being strict
+lovers and reverers, as it seemed, of truth.
+
+The boy frequently returned to our hemisphere, sometimes by the way he
+had first gone, sometimes by another; at first in company with other
+persons, and afterwards alone; and made himself known only to his mother,
+declaring to her the manners, nature, and state of that people.  Being
+desired by her to bring a present of gold, with which that region
+abounded, he stole, when at play with the king’s son, the golden ball
+with which he used to divert himself, and brought it to his mother in
+great haste; and when he reached the door of his father’s house, but not
+unpursued, and was entering it in a great hurry, his foot stumbled on the
+threshold, and falling down into the room where his mother was sitting,
+the two pigmies seized the ball, which had dropped from his hand, and
+departed, showing the boy every mark of contempt and derision.  On
+recovering from the fall, confounded with shame, and execrating the evil
+counsel of his mother, he returned by the usual track to the
+subterraneous road, but found no appearance of any passage, though he
+searched for it on the banks of the river (Tawe) for nearly the space of
+a year.  But since those calamities which reason cannot mitigate are
+often alleviated by time, and length of time alone blunts the edge of our
+afflictions, and puts an end to many evils, the youth having been brought
+back by his friends and mother, and restored to his right way of
+thinking, and to his learning, in process of time attained the rank of
+priesthood.  Whenever David II., Bishop of St. David’s, talked to him in
+his advanced state of life concerning this event, he could never relate
+the particulars without shedding tears.  He had made himself acquainted
+with the language of that nation, the words of which, in his younger
+days, he used to recite, which, as the bishop had often informed me, were
+very conformable to the Greek idiom.  When they asked for water, they
+said, “Ydor ydorum,” which meant, bring water; for “ydor,” in their
+language, signifies water, and dwr also, in the British language,
+signifies water.  When they wanted salt they said, “Halgein ydorum,”
+bring salt.  Salt is called halen in British.
+
+[So far the narrative of Giraldus Cambrensis.  We are happy to be able to
+lay before our readers some further details, hitherto unpublished, of the
+early life of Elidorus, and of his visits to the fairy kingdom beneath
+the bay.]
+
+On the brow of Town Hill, and commanding a magnificent view of Swansea
+Bay, the channel, and their circumjacent coast, with the Devonian range
+of mountains in the distance; there stood, at the time of which we write,
+a small thatched cottage, with mud or clay walls, which was then occupied
+by Shôn Gwyllt, his wife Mary, and their son John, an only child.
+
+Shôn, as had been his father and his grandfather before him, was a
+fisherman, which, in those times, was a highly remunerative business.
+Fish of all kinds were then abundant, and they commanded a ready market.
+In the bay were shoals of conger, cod, mullet, sole, whiting, and
+flat-fish; while, in the season, the fishermen were often fortunate
+enough to secure in their nets sea trout and salmon, which, for delicacy
+of flavour, were unequalled in the British seas and rivers, the Tawe
+excepted.  In the Tawe salmon were as plentiful as the daisy on the
+verdant mead in early summer.  The waters of that river then, and for
+several hundred years after, were as clear as the crystal dewdrops.  Now
+it was on that delightful, that glossy and pellucid river that Shôn
+Gwyllt plied his trade, and the sylvan groves on its banks resounded with
+the sound of his rich tenor voice.  Shôn loved a good song, and the echo
+of his voice in the near and distant groves had for him a peculiar charm.
+
+We have already observed that Shôn plied his calling on the Tawe.  He had
+a horror of the sea.  Upon its waters he never ventured.  Nothing could
+induce him to join his brother fishermen in the bay.  Though they often
+tempted him by predicting that they would certainly have a splendid haul
+of fish, yet the prospect of a rich reward for his labour had no
+influence on his mind.  To their solicitation he used to reply, “The Tawe
+has been a good and generous parent to me, so I shall not forsake the
+kind and rich old mother.”  And Shôn did not forsake her.  Day after day,
+during the season, he might be seen with his coracle on his back, wending
+his way down Mount Pleasant and across the fields to the Tawe (there were
+no houses there then), and thence he fished up the river as far as
+Morriston, which at that time consisted of a few clod-built huts.  It was
+but seldom that he ventured above that village, though occasionally, and
+once in a way, he fished up to Ynistawe, but never went so high up the
+stream as Penllwch.  His aversion to Penllwch appears to have arisen from
+the circumstance that his cousin met with an untimely end there, and Shôn
+dreaded to fish the deep pools under Glais, where the young man, whom he
+loved as a brother, was drowned.
+
+Although Shôn was passionately fond of his trade, yet, strange to say, he
+was strongly opposed to his son following in his footsteps.  He reasoned
+thus: It is an occupation in which there is a great risk of life.  The
+fisherman has to contend with bad seasons, and occasionally fish is a
+drug in the market.  The business is not respectable; those engaged in it
+are men of the lowest class, ignorant, drunken, and improvident, living
+from hand to mouth, never saving a penny against a rainy day.  Instead of
+allowing young John to accompany him, he resolved to send him to school;
+and to school accordingly his son was duly sent.  John, however, hated
+school, and intensely disliked his preceptor, a dislike he gloried in
+exhibiting whenever an opportunity offered itself.  The teacher resented
+the boy’s conduct by the free use of the cane.  In the severity of
+punishment he had no mercy, and to escape chastisement young Gwyllt often
+absented himself from school.  The hours thus spent were among the
+happiest of his boyhood.  After his father had gone, John would walk down
+to the Tawe, and leaping into a stranded coracle, he, with his paddle,
+would spend hour after hour in skimming over the waters.  When he got
+tired, he would row to the bank, and fastening his little boat to the
+stake, lie down to rest.  The remainder of the youth’s story we shall
+tell in his own words, which are as follows:—
+
+I lay me down on the banks of Tawe’s crystal waters, and slept.  In my
+sleep, behold I had a dream.  In my dream or vision I saw a man
+approaching who was exceeding small in stature.  He was clad in rich
+apparel, and the fastenings of his garments—which were as white as the
+winter’s snow—were of pure gold, rubies, and other precious gems.  When
+he came up to the place where I lay, he addressed me in the softest and
+sweetest voice I had ever heard, and the voice said, “Oh, youth with
+ruddy cheeks and curly locks, why sleepest thou, seeing it is only the
+third hour after the sun of thy world has passed his meridian?”
+
+“I sleep,” I replied, “to forget the past, to drown the very thought of
+existence.”
+
+“With youth,” said the voice, “there is nothing to regret.  The days of
+youth are days of innocence and pleasure.  Every breeze fans the flame of
+delight.”
+
+“But my sorrow, sweet voice, does not spring from the heart’s passion or
+paternal unkindness, but from stripes inflicted upon my body by a
+tyrannical and cruel teacher, a man who has no mercy nor kindness of
+heart.”
+
+“Methinks you neglect your lesson,” said the voice, “and your preceptor
+uses the rod in order to teach you to be wise and learned.”
+
+“If that be so, I’d rather be ignorant with whole bones, than learned
+with the lash so frequently used on my back.”
+
+“There is a saying in your country, is there not?” said the voice,
+“‘spare the rod; spoil the child.’”
+
+“Yes, yes; there is such a proverb, though I believe in it not.”
+
+“What do you then believe in, my child?” asked the voice.
+
+“I believe in gentleness and kindness.  The victory that overcometh the
+world is love.  Love will soften the hardest heart, subdue the most
+stubborn will, and melt the hardest natures like wax is melted in the
+fire.”
+
+“If you worked hard at your books, and were attentive to your lessons,
+your master would probably be kind to you.  You should remember that
+youth is the time to acquire knowledge, and that its possession is one of
+the most pleasurable things on earth.”
+
+“Knowledge might be all you say in its favour, sweet voice, but I care
+not for it.  One day spent on the banks of this beautiful river, or
+skimming on the bosom of its limpid and crystal waters in some friend’s
+coracle, from which I often watch the finny tribe below in their plays
+and gambols—is better to me than a thousand anywhere else.  The waters of
+the Tawe are to me a source of exquisite delight, an unspeakable charm.
+I could gaze upon them for ever.”
+
+“Ah, comely youth,” said the voice, “you speak what you know, and I must
+own to being charmed with your enthusiasm.  You are young, and your
+vision is contracted.  You are inexperienced; your world is bounded by
+the surrounding horizon.  If you will come with me, I will show you
+fairer climes than these, more beautiful landscapes, grander hills and
+mountains; vales infinitely more lovely, and streamlets, brooks and
+rivers, which surpass in splendour and sublimity all other running waters
+of the world.  Besides, in my country, everything is beautiful.  The gold
+is as abundant there as are the stones on this lowland strand or on
+ocean’s tidal shore.”
+
+“You have drawn, sweet voice, a charming picture of your country, but
+where is it?  Is it an ideal or a real kingdom?  If it be real, I would
+visit if I knew the way.  Pray tell me the road which leads to a world so
+resplendently beautiful.”
+
+“Fair youth,” said the voice, “the road is nigh thee; it is close to
+where thou sleepest.  I will conduct thee there.”
+
+“On one condition only will I be thy companion.”
+
+“Name your condition, and if it be in my power, it shall be granted.”
+
+“That you solemnly promise to guide me back again to my own native
+sphere, in the event of my failing to find the way.”
+
+“Yes; I promise.  Further, you shall have perfect liberty to stay, or to
+return to this upper world, at any time you desire.  I will, too, be your
+companion.”
+
+“But who art thou?  What, too, is thy name?”
+
+“I am a prince of my kingdom; and my name is Tippin.”
+
+“What is your highness’ position at the royal court?”
+
+“I am chancellor of my royal master, King Penaf, the wisest and best of
+monarchs.”
+
+“Pray prince, is your king a giant like you?”
+
+“In wisdom, yes.  But fair youth, you should judge all men, not by their
+stature, but by their wise words, weighty sayings, and just decrees.  The
+mind is the standard of man, for mind is the man.  But don’t let us tarry
+longer.  Awake! awake! oh sleeper; arise from your couch of sand; let us
+away, for my hour of departure has come.”
+
+When I awoke, I found myself being carried through a dimly-lighted tunnel
+on the wings of the wind; I say on the wings of the wind for I was not
+conscious that any palpable substance touched my body.  The further we
+receded from the earth, the wider and loftier became the subterranean
+passage; and by means of the dim light, I discerned rocks of gold and
+precious stones.  When we arrived at the end of the passage, there
+appeared in the distance a scene which filled my bosom with wonder and
+admiration; never had I previously beheld such a combination of beauty.
+How shall I describe it!  This I cannot do, for it passes description;
+far grander, infinitely grander, was the scene than anything I had ever
+witnessed.
+
+In the distance were high hills and Alpine heights, plains and meads, and
+dells, which were covered with grass of emerald green.  I could see
+neither sun, nor moon, nor stars; but the country was illumined by a
+beautiful blue soft light which was delightful, and most agreeable to the
+eye.  Between day and night, there appeared no perceptible difference;
+while in those regions, summer and winter, spring and autumn, were
+unknown.  Their year was distinguished by no seasons; they enjoyed a
+perpetual spring.  Beautiful was their clime, exquisitely lovely was
+their country, singular and mysterious were the people.
+
+As regards the climate, it had no variation.  There was always there a
+soft, gentle, and warm breeze; which produced the most delectable
+sensation.  This breeze appeared to possess life-giving and
+life-sustaining properties.  When it came, as it sometimes did, in
+stronger currents than was generally the case, the old would repair to
+the mountain tops or bwllchs, and after two or three hours’ stay would
+return to the plain strong, blooming, and hale.  But more of this anon.
+
+Immediately after our arrival in the open country, the prince conducted
+me in silence to a building, the walls of which were formed of the finest
+marble.  Its entrance was guarded by two little men, even less in stature
+than my conductor, who made obeisance as we passed.  The prince conducted
+me up a flight of stairs, and then through several rooms, containing rich
+and costly furniture; at last we came to a door on which was printed in
+letters of gold “The King’s Chamber.”  This chamber we entered.  Having
+placed a chair beside me for my use, he then walked to the other side of
+the chamber, where there was a curious instrument fastened to a silver
+slab, and touched a small spring.  There was attached to the instrument a
+thread or wire of the most delicate workmanship, which quivered at the
+touch; presently I heard the sound of a bell, which was followed by
+several ticks, and when the ticks ceased, the prince remarked that the
+royal carriage from Dinas Aur would arrive there in half an hour, in
+order to take us to the golden city.
+
+“And how far is it to your city?” I asked.
+
+“The actual distance is one hundred and twenty miles.”
+
+“But your carriage travels more swiftly than the flight of the bird?”
+
+“Certainly.”
+
+“Well, is it safe to go so fast?”
+
+“Yes, perfectly safe.”
+
+“Your assurance contents me.  Will you, please, answer me one question,
+namely: as you appear to travel about 250 miles in an hour, I want to
+know in what consists your motive power?  Surely your horses can’t travel
+so rapidly as that?”
+
+“Oh no; we don’t use horses.  In these regions we make nature administer
+to our every want.  We shall travel through the air, which we use to
+propel us along; more I cannot say, as this singular phenomenon is beyond
+my comprehension.  The thing was discovered by our wise men, who keep the
+secret in their own breasts.  Look, my young friend,” said the prince,
+addressing me; “the carriage is coming, do you observe its approach?”
+
+When I looked, I saw something like a black spot in the air; it appeared
+like a small bird.  Presently it became more distinct, and before I was
+really aware, the royal carriage had arrived, having come nearly five
+minutes earlier than we expected.  At once we stepped into the royal
+saloon.  Presently I discovered the carriage moving.  When we ascended
+some twenty yards above the earth, we were carried at a fearful pace
+through the air; I perceived it was kept up by means of wings, which were
+made of material which in appearance was silk.  These wings were of great
+dimensions, but were extended or contracted in size according to the
+power and force of the current.  The propelling agency was compressed
+air, but how this worked, and whether it was combined with other gases or
+not, I could not learn.  I found the travelling exceedingly pleasant;
+when I closed my eyes I could not detect the least motion.  Objects came
+and went, we appeared to pass them as rapidly as the moving clouds in a
+terrible storm, or falling stars on a bright November night.  We arrived
+at our destination a few minutes earlier than we anticipated.  The prince
+conducted me to the royal palace, and placing me in charge of some
+important state functionary, repaired to the council of his royal master;
+when he left, he said he would not be long, and on returning he would
+join me for the evening.  I must own, that I felt extremely sorry to have
+to part, even for a short time, from one who was so kind and so
+agreeable; and I felt this the more in consequence of the peculiar
+position in which I was placed.  I was now the denizen of a strange
+world, and surrounded by a strange race.
+
+During the absence of Prince Tippin I began to realize my position.  I
+thought what a fool I was in leaving my home and country, the anxiety my
+absence would cause my parents, and the uncertainty of my ever seeing
+them again.  This thought deeply moved me.  I was exceedingly uneasy in
+both mind and conscience; I could neither sit nor lie still for three
+consecutive minutes.  At last, after examining every article in the room,
+I asked the attendant if he could give me any kind of book or writing
+material, by the aid of which I hoped to forget myself.  The attendant
+informed me that they did not use books, that their knowledge was orally
+handed down from father to son, from the priests to the people, and thus
+all the inhabitants became wise.
+
+When the prince returned dinner was served up in the ante-room,—a fine
+hall, radiantly lighted up.  Our first course was soup made of choice
+herbs, which was not only extremely satisfying but exceedingly palatable.
+Of this I partook heartily.  When the dishes were removed our attendant
+brought in milk thickened with meal, coloured with saffron; this was
+served up in basins of gold.  Afterwards we had tarts, pies, and fruit of
+the most delicious flavour; the fruit resembled the pear, but was sweeter
+and more juicy.
+
+After the meal was over, I asked the prince if he would give me a glass
+of wine.
+
+“My young friend,” replied the prince, “I regret to be unable to comply
+with your wish.  Wines, and all kinds of alcoholic drinks, are prohibited
+from being used by the law of the State; I dare not, therefore, supply
+you with this beverage, even if I had it in my possession.”
+
+“But why, excellency, have you such a singular law?”
+
+“For various reasons.  Would you wish to be furnished with the cause of
+the existence of such an enactment?”
+
+“You will confer upon me a personal favour by stating the reasons for the
+existence of such a regulation.”
+
+“These are the reasons.  We want the minds of our people to be clear and
+bright, and their intellectual vision unclouded.  Is not that important?”
+
+“Yes, certainly.”
+
+“Again; in these dominions, crime, destitution, poverty, pauperism, and
+wrong-doing are unknown; but if our people, like yours, imbibed
+spirituous liquors, crimes would be as frequent and poverty as widely
+spread as are those terrible evils in your kingdom!”
+
+“I readily admit the force of your reasoning; I am bound to own that the
+drinking customs of my country are the real causes of our more serious
+national evils.”
+
+“Then, sir, your government ought to enact stringent laws in order to
+diminish the cause of those evils.”
+
+“We are a race of free men, living in a free country, and I am afraid
+that no government will for some years be strong enough to battle
+successfully with this custom.”
+
+“You pass laws to suppress vice; and drunkenness being one of the
+greatest vices of your people, and the parent of all others, I can see no
+reason why you should not put down this traffic by legislation.”
+
+“Your excellency may be right in your conclusion.  The evil is a terrible
+blot on our civilization; were we a strictly sober race, we should be by
+far the grandest people on earth.”
+
+“My own observations lead me to the same conclusion; but for the present
+we must put an end to the argument.  It is time for you to retire.  Your
+attendant awaits you.  To-morrow we shall meet again, though I am afraid
+only for a few minutes, as I have to pay a visit to a distant part of the
+empire.”
+
+The next morning I breakfasted alone.  Though I saw during the morning
+several of the little people passing along the lawn in front of my
+window, I did not venture to speak to them, nor did any member of the
+race pay me a visit.
+
+About midday the door of my room was opened, and a little gentleman
+walked into the hall, and, without saying a word, sat down in a vacant
+chair opposite the one on which I was seated.  After examining my
+appearance, he observed, “I presume you are the stranger who accompanied
+Prince Tippin to the palace last evening?”
+
+“I am the stranger, sir.”
+
+“I hope the attendant has shown you every courtesy, and has not been
+wanting in hospitality.”
+
+“From the prince and attendant I have received every consideration; and
+as for the fare, sir, I might have gone further and fared worse.  I like
+your food much.”
+
+“This is a very different country from yours, is it not?”
+
+_Myself_.  Yes; widely different.
+
+“I presume you find it strange to have light without a sun or moon or
+stars?”
+
+_Myself_.  I miss the genial light of the sun; but there is a softness, a
+reflected beauty, in the light here which we do not possess in our
+diurnal luminary.
+
+“Our light is uniform, as is our climate.  In the northern regions of
+your country the sun constantly shines during several months of your
+year, which is followed by continuous darkness or night, when the
+inhabitants have to reside in snow or ice-built houses.  Dreary must be
+the life of a people so circumstanced.  You have in your climate genial
+and joyous spring, when nature revives from the dead and puts on her
+youthful and gay apparel, when the thorn, the citron, and the apple-tree
+bud and blossom;—beautiful is your spring, the loveliest and most
+charming season of your year.  Then comes your summer, with its green
+meads, and fields of waving corn, and rich fruit.  No artist can paint,
+no language can set forth, the grandeur of your clime during autumn.
+What have you afterwards?  Cold, icy, and chilling winter, with its dank
+and cold atmosphere; with your hills, mountains, and even your dales,
+covered with snow.  In winter your country seems dead, clay-like, and
+lifeless; sad and dreary to me is your winter scene.  In this land we
+have perpetual spring.  In all the months of the year the orange, the
+citron, and the apple-tree send forth their buds and blossoms and their
+ripe and rich fruit; our valleys and mountains are always green, a
+circumstance which to you, doubtless, appears very strange.”
+
+_Myself_.  Is that really so?  Do your fields and trees and hillsides
+present at all times the same hue?
+
+“Yes; the colour never alters, and nature in this region is never weary
+in its development, and never halts in the manifestation of her power;
+she goes from strength to strength, and with increased vigour as the
+years roll on.”
+
+_Myself_.  A strange phenomenon this!  Can you account for the existence
+of such perennial inherent power?
+
+“Oh yes.  Upon our mountains, valleys, and plains there perpetually
+descend from above constant showers of ethereal riches.  Our earth thus
+daily receives from heaven even more riches than she gives in flower and
+fruit, and grass, and vegetable matter.  Thus she daily and hourly
+becomes richer and more bountiful.”
+
+_Myself_.  But suppose the spring, the perennial fountain, of this
+life-giving bounty and luxuriance, were to fail or to dry up, what would
+be your position then?  From whence could you then obtain your supply?
+
+“Of such a calamity we entertain no dread.  For thousands of years this
+process has been going on, and through years unnumbered it will be
+continued.  In your world there is a gradual decay; nature there is
+exhausting herself.  For the present you have enough and to spare; but
+how will it be, what will your people do, when the virgin soil of the
+world on the other side of the Atlantic becomes exhausted?  That time
+must come; what will your people do then?”
+
+_Myself_.  Before that day arrives humanity will become etherealized,
+spirit-like, and super-mundane.  As a race, sir, we are not destined to
+continue the sordid, cloddy, and vulgar eating people we now are.  Oh,
+no; the earthly tabernacle is to be put off, and we shall live on angels’
+food.
+
+“Your race then, sir, has the hope and prospect of dwelling in a sphere
+beyond your present world?”
+
+_Myself_.  Most assuredly.
+
+“Who is to be the king of that world?  Who the ruler?”
+
+_Myself_.  The king will be the great Unseen and Eternal, the
+self-existent and self-created Being who rules heaven’s armies and
+earth’s inhabitants.
+
+“This is the Being, is it not, whom your nation worship and adore?”
+
+_Myself_.  Yes; and we are to live with Him for ever, and enjoy His
+fellowship.  And don’t you believe in Him too?
+
+“Alas! no; I wish we did.  When I consider how beautiful our clime and
+country are,—our friendship, associations, consciousness, friends,
+relations,—I often shudder at the thought of annihilation.  Sometimes I
+am terribly oppressed with the thought of ceasing to be, and the more
+thoughtful of my race hold similar opinions and feelings.”
+
+_Myself_.  What do you and your people worship?  Who is the object of
+your adoration?
+
+“We worship truth; a thing not a person; an idea, not a reality; a form,
+beautiful though it be, and not a substance.  It is awful to think that
+the grave is to be the end of our joys, pleasures, and delights.  In the
+matter of worship, you are right and we are wrong; you are the wise ones,
+we the fools.  But you have, methinks, too much of form in your manner of
+worshipping your Supreme.”
+
+_Myself_.  I agree with your last remark; but pray tell me how you have
+acquired such an intimate knowledge of our affairs.
+
+“By frequent visits to your land, and by mixing with your people.”
+
+_Myself_.  I never saw a member of your race until I was fortunate enough
+to meet Prince Tippin.
+
+“Perhaps not; but I have traversed the whole of your country, as well as
+other countries beyond the sea.”
+
+_Myself_.  Is that really so?  You certainly astonish me.
+
+“Twice every year, in your spring time and autumn, I visit your world on
+affairs of state.”
+
+_Myself_.  Then there dwell in other climes a kindred people, a race like
+your own?
+
+“Certainly; and I have often paid them a friendly visit.”
+
+_Myself_.  In what parts of the country do they live?
+
+“In several parts.  In fair Mona’s Isle there dwell the Pobli Bach.  In
+East Anglia is the race of the Plantos.  In Germany, living on the banks
+of the Rhine, are the Pobli Wyn.  In France, Spain, Italy, and the East
+there are different tribes inhabiting a precisely similar country to
+this.  And their habits, customs, mode of life and government, are all
+identical with ours.”
+
+_Myself_.  And do you live in peace with each other?  Do you never
+quarrel, and go to war, and kill each other in battle?
+
+“Oh dear no!  We live at peace.  According to our code of morals, it is
+very wicked to take away or destroy life.  Of all things in our world
+life is the beautifullest.  We are shocked, and pained, and grieved in
+witnessing the contentions between the peoples of your world.  In our
+view it is awful to use your arts, skill, and wealth, in making
+instruments, and in training and paying men, to kill and destroy.  Yet
+you call yourselves Christians!”
+
+_Myself_.  In my conscience I believe we are wrong.
+
+“You do; do you?”
+
+_Myself_.  Assuredly I do.  I believe war is wrong; is hateful to high
+heaven; is contrary to the principles of the gospel, which command us to
+love one another.  From God comes life.  He sustains it.  He only has a
+right to take it away.  In man we see His image.  Of one blood He has
+made us all.  Although we are brothers, yet we act towards each other as
+if we were the children of the evil one.  But a time will come when
+strife and contention shall cease, when there shall exist universal
+harmony, a harmony founded on the law of Christ, which is the law of
+love.
+
+“I am surprised at your confession.  The opinion you hold on this
+question is directly contrary to that held by your teachers.  Why, your
+ministers preach the doctrine that war is in harmony with your faith.  Is
+not that so?”
+
+_Myself_.  I must own that that is so.  Still I believe them to be in
+error, and hope they will discover their error before it is too late.  I
+am afraid that a great deal of the scepticism of the times is principally
+owing to the want of harmony between the truth and the profession of it.
+As a race we don’t practically live out the precepts of our faith.  Hence
+the reason why men of the world scorn religious men, and you know
+contempt usually ends in disbelief.
+
+“If we have not the light you have, still we are a purer and a more
+virtuous people than yours.  We are sober and temperate, but your race is
+not.  We live in peace, never engage in war, but you kill each other with
+the sword and the bow.  Then as our climate is so superior to yours, why
+not stay with us for ever?”
+
+_Myself_.  I could not live without seeing my father and mother; without
+visiting the upper world in order to bask occasionally on the sylvan
+banks of Tawe’s crystal waters; to gaze on the blue heavens, with their
+twinkling stars; to wander about the green meads, and listen to the rich
+melody of the winged songsters of the grove and primeval forest; but I
+should like to visit you now and then.  Before I return I am anxious to
+see and have converse with your king, the rather that, as the prince
+informed me, he is a wise and virtuous ruler.
+
+“I rejoice that the prince has spoken so well of his master.  I am the
+king, and I thank you for speaking so freely of your country and its
+people.  Whenever you choose to pay us a visit, be assured you shall be
+heartily welcome.”
+
+_Myself_.  May it please your majesty, your majesty has treated me as if
+I were a prince instead of a poor fisherman’s son.  Your majesty’s
+kindness and hospitality I shall ever remember with gratitude.  I accept
+your invitation, and I will certainly pay another visit to your beautiful
+country.
+
+_The King_.  At all times you shall be heartily received.
+
+_Myself_.  Thanks; a thousand thanks.  Were I not a Welshman, I would
+dwell in your beautiful land.
+
+_The King_.  You have spoken handsomely of my dominions.  But here comes
+the prince; he shall conduct you to the sylvan banks of your beautiful
+river, a river you so much love.
+
+Before setting out on my homeward journey, I briefly inspected the royal
+carriage.  I now discovered, what had previously escaped my notice, that
+underneath, and attached to the side of the carriage, were inflated skins
+filled with natural gas.  These gave a buoyancy to the machine.  Indeed,
+it was only by the use of strong ropes made of grass that it was kept on
+the earth.  On stepping into the carriage, these ropes were unhooked; it
+then began to ascend, and on reaching an altitude of forty yards we got
+into what the prince called node currents, which carried us along at the
+rate of 300 miles an hour.  We soon reached the public buildings referred
+to in a previous part of my story, and from thence he conducted me
+through the subterranean passage until we reached fair Tawe’s shore.
+
+I urged the prince to accompany me to my parents’ cottage, which he
+declined.  He said that he had a special engagement with the fairies of
+East Anglia—having arranged to spend the night with them at their annual
+dance on the verdant fields below Derwent Fawr.  I subsequently learnt,
+that Prince Tippin was engaged to a princess of the above tribe, of the
+name of Titania; and that they frequently met on Derwent’s green fields
+“to dance the nights to the whistling wind.”
+
+On entering my home I found my parents mourning for me as one who was
+dead.  At first they would not believe me to be their son, but thought it
+was their son’s spirit which had come to visit them.  I soon convinced
+them of being still in the flesh,—that I was no ghost, no spirit.  I had
+then to give them a history of my travels, to tell them of the strange
+sights I had seen, the singular people I had met, the character of the
+kingdom I had visited; but on my telling them of the gold and precious
+stones with which the land abounded, my mother upbraided me for coming
+away without a large lump of gold.  I told her that I did not covet other
+people’s property, and that I should have acted extremely wrong had I
+taken away the gold of a people from whom I had received so much
+kindness.
+
+I remained at home for several weeks, and occasionally went to school.  I
+found my old enemy as cruel as ever, and I came to the conclusion that on
+the very first opportunity I would return to the fairy kingdom beneath
+the bay.
+
+On wandering along the strand one fine morning, I was hailed by a voice I
+could never forget.  The prince informed me that having just returned
+from visiting his fair Titania, he was about to return to Dinas Aur, and
+urged me to return with him.  I readily yielded to his wishes, and
+sending a message to my parents where I had gone, we started off, and
+returned by means of the aërial carriage.
+
+As I anticipated, my return to Dinas Aur, was hailed with extreme delight
+by the few persons I had come in contact with on my previous visit.  His
+majesty the king gave me a hearty welcome, and expressed a hope that I
+would continue to sojourn in his dominions at least for a season.  I
+expressed my gratitude to his majesty for his extreme kindness, and
+informed him that as my parents were acquainted with the place of my
+abode, I was the less anxious to return home than if that knowledge was
+not in their possession.
+
+The king replied, that I had shown, by sending the message I had, that I
+was a dutiful son, fond of my mother and father, that I had shown I did
+not want to give them a moment’s uneasiness and pain.  His majesty then
+dismissed me, and placed me under the special protection of his
+chancellor, Prince Tippin.  This arrangement afforded me inexpressible
+satisfaction and delight, as on all occasions I had received from him
+every consideration and courtesy.
+
+In my subsequent intercourse with the prince, I found him to be a man
+without prejudice, wholly free from bigotry, and in all circumstances
+never showing the least indication of passion.  He loved purity and
+goodness wherever he found those virtues.  He abominated cant, and
+loathed low tricks which no one who wished to be regarded as honourable
+would resort to in order to gain a special end.  In his own beautiful
+language, which I soon learned, he would use a string of adjectives to
+characterize that class of men, who are mean, selfish, unprincipled; men
+who have no claim to be admitted into the society of pure and noble and
+unselfish individuals.  “Look,” he said one day to me, “at your public
+men, from the highest to the lowest; they are influenced by the love of
+power and fame, and you find that when a particular end is to be secured
+they are indifferent as to the means to be employed.  In appointing
+persons to fill important posts, the claims of your best men are wholly
+ignored.  You sadly want men at the head of your affairs who are just,
+magnanimous, and patriotic, men who are simply ambitious to secure the
+welfare and weal of the people.”
+
+_Myself_.  I must own, your excellency, that there is too much truth in
+your strictures and censures.  But we are improving, and shall ultimately
+become a pure and perfect race.  Are there no persons of the class you
+have described in your country?  Is your race perfectly free from
+selfishness and faction?
+
+“Certainly; we are all equal.  As citizens and subjects we occupy the
+same position.  Our best men occupy all posts in the civil government of
+the country.  Here again, all people readily obey the law: delinquents
+are banished the kingdom.”
+
+_Myself_.  Have you not frequent occasion to put the law in force?
+
+“By no means.  There is only one case on record for one hundred years in
+which the law has been rigorously carried out.”
+
+_Myself_.  You must be a law-observing people.  I wish from my heart that
+our race were as pure as yours.
+
+“They would be were your rulers as wise as ours.”
+
+_Myself_.  Then you think that our leading men are inferior to yours?
+
+“Think!  I know they are.  The history of your country proves this.  But
+we must drop the subject now.  I have an engagement with my royal master
+at this hour, and I must hasten to the council chamber, for I fear his
+majesty has already gone there.”
+
+After supper, and just as I was about to retire to my chamber, I received
+a visit from the Princess Mervyna and her two little sisters.  They were
+attended by their maid, who, though she was smaller in stature than her
+mistress, was evidently many years her senior.  The Princess Mervyna
+introduced herself, and said that she had come to command me to join them
+at their sports the next day.  I expressed regret to the princess at
+being unable to comply with her wish, having previously arranged to
+accompany the chancellor to a distant part of the kingdom.  I told her
+that I should regard it as a high honour to join them at their games the
+day after.  She acquiesced in this, though she was evidently a little
+vexed as well as disappointed with the arrangement.  However, she gave me
+a gracious bow, and on retiring, said, “Don’t forget your promise.”  I
+again assured her I would not.
+
+It was nearly noon before Prince Tippin and I started off from the city
+on the following day.  We had the same carriage as the one we had used on
+previous occasions, and we proceeded at an equally rapid pace.
+
+After a flight of 140 miles, we descended to the earth on the top of a
+high mountain, which in their language was called Wyddfa, or Conspicuous,
+from which position we had a magnificent prospect of the country.  In the
+distance we beheld seas like glass, on which apparently were myriads of
+little people, some of whom were engaged in skating, others in bowling
+balls along the ice, others were playing cricket, while not a few were
+dancing to the music of the wind.  We observed a great number of the
+little folks playing with golden balls, which they propelled along the
+ice by means of a crook.
+
+Though the players went along the ice at a fearful pace, yet I did not
+observe a single person fall.
+
+Between us and the players there was a beautiful undulating country,
+which abounded with streamlets and sylvan dells, and the peculiar soft
+light of the region brought out the deep green of the foliage to a degree
+I had not previously beheld.  The scene was exquisitely lovely, so rich
+in tint and colour as to leave an indelible impression upon the mind.
+Indeed and in truth this was a fairyland, an enchanted ground, though to
+my vision it was real, palpable, and actual.  I became rooted to the
+spot, for never had I beheld a scene so full of beauty.  I was awakened
+from my reverie by the familiar voice of the prince, who called out,
+“Elidorus!  Elidorus! our time is up; we must haste over other mountains
+and valleys, over streamlets and rivers, for we have a long distance yet
+to go, and but a short time to travel it in.”
+
+On taking our seat in the aërial carriage, the prince informed me that we
+should not stop again until arriving at our journey’s end, and that on
+passing a rocky headland we could see in the distance, we should have a
+capital view of the city of the plain.  When we passed the place alluded
+to, the city appeared in sight, but the houses and palaces were buried in
+the rich green foliage of trees, which grew in every street.  As we were
+proceeding at a fearful pace, we had only a glance at the city as we
+passed over it.
+
+On arriving at our destination, we were conducted by a little gentleman
+clad in rich apparel to the Hall of Brotherhood, which we found was
+crowded with the principal inhabitants of the city.  The prince was
+conducted to the chair of honour—a kind of throne, and he motioned me to
+occupy the vacant seat on his right hand.  Presently the prince asked the
+governor of the city if peace, good-will, and concord reigned there?
+
+“Tranquillity and brotherly love still continue,” replied the governor.
+
+“Ever so live,” said the prince, “for peace is one of the cardinal
+virtues of all good citizens.  I wish to know, sir governor, if your city
+is free from sickness, disease, and fevers; and if not, why not?”
+
+“The bloom of health, your excellency,” replied the governor, “is on the
+cheeks of all.  And why?  Our people drink only the pure waters of the
+crystal fountain.  They inhale the constant current of vital air, which
+flows here like a tidal wave, and it imparts life, energy, power, and joy
+to all.”
+
+The governor then retired and left the hall.  When the door was closed,
+the prince asked the citizens if they had any charge to make or any
+complaint to bring against the governor.  They all rejoined that they had
+not any complaint, but that, on the contrary, his conduct met with the
+hearty approval of all.  Presently the council came to an end, and soon
+afterwards we returned home.
+
+On the following morning I was awakened by a gentle knock at my chamber
+door.  Presently the door was opened, whereupon my waiting attendant
+walked in.  He informed me that the Princess Mervyna had already called,
+and that she and the royal party were ready to proceed to their place of
+rendezvous, having arranged to have a grand day in honour of my visit.  I
+felt very much annoyed at having overslept myself, and still more vexed
+at keeping the little lady and her friends waiting me.  I only took a few
+minutes to dress, and having taken a basin of warm milk, proceeded in
+search of the royal party, who had already taken their seats in the
+king’s carriage.  The princess and her little brother and sisters gave me
+a cordial greeting.  I soon found that we had left the earth and were
+travelling due south of my previous day’s voyage, and before I fully
+realized my position we had descended on the identical sea of ice where I
+had seen the games being carried on on the preceding morning.
+
+On leaving the carriage the party broke up into sections, some joining
+parties who had already arrived from other cities of the kingdom; others
+joining other parties who appeared of a different race from the natives.
+The princess acted as my cicerone during the day, and she laughed
+heartily on seeing me now and then unable to retain my balance on the
+slippery ice.  Had it not been for her presence of mind, I certainly
+should have fallen on several occasions.  Towards the evening I joined in
+the games, though I found myself but an indifferent player.  We wound up
+the day’s fête by a dance on the ice to the music of the harp.  Never
+shall I forget the scenes of that day.  The hopping and skipping, the
+dancing and romping of the little people, who tried to excel each other
+in mirth and fun: the scene produced an impression on my mind which the
+iron hand of time will never deface or remove.  On our return to the
+palace, we were all ushered into the banqueting hall, where a grand feast
+awaited us.  After dinner, Mervyna related to the king, her father, the
+principal incidents of the day; and the good monarch was highly amused at
+her stories of my difficulties and mishaps.  When the banquet was over I
+retired to my apartment, where I was soon joined by Prince Tippin.
+
+                                * * * * *
+
+[Here there is a break in the narrative owing to the loss of several
+folios of the original manuscript.  From the contents of the remaining
+portion, we infer that the missing pages contained an account of several
+other visits paid to the people of the fairy kingdom, and the incidents
+of the respective journeys.  We learn, too, that the Princess Mervyna
+became greatly attached to our hero, but that an estrangement
+subsequently took place between them.  But the remaining narrative
+contains no record of the cause which led to the estrangement.  The
+following is the concluding portion of the history.]
+
+                                * * * * *
+
+Ah, me! ah, me! what a strange race and people is that who inhabit the
+fairy kingdom.  They live in a beautiful country, speak a language which
+is full of poetry, they are a virtuous and truth-loving race.  Moreover,
+their land abounds with treasures; gems, gold, and precious stones are
+there.  Oh, what a noble and loving spirit is that of the dear princess,
+loving and lovable is she.  To be with her, was like a heaven upon earth.
+I loved her as I never loved human being.  To me she was more precious
+than all the world.  In my various visits the tie between us became
+dearer and dearer.  Had it not been for — I’ll not mention his name, I
+should be longingly looking forward to another tender embrace.  But the
+tie is now broken—I did not mean to take the gold.  Justly have I been
+punished.  Had I not done this, had I refused to listen to the suggestive
+temptations of my mother,—the door would not have been closed.  It was I
+who did the deed, and I repent in dust and ashes.  What I have suffered
+on account of this, no tongue can tell, nor can language set forth.  But
+my deepest grief arises from the thought that I shall never again embrace
+the dear M—, the object of my heart’s fondest affection.
+
+
+
+
+CEFN-Y-BEDD;
+OR, A
+VISIT TO THE SHRINE OF LLEWELYN AB
+GRUFFYDD, THE LAST CAMBRIAN KING.
+
+
+    Frequent is heard the voice of woe,
+    Frequent the tears of sorrow flow;
+    Such sounds as erst, in Camlan heard,
+    Roused to wrath old Arthur’s bard;
+    Cambria’s warrior we deplore;
+    Our Llewelyn is no more.
+    Who like Llewelyn now remains,
+    To shield from wrong his native plains?
+    My soul with piercing grief is filled;
+    My vital blood with horror chilled:
+    Nature herself is changed, and lo!
+    Now all things sympathize below.
+    Hark! how the howling wind and rain,
+    In loud symphony complain!
+    Hark! how the consecrated oaks,
+    Unconscious of the woodman’s strokes,
+    With thundering crash proclaim he’s gone;
+    Fall in each others’ arms and groan!
+    Hark! how the sullen tempests roar!
+    See! how the white waves lash the shore!
+    See! how eclipsed the sun appears!
+    See! how the stars fall from their spheres!
+    Each awful Heaven-sent prodigy
+    Ye sons of infidelity,
+    Believe and tremble! Guilty land,
+    Lo, thy destruction is at hand!
+    Thou great Creator of the world,
+    Why are not thy red lightnings hurled?
+    Will not the sea, at Thy command,
+    Swallow up this guilty land?
+    Why are we left to mourn in vain
+    The guardian of our country slain?
+    No place, no refuge for us left,
+    Of homes, of liberty bereft;
+    Where shall we flee, to whom complain,
+    Since our dear Llewelyn’s slain?
+
+                                           _Translated from a Welsh poem_.
+
+It was a calm and balmy evening in the month of July, 18—, when all
+nature appeared hushed in still quietude and death-like repose, when not
+a zephyr breeze, causing the leaves of the trees to murmur or wave, was
+felt: such was the character of the lovely and sunny evening on which I
+left the beautiful valley in which the little village of Llanwrtyd
+nestles among the hills, for the purpose of paying a special visit to
+Cefn-y-Bedd, the spot to which the finger of tradition points as the
+resting-place, the sacred ground, the hallowed earth in which were
+deposited—amid the universal wail and lamentation of the Cambrian people,
+when widows, fathers, brothers and sisters, heroes not a few, men who
+never dreaded danger, and who were always foremost in battle—strong,
+fearless, and valiant warriors, wept and sorrowed, and refused to be
+comforted because their Prince, their champion, and their idol was not.
+It was at Cefn-y-Bedd, which is now a respectable farm homestead, where
+no monument of any kind marks the spot, that the mortal remains of
+Llewelyn ap Gruffydd, the last reigning sovereign of Wales, were
+interred.  If no Parian marble marks the ground beneath whose sacred sod
+lies the dust of the dear departed, his name still survives, his virtues
+still live, his memory is still fondly cherished by hundreds and
+thousands of his descendants; and though nearly six centuries have come
+and gone since the fall of our great captain, prince, and patriot, he
+still speaks to the people and the nation.  Yes; his name is still dear
+to Cambria’s sons and daughters.  His memory is even now, after the lapse
+of so many years, fresh and green.  If the poor flesh, which contained
+one of the purest and manliest souls that ever dwelt in a tabernacle of
+clay, has long, long ago crumbled into dust, the man, the hero, and the
+patriot survive, and will live in the annals of his country, and be an
+idol in the heart of his descending race until time shall be no more.
+
+I have remarked that the above visit was a “special visit.”  A few days
+previous I had passed Cefn-y-Bedd, on my way to the little border town of
+Builth, but in passing by the sacred shrine of our illustrious ancestor,
+I knew not that I was on hallowed ground.  A lady companion called my
+attention to an admirable husbandry arrangement of the homestead, the
+like of which I had not previously seen in Breconshire.  The observation
+of my companion and the scene around led me into a train of thought
+relating to bygone years, to the deeds of old, the revolution of
+kingdoms, the decline and fall of empires, and the changes which are
+daily taking place in families, in governments, and in the homes of both
+rich and poor.  I said to myself, every house, every cottage, every
+mountain and valley has a history peculiar to itself—a history full of
+interest, replete with romantic doings and sayings far more
+wonderful,—embodying events and circumstances of more profound interest
+and of deeper and far more pathetic story—than is often found in the
+works of fiction.  Who can tell, for I am sure I cannot, but that,
+perhaps, that house, with its farm-yard and out-buildings, its garden and
+flowers, possesses a history peculiar to itself? and it may be that long,
+long ago heroes and mighty men of valour took shelter here from the fury
+of the tempest or from the burning sun of mid-day July heat, in their
+march from one battle-field to another.  But why travel to the land of
+shadows?  Why draw ideal pictures of events that are past, of heroes,
+warriors, and statesmen, of battles, conquests, and defeats?  The dead
+cannot be called to life.  The past cannot be revived.  The work done
+cannot be undone.  The past can never be recalled.  Well, if these things
+are among the impossibilities of life, there is one thing at any rate
+which I can do.  I can drop a tear on the grave which contains the
+hallowed dust.  I can recall the memories of the dear departed; I can
+paint and set forth their virtues, can photograph their manliness and
+bravery, can sketch and limn their life and deeds; so that this and
+succeeding generations may learn to live more wisely, be more true, more
+faithful to the dearest interests of their country, especially with
+reference to those measures which lie at the basis of national progress
+and the comfort and weal of the people.
+
+The situation of Cefn-y-Bedd is exquisitely beautiful, and the scenery is
+richly diversified.  From it one beholds a wide expanse of country, with
+varied and magnificent views, which are finely alternated with luxuriant
+fertile meadows, groves of thriving timber, and flourishing plantations.
+In the distance we have views of the rocky hills of Llanelwedd, at whose
+base flows the poetic and majestic Wye, the beautifullest of rivers.  To
+the south-east is the far-famed Eppynt Forest, and down through a
+luxuriant sylvan dell runs the meandering Irvon.  From this sacred spot
+one beholds at a glance scenery in which are combined the bold and soft,
+the sterile and woody, bare and rocky hills and verdant glades.  It is a
+scene on which the eye delights to dwell.  In the far distance the bald
+rocks of Aberedw appear in view.  It was among those rocks that Llewelyn
+encamped before his departure for Builth.  Little did he fancy when he
+left that stronghold on the cold winter’s morning that his life was so
+near its close.  That he was surrounded by enemies, he was well aware.
+That the armies of King Edward were in the immediate vicinity of his camp
+he was fully cognizant of.  His spies had brought him information of the
+several posts occupied by the English, and of his being in imminent
+danger of an attack from various quarters of the combined hosts.
+Aberedw, though admirably formed by nature for resisting an attack, when
+directed from the Wye banks, was yet wholly untenable in the face of the
+terrible odds with which he had now to cope—a combined army moving from
+various military posts.  Seeing his danger, the Cambrian prince resolved
+to break up his camp, and march along the sylvan Wye to Builth.  Crossing
+the bridge, he moved on in a southwesterly direction to Pont Orewyn,
+where the Prince, unarmed, received the deadly spear.  He was killed on
+the 10th of December, 1282.
+
+Having introduced to the notice of my readers the hero of my story—the
+man whom Heaven, in its wisdom, specially raised up to meet the demands
+of the most trying emergency which had befallen a great and an heroic
+people—the man who, when placed at the head of affairs, found his country
+prostrate, the national treasury empty, and the people dispirited by
+reason of sad reverses—I shall proceed now to sketch the career of the
+man; to set forth his virtues; to paint, but with no exaggerated
+colouring, his character as a prince, as a ruler, as a military
+commander, and as a friend; and shall show, what history clearly proves,
+that he inspired his countrymen with an amount of confidence and trust
+which no previous sovereign had been able to infuse into them; that the
+veneration with which his name was so universally held was traceable to
+virtues in his public acts and private life; further, that had it not
+been for the treason of the faithless few, Llewelyn would have
+transmitted the sovereignty of Wales to his posterity.  He died, not on
+the field of battle, but alone and unarmed was he when the fatal blow was
+struck.  By-and-by I shall show that he had done his work, and for him to
+die was gain.
+
+On the right bank of the sylvan Wheeler,—a small crystal stream which
+flows through the luxuriant and richly wooded vale of Caerwys,—there
+stands the modern mansion of Maesmynen.  In a meadow near the present
+hall there was, in the thirteenth century, an ancient palace, which from
+time immemorial had been one of the royal residences of the Cambrian
+Princes.  Beautiful was the situation of this ancient mansion.  All that
+the eye loves to rest on could be seen from the elevated spot on which it
+stood.  This palace was the favourite residence of the unfortunate Prince
+Llewelyn.  Here he spent his boyhood.  Here he principally lived until
+his country called him to occupy a more conspicuous and more prominent
+position.  In the neighbouring woods of Yseiefiog, Caerwys, Trev-Edwyn,
+and Bodfari, he and his trusty friends were accustomed to follow the
+chase.  Indeed, he lived here among friends and dependents, for the
+circumjacent cantrevs of Rhos, Dyffryn Clwyd, Rhyfoniog, and
+Englefield—which cantrevs included the country between Conway and
+Chester—were his own property and possessions.  About midway between the
+two extreme points was the royal palace of Maesmynen.  Here he breathed
+the pure air of heaven.  Here he was free from the turmoil of life’s
+cares and life’s battles.  Here he felt but little anxiety in connection
+with the terrible war then being carried on between his countrymen,
+headed by Llewelyn the Great, and, subsequent to the death, in 1240, of
+that illustrious monarch, by his son and successor, Prince Davydd;
+because the Prince of Maesmynen felt that the right men were at the head
+of affairs, and that Heaven would defend the cause of the just.  Though
+Llewelyn, the last prince, was not anxious as to the result of the
+struggle, yet that he was not an indifferent spectator of the scene, and
+its consequences to the nation, is evident from the annals of those
+momentous times.  Why then did he keep aloof from the struggle?  Why did
+he remain inactive?  Why did he continue to live a life of ease and
+pleasure, when duty called him to the front?  The reason is apparent when
+we consider the then existing relation between members of the royal
+house.  His father had been cruelly treated, and had been made a prisoner
+by his own brother Davydd; and when liberated, through the intervention
+of mutual friends, he simply exchanged the castle of Criccaeth for the
+Tower of London.  In that stronghold he was securely guarded by King
+Henry’s soldiers.  Some of his noble compatriots, illustrious Cambrian
+chieftains, successfully effected his release from the Tower, but Prince
+Gruffydd, the father of our hero, in an endeavour to accomplish his own
+liberation, fell from a great height and was killed on the spot.  It
+appears that that prince had made a cord with the linen of his bed and
+table, and when he had descended about midway between the window and the
+ground, the cord broke, and the unhappy prince was precipitated into the
+Tower ditch, and was killed.  This sad event took place in the year 1244.
+During the two following years, King Davydd, being wholly free from
+anxiety on account of his brother’s superior claim to the throne, which
+his death had annulled, pursued a vigorous policy, displaying traits of
+character and versatility of genius of the highest order.  He was brave
+as a lion, and was ever foremost in the struggle; thus he secured the
+confidence of his friends, the admiration of his followers, the love of
+his soldiers, and the dread of his enemies.  His reign, however, was but
+of brief duration.  In 1216 he died at Aber Palace.  Though this prince
+was hated by many during his reign, his death was generally lamented.
+
+When the solemn obsequies connected with the funeral of the deceased
+prince were over, the Cambrian barons and chieftains met in a national
+congress, and unanimously elected Prince Llewelyn-ap-Gruffydd and his
+brother Owen as joint sovereigns of Wales.  The decision of the barons
+was hailed with the liveliest satisfaction by the Cambrian people.  The
+reason of the existence of this feeling in favour of the two princes is
+obvious.  Their father had been the idol of the Welsh.  The people in
+both North and South Wales had felt that he had been cruelly treated by
+his brother, that he had been unjustly deprived of his inheritance, that
+his birthright had been taken from him by unfair means (for he was the
+lawful successor to Llewelyn the Great, the heir-apparent to the throne
+on his decease), and hence that the crown belonged to him by seniority.
+The people now rejoiced that the sons of the boy hero who in his youth
+had made King Henry’s army feel his power, were about to be placed in
+possession of their lawful inheritance as rulers and sovereigns of the
+Cambrian nation.  In the following pages I shall place before the reader
+facts which show the wisdom of the choice which the national congress
+made.
+
+But I have no intention, indeed it is wholly foreign to my present
+purpose, to write a life of Llewelyn, that is, a consecutive narrative of
+his deeds and acts, and his grand military achievements.  In 1856 I
+compiled a biography of my hero, but it still remains in manuscript.
+Briefly stated, my present purpose is to paint a likeness of the last
+prince of the Cymru in three different aspects, that is, as a military
+commander and tactician, as a Cambrian patriot, and as a citizen and
+friend.  Regarded in these several aspects, I shall, from reliable data,
+make it perfectly clear that the prince was as just as he was generous;
+that he commanded the respect, the love, the affection and the admiration
+of all who came in contact with him; that moreover, by his deeds of
+prowess, by the manifestation of great skill and eminent military
+tactics, by the rapidity with which he moved his army from one part of
+the battle-field to another, from one point of attack to another place
+which he regarded as vulnerable, he gained a title to be regarded as one
+of the greatest generals of those eventful times.  He successfully
+resisted, and more than once conquered, the bravest army then existing in
+Europe.
+
+Immediately after the Welsh princes ascended the throne of their
+ancestors, King Henry of England, at the head of a powerful army, invaded
+North Wales.  For this attack the Welsh princes were wholly unprepared;
+and rather than risk an engagement with such terrible odds against them,
+they prudently retreated before the enemy, retiring to the mountain
+districts, from which the English king failed to dislodge them.
+Subsequently, but before Henry returned to England, a treaty of amity and
+peace was concluded between the Cambrian and Saxon monarchs.  The
+conditions of this treaty were, first, that Llewelyn was to give up
+possession for ever of his patrimony, the four cantrevs; secondly, that
+he was to serve in Wales, or in the Marches, with one thousand foot and
+twenty-four horse,—this at his own expense; thirdly, that all the Welsh
+barons were to do homage to the English monarch.  That the conditions of
+this treaty were most humiliating, we must at once admit; but under the
+circumstances there can be no doubt that Llewelyn acted wisely in
+acceding to them, for had he defied the enemy then, the struggle would
+have proved a hopeless one.  The peace which he by the treaty secured,
+lasted for a period of nine years, when Llewelyn became (1254) the sole
+sovereign of Wales.  From that time until his untimely end, he reigned
+alone: nobly and magnanimously did he wear the crown.  His was a life
+without a stain of dishonour, as pure and bright as the crystal fountain;
+and he has left a name which will never die.  Magnanimous was he,
+generous and noble was he, chivalrous and princely in mien and heart was
+he: hence the reason why he was almost worshipped by all who came within
+the sacred circle of his influence; and had he had a moiety of the power
+possessed by the English monarchs, the issue of the struggle would have
+been widely different.  However, an all-wise Providence willed it
+otherwise, and it is our duty to bow our heads without a murmur, for He
+does all things in infinite love and wisdom.
+
+After securing such important concessions from Llewelyn, the English
+king, if be had been wise, would have pursued a mild and conciliatory
+policy towards the nobles and barons of the Welsh nation: unfortunately
+for his reputation and statesmanship, good-will towards the conquered
+formed no part of the imperial virtues.  He ruled with a rod of iron, the
+olive-branch forming no part of the device upon the king’s banner.  Thus
+the fruit of his policy soon became apparent.  It would be expecting more
+than human nature to suppose that the Cambrian chieftains and barons
+would remain peaceful and quiet on seeing their estates seized by lords
+Marchers.  Moreover, the greatest oppression was practised by minions of
+King Henry, and for the most trivial offences the proud barons of Wales
+were subjected to cruel and extreme punishment.  As was natural, his
+cruelties and his policy of confiscation produced everywhere
+disaffection, and ultimately a spirit of implacable hate was engendered.
+The people, to a man, were in the end ready to rise in order to throw off
+the bitter yoke.  They had their leader, the brave prince Llewelyn; but
+the fruit was not yet ripe.  But while he urged delay, he did not neglect
+preparation for the conflict, for he knew that the day of conflict must
+come.  When the hour arrived, Llewelyn took the field, and his
+achievements far surpassed the most sanguine expectations of both himself
+and his brave followers.  In the space of a single week he recovered from
+the enemy the possessions they had acquired by war in North Wales and
+Cardiganshire.  Wherever he and his little army went, the enemy was
+compelled to yield, and to retire from the battlefield as defeated hosts.
+
+Soon after these successes, Llewelyn led a large army into South Wales.
+Before Dynevor Castle, near Llandilo, he encountered the English forces,
+which were commanded by Rhys Vychan.  The battle was conducted with great
+skill and bravery on both sides; but at last the king’s army was
+thoroughly beaten and retired from the field.  Immediately after this
+splendid victory, the Cambrian prince returned in triumph to the North,
+where his subjects received him with universal acclamation and heart-felt
+gratitude.  But his work now had only just commenced.  On his arrival at
+Aber, he found awaiting him a deputation from the four cantrevs,—tenants
+and chiefs residing on lands within his patrimony,—who had come to lay
+before their prince and friend the terrible wrongs they had to endure
+from the exactions of Geoffrey de Langley, who farmed the crown lands
+under Prince Edward of England.  “Llewelyn, to avenge their injuries,
+crossed the frontier, carrying fire and sword to the very gates of
+Chester, from the walls of which, Edward himself is said to have been a
+galled witness of the havoc.”  On this defeat Edward sought his father’s
+aid, but he sought it in vain: he then applied to his uncle, the king of
+the Romans, for assistance; but the forces he was thereby able to bring
+to the field were found either too cowardly or too weak to attack the
+Welsh.  “The Cambrian prince with his army then took a _détour_, they
+entered the territory of Gruffydd ab Madog, lord of Dinas Brân, a chief
+who had formed a hostile league against Llewelyn and his native land,”
+upon whom he took ample revenge.  On returning, he suddenly met the
+English army, which was commanded by Prince Edward in person.  A terrible
+battle was fought between the Welsh and English armies; but at every
+point of the line Llewelyn’s troops were victorious.  In this conflict,
+Edward’s forces were badly beaten, a small remnant only escaping with
+their life.  After a brief repose, Llewelyn renewed his operations
+against the domains of Edward, and these he carried on without meeting
+with any serious opposition; but Llewelyn did not love war: in the hour
+of his most splendid triumphs he was anxious for peace.  Immediately
+after his recent grand achievements, he wrote to King Henry offering, “if
+a peace were concluded, and the Welsh restored to their ancient laws, to
+give a sum of money to Henry, and to acknowledge his sovereignty.”
+Considering his late successes, we are surprised at his thus humbling
+himself to his foe.  Doubtless he made this offer because of the deep
+solicitude he felt for the lives and property of his people.  This
+generous offer was rejected with scorn by Henry, whereupon hostilities
+were recommenced with great and increased vigour by both of the
+contending parties.
+
+In reviewing thus far the life and character of the Cambrian prince, we
+have seen that his decision was always followed by prompt and energetic
+action.  Whenever he resolved to do a special thing or to gain a certain
+point, he at once set about its accomplishment.  To this characteristic
+of the man is traceable the secret of some of his mightiest achievements.
+In the present case Llewelyn gained important victories before the
+English monarch could collect his forces and approach
+his—Llewelyn’s—dominions.  During the lull the prince moved his army
+against the Lord of Powys, whom he easily defeated.  The tidings of this
+victory having been carried to Gruffydd ab Madog, that chief felt that it
+would be madness on his part to resist the Cambrian prince, and he
+therefore sought and obtained a treaty of peace.  Llewelyn then marched
+against the Earl of Gloucester, whom he defeated in a general battle.
+These successes and achievements roused the Welsh to the highest pitch of
+enthusiasm.  Accordingly we find that the Cambrian barons and chiefs
+entered into a solemn league to defend till death the independence and
+freedom of their country.  This confederacy was formed in the year 1258.
+On its being ratified the Cambrian prince commenced to march southward,
+and gained easy victories over the forces that were thrown forward to
+impede his progress.  In a subsequent campaign in South Wales he took the
+castle of Maelienydd, in Radnorshire.  Afterwards he invaded the English
+borders on the west side of Shropshire and Cheshire, where he gained
+important advantages over the lords Marchers.  From thence he proceeded
+to the castles of Diserdd and Diganwy, which he besieged and destroyed.
+On being apprised of these fresh disasters, Prince Edward marched against
+Llewelyn, who retired to, and took refuge among, the “mountain bulwarks”
+of Carnarvonshire.  As Edward dared not follow the Welsh prince there, he
+returned to England, “if not disgraced, at least without any particular
+honour.”
+
+I pass over, as forming no part of my design, the insurrection of De
+Montford, that nobleman’s success against Sir Roger Mortimer, and his
+triumph over Prince Edward, whom he kept a prisoner in Hereford Castle.
+Further, I shall content myself with a passing reference to the invasion
+of Glamorganshire by Llewelyn, the important treaty of Montgomery in 1267
+between Henry and Llewelyn, and the death of the former five years
+afterwards.
+
+When Edward ascended the throne, be called upon Llewelyn to do homage at
+his coronation.  The Welsh prince replied that he was prepared to comply
+with the mandate, provided some English noblemen of distinction were sent
+to the Principality as hostages for his security.  The negotiations
+respecting the question of homage, and the correspondence relating to the
+imprisonment of Eleanor de Montford, Llewelyn’s betrothed, were carried
+on until the summer of 1277, when Edward, at the head of a numerous body
+of vassals, invaded North Wales.  Llewelyn’s army being small, he dared
+not risk a general battle, so he retired and took refuge among the
+inaccessible defences of Snowdon—a safe asylum, a secure retreat on all
+occasions when the commissariat department of the army was attended to.
+Anglesey being now in the hands of the English, and there existing
+disaffection among some of the South Wales chieftains, the prince found
+himself so hemmed in that supplies could not be obtained.  “Urged by the
+sufferings of his famishing soldiers, and without any chance of relief,”
+and his betrothed still being a prisoner, Llewelyn was compelled to sue
+for peace; but King Edward refused to entertain any proposal short of an
+unconditional surrender.  Under the treaty which was then agreed to, it
+was stipulated that Llewelyn was to do homage in London annually, to
+deliver up all prisoners, to restore all forfeited lands, to resign the
+feudal supremacy over his barons; and all the Welsh chieftains, excepting
+the five barons of Snowdon, were to hold their lands direct from Edward.
+The conditions of this treaty were strictly observed by the Welsh prince
+for a period of about four years.  To his subjects those were years of
+suffering.  The administration was corrupt; gross frauds were practised
+on the Welsh; while oppression, tyranny, and cruelties characterized the
+proceedings of the representatives of the Government.  The people
+complained of the wrongs which they sustained, and mildly but firmly
+asked for a redress of their grievances; but a deaf ear was turned to all
+the representations which were made.  At last the yoke became
+intolerable; they appealed to Prince David for assistance, and that
+prince renounced his “unnatural allegiance to Edward,” and became
+reconciled to his brother Llewelyn; and the two princes and a number of
+powerful and influential chieftains organized a concerted movement with a
+view to drive the English from their land and to re-establish the freedom
+and independence of their country.  Their cause was good, and their
+object just and noble; but, ah me! they lacked the power and resources
+necessary to accomplish their grand and holy purpose.
+
+Llewelyn and his brother, having matured their plan of action, at once
+commenced the campaign.  They jointly invested the castle of Flint, on
+the estuary of the Dee; and from thence they marched to and successfully
+attacked the castle of Rhuddlan.  The Cambrian army then moved along the
+coast, and were hotly pursued by Edward, who overtook the retreating
+forces near Conway.  Here a general battle was fought between the
+contending forces, in which the Welsh were victorious.  On his defeat the
+English king retired to Hope Dale, from which he soon recommenced
+operations, and re-occupied Rhuddlan without experiencing any opposition.
+From Rhuddlan he “despatched a part of his army by sea to take possession
+of the Isle of Anglesey,” and from thence, by means of a bridge of boats,
+this section of the army crossed over the Menai and landed at Moel-y-Don,
+near Bangor.  When the reflux of the tide had broken the communication
+between the artificial bridge and the mainland, the Welsh army rushed
+from their hiding-place, and nearly the whole number of the enemy were
+either killed by the sword or perished in the waves.  To Edward this was
+an unexpected disaster.  For a moment it paralysed his operations.  He
+felt that he had underrated the strength and undervalued the generalship
+of Llewelyn, and to make up for the losses he had sustained he raised
+fresh levies throughout his dominions.
+
+During the preparations which were being made by Edward for another
+campaign the Cambrian princes were not idle.  They arranged that the
+younger brother, Prince David, should be entrusted with the defence of
+North Wales, while Llewelyn would march against the English forces in
+South Wales.  In the county of Cardigan Llewelyn gained important
+victories against the enemy; with a small body of troops he proceeded to
+the vicinity of Builth, with a view to consult some chieftains of that
+locality; and here, unattended and alone, this great, brave, manly,
+heroic, and magnanimous prince fell by the hand of an assassin.  Thus
+perished, in the year 1282, after a reign of twenty-eight years,
+Llewelyn, the last native prince of the Cymry!
+
+Having reviewed the military career of Llewelyn, I shall proceed to make
+two or three observations respecting his character as a ruler and
+citizen.  We have abundant evidence to prove that he was a profound lover
+of his country.  He loved her hills and dales, her mountains and valleys,
+her alpine heights and cwms, or dells, with all the strong passion of a
+warm and generous heart.  Deeper than the love of home, of wife, of
+kindred, of lands and possessions, was his affection for wild Wales and
+its people.  Of all countries in the wide world, Wales was to him the
+brightest and fairest, and its people the bravest and best.  For her
+welfare, he sacrificed all he had, all he possessed; and at last his life
+was immolated on his dear country’s shrine.  As a citizen, he was
+generous and kind.  His heart was full of human sympathy, while his
+spirit was one of the gentlest that ever dwelt in a tabernacle of clay.
+Although he raised his country to a position of military fame which she
+had not occupied in previous history, yet war, in his view, had no glory.
+He loved peace.  He desired to live on terms of amity and friendship with
+the English people and their rulers.  But alas! alas! those rulers were
+bent on the destruction of the independence and freedom of his country.
+To prevent this, he led his army against the foe, and for a time war
+smiled upon him; but at last he fell, not in battle, but unarmed and
+alone, stricken to the earth by an assassin.
+
+Brief, comparatively brief, was the public life of Prince Llewelyn; but
+grand, noble, and heroic were his deeds.  He lived for others, not for
+himself.  For the welfare of his country he laboured, not for personal
+aggrandizement.  The mainspring of his actions was the deep and intense
+love of Fatherland.  The great object for which he worked and fought and
+suffered, for which he became a public man, the leader and chief and
+ruler of a brave, a virtuous, an heroic people, was, to secure the
+independence of his country, the freedom and liberty of its people, and
+the blessing of permanent peace.  To the interests of the land of his
+birth, the home of his father’s sepulchre, he was ever true, ever
+faithful, ever unswerving in fidelity and loyalty.  If others proved
+faithless, not so this patriotic prince.  If others of his countrymen
+forsook the true standard of national independence, if they joined the
+ranks of the enemy with a view to aid in crushing the liberties of an
+ancient people—a race who could trace their history, without a single
+break in the narrative, hundreds of years before the appearance of the
+Divine Teacher on earth—Llewelyn felt it all the more necessary for him
+to be more fearless in the fray, to put on a bolder and a manlier front,
+to toil and to work more incessantly in the cause which he felt was
+founded upon justice, upon right, and equity.  For a period of thirty-six
+years he carried on a successful though an unequal struggle with the
+English monarchs Henry and Edward.  But few, very few, was the number of
+his soldiers compared with the hosts who made up the armies that fought
+under the banner of his country’s foes.  His were brave men, and they
+were engaged in a struggle which was dearer and more sacred to them than
+life itself.  They were true soldiers.  To fear they were strangers.
+Deeper than the love of life, than the love of kindred, than the love of
+estates and possessions, was their love and affection for Fatherland.  We
+hardly know which to admire the more, the people or their leaders, the
+soldiers or their brave chiefs, the Cambrian army or their lawful prince.
+They were exposed to temptation, but they yielded not to its alluring
+charms.  Bribes were freely offered to many a Cambrian chieftain, but
+these offers were made in vain.  When at last treason achieved the work
+which a far more powerful nation than the Welsh failed to accomplish on
+the battle-field, let it be proclaimed to the world, and let the fact be
+known to all ages to come, that the traitor was a border man, and not a
+man in whose veins flowed Cambrian blood.  But he accomplished his work,
+and Llewelyn was no more.  His death was the direst calamity that had
+ever befallen the Cambrian people.  Strange as it might appear,
+nevertheless it is an historical fact, that when Llewelyn’s compatriots
+found that their brave prince had fallen by the hands of an assassin, the
+spirit of heroism and bravery appears to have forsaken them.  Hence to
+the best, and to the bravest of the brave, the struggle now appeared
+hopeless, notwithstanding that Prince David still lived and was free.
+Though that prince was as brave as his deceased brother he did not
+command the same amount of confidence which was reposed in the slain
+Llewelyn.  Thus we find, that though the struggle was continued, it
+lacked the boldness, energy, and high military tactics which had
+characterized the generalship of the martyred chief.  Hence it soon
+became evident to the enemy that the death-knell of Cambrian freedom and
+independence had sounded, and that in a few days, or at any rate in a few
+months at most, this ancient Principality would cease to occupy a
+separate and distinct place in the annals of the world.  That the people
+in those times should have regarded the downfall of their country, the
+loss of their freedom and independence, as a terrible calamity, was but
+natural.  In King Edward’s promises and generosity the Welsh people had
+no confidence.  To him and to his immediate predecessor they traced, and
+correctly traced, most of their troubles with the English nation.  They
+had desired to live in peace; war they did not invite.  They took up
+arms, not for conquest, not to extend their dominion, not to annex new
+counties to the Principality, but simply in defence of the rights and
+liberties of their country, which they desired to transmit and hand down
+to their children and their children’s children.  But Providence had, for
+some grand purpose and design, willed that the weaker nation should be
+united to the stronger and more powerful people.  In this age we behold
+and recognise the wisdom of His purpose.  Though a distinct race, in
+language, feeling, and mental and physical idiosyncrasy, yet we unitedly
+admit that the benefits which come to us by reason of our union with the
+Saxon, are neither few nor unimportant.  Happily, too, the ancient feuds
+between the two races are forgotten.  We now live as brethren.  The
+rivalry between us is no longer on the battle-field; we contend not with
+sword and bayonet.  No! the contest is shifted to a more noble, a more
+beautiful, and a grander scene, with a sublimer aim and object than ever
+has characterized broad fields of battle; namely, the advancement of
+material civilization; the triumphs of art and the conquests of science;
+and the social, intellectual, moral, and religious welfare of the people.
+May the standard of our contention ever be towards this high ideal! then
+a glorious future awaits the union of the Cambrian and Saxon peoples.
+
+If now and then we of the former race drop a tear when the shadows of our
+country’s martyred princes pass by, it is with no feeling of bitterness
+towards those into whose hands the sceptre of our land has passed.  On
+the contrary, while we remember with pride and gratitude the heroic
+struggle of the “last of our native princes,” we admit that it is
+infinitely better for Wales that she should be united to England under
+the beneficent sway of Victoria, and we have still a Prince of Wales to
+whom the Cambrian people are as loyal as their fathers were to Prince
+Llewelyn.
+
+NOTE.—The historic facts embodied in the preceding sketch are taken from
+“Carnhuanawc’s Hanes Cymru,” “Warrington’s History of Wales,” the
+“Cambrian Plutarch,” and “Welsh Sketches.”
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS.
+
+                                                   No. of
+                                                   Copies
+The Lord Bishop of St. David’s                          1
+Hon. Sir W. R. Grove, Common Pleas                      1
+H. Hussey Vivian, Esq., M.P., Parkwern                  1
+A. P. Vivian, Esq., M.P., Taibach                       1
+Henry Richard, Esq., M.P., London                       1
+                      BRECONSHIRE.
+William Games, Esq., Mayor, Brecon                      1
+Rev. Henry Miles, Lanwrtyd                              1
+Rev. Professor Roberts, Brecon                          1
+Rev. John Daniel Williams, M.A., Brecon                 1
+Mr. David Williams, Oakfield, Llanwrtyd                 1
+Mr. Benjamin Jones, Dolecoed, Llanwrtyd                 1
+                     GLAMORGANSHIRE.
+Cambrian Book Publishing Company                      300
+Thomas Alexander, Esq., Monkton, Bridgend               1
+Mr. T. H. Ashton, Jeweller,                             1
+Charles Bath, Esq., J.P., Swansea                       3
+Richard Bedlington, Esq., Aberdare                      1
+William H. Bell, Esq., Glyncollen, Swansea              1
+David Bevan, Esq., J.P., Neath                          2
+Henry Bowen, Esq., Morriston                            3
+Mr. Richard Bowen, Aberclwyd, Glyn Neath                1
+Starling Benson, Esq., J.P., Fairy Hill,                1
+Swansea
+R. D. Burnie, Esq., Osborne Villa                       1
+Edward Bath, Esq., J.P., Brynmor                        1
+John Biddulph, Esq., J.P., Swansea                      1
+E. N. Bellingham, Esq., Walters Road, Swansea           1
+Mr. John Betts, Mansel Street, Swansea                  1
+Herbert D. Cook, Esq., Glydach                          1
+Mr. A. Curran, Broker                                   1
+Alfred Curtis, Esq., Nantwern, Neath                    1
+Nathaniel Pryse Cameron, Esq., J.P., Swansea            1
+Thomas D. Daniel, Esq., J.P., Aberavon                  1
+Evan David, Esq., J.P., Fairwater House,                1
+Cardiff
+David Davies, Esq., 4, South Terrace, Neath             2
+J. Leyshon Davies, Esq., Assayer, Landore               1
+T. H. Davies, Esq., Heathfield Terrace,                 1
+Swansea
+E. Rice Daniel, Esq., Cwmgelly, Swansea                 6
+Rev. E. A. Davies, Morriston                            1
+E. F. Daniel, Esq., Bath Villa, Morriston               1
+Rev. G. H. Davenport, Caswell, Mumbles                  1
+Samuel Davies, Esq., Green Lodge, Reynoldstone          1
+Mr. David Davies, Liverpool House, Maesteg              1
+Mr. Dan Davies, White Hart Inn, Swansea                 1
+Henry Davies, Esq., Morriston                           1
+Joseph Davies, Esq., Hofod Villa, Swansea               1
+Mr. Daniel Edwards, Duffryn Tin Plate Works,            1
+Morriston
+John Ivor Evans, Esq., West Cross, Swansea              3
+Thomas Evans, Esq., 22, Brunswick Street,               1
+Swansea
+Mr. Zephaniah Evans, Post-Office, Pontardawe            1
+Richard Aubrey Essery, Esq., J.P., Cefn Bryn,           1
+Swansea
+William Edmund, Esq., J.P., Windsor Lodge,              1
+Swansea
+J. Deffett Francis, Esq., Artist, Swansea               1
+J. Coke Fowler, Esq., J.P., The Gnoll, Neath            1
+Mr. David Gwillim, Eagle’s Bush, Neath                  1
+William Gilbertson, Esq., J.P., Pontardawe              1
+Rev. Walter Griffiths, B.D., J.P., Dulais               1
+Fach, Neath
+Rev. David Griffiths, Resolven, Neath                   1
+Sankey Gardner, Esq., Eagle’s Bush, Neath               1
+Griffith Griffiths, Esq., Bryncelyn,                    1
+Pontardawe
+Thomas George Gordon, Esq., Llwynybwch,                 1
+Llanrhiddian
+Howel Gwyn, Esq., J.P., Duffryn, Neath                  1
+Mr. T. H. Hawkins, London Road, Neath                   1
+Benjamin Hill, Esq., Cwmdwr, Clydach                    1
+Rev. R. T. Howell, Northampton Place, Swansea           1
+Mr. Elias Hughes, Accountant, Landore                   1
+Richard Hughes, Esq., J.P., Ynistawe, Swansea           1
+Richard Hall, Esq., J.P., Baglan Hall, Briton           1
+Ferry
+Mr. Evan J. Harris, Stamp Office, Reynoldstone          1
+Joseph Hall, Esq., Grosvenor House, Swansea             1
+H. W. Hansard, Esq., Singleton St., Swansea             1
+Mr. J. O. Sheldon Jones, Post Office, Briton            1
+Ferry
+Mr. John Jones, Hafod Inn, Swansea                      1
+Mr. J. B. Jones, Aberdulais                             1
+Mr. Rhys Jones, Adelphi Hotel, Swansea                  1
+Rev. Thomas Jones, Waters Road, Swansea                 2
+Mr. Wm. E. Jones, Duffryn Tin Works, Morriston          1
+John Jones Jenkins, Esq., J.P., The Grange,             1
+Swansea
+Mr. James Jones, Goat St., Swansea                      1
+Mr. Watkin James, Sketty                                1
+Mr. Thomas Jones, Agent, Union Street, Swansea         10
+Mr. Morgan Jones, Tymaen, Maesteg                       1
+Rev. David Jones, Bishopstone, Swansea                  1
+John Jones, Esq., Walters Road, Swansea                 2
+Benjn. Jones, Esq., J.P., Llanelly                      1
+John Trevellian Jenkin, Esq., J.P., Swansea             1
+Mr. T. John Lean, 7, Windsor Road, Cardiff              1
+Griffith Lewis, Esq., Alltycham, Pontardawe             1
+John Lewis, Esq., Fairfield House, Swansea              1
+Thomas Leyson, Esq., Pennyscynnor, Neath                1
+Wm. Leyson, Esq., Queen Street, Neath                   1
+Robert Lidgey, Esq., St. Helen’s Road, Swansea          1
+Henry S. Ludlow, Esq., Guildhall Chambers,              1
+Neath
+Wm. Llewellin, Esq., J.P., Court Colman,                1
+Bridgend
+Rev. R. Pendrill Llewellyn, Llangonoyd,                 1
+Maesteg
+Fred. M. Lewis, Esq., Neath Road, Swansea               1
+Mr. Wm. Martin, Ynistawe, Swansea                       1
+Mr. Thos. R. Mitchell, Ivy Cottage, St. Thomas          1
+Mr. Thomas Morgan, Church St., Briton Ferry             1
+H. Ll. Morris, Esq., Penclawdd, Gower                   1
+Mr. Richard Mugford, Hafod, Swansea                     1
+Edward S. Morris, Esq., Penclawdd                       1
+W. C. Morris, Esq., 43, Queen Street, Neath             1
+George Byng Morris, Esq., J.P., Danygraig,              1
+Bridgend
+George Mowatt, Esq., M.R.C.P., Walters Road,            1
+Swansea
+James Sanders Merry, Esq., Richmond Villas,             1
+Swansea
+David Meager, Esq., St. James Terrace, Swansea          1
+Mr. David Morgan, 35, Brunswick Street,                 1
+Swansea
+David Owen, Esq., Brookfield House, Morriston           1
+Rev. James Owen, Walters Road, Swansea                  1
+James T. Nettell, Esq., Rosebank, Mumbles               1
+Henry Parish, Esq., The Limes, Ystalyfera               1
+John Powell, Esq., Millbrook Iron Works,                1
+Swansea
+Thos. Powell, Esq., The Elms, Swansea                   1
+Charles S. Price, Esq., Brynderwen, Neath               1
+Mr. Griffith Phillips, 16, Park Street,                 1
+Swansea
+Mr. Rees Price, Lantwit, Neath                          2
+Rev. Rees Price, Llanboidy                              1
+W. Price, Esq., Glantwrch, Swansea                      1
+Thos. Penrice, Esq., J.P., Kilvrough, Swansea           1
+Allan Paton, Esq., Sketty, Swansea                      1
+Mr. Wm. Powell, Rock Street, Maesteg                    1
+Mr. John Rees, Resolven                                 1
+Mr. Thomas Rees, Ynismedw, Swansea                      1
+J. C. Richardson, Esq., J.P., Dderwenfawr,              1
+Swansea
+E. M. Richards, Esq., J.P., Brooklands,                 1
+Swansea
+Richd. Richards, Esq., J.P., Belle Vue,                 1
+Swansea
+Rev. D. Roberts, Coity, Bridgend                        1
+James Rogers, Esq., J.P., Pagefield House,              1
+Swansea
+John Roberts, Esq., Henrietta Street, Swansea           1
+John Rosser, Esq., 9, Cambrian Place, Swansea           1
+W. J. Rees, Esq., De La Beache Street, Swansea          1
+Mr. David Rosser, 18, Brunswick St., Swansea            1
+Wm. Harry Rees, Esq., Charlesville Place,               1
+Neath
+David Smith, Alltwen, Pontardawe                        1
+Julius Smith, Esq., Mansel Terrace, Swansea             1
+W. Robinson Smith, Esq., Glanrafon, Swansea             1
+James Spencer, Esq., Inland Revenue, Swansea            1
+George B. Strick, Esq., West Cross, Swansea             1
+William Price Struve, Esq., J.P., Neath                 1
+Rowland Thomas, Esq., J.P., Neath                       1
+Thos. H. Thomas, Esq., Bridge House, Neath              1
+William Thomas, Esq., Lan, Morriston                    1
+B. P. Thomas, Esq., The Croft, Mumbles                  1
+Ilted Thomas, Esq., J.P., Glanmor, Swansea              1
+Mr. Howel Watkins, Rutland Street, Swansea              1
+Octavius Williams, Esq., Northampton Place,             1
+Swansea
+Robert Williams, Esq., West Cross, Swansea              1
+Thos. Williams, Esq., Sunny Bank, Aberdulais            1
+Thos. Williams, Esq., 10, Windsor Terrace,              1
+Neath
+Mr. Watkin Williams, Pencoed, Bridgend                  1
+William Williams, Esq., Wern House, Landore             1
+Owen Gething Williams, Esq., Sketty                     1
+Sir Gardner Wilkinson, Reynoldstone                     1
+David Williams, Esq., Training College,                 1
+Swansea
+Chas. Thos. Wilson, Esq., Brynnewydd, Sketty            1
+Owen Williams, Esq., Cwmavon                            1
+Thomas Williams, Esq., Mount Pleasant, Swansea          1
+John Williams, Esq., Tyar-y-Graig, Swansea              1
+                    CARMARTHENSHIRE.
+Mr. David Bowen, Thomas St., Llanelly                   1
+George Alex. Evans, Esq., Carmarthen                    1
+Rev. Rees Evans, Llandebie                              1
+Rev. John Griffiths, D.D., Llandilo                     1
+John Jennings, Esq., Greenfields, Llanelly              1
+John Prothero Lewis, Esq., Bryneithin,                  1
+Llandilo
+Rev. Prof. Morgan, Carmarthen                           1
+Wm. Morris, Esq., Pontamman Cross Inn                   1
+Rev. John Rhys Morgan, West End, Llanelly               1
+Henry Norton, Esq., Greenhill, Carmarthen               2
+Douglas A. Onslow, Esq., J.P., Pembrey                  1
+Mr. David Rees, Stepney Place, Llanelly                 1
+Wm. Rosser, Esq., C.E., Greenfield House,               1
+Llanelly
+Mr. David Rees, Shipbroker, Llanelly                    1
+John Prytherch, Esq., Banker, Llandilo                  1
+Thos. Barton Snead, Esq., Solicitor, Llanelly           1
+John Thomas, Esq., Glamorganshire Bank,                 1
+Llandilo
+J. Little Thomas, Esq., Gynin House, St.                1
+Clears
+Wm. Thomas, Esq., Wellfield, Llanelly                   1
+Mr. Henry Thomas, Mina Street, Llanelly                 1
+Rev. David Williams, Vicarage, Llanelly                 1
+                      NORTH WALES.
+George Henry Adams, Esq., King St., Mold                1
+Andrew Jones Brereton, Esq. (Andreas o Von),            2
+Mold
+Andrew Brereton, Esq., 11, Edmund Street,               1
+Oldham St., Liverpool
+John Griffiths, Esq., 28, Chapel Street,                1
+Liverpool
+William Jones, Esq., Tyddyn House, Mold                 1
+W. O. Jones, Esq., Mona Brewery, Llanfachrith,          1
+Anglesea
+W. Brereton Jones, Esq., Victoria Brewery,              1
+Llangyfin, Anglesea
+Rev. T. R. Lloyd (yr Estyn), Llanfynydd,                1
+Wrexham
+Love Jones Parry, Esq., Madryn, Pwllheli,               1
+North Wales
+Wm. Parry, Esq., Marlow Terrace, Wrexham                1
+Street, Mold
+Mr. Benjamin Powell, High Street, Mold                  1
+Thomas Williams, Esq., Tyddyn Waun,                     1
+Llanfechel, Anglesea
+John Davies, Esq., Albert Road, Fenton Stoke,           1
+Stafford
+Henry Hurst, Esq., 4, Norton Terrace,                   1
+Llandrindod Wells
+William Morgan, Esq., Middle House, Penybont            1
+N. Bennett, Esq., Trefeglwys, Llanidloes                1
+Thos. Morley, Esq., Bryntimon, Gold Tops,               1
+Newport
+Rev. Hugh Williams, M.A., J.P., Chancellor of           1
+Llandaff, Bassaleg Vicarage, Newport
+Thos. Reece Thomas, Esq., J.P., D.L., Lampeter          1
+House, Narberth
+
+NOTES.
+
+
+{178}  This is a literal fact.
+
+{260}  Mr. Eli, I fancy, obtained some of his facts from Pennant.
+
+
+
+
+***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CAMBRIAN SKETCH-BOOK***
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+
+The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Cambrian Sketch-Book, by R. Rice Davies
+
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+
+
+
+Title: The Cambrian Sketch-Book
+       Tales, Scenes, and Legends of Wild Wales
+
+
+Author: R. Rice Davies
+
+
+
+Release Date: April 26, 2012  [eBook #39539]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
+
+
+***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CAMBRIAN SKETCH-BOOK***
+</pre>
+<p>This ebook was transcribed by Les Bowler</p>
+<p style="text-align: center">
+<a href="images/fp.jpg">
+<img alt=
+"Snowdon"
+title=
+"Snowdon"
+src="images/fp.jpg" />
+</a></p>
+<h1>THE<br />
+CAMBRIAN SKETCH-BOOK.</h1>
+<p style="text-align: center"><i>TALES</i>, <i>SCENES</i>,<br />
+<i>AND LEGENDS OF WILD WALES</i>.</p>
+<div class="gapspace">&nbsp;</div>
+<p style="text-align: center"><span class="GutSmall">BY</span><br
+/>
+R. RICE DAVIES.</p>
+<p style="text-align: center"><i>Author of</i> &ldquo;<i>The
+Handy Book on Tax Laws</i>,&rdquo;
+&ldquo;<i>Havelock</i>,&rdquo;<br />
+&ldquo;<i>Essay on Recreation Grounds for Swansea</i>,&rdquo;
+<i>etc.</i></p>
+<div class="gapspace">&nbsp;</div>
+<p style="text-align: center">London:<br />
+SIMPKIN, MARSHALL &amp; CO.</p>
+<p style="text-align: center">Swansea:<br />
+THE CAMBRIAN WELSH AND ENGLISH BOOK<br />
+PUBLISHING COMPANY</p>
+<h2><a name="pagev"></a><span class="pagenum">p. v</span>To the
+Right Honourable<br />
+THE LADY LLANOVER.</h2>
+<p><span class="smcap">Madam</span>,</p>
+<p>Among the illustrious men and women of Cambria it would be
+difficult to select one to whom this book could be so
+appropriately inscribed as your ladyship.&nbsp; You are, and ever
+have been, the warm and sincere friend of my country; you are
+profoundly versed in her historic, poetic, literary, and
+legendary annals; you are a liberal and munificent contributor to
+almost every great movement designed to promote the social and
+intellectual, the moral and religious, welfare of the people of
+our ancient Principality; and you have attained a high and
+imperishable fame as a graceful and eloquent writer.&nbsp; In
+these pages your ladyship will find depicted scenes connected
+with the past history of the land; tales of years that are gone,
+which <a name="pagevi"></a><span class="pagenum">p. vi</span>roll
+before us with their dark or splendid deeds, and specimens of the
+wild but graceful legends which have shed a poetic charm upon
+almost every nook and corner of Wales.&nbsp; I cherish the hope
+that their perusal will afford your ladyship delight and
+pleasure, while their contents, possibly, may help to increase
+your ladyship&rsquo;s interest in and attachment to the land you
+so much love.</p>
+<p style="text-align: right">I am, Madam,<br />
+&nbsp; Very respectfully,<br />
+&nbsp; Your ladyship&rsquo;s obedient Servant,<br />
+&nbsp; R. RICE DAVIES.</p>
+<h2><a name="pagevii"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+vii</span>PREFACE.</h2>
+<p>The history of the Cambrian race is interesting not only to
+the antiquarian, but also to all real lovers of traditional and
+legendary lore.&nbsp; It is a race which had its origin in the
+mythical age, in the far back and remote past, in that period of
+the world&rsquo;s history when intellectual and moral darkness
+covered the earth, and when gross darkness, like a black pall,
+enveloped the minds of the people.&nbsp; The country which this
+race originally occupied is simply a matter of
+conjecture&mdash;an unascertained fact; while the period when the
+Cambrian people first left their own native soil, the land of
+their love and their fondest affection, and wandered over hill
+and plain, over mountain and dismal swamp, through woods and
+primeval forests, wading through <a name="pageviii"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. viii</span>mighty fordable rivers, and
+crossing stormy seas, until they reached the pebbled strand of
+this our sea-girt isle, is still a matter of
+uncertainty&mdash;one of the mysteries of this mysterious
+world.&nbsp; That they occupied this island, and were in
+undisturbed possession of it many hundred years before the
+appearance in our world of Him who is the true Light of humanity,
+there exists abundance of evidence; and it is not unlikely, but
+on the contrary highly probable, that sections of this ancient
+people were <i>then</i> engaged, as <i>now</i>, in developing the
+mineral wealth of the country.</p>
+<p>Coming down to a later date, a less remote period, we have
+actual descriptive accounts of the Welsh people, of their manners
+and customs, their habits and mode of life, their religious rites
+and form of worship; and considering the then state of the world,
+we are astonished at the comparative high state of civilization
+to which this ancient race had at that time attained.&nbsp; But
+to trace the history of their civilization down <a
+name="pageix"></a><span class="pagenum">p. ix</span>through the
+ages is foreign to my present purpose, however tempting the
+theme.&nbsp; The object I had in view in preparing this work for
+the press, was not to place before the reader a consecutive
+narrative, but to select topics with a view to illustrate some of
+the traits of character of this ancient, singular, and extremely
+interesting people&mdash;a people who, in spite of oppression,
+injustice, and isolation, have nobly clung to the old faith; who
+have ever as citizens been loyal, patriotic, and virtuous; and
+who, moreover, in the face of very serious disadvantages, have
+obtained a position of intellectual and moral manhood, which
+cannot fail to inspire us with admiration and wonder.&nbsp; Let
+me say here, that if this work deepens the Welshman&rsquo;s love
+of country, and induces the English reader to regard us in a more
+favourable light than that adopted by a class of Saxon critics, I
+shall consider I have not laboured in vain.</p>
+<p>As regards the tales and sketches of this volume, they are not
+ideal pictures of Cambrian life and character, but are for the <a
+name="pagex"></a><span class="pagenum">p. x</span>most part
+founded on fact.&nbsp; For example, the ascent of Snowdon was
+undertaken alone, some ten years ago, and by the most difficult,
+tedious, and hazardous route.&nbsp; I often wonder at my want of
+prudence in ascending from Capel Curig, that glorious old Alpine
+height, on a cold, dank, and misty autumnal morning, without a
+guide or a friendly hand to point the way.&nbsp; Alone I
+accomplished the journey, without experiencing much difficulty,
+or meeting a single mishap.&nbsp; The story of Dunraven Castle is
+founded on a historical fact.&nbsp; It is one of the most painful
+of the many painful incidents of those terrible times.&nbsp;
+Parson Jones is not an ideal but a real character painted from
+life.&nbsp; His fame as a charmer, a conjuror, and magician, was
+celebrated far and wide.&nbsp; I well remember farmers&rsquo;
+wives and others visiting him in order to secure his assistance
+in driving away evil spirits from their dwellings.&nbsp; A
+wonderful man was Parson Jones!&nbsp; An able divine, a true
+preacher of the cross, a lovable and childlike man was he.&nbsp;
+When <a name="pagexi"></a><span class="pagenum">p. xi</span>his
+body was consigned to the tomb, the people felt that they had
+lost one of their best earthly friends.&nbsp; As to the legends
+of Lake Savathan and Elidorus, they have been handed down in
+written history.&nbsp; The tale of Cadwgan is a real picture of
+Cambrian life.&nbsp; The story of Saint Winifred is founded on an
+old Welsh legend.&nbsp; A marvellous work has recently been
+written by one of England&rsquo;s greatest novelists; it is not
+impossible that the idea of the &ldquo;Coming Race&rdquo; had its
+origin in the tale of Elidorus.</p>
+<p>In this work I have avoided the literary paths trodden by
+previous Cambrian authors: writers who, in their own sphere of
+literature, have left behind them imperishable names.&nbsp; I
+believe that the mine of wealth I have endeavoured to explore is
+new, while virgin is the soil.&nbsp; Deeply interesting are the
+legends which have been handed down from a people, who, alas!
+alas! no longer tread the sacred ground of wild Wales.&nbsp; In
+the selection of topics, I have only discovered <a
+name="pagexii"></a><span class="pagenum">p. xii</span>for the
+theme of my pen a few precious gems, having culled here and there
+a few fair and fragrant flowers, thus leaving for future literary
+labours, many others of tints equally beautiful and sweets
+equally delicious.&nbsp; Almost every dell and hamlet, every
+sylvan glade and mountain side of wild Wales abounds with legends
+and tales, stories of real life which are too interesting to be
+lost, and too important in the lessons they afford to remain hid
+in the bosom of members of our ancient race.</p>
+<p>It is possible that exception will be taken to the ideal
+pictures&mdash;creations of the author&rsquo;s fancy&mdash;of the
+fairies and fairy land, which form rather a prominent feature of
+this work.&nbsp; For introducing to the reader the people of the
+fairy kingdom beneath the bay of Swansea, I have no apology to
+make.&nbsp; In the thoughts they breathe and in the opinions they
+express they are very human, while the land in which they dwell
+bears witness to the presence of the energizing power and
+infinite benevolence of the Supreme.&nbsp; From <a
+name="pagexiii"></a><span class="pagenum">p. xiii</span>our
+childhood we have been accustomed to listen to the wonderful
+tales relating to Lilliputian races, in which the narrators
+described their sayings and doings, their gambols and frolics,
+their pranks and merry-making, their sweet music and dulcet
+notes; and in our wanderings, we have often gazed on the green
+rings wherein they danced on mead and meadow.&nbsp; And are we
+not ready to confess that those fairy stories possessed a special
+charm&mdash;an interest which even reality itself hardly
+awakens?&nbsp; I am aware that belief in the existence of those
+a&euml;rial forms, those ghostly, impalpable, and ambiguous
+beings, has been regarded as an evidence of mental blindness, and
+the absence of high culture and civilization.&nbsp; This charge
+cannot be maintained.&nbsp; The peoples of all European nations
+believe in the existence of those wonderful people, and,
+personally, I should regret to see their faith undermined.&nbsp;
+Fairies are associated with the spiritual and super-human; with
+virtue and purity; thus they help us to look upward to the
+spirit-world, where flesh <a name="pagexiv"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. xiv</span>and blood, where materialism and its
+unhallowed fruits have not, and can never have, even a temporary
+lodgment.</p>
+<p>Should this work meet with the approval of my
+fellow-countrymen, I shall in the early part of next spring issue
+a second volume of the Cambrian Sketch-Book.&nbsp; I shall
+include in that volume: Sir Rice ap Thomas, a historical romance,
+already written; and The Lost Son Found, a tale of the Lowland
+Hundred.&nbsp; A beautiful country was Cantref-y-Gwaelod, where
+now roll the waters of the Atlantic&mdash;a magnificent plain
+with fortified cities, and co-extensive with Cardigan Bay.&nbsp;
+Several other legends and tales of North and South Wales will
+also appear in the intended volume.</p>
+<p>It now only remains for me to express my hearty thanks to
+Charles Bath, Esq., of Fynone, for his kindness in placing at my
+service a very old view of Swansea, a faithful transcript of
+which has been made by the artist for the present volume.&nbsp; I
+make this public acknowledgment to our townsman for the reason
+that he is <a name="pagexv"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+xv</span>always ready to aid all efforts having in view the
+publication and circulation of works relating to dear old
+Cambria.</p>
+<p style="text-align: right">R. RICE DAVIES.</p>
+<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">Swansea</span>,
+<i>July</i>, 1875.</p>
+<h2><a name="pagexvi"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+xvi</span>CONTENTS.</h2>
+<table>
+<tr>
+<td><p>&nbsp;</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right"><span
+class="GutSmall">PAGE</span></p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><p><span class="smcap">Ascent of Snowdon</span></p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a
+href="#page3">3</a></span></p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><p><span class="smcap">A Story of Dunraven Castle in the
+Olden Times</span></p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a
+href="#page21">21</a></span></p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><p><span class="smcap">Parson Jones</span></p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a
+href="#page79">79</a></span></p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><p><span class="smcap">Cadwgan Wynn</span></p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a
+href="#page121">121</a></span></p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><p><span class="smcap">Traditions of Llyn Savathan</span></p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a
+href="#page227">227</a></span></p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><p><span class="smcap">Treffynon; or, Legends of Saint
+Winifred</span></p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a
+href="#page243">243</a></span></p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><p><span class="smcap">The Visit of Elidorus to the Fairy
+Kingdom beneath the Bay</span></p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a
+href="#page269">269</a></span></p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><p><span class="smcap">Cefn-y-Bedd</span></p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right"><span class="indexpageno"><a
+href="#page319">319</a></span></p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+<h2><a name="page3"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 3</span>ASCENT
+OF SNOWDON.</h2>
+<blockquote><p>&ldquo;How high and swift flits the thin rack
+along,<br />
+Skirted with rainbow dyes; now deep below&mdash;<br />
+While the fierce sun strikes the illumined top,<br />
+Slow sails the gloomy storm, and all beneath,<br />
+By vaporous exhalation hid, is lost<br />
+In darkness: save at once where drifted mists,<br />
+Cut by strong gusts of eddying winds, expose<br />
+The transitory scene.<br />
+Now swift on either side the gathered clouds,<br />
+As by a sudden touch of magic, wide<br />
+Recede, and the fair face of heaven and earth<br />
+Appears.&nbsp; Amid the vast horizon&rsquo;s stretch,<br />
+In restless gaze the eye of wonder darts<br />
+O&rsquo;er the expanse,&mdash;mountains on mountains piled,<br />
+And winding bays and promontories huge,<br />
+And lakes and wandering rivers from their source<br />
+Traced to the distant ocean.&rdquo;</p>
+<p style="text-align: right"><span class="smcap">Bingley&rsquo;s
+Tour</span>.</p>
+</blockquote>
+<p>It was a bright and glorious August morning, in the year
+18&mdash;, when, having a few weeks&rsquo; freedom from the busy
+toils of official labour, I resolved to have an
+&ldquo;out,&rdquo; as they call it in the north of England, where
+I then resided&mdash;a brief tour of pleasure.&nbsp; Never in
+these <a name="page4"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+4</span>northern latitudes had I witnessed a more lovely
+morning.&nbsp; The sun shone brightly, and with a dazzling
+splendour only surpassed by the gorgeous brilliancy of an Eastern
+clime.&nbsp; When we looked upwards, not a cloud could be seen in
+the concave hemisphere above.&nbsp; Far, far away, the most
+distant objects could be plainly and distinctly seen.&nbsp; In
+the forest not a spray moved, nor was there a sweet kiss of the
+leaves on that breezeless morn.&nbsp; Neither on river nor lake
+could there be discerned a single ripple.&nbsp; Everywhere,
+except in the adjacent grove, did quietude and stillness
+reign.&nbsp; There, however, the birds sent forth their merry and
+joyous notes, and the tone of their voices, and the songs they
+sung, told of joys, and proclaimed the existence of happy
+feelings, which but few among the sons of men are permitted to
+realize.&nbsp; Oh, how calm and how still was the scene
+around!&nbsp; Indeed, all nature, except the winged songsters of
+the grove, appeared to repose quietly and peacefully on the bosom
+of its God.</p>
+<p>A grand morning this, said I, for starting on an
+&ldquo;out;&rdquo; but the pressing question was, <a
+name="page5"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 5</span>whither should
+I go.&nbsp; During my brief preparation, I fancied I heard the
+voice of the eagle, and the voice said, &ldquo;Come to me.&nbsp;
+Come and behold the high mountain whereon I dwell, and the great
+rocks in which I build my nest.&nbsp; Come and see, from my high
+elevation and Alpine heights, the magnificent lochs whose waters
+spread far and wide in the broad and expansive valleys.&nbsp; Oh,
+come, and behold the land of the brave and heroic
+Wallace.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>A moment before deciding whether or not I should accept the
+invitation of the king of birds, there was wafted on the gentle
+breeze that had just sprung up, the voice of a little bird which
+inhabits the far west; and the little bird said, &ldquo;Come and
+visit the land in which I dwell.&nbsp; In this land you will
+behold some of the greatest wonders of the world.&nbsp; Were you
+to visit the North or the South, the East or the West, the sunny
+fountains of Africa, the coral strands of India, or the icy
+regions of the frigid zone, yet in no part of the wide world
+could you discover objects so grand and majestic as our
+Giant&rsquo;s Causeway; while Killarney is unrivalled for <a
+name="page6"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 6</span>sublime and
+beautiful scenery.&rdquo;&nbsp; Well, little bird, said I, I love
+your nation; your people have warm hearts and generous
+sympathies.&nbsp; Just, however, as I was about saying
+&ldquo;aye&rdquo; to the invitation of the little bird of the
+Green Isle, there came from the south&mdash;o&rsquo;er moorland
+valley, o&rsquo;er mighty rivers and hills, o&rsquo;er cities,
+towns, and villages, the charming and enchanting voice of the
+lark, and its tones were so winning and so sweet, that I was
+almost moved to shed tears of joy.&nbsp; But what was the purport
+of her song?&nbsp; The burden of her song was Cambria! the
+beautiful and the blest; the land of Poetry and the Ideal.&nbsp;
+&ldquo;Come,&rdquo; carolled the lark, &ldquo;and behold some of
+the beauties of Wild Wales.&nbsp; In no land are glades so
+verdant, are rocks so rugged and bold, are cwms and dells so
+exquisitely beautiful and lovely as are to be seen here.&nbsp;
+Nowhere but here can you behold hill after hill, and mountain
+after mountain, rise above each other, presenting a picture so
+awfully wild, so grand, and so majestically sublime.&nbsp;
+Besides,&rdquo; said the lark, &ldquo;this is your own
+land.&nbsp; It is the place of your birth.&nbsp; It is the home
+<a name="page7"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 7</span>of your
+father&rsquo;s sepulchre.&nbsp; Oh! come here, for here are
+generous hearts, ready to bid you welcome.&nbsp; In the border
+land is many an old friend who will rejoice and kill the fatted
+calf when he sees you approach his dwelling.&rdquo;&nbsp; I could
+no longer resist the irresistible voice, and replied to her, Oh,
+sweet songster of the moorland, thither will I go, and to-morrow
+I will listen to your heavenly strains among your own hills.</p>
+<p>I need not describe the journey from the North to Conway, as
+it is familiar to most travellers.&nbsp; Nor shall I refer to the
+beautiful Menai, or the magnificent ruins and historic renown of
+the good old town of Carnarvon.&nbsp; Nor shall I refer, with a
+view to depict the scene, to many other deeply-interesting spots,
+some of which I could not but gaze upon with feelings of profound
+reverence, the rather as they told the tales of other times,
+which rolled before me with their deeds.&nbsp; As I looked upon
+and contemplated these scenes, I was deeply affected, while my
+vision was dimmed by the tears that welled up from my
+heart.&nbsp; <a name="page8"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+8</span>Moreover, as I still gazed upon the historic fields of
+blood and battle, I thought I saw the shadow of my
+country&rsquo;s martyrs and heroes passing before my
+eyes&mdash;the shadows of the great and heroic men who, strong in
+the righteousness of their cause, fought for the liberty of our
+brave, courageous, and lion-hearted ancestors, and for the
+independence and the freedom of the land of my love and my
+sympathies.&nbsp; Since the days of that long and sanguinary
+struggle, time and the disposition of men and nations have
+immeasurably changed for the better.&nbsp; Happily for us, we
+have now a ruler who loves her subjects, whose sway is the very
+opposite of that despotic tyrant&rsquo;s rule, who loved to
+imbrue his hands in the blood of contemporary princes.&nbsp;
+Edward, however, has gone to his <i>place</i>.&nbsp; Oh that his
+memory and his deeds of blood had perished with him!&nbsp; As I
+looked upon the scene around Conway, and viewed it in relation to
+and in connection with the dark deeds of Edward, the following
+lines of the poet Gray came to my remembrance:&mdash;</p>
+<blockquote><p><a name="page9"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+9</span>&ldquo;Hark how each giant oak and desert cave<br />
+&nbsp; Sighs to the torrent&rsquo;s awful voice beneath!<br />
+O&rsquo;er thee, O King, their hundred arms they wave,<br />
+&nbsp; Revenge on thee in hoarser murmurs breathe,<br />
+Vocal no more.&rdquo;</p>
+</blockquote>
+<p>From Conway I proceeded to Llanrwst, thence to Bettws-y-Coed,
+which is situated in a lovely verdant cwm, and is the most
+charming and the most exquisitely beautiful spot I have ever
+beheld.&nbsp; I have seen many an enchanting scene, but
+Bettws-y-Coed is incomparably finer, and surpasses, both in
+magnificent boldness and soft and quiet grandeur, any other
+landscape upon which I have been permitted to gaze.&nbsp; As
+night was rapidly approaching, and as I had arranged to ascend
+Snowdon the following morning, I had to tear myself away from so
+enchanting a scene.&nbsp; From there I proceeded to the Swallow
+Falls, thence to Capel Curig, a village which affords some of the
+most picturesque landscapes which can be met with in Wales.&nbsp;
+Of this prospect it might be truly said:&mdash;</p>
+<blockquote><p>&ldquo;Here hills and vales, the woodland and the
+plain,<br />
+Here earth and water seem to strive again;<br />
+Not, chaos-like, together crushed and bruised,<br />
+But, as the world, harmoniously confused.&rdquo;</p>
+</blockquote>
+<p><a name="page10"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+10</span>However, I lingered not to contemplate the scene, but
+proceeded on my journey towards Penygwryd, which I reached just
+as the great king of day disappeared behind the Cambrian
+Alps.</p>
+<p>The next morning, after partaking of an early breakfast of ham
+and eggs and coffee, I proceeded to the hotel lawn to see whether
+the day was favourable for an ascent of Yr Wyddfa, the
+&ldquo;uwch y mynydd uchaf&rdquo; of England and Wales.&nbsp;
+Since the previous day I regretted to find that the weather had
+undergone a complete change; the summit of Eryri was now
+enveloped in dark clouds, the morning was cold, and the air was
+dank and chilly.&nbsp; The moaning of the wind in the great
+mountain gullies and cwms rendered the scene both awful and
+sublime.&nbsp; Meeting mine host on the lawn, I inquired if I
+might venture to ascend Snowdon without the service of a
+guide.&nbsp; He strongly dissuaded me from attempting an ascent
+alone, as it would necessarily be attended with great risk.&nbsp;
+However, after debating the matter some time, I resolved to carry
+out my original design of going <a name="page11"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 11</span>unattended.&nbsp; When I reached the
+summit I was delighted beyond measure at having accomplished the
+ascent, by the longest and most difficult route, without the aid
+of a guide.&nbsp; Having wished Mr. Owen a hearty farewell, I
+commenced the ascent of Snowdon.&nbsp; Proceeding up the road
+towards the Pass of Llanberis so far as Pen-y-Pass, I branched
+off to the left, and soon came to Llyn Teyrn, thence taking the
+trackless mountain above Cwm Dyli, direct towards Llyn Glaslyn;
+and thence by a circuitous and difficult route, which a kind
+mountain miner showed me, to the highest point of the Mother of
+Hills.</p>
+<p>Although I found this route laborious, I was amply recompensed
+by beholding &ldquo;scenes of extraordinary wildness and
+grandeur, over which solitude seemed to brood with undisturbed
+silence, scarcely ever broken by the wing of bird or the voice of
+melody.&rdquo;&nbsp; In every direction prospects the most
+magnificent opened to view, and every crag and rock which I
+surmounted was furnished with objects of picturesque effect or
+deep and absorbing <a name="page12"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+12</span>interest.&nbsp; From many a crag I looked down upon the
+cwms and deep dells beneath, and I fancied I could pick out here
+and there the very dingles to which our heroic ancestors were
+compelled to resort for protection, when pursued by numberless
+hosts of the enemy after they had sustained defeat.&nbsp; In
+these cwms they were, however, safe.&nbsp; Even proud and haughty
+Edward dared not follow the Britons to their mountain
+fastnesses.&nbsp; To them Snowdon had ever proved a kind and
+guardian angel: hence the reason why they fled thither in the
+hour of their defeat.&nbsp; No wonder, therefore, that they loved
+the old mountain deeply and passionately; and no wonder, too,
+that they composed songs to her honour and renown.</p>
+<p>When I attained the summit of the mountain, the sight
+presented to my view was awfully and majestically wild and
+grand.&nbsp; The whole circuit of the Snowdonian range was
+enveloped in a thick and dark mist, which was so dense that I
+fancied I could cut it with the finest edged tool.&nbsp; The
+howling of the winds in the cwms and dingles which run down the
+<a name="page13"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 13</span>mountain
+on every side was really appalling.&nbsp; Indeed, the prospect
+was horrible to contemplate.&nbsp; It gave an idea, says a writer
+on the subject, of numbers of abysses concealed by a thick smoke
+furiously circulating around us.&nbsp; Now and then, however, a
+strong gust of wind created an opening in the mist, which, for a
+moment, gave me a magnificent prospect of sea and lake, of deep
+chasms, and high and lofty mountains, of almost fathomless
+dingles and ravines; while towns and hamlets appeared in the
+distance like small specks on the surface of the earth.&nbsp; But
+the prospect was only momentary.&nbsp; The clouds of mist which
+were rent asunder by the strong current of wind would, in the
+twinkling of an eye, again form and unite, and thus present a
+compact and complete whole, leaving me involved in a darkness
+that might be felt.&nbsp; In a minute it would again separate
+into a thousand parts, and fly in wild eddies up the gullies and
+dingles, thus affording me another opportunity of seeing the Isle
+of Mona, the mountain of Plynlimmon, Hell&rsquo;s Mouth, the
+Iraeth Bach, and that magnificent bay which <a
+name="page14"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 14</span>once formed
+the rich and fertile plain of Cantref-y-Gwaelod, with its sixteen
+fortified cities and towns, whose inhabitants met with a watery
+grave through the drunkenness of Seithenyn, who is styled in the
+&ldquo;Triads&rdquo; as one of the three notorious drunkards of
+the isle of Britain.&nbsp; Contemplating the scene so strange,
+yet so grand, the following lines of the poet Rogers struck me as
+extremely applicable to my then situation:&mdash;</p>
+
+<blockquote><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;The
+morning air<br />
+Plays on my cheek, how gently, flinging round<br />
+A silvery gleam; and now the purple mists<br />
+Rise like a curtain; now the sun looks out,<br />
+Filling, o&rsquo;erflowing with his glorious light,<br />
+This noble amphitheatre of hills.&rdquo;</p>
+</blockquote>
+<p>After spending nearly two hours on the summit in gazing upon
+the wild, yet the grand and majestic scene presented to my view,
+I felt, as I had to walk to Pont Aberglaslyn, and back to
+Penygwryd, a distance of nearly twenty miles, that I dare not
+delay my departure longer; hence I made instant preparation to
+descend.&nbsp; I, however, left this Alpine top, and bade
+farewell to old Snowdon, <a name="page15"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 15</span>with feelings of deep sorrow and
+poignant grief.&nbsp; On leaving this most prominent historic
+spot in the past history of my country, I could not but enter
+into the deep feeling of reverence with which my forefathers
+regarded this mountain and its adjacent hills, valleys, and
+plains.&nbsp; Thought I to myself, was it a wonder that they
+almost worshipped Yr Wyddfa?&nbsp; Indeed they had every reason
+for paying honour and homage to it.&nbsp; To them it had ever
+been a never-failing friend&mdash;a sure and safe retreat when
+they suffered and sustained defeat in battle.&nbsp; To them it
+afforded a rich and never-failing refuge, in which they lodged
+the young and the feeble and the non-combatants when they went
+forth to fight the common foe&mdash;the implacable enemies of
+their dear fatherland&mdash;foes and enemies, too, who were
+strangers to generosity, but who loved conquest for the sake of
+conquest, and who were alike indifferent to the sacrifice of
+human blood as they were to English treasures.&nbsp; When they
+followed our brave and heroic countrymen into the mountain
+fastnesses of Snowdon, they generally suffered <a
+name="page16"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 16</span>terrible
+slaughter, and repented having left those fortresses and plains
+where they so much loved to dwell.&nbsp; Considering the many and
+the terrible disasters which befell their marches in its
+fastnesses, no wonder they preferred residing at some distance
+removed from so impregnable a refuge.&nbsp; To the Welsh warriors
+it had been a natural guardian angel: hence the reason why they
+loved it so deeply, so ardently, and with the whole passion of
+the soul.</p>
+<p>After I had descended some distance towards Beddgelert, I
+turned in order to take a parting farewell-look of this the
+mother of Cambrian mountains; and in viewing its high and lofty
+summit, now almost wholly enveloped in mist, I was forcibly
+struck with the wild, dreary, and boundless scene.&nbsp; From the
+point on which I stood this ancient hill appeared to be untrodden
+by human foot, and tenanted only by wandering sheep and goats,
+except the hoarse-croaking ravens.&nbsp; It was, indeed, sublime
+to stand, as I stood then, on that spot, and commune with
+solitude around&mdash;to gaze upon Snowdon and her manifold
+adjacent <a name="page17"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+17</span>hills, slumbering calmly beneath me.&nbsp; With me there
+was no form, no human being, no living thing; but I rejoiced that
+there, amid this stupendous scene, I could commune freely and
+uninterruptedly with nature and nature&rsquo;s God, and with the
+spirits of my brave and heroic forefathers, whose bones lie
+buried in that wild and dreary scene; and, as I finally parted
+from the scene, I sang the following well-known lines, and so my
+voice re-echoed through the dales and caverns:&mdash;</p>
+<blockquote><p>&ldquo;Rest, ye brave dead, &rsquo;midst the hills
+of your sires.<br />
+Oh, who would not slumber when Freedom expires?<br />
+Lonely and voiceless your halls must remain,<br />
+The children of song may not breathe in the chain.&rdquo;</p>
+</blockquote>
+<h2><a name="page21"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 21</span>A
+STORY OF DUNRAVEN CASTLE IN THE OLDEN TIMES;<br />
+OR,<br />
+GOD&rsquo;S JUDGMENT AGAINST WRECKERS.</h2>
+<h3>THE PROEM.</h3>
+<p>On the southern coast of the county of Glamorgan, and situate
+at the back of a high rocky promontory commanding a magnificent
+view of the Bristol Channel, and just opposite the little
+sea-bathing village of Southerndown, which appears desolate amid
+its desolation, stands the modern Castle of Dunraven, which was
+built by the late Mr. Thomas Wyndham.&nbsp; This castle is
+erected on the site of a very ancient structure, which, in the
+olden times, was called Dindryfan.&nbsp; The old castle is in
+some respects the most interesting in the Principality.&nbsp; It
+was there one of Cambria&rsquo;s greatest warriors and one of her
+purest patriots lived and reigned.&nbsp; Dunraven was the centre
+of those wonderful <a name="page22"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+22</span>military movements which gained for their author
+wide-spread fame and imperishable renown.&nbsp; It was there that
+the great commander and war-tactician delivered those eloquent
+harangues, which not only inspired confidence in so great and
+skilful a leader, but also nerved the patriot&rsquo;s arm,
+enabling his trusty followers to go forth to meet the foe
+fearlessly, courageously, and with a resolute resolve to conquer
+or to die for their country&rsquo;s welfare and the independence
+of their fatherland.&nbsp; Caractacus, or as he is generally
+called by Cambrian writers, Caraddwg, was a great man and an
+illustrious warrior, celebrated no less for his heroism than for
+his many other virtues.&nbsp; Hence, when one visits Dunraven,
+the scenes of his childhood and riper years, one seems to imbibe
+his spirit, to be inspired with the highest admiration for his
+genius, and to feel the profoundest reverence for the man who,
+though vanquished in his encounter with the well-disciplined
+forces of Octavius yet was not ashamed&mdash;rather in it did he
+glory&mdash;after many years of exile from the land of his birth,
+of his love, and of his <a name="page23"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 23</span>deepest and fondest affection, to
+return to the very scenes of his childhood and princely rule, in
+order to proclaim the good news of the gospel, the truths and
+glories of which he had learned and realized during his residence
+in the far-famed city of Rome.</p>
+<p>Subsequent to the death of Caraddwg, Dunraven continued to be
+the seat of the Reguli of Glamorgan until the Norman
+Conquest.&nbsp; When Robert Fitz-Hamon divided the country he and
+his armies had conquered, he assigned this castle and manor to
+William de Londres, who, in consequence of their worthless value,
+gave them to his butler, afterwards Sir Arnold Butler.&nbsp; When
+the male issue of the Butler family became extinct, the castle
+and manor fell to Walter Vaughan, who was a descendant of the
+female branch of the Butlers.&nbsp; It is to this person our
+story relates.&nbsp; Oh that his crimes had never been recorded
+by the pen of the historian!&nbsp; Oh that his life and its deeds
+of horror and loathing, which, when we contemplate, makes
+one&rsquo;s blood run cold, had remained unwritten!&nbsp; As,
+however, these have been <a name="page24"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 24</span>handed down to this distant age, I
+will endeavour to depict the scene, though I can form but a very
+dim and hazy conception of the barbarities and cruelties
+practised by that evil man in those distant times.</p>
+<h3><a name="page25"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+25</span>CHAPTER I.<br />
+<i>THE LOVERS</i>.</h3>
+<p>It was a lovely autumn evening, when a young man and young
+woman might have been seen walking hand in hand along the
+carriage drive which led from the village of St. Bride&rsquo;s to
+Dunraven Castle.&nbsp; The young man was in his usual buoyant and
+cheerful mood, happy and joyous, but his companion was pensive
+and sad.&nbsp; From childhood John ap William and Myfanwy
+Gwenllian had been companions.&nbsp; In childhood they had
+pledged themselves to be true to each other.&nbsp; In childhood
+they had walked together, day after day, either on the rocky
+headland below the village of Southerndown, or on the sands of
+Dunraven Bay, picking off the rocks flowers of various tints and
+hues, or gathering in the little haven or bay beautiful stones or
+pebbles, or seaweeds and shells.&nbsp; Besides, during those
+childish excursions <a name="page26"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+26</span>they were often seen gazing on the ocean surges, or on
+the bright blue waves, now almost quiet and still, now dashing up
+in awful and appalling fury against the high and stupendous rocks
+surrounding the bay.&nbsp; Often, too, might they have been seen
+watching the ships as they sailed up and down the channel.&nbsp;
+John especially, loved the sea and its pebbly shore.&nbsp; He was
+never so happy as when, with his beloved Myfanwy, he was watching
+the tidal eddies, or viewing the frail barques as they rode so
+majestically o&rsquo;er the briny waves, carrying in their laps,
+as it were, the merchandise and the wealth of the world&mdash;the
+products of the earth&rsquo;s richest blessings from shore to
+shore and from clime to clime.&nbsp; John contemplated this scene
+as a Christian philosopher.&nbsp; He looked upon commerce between
+nation and nation and between peoples and peoples as one of the
+greatest agents in advancing the world&rsquo;s civilization, as
+it necessarily carried to distant lands those products of
+industry which so much contribute towards the comfort and the
+material happiness and the general welfare of the race.&nbsp; But
+while <a name="page27"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 27</span>he
+looked upon commercial enterprise as a channel through which
+material blessings might be conveyed, he moreover regarded it as
+tending directly to unite nation with nation, to realize and
+cement in the bonds of a holy brotherhood different races and
+separate nations and kingdoms; thus rendering war almost
+impossible.&nbsp; Happy would it be if the statesmen of the world
+would act up to these high principles!</p>
+<p>Besides, though John had never been from home&mdash;Bridgend
+being the furthest extent within the range of his geographical
+knowledge&mdash;nevertheless, from his reflection on the
+beneficial results flowing from commercial enterprise, and his
+strong passion for a roving life, and being, moreover, desirous
+to follow his father&rsquo;s profession, who was commander of a
+merchant vessel, he had resolved, in his early years, to go to
+sea when he grew old enough, if a favourable opportunity offered
+itself.&nbsp; Myfanwy, however, used all her powers of argument
+and suasion with a view to prevent him from following so
+hazardous a calling; but without success.&nbsp; Upon a seafaring
+life he was resolved.&nbsp; To <a name="page28"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 28</span>visit distant lands, and to behold
+strange peoples and countries, was the all-prevailing and the
+constant desire of his heart&rsquo;s deepest emotion.&nbsp; Hence
+on attaining his thirteenth year, he was apprenticed to his
+father.&nbsp; When, however, the day arrived for leaving home,
+and for bidding adieu to his beloved mother and his darling
+Myfanwy, the grief he felt on parting with those he so deeply and
+tenderly loved, almost broke his heart.&nbsp; At last he tore
+himself from their embraces and fond caresses, and on the
+following day he joined his father&rsquo;s ship at Bristol, which
+was even then a city of considerable commercial importance.</p>
+<p>As young ap William was a joyous and spirited boy, always full
+of fun and joviality, and was never so well pleased as when he
+collected around him a number of the sailors, and told them tales
+of other times, especially tales connected with the lives of the
+great warriors and heroes of his country he, in consequence,
+became a great favourite with his father&rsquo;s crew, who loved
+him for his own and his father&rsquo;s sake.&nbsp; During this
+time he did not, however, neglect his studies; nor <a
+name="page29"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 29</span>was he
+lacking in acquiring a thorough knowledge of his
+profession.&nbsp; He studied navigation, paid great attention to
+charts; while in a short time he gained such an intimate
+acquaintance with the management of the vessel, that before two
+years elapsed the chief mate pronounced him to be the best and
+ablest sailor on board.</p>
+<p>Before he attained his eighteenth year he could steer and
+manage a vessel with any captain in the mercantile marine; and as
+the first mate then retired from the service, John was appointed,
+by the owners of the ship, as his successor, with a promise that
+on the first vacancy he should have the command of one of their
+largest vessels.&nbsp; During those years John had saved several
+hundred pounds.&nbsp; This sum his father invested in the
+purchase of a small freehold estate in his native parish, to
+which John intended to retire after he had saved enough to secure
+a sufficient competency for himself and his beloved
+Myfanwy.&nbsp; To that day he looked forward with feelings of
+longing anticipation.&nbsp; On that day he had often said he
+would forget the past, would recall to his mind <a
+name="page30"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 30</span>neither
+sorrow nor human woes; but would for once live a day wholly
+devoted to pleasure and to joy, looking on from then to a still
+more bright and happy future.&nbsp; Alas! alas! how different
+often are results from our expectations.&nbsp; Weeping cometh in
+the morning as well as at night.&nbsp; When we are most bent on
+pleasure, when we fancy we are about to realize, according to our
+anticipations, its fullest fruition, a dark cloud, charged with
+mournful tidings, bursts on our head.&nbsp; The day on which he
+led Myfanwy to the altar was the day on which he himself became
+an orphan.&nbsp; Indeed, he had not left the churchyard before
+being apprised of the sad intelligence that a father whom he
+loved so much was now a mangled corpse.&nbsp; He went home to
+weep and to grieve, though he did not sorrow as one who had no
+hope.</p>
+<h3><a name="page31"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+31</span>CHAPTER II.<br />
+<i>A NOBLE RESOLVE NOBLY CARRIED OUT</i>.</h3>
+<p>It was morning.&nbsp; Walter Vaughan and his heir were
+partaking of an early meal before going to the chase.&nbsp; Just
+previous to their departure, &ldquo;faithful Evan,&rdquo; as he
+was called by the neighbours, entered the hall, and handed his
+master a letter, which he received with a trembling hand.&nbsp;
+Mr. Vaughan hastily broke the seal, and commenced perusing its
+contents, but before he had concluded its perusal, he became as
+pale as death, he shook like an aspen leaf, and his hand trembled
+violently.&nbsp; The young lord, seeing his father&rsquo;s
+distress and mental agony, became seriously alarmed, and, in a
+paroxysm of anguish and grief, exclaimed in weeping
+tones:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, father, my dear and fond parent! what is the
+matter?&nbsp; Are you ill?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My boy,&rdquo; replied the lord, &ldquo;I am a ruined
+man!&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page32"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+32</span>&ldquo;Ruined, did you say?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, completely and, I fear, irretrievably
+ruined.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How, and by what means has so great a calamity befallen
+you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;This I will explain in a few words.&nbsp; Some time ago
+I placed my affairs in the hands of an attorney, whom I then
+believed to be an honest man.&nbsp; He has, however, proved
+himself to be a faithless friend and an arrant rogue.&nbsp; This
+is his letter, in which he informs me that the lawsuit has been
+decided in favour of my opponent, who is my bitterest foe.&nbsp;
+This vagabond lawyer further tells me, that the costs are so
+enormous that I shall be compelled to sell my estates in order to
+meet the liability.&nbsp; He even doubts whether the castle and
+manor of Dunraven will realize sufficient, over and above the
+present encumbrance, to meet the debt.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But you need not, dear father, dispose of the estate to
+satisfy the claims of these lawyers.&nbsp; There is the twenty
+thousand pounds my uncle left me in the bank.&nbsp; I will send
+an authority <a name="page33"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+33</span>to the manager to pay you that sum.&nbsp; Surely, that
+will be sufficient to meet all claims.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear and noble-hearted boy, it almost breaks my
+heart to be obliged to tell you that your money, even to the last
+shilling, has already been spent.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Surely, you have not raised the whole of that
+sum?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, every penny has gone; and now, dear Walter, your
+patrimony in a few weeks will, I fear, become the possession of
+others.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;This is sad news, my father,&rdquo; replied Walter
+junior.&nbsp; &ldquo;It is, indeed, a terrible disaster.&nbsp;
+But don&rsquo;t grieve.&nbsp; What&rsquo;s done can&rsquo;t be
+undone.&nbsp; I am resolved yet to redeem it, if time be granted
+me.&nbsp; I am now penniless; but I will make my own
+fortune.&nbsp; I will yet gain for myself a name and a rank which
+shall be equal to, if it does not surpass, that of my illustrious
+ancestors.&nbsp; Now being bereft of all, the poorest of the
+poor, and dependent upon my own powers and will, I will repair
+the ruin.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;By what means will you accomplish this, Walter?&rdquo;
+inquired the father.</p>
+<p><a name="page34"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+34</span>&ldquo;Oh, father, by means which are honourable; and by
+pursuits which lead to fortune.&nbsp; By work, by labour, by
+industry, by indomitable plodding, and by engaging in the calling
+of men who have thereby accumulated untold wealth, and are
+possessed of unbounded riches.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I do not, my son, understand you.&nbsp; To what pursuit
+do you refer?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;To be plain, then, this is my resolve: to engage at
+once in commercial undertakings, thus following in the footsteps
+of my late lamented uncle.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But, considering the position we occupy in society as
+the lords of Dunraven, for you to enter upon such an undertaking
+would be a degradation.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But, father, is it not a greater degradation to be
+poor&mdash;to see our lands in the possession of others, to be
+provided with bread by the toil and labour of others&mdash;in
+short, to see men work, while we refuse to lift up a hand to help
+them, when we are dependent upon their industry?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page35"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+35</span>&ldquo;It is hard to do this, my noble boy; but to me it
+is still more painful to part with you.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You, dear father, have ever been kind and indulgent to
+me.&nbsp; Believe me, for I speak from my heart of hearts, that
+to leave you, though it be but for a season, is to me a matter of
+deep sorrow.&nbsp; It is, however, a stern necessity that compels
+my departure.&nbsp; I shall, nevertheless, leave you, though with
+sadness, yet with a buoyant hope, destined, I doubt not to be
+realised, to return to the home of my fathers laden with
+gold.&nbsp; The prospect of that day will cheer me in my labour,
+will nerve my arm, and help me to surmount any difficulties which
+may pass athwart my path.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;God grant you success, my son, for which I will pray
+fervently during your forced absence.&nbsp; But whither will you
+go?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I think, dear father, that I can secure immediate
+employment&mdash;an employment, too, which will in no way be
+degrading to me as your heir.&nbsp; Yesterday I received a letter
+from my old friend and companion, Mr. Jones, of Marseilles, who
+is one of the greatest merchants of that famous <a
+name="page36"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 36</span>city, in
+which he has asked me to look out for a gentleman to act as
+confidential clerk.&nbsp; He further says, that if the right man
+secures the appointment, and proves to be one who can be trusted,
+with business habits, tact, and energy, he holds out the prospect
+of an advantageous partnership.&nbsp; As he is in immediate want
+of a young man possessing those qualities, which I fancy I
+possess, I will write him offering my services, which,
+considering my altered circumstances, I think he will only feel
+too proud to accept.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Young Walter was indeed just the kind of youth Mr. Jones
+wanted.&nbsp; He had received the best education which the Oxford
+of those times afforded.&nbsp; He had the bump of order largely
+developed.&nbsp; He was persevering, painstaking, energetic, and
+an indomitable plodder; whatever his hand found to do, he did it
+with all his might.&nbsp; Anything he undertook he would not give
+up until he had thoroughly mastered it.&nbsp; Moreover, he was
+thoroughly conscientious.&nbsp; In this virtue he followed his
+mother&rsquo;s rather than his father&rsquo;s family.&nbsp;
+Indeed, the old lord was <a name="page37"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 37</span>regarded, and was justly considered,
+as an unprincipled, grasping, and unscrupulous man; and it was
+his greedy love of gold, and his insatiable thirst for larger
+possessions, which he sought to secure by unjust means and foul
+play, that had, in consequence of non-success, brought about his
+ruin.&nbsp; He had set up a claim to the heirship of another
+gentleman&rsquo;s estate, though its owner&rsquo;s ancestors were
+in its possession and enjoyment when Vaughan&rsquo;s forefathers
+were menials.&nbsp; The court, happily, decided the suit in
+favour of the rightful owner, and to mark their sense of the
+wrong the lord of Dunraven intended doing, ordered him to pay the
+costs of ten years&rsquo; litigation.&nbsp; It was this final
+decision of which his lawyer had apprised him in the letter
+previously alluded to.&nbsp; His son, on the other hand, was an
+upright and an honourable man, who would rather suffer wrong than
+do an unjust act.&nbsp; Mr. Jones was well aware of these noble
+qualities with which young Walter was endowed; hence, on the
+receipt of the letter offering his services, he wrote him a note
+full of kindly feeling and sympathy, and further <a
+name="page38"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 38</span>pressing his
+old friend and correspondent to join him in London the following
+week, as he should be over in England for a few days on important
+matters connected with his business.&nbsp; On the receipt of this
+communication from Mr. Jones, young Walter commenced preparing
+for leaving home.&nbsp; At last the day arrived for his
+departure, and bidding his father an affectionate adieu, he went
+forth into the broad world, either to be carried on the tide
+which leads to fortune, or to sink beneath its devouring
+crests.</p>
+<p>On Walter&rsquo;s arrival in London, his old friend and
+earliest companion was waiting at his hotel ready to receive
+him.&nbsp; His reception was most cordial on the part of Mr.
+Jones.&nbsp; After spending a few days in town, they took ship
+for Marseilles.&nbsp; On arriving at their destination, the heir
+of Dunraven was at once installed in office; and before a week
+had elapsed, his employer saw that he had secured a valuable
+acquisition to his establishment.</p>
+<p>After Mr. Vaughan had been in the establishment about six
+months, Mr. Jones came to the office one morning earlier than
+usual.&nbsp; Though <a name="page39"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+39</span>none of the hands had arrived, he found to his surprise
+and joy his new clerk at the desk.&nbsp; &ldquo;I am glad,&rdquo;
+addressing Walter, &ldquo;you are here, for I want to consult you
+on a matter of great importance.&nbsp; I have been debating with
+my junior partner,&rdquo; continued Mr. Jones, &ldquo;as to the
+wisdom or unwisdom of sending to the London market a new kind of
+silk, which a manufacturer has just introduced.&nbsp; He strongly
+opposes its purchase, while I, on the other hand, am convinced it
+is just the thing that will take.&nbsp; You are a good judge of
+quality and beauty, so give me your candid opinion as to whether
+it is wise or not to make a large or any purchase of this class
+of goods.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I presume you will not require an immediate
+answer,&rdquo; replied Walter.&nbsp; &ldquo;If you will kindly
+give me an hour to think over it, I will then offer my
+opinion.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>During that hour the young clerk was busily engaged in
+carefully examining the material with the aid of a powerful
+magnifying glass, and was struck with both the fineness of the
+texture and the beauty of its design.&nbsp; On the return of his
+<a name="page40"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 40</span>principal,
+he said that, in his opinion, the silk was just the kind of goods
+which would command a ready sale in the London market, and
+strongly recommended that the whole stock should be bought up,
+and immediately shipped.&nbsp; Mr. Jones acted on the opinion,
+which turned out to be the most fortunate speculation in which he
+had ever engaged.&nbsp; The sum actually realized was
+&pound;20,000, of this sum he presented the young clerk with
+&pound;5000, and in addition offered&mdash;an offer which was
+gladly and gratefully accepted&mdash;a partnership in the
+business.&nbsp; After this, the house of Jones &amp; Company rose
+higher and higher in the commercial world, and the annual profits
+of the business were so great, that at the expiration of the
+seven years of partnership the young lord of Dunraven had at his
+command a sufficient sum to pay off the incumbrance of the
+estate.&nbsp; To that effect he wrote his father, and on the
+receipt of the money, he called his creditors together and paid
+them their demands.&nbsp; The lord of Dunraven thus became once
+more a free and independent man; but, alas! he did not give up
+his calling, but, <a name="page41"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+41</span>with new life and renewed energy pursued the mission of
+the Evil One: being constantly at the post of mischief, and with
+eager eyes and a longing heart, looking out on the stormy wavy
+channel for treasures which, by foul play, he was resolved to
+bring into his meshes.&nbsp; Prosper thou, lord of Dunraven, but
+in thy prosperity remember that the sword of justice is hovering
+over thy head, and in the midst of thy prosperity it will strike
+thee down.&nbsp; The day of vengeance tarries; but it will come,
+and when it arrives, oh, how terrible will be thy doom!</p>
+<h3><a name="page42"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+42</span>CHAPTER III.<br />
+<i>THE ALLIANCE OF THE LORD OF DUNRAVEN WITH MAC THE DEVIL</i>,
+<i>AND SOME OFITS RESULTS</i>.</h3>
+<p>It was about three years subsequent to the departure of the
+son and heir of Dunraven, that the old lord resolved to take into
+his service MacLean, <i>alias</i> Mac the Devil.&nbsp; He knew
+that this man was a desperate character and a thorough daredevil,
+who neither feared God nor regarded man; in short, that for money
+and Scotch whisky, he would do the devil&rsquo;s work according
+to his satanic majesty&rsquo;s own special plan.&nbsp; There was
+no crime of which Mac was not guilty, but, by reason of the
+stealthy way in which he carried out his doings of iniquity, he
+always succeeded in avoiding detection.&nbsp; Though blood was on
+his hands, though he had robbed the fatherless, and murdered, for
+the sake of pelf, the innocent, yet he walked the earth with head
+erect as a guiltless person, little <a name="page43"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 43</span>dreaming of the terrible doom
+awaiting him.&nbsp; However, his cup of iniquity was not yet
+full, though daily it was nearing the brim.&nbsp; He was in the
+act of planning some new crime when he received a message from
+the lord of Dunraven to attend him at the castle.&nbsp; Mac, with
+trembling hands and a sinking heart, at once attended to the
+commands of Mr. Vaughan, though, on his way there, he had many
+misgivings as to the prudence of the step he was taking.&nbsp;
+He, however, soon convinced himself that were he to disobey the
+summons he must quit for ever the neighbourhood, as he dare not
+confront the lord of Dunraven if guilty of disobedience to his
+lordship&rsquo;s commands.&nbsp; To the castle, therefore, he
+repaired, and on his arrival he was ushered by the faithful Evan
+into the library, where Mr. Vaughan was awaiting him.&nbsp; On
+Mac&rsquo;s entering he was requested to take a seat, when Mr.
+Vaughan, with a degree of sternness he seldom manifested,
+reproached him for leading a life so fraught with danger.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I do not, my lord,&rdquo; said Mac, touching his head,
+&ldquo;understand your meaning.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page44"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+44</span>&ldquo;Oh, you don&rsquo;t, don&rsquo;t you?&nbsp; If
+then I say you are deeply steeped in crime, that you are a
+murderer, a thief, a rogue, and a villain, should I not speak the
+truth, and would you not understand my charge?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Saying so, and proving its truth, are, I ken, two very
+different things, my lord.&nbsp; You can&rsquo;t prove that I am
+otherwise than an innocent man.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you be too sure of that, Mac.&nbsp; Indeed,
+I already possess evidence, which, if necessary, can at any
+moment be produced, completely substantiating my charge; and,
+Mac, I have a great mind to produce that evidence to the
+authorities.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You dare not do that, my lord,&rdquo; replied Mac.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You scoundrel! dare you threaten me in my own
+castle?&nbsp; If you say another word, and use that language to
+me, I&rsquo;ll send for the bum-bailiff at once, and, as a
+magistrate, order you into his custody.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I say again, my lord, that you daren&rsquo;t carry out
+your threat.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page45"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+45</span>&ldquo;Why daren&rsquo;t I, I should be glad to
+know?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Because if you were to do so I&rsquo;d
+peach.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You would do what, Mac?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;d peach; that is, I&rsquo;d tell all about your
+lordship&rsquo;s doings.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Be d&mdash;d, you would?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But who would believe you, you scoundrel?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Me they may not, my lord of Dunraven; but they&rsquo;d
+believe the evidence of others.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But can you or your friends, you vagabond, bear any
+evil testimony against me?&nbsp; I live in my own castle, and
+never mix with the world.&nbsp; It is well known to all around,
+that my life and my time is devoted to study, to the practice of
+virtue, and to acts of piety.&nbsp; Me they know as a model
+citizen and a Christian man and a gentleman.&nbsp; Therefore, my
+character would be proof against insinuations, or charges patched
+up by you or your hellish crew.&nbsp; You and your criminal
+companions might say, and even swear&mdash;you are capable of
+anything bad&mdash;you saw me in the act of committing a crime,
+but neither your word nor your oath would have any weight <a
+name="page46"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 46</span>with those
+who know you, were the life of a dog only involved.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Dinna you be too sure of that, my lord,&rdquo; rejoined
+Mac; &ldquo;I ken, and Squire Jones knows too, the sad fate of
+the ship <i>Bristol</i>, of the <i>Elizabeth</i> of Swansea, and
+of the <i>City of Paris</i>.&nbsp; He and I know also by whose
+hands the false light was hung out on Dunraven Head, and by whose
+hands the captains and the crews were murdered&mdash;who
+afterwards seized the wrecks, who sent them to market to be sold,
+and who received the money.&nbsp; If I may be so bold, I could
+tell further that, within this castle, and in a cell beneath this
+room, there is a poor unfortunate man, who was put into an iron
+cage, and locked there by you,&mdash;the lord of Dunraven
+castle,&mdash;and that he is daily fed by crumbs from your
+table.&nbsp; If this man were free, he could tell a tale at which
+humanity would shudder.&nbsp; You, my lord, think I sleep with my
+eyes shut, that I tremble at sight of the sea, that I&rsquo;m
+afraid of the darkness and the tempests; and you knew not that
+when those vessels went down, and when all the hands on board
+perished, except this <a name="page47"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 47</span>poor man in the cage, I was near you,
+my lord,&mdash;even close by your side, though unperceived.&nbsp;
+Knowing these facts, I now dare you, my lord, to molest me or
+breathe a word injurious to my character.&nbsp; If you do so,
+I&rsquo;ll peach, and I&rsquo;ll take care that the lord of
+Dunraven shall be my fellow-prisoner.&nbsp; You have called me a
+scoundrel.&nbsp; Doesn&rsquo;t that foul term apply equally to
+you, my lord?&nbsp; But your sin will yet find you
+out.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>For these terrible revelations Mr. Vaughan was wholly
+unprepared.&nbsp; During their recital he shook as a man having
+the palsy.&nbsp; He uttered, too, the most awful imprecations,
+and cursed and swore like a man possessed of the devil.&nbsp;
+These, however, had no influence over the mind of the hard-headed
+and hard-hearted Scotchman, who continued his tale heedless of
+the foaming rage of Mr. Vaughan.&nbsp; <i>He</i> never dreamt
+that his crimes were known to mortal, beyond the circle of his
+demoniac companions.&nbsp; He had so cautiously arranged his
+plans, and had carried them out so stealthily, that he fancied
+the knowledge of his rascality was confined to those desperadoes
+whom he had specially hired to carry <a name="page48"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 48</span>out his nefarious designs.&nbsp; Now,
+however, his deeds were known not only to Mac, but to his great
+enemy, Squire Jones; thus the man whom he sought to rob of his
+rightful possessions was also cognizant of those deeds.&nbsp; Mr.
+Vaughan&rsquo;s first thought, when Mac had finished his tale,
+was to take away, there and then, either his life or his
+liberty.&nbsp; But a moment&rsquo;s reflection compelled him to
+hesitate in adopting so dangerous a course, as it was known in
+the village of Southerndown that Mac had been summoned to the
+castle.&nbsp; Considering the matter more seriously, he came to
+the conclusion that there was only one course open to him:
+namely, to take Mac into his service, and make him captain of the
+crew.&nbsp; By pursuing this course, he would completely shut the
+mouths of Mac&rsquo;s friends, and by securing the services of so
+skilful and so daring a wrecker, richer and more abundant
+harvests might yet be reaped.&nbsp; Drawing himself to his full
+height, he said to his defiant visitor,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I do not, Mac, admit your charges, and I say further
+that they are incapable of proof; but as I sustained so heavy a
+loss by law, and <a name="page49"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+49</span>as drowning men will not stand on ceremony, but will
+accept the assistance of their bitterest foe when they feel
+themselves sinking beneath the devouring waves, I am therefore
+prepared to take you into my employ, and if you prove faithful to
+my interests and obedient to my orders, you may rise to wealth
+and to honour.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But in what way, my lord, do you intend me to serve
+you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You know, Mac, your special calling, and not wholly
+unknown to me,&mdash;don&rsquo;t be alarmed,&mdash;is the success
+which has followed your labours.&nbsp; Being under my protection,
+by being in my service, you may well look forward to still
+greater results.&nbsp; I need not say you are well aware that
+your present position is fraught with danger, and that one word
+from me would put a stop to your career.&nbsp; If your words be
+true, <i>our</i> interests clash.&nbsp; Besides, Mac, the
+stealthy and criminal vagabond, prowling about in search of prey,
+is in a very different position to Mac, the servant of the lord
+of Dunraven.&nbsp; With that sentiment you agree, do you
+not?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page50"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+50</span>&ldquo;I must admit, my lord, you have put the case very
+clearly, and your reasons in favour of my accepting your offer
+are strong.&nbsp; I can&rsquo;t withstand them, so I&rsquo;ll say
+Aye to your proposal.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You have acted like a man of sense, Mac, as I always
+took you to be.&nbsp; To-night, work will have to be done; so go
+home and tell Molly, your wife, of your engagement, and
+don&rsquo;t fail to meet me at the Watch Tower at four
+o&rsquo;clock.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>No sooner had Mac left the castle to pay a visit to his wife,
+with a view to apprise her of his engagement, than Mr. Vaughan
+also took his departure, and immediately afterwards joined the
+watcher at the Tower, which was situate on the highest point of
+the promontory.&nbsp; On entering the observatory, he inquired
+for the result of the day&rsquo;s observations, which, on being
+put into his hand, made him remark that matters did not look very
+bright.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;When things are at the worst,&rdquo; replied the
+watcher, &ldquo;they generally mend.&nbsp; I think we shall have
+some work to do before to-morrow morning.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page51"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+51</span>&ldquo;Your reason for that opinion, my faithful
+Duncan.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You see yonder flag hoisted on St. Donat&rsquo;s Watch
+Tower?&nbsp; That flag has never yet deceived me.&nbsp; Depend
+upon it, it is the harbinger of good news.&nbsp; The wind, too,
+blows hard from the south, and, if I&rsquo;m not mistaken, there
+will be a fearful gale before midnight, and the ships coming down
+channel must necessarily be driven towards our coast.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Your information, my Duncan, is cheering: I, too, am
+bearer of good news to you.&nbsp; I have just engaged Mac the
+Devil, and shall appoint him to the office of captain of the
+beach and boatmen.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m so glad you&rsquo;ve taken my cousin into
+your service.&nbsp; Mac is a smart man, he is well up in the
+trade, he is fearless, and, what is still more important, will
+not stick at trifles in obtaining his end.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You approve then, Duncan, of my arrangement?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Most certainly, sir.&nbsp; In our line of business Mac
+has no equal.&nbsp; He has the strength <a
+name="page52"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 52</span>of a giant,
+while he is a stranger to fear, and fortunately has no
+conscience.&nbsp; I never heard of his failure in accomplishing
+his object by fair means or foul.&nbsp; When he fails to thrash a
+dozen sailors with his fists, and to pitch them into the sea, he
+resorts to the pistol, which, in his hand, never misses in its
+aim.&nbsp; In our calling, my lord, I yield to none but
+Mac.&nbsp; He is my superior in everything, except in this
+observatory.&nbsp; Oh, were he here to-night!&nbsp; We shall want
+a man of his metal.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;This time your wish will be gratified.&nbsp; I expect
+Mac here every moment.&nbsp; Look, he&rsquo;s coming down the
+road from Southerndown, in our direction.&nbsp; *&nbsp; *&nbsp;
+*&nbsp; Call up the men from the beach, Duncan; I wish them to be
+present when Mac arrives, so as to inform them of the
+appointment.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The men were duly summoned by the head watcher.&nbsp; On
+arriving at the tower, they stood in a row, in front of the
+entrance, to await their master&rsquo;s commands.&nbsp; Presently
+he appeared, accompanied by Duncan and Mac, and, addressing his
+men, spoke of their fidelity to <a name="page53"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 53</span>his interest, called their attention
+to the many splendid victories achieved over the enemy, of the
+rich laurels already reaped from wrecks, and, further, that there
+was the strongest ground for hoping that their past gains were
+but as a drop of the bucket to those they might expect to realize
+hereafter.&nbsp; &ldquo;But your success,&rdquo; said Mr.
+Vaughan, &ldquo;will depend wholly upon yourselves.&nbsp; You
+must be united, there must be harmony in your ranks, hearty
+co-operation; while all must cheerfully bow to the order of the
+commander-in-chief.&nbsp; To that office I have selected a man
+after your own heart.&nbsp; You who are in favour of having Mac
+for your captain, hold up your hands.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>To this request every hand was held up, whereupon Mac took his
+post at the head of the wreckers.&nbsp; They were then regaled
+with a liberal supply of whisky, and when each one had taken his
+fill they repaired again to the beach.&nbsp; No sooner, however,
+had they departed than there were seen coming down the channel
+two fine vessels.&nbsp; The wind now blew a frightful gale,
+raising up the waters <a name="page54"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 54</span>into waves like mountains, on whose
+crests the ships were carried at their mercy.&nbsp; Everything
+appeared favourable to the wreckers.&nbsp; In the west the sun
+had declined.&nbsp; The shades of night were falling fast.&nbsp;
+Every minute the darkness thickened.&nbsp; The tempest increased
+in fury, while the roar of the ocean and the winds howling in the
+rocks and caverns around Dunraven Head, were most
+appalling.&nbsp; Notwithstanding the tempest, neither Mr. Vaughan
+nor Duncan moved from the spot of observation.&nbsp; As the
+vessels neared the point, the fatal light was placed in the
+tower.&nbsp; The captains of both ships now fully realised their
+danger: that there was no hope of saving either their ships or
+their own lives.&nbsp; The crews, too, were well aware of being
+on the enemy&rsquo;s ground, and, informing their commanders of
+their apprehension, at once unanimously resolved, if they must
+perish by treachery so base and devilish, that others should also
+perish at their hands.&nbsp; On their ships being driven into the
+bay they heroically prepared themselves for the combat.&nbsp;
+Each one <a name="page55"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+55</span>armed himself with a cutlass, and when the vessels were
+dashed against the rocks of Dunraven Head, they, as one man,
+leaped into the boiling surge, and swam for the shore.&nbsp; But
+in this heroic attempt to save their lives, several received
+severe injuries, while others sank to rise no more.&nbsp;
+However, the greater portion of them arrived safely on the beach,
+but no sooner had they landed than they saw, creeping along the
+shore, under the shelter of the rocks, a strong body of men well
+armed.&nbsp; The sailors, however, were in no way alarmed at the
+appearance of the enemy.&nbsp; Before quitting their vessels they
+were well aware that the lord of Dunraven was on the alert.&nbsp;
+Of this the light on the Watch Tower was a sufficient
+proof.&nbsp; Hence, when they saw the wreckers approaching they
+placed themselves on the defensive, and patiently awaited the
+attack.&nbsp; They had not long to wait, for the Dunraven men
+immediately came up and called upon the sailors to
+surrender.&nbsp; To that call, however, they paid no heed, but
+drawing out their daggers, fell with terrible force upon <a
+name="page56"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 56</span>the wreckers,
+who, however, stood their ground manfully.&nbsp; The battle was a
+desperate one, while the slaughter was most appalling to
+witness.&nbsp; Many a brave man on both sides fell, mortally
+wounded.&nbsp; For a time the sailors had the best of the
+fray.&nbsp; Their arms were nerved, too, by the consideration
+that, if beaten, death would be the lot of each.&nbsp; Just,
+however, when they thought their victory was sure, there came up
+to the rescue of the wreckers their captain, who, with his own
+hand, killed six of the sailors.&nbsp; The work of butchery now
+commenced in earnest.&nbsp; One after another of the sailors
+fell, never to rise again.&nbsp; Indeed not one single man of
+their number survived to tell the tale.&nbsp; When the work of
+slaughter was completed, the captain ordered all the bodies to be
+carried to the adjoining cavern, where they were buried in a
+large chasm in the rock.&nbsp; After interring the dead, Mac and
+the survivors returned to the beach, and watched there for the
+morning dawn.&nbsp; During the night both vessels were broken to
+atoms by the fury of the waves, and <a name="page57"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 57</span>as daylight appeared, the shore, for
+half a mile, was literally covered with articles of great value,
+which on being sold, realised a large sum.</p>
+<p>The deeds of that terrible night spread far and wide.&nbsp;
+The owners of the vessels and merchants pressed the Government to
+send down a special commission of inquiry.&nbsp; For several
+weeks these commissioners carried on their investigations; but,
+while collecting a large amount of evidence, yet in consequence
+of the absence of one witness, whose evidence was essential to
+bring the charge home to the lord of Dunraven, they failed in
+substantiating the case against Mr. Vaughan.&nbsp; A week
+subsequent to the departure of the commissioners, that witness
+was found; but he could tell no tale, being a mangled
+corpse.&nbsp; The body had been washed ashore near
+Porthcawl.&nbsp; The remains were those of Captain ap William,
+the father of John.&nbsp; The news of this discovery was at once
+carried to his widow, who was busily engaged in preparing her
+son&rsquo;s wedding dinner when the messenger arrived.&nbsp;
+After <a name="page58"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+58</span>breaking the fatal news to Mrs. ap William, the
+messenger continued his journey to the little village of St.
+Bride&rsquo;s, and, going up to the church, he met at the porch
+the newly-married pair.&nbsp; To Captain John, as he was
+generally called, the messenger told his sad tale.&nbsp; Both
+John and his wife were deeply affected on being apprised of their
+bereavement.&nbsp; They returned to their home to weep and to
+mourn; so John&rsquo;s bridal day, which he hoped would be a day
+of unclouded joy, proved to be one of sadness, of sorrow, and of
+death.&nbsp; He thus fully realized, by personal experience, the
+truth of the inspired saying, that we know not what a day may
+bring forth.</p>
+<h3><a name="page59"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+59</span>CHAPTER IV.<br />
+<i>THE TERRIBLE DOOM</i>.</h3>
+<p>During the progress of the inquiry into the circumstances
+connected with the wreck, every effort was made by the
+authorities to discover the whereabouts of those who were
+believed to be engaged in the affair; but those inquiries were,
+unfortunately, unattended with success.&nbsp; The usual haunts of
+the wreckers were repeatedly searched, their dwellings were
+watched, and even guarded night and day.&nbsp; The villages and
+the neighbouring hamlets were visited on several consecutive
+days, yet they failed to find a single individual able to afford
+any intelligence or information as to the hiding-place of the
+desperadoes.&nbsp; The non-success of these inquiries was
+considered as most singular, no less than inexplicable.&nbsp; On
+the morning following the sad occurrence, several of the
+wreckers, including Mac the <a name="page60"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 60</span>Devil, had been seen on the beach
+below Dunraven Castle, but it appeared that no sooner had they
+completed the packing and loading of the treasures collected,
+than they all disappeared in a most sudden manner from view, and
+that disappearance was effected in a most unaccountable
+way.&nbsp; Whither they went, or how they left the beach, no one
+could tell.&nbsp; They were distinctly seen, and in a moment
+afterwards they were lost to view, as if the earth had opened and
+swallowed them up.</p>
+<p>Owing to their non-discovery, speculation was rife as to their
+probable hiding-place.&nbsp; Some thought it most likely that
+they were hidden in the cellars under Dunraven Castle; others
+contended that Mr. Vaughan was too shrewd a man to place them
+there, especially as he himself was suspected of participating in
+the battle, and that that suspicion might lead to an inquiry
+which might be followed up by a personal search.&nbsp; Others
+concluded that they had quitted the neighbourhood, and were
+hiding in the woods about Margam, or up the Ogmore Valley.&nbsp;
+There was one old gentleman <a name="page61"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 61</span>who treated all these opinions with
+contempt.&nbsp; Every village and parish has its wise man, to
+whom, in an emergency, an appeal is made, and the old gentleman
+alluded to was the then wise man of Southerndown, as Hopkin
+Llewelyn is in our day.&nbsp; He gave it as his opinion, that the
+wreckers were neither in the woods of Ogmore Valley nor Margam,
+nor would they be found in the Dunraven cellars, but were still
+in the neighbourhood, and within the sound of their voices; in
+short, that they were hid in some subterraneous cavern in the
+bay, which had hitherto remained undiscovered, and hence was
+known only to the wreckers.&nbsp; He further predicted that as
+soon as the storm should blow over, by the departure of the
+commissioners, and the usual quietude of the locality assume its
+general aspect, the wreckers would again return to their old
+haunts, having Mac at their head; and would be then found
+wandering from point to point, having no special occupation, nor
+ostensible means of livelihood.&nbsp; The prediction of the
+village seer was verified to the <a name="page62"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 62</span>letter.&nbsp; No sooner had the
+commissioners left than the wreckers did return, and they
+appeared at their place of rendezvous, the Cups, as if nothing
+had happened.&nbsp; Here they spent the morning of each day in
+drinking beer and whisky; and here they spent their money with as
+much prodigality as if they were the owners of gold mines.&nbsp;
+The landlord of the Cups received their money without even asking
+whether they came to it by honest or lawless means.&nbsp; When
+asked how he could be so lost to every sense of right as to
+accept money from men who certainly had earned it by being
+engaged in a nefarious calling, he replied that he was perfectly
+indifferent, and that it was no concern of his how they came by
+their silver and gold, so long as they paid him for what they
+drank.&nbsp; In this reply we recognise the true philosophy of
+the trade.&nbsp; Landlords, as a rule, care but little for the
+sorrows, the poverty, and the wants of their drinking clients and
+their families.&nbsp; They want to sell drink, and hence never
+for a moment reflect whether or not their <a
+name="page63"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 63</span>customers can
+afford to spend a shilling, or as to the manner by means of which
+it was earned.&nbsp; He, of the Cups, was, in money matters, true
+to his calling; but we cannot commend the wisdom, or rather
+unwisdom, of the wreckers in spending their money at the old
+house, when the children of some of them wanted bread.</p>
+<p>On the morning following one of these carouses, Mac paid a
+visit to the tower to see his cousin Duncan.&nbsp; Though they
+had met several times since the day on which they came from their
+hiding-places, yet they had not been fortunate enough to secure
+an uninterrupted and unobserved conversation.&nbsp; To this both
+had anxiously looked forward.&nbsp; Fortunately, when Mac
+entered, ho found his cousin in the observatory alone.&nbsp;
+Placing his books and instruments on the table, Duncan turned his
+chair to the fire, and requested his visitor to be seated on the
+opposite side of the fire.&nbsp; As the kettle was boiling on the
+hob, the host prepared two pints of excellent whisky toddy, one
+of which <a name="page64"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+64</span>he handed Mac, who, on sipping the mixture remarked that
+it was &ldquo;capital stuff,&rdquo; and moreover inquired of
+Duncan where he obtained it.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It came, Mac, from the old country; imported direct
+from the distiller.&nbsp; This is just the beverage for a stormy
+night, is it not, Mac?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;On <i>that night</i> I&rsquo;d have given a pound for a
+pint of toddy like this.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;By the bye, Mac,&rdquo; said Duncan, &ldquo;you did the
+thing very neatly that night.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m obliged to you, cousin, for your good
+opinion.&nbsp; What did Mr. Vaughan say about our doings?&nbsp;
+He saw the whole scene.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My lord said to me, that unless you had been present,
+all would have been lost, as the sailors up to the time you came
+up had the best of the battle.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. Vaughan was right there, Duncan.&nbsp; Had I not
+come up at the moment I did, every wrecker would have been a dead
+man.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;So my lord, who was on the rock above you,
+said.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page65"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+65</span>&ldquo;Oh, Duncan, it was a sad sight!&nbsp; I hope,
+cousin, I shall never be compelled to witness a similar
+scene.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It is a sickening and a degrading calling, this of
+ours, in which victory has no honour, and triumph no glory.&nbsp;
+While it is a merry life and profitable to those engaged in it,
+it is surrounded with scenes which are shocking to
+behold.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;As our master has such a large estate, Duncan, why does
+he carry on so hazardous and so dangerous a calling?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The secret is this, he loves gold, and his heart is set
+on attaining riches; and to secure them he&rsquo;ll take away any
+man&rsquo;s life if it stands between him and the prize he
+covets.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I should think he shook in his shoes when those men
+were down here.&nbsp; Was he not alarmed, Duncan?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Our master was, Mac, certainly alarmed; but, take my
+word, he&rsquo;ll go on just in the same way.&nbsp; He is just
+like the little animal which, when once it tastes the blood of
+its victim, never gives up pursuit until it has secured the <a
+name="page66"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 66</span>prey.&nbsp;
+The lord of Dunraven will, in my opinion, continue wrecking until
+some great calamity befalls his house or his family.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The subsequent doings of Mr. Vaughan fully established the
+opinion of Duncan.&nbsp; Although he had been in imminent danger
+of having his crime discovered, yet, when those who conducted the
+inquiry had left the vicinity, the lord of Dunraven, with renewed
+energy and more resolute determination, carried on his nefarious
+calling.&nbsp; In each succeeding winter, vessels were wrecked in
+Dunraven Bay which had been decoyed thither by the false lights
+he had caused to be placed in the tower.&nbsp; From these wrecks
+he realized large sums.&nbsp; Had he been permitted to pursue his
+satanic designs for a few years longer, he would have become the
+richest man in the vale of Glamorgan.</p>
+<p>In consequence of the great losses ship-owners had sustained
+by reason of these wrecks, and the terror which the scenes of
+Dunraven had inspired, both owners and masters of vessels trading
+up and down the <a name="page67"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+67</span>Bristol Channel were alarmed, and were in constant
+apprehensions lest they should experience the same disaster which
+had unhappily befallen so many of their brethren.&nbsp; Captain
+ap William, however, was not deterred from pursuing his seafaring
+calling by these disasters, though his wife, previously to his
+starting on every voyage, warned him of the danger of following
+so hazardous a pursuit.&nbsp; Yet, in spite of those warnings,
+and the urgent solicitations of his wife to remain at home, he
+continued going to sea.</p>
+<p>It was after one of these wrecks, when more than ordinary
+violence had been used by the men of Dunraven, that the captain
+and his wife were walking from St. Bride&rsquo;s along the
+carriage way to Dunraven.&nbsp; This was their favourite walk,
+and it was, moreover, associated with many a happy scene in days
+of yore.&nbsp; After pursuing their walk for some time in
+silence, Mrs. ap William began to weep.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why those tears, Myfanwy?&rdquo; asked her husband.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I weep, John,&rdquo; she replied, &ldquo;in thought <a
+name="page68"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 68</span>of the
+prospect of our separation.&nbsp; Oh, you will not leave me
+again, will you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Indeed, wife, I must.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But where is the necessity for you to risk your life
+again?&nbsp; We have enough to keep us in independence and
+comfort.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I have promised my employers to go on this one
+voyage.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Can&rsquo;t they get another captain to take charge of
+the ship?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Doubtless they could, but they won&rsquo;t trust every
+man with my vessel.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I wish you would stay at home!&nbsp; Indeed,
+indeed, I fear, if you leave me, I shall never see you
+again.&nbsp; Last night I dreamt, and in my dream I fancied I saw
+your body being taken from the sea, your hair clotted, and your
+face covered with blood.&nbsp; Oh, I do fear, if you again leave
+me, I shall never see you alive!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Do not be alarmed for my safety, Myfanwy.&nbsp; Life is
+as safe on the ocean as on the land.&nbsp; The same Providence
+watches over the seaman as the landsman.&nbsp; He being at the
+helm, He <a name="page69"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+69</span>controlling and guiding the destiny of us all, will be
+my friend, even should danger threaten me.&nbsp; So cheer up,
+thou treasure of my heart, and since you are so urgent that I
+should give up my calling, I now promise that on my return from
+this one voyage I will remain at home.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I can urge you no further, John.&nbsp; During your
+absence I&rsquo;ll pray for your safe return.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The following morning Captain John ap William took his
+departure.&nbsp; He joined his ship at Bristol, and from that
+port he sailed for the city of Lisbon with a cargo of West of
+England goods.&nbsp; From thence he sailed to London, thence to
+Hamburg, and after several voyages between the two last-mentioned
+cities, chartered his ship to the Mediterranean, and took a
+valuable cargo at Marseilles for Bristol.</p>
+<p>During her husband&rsquo;s absence, Myfanwy felt constant
+anxiety on his behalf, an anxiety intensified owing to the sad
+havoc among shipping at Dunraven Bay.&nbsp; As it was now winter,
+her feeling of apprehension increased <a name="page70"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 70</span>in intensity, as she daily expected
+his return.&nbsp; October had come and gone, but he had not
+returned, nor had she received, for several weeks, a letter from
+him.&nbsp; November had come in more than usually stormy.&nbsp;
+All over the country trees had been uprooted, houses were blown
+down, and on the rocks above Dunraven Bay, and below
+Southerndown, the winds were so terrible that persons were in the
+imminent risk of being blown over if they went within even fifty
+yards of the precipice.&nbsp; On Friday morning the hurricane
+increased in its fury.&nbsp; As the evening approached, the storm
+became fearful, while the tumultuous waves increased in violence,
+foaming, then wildly raving, then receding in circling eddies for
+awhile, into their gloomy bosom; then, again, returning with
+renewed force and augmented fury.&nbsp; Upon their tumultuous and
+angry surges a large vessel, heavily laden, was being driven
+towards the bay of Dunraven by the fierce tempest.&nbsp; If that
+fine ship, which bore on her bosom the rich merchandise of
+continental skill and <a name="page71"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 71</span>industry, be dashed against the
+desperate assemblage of rocks, crags, and shoals surrounding the
+bay&mdash;imagination with its utmost stretch could form but a
+very imperfect idea of so direful and so appalling a
+spectacle.&nbsp; As the villagers gazed upon the tumultuous
+billows, they saw the ship, which had battled many a stormy
+breeze, uplifted on the briny surge, then plunging headlong down
+the repelling rock.&nbsp; In that terrible collision, a hole
+nearly three feet square, was made in the bottom, through which
+the sea rushed in with terrible force, on which she began to
+sink.&nbsp; When this was discovered, the crew, in wild despair,
+called to the men on the beach to come and help them.&nbsp; They,
+however, moved not, but waited the issue with the most stolid
+indifference.&nbsp; Amid that cry of despairing anguish the sea
+rolled in with increased violence and fury, the waves dashing
+over the fast-sinking ship, and carrying along with them the
+unfortunate crew.&nbsp; Presently there was seen clinging to a
+frail board a young man, comely in form and handsomely <a
+name="page72"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+72</span>dressed.&nbsp; Having fastened himself to this, the
+wreckers heard him beseeching them, in most piteous cries to come
+and help him.&nbsp; However, to that cry no attention was
+paid.&nbsp; Seeing this, he, with a voice which moved even the
+hard hearts of the wreckers, called out, &ldquo;Oh, my father, my
+father! if you love your son, who has been a dutiful and a
+faithful son to you&mdash;if there be in your bosom any affection
+for him who has only lived to promote your welfare and interest;
+who, in your declining years, has laboured and striven, and
+thereby has succeeded in redeeming the manor of Dunraven from its
+heavy incumbrance&mdash;send the men to save me from a watery
+grave!&rdquo;&nbsp; That cry the lord of Dunraven heard.&nbsp; It
+pierced his very soul.&nbsp; His countenance was marked with
+anguish, blended with despair.&nbsp; All he could say was,
+&ldquo;It is my own son Walter, and I have caused his
+death!&rdquo;&nbsp; He then fell down in a fit.&nbsp; When the
+wreckers heard their master&rsquo;s exclamation they, as one man,
+took to the sea.&nbsp; Towards the drowning man they <a
+name="page73"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 73</span>pressed
+forward with great energy, and at last succeeded in touching the
+frail board.&nbsp; At that moment there was a terrible sea,
+which, in receding, carried away the young lord of Dunraven and
+the whole of the wreckers, except Mac the Devil, who succeeded in
+gaining the shore.&nbsp; The Lord of Dunraven, when he recovered
+from the swoon, learned all that had happened, even of his
+son&rsquo;s death.&nbsp; From that night Mr. Vaughan was never
+seen at Dunraven Castle.&nbsp; He went forth, bowed down with age
+and with sin, a wandering ghost, seeking rest but finding
+none.&nbsp; No one ever heard that he was sorry on account of the
+crimes he had committed against heaven and earth.&nbsp; In a few
+years afterwards news came to Wales that in an encounter with a
+highwayman, in the North of England, the once great lord of
+Dunraven was slain, and his body was thrown over the rocks into
+the sea.&nbsp; In his pockets were found papers which led to his
+identification.&nbsp; As his money had been taken by the robber,
+he was buried at the expense of the parish in which <a
+name="page74"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 74</span>his body was
+found.&nbsp; Such was the life and such the end of a man who
+sought riches by robbery, and gold by the sacrifice of human
+life.&nbsp; Indeed, he lived a miserable life, and died a
+miserable death.</p>
+<p>As regards the other persons of this history but little
+remains to be told.&nbsp; Mac, on that night, disappeared from
+the scene.&nbsp; But every nook and corner of the coast was
+watched and carefully guarded night and day.&nbsp; The people of
+the neighbourhood expressed their confidence that Mac was still
+in the locality, in his old hiding-place.&nbsp; After watching
+for a fortnight, during which there were no signs of his
+appearance, they were almost persuaded to give up the
+affair.&nbsp; However, they resolved still to continue guarding
+the coast for another week.&nbsp; The day before that week
+expired, one of the watchers saw in the sea, coming out from
+between two rocks, a man diving.&nbsp; Evidently he had come from
+some subterranean cavern, with an outlet under the water.&nbsp;
+This man was Mac the Devil.&nbsp; He was there and then taken,
+and lodged <a name="page75"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+75</span>in gaol.&nbsp; At the following assizes he was found
+guilty of murder and was condemned to die.&nbsp; Before his death
+he confessed all, and left behind him a record of his exploits,
+and a detailed account of his connection with the lord of
+Dunraven.&nbsp; Before that record was read, Mr. Vaughan had
+breathed his last.</p>
+<p>But what became of Captain John?&nbsp; It was his vessel that
+went down, and it was young Vaughan&rsquo;s cargo with which she
+was laden.&nbsp; On the morning subsequent to the wreck he was
+found on the seashore in Dunraven Bay, with his body much
+bruised, and his face covered with blood.&nbsp; He was, however,
+still alive, and thanks to the careful nursing of his wife and
+medical skill, he soon recovered, and gave up going to sea.&nbsp;
+Ever afterwards he lived at home.&nbsp; He became an excellent
+farmer, and saved money.&nbsp; He lived to a good old age, and
+left behind a numerous family, who were as distinguished for
+their virtue as they were for their industry.&nbsp; In this world
+he moreover lived as <a name="page76"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 76</span>he wished to die, leaving behind him
+a pattern of religiousness which his children, and their children
+after them, followed.&nbsp; Thus, while the end of the good
+captain was happy and peaceful, that of the lord of Dunraven was
+full of anguish, while he met with a doom which it is terrible to
+contemplate.</p>
+<h2><a name="page79"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 79</span>PARSON
+JONES,<br />
+AND HIS CONQUESTS OVER THE ARCH-FIEND OF PANDEMONIUM.</h2>
+<p>[The following strange stories of Cambrian life contain not an
+<i>ideal</i> but a <i>real</i> picture of society in days of
+yore.&nbsp; For obvious reasons, some of the names of the
+<i>dramatis person&aelig;</i> are not given, but the family of
+Jones being so large, <i>the man</i> will not be recognised by
+the retention of the name he actually bore.&nbsp; Further, it is
+believed that the whole of his relations are dead.&nbsp; He had
+two nieces that survived him, who on his death were by no means
+<i>young ladies</i>.&nbsp; They then quitted Wales, never more to
+return.&nbsp; One more word only need be added, namely, that Mr.
+Jones&rsquo;s fame as a preacher was universal, and the belief
+that he had power <a name="page80"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+80</span>over Satan was firmly entertained by all, though he
+himself repudiated the possession of such power.&nbsp; Mr. Jones
+lived to nearly a hundred years of age, and died about thirty
+years ago.]</p>
+<p style="text-align: center">* * * * *</p>
+<p>Hail! all hail! to thee, thou illustrious dead!&nbsp; Though
+thy spirit has long since left the regions of earth, and has
+passed into the <i>Gwlad well</i>, yet thy memory is fresh and
+green, and thy deeds of charity, thy unassuming piety, thy
+faithful preaching of the Cross, thy example of saintly
+resignation, as well as thy holy sanctitude, still live in the
+hearts and memories of those who were privileged to listen,
+sabbath after sabbath, to the glorious truths which fell from thy
+lips, and who, moreover, were permitted to gaze upon and witness
+the holy ripening of thy nature for a bright and a glorious
+immortality.&nbsp; Of thee might it be truly said, that thy
+enemies were few, and thy friends and well-wishers legion.&nbsp;
+The reason of this was obvious.&nbsp; While others laboured for
+<a name="page81"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 81</span>earthly
+honour and a perishable renown, the aspiration and desire of thy
+soul was to do the work of Him in whose armour thou wast clothed,
+and to be recognised, and honoured, and acknowledged of thy
+Father at the Judgment of the Great Day.&nbsp; Thy departure to
+that better land was to thee a happy departure.&nbsp; On thy
+spirit leaving its tabernacle of clay, it took its flight, amid
+the songs of angelic choirs, to that world wherein the Lamb shall
+ever lead it to perennial springs and fountains of blessedness,
+and where every tear shall be wiped away by the Redeemer.&nbsp;
+But though the change to thee was a welcome one, oh, how
+<i>un</i>welcome was it to thy sorrowing children on earth, who
+were left behind in the wilderness!&nbsp; Though many, many years
+have passed away since the day of thy departure to join the
+choirs above, during which I have mixed much with the busy
+world,&mdash;have seen the upheaving of peoples, revolution
+following revolution, and have witnessed parts of Europe deluged
+with the blood of some of its best and most <a
+name="page82"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 82</span>patriotic
+sons,&mdash;yet I well remember, as if it were but as yesterday,
+the sorrowful tidings of thy death, when all joined in saying,
+&ldquo;That a prince and a great man had that day fallen in
+Israel.&rdquo;&nbsp; Nevertheless, amid our pensive sorrow and
+grief, which almost rent many a stout heart; all were yet cheered
+and solaced with the thought, that though the dark cloud of the
+future obscured our vision, preventing our beholding the face of
+the dear departed, nevertheless he was reposing joyfully in the
+eternal sunshine, and reclining on the bosom of his Lord.</p>
+<p>Now, though Parson Jones was a good and holy man, yet young
+and old, rich and poor, the youth in his teens as well as those
+over whose heads seventy summers had passed, not only admitted,
+but actually declared, that he was a strange mortal.&nbsp; His
+life and character were to them an enigma.&nbsp; While the
+outward&mdash;the rational man&mdash;was clear and plain, yet the
+inner life&mdash;the hidden and mysterious workings of the
+intellectual and spiritual man&mdash;was above their <a
+name="page83"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 83</span>comprehension
+and beyond their ken.&nbsp; Though they owned that their beloved
+pastor held communion with Heaven, yet many affirmed, and
+positively believed, that he had constant intercourse with the
+Evil One.&nbsp; Though they devoutly entertained the opinion that
+he held uninterrupted converse with Him who was the desire of all
+nations, yet they clung to the opinion that he had fellowship
+with him who reigns over the abode of woe.&nbsp; While they
+believed that their dear friend possessed that faith by which
+mountains are removed, and by means of which the rolling and
+angry billows are hushed into calm repose on the bosom of the
+vast and mighty deep, nevertheless, the tale went from cottage to
+cottage, and from hamlet to hamlet, and was told and retold, with
+deep seriousness, in high and in low places, that Parson Jones
+could raise and lay the devil.&nbsp; And if legions of
+ministering angels hovered round his path, imparting to him
+comfort, solace, and joy, it was almost universally believed that
+he had consultations with the grim spirits of the nethermost <a
+name="page84"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+84</span>regions.&nbsp; Hence they concluded that he was not only
+all-powerful with Heaven, but that Satan himself, with all his
+servants and allies, would fly at his bidding.&nbsp; In
+consequence of this belief, Parson Jones had, at his parsonage, a
+constant succession of visitors.&nbsp; If the busy housewife was
+unsuccessful in her churning, Parson Jones must be at once
+consulted, as he only, in the vicinity, had power to break the
+spell, and drive to their place those evil spirits which
+interfered with the beneficial operations of mankind.&nbsp; If
+the farmer found his cattle ailing, of course the good
+parson&rsquo;s advice was at once sought, which in all case was
+readily obtained, the belief being that he only in that
+neighbourhood could counteract and overcome the evil influence of
+the witches, who, by their malevolence and wicked arts, sought to
+bring destruction and ruin upon him and his household.&nbsp;
+Again, if a house in the locality were haunted, the sleepers
+being awakened from their slumbers of the night by unearthly
+cries, by groans and terrible noises, we need hardly say the <a
+name="page85"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 85</span>good vicar
+was sent for; and after one of his visits, the simple-hearted
+people of the troubled dwelling believed, and positively
+affirmed, that he had put his imperial Satanic majesty in his
+snuff-box!&nbsp; And from that night their home was never
+disturbed by the presence of a spiritual visitor, and they
+congratulated themselves on having permanently got rid of the
+disturber of their peace and repose, feeling certain that the
+possessor of the snuff-box would see to it that the lid would be
+kept securely fastened.&nbsp; These acts of Parson Jones were not
+done in a corner; hence the news of his victory over the Evil One
+spread far and wide; but while a few gave no credence to the
+tales that were told, yet the people&mdash;the masses, both rich
+and poor, the wise and the unlearned&mdash;believed in the
+stories which were told of the good vicar&rsquo;s doings.</p>
+<p>As my father&rsquo;s residence was adjacent to the vicarage,
+as he and the worthy parson were sworn friends, and as the latter
+had a strong personal liking to me, as also a deep <a
+name="page86"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 86</span>interest in
+my future welfare and prospects, I having on several occasions
+acquainted him with my strong aversion to my father&rsquo;s
+pursuits, and that I intended to seek my fortune in the wide,
+wide world&mdash;these and other matters brought me into frequent
+contact with our common friend, at whose house I was a constant
+and ever welcome visitor.&nbsp; There was, however, another
+reason why I was so often found at his hospitable dwelling,
+which, in passing, I will just mention.&nbsp; From my earliest
+school days I had imbibed a strong thirst for knowledge, while
+the sciences of astronomy, algebra, Euclid, and trigonometry, had
+for me peculiar, and I might add, fascinating charms.&nbsp; In
+pursuing those studies, however, I often met with difficulties,
+which, unaided, and without the assistance of a teacher, I failed
+to overcome.&nbsp; The good parson being well informed of my
+pursuits, and being anxious to render me all the assistance in
+his power, arranged that I was to spend every Monday evening at
+his residence, where, in his study, he would quietly explain the
+problems and <a name="page87"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+87</span>calculations I had failed to solve.&nbsp; As a teacher
+he was so successful that, after going quietly over my
+calculations, and explaining where I had gone wrong, he
+invariably managed to make the whole matter as clear to my
+perception as that two and two make four.</p>
+<p>Mr. Jones was deeply read in the science of astronomy, and on
+his perceiving that I was weekly making considerable progress in
+a science he so deeply loved,&mdash;a science, too, which he
+regarded as more sublime than any other, inasmuch as it
+proclaimed the power, the wisdom, and the greatness of Him who
+binds the sweet influences of the Pleiades and loosens the bands
+of Orion, who can bring forth Mazzaroth in his season and guides
+Arcturus with his sons,&mdash;it was no wonder, considering the
+identity of our common feeling and inclination, that I became a
+nightly visitor at the parsonage.&nbsp; During those visits I
+learned much respecting other branches of knowledge with which,
+previously, I was but little acquainted.&nbsp; Thus, wide fields
+of human knowledge appeared to open before me, <a
+name="page88"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 88</span>the
+possession of which was the deep aspiration of my soul.</p>
+<p>But I must own that my visits to the parsonage afforded me an
+interest beyond that of scientific and literary pursuits.&nbsp;
+Night after night there were other visitors at the good
+man&rsquo;s house, who came there to tell tales about
+apparitions, ghosts, the doings of the witches, and the various
+forms in which his imperial majesty of Pandemonium had appeared
+to them.&nbsp; To these marvellous stories I always listened with
+deep interest, as from my youngest days I had been taught by my
+nurse to believe in the existence of ghosts.&nbsp; The people of
+the neighbourhood believed that the parson had power over the
+evil spirits when they troubled men, hence the reason of his
+assistance having been so frequently sought.&nbsp; Many a tale I
+have heard in the vicar&rsquo;s little study; but for the present
+I shall only record the following strange stories.</p>
+<p style="text-align: center">* * * * *</p>
+<p>It was a stormy night in the month of January, when I was with
+Mr. Jones in his <a name="page89"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+89</span>study.&nbsp; After sitting there some time, over a
+problem in the Sixth Book of Euclid, the door gently opened, and
+in walked Mrs. Lloyd, the wife of a neighbouring farmer, who, at
+the request of Mr. Jones, took a seat by the fire.&nbsp; When she
+entered the room I observed that she was deeply agitated, the
+cause of which we soon learnt.&nbsp; As soon as she had warmed
+herself and dried her garments, my friend and benefactor, in the
+kindest possible way, asked the reason of her having come out on
+so stormy and so boisterous a night.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m kum to see yoo, Mr. Jones,&rdquo; she said,
+&ldquo;and to tell yoo the sad calamity which has happened at our
+house.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I hope Mr. Lloyd is not ill?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh no, parson; leastwise he was well in body when I
+left whome, but sorely troubled in mind.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What is the matter, my good friend?&rdquo; inquired Mr.
+Jones.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, sir! it&rsquo;s too dreadful.&nbsp; I kunna tell
+yoo.&nbsp; I s&rsquo;pose I must, for I&rsquo;m kum here on
+purpose.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page90"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+90</span>&ldquo;Unless you tell me the cause of your trouble,
+ma&rsquo;am, I cannot give you advice.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You know, parson, Moll McGee, of Cwmdu, dunna
+yoo?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, ma&rsquo;am; I know that person very
+well.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yoo know, dunna yoo, Mr. Jones, that she&rsquo;s a
+witch.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;She is so reported, Mrs. Lloyd; but you must not
+believe all you hear.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But, yoo do know very well she&rsquo;s a real witch, so
+dunna yoo deny it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I have no personal knowledge of the fact,
+ma&rsquo;am,&rdquo; replied the good parson; &ldquo;I have always
+found her a harmless and inoffensive woman, though some persons
+say she has put her mark on certain families.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I should think she has, indeed; so dunna yoo think she
+ought to be hanged and quartered, and her body and bones, and her
+heart and liver, burned by the common hangman, for causing so
+much trouble and loss to poor and innocent folks?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Surely she has not paid you a visit, has
+she?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page91"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+91</span>&ldquo;She ha, though; and, what is worse, she has
+spoiled a beautiful churning of milk, and killed our pony, which
+Lloyd was offered thirty pounds for at last May fair.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am sorry to hear this of Mrs. McGee,&rdquo; observed
+Mr. Jones; &ldquo;but, my dear madam, when and how did this
+happen?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;When my daughter Mary was churning on Wednesday
+morning, who should kum up to the dairy door but Moll the
+witch.&nbsp; She sez, sez she, &lsquo;Will you give me some
+buttermilk, Mrs. Lloyd?&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;No,&rsquo; sez I; &lsquo;I&rsquo;ve no
+buttermilk to spare.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;But yoo must,&rsquo; sez she, &lsquo;give me
+some.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;I have sed the word, Mrs. McGee, that I&rsquo;ve
+none to spare; and if I had, you shudna have any.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Why?&rsquo; sez she.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Why,&rsquo; sez I; &lsquo;because yoo are a bad
+woman.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;You had better give me som,&rsquo; sez she agen;
+&lsquo;for if you won&rsquo;t it &rsquo;ul be the worse for
+yoo.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;What will yoo do, Mary?&rsquo; sez I.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;I&rsquo;ll mark yore cattle,&rsquo; sez she,
+&lsquo;and I&rsquo;ll <a name="page92"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 92</span><i>leave</i> the mark there too, for
+your hard-heartedness.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Then,&rsquo; replied I, &lsquo;I won&rsquo;t
+give yoo milk.&nbsp; Yoo&rsquo;ll witch my things, will
+yoo?&nbsp; Do thy worst Moll,&rsquo; sez I, &lsquo;for I dunna
+fear thee.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Then,&rsquo; sez she, &lsquo;may yur milk never
+turn into butter, may yur cows cease to give yoo milk, and may
+yoo find some of yur beasts in the black quarry before another
+week&rsquo;s gone, and may the curse of Mary of the Black Dingle
+ever follow yoo and yours.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The old hag, when she finished her curse, turned upon
+her heel, and in a moment afterwards my daughter and me saw her
+going through the gate in the form of a large black monkey.&nbsp;
+After she left, we continued to churn away with all our might and
+main, but the butter wouldna come, and since that day the cows
+have refused to give us any milk.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But what about the pony, Mrs. Lloyd?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I had almost forgotten to tell yoo about
+that.&nbsp; Well, last night, as Lloyd was coming whome from the
+fields, he saw a black monkey on the back of the pony.&nbsp; The
+brute was urging <a name="page93"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+93</span>the poor creature forward by sticking her devilish claws
+in the pony&rsquo;s side.&nbsp; And will yoo believe it&mdash;God
+ha&rsquo; mercy upon us! for we live in strange times,&mdash;the
+monkey drove the pony straight for the quarry.&nbsp; Lloyd saw
+her fall over the rock, and running up to the edge of the quarry,
+saw the poor creature dashed to atoms at the bottom, and Moll
+standing by grinning.&nbsp; But p&rsquo;raps yoo wunna believe
+the truth of my story, but it is as true as I&rsquo;m a Christian
+woman.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Indeed, Mrs. Lloyd,&rdquo; replied Mr. Jones with great
+firmness, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t believe that Mary McGee, or any
+mortal, possesses the power which you evidently believe she does
+possess.&nbsp; Heaven has not delegated to sinful mortal, nor
+even to any of His creatures, power to inflict injury affecting
+life or limb upon any of the creatures He has made, and by whose
+power and goodness they are sustained.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yoo are a learned man, and I&rsquo;m no scholard,
+tho&rsquo; I kun read my Bible, thank God! and that book tells me
+that evil spirits did enter into man and beast; and parson, yoo
+cunna make <a name="page94"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+94</span>me believe that the arch-fiend has not entered into the
+heart of that woman.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh! don&rsquo;t, I beseech you, my friend, give too
+much credence to idle tales and silly talk; and pray don&rsquo;t
+believe that she is the real cause of, and the instrument by
+which, this affliction has come upon you.&nbsp; If you were to
+sift thoroughly the evidence respecting Mary&rsquo;s
+malpractices, you would discover, in the end, that the whole is
+based upon hearsay, and on the inventions of persons who might
+have fancied it possible for such things to exist.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. Jones, Mr. Jones,&rdquo; replied Mrs. Lloyd,
+&ldquo;these tales are not idle invention; I wish they was.&nbsp;
+But as true as God made Llandegley Rocks, and I s&rsquo;pose He
+made them, my cows wanna give no milk, and the cream wunna turn
+to butter, churn as much as we will; and it&rsquo;s a fact
+&rsquo;bout the old hag and our pony, as Lloyd witnessed the
+whole matter.&nbsp; I believe, and Lloyd believes, and my
+daughter believes it too, that our calamities are the result of
+the evil influences of this witch, who has been practising upon
+our creatures her infernal and malignant <a
+name="page95"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 95</span>arts.&nbsp; I
+have now told you my tale, parson, and I want your
+advice.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What do you wish me to do, Mrs. Lloyd?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, sir! there is only one thing yoo can do.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What is that, my friend?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What is that, yoo ask?&nbsp; Ye know very well.&nbsp;
+Why, break the spell, to be sure.&nbsp; Until that&rsquo;s done
+we shall neither have butter nor milk, and then how shall we be
+able to pay our rent?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Indeed, ma&rsquo;am, I don&rsquo;t see how I can assist
+you.&nbsp; Oh, I do wish you would not place any faith in this
+woman&rsquo;s power.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I cunna help it, Mr. Jones.&nbsp; But I do believe
+this, that yoo can master her, and yoo only.&nbsp; I know yoo
+have power over these evil spirits and witches, but especially
+over Moll McGee.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why do you think so, ma&rsquo;am?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; replied Mrs. Lloyd, &ldquo;she&rsquo;s
+afeared of yoo.&nbsp; Indeed, she said she was afeared of yoo;
+and no wonder, for we know very well that yoo can master her
+master&mdash;the great fiend himself.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page96"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+96</span>&ldquo;Pray, Mrs. Lloyd,&rdquo; remarked the vicar,
+&ldquo;don&rsquo;t for a moment entertain the belief that such
+power belongeth to man, nor that I, one of the most sinful of
+God&rsquo;s creatures, have authority over the ruler of
+darkness.&nbsp; However, as your cattle are afflicted, I will
+step up in the morning, and examine them.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m so thankful to yoo, Misther Jones, for your
+kindness.&nbsp; I shall now go whome with a lighter heart than I
+came, for I know you will break the witch&rsquo;s
+spell.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>I thought Mr. Jones would give her a lecture about her faith
+in his power.&nbsp; However, for this she waited not; for on
+securing his promise she rose from her chair, and took her
+departure, wishing us both a hearty good-night.</p>
+<p>In about a quarter of an hour after Mrs. Lloyd had left, who
+should walk into the study but Mrs. McGee, who took possession of
+Mrs. Lloyd&rsquo;s seat without any invitation from the
+vicar.&nbsp; When she had made herself comfortable before the
+blazing fire of wood on the hearth, Mr. Jones addressed
+her:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why are you out so late to-night, Molly?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page97"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+97</span>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve come to speak with you on
+business.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But it is rather late for business now.&nbsp; Why did
+you not come earlier?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t do so.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Because Mrs. Lloyd had not visited you till
+to-night.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But what had her visit to do with you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Everything; &rsquo;cause she come to tell you a tale
+&rsquo;bout me.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I fear, Molly, she has a very just cause of complaint,
+against you especially, if reports be true.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Bad luck to her, and all she has, Mr. Jones!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Withdraw that word this moment, Molly; or,&rdquo; his
+piercing eye being fixed on the woman, which appeared to enter
+her soul, &ldquo;I must use my power&mdash;that is, I must
+request you to leave my house this instant.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But don&rsquo;t you think she was a hard-hearted woman
+not to give a poor body a dhrop of buttermilk?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t say that, Molly; but if she be <a
+name="page98"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 98</span>hard-hearted,
+there is no reason why any one should wish her ill.&nbsp; I must,
+therefore, insist on your withdrawing your wish.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;If I do so, Mister Jones, it wonnot be for her, but for
+your sake, who has always been kind to me.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You have spoken like a sensible woman, Molly.&nbsp; I
+have one more request to make, Mrs. McGee; that is, promise me
+you won&rsquo;t go near Mrs. Lloyd again.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Dear-a-me, you are a strange mon, parson.&nbsp; Between
+you an&rsquo; me and the post, I&rsquo;ve no wish to go near the
+likes of her, as she has no pity on a poor starving
+woman.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;As you have now promised me not to go near Mrs. Lloyd,
+just go into the kitchen and get some supper, and make haste
+home, for it is getting late.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>When Mrs. McGee left us, I also left to depart.&nbsp; On the
+ensuing afternoon I was informed, that before daylight next
+morning, Mr. Jones, before the family were up, had paid a visit
+to Mrs. Lloyd&rsquo;s cow-house, and had given to each beast a
+small ball made up of herbs.&nbsp; <a name="page99"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 99</span>When these were swallowed the cattle
+appeared scarcely able to contain themselves for delight.&nbsp;
+Mr. Jones saw by their appearance that his medicine (?) had
+proved successful; so calling up the family, he informed them
+that the spell was broken.&nbsp; The cows no longer refused to
+give milk, and Mrs. Lloyd even declared that it was superior in
+quality to what she previously had.&nbsp; Subsequently, she
+experienced no difficulty in her churning operations.&nbsp; The
+fame of Mr. Jones spread, in consequence, far and wide, and,
+unfortunately for his own peace and comfort, applications to him
+for assistance, when the witches had afflicted man or beast,
+became incessant.</p>
+<h3><a name="page100"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+100</span>PARSON JONES&rsquo;S TALE OF NAT THE SMITH AND THE
+THREE WISHES.</h3>
+<p>It was a dreary night in the month of December when there sat
+in the chimney-corner of the Jolly Fiddler&mdash;which, as you
+know, is the chief public-house in the little village of
+Nantglyn&mdash;Nat the smith.&nbsp; Nat, as you are aware, is a
+real good fellow, and a hard-working man, but, unfortunately, he
+is terribly fond of his beer.&nbsp; I have been told that he has
+spent a little fortune at the Jolly Fiddler, and I can well
+believe it, for he pays nightly visits to the house, which he
+never leaves until he has had two quarts of ale; and I fear that
+latterly he has not confined himself to that quantity.&nbsp;
+However, I am anticipating this part of my story, and must first
+narrate, as succinctly as possible, the incidents of Nat&rsquo;s
+life during the past seven years.&nbsp; Besides, I am anxious to
+finish telling you the story to-night, though I am not sure I can
+complete it, as there is a gap in the history of my friend Nat
+which <a name="page101"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+101</span>has not yet been made up.&nbsp; With the above remarks
+by way of introduction, we will now go back to the dreary night
+of December already alluded to.</p>
+<p>After Nat had sat for some time in the chimney-corner at the
+Jolly Fiddler, he called out to the landlord,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Another quart, Bill; and mind it&rsquo;s from the
+barrel in the corner.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;All right, Nat,&rdquo; replied the landlord; &ldquo;you
+shall ha&rsquo; a quart of the best.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Here&rsquo;s the sixpence, Bill,&rdquo; said Nat, when
+the ale was placed before him on the table; &ldquo;and, upon my
+soul, I&rsquo;ve not another copper left.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Never mind about the money, Nat; I&rsquo;ll trust you
+for as much as you like to drink.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Thee knows, Will, I never allow scoring for beer.&nbsp;
+Ready money or no ale, is my motto.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And a good motto it is, Nat.&nbsp; Oh, I wish all my
+customers was like you; for if they was, I should have no fear of
+being marched off to Lunnun (London) to be
+whitewashed.&rdquo;&nbsp; (A <a name="page102"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 102</span>provincialism implying the passing
+the Bankruptcy Court.)</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There is no danger of me going up there, Will,&rdquo;
+rejoined Nat.&nbsp; &ldquo;&rsquo;Cause why, no one will trust
+me.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Dunna thee say that, Nat; for thee knows very well that
+I&rsquo;ll trust thee.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Trust or no trust, Will, here goes,&rdquo; and putting
+the jug of foaming ale to his mouth he drank a good draught; and
+then smacking his lips, said, &ldquo;Upon my word, this is the
+real &lsquo;cwrw da.&rsquo;&nbsp; A quart of this is worth a
+gallon of the last brewing.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;So it ought to be, Nat; for I put four bushels of best
+malt to this barrel in the corner.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no mistake, Bill, about its strength; and
+between us, as old friends, my only fear is that I shall not be
+able to get my fair allowance of it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh! of that you need not be afraid, Nat; &rsquo;cause
+why, I only give this beer to my constant and my very best
+customers, and&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Of which I am one, I s&rsquo;pose you was going to
+say.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page103"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+103</span>&ldquo;And if I had said so, Nat, I should ha&rsquo;
+spoken the literal truth.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>During the above conversation a gentleman, unperceived by the
+landlord and his best customer, entered the kitchen of the Jolly
+Fiddler.&nbsp; He was clad in a suit of black, over which he wore
+a long cloak of invisible green, the bottom of which trailed on
+the ground.&nbsp; He had on his head a felt wideawake, which was
+so inclined in front that his eyes were not perceptible, while
+the rest of his face was shut from view by an immense quantity of
+long, smooth, glossy hair, which descended over and below his
+shoulders.&nbsp; He had entered the kitchen of the Jolly Fiddler
+silently, and taking up a position between the door and
+chimney-corner in which the smith was sitting, and at the
+landlord&rsquo;s back, his presence was unperceived by
+both.&nbsp; On that spot he had stood during the conversation
+between Nat and Bill, to which he had listened with great
+attention.&nbsp; When the landlord turned away from his friend
+Nat, to attend to the duties of his house, he was astonished to
+find the presence of the stranger, whose <a
+name="page104"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 104</span>strange
+appearance struck him with awe, and his tongue clove to the roof
+of his mouth.&nbsp; However he summoned up his courage, and
+taking a slanting direction, he escaped through a side door into
+the little back parlour of the inn.</p>
+<p>Nat was not a spectator of this scene.&nbsp; When Will left
+him, he took his quart of ale in his hand, and composing himself
+in the chimney corner, he sat there, intently watching the
+glowing wood-fire before him.&nbsp; There he sat, now and then
+sipping his ale, as professed wine-drinkers sip their port,
+remarking to himself, after each succeeding draught, &ldquo;This
+is capital stuff! it warms the cockles of one&rsquo;s heart as it
+goes down; but, poor me! when, oh when, shall I have sixpence in
+my pocket to buy another quart?&nbsp; Oh, it&rsquo;s a sad thing
+to be poor in this rich land of plenty!&nbsp; It&rsquo;s not
+right for me and my class to starve for good ale, when our
+wealthy neighbours have their cellars full, and plenty of gold to
+buy more.&nbsp; If I was rich, the poor man should never want for
+a pint or a jug of the real &lsquo;cwrw da.&rsquo;&nbsp; Ah, me!
+I sha&rsquo; never be rich.&nbsp; I&rsquo;m born to be <a
+name="page105"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 105</span>poor, and
+to labour as them sparks fly up the chimney.&nbsp; It&rsquo;s
+sad, very sad, and heart-breaking, to have an empty pocket when
+one&rsquo;s soul is thirsty.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Nat sat thus musing and talking to himself for nearly half an
+hour.&nbsp; At last he finished his ale, and then, taking his
+stick in his hand, rose to go home.&nbsp; There was no one in the
+kitchen now.&nbsp; Nat thought this very strange, as Bill was
+generally about; but he fancied, as he rose to depart, that he
+saw the shadow of a human form on the wall.&nbsp; Of this he took
+no particular notice at the time; but, on listening to
+Will&rsquo;s story the following day, Nat felt that the supposed
+shadow was a terrible reality.</p>
+<p>Nat left the inn with a heavy heart.&nbsp; It is true he had
+had his quart of good ale, but he thought that, as work was
+slack, he would have considerable difficulty &ldquo;in raising
+the wind&rdquo; for several days, and this affliction had a
+depressing influence on his spirits.&nbsp; At last he reached the
+little wicket gate leading from the highway to his cottage; but
+on his opening <a name="page106"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+106</span>it, he was awe-struck on seeing coming from his house
+along the garden-path, a gentleman clad in deep mourning.&nbsp;
+As there was something in the appearance of the gentleman Nat did
+not like, he attempted to avoid him by leaving the path free; but
+when Nat turned out of the path the figure turned too, and came
+up, meeting the smith face to face, and addressed him
+thus:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You are rather late to-night, Mr. Smith.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;If I be late, sir,&rdquo; retorted Nat, &ldquo;I do not
+see it&rsquo;s any business of yours.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be angry with me, friend, I meant no harm,
+for my object in meeting you here is to afford you help and
+counsel.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I need, sir, no man&rsquo;s help,&rdquo; replied Nat;
+&ldquo;and when I require advice I&rsquo;ll seek it at the house
+of a friend.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But, friend Vulcan, I can give you the help which no
+<i>man</i> can.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Give it then, sir, to those who seek; as for me I
+desire it not.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You are poor, friend, and penniless.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But is poverty, sir, a crime?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page107"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+107</span>&ldquo;Oh no, friend, poverty is not a crime; but you
+must own, Mr. Smith, that an empty pocket is very inconvenient
+for a thirsty soul.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How do you know, sir, that my pocket&rsquo;s
+empty?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My knowledge of the fact, friend, is derived from your
+own confession.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But, sir, I never confessed to you, &rsquo;cause why, I
+never saw you before.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You speak truly on that point, friend Vulcan;
+nevertheless, I must tell you I heard your confession to-night at
+the Jolly Fiddler.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I did not see you there, sir.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Perhaps not.&nbsp; I was there, notwithstanding; and I
+heard you declaring to Will, the landlord, that you then parted
+with the last sixpence.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;If I&rsquo;ve spent all, sir, I can work and earn
+more.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, sir, you can work: but I know you do not like work;
+and if you will comply with my wishes, you shall have all you
+require without working another hour.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What is your wish, sir, and the nature of your
+service?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page108"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+108</span>&ldquo;I will tell you, Mr. Vulcan, in a few
+words.&nbsp; But, first, let me say that I take a deep interest
+in you, and am supremely anxious to promote your welfare.&nbsp;
+Now, if you will consent to become my son, at the expiration of
+seven years from this hour, I will grant you any three things you
+might desire, whatever they may be.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You&rsquo;ll do what, sir?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll grant you any three things&mdash;riches,
+wealth, possessions, or anything else.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And for these benefits, what do you require from
+me?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;All I require, Mr. Nat, is that, at the expiration of
+seven years, you will acknowledge me as your master.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Indeed, sir,&mdash;that is, I don&rsquo;t know what to
+say to your proposal.&nbsp; Now I&rsquo;m a free man, and
+I&rsquo;d rather be my own master than be the slave of
+another.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But, friend, when you have plenty of money you will be
+your own master, and besides, with a full pocket you can drink as
+much as you like of Will&rsquo;s best beer.&nbsp; I shall
+guarantee in the bond your pockets shall be always
+full.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page109"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+109</span>&ldquo;To-morrow night, if you will meet me, I will
+give you an answer.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;To-morrow, friend, it will be too late.&nbsp; Your
+decision must be now or never.&nbsp; If you desire a merry and a
+jolly life, having a full pocket and plenty of good ale, sign
+this bond, which read for yourself.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Nat took the document from the hand of the stranger, which he
+carefully read twice over.&nbsp; When completing its second
+perusal, he remarked that it appeared all right, though not
+wholly satisfactory as it contained no sentence <i>securing the
+blessings</i> for which he had to wish <i>during the seven
+years</i>.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Will it be satisfactory to you then, friend, if words
+to that effect are added?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, sir,&rdquo; replied Nat.</p>
+<p>The stranger then wrote upon the bond the words Nat desired
+should be added, and presenting it to the smith, he at once
+signed the document, when, on its being done, the stranger
+vanished out of his sight, leaving Nat there in darkness and
+alone.&nbsp; However, he ultimately <a name="page110"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 110</span>found the door of his cottage, and,
+on entering, went at once to bed.</p>
+<p>It was noon on the succeeding morning before Nat awoke.&nbsp;
+He had, like all beer and spirit drinkers, slept himself
+sober.&nbsp; When he was aroused from his slumbers, he began to
+think over the previous night&rsquo;s scene, and, step by step,
+he was at last able to trace the whole of his doings from the
+time he left home until his return, and then he fully realized
+his present position.&nbsp; The sad fact that he had sold himself
+body and soul to the arch-fiend was now a terrible reality.&nbsp;
+&ldquo;I have been a fool, and no mistake,&rdquo; said he to
+himself; &ldquo;but what&rsquo;s done can&rsquo;t be
+helped.&nbsp; Here is the bond, the conditions of which I&rsquo;m
+bound to carry out.&rdquo;&nbsp; He then got up, and dressed
+himself, and going downstairs, he found his dinner, which
+consisted of potatoes and milk, on the table.&nbsp; After
+partaking of a portion of the dinner his too-indulgent wife had
+prepared for him, addressing his faithful Betsy he unconsciously
+exclaimed:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I wish, old girl, we had fried bacon with the
+potatoes.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page111"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 111</span>No
+sooner had the words escaped his lips than there appeared before
+him on the little round table a plateful of savoury bacon, on
+which he was so enraged with his own want of prudence, that he
+wished it and its contents under the grate, when it was removed
+thither by some invisible hand.&nbsp; Nat, on witnessing this,
+foamed with passion, and danced and cursed and swore like one
+possessed with the evil one.&nbsp; He carried on his ravings for
+some time to the astonishment of his wife, as she could not
+divine the cause of his strange conduct; and amid one of his fits
+of rage he exclaimed, &ldquo;Oh, that I had a jug of Will&rsquo;s
+best beer, for my mouth and my tongue are on fire!&rdquo;&nbsp;
+In a moment the foaming ale was placed on the table, and Nat
+swallowed it at a single draught.&nbsp; When he placed the empty
+jug on the table, he said, addressing his wife:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;O Betsy! what a fool I&rsquo;ve been.&nbsp; I was
+promised riches, possessions, and honours, if I&rsquo;d do a
+particular thing, but my only reward is a jug of ale.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>From that day Nat was an altered man.&nbsp; He ceased his
+visits to the Jolly Fiddler.&nbsp; <a name="page112"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 112</span>Occasionally he was to be found in
+his shop, but more frequently he might be seen walking up and
+down the mountain-side alone, with an air of pensive sadness on
+his brow.&nbsp; As years rolled on he became more dejected and
+depressed in spirits, the cause of which was known to no
+mortal.&nbsp; He did not even tell his wife the terrible secret
+of his unhappiness.&nbsp; Years and years passed on with this
+heavy load on his heart.&nbsp; At last it came to the very day
+but one when he had to fulfil the condition of the bond.&nbsp;
+Why or wherefore I do not know, but the thought struck him about
+me, and thinking, perhaps, that I could afford him some little
+aid, he started off yesterday morning, and he spent several hours
+with me here last night.&nbsp; He told me the whole of his tale,
+and when he had completed its recital, I said to him very kindly,
+but firmly,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You have done, my friend, a very wicked
+thing.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;O sir, I know I have; but my heart is so depressed,
+pray do not, therefore, upbraid me now, but try and afford me
+some assistance.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page113"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+113</span>&ldquo;I really can&rsquo;t see my way to help you,
+especially as your enemy is so subtle.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But, my dear pastor, I think you can break the net in
+which he has caught me.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There is only one way of defeating him, Nat; that way
+is, by prayer and supplication for Divine help and guidance when
+the hour of your doom comes.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;O sir, I have poured out my whole soul to my Redeemer,
+but I&rsquo;ve received no answer to my prayer.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Relief, Nat, may yet come.&nbsp; Oh, don&rsquo;t cease
+in your petitions to the throne of mercy.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m terribly afraid, sir, that my sins are so
+black, there is no hope for me.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;While there is life, friend, there is hope; and even
+yet, at the eleventh hour, a way of escape may be opened to
+you.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Heaven be praised if there be, sir; but this bond is
+too explicit in terms, and he who holds the counterpart is too
+exacting, for me to hope for an escape.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You have the bond, then, Nat?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, sir! here it is.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page114"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+114</span>&ldquo;Have you received the benefits of its
+conditions?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The only benefit I received was one jug of beer.&nbsp;
+As for the bacon, that was devoured by the flames.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There is a line, which appears as an afterthought,
+added to the bond, namely, guaranteeing the security of the
+blessings wished for during a period of seven years.&nbsp; Do you
+now say, Nat, that you have not participated in the benefits of
+the wishes during the seven years?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I declare, sir, in the most solemn manner, that the
+only benefit I had was the jug of ale already referred
+to.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Now, Nat, I think I can help you out of your
+difficulty, and I will pray Heaven to succour and assist you in
+the terrible encounter awaiting you.&nbsp; But to insure success
+you must observe to the letter my directions.&nbsp; Will you
+promise me?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Most solemnly I promise to obey you to the
+letter.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You must fulfil your engagement with the enemy, and if
+he insists on your carrying out <a name="page115"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 115</span>the condition of the bond, then tell
+him to his face that you will not do so, unless he will first
+carry out <i>his</i> conditions about the seven years.&nbsp; If
+he refuses, then demand another wish, and as you have received no
+benefit from the previous ones, he will, I think, concede the
+point.&nbsp; If so, then let your wish be that something terrible
+might happen to him.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Now, said the parson to me, I can proceed no further with my
+tale.&nbsp; Every moment I am anxiously waiting news, or the
+return of Nat.&nbsp; If he comes you shall hear the rest of the
+story from his own lips,&mdash;whereupon Nat entered, and
+throwing up his hat to the top of the room, cried out, &ldquo;He
+is conquered! he is conquered!&nbsp; Hurrah for Parson
+Jones!&nbsp; Hurrah for the good Vicar of Llan! before whom both
+witches and devils flee.&rdquo;&nbsp; At last Nat became calm and
+composed, when he proceeded to complete the tale, which I tell in
+his own words:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I met the old chap at the appointed time and place,
+when he produced the bond, and asked me if I was ready to
+accompany him.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I said, said I, &lsquo;Not yet, my lord.&rsquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page116"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+116</span>&ldquo;&lsquo;Why?&rsquo; said he.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Because,&rsquo; said I, &lsquo;you have not
+fulfilled the conditions of the bond.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;In what have I failed?&rsquo; asked he.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;In this,&rsquo; said I, &lsquo;I was, by the
+bond, to enjoy the blessings for seven years, and I&rsquo;ve had
+only one jug of beer.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;But that was your fault,&rsquo; said he.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Whether it be my fault or not,&rsquo; said I,
+&lsquo;I will not come with you unless you fulfil your
+conditions.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;I will not wait for you another seven
+years,&rsquo; said he; &lsquo;but I will permit your having one
+more wish.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;You&rsquo;ll do what?&rsquo; said I.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;I will grant you the privilege of one more
+wish.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;You really will?&rsquo; said I.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Yes; but, mind, my only reason for granting
+it,&rsquo; said he, &lsquo;is that you appear to feel that I have
+taken an advantage of you.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Well, then,&rsquo; said I, &lsquo;I wish you on
+the back of your fiery dragon; and, then, that the dragon carry
+you straight to Llynfan, and that you both <a
+name="page117"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 117</span>be drowned
+in that lake, and never appear to disturb me more.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;When I had finished my wish there was a terrible clap
+of thunder, which shook the earth beneath me to its very
+foundation, and it was followed by a vivid flash of lightning
+which lit up the whole mountain; and, looking across the valley,
+I then saw both the dragon and its rider disappear in that
+fathomless llyn.&nbsp; When I saw this I dropped down upon the
+cold ground, and then poured forth my heart&rsquo;s thanksgivings
+to Him who had wrought me, through you, my dear pastor, so great,
+so glorious a victory.&rdquo;</p>
+<p style="text-align: center">
+<a href="images/p120b.jpg">
+<img alt=
+"Pont Aberglaslyn"
+title=
+"Pont Aberglaslyn"
+src="images/p120s.jpg" />
+</a></p>
+<h2><a name="page121"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+121</span>CADWGAN WYNN;<br />
+OR THE<br />
+LOST INHERITANCE REGAINED.</h2>
+<blockquote><p>Fled are the fairy views of hill and dale;<br />
+Sublimely throned on the steep mountain brow.<br />
+Stern nature frowns: her desolating rage<br />
+Driving the whirlwind, or swoln flood, or blast<br />
+Of fiery air imprisoned, from their base<br />
+Has wildly hurled the uplifted rocks around<br />
+The gloomy pass, where Aberglaslyn&rsquo;s arch<br />
+Yawns o&rsquo;er the torrent.&nbsp; The disjointed crags<br />
+O&rsquo;er the steep precipice in fragments vast<br />
+Impending, to the astonished mind recall<br />
+The fabled horrors by demoniac force<br />
+Of Lapland wizards wrought; who, borne upon<br />
+The whirlwind&rsquo;s wing, what time the vex&egrave;d sea<br />
+Dashed &rsquo;gainst Norwegia&rsquo;s cliffs, to solid mass<br />
+Turned the swoln billows, and the o&rsquo;erhanging waves<br />
+Fixed e&rsquo;er they fell.</p>
+</blockquote>
+<h3>CHAPTER I.<br />
+<i>SHADE AND LIGHT&mdash;SORROW&mdash;BUT HOPE IN
+SORROW</i>.</h3>
+<p>In the enchanting vale below Pont Aberglaslyn there stood,
+many many years ago, a small villa, which at the time of which we
+<a name="page122"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 122</span>write
+was covered over with ivy.&nbsp; Surrounding this beautiful rural
+retreat were gardens and pleasure grounds, which were designed
+and laid out with great artistic taste and skill in the
+arrangement of walks, shrubs, rose-trees, flowers, and
+evergreens.</p>
+<p>At the time our story commences, the villa was occupied by a
+gentleman whose family had seen better days; but, through the
+prodigality of ancestors and the vast sums they had squandered in
+horse-racing, cock-fighting, and gambling, the rent-roll of their
+estate which approached &pound;12,000 a year, now scarcely
+reached a hundredth part of that sum after the interest had been
+paid.&nbsp; Indeed, when the then owner came into possession of
+his patrimony on the death of his father, his net income barely
+reached &pound;6 a week.&nbsp; On discovering his pecuniary
+position, he felt he could no longer afford to occupy the family
+mansion, and like a wise man he prudently resolved to leave it,
+and remove to the villa we have already described.&nbsp; During
+the residence of the family at the old Hall, Mrs. Wynn&mdash;that
+<a name="page123"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 123</span>being
+the name of the family&mdash;left her household affairs to her
+servants, who unfortunately paid but little regard to domestic
+economy.&nbsp; However, when she took up her residence in her new
+abode she wisely undertook the chief management of her household;
+while Mr. Wynn devoted his time to the cultivation of the garden
+and superintending the education of his son and daughter.&nbsp;
+Both proved apt learners; what they learned they
+remembered.&nbsp; Whatever book they read, they retained its
+contents in their singularly retentive memories.&nbsp; In
+pursuing their studies, fortunately they had this great advantage
+in their favour,&mdash;namely, that their parent was a ripe
+scholar and an eminent man of letters, while as a teacher he
+possessed abilities of the highest order.&nbsp; Having such an
+instructor, no wonder his beloved pupils made such rapid
+progress.&nbsp; After teaching them thoroughly the rudiments, Mr.
+Wynn led on his children step by step to higher grounds; but in
+all his lessons he sought to instil into their young minds a
+strong and passionate desire, a <a name="page124"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 124</span>longing thirst, for knowledge, the
+possession of which had afforded him some of the happiest and the
+most pleasurable hours of his life.&nbsp; Thus occupied, year
+after year came and rolled by, and each revolving year brought
+increased happiness to the little family of the villa.&nbsp;
+Truly did they live in each other&rsquo;s love.</p>
+<p>When their son Cadwgan had attained his fifteenth year, his
+sister Gwenfan being two years younger, their father was on one
+Saturday called away to the ancient town of Carnarvon, in order
+to transact some special business with the family
+solicitor.&nbsp; When he left home in the morning he promised to
+return the same evening, but though his wife and children waited
+his return until midnight, he came not.&nbsp; At last, sick and
+weary at heart, they retired to rest; but during the remainder of
+the night they were not roused by his well-known knock at the
+hall-door.&nbsp; Early on the ensuing Sabbath morning, a special
+messenger arrived at the villa from Carnarvon, with the sorrowful
+intelligence that Squire <a name="page125"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 125</span>Wynn had been seized with a virulent
+attack of small-pox, a disease which was then fearfully raging in
+the town and neighbourhood, and the messenger urged Mrs. Wynn to
+hasten to the bedside of her husband, if she desired to see him
+alive.&nbsp; With an aching heart she kissed and bade adieu to
+her son and daughter, and hastened to the bedside of the almost
+lifeless form of him who had ever been the light of her eyes and
+the joy of her heart.&nbsp; She saw at the first glance that the
+hour of his departure had come.&nbsp; She threw herself on the
+bed by his side, when he tenderly embraced her, saying,
+&ldquo;Heaven bless you, my angel!&rdquo; and then pointing his
+finger upwards, &ldquo;Meet me there, and bring our dear ones
+with you.&rdquo;&nbsp; He then heaved a deep sigh, and his spirit
+took its flight to the <i>gwlad well</i> (the better land).&nbsp;
+Before that day&rsquo;s sun had descended into the western sea,
+Mrs. Wynn was attacked with the same fatal malady; and before the
+dawn of the following morning, her gentle and loving spirit had
+fled its earthly tabernacle for the <a name="page126"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 126</span>land of eternal and ethereal
+joy.&nbsp; Thus were their children bereft of both father and
+mother in a single day, and before they were made acquainted with
+the terrible loss they had sustained, the forms they loved so
+well had been placed in the same tomb.</p>
+<p>To the children the Monday and Tuesday following were days of
+anxious thought.&nbsp; No tidings had reached them of the sad
+event that had happened.&nbsp; It was late on Tuesday evening
+that a kind friend arrived from the solicitor bringing the sad
+intelligence of their parents&rsquo; decease.&nbsp; They were
+overwhelmed with sorrow on account of their loss.&nbsp; Days and
+days elapsed before they could realize their position.&nbsp; At
+last they were painfully impressed with the fact that they were
+alone in the world.&nbsp; No loving word now, in welcome and
+joyous voice, greeted them on entering their home.&nbsp; The
+arm-chair in which their father sat evening after evening, when
+he was used to tell them tales of years that had gone, and the
+couch on which their mother reclined before retiring to her
+bedroom, were <a name="page127"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+127</span>both unoccupied.&nbsp; The sudden death of both, taken
+in connection with the responsibilities of the present and their
+anxieties pertaining to the future, nearly broke their young and
+tender hearts.&nbsp; But they sorrowed not as those who had no
+hope.&nbsp; From childhood they had been taught to love the dear
+Name which is above every name, and confident of His favour, and
+with full reliance on the promise that He would be a father to
+the fatherless, their gentle spirits became calm and
+peaceful.&nbsp; Moreover, they looked forward to a bright
+immortality, when they would join those whom their souls
+loved.&nbsp; Thus, as day after day came and departed, they
+became more resigned to their lot.&nbsp; Their griefs were
+assuaged by night voices from the world above.&nbsp; Often, in
+the evening twilight, they heard whispers from the spirits of the
+dear departed ones.&nbsp; And the spirits said, after a few more
+years of toil, of labour, of sorrow, of anxiety and trouble, you
+will come up hither, and then you shall mingle your voices with
+ours, in praising Him, who has <a name="page128"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 128</span>washed us from our sins in His own
+blood.&nbsp; That day there will be a joyous reunion in this
+spirit world where parting is no more.</p>
+<h3><a name="page129"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+129</span>CHAPTER II.<br />
+<i>AN INHERITANCE LOST</i>, <i>BUT A FRIEND FOUND</i>.</h3>
+<p>&ldquo;Is not this a lovely April morning?&rdquo; remarked
+Cadwgan to his sister, as they walked hand-in-hand across the
+lawn.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It is, indeed, a most lovely morning, brother.&nbsp;
+And is not the scene around most enchanting?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You, Gwenfan, have always been a great admirer of the
+spring.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And you, dear Cadwgan, have been its enthusiastic
+admirer.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I have loved it, my dear sister, because it is the
+season of the year when nature puts on its most joyous
+apparel.&nbsp; The trees and flowers, the hedgerows and forests,
+the cornfields and meads, all all are decked in their green
+robes.&nbsp; When spring comes, after the deathlike appearance of
+winter with its cold and chilling air, nature springs into new
+life; <a name="page130"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+130</span>the trees send forth their green leaves, the rose its
+blossom, the meadows put on their usual dress, and Nature appears
+to say to all, Come, come, and behold my triumphant resurrection
+from the death of winter.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And does not the animal creation, my brother,
+participate in the glories of spring?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Sister, oh, do listen to the joyous melody of the
+skylark, and see, see how he mounts higher and higher, and sings
+as he ascends!&nbsp; From yon thorny bush don&rsquo;t you hear
+the blackbird&rsquo;s sweet notes? while the mellow bullfinch
+answers those notes from yonder sylvan grove.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It is love, my dearest brother, that creates this
+music; all this waste of melody is the heavenly voice of sweetest
+love.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t say, my dear sister, that this melody is
+wasted.&nbsp; Music is never wasted when there are people
+listening to its soothing and joyous strains.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But people, Cadwgan, do not always give ear to the
+charming voices of these winged songsters.&nbsp; And are there
+not hundreds, and <a name="page131"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+131</span>perhaps thousands, who fail to appreciate, who are
+never moved by, their enchanting notes?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That there are persons, my wise sister, who listen
+unmoved to the melody of birds, I would be the last to deny; but
+is there not an equally large number of persons who see no beauty
+in verdant glades, in the bubbling crystal fountain, in the
+rippling streamlet, and in the flowers as they open their petals
+to draw in the morning dewdrop?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;As you have referred to flowers, come, dear Cadwgan,
+and look at my smiling blushing roses.&nbsp; Oh, they look so
+lovely!&nbsp; Exquisitely beautiful are they, and their perfume
+fills the morning air with the most delicious
+fragrance.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;They are, my dear Gwenfan, most beautiful; but pray
+tell me the secret of your success in training them to so great a
+perfection.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That I can explain in a few words.&nbsp; I have nursed
+them well.&nbsp; I have paid them as much attention as I have
+paid to my birds, and I <a name="page132"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 132</span>love them almost as
+much,&mdash;don&rsquo;t I, pretty, smiling, blushing
+roses?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It will be hard for you to part with this lovely
+dwelling, won&rsquo;t it, Gwenfan; especially as it is endeared
+to us by so many happy and hallowed associations?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But we shan&rsquo;t leave here, brother; shall
+we?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am afraid we shall be obliged to do so,
+sister.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am so sorry to hear you say so.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am sorry too, to break the news to you.&nbsp; The
+thought of leaving our dear home almost breaks my
+heart.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I had hoped, Cadwgan, never to say adieu to the abode
+of our beloved parents, though the void created by our sad
+bereavement can never be filled up.&nbsp; But, if we must leave,
+whither shall we go?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;At present, my darling sister, I know not where we
+shall have to pitch our tent; but our heavenly Father, in His
+good providence, will, if we trust Him, provide for us a
+shelter.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page133"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+133</span>&ldquo;I do love and trust Him, my dear brother; but,
+oh, at this moment, the future appears to me dark and
+beamless.&nbsp; I fail to see even a fringe of the cloud with a
+silver lining.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But if we look to the light, our future may still be
+bright and joyous; as will be the appearance of yonder vale when
+the dark cloud you see up there passes away.&nbsp; In a few
+minutes this sylvan dell will be lighted up by the golden beams
+of the morning sun.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Look, brother, look!&nbsp; The cloud is rapidly moving
+on its journey.&nbsp; The rays of the king of day will soon fall
+upon and penetrate both woodland and brake, warming and cheering
+the dwellers in mossy beds and grassy mounds, imparting hope and
+joy to all.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;So may it be with us, dear Gwenfan.&nbsp; When we least
+expect aid from on high, that aid comes, and at once the darkness
+and gloom are chased away.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>But here his sister called her brother&rsquo;s attention to a
+lady driving a pony carriage.&nbsp; &ldquo;I declare,&rdquo; she
+said, &ldquo;the lady is coming to <a name="page134"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 134</span>the villa.&nbsp; See! see! her
+servant has opened the entrance gate at the bottom of the
+lawn.&nbsp; Oh, who can she be?&nbsp; Do you expect any one to
+visit us, brother?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I expect no one, but hope that she may be a messenger
+of good, not of evil; a harbinger of comfort, and not the bearer
+of bad tidings and thus increase our affliction and sorrow.&nbsp;
+Our cup of grief is already full and overflowing.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>As the carriage approached nearer to the villa, the children
+saw that its occupant was clad in deep mourning, and that she
+resembled some one whom they well knew, but whom they could not
+at the moment recollect.&nbsp; Presently, the carriage was driven
+up to the door, and the lady inquired of the orphans if the house
+was called Bryn Villa, and if they were the children of Mr. and
+Mrs. Wynn.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am, madam, their son,&rdquo; replied Cadwgan,
+&ldquo;and this is my sister Gwenfan.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;May I presume to ask the name of the lady who takes
+care of you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page135"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+135</span>&ldquo;We have no one taking care of us, madam,&rdquo;
+replied Gwenfan.&nbsp; &ldquo;I look after my brother, and he
+looks after me.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But have you no one with you,&mdash;no grown up person
+in charge of the house, and in charge of its
+management?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We have only a maid-servant in the house,
+ma&rsquo;am,&rdquo; answered the brother; &ldquo;and she has been
+with us since we were little ones.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You are then, my dears, left alone in the world.&nbsp;
+Unless I have been misinformed, you have lost both
+parents.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Both are dead, ma&rsquo;am,&rdquo; answered Gwenfan,
+weeping; &ldquo;and neither my brother nor I am aware of having a
+single relative living.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Had not your papa a sister?&rdquo; inquired the
+lady.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We never heard dear papa speak of a sister, or any
+relative,&rdquo; answered Cadwgan.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Dear me, sir, that is certainly very strange; because I
+happen to know of his having a sister, whom he loved very
+dearly.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Of her, ma&rsquo;am,&rdquo; replied the youth,
+&ldquo;papa never spoke.&nbsp; I remember hearing him say, <a
+name="page136"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 136</span>he had no
+one left in the world to care for, except dear mamma and
+us.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;For the present we will say no more on the
+subject.&nbsp; But having driven many a long mile, my dears,
+since the morning, and still having a long journey before me, I
+must claim your hospitality for food for my servant and
+pony.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You are heartily welcome, ma&rsquo;am, to partake of
+the best our house can afford,&rdquo; replied the children.&nbsp;
+&ldquo;Your servant will perhaps drive the pony into the yard,
+and he will find there our man servant who will attend to his
+wants.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The lady then descended from her phaeton, and was conducted by
+the children into the house.&nbsp; During the time refreshments
+were being prepared she made a minute inspection of the
+parlour.&nbsp; When she had thoroughly surveyed it, and was about
+to take a rest on the sofa, she saw what appeared to be a
+picture, but the likeness was shut from view by a curtain of
+green baize which hung over and covered both the picture and
+frame.&nbsp; The <a name="page137"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+137</span>lady&rsquo;s curiosity was aroused, but just then she
+heard the footsteps of the servant and the children in the
+passage; but before they entered the room, she had succeeded in
+drawing aside the baize, and had a glimpse of the likeness
+beneath.&nbsp; When the children entered they perceived that the
+lady appeared slightly agitated, though, necessarily, they were
+wholly ignorant of its cause.</p>
+<p>During the time she was engaged in partaking of the
+refreshments which had been provided her, she talked and chatted
+away on all manner of topics, but studiously avoided making any
+allusion to herself.&nbsp; She asked the children many questions
+about people in the neighbourhood, particularly about Mrs. Jones,
+of the Glen; her sons and daughters, if they were all married,
+and did they reside in the locality.&nbsp; She specially asked if
+young Squire Jones were still a bachelor.</p>
+<p>The children gave their visitor an account of the several
+families she inquired for, and informed her that Mr. Jones was
+still single, that he resided at the Glen, and had <a
+name="page138"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 138</span>succeeded
+to his uncle&rsquo;s property, which brought in some
+&pound;12,000 a year.</p>
+<p style="text-align: center">* * * * *</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And you never heard, my dears, your papa mentioning
+relatives either living or dead.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Indeed, we don&rsquo;t recollect our papa making any
+allusion to relatives, except,&rdquo; said Cadwgan, &ldquo;on one
+occasion, when he said to mamma, &lsquo;I am afraid she is dead;
+for were she alive she would certainly write to
+us.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I know, my dears, to whom he referred, and think I can
+satisfy you that she is not dead, but still lives.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Any information, ma&rsquo;am,&rdquo; replied the youth,
+&ldquo;with which you can furnish us will place us under deep
+obligations to you.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Have you, my dears, ever seen the picture under the
+green baize?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No, ma&rsquo;am.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then you don&rsquo;t know whose likeness it
+is?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Indeed, ma&rsquo;am,&rdquo; replied the brother and
+sister, &ldquo;we don&rsquo;t.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Tell me, my dears,&rdquo;&mdash;removing the <a
+name="page139"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+139</span>covering,&mdash;&ldquo;tell me if you have ever seen
+any one like that portrait.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>For a moment the children hesitated; and after looking first
+at the portrait and then at the lady, said, &ldquo;The picture,
+ma&rsquo;am, is very like you; or you resemble the
+portrait.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You are quite right, my loves.&nbsp; Your dear papa was
+my brother, and you, my dears, are my nephew and niece.&nbsp;
+Come to my arms, and be assured that, as far as I can, I will
+make up for the loss you have sustained.&nbsp; I will love you
+deeply, fondly, ardently; and for my brother&rsquo;s sake, and
+that of your kind, gentle, and loving mother, who was as dear to
+me as my dear sister Gwenfan, who was the light and joy of our
+homes, and for your own sakes, I will be your guide, your friend,
+your counsellor and stay.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>In a moment the children were locked in the tender and loving
+embrace of their aunt.&nbsp; They all wept, though their sorrows
+were mixed with joy.&nbsp; To some extent the discovery thus made
+relieved the sadness and gloom of the hour.&nbsp; In the hour of
+gloom, when aid was <a name="page140"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 140</span>least expected, a comforter had been
+found.&nbsp; But upon this scene we must not dwell.&nbsp; Their
+aunt was a woman of action, and rest with her was impossible
+until she had thoroughly mastered the children&rsquo;s
+affairs.&nbsp; Hence, as soon as she and her pony had had
+refreshment and an hour&rsquo;s rest, she, with her niece and
+nephew, started off for Carnarvon to see the family solicitor,
+and from that gentleman learnt that the old family estate of the
+Wynns was mortgaged to its full value, and that the mortgagee had
+now given notice to foreclose unless the sum borrowed was repaid
+within a month.&nbsp; &ldquo;To do this,&rdquo; said the
+solicitor, &ldquo;is, I fear, impossible, because the amount
+borrowed&mdash;&pound;80,000&mdash;is so large that in these
+times there are but few capitalists who have it at their
+command.&rdquo;&nbsp; He then gave it as his deliberate opinion
+that the best thing was for the mortgagee to sell, and if he
+realized a sum beyond the encumbrance, it might be invested for
+the joint use of the children.</p>
+<p>This advice was acted upon by the aunt and orphans.&nbsp; A
+few weeks after this <a name="page141"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 141</span>conversation, Wynn Castle and its
+domain and estate were sold by auction, the fortunate purchaser
+being a London merchant of great wealth, who during the first
+three years of its possession expended on improvements
+&pound;20,000.</p>
+<p>When the affairs of Wynn Castle were all arranged, Cadwgan
+resolved to seek his fortune in the wide wide world.&nbsp; His
+aunt and sister did their best to dissuade him from leaving home,
+but he turned a deaf ear to their arguments and entreaties.&nbsp;
+At last they reluctantly acquiesced, and it was finally arranged
+that his aunt and sister were to remain at the Villa (this house
+and grounds forming no part of the Wynn Castle estate), the
+former promising to supply as far as she was able the void which
+death had created.</p>
+<h3><a name="page142"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+142</span>CHAPTER III.<br />
+<i>THE WIDE WORLD</i>.</h3>
+<p>It was a beautiful summer morning when Cadwgan departed from
+the home of his love, the place endeared to him by so many happy
+associations.&nbsp; The parting scene between him and his sister
+was most painful.&nbsp; From childhood they had not been separate
+from each other a single day.&nbsp; Gwenfan&rsquo;s love for her
+brother was deep, ardent, and tender.&nbsp; Every want of his she
+anticipated, while she paid the minutest attention to his
+feelings, even in small and trivial matters.&nbsp; To part with
+her only brother was indeed a sore trial; but she now felt she
+could no longer resist his wishes, though the thought almost
+broke her heart.&nbsp; Then Cadwgan&rsquo;s grief was equally
+intense.&nbsp; He however felt that duty called him away; and
+somehow there came into his soul a conviction that a day might
+come when fortune would smile upon him, and on that day his
+sister would bless him for having <a name="page143"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 143</span>forsaken the joys of home with its
+smiles and sunshine, in obedience to what he regarded as a solemn
+duty.&nbsp; At last he tore himself away from his sister&rsquo;s
+and aunt&rsquo;s tender and affectionate caresses, leaving the
+home of his childhood; and before the sun was up, grand old
+Snowdon, with its circumjacent hills and mountain-tops, had
+disappeared from his view.&nbsp; However, he lingered not on his
+journey, but when the last old friend of his youth had
+disappeared he put on new speed, resolving to arrive at the
+metropolis of England and the world before the end of the
+following week.</p>
+<p>We shall not attempt to describe the journey and the incidents
+which occurred by the way.&nbsp; Suffice it to say, that in due
+course he reached the great city, and during the first few days
+after his arrival he wandered from street to street, traversing
+its parks, alleys, and great thoroughfares; and during those
+days&rsquo; wanderings he saw much of the busy scenes of city
+life, especially those places where merchant princes most do
+congregate.</p>
+<p>After being in London about a week, faint, <a
+name="page144"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 144</span>weary and
+worn, hungry and footsore, he sat down one evening in one of the
+recesses of London Bridge, and wept.&nbsp; Though thousands
+passed by not a soul took any notice of the sorrowing and weeping
+boy.&nbsp; As the shades of night began to fall faster and faster
+on the scene, the bridge became less crowded, and as the evening
+advanced, became almost deserted.&nbsp; The poor youth now
+thought seriously on his lonely and forlorn condition.&nbsp; To
+procure a bed was almost impossible, as he knew not where to go;
+and even if he did know, he could ill afford to spare two
+shillings&mdash;the sum his landlord had charged him the previous
+evening&mdash;because his little purse was nearly empty.&nbsp;
+When the few shillings which remained were gone, he saw no
+prospect before him but hunger and starvation, which he now
+considered would be his inevitable fate.&nbsp; He now repented of
+his somewhat rash act of leaving home before consulting with some
+one as to the best course he should pursue.&nbsp; But his
+repentance was too late.&nbsp; He placed himself in the hand of
+his heavenly Father, and prayed to Him for help and <a
+name="page145"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+145</span>guidance.&nbsp; That prayer brought peace to his
+troubled spirit.</p>
+<p>It was a beautiful and balmy summer night, and he asked
+himself the question, why could he not make himself quite
+comfortable there for a single night?&nbsp; Having resolved to
+sleep there for one night at least, he at once commenced to
+arrange his pillow, which consisted of his carpet bag.&nbsp;
+Having placed the bag on the ledge between the parapet and the
+footpath, he lay down to sleep.&nbsp; Just as he was about to
+close his eyes a gentleman came up, and stepping on the ledge
+close to the youth&rsquo;s bag, looked over the parapet on the
+ebbing tide below.&nbsp; Having remained in that position a few
+minutes, he turned round for the purpose of descending to the
+regular path in order to continue his journey, but in his descent
+he saw the youth apparently asleep.&nbsp; He gazed on his
+countenance for a few moments, and said,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What are you doing there, my child, this time of
+night?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I hope, sir,&rdquo; replied Cadwgan, &ldquo;that my
+sleeping here for a night will not be wrong.&nbsp; <a
+name="page146"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 146</span>I&rsquo;m
+not in the way of any one, sir, and I won&rsquo;t do any
+mischief.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But have you no other place to go to, my child?&nbsp;
+You can procure a bed somewhere, can&rsquo;t you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I might possibly do so, sir, but I can&rsquo;t well
+spare the money to pay for a night&rsquo;s lodgings.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But have you no friends or relations in town, my boy,
+to whom you could apply for assistance?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve no friends in London, sir.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I presume you have relations in the country who are in
+a position to aid you.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve a sister, sir, but she is nearly three
+hundred miles from here.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Where did you come from, my child?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;From Wales, sir.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Is Wales your home&mdash;I mean your native
+country?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, sir.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;North or South Wales?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The North, sir.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Where in North Wales does your sister live?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page147"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+147</span>&ldquo;She lives at Bryn Villa, near Pont
+Aberglaslyn.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Surely, your name, my child, is not Wynn, is
+it?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That is my name, sir.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then you are the son of Squire Wynn, of Wynn
+Castle?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. Wynn was my father.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And how is that dear good man?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My father and mother, sir, are both dead.&nbsp; I have
+no one left to care for me but my sister, except my
+aunt.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am truly sorry to hear tidings so sad.&nbsp; What is
+your aunt&rsquo;s name?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Her name is Gwenfan Wynn, which is the name of my
+sister.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But are you not in error in calling her Wynn?&nbsp; I
+heard she got married some years ago.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My aunt was never married.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Are you sure of that, my child?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Quite sure, sir.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You greatly surprise me.&nbsp; I was given to
+understand she married a Scotch gentleman, many, many years
+ago.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page148"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+148</span>&ldquo;She did leave home with the intention of being
+married to a Mr. McDonel, but finding, fortunately before it was
+too late, that the representations he made of himself about his
+property, estate, and high connections, were all false, she broke
+off the match, and not wishing to return home then, when she
+would probably be subjected to perhaps unkind observations, took
+a situation in a nobleman&rsquo;s family then about to visit
+Italy, with whom she has lived until within the last few
+weeks.&nbsp; The family only recently returned to England, and on
+the evening after their arrival, my aunt saw in the <i>Times</i>
+the announcement of my parents&rsquo; death.&nbsp; She
+immediately left London, and came to us in Wales.&nbsp; She is
+now with my dear sister acting as her guardian and
+friend.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I thank you, my child, for your information.&nbsp; You
+must now accompany me to my residence.&nbsp; You shall not want
+for a home and a friend as long as Owen Jones lives.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But, sir, I do not wish, nor can I consent, to live on
+charity.&nbsp; I&rsquo;ve come up to London to work for my bread,
+and if Heaven smiles on my <a name="page149"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 149</span>efforts I shall attain an honourable
+independency.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;As to your future plans, my child, more anon.&nbsp; For
+the present my home must and shall be yours.&nbsp; When you have
+recovered from the fatigue of your journey, I will endeavour to
+obtain for you a situation in some respectable mercantile
+house.&nbsp; You must in the meantime be my guest.&nbsp; I hope
+happy days are in store for you.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The youth then rose from his couch (Mr. Jones had, during the
+above conversation, been sitting on the ledge of the parapet by
+his side), but when he attempted to move he almost fell down from
+exhaustion.&nbsp; His newly found friend, who had intended to
+have walked home, hailed a coach, which soon arrived at his
+house, which was a semi-detached villa, in Brixton.</p>
+<p>On their arrival, Mr. Jones introduced the youth to his wife
+and only daughter.&nbsp; The former on being informed who he was,
+welcomed him with affectionate cordiality.&nbsp; Mrs. Jones had
+known his father and mother years ago, she being a native of a
+village but a few miles from Wynn Castle.</p>
+<p><a name="page150"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 150</span>In
+his new home Cadwgan spent an exceedingly pleasant evening.&nbsp;
+He had to answer a thousand questions about people and families
+who resided in the vicinity of his far distant home among the
+mountains.&nbsp; At last he was permitted to retire to his room,
+and having had no sound sleep for several nights, and being weary
+and tired, was soon asleep.&nbsp; He awoke in the morning feeling
+he was almost a new man.</p>
+<p>At breakfast, Mr. Jones asked the youth what kind of
+employment would best meet his wishes.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am indifferent, sir, as to the kind of situation; my
+object and most anxious desire is to earn my living by hard
+work.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am extremely sorry, my young friend, that I have no
+vacancy for a young gentleman of your talents and education in my
+establishment.&nbsp; However, in the course of a few days I hope
+to succeed in procuring you a situation in one of the great city
+houses.&nbsp; In the meantime you are my guest.&nbsp; My wife and
+daughter shall take you out during the day, in order to <a
+name="page151"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 151</span>show you
+the lions of this great city; but in the evenings they must not
+monopolize your whole attention, as I have much to say to you and
+many inquiries to make about dear old friends in old Cambria,
+which has been to us a good and kind mother.&rdquo;&nbsp; Then
+turning to his wife he said,&mdash;&ldquo;Be sure to take
+particular care of our young visitor, and don&rsquo;t fail to
+bring him back without injury to health or limb.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You need be under no apprehension on that point,
+Owen,&rdquo; answered Mrs. Jones.&nbsp; &ldquo;No harm shall
+befall him when under my charge.&nbsp; I shall guard him from
+harm as if he were one of my own children.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I have no doubt you will, wife.&nbsp; I must now leave
+you.&nbsp; I hope you will spend a very pleasant day.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Mr. Jones then left, and proceeded to his house of business;
+but during his walk he thought, not of mercantile transaction or
+of his dear old native land, oh, no: his thoughts were wholly
+occupied with the adventure of the previous evening.</p>
+<p>Soon after the departure of Mr. Jones, his wife <a
+name="page152"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 152</span>and
+daughter and young Wynn started off for the purpose of seeing
+some of the wonders of London, but the day closed before they saw
+one hundredth part of its glories.&nbsp; Day after day they
+continued to drive about from one part of the metropolis to
+another, and during these excursions Cadwgan had acquired a
+pretty accurate knowledge of the geography of London.</p>
+<p>When at dinner on the following Sunday, Mr. Jones informed his
+young visitor of his having at last succeeded in procuring for
+him a situation as clerk in the old established house of Messrs.
+Davies, Roberts &amp; Company, the celebrated tea merchants, and
+that he was to commence his duties on the following Monday.&nbsp;
+This information was exceedingly cheering to the youth, as the
+certainty of employment was now assured.&nbsp; Not wishing to be
+under obligation to his friends longer than he could possibly
+help, he expressed a wish to procure lodgings in some respectable
+family at once, and asked Mr. Jones if he knew of any place in
+the neighbourhood likely to suit him.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll talk on that matter, my boy, another <a
+name="page153"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+153</span>time,&rdquo; replied Mr. Jones.&nbsp; &ldquo;For the
+present, at least, you must remain with us.&nbsp; If you do leave
+us in the way you propose, remember, be your stay in London long
+or short, you must consider our house your home.&nbsp; Before you
+can possibly make any arrangements you must first see if the
+situation will suit you; whether your employers like you, and you
+like them.&nbsp; If you give them satisfaction, and your position
+is likely to be permanent, why then we will, if you wish, permit
+you to leave us; and I&rsquo;ve no doubt but that Mrs. Jones and
+my daughter will find you comfortable apartments.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, sir, I&rsquo;m in your hands.&nbsp; You have
+overpowered me with kindness which I shall never be able to
+repay.&nbsp; When hungry, weary, and helpless, when friendless
+and without a ray of hope, you came to me as an angel of mercy,
+you took me into your house, and during my residence under your
+hospitable roof, Mrs. Jones and you have treated me as if I were
+your child.&nbsp; To you I shall always feel grateful; and come
+what may, your image will ever repose in my heart of
+hearts.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page154"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+154</span>&ldquo;Tut, tut! my boy, our kindness is nothing.&nbsp;
+If we have succeeded in making you happy, and in giving you a
+start in life, is not that a sufficient reward?&nbsp; But our
+little attention requites in a very small degree the obligations
+which I am under to your noble father&rsquo;s family.&nbsp; I am
+still their debtor to an amount I shall never be able to
+repay.&rdquo;</p>
+<h3><a name="page155"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+155</span>CHAPTER IV.<br />
+<i>THE VICTORY OF INNOCENCE</i>.</h3>
+<p>The establishment of Messrs. Davies, Roberts &amp; Company,
+was situated in one of those narrow streets, and was one of those
+dark and dingy-looking buildings, which were far from being
+uncommon in old London.&nbsp; The premises, however, were large
+and commodious, and were specially adapted for their important
+trade.&nbsp; When Cadwgan saw it for the first time, namely, on
+the morning succeeding the conversation between Mr. Jones and
+himself recorded in the previous chapter, he was painfully struck
+with the contrast it presented with his own light and airy home,
+surrounded as that home was by rich fields of pasture land and
+trees of every kind and hue.&nbsp; However, he was by no means
+disheartened, and was far from disposed to give up the contest in
+life&rsquo;s battle without a struggle, so he entered the
+building with his friend Mr. Jones cheerfully, and presently was
+asked into <a name="page156"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+156</span>the presence of Mr. Roberts, the head of the firm.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And this is the young gentleman you spoke to me about,
+friend Jones?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes.&nbsp; Mr. Cadwgan Wynn.&nbsp; I hope for the sake
+of our common country and our friendship, that you will not be
+unmindful of his interest.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;His progress here, friend Jones, will depend wholly
+upon himself.&nbsp; If he prove himself quick, painstaking, and
+honest, he shall not want a friend.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;His honesty and rectitude I will guarantee; and
+methinks as he comes from a shrewd stock, he will, with a few
+years&rsquo; experience, prove a valuable hand,&mdash;one whom it
+will be difficult for you to do without.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am aware, Jones, that I can fully rely on your
+recommendation.&nbsp; Now, Mr. Wynn, when will you be ready to go
+into harness?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am prepared, sir, to commence my duties at
+once.&nbsp; If convenient for you to make arrangements,
+I&rsquo;ll remain here to-day.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;By all means remain.&nbsp; Come, follow me, <a
+name="page157"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 157</span>and I will
+introduce you to Mr. McLiver, our chief cashier, in whose
+department you will be engaged for the present.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Mr. McLiver was a Scotchman, who had been in the service of
+the firm many years.&nbsp; From almost the lowest place, he had
+risen step by step until he attained the most important post in
+the house.&nbsp; In him the firm had unbounded confidence, and as
+he apparently managed his department with skill and economy Mr.
+Roberts permitted him to select nearly the whole of the clerks
+attached thereto.&nbsp; In less than two years from the date of
+his appointment to his present post he had managed, by hook or by
+crook, to get rid of nearly the whole of the old hands, and their
+places he supplied with Scotchmen of his own kith and kin.&nbsp;
+From the first day of entering the office, Mr. McLiver regarded
+Cadwgan as an intruder, an interloper; hence he looked upon the
+youth with aversion, and availed himself of every opportunity to
+vex and annoy him.&nbsp; But this was not all.&nbsp; Any little
+mistake Mr. Wynn might make in his books or accounts, was carried
+to Mr. <a name="page158"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+158</span>Roberts.&nbsp; But to these complaints he turned a deaf
+ear, while at the same time he strictly enjoined upon Mr. McLiver
+to take all possible care to have Cadwgan thoroughly instructed
+in all business matters; above all, that he should be made a good
+accountant.&nbsp; Though the Scotchman faithfully promised to
+carry out to the letter his employer&rsquo;s instructions, yet he
+intentionally refrained from doing so; while he continued to
+annoy the youth by making personal allusions to his country, and
+on more than one occasion he called him a Welsh blockhead.&nbsp;
+Of his conduct Cadwgan never made any complaint, nor did he make
+the slightest allusion to it, even to Mr. Jones.&nbsp; He worked
+on, was constantly labouring at his books and accounts, and in
+spite of the cashier he soon became a first-rate
+accountant.&nbsp; Before he had been in the establishment five
+years, he was the best man in the house as regarded profound
+knowledge of intricate details.</p>
+<p>On the afternoon of the fifth anniversary of his official
+life, Mr. Roberts called Cadwgan into his private office, and
+expressed to him the <a name="page159"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 159</span>high opinion he had formed of his
+ability and character; and to his great surprise informed him
+that being about to rearrange the work of the office, he had
+resolved to divide the office work into sections, and that it was
+his (Mr. Roberts&rsquo;) intention and wish that he should take
+the position of chief accountant in the establishment, and that
+there would be a number of clerks under him; that for the future
+Mr. McLiver would simply receive moneys due to the firm, and pay
+all demands against it, but all accounts must pass through the
+hands of the accountants, which should bear the chief&rsquo;s
+signature as being correct.</p>
+<p>Cadwgan&rsquo;s eyes filled with tears on being apprized of
+his promotion to so important a post, and he thanked Mr. Roberts
+from his heart of hearts for his confidence and kindness.</p>
+<p>The morning on which Mr. Wynn was to commence his new duties,
+Mr. McLiver repaired to Mr. Roberts&rsquo; private office, where
+he found that gentleman occupying his usual seat, engaged in
+reading the money article of that morning&rsquo;s
+<i>Times</i>.&nbsp; Addressing that <a name="page160"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 160</span>gentleman in a somewhat peremptory
+manner, he said he had just stepped in to ask if it was really
+true that the young Welshman was to be placed in such an
+important and responsible position in the establishment.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It is quite true, Mr. McLiver.&nbsp; The appointment
+has already been made, and in the opinion of my son and myself
+Mr. Wynn has richly earned the post assigned him.&nbsp; We are of
+opinion that, of all the clerks, he is by far the best qualified
+to discharge the duties of the office.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But consider, sir, my many years of faithful service in
+your house.&nbsp; I think that service merits some consideration
+from you.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But what is your wish, Mr. McLiver?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My wish, sir, is, that you confer this appointment upon
+my cousin.&nbsp; He has been longer in your employ than Wynn, and
+I am sure he possesses ability far superior to that of this young
+man.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That is quite impossible, Mr. McLiver.&nbsp; Mr.
+Wynn&rsquo;s appointment has already been made, and he has been
+duly informed of <a name="page161"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+161</span>my resolve.&nbsp; In fact he has accepted our
+offer.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;In that case, sir, I fear I must send in my
+resignation.&nbsp; I could not think of having my books and
+accounts overhauled by this intruder.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You may leave, sir, if you wish; and I will give you a
+cheque for your quarter&rsquo;s salary.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Am I right then in concluding you have lost confidence
+in me?&nbsp; Are you desirous that the connection between us be
+severed?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;By no means, sir.&nbsp; If you leave, it will be your
+own act and deed.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then you wish me to remain in your service?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Of course I do, Mr. McLiver.&nbsp; But you will bear in
+mind that all my arrangements and plans must be carried out to
+the letter.&nbsp; There must be no divided authority here, so
+long as I&rsquo;m master.&nbsp; I desire you to confine yourself,
+wholly, to the duties of your department, which require your
+undivided attention; and I will be answerable for the <a
+name="page162"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 162</span>proper
+discharge of the duties of the new accountant&rsquo;s
+office.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I bow to your decision, Mr. Roberts, and hope you will
+not have any cause to regret the arrangements you have
+made.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Of that, sir, time will tell.&nbsp; You, Mr. McLiver,
+will not have to make up my loss.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>McLiver, finding it was useless to press the matter further,
+wished his chief good morning, and returned to his own office in
+a very bad humour.</p>
+<p>On entering, he uttered the most awful imprecations against
+Welshmen in general, and Mr. Wynn in particular.&nbsp; He swore
+that he would be revenged.&nbsp; He turned to his cousin, and
+thus addressed him:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It is owing to you, you d&mdash;d scoundrel, that I owe
+my present disgrace.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;To me, sir!&nbsp; What the d&mdash;l do you
+mean?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I mean, Donald, that if you had been steady and honest
+and plodding, this calamity would not have befallen our
+clan.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page163"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+163</span>&ldquo;A fellow must have a spree, McLiver, now and
+then.&nbsp; That is human nature.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;D&mdash;n human nature!&nbsp; Donald, you talk like a
+fool.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry for you, cousin.&nbsp; I&rsquo;m truly
+sorry for you.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It is a d&mdash;d bad job for me, that you have
+indulged in dissipation to the extent you have.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But old Roberts has paid the piper, Mac, though he
+little suspects it.&nbsp; He is little aware where the money
+comes from to keep up your grand establishment.&nbsp; If he knew
+all wouldn&rsquo;t there be a jolly blow up!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You son of paupers, you parish &rsquo;prentice, if you
+talk to me in that way I&rsquo;ll knock your b&mdash;y head off
+your shoulders, by G&mdash;d I&rsquo;ll do it, though you be my
+father&rsquo;s brother&rsquo;s son.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Come, come, cousin; it won&rsquo;t do for thee and me
+to quarrel and fall out now.&nbsp; We&rsquo;ve sailed too long in
+the same boat&mdash;I mean, we&rsquo;ve dipped our fingers too
+deeply in the same till to peach upon each other, or to <a
+name="page164"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+164</span>quarrel.&nbsp; Methinks our present duty is to guard
+against being found out.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Your advice is good, Donald; but that our delinquencies
+will come to the knowledge of old Roberts, d&mdash;n him, is a
+matter of certainty.&nbsp; That young Welsh nincompoop imp has
+his eyes everywhere; his ears are always open.&nbsp; I should not
+be at all surprised even if our present talk reached him.&nbsp;
+For us it was an evil day when he came here.&nbsp; If I were sure
+of not being found out, I&rsquo;d soon put an end to his
+presence.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Bad as I am, cousin, I&rsquo;d not commit murder.&nbsp;
+That we must not do.&nbsp; Our best plan is to concoct some
+scheme to dethrone this upstart.&nbsp; Old Roberts has willed he
+should reign over us; be it our mission to bring him to the
+dust.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;A good suggestion, Donald.&nbsp; By gam! we must take
+care, though, to lay the snare well so as to be certain of our
+bird.&rdquo;</p>
+<p style="text-align: center">* * * * *</p>
+<p>During several months succeeding the above conversation the
+business of the house of Davies, <a name="page165"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 165</span>Roberts &amp; Company went on in its
+usual quiet way, but in those months the young Welshman and his
+staff had succeeded in overhauling the books of the firm for
+several years.&nbsp; At the accounts they had worked night and
+day.&nbsp; When the investigation had been completed his clerks
+knew nothing about the result, nor indeed of the object which
+they had in view in making so strict an investigation.&nbsp; So
+far Mr. Wynn had discovered defalcations amounting to nearly
+&pound;20,000, though the bottom of the peculation had not yet
+been reached.&nbsp; The books showed that McLiver had carried on
+his swindling in a regularly systematic manner, and had escaped
+detection for the reason that all his subordinates, which made up
+nearly the whole staff, were creatures of his
+own&mdash;principally his own kith and kin.&nbsp; When Cadwgan
+had completed his labours, he had ascertained, beyond the shadow
+of a doubt, that the amount abstracted was &pound;24,500.&nbsp;
+During the months he had been engaged in auditing the books,
+Cadwgan had made certain inquiries of houses with which his
+employers had had business <a name="page166"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 166</span>transactions, so he was in a
+position to prove by written evidence the particulars and the
+exact sum of each fraudulent transaction.&nbsp; These inquiries
+had been carried on privately; neither to Mr. Roberts, nor to any
+member of his staff, had he let fall a word calculated to awaken
+suspicion.&nbsp; It was late on a Saturday night when Cadwgan
+finished his labours.&nbsp; When descending from his office down
+to the large entrance hall, with his papers in his hand, he was
+surprised to find Mr. McLiver and his cousin Donald there.&nbsp;
+They did not stop to speak, but passed on into their own
+office.&nbsp; As they heard Mr. Wynn, before he descended, shut
+his office door and lock it, they naturally concluded he was the
+last person in the buildings.&nbsp; Presently, McLiver and Donald
+left the house together, the porter closing the door on their
+descending into the street.</p>
+<p>That evening was anxiously spent by Mr. Wynn.&nbsp; He retired
+to rest late, but slept not.&nbsp; That the facts he possessed
+would be most damaging to his arch-enemy there could be no doubt;
+that he might possibly be the means of <a
+name="page167"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 167</span>saving his
+employers from being ruined, was in his judgment equally
+certain.</p>
+<p>On the following Sunday morning Cadwgan paid a visit to his
+friend Mr. Owen Jones, to whom he revealed the state of affairs
+of the firm.&nbsp; Mr. Jones was a man of the world, and,
+moreover, was a wise and sagacious man of business.&nbsp; After
+talking over the matter, it was arranged that Mr. Jones should
+accompany his young friend to the establishment of Messrs.
+Davies, Roberts &amp; Company the next morning, when the whole
+facts should be placed before Mr. Roberts.</p>
+<p>On their arrival at the establishment on Monday morning, Mr.
+Jones and Cadwgan at once went to Mr. Roberts&rsquo; private
+office, when that gentleman looked at Mr. Wynn with a hard and
+scowling brow.&nbsp; As Mr. Jones had always experienced the
+greatest kindness from Mr. Roberts (they had been more like
+brothers than friends), he was surprised and astonished in
+observing his altered look, and boldly asked the cause of his
+seeming displeasure.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Cause, sir!&rdquo; exclaimed Mr. Roberts.&nbsp;
+&ldquo;Did <a name="page168"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+168</span>you say cause!&nbsp; There is methinks enough of
+cause!&nbsp; To be robbed of &pound;3000 by this young man, whom
+you introduced to me, for whom I have done so much, whose
+interest and welfare I have done so much to
+promote&mdash;&rsquo;tis enough to make me curse the day on which
+I was weak and foolish enough to comply with your pressing
+request to take him into my service.&nbsp; Cause, indeed!&nbsp;
+To be robbed thus is a sufficient cause for my anger.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Did you say, sir,&rdquo; remarked Cadwgan, &ldquo;that
+I had robbed you of &pound;3000?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Certainly, I said so.&nbsp; And you don&rsquo;t deny
+it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I emphatically deny your charge, sir, and demand the
+name of my accuser.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I accuse you, sir.&nbsp; Is not that enough?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But, Mr. Roberts, you are a just man, and I presume you
+will not condemn me before placing in my possession the evidence
+upon which your judgment rests.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My informant, sir, is my confidential clerk, Mr.
+McLiver.&nbsp; He is prepared to swear to the fact of your being
+the robber, and his cousin Donald will corroborate his
+statement.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page169"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+169</span>McLiver was then summoned by Mr. Roberts; and in reply
+to his inquiries stated, that on the previous Saturday evening he
+and his cousin had secreted themselves in the house, that during
+the time they were in their hiding-place Mr. Wynn came down from
+his own room and went into the cashier&rsquo;s office, and by
+means of false keys opened the safe and rifled the drawers of
+their contents, which he put into a bag, then retired.&nbsp; He
+continued to say, that he and his cousin waited there some time,
+that Mr. Wynn went back to his own office, and afterwards came
+down stairs with the bag in his hand, which was so heavy that he
+was almost weighed down.&nbsp; He left the office taking the bag
+of gold with him.&nbsp; Donald corroborated his cousin&rsquo;s
+statement.</p>
+<p>Mr. Jones, as was natural, appeared much excited during the
+Scotchman&rsquo;s narrative.&nbsp; He almost believed in his
+young friend&rsquo;s guilt, because the evidence was so direct
+and circumstantial.&nbsp; Mr. Wynn stood calm and collected; he
+never moved during the few minutes which the delivery of the
+evidence against him occupied, though his dark piercing eye,
+intently <a name="page170"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+170</span>fixed upon McLiver, made that man quail beneath its
+penetrating glance.&nbsp; When they had finished their story, Mr.
+Wynn asked his employer&rsquo;s permission to call evidence in
+his favour,&mdash;a request which was readily acceded to, because
+he really loved the youth.&nbsp; He then called into the office,
+one by one, six of his confidential clerks, the gentlemen who had
+been specially engaged with him in investigating the old
+accounts, who, in reply to his question, said that Mr. Wynn never
+left the office until his final departure, which was very late,
+and that they watched him going out though unperceived.&nbsp; The
+care-taker gave evidence that Mr. Wynn did not return after his
+departure.&nbsp; When they had completed the evidence, Mr.
+McLiver asked, &ldquo;And what were you doing at the office that
+time of night?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We were engaged in making copies of important documents
+for Mr. Wynn.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What became of those?&rdquo; asked Mr. Roberts.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;They were all put, sir, into Mr. Wynn&rsquo;s
+bag.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Who put them into the bag?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We did, sir,&rdquo; replied Mr. Williams.</p>
+<p><a name="page171"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+171</span>&ldquo;Was the bag locked, Mr. Williams?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, sir, it was locked; and the key has been in my
+possession since.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Before we examine the contents of the bag I wish to
+know if you are quite sure that Mr. Wynn did not leave the office
+during any portion of the evening, that is, before his final
+departure; and that you and your fellow-clerks saw him
+out.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>They replied, that they were prepared to make oath on the
+point.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why did you watch his departure?&rdquo; asked Mr.
+Roberts.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I had overheard a conversation,&rdquo; said Mr.
+Williams, the clerk of Mr. Wynn&rsquo;s department,
+&ldquo;between Mr. McLiver and his cousin Donald, in which
+certain threatening words were used towards Mr. Wynn.&nbsp; We
+watched his departure, thinking it quite possible that they might
+be lurking about the buildings in order to effect his
+ruin.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>When McLiver and Donald heard the above evidence they became
+agitated, and their faces became as white as snow.&nbsp; Mr.
+Roberts scarcely knew what to do.&nbsp; After considering a few
+<a name="page172"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 172</span>minutes,
+he turned to McLiver, saying, &ldquo;I fear your tale is untrue;
+for these six gentlemen, whom I have always found truthful and
+honourable, have in the most direct manner flatly contradicted
+you in every particular.&nbsp; I hope you and your cousin have
+not conspired to injure this young man.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You have hit the right nail on the head this
+time,&rdquo; said Mr. Jones, &ldquo;and no mistake.&nbsp; But is
+this &pound;3000 the whole of your loss, friend
+Roberts?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The whole as far as I know.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Happy man! what a blessed thing it is to be rich, and
+unable to reckon up the whole of one&rsquo;s profits.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I suppose, Jones,&rdquo; remarked Mr. Roberts
+pettishly, &ldquo;you wouldn&rsquo;t like to lose
+&pound;3000.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am afraid, my friend, you will find your loss not
+&pound;3000, but nine times three, if the &pound;3000 has really
+disappeared.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What do you really mean, Jones?&nbsp; You appear to
+know more of my affairs than I know myself.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;In a few words, I mean to say, Roberts, that <a
+name="page173"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 173</span>that
+immaculate gentleman, the accuser of my young friend here, who is
+also the best friend you ever had, has robbed you to the tune of
+some &pound;25,000, in addition to this &pound;3000; for I
+presume he has taken that sum too; and Mr. Wynn has evidence in
+his bag,&mdash;it is still locked,&mdash;which will completely
+substantiate the fact.&nbsp; When you know the whole,
+you&rsquo;ll bless the day, friend Roberts, on which my child was
+introduced into your establishment.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;For the present we will suspend our judgment.&nbsp;
+Jones, Mr. Wynn, all of you, go to Mr. Wynn&rsquo;s office.&nbsp;
+We will compare Mr. Wynn&rsquo;s papers with our ledgers and day
+books.&rdquo;&nbsp; The bag was unlocked, and paper after paper
+was produced, and document after document submitted for
+inspection and comparison.&nbsp; Cadwgan detailed step by step
+his proceedings in order to ascertain the exact sum total of the
+money abstracted by Mr. McLiver and Donald.&nbsp; After he had
+gone through these, he produced the documents and vouchers he had
+collected from firms with which Messrs. Davies, Roberts &amp;
+Company had had transactions, and on being compared <a
+name="page174"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 174</span>with the
+ledger, it was found that in many cases the actual sum paid to
+merchants for goods did not amount to a moiety of the sum
+inserted in the ledger.&nbsp; The evidence of McLiver&rsquo;s
+guilt was overwhelming.&nbsp; When Mr. Roberts saw this, he took
+Mr. Wynn into his arms, embraced him as if he was his own child,
+and with tears in his eyes besought his pardon for having for a
+moment entertained suspicions of his honesty and rectitude.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The matter to me is now made plain.&nbsp; The real
+culprit is the man whom I regarded as upright, pure, and
+honest.&nbsp; He has shamefully abused my confidence.&nbsp; To
+him I entrusted my money; and what, sir,&rdquo; turning to
+McLiver, &ldquo;have you to say in your defence?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I will neither acknowledge nor deny my guilt, sir, in
+the presence of that Welsh puppy, who is a wolf in sheep&rsquo;s
+clothing, a caitiff cut-throat miscreant, a cunning, intriguing,
+and deceitful urchin from the Welsh mountains.&nbsp; When he
+meets me and Donald in the street, I promise him he shall be well
+paid for his treachery and circumvention.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page175"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+175</span>&ldquo;That is,&rdquo; said Mr. Roberts, &ldquo;on
+condition you leave me a free man.&nbsp; For the present, sir,
+you must consider yourself and your cousin&mdash;I believe him to
+be equally guilty with yourself&mdash;in the hands of the
+authorities.&nbsp; The officers of justice are now in an
+adjoining room.&nbsp; They are there awaiting my orders.&nbsp;
+There is no occasion to detain them, as your guilt is but too
+clearly made out.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The door was then opened, and McLiver and Donald were placed
+in their charge, and were marched off to prison.</p>
+<p>On the room being cleared of the presence of all excepting Mr.
+Jones and Cadwgan, Mr. Roberts asked the latter how he had
+succeeded in making such important discoveries, and the reason
+which had moved him in entering upon an investigation which had
+cost him and his staff so much time and labour.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;For a long time, sir, I have firmly believed in his
+dishonesty.&nbsp; In the first place, and this fact first
+awakened my suspicion, I, by means which it is unnecessary for me
+to detail, ascertained that he was keeping a grand house, and <a
+name="page176"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 176</span>had livery
+servants and carriages, and gave grand parties, which I knew he
+could not do with &pound;400 a year.&nbsp; His cousin, Donald, is
+a fast young man who spent his earnings in dissipation, and for
+years has been the constant companion of young men who are
+believed to live by swindling their respective employers.&nbsp;
+On making these discoveries, Mr. Sykes, who is an honest
+Yorkshireman, and my friend Mr. Williams, resolved to take
+special notice of their movements, and wisely kept records of
+what they saw and heard, which could at any time be produced in
+the event of anything turning up.&nbsp; We discovered first, that
+tea had been bought by your house of a very inferior quality,
+which was paid for at double the actual invoice price, and in
+some cases the charge was sixty per cent above the actual
+cost.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But, Mr. Wynn, how did he manage this?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, easily enough, sir.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But how?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We found by inquiry, that McLiver had two relatives as
+cashiers in the houses with which you did business; and as all
+moneys <a name="page177"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+177</span>passed through their hands, they could commit frauds to
+almost any extent without fear of being detected.&nbsp; They had
+confederates, so by acting together had but little difficulty in
+carrying out their system of plunder, especially as the books and
+accounts were under their control.&nbsp; When you made your new
+arrangements, they, that is, Mr. McLiver and Donald, were
+apprehensive that disclosures would be made, and you will
+remember, sir, that McLiver almost protested against your
+scheme.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I well remember, Mr. Wynn, that he was terribly angry,
+but little did I then think that its cause originated in
+fear.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;After the appointment had been made, and we had entered
+upon our duties, Mr. Sykes ascertained&mdash;in short he
+overheard a conversation between the two in which certain threats
+were made towards me, and in that conversation McLiver and Donald
+upbraided each other about their peculation.&nbsp; We had thus
+sufficient evidence to warrant us in concluding that they had
+robbed you.&nbsp; Having <a name="page178"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 178</span>discovered this, we then planned the
+investigation, which has occupied our evenings ever since.&nbsp;
+It was late on Saturday night when we arrived at the final
+result.&nbsp; The rest you know.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, yes, Cadwgan, I know the rest.&nbsp; In the
+presence of my dear and valued friend Jones, I offer you my
+humblest apology for having suspected you of dishonesty; I shall
+never be able to repay you for the services you have rendered
+me.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m repaid already by your confidence and
+esteem.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And hereafter, Mr. Wynn, I will seek to do so in a more
+substantial way.&nbsp; But tell me, what can you possibly know
+about the quality of tea?&nbsp; You remarked just now it was
+inferior; how did you ascertain this?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I know the quality of teas by the smell.&rdquo; <a
+name="citation178"></a><a href="#footnote178"
+class="citation">[178]</a></p>
+<p>&ldquo;By the smell!&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page179"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+179</span>&ldquo;Yes, sir; by the smell.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Is that really so?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, sir.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Here are two samples: please give me your judgment upon
+them.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Mr. Wynn took the samples, and having smelt them, returned
+them to his employer, saying, this is worth so much, the other
+sample is not worth buying.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, Mr. Wynn, I am satisfied, and more than
+satisfied, with your conduct during the years you have been in
+our house.&nbsp; For your goodness, and the deep interest you
+have taken in all matters connected with my affairs, from the
+bottom of my heart I thank you.&nbsp; You are necessarily
+agitated by reason of the scene through which you have just
+passed.&nbsp; You must be fatigued too by reason of the extra
+work you have, for my sake, imposed upon yourself.&nbsp; I cannot
+now say in what way I shall reward you, but if you and friend
+Jones will come and dine at my house (bring Mrs. Jones and your
+daughter with you), I will then tell you the course I shall <a
+name="page180"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 180</span>adopt, and
+the arrangements I propose to make with reference to your
+position and prospects.&nbsp; Your disinterested service calls
+for an ample reward.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I require no reward, Mr. Roberts,&rdquo; said
+Cadwgan.&nbsp; &ldquo;I have simply done my duty.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, well, Mr. Wynn, you may think so.&nbsp; You must
+not, however, condemn me for holding the contrary
+opinion.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I should esteem it a favour, sir, if you would give Mr.
+Sykes and Mr. Williams a holiday.&nbsp; They are not well, and I
+fear the pressure upon them during the past few weeks has
+overtaxed their strength.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;By all means let them go.&nbsp; Please give them this,
+and tell them it is a small token of my high appreciation of
+their conduct.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Mr. Wynn was delighted at being made the channel of Mr.
+Roberts&rsquo;s communication.&nbsp; When the papers were opened,
+it was found that they were two &pound;10 Bank of England
+notes.&nbsp; On receiving the gift, the Yorkshireman held it up,
+and said,&mdash;&ldquo;I little expected this.&rdquo;&nbsp; Mr.
+Williams, too, was equally surprised.&nbsp; They <a
+name="page181"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 181</span>then wished
+each other good morning, and it need hardly be said that Mr.
+Wynn&rsquo;s assistants thoroughly enjoyed their day&rsquo;s trip
+to Windsor.</p>
+<h3><a name="page182"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+182</span>CHAPTER V.<br />
+<i>THE RIGHT MAN COMING AT THE RIGHT TIME</i>.</h3>
+<p>&ldquo;Is it not strange, dear aunt,&rdquo; said Gwenfan,
+&ldquo;that Cadwgan has been so long silent?&nbsp; We have not
+heard from him for more than a month.&nbsp; He might just have
+sent a line to say he was well, and when we may expect
+him?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Cadwgan, my dear child, has now a great deal to
+do.&nbsp; Since his promotion, doubtless his time is fully
+occupied.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I should like to see a likeness of the young lady to
+whom he refers in his letters.&nbsp; If the description he gives
+be anything approaching the truth, she must be queen both in
+personal appearance and purity of mind.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Do you refer to Miss Jones, my child?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, aunt bach; I refer certainly to her.&nbsp; I think
+my naughty brother is in love with her.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It will be an excellent match, Gwenfan, <a
+name="page183"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 183</span>for Miss
+Jones is an only child of very rich parents.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I was not aware, aunt, that Mr. Jones was a person of
+great wealth, though I thought he was well to do.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It is said, that her papa will give her &pound;50,000
+on the morning of her marriage, with the certainty of farther
+expectations.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, I should like to see Cadwgan settled, if he had a
+kind, good, and loving wife.&nbsp; For myself, aunty, I intend to
+remain single, and be like you, an old maid.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, you do, do you?&nbsp; You will alter your opinion,
+I&rsquo;ll be bound when the right man comes.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But will the right man come, aunty?&nbsp; Never, never,
+say I.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, the right man will certainly come, Gwenfan.&nbsp; I
+declare there he is.&nbsp; Look! look! be quick!&nbsp; Why, he is
+coming here.&nbsp; If you wish to escape his net, fly, my niece,
+at once to your room.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Fly?&nbsp; I will not do that, aunty,&rdquo; said
+Gwenfan, laughing.&nbsp; &ldquo;Though perhaps we had better
+retire and prepare ourselves to receive him.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page184"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+184</span>&ldquo;Well thought of, my child; and tell the servant,
+if he seeks us, to show him into the drawing-room, where we will
+presently join him.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>When the servant opened the door, the young gentleman inquired
+if Miss Wynn were within, as he wished to see her on a matter of
+some importance.&nbsp; Receiving a reply in the affirmative, the
+servant conducted the stranger to the drawing-room, on entering
+which he took a seat in the great bay-window, from which he gazed
+on the glorious prospect around.&nbsp; So enchanted was he with
+the sight, the exquisite beauty of the scene, that he did not
+notice the entrance of the ladies, who had been a few minutes in
+the room before he became aware of their presence.&nbsp; At last
+Miss Aunt Wynn approached the chair on which he was seated, when
+the ruffle of her dress awoke him from his reverie.&nbsp; He then
+rose, apologised for his abrupt visit, but excused himself by
+saying that circumstances had occurred which had compelled him to
+alter his original arrangement, hence he found himself there two
+days earlier than he had expected.</p>
+<p><a name="page185"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+185</span>&ldquo;But ladies, in my having to apologise, I forget
+to introduce myself.&nbsp; My name is Rhys Roberts, and I
+presume,&rdquo; pointing to the young lady standing by her
+aunt&rsquo;s chair, &ldquo;that she is your niece, Miss Gwenfan
+Wynn.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, sir; this young lady is my niece.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I thought so.&nbsp; She is the very image of her
+brother.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And do you know my brother?&rdquo; asked Gwenfan.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Know him!&nbsp; He is my father&rsquo;s chief hand, and
+my most intimate friend.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;When did you see or hear from my brother,
+sir?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;When I left London, we arranged to meet here.&nbsp; I
+have been expecting a letter from him daily, but no letter has
+reached me.&nbsp; I cannot think what has become of him.&nbsp; It
+is quite possible he may be detained on important business.&nbsp;
+He had a very important matter in hand when I left.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We have not heard from him,&rdquo; said the aunt,
+&ldquo;for a month, and his sister and I are getting very anxious
+about him.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page186"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+186</span>&ldquo;You need not, ladies, be in any alarm.&nbsp;
+During the last month, he has been working night and day, and has
+had scarcely a moment to spare.&nbsp; He has now completed his
+labours, so on Monday, or on Tuesday next at the farthest, you
+may expect him.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;In that case, we shall have the pleasure of your
+company until his arrival,&rdquo; remarked the aunt.&nbsp;
+&ldquo;My nephew&rsquo;s friend will ever receive here a hearty
+welcome.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m extremely obliged to you, madam, for your
+kind offer of hospitality, and as I wish, and am most anxious, to
+pay a visit to the most remarkable places in your neighbourhood,
+I embrace your kind offer, if you and Miss Gwenfan will promise
+to act as my cicerones, as doubtless you are thoroughly
+acquainted with every nook and corner of the country where the
+beauteous spots are to be found.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We shall, sir,&rdquo; said the ladies, &ldquo;be
+delighted to show you the most romantic spots to be found in wild
+Wales.&nbsp; For grandeur and bold scenery our neighbourhood has
+no equal.&nbsp; But, Mr. Roberts, you must judge for
+yourself.&nbsp; When you <a name="page187"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 187</span>have traversed our mountains and
+valleys, our high hills and sylvan glades, you will say that the
+beauties of the surrounding scene are beyond the descriptive
+powers of the most eloquent pen of this age.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>During the few days of their tour, they visited Bettws-y-Coed,
+Capel Curig, the Swallow Falls, Pont Aberglaslyn, Llyngwynant,
+Tan y Bwlch, Maentwrog, Ffestiniog, Rhayadr Dd&ucirc;, Tremadoc,
+Harlech, and Aberdovy, returning late on Saturday night from the
+latter town.&nbsp; Both the ladies and Mr. Roberts had thoroughly
+enjoyed their outing; the latter especially, having now for the
+first time beheld the scenes, was charmed with the grand sights
+which he had beheld.</p>
+<p>During this excursion there had sprung up, unconsciously to
+himself, a feeling of more than respect for Miss Gwenfan, whilst
+she and her aunt concluded that Mr. Roberts was one of the most
+kind-hearted, generous, and amiable young gentlemen with whom
+they had ever come in contact.&nbsp; It must, too, be owned that
+Mr. Roberts had awakened in her young heart emotions of a kind,
+and in a degree, to <a name="page188"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 188</span>which that heart had been previously
+a stranger.</p>
+<p>When Mr. Roberts retired to his dressing-room he wrote in his
+diary the following sentence: &ldquo;Happy, thrice happy, will be
+the man who secures such a prize as Miss Gwenfan!&nbsp; In her
+heart is lodged the deepest reverence for truth, for virtue, and
+religion.&nbsp; She is, too, as beautiful as she is good.&nbsp;
+Her attachment to and admiration of her native country and its
+people is as deep and as enthusiastic as was that of the glorious
+old patriots of olden times.&nbsp; Then the days I have passed in
+her society have been the happiest I ever spent.&nbsp; I can
+hardly realize the happiness I have enjoyed.&nbsp; They are like
+a dream, though in the foreground of the vision there stands the
+good and beautiful maiden, with her curly locks, her auburn hair,
+her dark eye, and a countenance as clear as the crystal
+streamlet.&nbsp; In spite of myself I love her.&nbsp; I now
+retire to rest.&nbsp; May her dreams be as pleasant as I hope
+mine will be!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>At breakfast, on the following Sabbath <a
+name="page189"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 189</span>morning,
+Mr. Roberts asked the ladies if they would accompany him to the
+Methodist Church, at Tan y Bwlch, as he was particularly desirous
+of hearing the Rev. Thomas Charles, of Bala, who at that time was
+considered one of the most eminent clergymen in Wales.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It is fortunate, Mr. Roberts, you put the question to
+us,&rdquo; replied the ladies.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And why?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, you have simply anticipated us in your
+request.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then you had arranged to go?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, conditionally on your accompanying us to hear that
+great and good man.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am delighted, madam, in the prospect of seeing and
+hearing one so distinguished for learning and piety, one who has
+made so many sacrifices for the spiritual welfare of his
+countrymen.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>On their arrival at the church they found it crammed to
+suffocation, scarcely a single inch remained unoccupied.&nbsp;
+However, as the Misses Wynn and Mr. Roberts came in a carriage,
+and Bryn Villa being always open to receive <a
+name="page190"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 190</span>clergymen
+of this and all other denominations, the deacons managed to find
+them seats.&nbsp; Mr. Charles&rsquo; discourse was above the
+average; some of the passages were most eloquent, and many
+members of the congregation were bathed in tears.</p>
+<p>On their way home Mr. Roberts referred to a passage in Mr.
+Charles&rsquo; sermon, which he considered most beautiful.&nbsp;
+&ldquo;You remember he said, &lsquo;implicitly to follow the
+counsel of the best and wisest of men, is to depend on an arm of
+flesh.&nbsp; They only are right and safe who make God&rsquo;s
+glory their end, God&rsquo;s word their rule, God&rsquo;s spirit
+the guide of their actions, and God&rsquo;s providence the guide
+of their affairs.&nbsp; They may not be led by the nearest, but
+they will be by the best road; as it will certainly appear when
+they come to their journey&rsquo;s end.&rsquo;&nbsp; If the
+Christian Church, and if all religious people were to act
+according to Mr. Charles&rsquo; sublime idea, the race would be
+happier than it is.&nbsp; The standard he set before us is a high
+one.&nbsp; I&rsquo;ve found it difficult to live up to
+it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page191"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+191</span>&ldquo;I have no doubt you have, Mr. Roberts,&rdquo;
+remarked the aunt.&nbsp; &ldquo;We must, however, do our best,
+then Heaven will surely smile upon us, though we but imperfectly
+perform our religious duty.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It is that thought, madam, which cheers me in my hour
+of gloom and sadness.&nbsp; I often think that I should have
+given up striving to live to God were it not for the glorious
+promises He has given His Church and people.&nbsp; In my
+endeavour to attain to the highest form of spiritual life, your
+nephew, Miss Wynn, your dear brother, Miss Gwenfan, has helped me
+by his wise counsel, while his deep religiousness and high
+Christian character have been incentives to me to aspire to reach
+the highest good.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The reference to her brother brought tears to Gwenfan&rsquo;s
+eyes.&nbsp; Ever since he had left home, she had prayed every
+night and morning that he might be kept from evil, kept unspotted
+from the world, kept safely in the pavilion of the unseen and
+eternal.</p>
+<p>Mr. Roberts, seeing the young lady in tears, <a
+name="page192"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 192</span>asked if he
+could in any way alleviate her sorrow; but she at once
+replied,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I weep not, sir, because my heart is sad.&nbsp; I am
+almost overcome with joy by reason of your reference to dear
+Cadwgan.&nbsp; Oh, I do rejoice with unspeakable satisfaction,
+that he has not forgotten the holy lessons our dear parents
+taught us.&nbsp; Though they are gone, I feel their spirits often
+visit us, and I think they watch over us with the same care and
+solicitude as when they were present in the flesh.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Happy, my dear Miss Wynn, must be the brother whose
+beloved sister, living here amongst the Welsh mountains, prays
+daily for his welfare.&nbsp; I can bear testimony to his
+practical piety, his eminent godliness, his deep devotional
+spirit.&nbsp; He has taught me to love and adore the Name which
+is above every name.&nbsp; There is, too, a fragrance about
+Cadwgan&rsquo;s acts and life.&nbsp; Truly has he been the guide
+of my inexperience, my counsellor, my friend.&nbsp; During the
+past three years, scarcely a day has passed without our having <a
+name="page193"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+193</span>conversation on the highest things.&nbsp; Since we
+parted the other day, I have missed him much.&nbsp; Oh, I wish he
+had come!&nbsp; But there <i>is</i> your brother.&nbsp;
+Look!&nbsp; He is waiting our return.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>In a moment afterward Cadwgan and his sister were locked in
+each other&rsquo;s arms.</p>
+<p>During the following week Miss Gwenfan Wynn and Mr. Roberts
+were almost constantly together; and it must be owned that there
+grew up between those two young and innocent hearts a feeling
+more warm, more ardent, and more fervent than usually exists
+between friends and acquaintances; a feeling which if permitted
+to ripen and develop, would result in the union of heart with
+heart, soul with soul,&mdash;a feeling the intensity of which
+would survive even the tomb.</p>
+<p>After the happy days thus spent together, Miss Wynn one
+evening remarked to her niece, &ldquo;Has not the right man come,
+my child?&nbsp; I suppose I shall hear no more of your living the
+life of an old maid?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, aunt, you are too cruel.&nbsp; I like Mr. Roberts
+much, but only as Cadwgan&rsquo;s friend.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page194"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+194</span>&ldquo;Well, well; we shall see what we shall
+see.&nbsp; You will be Mrs. Roberts one of these days.&nbsp;
+There, don&rsquo;t blush my child.&nbsp; There is no harm in your
+loving so noble a youth.&rdquo;</p>
+<h3><a name="page195"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+195</span>CHAPTER VI.<br />
+<i>VIRTUE REWARDED</i>.</h3>
+<p>On leaving the warehouse one evening, soon after his return
+from Wales, Mr. Roberts remarked, &ldquo;You must dine with us
+to-morrow, Mr. Wynn, and my old friend Jones will accompany
+you.&nbsp; He has already arranged to form one of our party, and
+I am glad for my own sake and yours that we shall have the
+pleasure of his society.&nbsp; He is one of the best men I know
+in this huge city.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>As soon as the ladies had retired, Mr. Roberts pushed the
+bottle to Mr. Jones, with the observation, &ldquo;This is your
+favourite wine, and please to make yourself as free with it as
+you&rsquo;re welcome.&nbsp; I think Mr. Wynn and you, my son,
+prefer sherry.&nbsp; I&rsquo;ll try port, which is my favourite
+drink.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>After a general conversation on the general topics of the day,
+Mr. Roberts turned to Mr. <a name="page196"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 196</span>Jones, and said that he thanked him
+most gratefully for having pleaded so eloquently the claims of
+his young friend, Wynn.&nbsp; &ldquo;You will doubtless remember,
+Jones, that I was most unwilling to receive him into the
+establishment, in the first place on his own account; secondly, I
+did not consider mine a proper place for a young gentleman of his
+social position.&nbsp; You, however, urged his claims, and
+considering our personal friendship, and my previous connection
+with the Wynn family, I at last reluctantly yielded to your
+wishes, though in doing so I was perfectly aware that I should
+create in the mind of McLiver hostile feelings to myself and
+Cadwgan there.&nbsp; I little expected that my cashier&rsquo;s
+objection would spring from conviction of wrongdoing.&nbsp; I
+believed in his integrity, and had confidence in his honesty; and
+as he apparently served me faithfully I was prepared to yield to
+some extent to his wishes, though he was well aware of my
+unbending disposition when once I had resolved to carry a
+particular point.&nbsp; McLiver having discovered my resolve to
+be Mr. Wynn&rsquo;s friend, I must <a name="page197"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 197</span>own that he did not oppose my wishes
+to the extent I at first anticipated.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Now from the first day on which Mr. Wynn entered upon
+his duties, I am bound to say that I found him plodding,
+persevering, and honest; his first and chief concern being to
+promote my interest.&nbsp; In this, he set us all an example we
+should do well to copy.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;To the proceedings of the other day&mdash;a day which
+to me will be ever memorable, I will not allude further than to
+express a hope that I have Cadwgan&rsquo;s complete pardon for
+having for once suspected his dishonesty.&nbsp; And this is a
+fitting occasion for me to thank you, Jones, for the deep
+interest you have shown in my affairs in connection with our
+young friend.&nbsp; Had Cadwgan not done what he did, the
+scoundrel&rsquo;s rascality would in all probability have
+effected my ruin.&nbsp; But how came you, Mr. Wynn, to suspect
+his dishonesty?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My tale, sir, is soon told,&rdquo; remarked
+Cadwgan.&nbsp; &ldquo;From time to time little things cropped up
+in connection with business transactions and in the accounts, the
+appearance of <a name="page198"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+198</span>which I did not at all like.&nbsp; To my mind there was
+satisfactory and conclusive evidence that the man was not dealing
+honourably by you, and that you were a victim of his
+dishonesty.&nbsp; You must bear in mind this, I had but a
+suspicion.&nbsp; I could not prove that what I suspected was
+actual and real.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Being in a state of doubt, I really did not know what
+to do.&nbsp; I could not suggest my suspicion to you because the
+person was in your confidence.&nbsp; After thinking over the
+matter some days and nights I resolved to sound my fellow-clerks,
+Messrs. Sykes and Williams, for I knew I could depend on
+them.&nbsp; Strange to say they had long suspected his guilt, but
+were afraid to give expression to their opinion, because Mr.
+McLiver appeared all-powerful.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;After a conference we agreed to get up evidence.&nbsp;
+We ascertained he was living at the rate of &pound;2000 or
+&pound;3000 a year, though he had no income but his salary.&nbsp;
+We found, too, that he paid for all goods when ordered.&nbsp; On
+making further inquiry we discovered that his cousin Donald,
+though he had a smaller <a name="page199"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 199</span>salary than I had, spent several
+pounds weekly in dissipation.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then the constant visits of relatives who are employed
+in similar establishments in the city, and the worthless stuff
+sent from the houses where they were engaged, these things
+awakened in my mind the strongest suspicion that the parties were
+conspiring together to rob you and their employers.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;As the books were all in McLiver&rsquo;s hands and
+under his control, we could do nothing; but when you appointed me
+to the post of accountant, Mr. Sykes, Mr. Williams, and myself
+resolved to ascertain if our suspicion was well founded.&nbsp;
+During the past three months we have given the whole of our spare
+time during the day to the past five years&rsquo; accounts, while
+we seldom left the office until late at night.&nbsp; The result
+of our labours you know.&nbsp; I fancy one of the clerks in my
+department must have told McLiver what we were doing, and
+doubtless his guilt awoke in his mind a sense of the dangerous
+position in which he had placed himself.&nbsp; Then in order if
+possible <a name="page200"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+200</span>to crush me before the work was done, he and his cousin
+Donald concocted the charge against me&mdash;themselves being the
+robbers.&nbsp; I do not for a moment think they wished my
+punishment.&nbsp; What they did desire was to secure my expulsion
+from your establishment, that thus their malpractices might
+possibly remain undetected.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But where are his relations employed, Mr. Wynn?&rdquo;
+asked Mr. Roberts.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. McNab, his uncle, is cashier to the Chinese Tea
+Company, and his brother is with Morant &amp;
+Hogsflesh.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Do you really believe these parties were
+confederates?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No doubt of it, sir.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;In that case what would you advise?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;In justice to yourself and the high reputation of your
+house, it is your duty to furnish them with the whole of our
+discovered facts.&nbsp; It is important they should be informed
+of their servants&rsquo; dishonesty.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;By gad, Mr. Wynn, I&rsquo;ll advise their punishment;
+and if their employers won&rsquo;t do it, I will.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page201"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+201</span>&ldquo;I am afraid that your advice will be too
+late.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How so, Cadwgan?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Both have already fled to the Continent.&nbsp; It
+appears that they, like McLiver, helped themselves to their
+employers&rsquo; money before they went.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But how did they find out McLiver was in prison, Mr.
+Wynn?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Some one of your servants or clerks must have carried
+the news to them.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll get the scoundrels back, cost what it
+will.&nbsp; To-morrow the officers of justice shall fly in
+pursuit.&nbsp; We&rsquo;ll find them somewhere.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No doubt, sir, they deserve severe punishment, though I
+am sorry for McNab, because he has a large family, and in
+punishing him you will punish his innocent wife and
+children.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;They, Mr. Wynn, shall not come to want.&nbsp; While
+resolving to punish the guilty, I&rsquo;ll see to the interests
+of the guiltless.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Give me your hand, friend Roberts,&rdquo; said Mr.
+Jones.&nbsp; &ldquo;You are a noble fellow; your <a
+name="page202"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 202</span>heart is in
+the right place; and I&rsquo;ll join you in so holy a
+work.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I must now turn,&rdquo; said Mr. Roberts, &ldquo;to a
+more pleasant theme.&nbsp; It has been by you, Mr. Wynn, I have
+been saved from ruin.&nbsp; You have business talents of a high
+order.&nbsp; I would trust you with untold gold.&nbsp; You have
+proved your fidelity and tact under circumstances the most
+trying.&nbsp; In our relationship I plainly see the finger of
+Heaven.&nbsp; I now plainly see that it is my interest no less
+than your own that our relationship should be closer than it has
+hitherto been.&nbsp; The business, as you are aware, is wholly my
+own.&nbsp; Thank Heaven, I possess all the wealth I desire.&nbsp;
+However, I love work, and at present I&rsquo;m not quite prepared
+to throw off the harness.&nbsp; I shall do so, however, in a few
+years.&nbsp; In view of that day I think it well to prepare for
+it.&nbsp; I have therefore resolved to take into partnership my
+son Rhys and you, and we&rsquo;ll take equal profits.&nbsp; The
+money in the business I shall regard as a set-off against your
+ability and talent, and when I go out I will leave in your <a
+name="page203"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 203</span>joint hands
+the capital necessary for successfully carrying on the
+concern.&nbsp; Are you prepared, Mr. Wynn, to accept my
+offer?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;With deep gratitude and thanks I do indeed accept your
+offer, Mr. Roberts.&nbsp; I shall never be able to repay you for
+your goodness and kindness.&nbsp; To me you have been always
+kind, always generous, ever noble and disinterested.&nbsp; To Mr.
+Jones and you I owe my present position and the prospects before
+me.&nbsp; My gratitude, sir, I shall carry with me to the
+grave.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I rejoice,&rdquo; remarked Mr. Jones, who had hitherto
+been an almost silent listener, &ldquo;to see this day, and I
+shall pray Heaven that the sun of prosperity may ever continue to
+shine on your concern, and that never an incident may occur
+calculated to disturb the kindly feeling and mutual confidence
+between you, friend Roberts, and your new partners.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;To that, Jones, I say amen.&nbsp; Still I think there
+is not much danger on that score.&nbsp; We all know each other;
+that&rsquo;s an important point.&nbsp; Unless my suspicions are
+wrong, which <a name="page204"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+204</span>I think is not likely, that roving son of mine has
+managed to fall in love; and I warn you, Mr. Wynn, especially if
+you desire your sister to become your little housekeeper, to take
+care of her.&nbsp; If you don&rsquo;t do so, his siege on her
+heart&rsquo;s citadel will prove, I fear, successful.&nbsp; Well,
+I forgive him for making love without his father&rsquo;s
+permission; and you, Mr. Wynn, must pardon him too.&rdquo;</p>
+<p style="text-align: center">* * * * *</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Now, Mr. Wynn, in view of our new arrangements, what
+alterations would you propose in the conduct of the business,
+bearing this in mind, that you will have to undertake the
+purchase of all goods?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;In that case, Mr. Roberts, I recommend your appointing
+Mr. Williams to the office I now fill.&nbsp; He is a relative of
+yours, and is a thoroughly competent man.&nbsp; Then Mr. Sykes
+would succeed McLiver.&nbsp; His honesty and integrity are beyond
+question.&nbsp; Had it not been for their able assistance, I
+should never have succeeded in unravelling the mysteries of your
+affairs.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page205"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+205</span>&ldquo;Your proposal, Mr. Wynn, does infinite credit to
+your sagacity.&nbsp; Let the arrangements be carried out at
+once.&nbsp; The deed of partnership has already been prepared,
+and now awaits your signature.&nbsp; My son signed it before he
+left on his recent tour.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Under the new management, the company of Roberts, Wynn &amp;
+Roberts, grew mightily.&nbsp; From one end of the kingdom to the
+other their teas were in great repute.&nbsp; They had for their
+patrons royal princes and the nobles of the land.&nbsp; The
+demand grew year after year, and the increased sale brought large
+additional profits.&nbsp; During the fifth year of the
+partnership, these profits amounted to &pound;45,000, though Mr.
+Wynn did not take above &pound;750, one half of which he sent his
+aunt and sister for their use.&nbsp; Cadwgan had during those
+five years put by &pound;55,000.</p>
+<h3><a name="page206"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+206</span>CHAPTER VII.<br />
+<i>THE LOST INHERITANCE REGAINED</i>.</h3>
+<p>The day previous to the return of Mr. Wynn and young Roberts
+to town, they went out alone for a stroll.&nbsp; They took the
+road leading to Pont Aberglaslyn, and as both gentlemen were
+excellent pedestrians, they soon arrived at that exquisitely
+beautiful glen.&nbsp; When on the bridge, they gazed in silence
+for some minutes on the dark mad water beneath.&nbsp; After some
+minutes&rsquo; silence, Mr. Wynn asked his friend if he had
+previously visited the glen.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes; I have been here once, Cadwgan.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you think it&rsquo;s a charming
+spot?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;In my judgment, Cadwgan, this is the grandest scene in
+all Wales.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then you prefer it to Bettws-y-Coed?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I do.&nbsp; This place has a charm for me which that
+sylvan vale has not.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;So it has for me, my friend.&nbsp; <a
+name="page207"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 207</span>The
+meandering river flowing down this valley, the high hills on
+either side of the glen, the stupendous and overhanging rocks,
+with a thousand different colours, foliage, trees, shrubs, and
+mosses, with grand old Snowdon in the distance: these, and early
+recollections and associations, have rendered this place dearer
+to me than all other scenes in my dear native land.&nbsp; I am
+glad that our views of this delectable valley are identical,
+though I cannot convey to you the depth of my emotion in
+contemplating the scene.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Cadwgan,&rdquo; replied Mr. Roberts, &ldquo;the spot on
+which I now stand is as dear to me as my life.&nbsp; You have
+been my adviser, my counsellor, my friend&mdash;ay, more than a
+brother to me.&nbsp; Oh, advise me how to act!&nbsp; I confessed
+here to your sister my love, and offered her my hand and
+heart.&nbsp; I asked her to become mine; but oh, Cadwgan, she
+rejected my offer!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Did she, that is, my sister, give any reason for
+declining your offer?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Indeed she did not.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Did she tell you she was engaged already?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Nay; she told me she was free.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page208"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+208</span>&ldquo;Did you ask her for an immediate
+answer?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What was her reply?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That she could not be mine.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then she gave you no other reason?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No, no, Cadwgan; but was not that enough?&nbsp; Since
+then I&rsquo;ve been the most miserable of men.&nbsp; Oh, you
+must dissuade her from acting towards me so cruelly.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am glad, Roberts, my sister acted as she did, though
+I deeply regret the pain her refusal has occasioned you.&nbsp; I
+blame you for confessing your love, though I do not blame you for
+feeling admiration for my dear sister.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I take it, Cadwgan, you are not favourable to my
+suit.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;So far from being unfavourable, my dear Roberts, I will
+confess to you that I know of no one whom I should so like to
+have for a brother as yourself.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then you are willing for me to renew my suit
+hereafter?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Most willing.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page209"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+209</span>&ldquo;But you have expressed your approval of your
+sister&rsquo;s rejection of my suit?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You are incomprehensible to me.&nbsp; Pray explain
+yourself, my dear Cadwgan.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll do so in a few words.&nbsp; Before I can
+permit my dear sister to entertain your proposal, your father
+must be fully informed of your intention.&nbsp; His views of such
+an alliance might be very different from yours.&nbsp; He might
+wish you to marry the daughter of a wealthy city merchant,
+therefore he would regard your proposal as foolish and
+imprudent.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Cadwgan, you do my dear father great injustice.&nbsp;
+He has an abundance of wealth.&nbsp; He would be the last man to
+make my marriage a matter of money speculation.&nbsp; I know
+better than you can his feelings, and am sure that, in a matter
+so momentous, his first consideration would be my
+happiness.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I have no doubt but such are your father&rsquo;s
+feelings; still, as I am but a clerk in his establishment, I
+can&rsquo;t permit you to address my sister until his consent is
+given fully and freely.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page210"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+210</span>&ldquo;Well, knowing your high character and scruples,
+I must tell you that I have taken steps in order to anticipate
+your objection.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I hope you have not written Mr. Roberts?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Indeed I have, Cadwgan.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very sorry; you really should have
+waited.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Nay, nay, I couldn&rsquo;t wait.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Has your father replied?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes; his answer came this morning.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I suppose he has ordered your immediate return
+home?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh no.&nbsp; I&rsquo;m to stay another week if I
+like.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, has he given you his consent for you to propose
+to my dear sister?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes; I have his hearty approval.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then my sister was not aware of this when you offered
+her your hand?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Certainly not.&nbsp; My father&rsquo;s letter came this
+morning.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Have you informed her of your father&rsquo;s feeling in
+the matter?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No. I delayed doing so until I spoke to you.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page211"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+211</span>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad you have kept the information
+from Gwenfan.&nbsp; But she must not be kept in ignorance longer
+than can be helped; and since you have opened your mind freely to
+me, I may as well tell you that at the proper time and after I
+have consulted your father, she is prepared to accept your
+hand.&nbsp; As her brother and guardian, I will then, my dear
+Roberts, give her to you.&nbsp; I know you will watch over her
+with the deepest affection and solicitude.&nbsp; In this matter I
+have only one request to make, which I am sure will be readily
+granted.&nbsp; Will you promise?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;To me, dear friend, you will is law.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My request is a simple one, namely, that your marriage
+be deferred for a time?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You are too cruel to defer the day of my being made
+perfectly happy.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But for your and her sake I think there should be
+reasonable delay.&nbsp; It is true your father is a rich man, but
+for the present you are simply a son of a city prince.&nbsp;
+Possibly he might give you &pound;1000 a year, but I should like
+to see you in business yourself before you settle <a
+name="page212"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 212</span>down.&nbsp;
+Then my dear sister is young: only little over eighteen
+years.&nbsp; Three or four years is not long to wait.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;For the present I will not argue the point with you,
+you will learn that I am not in the position you fancy I
+am.&nbsp; I cannot explain myself further now, but when we return
+to town, you, dear Cadwgan, will know all.&nbsp; Others will
+reveal facts to you which I am bound to keep secret.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, well, we&rsquo;ll talk on this matter
+again.&nbsp; We must now return to the Villa, and make our
+arrangements for our immediate return to London.&nbsp; Early
+to-morrow morning we must leave, otherwise we shall arrive at the
+warehouse on the day our leave expires.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>During the evening, Mr. Roberts and Gwenfan had a long
+conversation.&nbsp; When he returned to the library to join
+Cadwgan, he whispered, &ldquo;It is all settled; I&rsquo;m now
+happy.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>In the following August, Miss Wynn and her aunt paid a long
+visit to London.&nbsp; During their stay, they were frequent
+visitors at Mr. Roberts&rsquo; urban mansion.&nbsp; The more he
+saw of <a name="page213"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+213</span>the gentle, quiet, and lovely Gwenfan, the more he
+liked her; and when the time came when those loving hearts were
+to be made one, he took his son&rsquo;s and future
+daughter&rsquo;s hands in his, saying, &ldquo;Be true to each
+other; and you, my son, guard this beautiful Cambrian plant, for
+I am persuaded she is worth her weight in gold.&nbsp; You, Rhys,
+have made a wise choice, I would rather have Gwenfan for my
+daughter than a princess of the royal blood.&nbsp; May Heaven
+bless your union!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>We now pass over a brief period of history.&nbsp; Mr. Roberts
+had now ceased to be a partner in the firm.&nbsp; From the date
+of Mr. Wynn joining the firm until Mr. Roberts&rsquo; retirement,
+the house had prospered year after year.&nbsp; The partners
+became wealthy men, were of high repute in the city, and Mr.
+Wynn, who was considered the soul of the business, was looked up
+to as a man almost unequalled for business talents, while his
+word was regarded as law by all with whom he had any mercantile
+transactions.</p>
+<p>Of Mr. Roberts&rsquo; intended retirement, Mr. <a
+name="page214"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 214</span>Wynn knew
+nothing until the very morning it was carried out.&nbsp; When
+they met in the former&rsquo;s private office, he
+asked,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How many years, Mr. Wynn, has our partnership
+lasted?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Five years, sir.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How long have you been with me?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Ten years to-day, sir, I entered your
+service.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, how rapidly the time passes!&nbsp; Well I have to
+thank my heavenly Father for having directed your footsteps
+here.&nbsp; You have proved yourself a faithful friend, since the
+date of our partnership.&nbsp; By your tact, judgment, business
+habits, industry, and integrity, you have raised our house to the
+highest commercial position.&nbsp; You are almost as dear to me,
+Cadwgan, as if you were my own child.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;From you,&rdquo; replied Mr. Wynn, &ldquo;I have
+received the greatest kindness and consideration.&nbsp; To me you
+have been a second father.&nbsp; No parent could have shown a
+deeper interest in a son than you have shown in me.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page215"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+215</span>&ldquo;As you are now a rich man, Cadwgan, why
+don&rsquo;t you seek a wife.&nbsp; I&rsquo;m sure you would be a
+better and happier man?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I have, Mr. Roberts, anticipated your wish.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad to hear it, Cadwgan, though you surprise
+me.&nbsp; I was not aware of your having fixed your heart on any
+young lady.&nbsp; I hope she is worthy of you.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;From you, sir, I keep nothing.&nbsp; The lady is Miss
+Jones; she has accepted my offer, and her parents have given
+their consent to our union.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad to hear this, for your sake and
+hers.&nbsp; Jones is a capital fellow, and his daughter is a
+noble girl.&nbsp; She has in her own right a splendid fortune,
+and her father must be a rich man.&nbsp; She will make you an
+excellent wife.&nbsp; Her fortune is in the funds, and if
+necessary you could turn it to immediate account.&nbsp; I hope
+you will get back the old place.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Now, Mr. Wynn, as you have told me your secret, I see
+no reason why I should withhold from you mine.&nbsp; I, too, am
+about <a name="page216"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 216</span>to
+contract a marriage; I do not find it good to be alone; I am
+going to be wedded to my first love.&nbsp; Strange to say, her
+name is Wynn.&nbsp; Do you know any lady in your parts of North
+Wales of that name?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Indeed, sir, I don&rsquo;t at present recollect any
+lady of the name of Wynn.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Try, Cadwgan, and remember.&nbsp; My impression is you
+must remember; she is acquainted with you.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Surely, Mr. Roberts, you don&rsquo;t refer to my
+aunt?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I do though.&nbsp; Are you willing to give her to
+me?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Most willing, sir, as far as I am concerned.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then you are pleased at the prospect of a closer
+connection between us?&nbsp; You have placed me in possession of
+your feeling.&nbsp; Now please give me the reason of its
+existence?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That I will do, sir, in a few words.&nbsp; Though she
+is my aunt, and the only relative I have in the world, except my
+dear sister, I must say that she is one of the kindest and best
+<a name="page217"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 217</span>of
+women.&nbsp; I am sure she will make you happy.&nbsp; But, sir, I
+did not know you had ever seen my aunt until she came to visit me
+in London?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Miss Wynn was my earliest love.&nbsp; I proposed to
+her, but her brother, your dear father, objected to our
+union.&nbsp; I left for London immediately afterwards, got
+married, settled down in business, but from the day of my
+departure until her visit to you we never met.&nbsp; Mr. Jones
+was fully aware of the circumstance of my being rejected.&nbsp;
+It was, indeed, the fact of my proposal of which Jones took
+advantage to plead so persistently for you when he wished you to
+come here.&nbsp; Little did I know then what a noble boy you
+were, what a treasure I was to have in you.&nbsp; But let that
+pass: I have one favour to ask you.&nbsp; Will you grant
+it?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, sir, to the extent of every penny I
+possess.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Will you consent to be married on the same day as
+myself?&nbsp; And we will arrange that Rhys and your sister shall
+also be <a name="page218"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+218</span>united on the occasion.&nbsp; Next, will you sign that
+parchment, without asking any question, or examining its
+contents? you can make yourself acquainted with the particulars
+hereafter.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Heartily I say yes, to your questions.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear boy, I thank you from my heart of hearts for
+your goodness and confidence.&nbsp; The document contains a
+dissolution of partnership so far as I am concerned.&nbsp; You,
+and your future brother are now the owners of everything
+here.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. Roberts,&rdquo; replied Cadwgan, with tears in his
+eyes, &ldquo;how can I ever repay you for so noble and so
+generous an act?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear boy, you have already repaid me with your
+grateful tear, by your ten years of faithful services, and by the
+splendid gift of your aunt.&nbsp; There is the ledger, which you
+can scan at leisure.&nbsp; You will find the facts fully set
+forth.&nbsp; Here is a mortgage deed for &pound;50,000,&mdash;a
+sum which simply represents your share of the profits of the
+business during the period of our partnership.&nbsp; The other
+mortgagee is your intended father-in-law, who has invested <a
+name="page219"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 219</span>his
+daughter&rsquo;s fortune in the same property as her trustee and
+guardian.&nbsp; The two sums amount to &pound;115,000, which are
+secured on your paternal estate, Wynn Castle.&nbsp; On the day of
+your marriage, the estate, which has been greatly improved since
+your poor father&rsquo;s death, will be conveyed to you as sole
+owner, by cancelling those deeds.&nbsp; How this matter has been
+arranged it is not necessary for you to know.&nbsp; I rejoice
+beyond measure in your being about to take possession of your
+lost inheritance, and to regain it by means so honourable to
+yourself.&nbsp; My prayer shall be that Heaven will bless you
+with health and prosperity, and that you may long live to enjoy
+it.&nbsp; I have now done my day&rsquo;s work, so for the present
+must wish you good morning.&nbsp; We shall soon meet
+again.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>But few additional words are necessary to complete this
+history.&nbsp; In a few months after the above interview, Mr.
+Roberts, Mr. Roberts junior, and Cadwgan were married to the
+ladies of their choice.</p>
+<p>During a portion of each summer, Mr. and <a
+name="page220"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 220</span>Mrs.
+Cadwgan Wynn, and Mr. and Mrs. Roberts, senior and junior spent
+several weeks at Wynn Castle, where Mr. and Mrs. Owen Jones had
+taken up their permanent abode.&nbsp; The various tenants on the
+estate rejoiced in possessing such an excellent landlord, but
+their joy was unbounded on the morning the news reached them of
+the birth of a son and heir.&nbsp; On the return to the castle
+after this event, his tenantry presented him with an address, to
+which he replied as follows:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Friends and neighbours,&mdash;After many years of exile
+from the land of my birth and the home of my father&rsquo;s
+sepulchre, I feel it my first duty to return my gratitude to Him
+who guides and directs the destiny of us all, for having in His
+good and merciful providence again directed my footsteps to the
+land of my love and my warmest affection.&nbsp; Twelve years to
+day I went out in the wide world, poor and almost
+penniless.&nbsp; I resolved, with Heaven&rsquo;s help, to
+succeed, that is if success could be achieved by honesty,
+integrity, and plodding.&nbsp; After wandering about London for
+<a name="page221"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 221</span>several
+days, I found myself one summer evening on London Bridge, faint,
+anxious, and sick, with but a few shillings in my pocket.&nbsp;
+Just as I was about to settle down to sleep on the cold stone, a
+good Welsh Samaritan who was passing by had compassion on the
+forlorn one, and took me to his home.&nbsp; Strange to say, his
+noble daughter fell in love with me, poor and friendless though I
+was.&nbsp; That lady is my wife and the mother of my son.&nbsp; I
+might tell you that her love for dear old Cambria is as deep and
+as intense as is her love for her offspring.&nbsp; Moreover, her
+heart is full of sympathy for the sons and daughters of human
+suffering wherever found, and she will consider it not only a
+pleasure but a duty to visit and administer consolation and
+solace to the distressed in this beautiful valley.&nbsp; But,
+says my friend on my right, you must not remain idle; you have
+work to do.&nbsp; My dear friend, the Rev. Thomas Charles, who is
+an honour to our country, is doing much for the intellectual,
+moral, and religious welfare of the people.&nbsp; You ought to
+support <a name="page222"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+222</span>his efforts by every means in your power.&nbsp; Him I
+will aid with my purse and influence.&nbsp; I hope in this effort
+we shall be united, conformists and nonconformists, joining hand
+in hand and heart with heart, so that our people may become an
+intelligent and religious people.&nbsp; To bring about such a
+glorious consummation is the chief desire of my soul.&nbsp; I
+have only one more word to add, that is to thank you for your
+beautiful address.&nbsp; Be assured that I and my wife will
+endeavour to earn your good opinion.&nbsp; We will try to promote
+your commercial welfare, and with it your highest
+interest.&rdquo;</p>
+<p style="text-align: center">* * * * *</p>
+<p>McLiver in due time was brought before the bar of justice, and
+his guilt having been clearly established, was banished the
+kingdom.&nbsp; After undergoing ten years of punishment in Van
+Diemen&rsquo;s Land, he obtained his release, and settled down in
+one of the Australian colonies as a small farmer.&nbsp; His uncle
+and cousin were finally apprehended, and being found guilty were
+transported.&nbsp; <a name="page223"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+223</span>Donald was allowed to go free, as his guilt could not
+be legally established.&nbsp; Some years afterwards Mr. Wynn
+learned that he was engaged in the fish trade in one of the
+Orkney Islands.</p>
+<h2><a name="page227"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+227</span>TRADITIONS OF LLYN SAVATHAN;<br />
+OR LLANGORSE, OR TALYLLYN LAKE.</h2>
+<h3>CHAPTER I.<br />
+<i>TRADITIONS OF GIRALDUS</i>.</h3>
+
+<blockquote><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Not
+a tree,<br />
+A llyn, a leaf, a blossom, but contains<br />
+A folio volume.&nbsp; We may read, and read,<br />
+And read again, and still find something new.&rdquo;</p>
+</blockquote>
+<p>Respecting Llyn Savathan, which also bears the several names
+of Lake Brecheinoc, Brecinaumere, Llangorse, and Talyllyn Pool,
+Giraldus relates that in the reign of Henry I., Gruffydd, son of
+Rhys ap Theodor, held under the king one comot, namely, the
+fourth part of the cantref of Caoc, in the cantref Mawr.&nbsp;
+When Gruffydd, on his return from the king&rsquo;s court, passed
+near this lake, which at this cold season of the year was covered
+with wild fowl of <a name="page228"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+228</span>various sorts, being accompanied by Milo, Earl of
+Hereford and Lord of Brecon, and Payn FitzJohn, Lord of Ewyas,
+who at that time were secretaries and privy counsellors to the
+King, Earl Milo, wishing to draw from Gruffydd some discourse
+concerning his innate nobility, rather jocularly than seriously
+thus addressed him: &ldquo;It is an ancient saying in Wales, that
+if the natural prince of the country, coming to this lake, shall
+order the birds to sing, they will immediately obey
+him.&rdquo;&nbsp; To which Gruffydd replied, &ldquo;Do you,
+therefore, who now hold the dominion of this land, first give the
+command.&rdquo;&nbsp; But he and Payn, having in vain commanded,
+and Gruffydd perceiving that it was necessary for him to do so in
+his turn, dismounted from his horse, and falling on his knees
+towards the east, as if he had been about to engage in battle,
+prostrate on the ground, with his eyes and hands uplifted to
+heaven, poured forth devout prayers to the Lord; and at length
+rising up, and signing his face and forehead with the figure of
+the cross, thus openly spake, &ldquo;Almighty God, and Lord Jesus
+Christ, who <a name="page229"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+229</span>knowest all things, declare here, this day, Thy
+power.&nbsp; If Thou hast caused me to descend lineally from the
+natural princes of Cambria, I command these birds, in Thy name,
+to declare it.&rdquo;&nbsp; And immediately, beating the waters
+with their wings, the birds began to cry aloud and proclaim
+him.&nbsp; The spectators were astonished and confounded; and
+Earl Milo, with FitzJohn, hastily returned to court, and related
+this singular occurrence to Henry, who is said to have replied,
+&ldquo;By the death of Christ, it is not a matter of so much
+wonder; for although by our great authority we commit acts of
+violence and wrong against these people, yet they are known to be
+the rightful inheritors of this land.&rdquo;</p>
+<h3><a name="page230"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+230</span>CHAPTER II.<br />
+<i>THE LAST WARNING</i>.</h3>
+<p>Long previous to the time to which the tradition of Giraldus
+relates, the place occupied by Llyn Savathan formed a beautiful
+and picturesque valley, through which the waters of the Llewenny
+meandered and flowed gently along in their progress towards the
+Wye.&nbsp; On the left bank of the Llynfi, and within half a mile
+of its channel, there stood the church of Llangasty, which was
+dedicated to Saint Gasty, an eminent British saint who flourished
+in the fifth century, and was murdered on the Van Mountain, in
+the parish of Merthyr Cynog.&nbsp; On the other side of the
+Llynfi, and nearly opposite the church, there stood a magnificent
+palace, belonging to and occupied by a tyrannical prince, who
+neither feared God nor regarded man, who scorned religion, and
+loathed everything which was pure and good and beautiful; a
+prince who, by the magnitude of his extortions and the <a
+name="page231"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+231</span>relentlessness with which he pursued his unfortunate
+vassals, became the object of hate and intense aversion to all
+who had dealings or came in contact with him.&nbsp; Moreover, as
+he grew older, his extortions became more burdensome, while his
+tyranny increased in its fury, notwithstanding the warnings he
+received from those who desired the perpetuation of his
+reign.&nbsp; To all those warnings he turned a deaf ear, while he
+punished with the utmost rigour those who sought to thwart him in
+his infamous practices.</p>
+<p>It was a cold December morning, when Father Olyver, of
+Llangasty, repaired to the palace in order to condole with the
+prince on the death of a son.&nbsp; On entering the
+reception-room, and finding the prince alone, he thus addressed
+him&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My heart grieves and is sad, my prince, at the loss you
+have sustained.&nbsp; Another prop of your house has been taken
+away, and oh, reflect, I pray, on your present mode of life;
+consider your ways and be wise.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Cease thy babbling, Father Olyver,&rdquo; replied <a
+name="page232"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 232</span>the
+prince.&nbsp; &ldquo; D&mdash; it, man, all must die.&nbsp; The
+death of another son, thou senseless priest, only diminishes my
+responsibility as a father, and now I shall have more to leave to
+the survivors.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Pray, don&rsquo;t speak thus, my lord, of your
+child.&nbsp; The fruit of your loins should ever be regarded with
+affection.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I loved the boy when living, Father Olyver.&nbsp; But
+now, man, he has ceased to live; the spirit, the soul, has gone;
+a clod of earth only remains.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Be it so, my lord.&nbsp; Yet I must own that I look on
+his untimely end as a terrible warning to you.&nbsp; The event
+tells you to set your house in order, for in such an hour as ye
+think not the Son of man cometh.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;All right, Father Olyver.&nbsp; I suppose, when He
+comes, I must go like the rest, in spite of the saints and mother
+Church.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But are you prepared, my prince, when the voice
+calls?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Of course I am, father.&nbsp; Let his majesty come
+whenever he pleases, I&rsquo;ll accompany him.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page233"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+233</span>&ldquo;Are you ready, my dear prince, to appear,
+without fear, before your God when He calls you hence?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There are beautiful maidens, too, father, before whom I
+must and delight to appear, after my evening&rsquo;s
+carousals!&nbsp; Ah! ah! ah!&nbsp; I&rsquo;ll be bound that even
+you, Father Olyver, with your sanctimonious jib, are not
+indifferent to the smiles of a pretty wench, and you won&rsquo;t
+turn away when you happen to have a glimpse of a fine
+ankle.&nbsp; Human nature is human nature all the world
+over.&nbsp; I warrant priests of mother Church don&rsquo;t always
+keep it in subjection.&nbsp; Oh!&nbsp; Oh!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;This is not the time, nor is it a fitting occasion, my
+lord, to indulge in such language,&rdquo; replied the
+priest.&nbsp; &ldquo;For one day, at least, especially in the
+presence of the dead, I beseech you to cease speaking
+thus.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why should I, man, refrain from telling the truth even
+now?&nbsp; Bedad, I&rsquo;ve hit the right nail on the head this
+time at any rate.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;For the present, however, I shall regard your charge of
+me and my orders in silence.&nbsp; I have come here to perform
+the last rites of <a name="page234"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+234</span>the Church over the dead.&nbsp; The day to me is one of
+unusual solemnity.&nbsp; I loved your son as if he had been my
+own child.&nbsp; He was a good and pious youth, notwithstanding
+the evil influences by which he was surrounded.&nbsp; But he is
+gone, and the place that knew him shall know him no more.&nbsp;
+And now, my lord, what hour have you fixed for carrying his
+remains to that silent bourne from whence no traveller ever comes
+back?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We propose to bury at five; and after the funeral I
+have, Father Olyver, a grand banquet in my palace, and we
+anticipate a merry meeting.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And cannot you, my lord, give up folly and pleasure for
+a single day?&nbsp; Can&rsquo;t you devote one evening to
+pursuits which harmonize with the solemnity of the day?&nbsp; You
+have received from time to time, and year after year, the most
+terrible warnings, yet you heed them not.&nbsp; You hear the
+sound of the trumpet, to which you have paid no attention.&nbsp;
+If you continue to live as you have lived, my dear
+prince&mdash;if you resolve, come what will, <a
+name="page235"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 235</span>to steel
+your heart, and defy the Almighty,&mdash;the day is not far
+distant when the wrath of an angry God will descend upon you and
+yours, and on that day&mdash;rather on that dark and dismal
+night&mdash;the sword of His justice will descend, and the
+innocent and the guilty shall perish together.&nbsp; I now leave
+you, my prince, but in a few hours we shall meet again at the
+grave of departed virtue, and something tells me that when we
+then part it will be a parting for ever.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>At the time appointed the funeral cort&egrave;ge arrived at
+Llangasty.&nbsp; The young prince was buried with extraordinary
+pomp.&nbsp; When the service was concluded, Father Olyver went up
+and pressed the hand of the prince, and bidding him good-bye,
+whispered in his ear, &ldquo;Remember, my lord, the warning
+voice: it has spoken once, twice, ay, thrice; the next time it
+will speak in thunder and lightning, when the earth shall move
+and reel like a drunken man.&nbsp; So now, farewell.&nbsp; I fear
+we shall never meet again.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The good priest then turned away from <a
+name="page236"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 236</span>prince and
+people.&nbsp; He re-entered the church for evening song, while
+the prince and the mourners returned to the palace to make merry
+and be glad.&nbsp; Before they arrived home, the day had
+disappeared, and the night had come.&nbsp; Darkness had settled
+down upon the earth.&nbsp; When they entered the palace, they
+little dreamt of being on the very brink of a precipice over
+which they would be hurled by the fiat of the Eternal.</p>
+<h3><a name="page237"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+237</span>CHAPTER III.<br />
+<i>THE FATAL BANQUET</i>; <i>OR</i>, <i>VENGEANCE AT
+HAND</i>.</h3>
+<p>The palace of the Prince of Llynfi was characterized by
+drunkenness and vice, dissipation and sensuality, intemperance
+and debauchery.&nbsp; Virtue had no lodgment there.&nbsp;
+Righteousness had no habitation there.&nbsp; Justice, religion,
+and truth were wholly absent from the palace of the prince.&nbsp;
+He and his family gave themselves up to pleasure, to riotous
+living, and to revellings; and from day to day, week to week, and
+month to month, they lived as if there was no God&mdash;no
+hereafter&mdash;no judgment to come!&nbsp; Moreover, they had so
+sunk in sin and iniquity, that they were quite insensible to
+those feelings which are common and general, and indeed
+universal, in the lowest state of humanity.&nbsp; Flower after
+flower of the family circle had withered and died, or had been
+plucked from the tree of life by the will of the Almighty, yet
+from the heart of the <a name="page238"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 238</span>survivors there never escaped a
+sigh; never a tear was shed; their hearts had become a flinty
+rock, and were as insensible of impression as the Parian
+marble.&nbsp; Thus they lived: thus, too, they died; for at last
+they were cut down as cumberers of the ground.</p>
+<p>Before the untimely death of the son, the prince had arranged
+for a grand banquet to take place on the very day his mortal
+remains were consigned to the tomb.&nbsp; During the progress of
+preparation for the funeral, preparations were also being made
+for the expected banquet.&nbsp; On their return from the church,
+many of the guests had already arrived and many more soon
+followed.&nbsp; By nine o&rsquo;clock the palace was filled with
+a splendid array of the licentious male and female inhabitants of
+the villages in the surrounding country.&nbsp; According to old
+traditions, two renowned minstrels from a distance had been
+summoned to cheer them in their revels; and riot and disorder,
+such as had never before been witnessed even in that palace,
+resounded among the hills.&nbsp; The party had been many hours
+assembled: it <a name="page239"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+239</span>was midnight.&nbsp; In the midst of their revellings
+there was suddenly heard a crash of thunder, which shook the
+palace to its foundation; and this was immediately followed by
+louder and louder peals, which boomed through the valley as the
+noise of a thousand pieces of artillery.&nbsp; The prince and his
+riotous companions were awe-struck, and presently they heard a
+voice saying in deep, solemn tones, &ldquo;Vengeance is at
+hand!&rdquo;&nbsp; In a moment the two minstrels arose, and
+beholding in the air a mysterious hand beckoning to them, they
+fled after it as it retreated.&nbsp; The hand moved faster and
+faster, and as it moved they increased their speed.&nbsp; After
+they had gone a considerable distance the earth heaved violently,
+and appeared to totter on its foundations.&nbsp; For a moment
+they turned round to see the distance they had come.&nbsp; They
+saw the ground divide in twain, and up through this large chasm
+they beheld the waters rushing forth like the ocean when
+convulsed, and mingling with the roaring sound of the waters were
+the dying shrieks of the revellers.&nbsp; Pausing for another
+moment in their <a name="page240"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+240</span>flight, the minstrels observed, with great terror, a
+wide expanse of boiling and agitated waters where the palace and
+village had stood, engulfing the palace and its wicked and
+impious inmates far below its bosom.&nbsp; Since then, Llyn
+Savathan has ever been regarded as an unhallowed spot; the great
+wickedness of the prince and his followers having drawn upon them
+the just judgment of the Eternal.</p>
+<h2><a name="page243"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+243</span>TREFFYNNON;<br />
+OR,<br />
+LEGENDS OF SAINT WINIFRED.</h2>
+<blockquote><p>&ldquo;The lifeless tears she shed into a fountain
+turn,<br />
+And, that for her alone the water should not mourn,<br />
+The pure vermilion blood that issued from her veins<br />
+Unto this very day the pearly gravel stains,<br />
+As erst the white and red were mix&egrave;d in her cheek.<br />
+And that one part of her might be the other like,<br />
+Her hair was turned to moss, whose sweetness doth declare,<br />
+In liveliness of youth the natural sweets she bare.&rdquo;</p>
+<p style="text-align: right"><span class="smcap">Michael
+Drayton</span>.</p>
+</blockquote>
+<p>When but a mere youth, I had a strong and extreme longing to
+visit Holywell, or Treffynnon, which according to my youthful
+fancy was the most wonderful place under the sun.&nbsp; This
+desire had its origin in the following circumstances.</p>
+<p>About three miles from my paternal abode there was situate a
+small village, which had risen into fame and notoriety by reason
+of its annual May fair.&nbsp; At this fair an immense number of
+people congregated.&nbsp; Young men and maidens <a
+name="page244"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 244</span>were
+there.&nbsp; Farmers&rsquo; sons and daughters flocked in great
+numbers; and this being the annual hiring fair, hundreds of men
+and women servants went to find either new masters or fresh
+mistresses.&nbsp; Then from the neighbouring towns and villages,
+people came for the purpose of providing fun, amusement, and
+entertainment for the holiday seekers.&nbsp; Shows innumerable
+were there; Mr. Cheap Jack vending his wares, with which he
+combined interesting stories and flashes of wit, had thousands of
+willing and enchanted listeners, and a goodly number of ready
+purchasers.&nbsp; On the roadside from one end of the village to
+the other was a continuous row of stalls, laden with every
+conceivable variety of articles.&nbsp; All these marvellous
+things filled my boyish fancy with amazement and wonder.</p>
+<p>But what struck me most, was a person who had a stall situate
+near the bridge, on which were placed in rows several thousands
+of small wooden boxes, which in circumference were about the size
+of a crown piece, and three quarters of an inch deep.&nbsp; These
+boxes he <a name="page245"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+245</span>arranged with great deliberation and care, and when he
+completed his work, not a single box could be seen out of its
+proper place.</p>
+<p>This person was fantastically dressed.&nbsp; He wore a
+three-cornered hat, the brim of which was tipped with gold.&nbsp;
+He had pink velvet breeches, with a waistcoat of similar
+material; red stockings, and shoes with silver buckles.&nbsp; His
+frock coat, made of good West of England broadcloth, had, in
+consequence of many years&rsquo; wear, become a dark blood
+colour.&nbsp; In his hat were placed two rows of feathers,
+arranged in the form of the Prince of Wales&rsquo; plume.&nbsp;
+He was certainly a most singular looking figure, and from the
+hour when he commenced to expatiate on the virtues of his wares
+until the dusk of the evening, attracted an immense audience.</p>
+<p>When his preparations were finished, he took in his left hand
+one of the little boxes, from which he removed the lid, or cover,
+and commenced to address the crowd in the following
+fashion.&nbsp; &ldquo;This box, ladies and gentlemen,&rdquo; he
+said, &ldquo;contains wonderful ointment.&nbsp; It will <a
+name="page246"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 246</span>cure the
+itch, the stitch, and nettle-rash.&nbsp; It is a sure remedy for
+all diseases of the skin.&nbsp; It will, when applied, remove
+warts from the fingers, corns from the toes, and bunions from the
+feet.&nbsp; It is an effectual cure for cuts, bruises, and for
+every kind of wounds.&nbsp; Time, ladies and gentlemen, would
+fail me to speak of its wonderful properties, and the history of
+cases it has cured would fill a dozen large volumes.&nbsp; Every
+man should therefore possess half a dozen boxes of this valuable
+salve.&nbsp; They should be placed in the nobleman&rsquo;s
+palace, in every farm house, in every poor man&rsquo;s
+cottage.&nbsp; The use of this wonderful ointment will save you
+many a long doctor&rsquo;s bill, and, between you and me, doctors
+are doing their best to stop its sale, because one box of this
+salve is worth a hundred visits of the physician.&nbsp; People
+have paid lots of money to doctors without getting any benefit;
+they then came to me, and by using one box only, were made
+perfectly whole.&nbsp; This ointment is the grandest discovery of
+the age.&nbsp; It was found out, not by man&rsquo;s skill, oh,
+no; but an angel <a name="page247"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+247</span>came from distant worlds and directed my sainted mother
+how to make it.&nbsp; The secret is with me, and it must remain
+with me; for were it known, its efficacy would disappear.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You, ladies and gentlemen, would doubtless like to know
+the several constituent parts of this justly renowned ointment,
+but as I have already said, I dare not reveal the secret.&nbsp;
+The spirit of one who when on this earth was as pure as she was
+comely and beautiful, told the secret to my sainted mother.&nbsp;
+I refer to Saint Winifred, who was murdered twelve hundred years
+ago.&nbsp; From the spot on which she was beheaded, her head
+rolled down the declivity, and did not stop until it reached the
+altar of the church, and immediately there sprang up a spring of
+water, which in volume is unequalled in the world.&nbsp; The
+wonderful salve is not called after the saint, this her spirit
+forbade, but Eli Treffynnon, or Holywell salve.&nbsp; As I make
+it myself, I can offer to sell it at twopence per box, though
+doctors charge sixpence for a far inferior article.&nbsp;
+Twopence per box being the price, for which I charge no more nor
+will I <a name="page248"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+248</span>take less.&nbsp; Who will buy? who will buy?&nbsp; Now
+is your time, for I shall not visit these parts for twelve
+months.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The people then rushed to the vendor of Eli Treffynnon, and in
+less than an hour he had disposed of more than a thousand boxes
+of the ointment.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;A wonderful man that, is he not?&rdquo; said I to my
+companion.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, truly.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Can you tell me where Treffynnon is?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Not exactly,&rdquo; replied my companion; &ldquo;but it
+is in the north.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; In the north of England or Scotland,
+which?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, no, in neither; but in North Wales.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Is it a town or a village?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;A town, I believe; but it is not a large
+place.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Have you ever heard of the remarkable
+well before?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, yes.&nbsp; I&rsquo;ve seen an account of it in an
+old book.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page249"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+249</span><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; If I knew the way, I would go and
+see this wonderful fountain.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t talk nonsense.&nbsp; Go two hundred miles
+to see a spring!&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Why not?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why?&nbsp; Because you can see plenty of fountains
+nearer home.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; But this is a well.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes; a well to be sure.&nbsp; But don&rsquo;t the
+waters of all rivers come from wells?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Of course they do.&nbsp; But it requires
+a hundred wells to make up the Severn, the Wye, and the Ithon,
+but here is a large river from one well, one spring.&nbsp;
+I&rsquo;ll certainly go one of these days and see it.</p>
+<p>Many, many years, however, came, and passed away, before the
+design I then formed was carried out.</p>
+<p style="text-align: center">* * * * *</p>
+<p>My first visit to Holywell, or Treffynnon, took place just
+about the close of the Crimean War.&nbsp; I arrived in the town
+late one evening in mid winter, but as the night was extremely
+dark, while the rain descended in torrents, I refrained <a
+name="page250"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 250</span>from
+leaving my hotel, the name of which I do not at present
+remember.&nbsp; It was then the principal inn of the town, with a
+first rate bill of fare.</p>
+<p>Being a private gentleman, and therefore debarred from joining
+the commercials, breakfast was prepared for me in a snug little
+parlour which was generally used by the landlady as her private
+sitting-room.&nbsp; Before I had taken my seat at the breakfast,
+the waitress came into the room, all smiles, and asked me if I
+had any objection to a gentleman joining me at the morning
+meal.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Who is the gentleman?&rdquo; I asked the waitress.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, Squire Eli, of Ffynnon Hall.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; What kind of a person is he?&nbsp; Is he
+old or young, has he a hump on his back, and does he wear
+spectacles? is he a nice, good-tempered fellow, or sour as crab
+beer?&nbsp; Tell me, gentle maid, the kind of companion I am to
+be honoured with.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, sir, how you do talk.&nbsp; Squire is a nice,
+well-spoken gentleman; and I am sure you&rsquo;ll like
+him.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page251"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+251</span><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Show the gentleman up; but tell
+your mistress that she will be a loser by his introduction,
+because I generally eat twice as much in company as when
+alone.</p>
+<p>Presently Mr. Eli made his appearance, and I expressed to him
+how greatly pleased I was at his honouring me with his
+presence.</p>
+<p>He replied to my remarks in a very neat speech, and said he
+was delighted in the opportunity of making my acquaintance,
+having heard of me from a common friend.</p>
+<p>Before rising from the table I said, &ldquo;What a beautiful
+name you have selected for your seat!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then do you know Welsh?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; I know a little; I wish I knew
+more.&nbsp; It is the grandest language under the sun.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;For expressiveness and eloquence and poetry, you are
+right.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; I presume you selected the name because
+you have a crystal fountain by the Hall?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, dear, no.&nbsp; There is a fountain it is true, but
+its existence in no way determined me to select the name; and,
+between us, I don&rsquo;t think <a name="page252"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 252</span>there is a similar designation for a
+house in North or South Wales.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Have you visited the south, Mr. Eli?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Visited the South!&nbsp; Why, there is not a town or
+village in the six counties I&rsquo;ve not been in.&nbsp; I know
+the country well.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Have you ever been at Bridgend, in the county of
+R.?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;At Bridgend!&nbsp; Of course I have; many and many a
+time.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; If I&rsquo;m not mistaken, I have seen
+you there.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Probably you have; that is, if you ever attended its
+annual May fair.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Then you are the man, the veritable
+vendor of Eli Treffynnon?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Of course I am.&nbsp; I thought the waitress had duly
+informed you of that.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; No, no; but never mind.&nbsp; I&rsquo;m
+delighted to see you.&nbsp; Your speech on your ointment awoke in
+my bosom an intense longing to see this place; and I&rsquo;ve
+come almost specially to see for myself its wonders.&nbsp; I
+hope, therefore, <a name="page253"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+253</span>Mr. Eli, you have no special engagement this
+morning.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And suppose I have not?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; In that case I trust you will be my
+cicerone.&nbsp; I am extremely anxious to know the history and
+traditions of the wonderful well.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll accompany you with pleasure, and tell its
+wondrous history.&nbsp; When shall we start?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Now, if you please.</p>
+<p>Just as we reached the lower part of the principal street, we
+saw a man with measured steps approaching us.&nbsp; The man had a
+leathern strap fastened round his neck, at the other end of which
+was suspended a large bell, a cushion being buckled to the right
+knee.&nbsp; Every time the cushioned knee came forward the bell
+jingled, and it being of considerable size its tones could be
+heard a long distance from the scene of the man&rsquo;s
+perambulations.&nbsp; When he came up to the place where we were
+standing, I asked Mr. Eli the question,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Is that man mad?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;By no means: he is in his right mind.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page254"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+254</span><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; No sane man, I should think, would
+be guilty of such folly.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The man,&rdquo; replied Mr. Eli, &ldquo;is doing a
+Christian duty.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; I fail to see any act of devotion in
+carrying a bell about the town.&nbsp; Please, Mr. Eli, explain
+yourself.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You, a stranger, very naturally conclude the man is
+demented.&nbsp; When you know the object of his mission you will
+come to a different opinion.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Pray, Mr. Eli, enlighten me.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We have a church here, my dear sir.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Yes.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That church is situate in a hole at the head of a deep
+dell.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; But what has that to do with this
+man?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;This,&rdquo; replied Mr. Eli; &ldquo;we cannot, up the
+town, hear the church chimes, though we are not two hundred yards
+from them.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; But the man does not carry your church
+bells on his knee.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, dear me, no; but this man walks round <a
+name="page255"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 255</span>the town
+just before divine service, and the ringing of his bell warns the
+people that it is time for them to go to church.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; A singular invention, certainly.&nbsp;
+Pity they built the church in such an outlandish place.</p>
+<p><i>Mr. Eli</i>.&nbsp; Oh, don&rsquo;t say so.&nbsp; The church
+was built there by direction.&nbsp; It is close to the well of
+St. Winifred, the healing waters of which, as you are aware, are
+celebrated far and near.</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Then the tales you and others tell about
+the efficacy of the waters of the fountain are really true?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, of course, they are perfectly true.&nbsp; When all
+is said and written about the waters, we can truly say that the
+half is not told.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; I should like to possess a true and
+authentic history of the place.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Doubtless,&rdquo; replied Mr. Eli, &ldquo;you
+would.&nbsp; Its history has yet to be written.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; There is, then, evidence, Mr. Eli, that
+people who have bathed in its waters have been made whole?</p>
+<p><a name="page256"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+256</span>&ldquo;Yes; plenty of evidence,&rdquo; replied Mr. Eli;
+&ldquo;and if you will now accompany me to the well, I&rsquo;ll
+show you some of the many witnesses.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>When we entered the building, my friend conducted me to a spot
+where we had a good view of the interior.&nbsp; He pointed with
+his finger to the roof, at the same time remarking, &ldquo;Up
+there, look up there, for there is the evidence, the witnesses,
+to which I referred.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Do you mean those barrows, hand carts,
+crutches, and staves, and other things too numerous to mention,
+fastened to the ceiling?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Of course I do.&nbsp; Are they not irresistible
+witnesses to the healing power of these waters?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; I really fail to see your point, Mr.
+Eli.&nbsp; Pray explain yourself more fully.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;People come here,&rdquo; said my friend, &ldquo;from
+all parts of the world.&nbsp; Some come on wheel-barrows, some on
+crutches, some by the aid of walking-sticks; they bathe in these
+healing waters, like they did when our Lord was upon earth, and
+are cleansed.&nbsp; They leave here new men and women, and having
+no further need of either crutch or barrow, leave them behind <a
+name="page257"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 257</span>as
+witnesses to the power of this wonderful fountain.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; You have greatly excited my curiosity,
+Mr. Eli.&nbsp; Pray furnish me with some information respecting
+the history of this place.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You are heartily welcome to the facts and traditions I
+have been fortunate enough to succeed in collecting, which can be
+briefly told.&nbsp; They are as follows:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Once upon a time, that is, about twelve hundred and
+twenty-five years ago, this Treffynnon was a royal city, and then
+the king&rsquo;s palace was within its precincts.&nbsp; The then
+reigning sovereign was Allen the First, and his dominion extended
+over the whole of the hundred of Coleshill, from the royal mines
+of which he derived a princely income.&nbsp; The king had a son
+of the name of Cradocus, a name which has led old writers to
+conclude that his mother was a daughter of some Roman, who,
+preferring this country to his own, and having espoused a British
+lady, settled down here.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;At the time of which I speak, there resided in Holywell
+a potent lord of the Trewith, who <a name="page258"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 258</span>married Lady Wento, an only sister
+of Saint Beuno, descendants of an ancient and illustrious
+Montgomeryshire family.&nbsp; The only issue of this marriage was
+a daughter, a beautiful and lovely maiden, who was as pure as she
+was beautiful, whose name was Winifred.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;When she had grown up to be a young lady, her uncle,
+Saint Beuno, who resided at Clynnog, in Carnarvonshire, came on
+one occasion to this royal town to pay a friendly visit to his
+family.&nbsp; During his stay he obtained a grant of land from
+Lord Trewith, his brother-in-law, upon which he erected a
+church.&nbsp; Now the altar of that church was close by yon
+bubbling fountain.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Have you historical proofs of this, Mr.
+Eli? I asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You will see by-and-by the evidence upon which I
+rely.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Pray proceed; your narrative is deeply
+interesting.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;After the erection of the church,&rdquo; Mr. Eli
+continued, &ldquo;Saint Beuno took under his charge his niece
+Winifred, who vowed to remain a <a name="page259"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 259</span>virgin, and to devote her life to
+works of charity, mercy, and religion.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;On a lovely Sunday evening, on the 22nd of June, the
+Lady Winifred left her parents&rsquo; castle for the purpose of
+taking a walk in the cool of the day.&nbsp; When she attained the
+summit of the hill her progress was stayed by Prince Cradocus,
+who, being struck with her extreme beauty, at once made a
+proposal of marriage.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Prince,&rsquo; replied Lady Winifred, &lsquo;I
+can form no earthly ties.&nbsp; I have already vowed my life and
+wealth to the work of my Saviour.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;But, noble and beautiful lady, I have sworn you
+shall be mine, and nothing shall prevent the fulfilment of my
+oath.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Your offer, illustrious prince, comes too late;
+my vow is irrevocable.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Pray, Lady Winifred, don&rsquo;t say that.&nbsp;
+Your hand I am resolved to possess, and you shall share with me
+the throne of my ancestors.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;For earthly thrones, prince, I care not; my
+treasures are not here but above.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;If you persist, noble lady, in your refusal, I
+am resolved to effect my object by force.&rsquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page260"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+260</span>&ldquo;&lsquo;You dare not do that, prince.&nbsp; You
+must not further molest me.&nbsp; Stand by, for I would proceed
+on my way.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Cradocus was vexed at being thus robbed of his prey,
+and getting into a fearful passion, took his sword from its
+sheath, and there and then,&mdash;oh, horror of horrors! cut off
+the head of the virgin.&nbsp; For his guilty act, vengeance from
+on high soon overtook him.&nbsp; On the spot where he committed
+the crime, he fell down a dead man, and the earth opening,
+swallowed his impious corpse. <a name="citation260"></a><a
+href="#footnote260" class="citation">[260]</a>&nbsp; There is,
+however, a tradition, that Cradocus&rsquo;s master, the devil,
+carried off his body to the dismal regions of despair.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Now about the well.&nbsp; I&rsquo;ve told you, that it
+was on the hillside above here where Cradocus committed the foul
+deed.&nbsp; It appears that when the head was severed from the
+body it commenced to roll down the steep hill by which we
+descended, and stopped when it reached the altar, before which a
+number of devout people were kneeling.&nbsp; The very moment the
+head stopped there came up this fountain, the waters <a
+name="page261"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 261</span>of which
+possess the same miraculous power as did those waters of the pool
+of Bethesda referred to in the Gospel of St. John.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It appears Saint Beuno was the officiating priest at
+the altar when this sad event took place.&nbsp; Recognising the
+head as that of his beloved niece, he took it up, and ran with it
+to where the mangled body lay, to which he rejoined it.&nbsp; To
+the astonishment of all present, the head at once united itself
+to the body, the place of separation being only marked by a white
+ring or line, which extended round the neck.&nbsp; From that hour
+she was called Saint Winifred, and was always after regarded as a
+holy person, a special vessel chosen by Christ to do His
+work.&nbsp; After this event she lived fifteen years, and gained
+universal fame by her deeds of love and charity.&nbsp; Well,
+though more than twelve hundred years have come and gone since
+then, this fountain is as powerful to-day as it was then in
+healing and in curing diseases.&nbsp; Hundreds, aye, thousands,
+have blessed the day on which they bathed in this Iach&acirc;d
+Ffynnon&mdash;healing fountain.&nbsp; Now, my story is
+done.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page262"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+262</span><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; And a most interesting tale it is,
+Mr. Eli, for which I thank you very much.&nbsp; There is one more
+circumstance I wish to be informed of in order to have a complete
+history of the sainted lady.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;To what do you refer?&rdquo; asked Mr. Eli.</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; I presume the lady died here.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh yes; she died in her father&rsquo;s
+mansion.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; In that case, I presume, her sepulchre is
+in your churchyard?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Not so, my friend,&rdquo; replied Mr. Eli.</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Then she was not buried here?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No, she was not interred here, and for this
+reason.&nbsp; Her uncle, Saint Beuno, died on the 21st of April,
+660, and his remains were interred in the Abbey Church of Bardsey
+Island.&nbsp; On his death, Saint Winifred retired to Gwytheriu,
+and placed herself under the protection of St. Elerius, who at
+that time was living in devotional seclusion in that sequestered
+mountain village.&nbsp; At that time there was there a convent of
+nuns under the superintendence of Theonia.&nbsp; Saint Winifred
+assumed the veil, and on the death of Theonia became the
+abbess.&nbsp; On her death, <a name="page263"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 263</span>the remains were removed from
+Treffynnon to Gwytheriu, and interred near the graves of St. Cybi
+and St. Sannan.&nbsp; After a lapse of five hundred years from
+the date of her death, the bones of St. Winifred were removed
+with great pomp to the church of St. Peter and St. Paul,
+Shrewsbury.&nbsp; The wooden chest in which the remains were
+preserved is still kept.&nbsp; The translation of the
+saint&rsquo;s remains took place in the reign of King
+Stephen.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; It&rsquo;s a pity that no monument to her
+memory has been erected here.&nbsp; Don&rsquo;t you think so, Mr.
+Eli?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I cannot share your opinion, my friend.&nbsp; This well
+and its wonderful cures are monuments which will live when Parian
+marble shall crumble into dust.&nbsp; But there is another
+monument.&nbsp; Observe,&rdquo; said Mr. Eli, &ldquo;the sweet
+scented moss which grows there by the well-side, the
+<i>Jungermannia esplenoides</i> of Linn&aelig;us.&nbsp; On each
+anniversary of the decollation of Saint Winifred, this moss, and
+the stones of the fountain, assume the colour of blood.&nbsp;
+This annual change in the tint of the moss is an <a
+name="page264"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 264</span>immortal
+monument of the dear departed saint, as if it said:&mdash;</p>
+<blockquote><p>&ldquo;For thee, blest maid, my tears, my endless
+pain,<br />
+Shall in immortal monuments remain.<br />
+The image of thy death each year renew,<br />
+And prove my grief, to distant ages, true.&rdquo;</p>
+</blockquote>
+<p>After making a general inspection of the well, and examining
+the grotesque figures of animals and other works of sculpture, my
+friend and I paid a brief visit to the chapel over the
+well.&nbsp; During our stay there, he placed in my hand a copy of
+the following letter, addressed by the queen of James II., to Sir
+Roger Mostyn.</p>
+<blockquote><p>&ldquo;<span class="smcap">Sir Roger
+Mostyn</span>,&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It having pleased the king, by his royal grant, to
+bestow upon me the ancient chapel adjoining St. Winifred&rsquo;s
+Well, these are to desire you to give present possession, in my
+name, of the said chapel, to Mr. Thomas Roberts, who will deliver
+this letter into your hands.&nbsp; It being also my intention to
+have the place decently repaired, and put to a good use, I
+further desire that you will afford him your favour and
+protection, that he may not be <a name="page265"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 265</span>disturbed in the performance
+thereof.&nbsp; You may rest assured that what you do herein,
+according to my desire, shall be very kindly remembered by</p>
+<p style="text-align: right">&ldquo;Your good friend,<br />
+&ldquo;<span class="smcap">Mary Regina</span>.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;<span class="smcap">Whitehall</span>,<br />
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <i>May</i> 8<i>th</i>,
+1687.&rdquo;</p>
+</blockquote>
+<p>On leaving the chapel, I cordially thanked my friend for the
+information he had imparted respecting the Winifred legend; and
+told him, that some day I would try to make his name and his Eli
+Treffynnon as immortal as the saint whose history he had so
+eloquently told.&nbsp; But before my tale sees the light, my
+entertainer has gone to that bourne from whence no traveller
+returns; yet it may be,&mdash;who knows?&mdash;that his spirit
+still visits our world, and communes with dear ones and friends
+left behind.</p>
+<p style="text-align: center">
+<a href="images/p268b.jpg">
+<img alt=
+"View of Swansea in September, 1748"
+title=
+"View of Swansea in September, 1748"
+src="images/p268s.jpg" />
+</a></p>
+<h2><a name="page269"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 269</span>THE
+VISIT OF ELIDORUS TO THE FAIRY KINGDOM BENEATH THE BAY.</h2>
+<p>A short time before our visit to Swansea, wrote Giraldus
+Cambrensis, a circumstance worthy of note occurred in these
+parts, which Elidorus, a priest, most strenuously affirmed had
+befallen him.&nbsp; When a youth of twelve years, and learning
+his letters, since, as Solomon says, &ldquo;The root of learning
+is bitter, although the fruit is sweet,&rdquo; in order to avoid
+the discipline and frequent stripes inflicted on him by his
+preceptor, he ran away, and concealed himself under the hollow
+bank of a river.&nbsp; After fasting in that situation for two
+days, two little men of pigmy stature appeared to him, saying,
+&ldquo;If you will come with us, we will lead you into a country
+full of delights and sports.&rdquo;&nbsp; Assenting and rising
+up, he followed his guides through a path, at first subterraneous
+and dark, into a most beautiful <a name="page270"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 270</span>country, adorned with rivers and
+meadows, woods and plains, but obscure, and not illuminated with
+the full light of the sun.&nbsp; All the days were cloudy, and
+the nights extremely dark, on account of the absence of the moon
+and stars.&nbsp; The boy was brought before the king, and
+introduced to him in the presence of the court; who, having
+examined him for a long time, delivered him to his son, who was
+then a boy.&nbsp; The men were of the smallest stature, but very
+well proportioned in their make; they were all of a fair
+complexion, with luxuriant hair falling over their shoulders like
+that of women.&nbsp; They had horses and greyhounds adapted to
+their size.&nbsp; They neither ate flesh nor fish, but lived on
+milk diet, made up into messes with saffron.&nbsp; They never
+took an oath, for they detested nothing so much as lies.&nbsp; As
+often as they returned from our upper hemisphere, they reprobated
+our ambition, infidelities, and inconstancies.&nbsp; They had no
+form of public worship, being strict lovers and reverers, as it
+seemed, of truth.</p>
+<p>The boy frequently returned to our <a name="page271"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 271</span>hemisphere, sometimes by the way he
+had first gone, sometimes by another; at first in company with
+other persons, and afterwards alone; and made himself known only
+to his mother, declaring to her the manners, nature, and state of
+that people.&nbsp; Being desired by her to bring a present of
+gold, with which that region abounded, he stole, when at play
+with the king&rsquo;s son, the golden ball with which he used to
+divert himself, and brought it to his mother in great haste; and
+when he reached the door of his father&rsquo;s house, but not
+unpursued, and was entering it in a great hurry, his foot
+stumbled on the threshold, and falling down into the room where
+his mother was sitting, the two pigmies seized the ball, which
+had dropped from his hand, and departed, showing the boy every
+mark of contempt and derision.&nbsp; On recovering from the fall,
+confounded with shame, and execrating the evil counsel of his
+mother, he returned by the usual track to the subterraneous road,
+but found no appearance of any passage, though he searched for it
+on the banks of the <a name="page272"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 272</span>river (Tawe) for nearly the space of
+a year.&nbsp; But since those calamities which reason cannot
+mitigate are often alleviated by time, and length of time alone
+blunts the edge of our afflictions, and puts an end to many
+evils, the youth having been brought back by his friends and
+mother, and restored to his right way of thinking, and to his
+learning, in process of time attained the rank of
+priesthood.&nbsp; Whenever David II., Bishop of St.
+David&rsquo;s, talked to him in his advanced state of life
+concerning this event, he could never relate the particulars
+without shedding tears.&nbsp; He had made himself acquainted with
+the language of that nation, the words of which, in his younger
+days, he used to recite, which, as the bishop had often informed
+me, were very conformable to the Greek idiom.&nbsp; When they
+asked for water, they said, &ldquo;Ydor ydorum,&rdquo; which
+meant, bring water; for &ldquo;ydor,&rdquo; in their language,
+signifies water, and dwr also, in the British language, signifies
+water.&nbsp; When they wanted salt they said, &ldquo;Halgein
+ydorum,&rdquo; bring salt.&nbsp; Salt is called halen in
+British.</p>
+<p><a name="page273"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 273</span>[So
+far the narrative of Giraldus Cambrensis.&nbsp; We are happy to
+be able to lay before our readers some further details, hitherto
+unpublished, of the early life of Elidorus, and of his visits to
+the fairy kingdom beneath the bay.]</p>
+<p>On the brow of Town Hill, and commanding a magnificent view of
+Swansea Bay, the channel, and their circumjacent coast, with the
+Devonian range of mountains in the distance; there stood, at the
+time of which we write, a small thatched cottage, with mud or
+clay walls, which was then occupied by Sh&ocirc;n Gwyllt, his
+wife Mary, and their son John, an only child.</p>
+<p>Sh&ocirc;n, as had been his father and his grandfather before
+him, was a fisherman, which, in those times, was a highly
+remunerative business.&nbsp; Fish of all kinds were then
+abundant, and they commanded a ready market.&nbsp; In the bay
+were shoals of conger, cod, mullet, sole, whiting, and flat-fish;
+while, in the season, the fishermen were often fortunate enough
+to secure in their nets sea trout and salmon, which, for delicacy
+of flavour, were unequalled in the British seas and rivers, the
+Tawe <a name="page274"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+274</span>excepted.&nbsp; In the Tawe salmon were as plentiful as
+the daisy on the verdant mead in early summer.&nbsp; The waters
+of that river then, and for several hundred years after, were as
+clear as the crystal dewdrops.&nbsp; Now it was on that
+delightful, that glossy and pellucid river that Sh&ocirc;n Gwyllt
+plied his trade, and the sylvan groves on its banks resounded
+with the sound of his rich tenor voice.&nbsp; Sh&ocirc;n loved a
+good song, and the echo of his voice in the near and distant
+groves had for him a peculiar charm.</p>
+<p>We have already observed that Sh&ocirc;n plied his calling on
+the Tawe.&nbsp; He had a horror of the sea.&nbsp; Upon its waters
+he never ventured.&nbsp; Nothing could induce him to join his
+brother fishermen in the bay.&nbsp; Though they often tempted him
+by predicting that they would certainly have a splendid haul of
+fish, yet the prospect of a rich reward for his labour had no
+influence on his mind.&nbsp; To their solicitation he used to
+reply, &ldquo;The Tawe has been a good and generous parent to me,
+so I shall not forsake the kind and rich old <a
+name="page275"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+275</span>mother.&rdquo;&nbsp; And Sh&ocirc;n did not forsake
+her.&nbsp; Day after day, during the season, he might be seen
+with his coracle on his back, wending his way down Mount Pleasant
+and across the fields to the Tawe (there were no houses there
+then), and thence he fished up the river as far as Morriston,
+which at that time consisted of a few clod-built huts.&nbsp; It
+was but seldom that he ventured above that village, though
+occasionally, and once in a way, he fished up to Ynistawe, but
+never went so high up the stream as Penllwch.&nbsp; His aversion
+to Penllwch appears to have arisen from the circumstance that his
+cousin met with an untimely end there, and Sh&ocirc;n dreaded to
+fish the deep pools under Glais, where the young man, whom he
+loved as a brother, was drowned.</p>
+<p>Although Sh&ocirc;n was passionately fond of his trade, yet,
+strange to say, he was strongly opposed to his son following in
+his footsteps.&nbsp; He reasoned thus: It is an occupation in
+which there is a great risk of life.&nbsp; The fisherman has to
+contend with bad seasons, and occasionally fish is a drug in the
+market.&nbsp; The business is <a name="page276"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 276</span>not respectable; those engaged in it
+are men of the lowest class, ignorant, drunken, and improvident,
+living from hand to mouth, never saving a penny against a rainy
+day.&nbsp; Instead of allowing young John to accompany him, he
+resolved to send him to school; and to school accordingly his son
+was duly sent.&nbsp; John, however, hated school, and intensely
+disliked his preceptor, a dislike he gloried in exhibiting
+whenever an opportunity offered itself.&nbsp; The teacher
+resented the boy&rsquo;s conduct by the free use of the
+cane.&nbsp; In the severity of punishment he had no mercy, and to
+escape chastisement young Gwyllt often absented himself from
+school.&nbsp; The hours thus spent were among the happiest of his
+boyhood.&nbsp; After his father had gone, John would walk down to
+the Tawe, and leaping into a stranded coracle, he, with his
+paddle, would spend hour after hour in skimming over the
+waters.&nbsp; When he got tired, he would row to the bank, and
+fastening his little boat to the stake, lie down to rest.&nbsp;
+The remainder of the youth&rsquo;s story we shall tell in his own
+words, which are as follows:&mdash;</p>
+<p><a name="page277"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 277</span>I lay
+me down on the banks of Tawe&rsquo;s crystal waters, and
+slept.&nbsp; In my sleep, behold I had a dream.&nbsp; In my dream
+or vision I saw a man approaching who was exceeding small in
+stature.&nbsp; He was clad in rich apparel, and the fastenings of
+his garments&mdash;which were as white as the winter&rsquo;s
+snow&mdash;were of pure gold, rubies, and other precious
+gems.&nbsp; When he came up to the place where I lay, he
+addressed me in the softest and sweetest voice I had ever heard,
+and the voice said, &ldquo;Oh, youth with ruddy cheeks and curly
+locks, why sleepest thou, seeing it is only the third hour after
+the sun of thy world has passed his meridian?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I sleep,&rdquo; I replied, &ldquo;to forget the past,
+to drown the very thought of existence.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;With youth,&rdquo; said the voice, &ldquo;there is
+nothing to regret.&nbsp; The days of youth are days of innocence
+and pleasure.&nbsp; Every breeze fans the flame of
+delight.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But my sorrow, sweet voice, does not spring from the
+heart&rsquo;s passion or paternal unkindness, but from stripes
+inflicted upon my <a name="page278"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+278</span>body by a tyrannical and cruel teacher, a man who has
+no mercy nor kindness of heart.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Methinks you neglect your lesson,&rdquo; said the
+voice, &ldquo;and your preceptor uses the rod in order to teach
+you to be wise and learned.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;If that be so, I&rsquo;d rather be ignorant with whole
+bones, than learned with the lash so frequently used on my
+back.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;There is a saying in your country, is there not?&rdquo;
+said the voice, &ldquo;&lsquo;spare the rod; spoil the
+child.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, yes; there is such a proverb, though I believe in
+it not.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What do you then believe in, my child?&rdquo; asked the
+voice.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I believe in gentleness and kindness.&nbsp; The victory
+that overcometh the world is love.&nbsp; Love will soften the
+hardest heart, subdue the most stubborn will, and melt the
+hardest natures like wax is melted in the fire.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;If you worked hard at your books, and were attentive to
+your lessons, your master would probably be kind to you.&nbsp;
+You should remember that youth is the time to acquire <a
+name="page279"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 279</span>knowledge,
+and that its possession is one of the most pleasurable things on
+earth.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Knowledge might be all you say in its favour, sweet
+voice, but I care not for it.&nbsp; One day spent on the banks of
+this beautiful river, or skimming on the bosom of its limpid and
+crystal waters in some friend&rsquo;s coracle, from which I often
+watch the finny tribe below in their plays and gambols&mdash;is
+better to me than a thousand anywhere else.&nbsp; The waters of
+the Tawe are to me a source of exquisite delight, an unspeakable
+charm.&nbsp; I could gaze upon them for ever.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Ah, comely youth,&rdquo; said the voice, &ldquo;you
+speak what you know, and I must own to being charmed with your
+enthusiasm.&nbsp; You are young, and your vision is
+contracted.&nbsp; You are inexperienced; your world is bounded by
+the surrounding horizon.&nbsp; If you will come with me, I will
+show you fairer climes than these, more beautiful landscapes,
+grander hills and mountains; vales infinitely more lovely, and
+streamlets, brooks and rivers, which surpass in splendour and
+sublimity all other <a name="page280"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 280</span>running waters of the world.&nbsp;
+Besides, in my country, everything is beautiful.&nbsp; The gold
+is as abundant there as are the stones on this lowland strand or
+on ocean&rsquo;s tidal shore.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You have drawn, sweet voice, a charming picture of your
+country, but where is it?&nbsp; Is it an ideal or a real
+kingdom?&nbsp; If it be real, I would visit if I knew the
+way.&nbsp; Pray tell me the road which leads to a world so
+resplendently beautiful.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Fair youth,&rdquo; said the voice, &ldquo;the road is
+nigh thee; it is close to where thou sleepest.&nbsp; I will
+conduct thee there.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;On one condition only will I be thy
+companion.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Name your condition, and if it be in my power, it shall
+be granted.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That you solemnly promise to guide me back again to my
+own native sphere, in the event of my failing to find the
+way.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes; I promise.&nbsp; Further, you shall have perfect
+liberty to stay, or to return to this upper world, at any time
+you desire.&nbsp; I will, too, be your companion.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page281"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+281</span>&ldquo;But who art thou?&nbsp; What, too, is thy
+name?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am a prince of my kingdom; and my name is
+Tippin.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What is your highness&rsquo; position at the royal
+court?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am chancellor of my royal master, King Penaf, the
+wisest and best of monarchs.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Pray prince, is your king a giant like you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;In wisdom, yes.&nbsp; But fair youth, you should judge
+all men, not by their stature, but by their wise words, weighty
+sayings, and just decrees.&nbsp; The mind is the standard of man,
+for mind is the man.&nbsp; But don&rsquo;t let us tarry
+longer.&nbsp; Awake! awake! oh sleeper; arise from your couch of
+sand; let us away, for my hour of departure has come.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>When I awoke, I found myself being carried through a
+dimly-lighted tunnel on the wings of the wind; I say on the wings
+of the wind for I was not conscious that any palpable substance
+touched my body.&nbsp; The further we receded from the earth, the
+wider and loftier became the <a name="page282"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 282</span>subterranean passage; and by means
+of the dim light, I discerned rocks of gold and precious
+stones.&nbsp; When we arrived at the end of the passage, there
+appeared in the distance a scene which filled my bosom with
+wonder and admiration; never had I previously beheld such a
+combination of beauty.&nbsp; How shall I describe it!&nbsp; This
+I cannot do, for it passes description; far grander, infinitely
+grander, was the scene than anything I had ever witnessed.</p>
+<p>In the distance were high hills and Alpine heights, plains and
+meads, and dells, which were covered with grass of emerald
+green.&nbsp; I could see neither sun, nor moon, nor stars; but
+the country was illumined by a beautiful blue soft light which
+was delightful, and most agreeable to the eye.&nbsp; Between day
+and night, there appeared no perceptible difference; while in
+those regions, summer and winter, spring and autumn, were
+unknown.&nbsp; Their year was distinguished by no seasons; they
+enjoyed a perpetual spring.&nbsp; Beautiful was their clime,
+exquisitely lovely was their country, singular and mysterious
+were the people.</p>
+<p><a name="page283"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 283</span>As
+regards the climate, it had no variation.&nbsp; There was always
+there a soft, gentle, and warm breeze; which produced the most
+delectable sensation.&nbsp; This breeze appeared to possess
+life-giving and life-sustaining properties.&nbsp; When it came,
+as it sometimes did, in stronger currents than was generally the
+case, the old would repair to the mountain tops or bwllchs, and
+after two or three hours&rsquo; stay would return to the plain
+strong, blooming, and hale.&nbsp; But more of this anon.</p>
+<p>Immediately after our arrival in the open country, the prince
+conducted me in silence to a building, the walls of which were
+formed of the finest marble.&nbsp; Its entrance was guarded by
+two little men, even less in stature than my conductor, who made
+obeisance as we passed.&nbsp; The prince conducted me up a flight
+of stairs, and then through several rooms, containing rich and
+costly furniture; at last we came to a door on which was printed
+in letters of gold &ldquo;The King&rsquo;s Chamber.&rdquo;&nbsp;
+This chamber we entered.&nbsp; Having placed a chair beside me
+for my use, he then walked to the other side of the chamber,
+where there was <a name="page284"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+284</span>a curious instrument fastened to a silver slab, and
+touched a small spring.&nbsp; There was attached to the
+instrument a thread or wire of the most delicate workmanship,
+which quivered at the touch; presently I heard the sound of a
+bell, which was followed by several ticks, and when the ticks
+ceased, the prince remarked that the royal carriage from Dinas
+Aur would arrive there in half an hour, in order to take us to
+the golden city.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And how far is it to your city?&rdquo; I asked.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The actual distance is one hundred and twenty
+miles.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But your carriage travels more swiftly than the flight
+of the bird?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Certainly.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, is it safe to go so fast?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, perfectly safe.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Your assurance contents me.&nbsp; Will you, please,
+answer me one question, namely: as you appear to travel about 250
+miles in an hour, I want to know in what consists your motive
+power?&nbsp; Surely your horses can&rsquo;t travel so rapidly as
+that?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page285"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+285</span>&ldquo;Oh no; we don&rsquo;t use horses.&nbsp; In these
+regions we make nature administer to our every want.&nbsp; We
+shall travel through the air, which we use to propel us along;
+more I cannot say, as this singular phenomenon is beyond my
+comprehension.&nbsp; The thing was discovered by our wise men,
+who keep the secret in their own breasts.&nbsp; Look, my young
+friend,&rdquo; said the prince, addressing me; &ldquo;the
+carriage is coming, do you observe its approach?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>When I looked, I saw something like a black spot in the air;
+it appeared like a small bird.&nbsp; Presently it became more
+distinct, and before I was really aware, the royal carriage had
+arrived, having come nearly five minutes earlier than we
+expected.&nbsp; At once we stepped into the royal saloon.&nbsp;
+Presently I discovered the carriage moving.&nbsp; When we
+ascended some twenty yards above the earth, we were carried at a
+fearful pace through the air; I perceived it was kept up by means
+of wings, which were made of material which in appearance was
+silk.&nbsp; These wings were of great dimensions, but were
+extended or contracted in size according to the power and force
+<a name="page286"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 286</span>of the
+current.&nbsp; The propelling agency was compressed air, but how
+this worked, and whether it was combined with other gases or not,
+I could not learn.&nbsp; I found the travelling exceedingly
+pleasant; when I closed my eyes I could not detect the least
+motion.&nbsp; Objects came and went, we appeared to pass them as
+rapidly as the moving clouds in a terrible storm, or falling
+stars on a bright November night.&nbsp; We arrived at our
+destination a few minutes earlier than we anticipated.&nbsp; The
+prince conducted me to the royal palace, and placing me in charge
+of some important state functionary, repaired to the council of
+his royal master; when he left, he said he would not be long, and
+on returning he would join me for the evening.&nbsp; I must own,
+that I felt extremely sorry to have to part, even for a short
+time, from one who was so kind and so agreeable; and I felt this
+the more in consequence of the peculiar position in which I was
+placed.&nbsp; I was now the denizen of a strange world, and
+surrounded by a strange race.</p>
+<p>During the absence of Prince Tippin I began to realize my
+position.&nbsp; I thought what <a name="page287"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 287</span>a fool I was in leaving my home and
+country, the anxiety my absence would cause my parents, and the
+uncertainty of my ever seeing them again.&nbsp; This thought
+deeply moved me.&nbsp; I was exceedingly uneasy in both mind and
+conscience; I could neither sit nor lie still for three
+consecutive minutes.&nbsp; At last, after examining every article
+in the room, I asked the attendant if he could give me any kind
+of book or writing material, by the aid of which I hoped to
+forget myself.&nbsp; The attendant informed me that they did not
+use books, that their knowledge was orally handed down from
+father to son, from the priests to the people, and thus all the
+inhabitants became wise.</p>
+<p>When the prince returned dinner was served up in the
+ante-room,&mdash;a fine hall, radiantly lighted up.&nbsp; Our
+first course was soup made of choice herbs, which was not only
+extremely satisfying but exceedingly palatable.&nbsp; Of this I
+partook heartily.&nbsp; When the dishes were removed our
+attendant brought in milk thickened with meal, coloured with
+saffron; this was served up in basins of gold.&nbsp; <a
+name="page288"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 288</span>Afterwards
+we had tarts, pies, and fruit of the most delicious flavour; the
+fruit resembled the pear, but was sweeter and more juicy.</p>
+<p>After the meal was over, I asked the prince if he would give
+me a glass of wine.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My young friend,&rdquo; replied the prince, &ldquo;I
+regret to be unable to comply with your wish.&nbsp; Wines, and
+all kinds of alcoholic drinks, are prohibited from being used by
+the law of the State; I dare not, therefore, supply you with this
+beverage, even if I had it in my possession.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But why, excellency, have you such a singular
+law?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;For various reasons.&nbsp; Would you wish to be
+furnished with the cause of the existence of such an
+enactment?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You will confer upon me a personal favour by stating
+the reasons for the existence of such a regulation.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;These are the reasons.&nbsp; We want the minds of our
+people to be clear and bright, and their intellectual vision
+unclouded.&nbsp; Is not that important?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page289"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+289</span>&ldquo;Yes, certainly.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Again; in these dominions, crime, destitution, poverty,
+pauperism, and wrong-doing are unknown; but if our people, like
+yours, imbibed spirituous liquors, crimes would be as frequent
+and poverty as widely spread as are those terrible evils in your
+kingdom!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I readily admit the force of your reasoning; I am bound
+to own that the drinking customs of my country are the real
+causes of our more serious national evils.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then, sir, your government ought to enact stringent
+laws in order to diminish the cause of those evils.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We are a race of free men, living in a free country,
+and I am afraid that no government will for some years be strong
+enough to battle successfully with this custom.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You pass laws to suppress vice; and drunkenness being
+one of the greatest vices of your people, and the parent of all
+others, I can see no reason why you should not put down this
+traffic by legislation.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page290"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+290</span>&ldquo;Your excellency may be right in your
+conclusion.&nbsp; The evil is a terrible blot on our
+civilization; were we a strictly sober race, we should be by far
+the grandest people on earth.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My own observations lead me to the same conclusion; but
+for the present we must put an end to the argument.&nbsp; It is
+time for you to retire.&nbsp; Your attendant awaits you.&nbsp;
+To-morrow we shall meet again, though I am afraid only for a few
+minutes, as I have to pay a visit to a distant part of the
+empire.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The next morning I breakfasted alone.&nbsp; Though I saw
+during the morning several of the little people passing along the
+lawn in front of my window, I did not venture to speak to them,
+nor did any member of the race pay me a visit.</p>
+<p>About midday the door of my room was opened, and a little
+gentleman walked into the hall, and, without saying a word, sat
+down in a vacant chair opposite the one on which I was
+seated.&nbsp; After examining my <a name="page291"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 291</span>appearance, he observed, &ldquo;I
+presume you are the stranger who accompanied Prince Tippin to the
+palace last evening?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am the stranger, sir.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I hope the attendant has shown you every courtesy, and
+has not been wanting in hospitality.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;From the prince and attendant I have received every
+consideration; and as for the fare, sir, I might have gone
+further and fared worse.&nbsp; I like your food much.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;This is a very different country from yours, is it
+not?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Yes; widely different.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I presume you find it strange to have light without a
+sun or moon or stars?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; I miss the genial light of the sun; but
+there is a softness, a reflected beauty, in the light here which
+we do not possess in our diurnal luminary.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Our light is uniform, as is our climate.&nbsp; In the
+northern regions of your country the sun constantly shines during
+several months of your year, which is followed by continuous <a
+name="page292"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 292</span>darkness or
+night, when the inhabitants have to reside in snow or ice-built
+houses.&nbsp; Dreary must be the life of a people so
+circumstanced.&nbsp; You have in your climate genial and joyous
+spring, when nature revives from the dead and puts on her
+youthful and gay apparel, when the thorn, the citron, and the
+apple-tree bud and blossom;&mdash;beautiful is your spring, the
+loveliest and most charming season of your year.&nbsp; Then comes
+your summer, with its green meads, and fields of waving corn, and
+rich fruit.&nbsp; No artist can paint, no language can set forth,
+the grandeur of your clime during autumn.&nbsp; What have you
+afterwards?&nbsp; Cold, icy, and chilling winter, with its dank
+and cold atmosphere; with your hills, mountains, and even your
+dales, covered with snow.&nbsp; In winter your country seems
+dead, clay-like, and lifeless; sad and dreary to me is your
+winter scene.&nbsp; In this land we have perpetual spring.&nbsp;
+In all the months of the year the orange, the citron, and the
+apple-tree send forth their buds and blossoms and their ripe and
+rich fruit; our valleys and <a name="page293"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 293</span>mountains are always green, a
+circumstance which to you, doubtless, appears very
+strange.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Is that really so?&nbsp; Do your fields
+and trees and hillsides present at all times the same hue?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes; the colour never alters, and nature in this region
+is never weary in its development, and never halts in the
+manifestation of her power; she goes from strength to strength,
+and with increased vigour as the years roll on.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; A strange phenomenon this!&nbsp; Can you
+account for the existence of such perennial inherent power?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh yes.&nbsp; Upon our mountains, valleys, and plains
+there perpetually descend from above constant showers of ethereal
+riches.&nbsp; Our earth thus daily receives from heaven even more
+riches than she gives in flower and fruit, and grass, and
+vegetable matter.&nbsp; Thus she daily and hourly becomes richer
+and more bountiful.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; But suppose the spring, the perennial
+fountain, of this life-giving bounty and luxuriance, were to fail
+or to dry up, what <a name="page294"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+294</span>would be your position then?&nbsp; From whence could
+you then obtain your supply?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Of such a calamity we entertain no dread.&nbsp; For
+thousands of years this process has been going on, and through
+years unnumbered it will be continued.&nbsp; In your world there
+is a gradual decay; nature there is exhausting herself.&nbsp; For
+the present you have enough and to spare; but how will it be,
+what will your people do, when the virgin soil of the world on
+the other side of the Atlantic becomes exhausted?&nbsp; That time
+must come; what will your people do then?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Before that day arrives humanity will
+become etherealized, spirit-like, and super-mundane.&nbsp; As a
+race, sir, we are not destined to continue the sordid, cloddy,
+and vulgar eating people we now are.&nbsp; Oh, no; the earthly
+tabernacle is to be put off, and we shall live on angels&rsquo;
+food.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Your race then, sir, has the hope and prospect of
+dwelling in a sphere beyond your present world?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Most assuredly.</p>
+<p><a name="page295"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+295</span>&ldquo;Who is to be the king of that world?&nbsp; Who
+the ruler?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; The king will be the great Unseen and
+Eternal, the self-existent and self-created Being who rules
+heaven&rsquo;s armies and earth&rsquo;s inhabitants.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;This is the Being, is it not, whom your nation worship
+and adore?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Yes; and we are to live with Him for
+ever, and enjoy His fellowship.&nbsp; And don&rsquo;t you believe
+in Him too?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Alas! no; I wish we did.&nbsp; When I consider how
+beautiful our clime and country are,&mdash;our friendship,
+associations, consciousness, friends, relations,&mdash;I often
+shudder at the thought of annihilation.&nbsp; Sometimes I am
+terribly oppressed with the thought of ceasing to be, and the
+more thoughtful of my race hold similar opinions and
+feelings.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; What do you and your people
+worship?&nbsp; Who is the object of your adoration?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We worship truth; a thing not a person; an idea, not a
+reality; a form, beautiful though <a name="page296"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 296</span>it be, and not a substance.&nbsp; It
+is awful to think that the grave is to be the end of our joys,
+pleasures, and delights.&nbsp; In the matter of worship, you are
+right and we are wrong; you are the wise ones, we the
+fools.&nbsp; But you have, methinks, too much of form in your
+manner of worshipping your Supreme.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; I agree with your last remark; but pray
+tell me how you have acquired such an intimate knowledge of our
+affairs.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;By frequent visits to your land, and by mixing with
+your people.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; I never saw a member of your race until I
+was fortunate enough to meet Prince Tippin.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Perhaps not; but I have traversed the whole of your
+country, as well as other countries beyond the sea.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Is that really so?&nbsp; You certainly
+astonish me.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Twice every year, in your spring time and autumn, I
+visit your world on affairs of state.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Then there dwell in other climes a
+kindred people, a race like your own?</p>
+<p><a name="page297"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+297</span>&ldquo;Certainly; and I have often paid them a friendly
+visit.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; In what parts of the country do they
+live?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;In several parts.&nbsp; In fair Mona&rsquo;s Isle there
+dwell the Pobli Bach.&nbsp; In East Anglia is the race of the
+Plantos.&nbsp; In Germany, living on the banks of the Rhine, are
+the Pobli Wyn.&nbsp; In France, Spain, Italy, and the East there
+are different tribes inhabiting a precisely similar country to
+this.&nbsp; And their habits, customs, mode of life and
+government, are all identical with ours.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; And do you live in peace with each
+other?&nbsp; Do you never quarrel, and go to war, and kill each
+other in battle?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh dear no!&nbsp; We live at peace.&nbsp; According to
+our code of morals, it is very wicked to take away or destroy
+life.&nbsp; Of all things in our world life is the
+beautifullest.&nbsp; We are shocked, and pained, and grieved in
+witnessing the contentions between the peoples of your
+world.&nbsp; In our view it is awful to use your arts, skill, and
+wealth, in <a name="page298"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+298</span>making instruments, and in training and paying men, to
+kill and destroy.&nbsp; Yet you call yourselves
+Christians!&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; In my conscience I believe we are
+wrong.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You do; do you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Assuredly I do.&nbsp; I believe war is
+wrong; is hateful to high heaven; is contrary to the principles
+of the gospel, which command us to love one another.&nbsp; From
+God comes life.&nbsp; He sustains it.&nbsp; He only has a right
+to take it away.&nbsp; In man we see His image.&nbsp; Of one
+blood He has made us all.&nbsp; Although we are brothers, yet we
+act towards each other as if we were the children of the evil
+one.&nbsp; But a time will come when strife and contention shall
+cease, when there shall exist universal harmony, a harmony
+founded on the law of Christ, which is the law of love.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am surprised at your confession.&nbsp; The opinion
+you hold on this question is directly contrary to that held by
+your teachers.&nbsp; Why, your ministers preach the doctrine that
+war is in harmony with your faith.&nbsp; Is not that
+so?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><a name="page299"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+299</span><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; I must own that that is so.&nbsp;
+Still I believe them to be in error, and hope they will discover
+their error before it is too late.&nbsp; I am afraid that a great
+deal of the scepticism of the times is principally owing to the
+want of harmony between the truth and the profession of it.&nbsp;
+As a race we don&rsquo;t practically live out the precepts of our
+faith.&nbsp; Hence the reason why men of the world scorn
+religious men, and you know contempt usually ends in
+disbelief.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;If we have not the light you have, still we are a purer
+and a more virtuous people than yours.&nbsp; We are sober and
+temperate, but your race is not.&nbsp; We live in peace, never
+engage in war, but you kill each other with the sword and the
+bow.&nbsp; Then as our climate is so superior to yours, why not
+stay with us for ever?&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; I could not live without seeing my father
+and mother; without visiting the upper world in order to bask
+occasionally on the sylvan banks of Tawe&rsquo;s crystal waters;
+to gaze on the blue heavens, with their twinkling <a
+name="page300"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 300</span>stars; to
+wander about the green meads, and listen to the rich melody of
+the winged songsters of the grove and primeval forest; but I
+should like to visit you now and then.&nbsp; Before I return I am
+anxious to see and have converse with your king, the rather that,
+as the prince informed me, he is a wise and virtuous ruler.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I rejoice that the prince has spoken so well of his
+master.&nbsp; I am the king, and I thank you for speaking so
+freely of your country and its people.&nbsp; Whenever you choose
+to pay us a visit, be assured you shall be heartily
+welcome.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; May it please your majesty, your majesty
+has treated me as if I were a prince instead of a poor
+fisherman&rsquo;s son.&nbsp; Your majesty&rsquo;s kindness and
+hospitality I shall ever remember with gratitude.&nbsp; I accept
+your invitation, and I will certainly pay another visit to your
+beautiful country.</p>
+<p><i>The King</i>.&nbsp; At all times you shall be heartily
+received.</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Thanks; a thousand thanks.&nbsp; Were <a
+name="page301"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 301</span>I not a
+Welshman, I would dwell in your beautiful land.</p>
+<p><i>The King</i>.&nbsp; You have spoken handsomely of my
+dominions.&nbsp; But here comes the prince; he shall conduct you
+to the sylvan banks of your beautiful river, a river you so much
+love.</p>
+<p>Before setting out on my homeward journey, I briefly inspected
+the royal carriage.&nbsp; I now discovered, what had previously
+escaped my notice, that underneath, and attached to the side of
+the carriage, were inflated skins filled with natural gas.&nbsp;
+These gave a buoyancy to the machine.&nbsp; Indeed, it was only
+by the use of strong ropes made of grass that it was kept on the
+earth.&nbsp; On stepping into the carriage, these ropes were
+unhooked; it then began to ascend, and on reaching an altitude of
+forty yards we got into what the prince called node currents,
+which carried us along at the rate of 300 miles an hour.&nbsp; We
+soon reached the public buildings referred to in a previous part
+of my story, and from thence he conducted me through the <a
+name="page302"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+302</span>subterranean passage until we reached fair Tawe&rsquo;s
+shore.</p>
+<p>I urged the prince to accompany me to my parents&rsquo;
+cottage, which he declined.&nbsp; He said that he had a special
+engagement with the fairies of East Anglia&mdash;having arranged
+to spend the night with them at their annual dance on the verdant
+fields below Derwent Fawr.&nbsp; I subsequently learnt, that
+Prince Tippin was engaged to a princess of the above tribe, of
+the name of Titania; and that they frequently met on
+Derwent&rsquo;s green fields &ldquo;to dance the nights to the
+whistling wind.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>On entering my home I found my parents mourning for me as one
+who was dead.&nbsp; At first they would not believe me to be
+their son, but thought it was their son&rsquo;s spirit which had
+come to visit them.&nbsp; I soon convinced them of being still in
+the flesh,&mdash;that I was no ghost, no spirit.&nbsp; I had then
+to give them a history of my travels, to tell them of the strange
+sights I had seen, the singular people I had met, the character
+of the kingdom I had visited; but on my telling them of the <a
+name="page303"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 303</span>gold and
+precious stones with which the land abounded, my mother upbraided
+me for coming away without a large lump of gold.&nbsp; I told her
+that I did not covet other people&rsquo;s property, and that I
+should have acted extremely wrong had I taken away the gold of a
+people from whom I had received so much kindness.</p>
+<p>I remained at home for several weeks, and occasionally went to
+school.&nbsp; I found my old enemy as cruel as ever, and I came
+to the conclusion that on the very first opportunity I would
+return to the fairy kingdom beneath the bay.</p>
+<p>On wandering along the strand one fine morning, I was hailed
+by a voice I could never forget.&nbsp; The prince informed me
+that having just returned from visiting his fair Titania, he was
+about to return to Dinas Aur, and urged me to return with
+him.&nbsp; I readily yielded to his wishes, and sending a message
+to my parents where I had gone, we started off, and returned by
+means of the a&euml;rial carriage.</p>
+<p>As I anticipated, my return to Dinas Aur, was hailed with
+extreme delight by the few <a name="page304"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 304</span>persons I had come in contact with
+on my previous visit.&nbsp; His majesty the king gave me a hearty
+welcome, and expressed a hope that I would continue to sojourn in
+his dominions at least for a season.&nbsp; I expressed my
+gratitude to his majesty for his extreme kindness, and informed
+him that as my parents were acquainted with the place of my
+abode, I was the less anxious to return home than if that
+knowledge was not in their possession.</p>
+<p>The king replied, that I had shown, by sending the message I
+had, that I was a dutiful son, fond of my mother and father, that
+I had shown I did not want to give them a moment&rsquo;s
+uneasiness and pain.&nbsp; His majesty then dismissed me, and
+placed me under the special protection of his chancellor, Prince
+Tippin.&nbsp; This arrangement afforded me inexpressible
+satisfaction and delight, as on all occasions I had received from
+him every consideration and courtesy.</p>
+<p>In my subsequent intercourse with the prince, I found him to
+be a man without prejudice, wholly free from bigotry, and in <a
+name="page305"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 305</span>all
+circumstances never showing the least indication of
+passion.&nbsp; He loved purity and goodness wherever he found
+those virtues.&nbsp; He abominated cant, and loathed low tricks
+which no one who wished to be regarded as honourable would resort
+to in order to gain a special end.&nbsp; In his own beautiful
+language, which I soon learned, he would use a string of
+adjectives to characterize that class of men, who are mean,
+selfish, unprincipled; men who have no claim to be admitted into
+the society of pure and noble and unselfish individuals.&nbsp;
+&ldquo;Look,&rdquo; he said one day to me, &ldquo;at your public
+men, from the highest to the lowest; they are influenced by the
+love of power and fame, and you find that when a particular end
+is to be secured they are indifferent as to the means to be
+employed.&nbsp; In appointing persons to fill important posts,
+the claims of your best men are wholly ignored.&nbsp; You sadly
+want men at the head of your affairs who are just, magnanimous,
+and patriotic, men who are simply ambitious to secure the welfare
+and weal of the people.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; I must own, your excellency, that <a
+name="page306"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 306</span>there is
+too much truth in your strictures and censures.&nbsp; But we are
+improving, and shall ultimately become a pure and perfect
+race.&nbsp; Are there no persons of the class you have described
+in your country?&nbsp; Is your race perfectly free from
+selfishness and faction?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Certainly; we are all equal.&nbsp; As citizens and
+subjects we occupy the same position.&nbsp; Our best men occupy
+all posts in the civil government of the country.&nbsp; Here
+again, all people readily obey the law: delinquents are banished
+the kingdom.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Have you not frequent occasion to put the
+law in force?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;By no means.&nbsp; There is only one case on record for
+one hundred years in which the law has been rigorously carried
+out.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; You must be a law-observing people.&nbsp;
+I wish from my heart that our race were as pure as yours.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;They would be were your rulers as wise as
+ours.&rdquo;</p>
+<p><i>Myself</i>.&nbsp; Then you think that our leading men are
+inferior to yours?</p>
+<p><a name="page307"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+307</span>&ldquo;Think!&nbsp; I know they are.&nbsp; The history
+of your country proves this.&nbsp; But we must drop the subject
+now.&nbsp; I have an engagement with my royal master at this
+hour, and I must hasten to the council chamber, for I fear his
+majesty has already gone there.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>After supper, and just as I was about to retire to my chamber,
+I received a visit from the Princess Mervyna and her two little
+sisters.&nbsp; They were attended by their maid, who, though she
+was smaller in stature than her mistress, was evidently many
+years her senior.&nbsp; The Princess Mervyna introduced herself,
+and said that she had come to command me to join them at their
+sports the next day.&nbsp; I expressed regret to the princess at
+being unable to comply with her wish, having previously arranged
+to accompany the chancellor to a distant part of the
+kingdom.&nbsp; I told her that I should regard it as a high
+honour to join them at their games the day after.&nbsp; She
+acquiesced in this, though she was evidently a little vexed as
+well as disappointed with the arrangement.&nbsp; However, she
+gave me a <a name="page308"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+308</span>gracious bow, and on retiring, said, &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t
+forget your promise.&rdquo;&nbsp; I again assured her I would
+not.</p>
+<p>It was nearly noon before Prince Tippin and I started off from
+the city on the following day.&nbsp; We had the same carriage as
+the one we had used on previous occasions, and we proceeded at an
+equally rapid pace.</p>
+<p>After a flight of 140 miles, we descended to the earth on the
+top of a high mountain, which in their language was called
+Wyddfa, or Conspicuous, from which position we had a magnificent
+prospect of the country.&nbsp; In the distance we beheld seas
+like glass, on which apparently were myriads of little people,
+some of whom were engaged in skating, others in bowling balls
+along the ice, others were playing cricket, while not a few were
+dancing to the music of the wind.&nbsp; We observed a great
+number of the little folks playing with golden balls, which they
+propelled along the ice by means of a crook.</p>
+<p>Though the players went along the ice at a fearful pace, yet I
+did not observe a single person fall.</p>
+<p><a name="page309"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+309</span>Between us and the players there was a beautiful
+undulating country, which abounded with streamlets and sylvan
+dells, and the peculiar soft light of the region brought out the
+deep green of the foliage to a degree I had not previously
+beheld.&nbsp; The scene was exquisitely lovely, so rich in tint
+and colour as to leave an indelible impression upon the
+mind.&nbsp; Indeed and in truth this was a fairyland, an
+enchanted ground, though to my vision it was real, palpable, and
+actual.&nbsp; I became rooted to the spot, for never had I beheld
+a scene so full of beauty.&nbsp; I was awakened from my reverie
+by the familiar voice of the prince, who called out,
+&ldquo;Elidorus!&nbsp; Elidorus! our time is up; we must haste
+over other mountains and valleys, over streamlets and rivers, for
+we have a long distance yet to go, and but a short time to travel
+it in.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>On taking our seat in the a&euml;rial carriage, the prince
+informed me that we should not stop again until arriving at our
+journey&rsquo;s end, and that on passing a rocky headland we
+could <a name="page310"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+310</span>see in the distance, we should have a capital view of
+the city of the plain.&nbsp; When we passed the place alluded to,
+the city appeared in sight, but the houses and palaces were
+buried in the rich green foliage of trees, which grew in every
+street.&nbsp; As we were proceeding at a fearful pace, we had
+only a glance at the city as we passed over it.</p>
+<p>On arriving at our destination, we were conducted by a little
+gentleman clad in rich apparel to the Hall of Brotherhood, which
+we found was crowded with the principal inhabitants of the
+city.&nbsp; The prince was conducted to the chair of
+honour&mdash;a kind of throne, and he motioned me to occupy the
+vacant seat on his right hand.&nbsp; Presently the prince asked
+the governor of the city if peace, good-will, and concord reigned
+there?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Tranquillity and brotherly love still continue,&rdquo;
+replied the governor.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Ever so live,&rdquo; said the prince, &ldquo;for peace
+is one of the cardinal virtues of all good citizens.&nbsp; I wish
+to know, sir governor, <a name="page311"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 311</span>if your city is free from sickness,
+disease, and fevers; and if not, why not?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The bloom of health, your excellency,&rdquo; replied
+the governor, &ldquo;is on the cheeks of all.&nbsp; And
+why?&nbsp; Our people drink only the pure waters of the crystal
+fountain.&nbsp; They inhale the constant current of vital air,
+which flows here like a tidal wave, and it imparts life, energy,
+power, and joy to all.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The governor then retired and left the hall.&nbsp; When the
+door was closed, the prince asked the citizens if they had any
+charge to make or any complaint to bring against the
+governor.&nbsp; They all rejoined that they had not any
+complaint, but that, on the contrary, his conduct met with the
+hearty approval of all.&nbsp; Presently the council came to an
+end, and soon afterwards we returned home.</p>
+<p>On the following morning I was awakened by a gentle knock at
+my chamber door.&nbsp; Presently the door was opened, whereupon
+my waiting attendant walked in.&nbsp; He informed me that the
+Princess Mervyna had <a name="page312"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 312</span>already called, and that she and the
+royal party were ready to proceed to their place of rendezvous,
+having arranged to have a grand day in honour of my visit.&nbsp;
+I felt very much annoyed at having overslept myself, and still
+more vexed at keeping the little lady and her friends waiting
+me.&nbsp; I only took a few minutes to dress, and having taken a
+basin of warm milk, proceeded in search of the royal party, who
+had already taken their seats in the king&rsquo;s carriage.&nbsp;
+The princess and her little brother and sisters gave me a cordial
+greeting.&nbsp; I soon found that we had left the earth and were
+travelling due south of my previous day&rsquo;s voyage, and
+before I fully realized my position we had descended on the
+identical sea of ice where I had seen the games being carried on
+on the preceding morning.</p>
+<p>On leaving the carriage the party broke up into sections, some
+joining parties who had already arrived from other cities of the
+kingdom; others joining other parties who appeared of a <a
+name="page313"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 313</span>different
+race from the natives.&nbsp; The princess acted as my cicerone
+during the day, and she laughed heartily on seeing me now and
+then unable to retain my balance on the slippery ice.&nbsp; Had
+it not been for her presence of mind, I certainly should have
+fallen on several occasions.&nbsp; Towards the evening I joined
+in the games, though I found myself but an indifferent
+player.&nbsp; We wound up the day&rsquo;s f&ecirc;te by a dance
+on the ice to the music of the harp.&nbsp; Never shall I forget
+the scenes of that day.&nbsp; The hopping and skipping, the
+dancing and romping of the little people, who tried to excel each
+other in mirth and fun: the scene produced an impression on my
+mind which the iron hand of time will never deface or
+remove.&nbsp; On our return to the palace, we were all ushered
+into the banqueting hall, where a grand feast awaited us.&nbsp;
+After dinner, Mervyna related to the king, her father, the
+principal incidents of the day; and the good monarch was highly
+amused at her stories of my difficulties and mishaps.&nbsp; When
+the banquet was over I retired to my apartment, where I was soon
+joined by Prince Tippin.</p>
+<p style="text-align: center">* * * * *</p>
+<p><a name="page314"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 314</span>[Here
+there is a break in the narrative owing to the loss of several
+folios of the original manuscript.&nbsp; From the contents of the
+remaining portion, we infer that the missing pages contained an
+account of several other visits paid to the people of the fairy
+kingdom, and the incidents of the respective journeys.&nbsp; We
+learn, too, that the Princess Mervyna became greatly attached to
+our hero, but that an estrangement subsequently took place
+between them.&nbsp; But the remaining narrative contains no
+record of the cause which led to the estrangement.&nbsp; The
+following is the concluding portion of the history.]</p>
+<p style="text-align: center">* * * * *</p>
+<p>Ah, me! ah, me! what a strange race and people is that who
+inhabit the fairy kingdom.&nbsp; They live in a beautiful
+country, speak a language which is full of poetry, they are a
+virtuous and truth-loving race.&nbsp; Moreover, their land
+abounds with treasures; gems, gold, and precious stones are
+there.&nbsp; Oh, what a noble and loving spirit is that of the
+dear princess, loving and lovable is she.&nbsp; To be with her,
+was like a <a name="page315"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+315</span>heaven upon earth.&nbsp; I loved her as I never loved
+human being.&nbsp; To me she was more precious than all the
+world.&nbsp; In my various visits the tie between us became
+dearer and dearer.&nbsp; Had it not been for &mdash; I&rsquo;ll
+not mention his name, I should be longingly looking forward to
+another tender embrace.&nbsp; But the tie is now broken&mdash;I
+did not mean to take the gold.&nbsp; Justly have I been
+punished.&nbsp; Had I not done this, had I refused to listen to
+the suggestive temptations of my mother,&mdash;the door would not
+have been closed.&nbsp; It was I who did the deed, and I repent
+in dust and ashes.&nbsp; What I have suffered on account of this,
+no tongue can tell, nor can language set forth.&nbsp; But my
+deepest grief arises from the thought that I shall never again
+embrace the dear M&mdash;, the object of my heart&rsquo;s fondest
+affection.</p>
+<h2><a name="page319"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+319</span>CEFN-Y-BEDD;<br />
+OR, A<br />
+VISIT TO THE SHRINE OF LLEWELYN AB<br />
+GRUFFYDD, THE LAST CAMBRIAN KING.</h2>
+<blockquote><p>Frequent is heard the voice of woe,<br />
+Frequent the tears of sorrow flow;<br />
+Such sounds as erst, in Camlan heard,<br />
+Roused to wrath old Arthur&rsquo;s bard;<br />
+Cambria&rsquo;s warrior we deplore;<br />
+Our Llewelyn is no more.<br />
+Who like Llewelyn now remains,<br />
+To shield from wrong his native plains?<br />
+My soul with piercing grief is filled;<br />
+My vital blood with horror chilled:<br />
+Nature herself is changed, and lo!<br />
+Now all things sympathize below.<br />
+Hark! how the howling wind and rain,<br />
+In loud symphony complain!<br />
+Hark! how the consecrated oaks,<br />
+Unconscious of the woodman&rsquo;s strokes,<br />
+With thundering crash proclaim he&rsquo;s gone;<br />
+Fall in each others&rsquo; arms and groan!<br />
+Hark! how the sullen tempests roar!<br />
+See! how the white waves lash the shore!<br />
+See! how eclipsed the sun appears!<br />
+See! how the stars fall from their spheres!<br />
+Each awful Heaven-sent prodigy<br />
+Ye sons of infidelity,<br />
+Believe and tremble! Guilty land,<br />
+Lo, thy destruction is at hand!<br />
+<a name="page320"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 320</span>Thou
+great Creator of the world,<br />
+Why are not thy red lightnings hurled?<br />
+Will not the sea, at Thy command,<br />
+Swallow up this guilty land?<br />
+Why are we left to mourn in vain<br />
+The guardian of our country slain?<br />
+No place, no refuge for us left,<br />
+Of homes, of liberty bereft;<br />
+Where shall we flee, to whom complain,<br />
+Since our dear Llewelyn&rsquo;s slain?</p>
+<p style="text-align: right"><i>Translated from a Welsh
+poem</i>.</p>
+</blockquote>
+<p>It was a calm and balmy evening in the month of July,
+18&mdash;, when all nature appeared hushed in still quietude and
+death-like repose, when not a zephyr breeze, causing the leaves
+of the trees to murmur or wave, was felt: such was the character
+of the lovely and sunny evening on which I left the beautiful
+valley in which the little village of Llanwrtyd nestles among the
+hills, for the purpose of paying a special visit to Cefn-y-Bedd,
+the spot to which the finger of tradition points as the
+resting-place, the sacred ground, the hallowed earth in which
+were deposited&mdash;amid the universal wail and lamentation of
+the Cambrian people, when widows, fathers, brothers and sisters,
+heroes not a few, men who never dreaded danger, and who <a
+name="page321"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 321</span>were always
+foremost in battle&mdash;strong, fearless, and valiant warriors,
+wept and sorrowed, and refused to be comforted because their
+Prince, their champion, and their idol was not.&nbsp; It was at
+Cefn-y-Bedd, which is now a respectable farm homestead, where no
+monument of any kind marks the spot, that the mortal remains of
+Llewelyn ap Gruffydd, the last reigning sovereign of Wales, were
+interred.&nbsp; If no Parian marble marks the ground beneath
+whose sacred sod lies the dust of the dear departed, his name
+still survives, his virtues still live, his memory is still
+fondly cherished by hundreds and thousands of his descendants;
+and though nearly six centuries have come and gone since the fall
+of our great captain, prince, and patriot, he still speaks to the
+people and the nation.&nbsp; Yes; his name is still dear to
+Cambria&rsquo;s sons and daughters.&nbsp; His memory is even now,
+after the lapse of so many years, fresh and green.&nbsp; If the
+poor flesh, which contained one of the purest and manliest souls
+that ever dwelt in a tabernacle of clay, has long, long ago
+crumbled into dust, the man, the hero, and the patriot survive,
+and will live <a name="page322"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+322</span>in the annals of his country, and be an idol in the
+heart of his descending race until time shall be no more.</p>
+<p>I have remarked that the above visit was a &ldquo;special
+visit.&rdquo;&nbsp; A few days previous I had passed Cefn-y-Bedd,
+on my way to the little border town of Builth, but in passing by
+the sacred shrine of our illustrious ancestor, I knew not that I
+was on hallowed ground.&nbsp; A lady companion called my
+attention to an admirable husbandry arrangement of the homestead,
+the like of which I had not previously seen in Breconshire.&nbsp;
+The observation of my companion and the scene around led me into
+a train of thought relating to bygone years, to the deeds of old,
+the revolution of kingdoms, the decline and fall of empires, and
+the changes which are daily taking place in families, in
+governments, and in the homes of both rich and poor.&nbsp; I said
+to myself, every house, every cottage, every mountain and valley
+has a history peculiar to itself&mdash;a history full of
+interest, replete with romantic doings and sayings far more
+wonderful,&mdash;embodying events and circumstances of <a
+name="page323"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 323</span>more
+profound interest and of deeper and far more pathetic
+story&mdash;than is often found in the works of fiction.&nbsp;
+Who can tell, for I am sure I cannot, but that, perhaps, that
+house, with its farm-yard and out-buildings, its garden and
+flowers, possesses a history peculiar to itself? and it may be
+that long, long ago heroes and mighty men of valour took shelter
+here from the fury of the tempest or from the burning sun of
+mid-day July heat, in their march from one battle-field to
+another.&nbsp; But why travel to the land of shadows?&nbsp; Why
+draw ideal pictures of events that are past, of heroes, warriors,
+and statesmen, of battles, conquests, and defeats?&nbsp; The dead
+cannot be called to life.&nbsp; The past cannot be revived.&nbsp;
+The work done cannot be undone.&nbsp; The past can never be
+recalled.&nbsp; Well, if these things are among the
+impossibilities of life, there is one thing at any rate which I
+can do.&nbsp; I can drop a tear on the grave which contains the
+hallowed dust.&nbsp; I can recall the memories of the dear
+departed; I can paint and set forth their virtues, can photograph
+their manliness and bravery, can sketch and limn <a
+name="page324"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 324</span>their life
+and deeds; so that this and succeeding generations may learn to
+live more wisely, be more true, more faithful to the dearest
+interests of their country, especially with reference to those
+measures which lie at the basis of national progress and the
+comfort and weal of the people.</p>
+<p>The situation of Cefn-y-Bedd is exquisitely beautiful, and the
+scenery is richly diversified.&nbsp; From it one beholds a wide
+expanse of country, with varied and magnificent views, which are
+finely alternated with luxuriant fertile meadows, groves of
+thriving timber, and flourishing plantations.&nbsp; In the
+distance we have views of the rocky hills of Llanelwedd, at whose
+base flows the poetic and majestic Wye, the beautifullest of
+rivers.&nbsp; To the south-east is the far-famed Eppynt Forest,
+and down through a luxuriant sylvan dell runs the meandering
+Irvon.&nbsp; From this sacred spot one beholds at a glance
+scenery in which are combined the bold and soft, the sterile and
+woody, bare and rocky hills and verdant glades.&nbsp; It is a
+scene on which the eye delights to dwell.&nbsp; In the far
+distance the bald <a name="page325"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+325</span>rocks of Aberedw appear in view.&nbsp; It was among
+those rocks that Llewelyn encamped before his departure for
+Builth.&nbsp; Little did he fancy when he left that stronghold on
+the cold winter&rsquo;s morning that his life was so near its
+close.&nbsp; That he was surrounded by enemies, he was well
+aware.&nbsp; That the armies of King Edward were in the immediate
+vicinity of his camp he was fully cognizant of.&nbsp; His spies
+had brought him information of the several posts occupied by the
+English, and of his being in imminent danger of an attack from
+various quarters of the combined hosts.&nbsp; Aberedw, though
+admirably formed by nature for resisting an attack, when directed
+from the Wye banks, was yet wholly untenable in the face of the
+terrible odds with which he had now to cope&mdash;a combined army
+moving from various military posts.&nbsp; Seeing his danger, the
+Cambrian prince resolved to break up his camp, and march along
+the sylvan Wye to Builth.&nbsp; Crossing the bridge, he moved on
+in a southwesterly direction to Pont Orewyn, where the Prince,
+unarmed, received the deadly spear.&nbsp; <a
+name="page326"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 326</span>He was
+killed on the 10th of December, 1282.</p>
+<p>Having introduced to the notice of my readers the hero of my
+story&mdash;the man whom Heaven, in its wisdom, specially raised
+up to meet the demands of the most trying emergency which had
+befallen a great and an heroic people&mdash;the man who, when
+placed at the head of affairs, found his country prostrate, the
+national treasury empty, and the people dispirited by reason of
+sad reverses&mdash;I shall proceed now to sketch the career of
+the man; to set forth his virtues; to paint, but with no
+exaggerated colouring, his character as a prince, as a ruler, as
+a military commander, and as a friend; and shall show, what
+history clearly proves, that he inspired his countrymen with an
+amount of confidence and trust which no previous sovereign had
+been able to infuse into them; that the veneration with which his
+name was so universally held was traceable to virtues in his
+public acts and private life; further, that had it not been for
+the treason of the faithless few, Llewelyn would have transmitted
+the sovereignty of Wales to his posterity.&nbsp; <a
+name="page327"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 327</span>He died,
+not on the field of battle, but alone and unarmed was he when the
+fatal blow was struck.&nbsp; By-and-by I shall show that he had
+done his work, and for him to die was gain.</p>
+<p>On the right bank of the sylvan Wheeler,&mdash;a small crystal
+stream which flows through the luxuriant and richly wooded vale
+of Caerwys,&mdash;there stands the modern mansion of
+Maesmynen.&nbsp; In a meadow near the present hall there was, in
+the thirteenth century, an ancient palace, which from time
+immemorial had been one of the royal residences of the Cambrian
+Princes.&nbsp; Beautiful was the situation of this ancient
+mansion.&nbsp; All that the eye loves to rest on could be seen
+from the elevated spot on which it stood.&nbsp; This palace was
+the favourite residence of the unfortunate Prince Llewelyn.&nbsp;
+Here he spent his boyhood.&nbsp; Here he principally lived until
+his country called him to occupy a more conspicuous and more
+prominent position.&nbsp; In the neighbouring woods of Yseiefiog,
+Caerwys, Trev-Edwyn, and Bodfari, he and his trusty friends were
+accustomed to follow the chase.&nbsp; Indeed, he lived here among
+<a name="page328"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 328</span>friends
+and dependents, for the circumjacent cantrevs of Rhos, Dyffryn
+Clwyd, Rhyfoniog, and Englefield&mdash;which cantrevs included
+the country between Conway and Chester&mdash;were his own
+property and possessions.&nbsp; About midway between the two
+extreme points was the royal palace of Maesmynen.&nbsp; Here he
+breathed the pure air of heaven.&nbsp; Here he was free from the
+turmoil of life&rsquo;s cares and life&rsquo;s battles.&nbsp;
+Here he felt but little anxiety in connection with the terrible
+war then being carried on between his countrymen, headed by
+Llewelyn the Great, and, subsequent to the death, in 1240, of
+that illustrious monarch, by his son and successor, Prince
+Davydd; because the Prince of Maesmynen felt that the right men
+were at the head of affairs, and that Heaven would defend the
+cause of the just.&nbsp; Though Llewelyn, the last prince, was
+not anxious as to the result of the struggle, yet that he was not
+an indifferent spectator of the scene, and its consequences to
+the nation, is evident from the annals of those momentous
+times.&nbsp; Why then did he keep <a name="page329"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 329</span>aloof from the struggle?&nbsp; Why
+did he remain inactive?&nbsp; Why did he continue to live a life
+of ease and pleasure, when duty called him to the front?&nbsp;
+The reason is apparent when we consider the then existing
+relation between members of the royal house.&nbsp; His father had
+been cruelly treated, and had been made a prisoner by his own
+brother Davydd; and when liberated, through the intervention of
+mutual friends, he simply exchanged the castle of Criccaeth for
+the Tower of London.&nbsp; In that stronghold he was securely
+guarded by King Henry&rsquo;s soldiers.&nbsp; Some of his noble
+compatriots, illustrious Cambrian chieftains, successfully
+effected his release from the Tower, but Prince Gruffydd, the
+father of our hero, in an endeavour to accomplish his own
+liberation, fell from a great height and was killed on the
+spot.&nbsp; It appears that that prince had made a cord with the
+linen of his bed and table, and when he had descended about
+midway between the window and the ground, the cord broke, and the
+unhappy prince was precipitated into the Tower ditch, and was
+killed.&nbsp; <a name="page330"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+330</span>This sad event took place in the year 1244.&nbsp;
+During the two following years, King Davydd, being wholly free
+from anxiety on account of his brother&rsquo;s superior claim to
+the throne, which his death had annulled, pursued a vigorous
+policy, displaying traits of character and versatility of genius
+of the highest order.&nbsp; He was brave as a lion, and was ever
+foremost in the struggle; thus he secured the confidence of his
+friends, the admiration of his followers, the love of his
+soldiers, and the dread of his enemies.&nbsp; His reign, however,
+was but of brief duration.&nbsp; In 1216 he died at Aber
+Palace.&nbsp; Though this prince was hated by many during his
+reign, his death was generally lamented.</p>
+<p>When the solemn obsequies connected with the funeral of the
+deceased prince were over, the Cambrian barons and chieftains met
+in a national congress, and unanimously elected Prince
+Llewelyn-ap-Gruffydd and his brother Owen as joint sovereigns of
+Wales.&nbsp; The decision of the barons was hailed with the
+liveliest satisfaction by the Cambrian people.&nbsp; The reason
+of the existence of this feeling in <a name="page331"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 331</span>favour of the two princes is
+obvious.&nbsp; Their father had been the idol of the Welsh.&nbsp;
+The people in both North and South Wales had felt that he had
+been cruelly treated by his brother, that he had been unjustly
+deprived of his inheritance, that his birthright had been taken
+from him by unfair means (for he was the lawful successor to
+Llewelyn the Great, the heir-apparent to the throne on his
+decease), and hence that the crown belonged to him by
+seniority.&nbsp; The people now rejoiced that the sons of the boy
+hero who in his youth had made King Henry&rsquo;s army feel his
+power, were about to be placed in possession of their lawful
+inheritance as rulers and sovereigns of the Cambrian
+nation.&nbsp; In the following pages I shall place before the
+reader facts which show the wisdom of the choice which the
+national congress made.</p>
+<p>But I have no intention, indeed it is wholly foreign to my
+present purpose, to write a life of Llewelyn, that is, a
+consecutive narrative of his deeds and acts, and his grand
+military achievements.&nbsp; In 1856 I compiled a biography <a
+name="page332"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 332</span>of my hero,
+but it still remains in manuscript.&nbsp; Briefly stated, my
+present purpose is to paint a likeness of the last prince of the
+Cymru in three different aspects, that is, as a military
+commander and tactician, as a Cambrian patriot, and as a citizen
+and friend.&nbsp; Regarded in these several aspects, I shall,
+from reliable data, make it perfectly clear that the prince was
+as just as he was generous; that he commanded the respect, the
+love, the affection and the admiration of all who came in contact
+with him; that moreover, by his deeds of prowess, by the
+manifestation of great skill and eminent military tactics, by the
+rapidity with which he moved his army from one part of the
+battle-field to another, from one point of attack to another
+place which he regarded as vulnerable, he gained a title to be
+regarded as one of the greatest generals of those eventful
+times.&nbsp; He successfully resisted, and more than once
+conquered, the bravest army then existing in Europe.</p>
+<p>Immediately after the Welsh princes ascended the throne of
+their ancestors, King Henry of <a name="page333"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 333</span>England, at the head of a powerful
+army, invaded North Wales.&nbsp; For this attack the Welsh
+princes were wholly unprepared; and rather than risk an
+engagement with such terrible odds against them, they prudently
+retreated before the enemy, retiring to the mountain districts,
+from which the English king failed to dislodge them.&nbsp;
+Subsequently, but before Henry returned to England, a treaty of
+amity and peace was concluded between the Cambrian and Saxon
+monarchs.&nbsp; The conditions of this treaty were, first, that
+Llewelyn was to give up possession for ever of his patrimony, the
+four cantrevs; secondly, that he was to serve in Wales, or in the
+Marches, with one thousand foot and twenty-four horse,&mdash;this
+at his own expense; thirdly, that all the Welsh barons were to do
+homage to the English monarch.&nbsp; That the conditions of this
+treaty were most humiliating, we must at once admit; but under
+the circumstances there can be no doubt that Llewelyn acted
+wisely in acceding to them, for had he defied the enemy then, the
+struggle would have proved a hopeless one.&nbsp; The peace <a
+name="page334"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 334</span>which he by
+the treaty secured, lasted for a period of nine years, when
+Llewelyn became (1254) the sole sovereign of Wales.&nbsp; From
+that time until his untimely end, he reigned alone: nobly and
+magnanimously did he wear the crown.&nbsp; His was a life without
+a stain of dishonour, as pure and bright as the crystal fountain;
+and he has left a name which will never die.&nbsp; Magnanimous
+was he, generous and noble was he, chivalrous and princely in
+mien and heart was he: hence the reason why he was almost
+worshipped by all who came within the sacred circle of his
+influence; and had he had a moiety of the power possessed by the
+English monarchs, the issue of the struggle would have been
+widely different.&nbsp; However, an all-wise Providence willed it
+otherwise, and it is our duty to bow our heads without a murmur,
+for He does all things in infinite love and wisdom.</p>
+<p>After securing such important concessions from Llewelyn, the
+English king, if be had been wise, would have pursued a mild and
+conciliatory policy towards the nobles and barons <a
+name="page335"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 335</span>of the
+Welsh nation: unfortunately for his reputation and statesmanship,
+good-will towards the conquered formed no part of the imperial
+virtues.&nbsp; He ruled with a rod of iron, the olive-branch
+forming no part of the device upon the king&rsquo;s banner.&nbsp;
+Thus the fruit of his policy soon became apparent.&nbsp; It would
+be expecting more than human nature to suppose that the Cambrian
+chieftains and barons would remain peaceful and quiet on seeing
+their estates seized by lords Marchers.&nbsp; Moreover, the
+greatest oppression was practised by minions of King Henry, and
+for the most trivial offences the proud barons of Wales were
+subjected to cruel and extreme punishment.&nbsp; As was natural,
+his cruelties and his policy of confiscation produced everywhere
+disaffection, and ultimately a spirit of implacable hate was
+engendered.&nbsp; The people, to a man, were in the end ready to
+rise in order to throw off the bitter yoke.&nbsp; They had their
+leader, the brave prince Llewelyn; but the fruit was not yet
+ripe.&nbsp; But while he urged delay, he did not neglect
+preparation for the conflict, for he knew that the day of
+conflict <a name="page336"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+336</span>must come.&nbsp; When the hour arrived, Llewelyn took
+the field, and his achievements far surpassed the most sanguine
+expectations of both himself and his brave followers.&nbsp; In
+the space of a single week he recovered from the enemy the
+possessions they had acquired by war in North Wales and
+Cardiganshire.&nbsp; Wherever he and his little army went, the
+enemy was compelled to yield, and to retire from the battlefield
+as defeated hosts.</p>
+<p>Soon after these successes, Llewelyn led a large army into
+South Wales.&nbsp; Before Dynevor Castle, near Llandilo, he
+encountered the English forces, which were commanded by Rhys
+Vychan.&nbsp; The battle was conducted with great skill and
+bravery on both sides; but at last the king&rsquo;s army was
+thoroughly beaten and retired from the field.&nbsp; Immediately
+after this splendid victory, the Cambrian prince returned in
+triumph to the North, where his subjects received him with
+universal acclamation and heart-felt gratitude.&nbsp; But his
+work now had only just commenced.&nbsp; On his arrival at Aber,
+he found awaiting him a deputation from the <a
+name="page337"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 337</span>four
+cantrevs,&mdash;tenants and chiefs residing on lands within his
+patrimony,&mdash;who had come to lay before their prince and
+friend the terrible wrongs they had to endure from the exactions
+of Geoffrey de Langley, who farmed the crown lands under Prince
+Edward of England.&nbsp; &ldquo;Llewelyn, to avenge their
+injuries, crossed the frontier, carrying fire and sword to the
+very gates of Chester, from the walls of which, Edward himself is
+said to have been a galled witness of the havoc.&rdquo;&nbsp; On
+this defeat Edward sought his father&rsquo;s aid, but he sought
+it in vain: he then applied to his uncle, the king of the Romans,
+for assistance; but the forces he was thereby able to bring to
+the field were found either too cowardly or too weak to attack
+the Welsh.&nbsp; &ldquo;The Cambrian prince with his army then
+took a <i>d&eacute;tour</i>, they entered the territory of
+Gruffydd ab Madog, lord of Dinas Br&acirc;n, a chief who had
+formed a hostile league against Llewelyn and his native
+land,&rdquo; upon whom he took ample revenge.&nbsp; On returning,
+he suddenly met the English army, which was commanded by Prince
+Edward in person.&nbsp; A terrible battle <a
+name="page338"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 338</span>was fought
+between the Welsh and English armies; but at every point of the
+line Llewelyn&rsquo;s troops were victorious.&nbsp; In this
+conflict, Edward&rsquo;s forces were badly beaten, a small
+remnant only escaping with their life.&nbsp; After a brief
+repose, Llewelyn renewed his operations against the domains of
+Edward, and these he carried on without meeting with any serious
+opposition; but Llewelyn did not love war: in the hour of his
+most splendid triumphs he was anxious for peace.&nbsp;
+Immediately after his recent grand achievements, he wrote to King
+Henry offering, &ldquo;if a peace were concluded, and the Welsh
+restored to their ancient laws, to give a sum of money to Henry,
+and to acknowledge his sovereignty.&rdquo;&nbsp; Considering his
+late successes, we are surprised at his thus humbling himself to
+his foe.&nbsp; Doubtless he made this offer because of the deep
+solicitude he felt for the lives and property of his
+people.&nbsp; This generous offer was rejected with scorn by
+Henry, whereupon hostilities were recommenced with great and
+increased vigour by both of the contending parties.</p>
+<p><a name="page339"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 339</span>In
+reviewing thus far the life and character of the Cambrian prince,
+we have seen that his decision was always followed by prompt and
+energetic action.&nbsp; Whenever he resolved to do a special
+thing or to gain a certain point, he at once set about its
+accomplishment.&nbsp; To this characteristic of the man is
+traceable the secret of some of his mightiest achievements.&nbsp;
+In the present case Llewelyn gained important victories before
+the English monarch could collect his forces and approach
+his&mdash;Llewelyn&rsquo;s&mdash;dominions.&nbsp; During the lull
+the prince moved his army against the Lord of Powys, whom he
+easily defeated.&nbsp; The tidings of this victory having been
+carried to Gruffydd ab Madog, that chief felt that it would be
+madness on his part to resist the Cambrian prince, and he
+therefore sought and obtained a treaty of peace.&nbsp; Llewelyn
+then marched against the Earl of Gloucester, whom he defeated in
+a general battle.&nbsp; These successes and achievements roused
+the Welsh to the highest pitch of enthusiasm.&nbsp; Accordingly
+we find that the Cambrian barons and chiefs <a
+name="page340"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 340</span>entered
+into a solemn league to defend till death the independence and
+freedom of their country.&nbsp; This confederacy was formed in
+the year 1258.&nbsp; On its being ratified the Cambrian prince
+commenced to march southward, and gained easy victories over the
+forces that were thrown forward to impede his progress.&nbsp; In
+a subsequent campaign in South Wales he took the castle of
+Maelienydd, in Radnorshire.&nbsp; Afterwards he invaded the
+English borders on the west side of Shropshire and Cheshire,
+where he gained important advantages over the lords
+Marchers.&nbsp; From thence he proceeded to the castles of
+Diserdd and Diganwy, which he besieged and destroyed.&nbsp; On
+being apprised of these fresh disasters, Prince Edward marched
+against Llewelyn, who retired to, and took refuge among, the
+&ldquo;mountain bulwarks&rdquo; of Carnarvonshire.&nbsp; As
+Edward dared not follow the Welsh prince there, he returned to
+England, &ldquo;if not disgraced, at least without any particular
+honour.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>I pass over, as forming no part of my design, the insurrection
+of De Montford, that <a name="page341"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 341</span>nobleman&rsquo;s success against Sir
+Roger Mortimer, and his triumph over Prince Edward, whom he kept
+a prisoner in Hereford Castle.&nbsp; Further, I shall content
+myself with a passing reference to the invasion of Glamorganshire
+by Llewelyn, the important treaty of Montgomery in 1267 between
+Henry and Llewelyn, and the death of the former five years
+afterwards.</p>
+<p>When Edward ascended the throne, be called upon Llewelyn to do
+homage at his coronation.&nbsp; The Welsh prince replied that he
+was prepared to comply with the mandate, provided some English
+noblemen of distinction were sent to the Principality as hostages
+for his security.&nbsp; The negotiations respecting the question
+of homage, and the correspondence relating to the imprisonment of
+Eleanor de Montford, Llewelyn&rsquo;s betrothed, were carried on
+until the summer of 1277, when Edward, at the head of a numerous
+body of vassals, invaded North Wales.&nbsp; Llewelyn&rsquo;s army
+being small, he dared not risk a general battle, so he retired
+and took refuge among the inaccessible defences of
+Snowdon&mdash;a safe asylum, <a name="page342"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 342</span>a secure retreat on all occasions
+when the commissariat department of the army was attended
+to.&nbsp; Anglesey being now in the hands of the English, and
+there existing disaffection among some of the South Wales
+chieftains, the prince found himself so hemmed in that supplies
+could not be obtained.&nbsp; &ldquo;Urged by the sufferings of
+his famishing soldiers, and without any chance of relief,&rdquo;
+and his betrothed still being a prisoner, Llewelyn was compelled
+to sue for peace; but King Edward refused to entertain any
+proposal short of an unconditional surrender.&nbsp; Under the
+treaty which was then agreed to, it was stipulated that Llewelyn
+was to do homage in London annually, to deliver up all prisoners,
+to restore all forfeited lands, to resign the feudal supremacy
+over his barons; and all the Welsh chieftains, excepting the five
+barons of Snowdon, were to hold their lands direct from
+Edward.&nbsp; The conditions of this treaty were strictly
+observed by the Welsh prince for a period of about four
+years.&nbsp; To his subjects those were years of suffering.&nbsp;
+<a name="page343"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 343</span>The
+administration was corrupt; gross frauds were practised on the
+Welsh; while oppression, tyranny, and cruelties characterized the
+proceedings of the representatives of the Government.&nbsp; The
+people complained of the wrongs which they sustained, and mildly
+but firmly asked for a redress of their grievances; but a deaf
+ear was turned to all the representations which were made.&nbsp;
+At last the yoke became intolerable; they appealed to Prince
+David for assistance, and that prince renounced his
+&ldquo;unnatural allegiance to Edward,&rdquo; and became
+reconciled to his brother Llewelyn; and the two princes and a
+number of powerful and influential chieftains organized a
+concerted movement with a view to drive the English from their
+land and to re-establish the freedom and independence of their
+country.&nbsp; Their cause was good, and their object just and
+noble; but, ah me! they lacked the power and resources necessary
+to accomplish their grand and holy purpose.</p>
+<p>Llewelyn and his brother, having matured their plan of action,
+at once commenced the <a name="page344"></a><span
+class="pagenum">p. 344</span>campaign.&nbsp; They jointly
+invested the castle of Flint, on the estuary of the Dee; and from
+thence they marched to and successfully attacked the castle of
+Rhuddlan.&nbsp; The Cambrian army then moved along the coast, and
+were hotly pursued by Edward, who overtook the retreating forces
+near Conway.&nbsp; Here a general battle was fought between the
+contending forces, in which the Welsh were victorious.&nbsp; On
+his defeat the English king retired to Hope Dale, from which he
+soon recommenced operations, and re-occupied Rhuddlan without
+experiencing any opposition.&nbsp; From Rhuddlan he
+&ldquo;despatched a part of his army by sea to take possession of
+the Isle of Anglesey,&rdquo; and from thence, by means of a
+bridge of boats, this section of the army crossed over the Menai
+and landed at Moel-y-Don, near Bangor.&nbsp; When the reflux of
+the tide had broken the communication between the artificial
+bridge and the mainland, the Welsh army rushed from their
+hiding-place, and nearly the whole number of the enemy were
+either killed by the sword or perished in the waves.&nbsp; To <a
+name="page345"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 345</span>Edward this
+was an unexpected disaster.&nbsp; For a moment it paralysed his
+operations.&nbsp; He felt that he had underrated the strength and
+undervalued the generalship of Llewelyn, and to make up for the
+losses he had sustained he raised fresh levies throughout his
+dominions.</p>
+<p>During the preparations which were being made by Edward for
+another campaign the Cambrian princes were not idle.&nbsp; They
+arranged that the younger brother, Prince David, should be
+entrusted with the defence of North Wales, while Llewelyn would
+march against the English forces in South Wales.&nbsp; In the
+county of Cardigan Llewelyn gained important victories against
+the enemy; with a small body of troops he proceeded to the
+vicinity of Builth, with a view to consult some chieftains of
+that locality; and here, unattended and alone, this great, brave,
+manly, heroic, and magnanimous prince fell by the hand of an
+assassin.&nbsp; Thus perished, in the year 1282, after a reign of
+twenty-eight years, Llewelyn, the last native prince of the
+Cymry!</p>
+<p><a name="page346"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+346</span>Having reviewed the military career of Llewelyn, I
+shall proceed to make two or three observations respecting his
+character as a ruler and citizen.&nbsp; We have abundant evidence
+to prove that he was a profound lover of his country.&nbsp; He
+loved her hills and dales, her mountains and valleys, her alpine
+heights and cwms, or dells, with all the strong passion of a warm
+and generous heart.&nbsp; Deeper than the love of home, of wife,
+of kindred, of lands and possessions, was his affection for wild
+Wales and its people.&nbsp; Of all countries in the wide world,
+Wales was to him the brightest and fairest, and its people the
+bravest and best.&nbsp; For her welfare, he sacrificed all he
+had, all he possessed; and at last his life was immolated on his
+dear country&rsquo;s shrine.&nbsp; As a citizen, he was generous
+and kind.&nbsp; His heart was full of human sympathy, while his
+spirit was one of the gentlest that ever dwelt in a tabernacle of
+clay.&nbsp; Although he raised his country to a position of
+military fame which she had not occupied in previous history, yet
+war, in his view, had no glory.&nbsp; He loved <a
+name="page347"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+347</span>peace.&nbsp; He desired to live on terms of amity and
+friendship with the English people and their rulers.&nbsp; But
+alas! alas! those rulers were bent on the destruction of the
+independence and freedom of his country.&nbsp; To prevent this,
+he led his army against the foe, and for a time war smiled upon
+him; but at last he fell, not in battle, but unarmed and alone,
+stricken to the earth by an assassin.</p>
+<p>Brief, comparatively brief, was the public life of Prince
+Llewelyn; but grand, noble, and heroic were his deeds.&nbsp; He
+lived for others, not for himself.&nbsp; For the welfare of his
+country he laboured, not for personal aggrandizement.&nbsp; The
+mainspring of his actions was the deep and intense love of
+Fatherland.&nbsp; The great object for which he worked and fought
+and suffered, for which he became a public man, the leader and
+chief and ruler of a brave, a virtuous, an heroic people, was, to
+secure the independence of his country, the freedom and liberty
+of its people, and the blessing of permanent peace.&nbsp; To the
+interests of the land of his birth, the home of his <a
+name="page348"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+348</span>father&rsquo;s sepulchre, he was ever true, ever
+faithful, ever unswerving in fidelity and loyalty.&nbsp; If
+others proved faithless, not so this patriotic prince.&nbsp; If
+others of his countrymen forsook the true standard of national
+independence, if they joined the ranks of the enemy with a view
+to aid in crushing the liberties of an ancient people&mdash;a
+race who could trace their history, without a single break in the
+narrative, hundreds of years before the appearance of the Divine
+Teacher on earth&mdash;Llewelyn felt it all the more necessary
+for him to be more fearless in the fray, to put on a bolder and a
+manlier front, to toil and to work more incessantly in the cause
+which he felt was founded upon justice, upon right, and
+equity.&nbsp; For a period of thirty-six years he carried on a
+successful though an unequal struggle with the English monarchs
+Henry and Edward.&nbsp; But few, very few, was the number of his
+soldiers compared with the hosts who made up the armies that
+fought under the banner of his country&rsquo;s foes.&nbsp; His
+were brave men, and they were engaged in a struggle which <a
+name="page349"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 349</span>was dearer
+and more sacred to them than life itself.&nbsp; They were true
+soldiers.&nbsp; To fear they were strangers.&nbsp; Deeper than
+the love of life, than the love of kindred, than the love of
+estates and possessions, was their love and affection for
+Fatherland.&nbsp; We hardly know which to admire the more, the
+people or their leaders, the soldiers or their brave chiefs, the
+Cambrian army or their lawful prince.&nbsp; They were exposed to
+temptation, but they yielded not to its alluring charms.&nbsp;
+Bribes were freely offered to many a Cambrian chieftain, but
+these offers were made in vain.&nbsp; When at last treason
+achieved the work which a far more powerful nation than the Welsh
+failed to accomplish on the battle-field, let it be proclaimed to
+the world, and let the fact be known to all ages to come, that
+the traitor was a border man, and not a man in whose veins flowed
+Cambrian blood.&nbsp; But he accomplished his work, and Llewelyn
+was no more.&nbsp; His death was the direst calamity that had
+ever befallen the Cambrian people.&nbsp; Strange as it might
+appear, nevertheless it is an historical <a
+name="page350"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 350</span>fact, that
+when Llewelyn&rsquo;s compatriots found that their brave prince
+had fallen by the hands of an assassin, the spirit of heroism and
+bravery appears to have forsaken them.&nbsp; Hence to the best,
+and to the bravest of the brave, the struggle now appeared
+hopeless, notwithstanding that Prince David still lived and was
+free.&nbsp; Though that prince was as brave as his deceased
+brother he did not command the same amount of confidence which
+was reposed in the slain Llewelyn.&nbsp; Thus we find, that
+though the struggle was continued, it lacked the boldness,
+energy, and high military tactics which had characterized the
+generalship of the martyred chief.&nbsp; Hence it soon became
+evident to the enemy that the death-knell of Cambrian freedom and
+independence had sounded, and that in a few days, or at any rate
+in a few months at most, this ancient Principality would cease to
+occupy a separate and distinct place in the annals of the
+world.&nbsp; That the people in those times should have regarded
+the downfall of their country, the loss of their freedom and
+independence, as a terrible calamity, was but <a
+name="page351"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+351</span>natural.&nbsp; In King Edward&rsquo;s promises and
+generosity the Welsh people had no confidence.&nbsp; To him and
+to his immediate predecessor they traced, and correctly traced,
+most of their troubles with the English nation.&nbsp; They had
+desired to live in peace; war they did not invite.&nbsp; They
+took up arms, not for conquest, not to extend their dominion, not
+to annex new counties to the Principality, but simply in defence
+of the rights and liberties of their country, which they desired
+to transmit and hand down to their children and their
+children&rsquo;s children.&nbsp; But Providence had, for some
+grand purpose and design, willed that the weaker nation should be
+united to the stronger and more powerful people.&nbsp; In this
+age we behold and recognise the wisdom of His purpose.&nbsp;
+Though a distinct race, in language, feeling, and mental and
+physical idiosyncrasy, yet we unitedly admit that the benefits
+which come to us by reason of our union with the Saxon, are
+neither few nor unimportant.&nbsp; Happily, too, the ancient
+feuds between the two races are forgotten.&nbsp; We now live as
+<a name="page352"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+352</span>brethren.&nbsp; The rivalry between us is no longer on
+the battle-field; we contend not with sword and bayonet.&nbsp;
+No! the contest is shifted to a more noble, a more beautiful, and
+a grander scene, with a sublimer aim and object than ever has
+characterized broad fields of battle; namely, the advancement of
+material civilization; the triumphs of art and the conquests of
+science; and the social, intellectual, moral, and religious
+welfare of the people.&nbsp; May the standard of our contention
+ever be towards this high ideal! then a glorious future awaits
+the union of the Cambrian and Saxon peoples.</p>
+<p>If now and then we of the former race drop a tear when the
+shadows of our country&rsquo;s martyred princes pass by, it is
+with no feeling of bitterness towards those into whose hands the
+sceptre of our land has passed.&nbsp; On the contrary, while we
+remember with pride and gratitude the heroic struggle of the
+&ldquo;last of our native princes,&rdquo; we admit that it is
+infinitely better for Wales that she should be united to England
+under <a name="page353"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+353</span>the beneficent sway of Victoria, and we have still a
+Prince of Wales to whom the Cambrian people are as loyal as their
+fathers were to Prince Llewelyn.</p>
+<p><span class="smcap">Note</span>.&mdash;The historic facts
+embodied in the preceding sketch are taken from
+&ldquo;Carnhuanawc&rsquo;s Hanes Cymru,&rdquo;
+&ldquo;Warrington&rsquo;s History of Wales,&rdquo; the
+&ldquo;Cambrian Plutarch,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Welsh
+Sketches.&rdquo;</p>
+<h2><a name="page3_1"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 1</span>LIST
+OF SUBSCRIBERS.</h2>
+<table>
+<tr>
+<td><p>&nbsp;</p>
+</td>
+<td colspan="2"><p style="text-align: right">No. of Copies</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><p>The Lord Bishop of St. David&rsquo;s</p>
+</td>
+<td colspan="2"><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><p>Hon. Sir W. R. Grove, Common Pleas</p>
+</td>
+<td colspan="2"><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><p>H. Hussey Vivian, Esq., M.P., Parkwern</p>
+</td>
+<td colspan="2"><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><p>A. P. Vivian, Esq., M.P., Taibach</p>
+</td>
+<td colspan="2"><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><p>Henry Richard, Esq., M.P., London</p>
+</td>
+<td colspan="2"><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="3"><p style="text-align: center">BRECONSHIRE.</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><p>William Games, Esq., Mayor, Brecon</p>
+</td>
+<td colspan="2"><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><p>Rev. Henry Miles, Lanwrtyd</p>
+</td>
+<td colspan="2"><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><p>Rev. Professor Roberts, Brecon</p>
+</td>
+<td colspan="2"><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><p>Rev. John Daniel Williams, M.A., Brecon</p>
+</td>
+<td colspan="2"><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><p>Mr. David Williams, Oakfield, Llanwrtyd</p>
+</td>
+<td colspan="2"><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><p>Mr. Benjamin Jones, Dolecoed, Llanwrtyd</p>
+</td>
+<td colspan="2"><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="3"><p style="text-align: center">GLAMORGANSHIRE.</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Cambrian Book Publishing Company</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">300</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Thomas Alexander, Esq., Monkton, Bridgend</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. T. H. Ashton, Jeweller,</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Charles Bath, Esq., J.P., Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">3</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Richard Bedlington, Esq., Aberdare</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>William H. Bell, Esq., Glyncollen, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>David Bevan, Esq., J.P., Neath</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">2</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Henry Bowen, Esq., Morriston</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">3</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Richard Bowen, Aberclwyd, Glyn Neath</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Starling Benson, Esq., J.P., Fairy Hill,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>R. D. Burnie, Esq., Osborne Villa</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Edward Bath, Esq., J.P., Brynmor</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p><a name="page3_2"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+2</span>John Biddulph, Esq., J.P., Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>E. N. Bellingham, Esq., Walters Road,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. John Betts, Mansel Street, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Herbert D. Cook, Esq., Glydach</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. A. Curran, Broker</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Alfred Curtis, Esq., Nantwern, Neath</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Nathaniel Pryse Cameron, Esq., J.P.,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Thomas D. Daniel, Esq., J.P., Aberavon</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Evan David, Esq., J.P., Fairwater House,
+Cardiff</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>David Davies, Esq., 4, South Terrace,
+Neath</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">2</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>J. Leyshon Davies, Esq., Assayer, Landore</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>T. H. Davies, Esq., Heathfield Terrace,
+Swansea </p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>E. Rice Daniel, Esq., Cwmgelly, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">6</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Rev. E. A. Davies, Morriston</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>E. F. Daniel, Esq., Bath Villa, Morriston</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Rev. G. H. Davenport, Caswell, Mumbles</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Samuel Davies, Esq., Green Lodge,
+Reynoldstone</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. David Davies, Liverpool House, Maesteg</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Dan Davies, White Hart Inn, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Henry Davies, Esq., Morriston</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Joseph Davies, Esq., Hofod Villa, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Daniel Edwards, Duffryn Tin Plate Works,
+Morriston</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>John Ivor Evans, Esq., West Cross, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">3</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Thomas Evans, Esq., 22, Brunswick Street,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Zephaniah Evans, Post-Office,
+Pontardawe</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Richard Aubrey Essery, Esq., J.P., Cefn Bryn,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>William Edmund, Esq., J.P., Windsor Lodge,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>J. Deffett Francis, Esq., Artist, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>J. Coke Fowler, Esq., J.P., The Gnoll,
+Neath</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. David Gwillim, Eagle&rsquo;s Bush,
+Neath</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>William Gilbertson, Esq., J.P., Pontardawe</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Rev. Walter Griffiths, B.D., J.P., Dulais
+Fach, Neath</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Rev. David Griffiths, Resolven, Neath</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p><a name="page3_3"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+3</span>Sankey Gardner, Esq., Eagle&rsquo;s Bush, Neath</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Griffith Griffiths, Esq., Bryncelyn,
+Pontardawe</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Thomas George Gordon, Esq., Llwynybwch,
+Llanrhiddian</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Howel Gwyn, Esq., J.P., Duffryn, Neath</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. T. H. Hawkins, London Road, Neath</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Benjamin Hill, Esq., Cwmdwr, Clydach</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Rev. R. T. Howell, Northampton Place,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Elias Hughes, Accountant, Landore</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Richard Hughes, Esq., J.P., Ynistawe,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Richard Hall, Esq., J.P., Baglan Hall, Briton
+Ferry</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Evan J. Harris, Stamp Office,
+Reynoldstone</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Joseph Hall, Esq., Grosvenor House,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>H. W. Hansard, Esq., Singleton St.,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. J. O. Sheldon Jones, Post Office, Briton
+Ferry</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. John Jones, Hafod Inn, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. J. B. Jones, Aberdulais</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Rhys Jones, Adelphi Hotel, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Rev. Thomas Jones, Waters Road, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">2</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Wm. E. Jones, Duffryn Tin Works,
+Morriston</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>John Jones Jenkins, Esq., J.P., The Grange,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. James Jones, Goat St., Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Watkin James, Sketty</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Thomas Jones, Agent, Union Street,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">10</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Morgan Jones, Tymaen, Maesteg</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Rev. David Jones, Bishopstone, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>John Jones, Esq., Walters Road, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">2</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Benjn. Jones, Esq., J.P., Llanelly</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>John Trevellian Jenkin, Esq., J.P.,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. T. John Lean, 7, Windsor Road, Cardiff</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Griffith Lewis, Esq., Alltycham,
+Pontardawe</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>John Lewis, Esq., Fairfield House, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Thomas Leyson, Esq., Pennyscynnor, Neath</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Wm. Leyson, Esq., Queen Street, Neath</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p><a name="page3_4"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+4</span>Robert Lidgey, Esq., St. Helen&rsquo;s Road, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Henry S. Ludlow, Esq., Guildhall Chambers,
+Neath</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Wm. Llewellin, Esq., J.P., Court Colman,
+Bridgend</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Rev. R. Pendrill Llewellyn, Llangonoyd,
+Maesteg</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Fred. M. Lewis, Esq., Neath Road, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Wm. Martin, Ynistawe, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Thos. R. Mitchell, Ivy Cottage, St.
+Thomas</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Thomas Morgan, Church St., Briton
+Ferry</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>H. Ll. Morris, Esq., Penclawdd, Gower</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Richard Mugford, Hafod, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Edward S. Morris, Esq., Penclawdd</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>W. C. Morris, Esq., 43, Queen Street,
+Neath</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>George Byng Morris, Esq., J.P., Danygraig,
+Bridgend</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>George Mowatt, Esq., M.R.C.P., Walters Road,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>James Sanders Merry, Esq., Richmond Villas,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>David Meager, Esq., St. James Terrace,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. David Morgan, 35, Brunswick Street,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>David Owen, Esq., Brookfield House,
+Morriston</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Rev. James Owen, Walters Road, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>James T. Nettell, Esq., Rosebank, Mumbles</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Henry Parish, Esq., The Limes, Ystalyfera</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>John Powell, Esq., Millbrook Iron Works,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Thos. Powell, Esq., The Elms, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Charles S. Price, Esq., Brynderwen, Neath</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Griffith Phillips, 16, Park Street,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Rees Price, Lantwit, Neath</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">2</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Rev. Rees Price, Llanboidy</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>W. Price, Esq., Glantwrch, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Thos. Penrice, Esq., J.P., Kilvrough,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Allan Paton, Esq., Sketty, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Wm. Powell, Rock Street, Maesteg</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. John Rees, Resolven</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Thomas Rees, Ynismedw, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p><a name="page3_5"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+5</span>J. C. Richardson, Esq., J.P., Dderwenfawr, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>E. M. Richards, Esq., J.P., Brooklands,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Richd. Richards, Esq., J.P., Belle Vue,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Rev. D. Roberts, Coity, Bridgend</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>James Rogers, Esq., J.P., Pagefield House,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>John Roberts, Esq., Henrietta Street,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>John Rosser, Esq., 9, Cambrian Place,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>W. J. Rees, Esq., De La Beache Street,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. David Rosser, 18, Brunswick St.,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Wm. Harry Rees, Esq., Charlesville Place,
+Neath</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>David Smith, Alltwen, Pontardawe</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Julius Smith, Esq., Mansel Terrace,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>W. Robinson Smith, Esq., Glanrafon,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>James Spencer, Esq., Inland Revenue,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>George B. Strick, Esq., West Cross,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>William Price Struve, Esq., J.P., Neath</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Rowland Thomas, Esq., J.P., Neath</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Thos. H. Thomas, Esq., Bridge House, Neath</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>William Thomas, Esq., Lan, Morriston</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>B. P. Thomas, Esq., The Croft, Mumbles</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Ilted Thomas, Esq., J.P., Glanmor, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Howel Watkins, Rutland Street, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Octavius Williams, Esq., Northampton Place,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Robert Williams, Esq., West Cross, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Thos. Williams, Esq., Sunny Bank,
+Aberdulais</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Thos. Williams, Esq., 10, Windsor Terrace,
+Neath</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Watkin Williams, Pencoed, Bridgend</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>William Williams, Esq., Wern House,
+Landore</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Owen Gething Williams, Esq., Sketty</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Sir Gardner Wilkinson, Reynoldstone</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>David Williams, Esq., Training College,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Chas. Thos. Wilson, Esq., Brynnewydd,
+Sketty</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Owen Williams, Esq., Cwmavon</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Thomas Williams, Esq., Mount Pleasant,
+Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>John Williams, Esq., Tyar-y-Graig, Swansea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="3"><p style="text-align: center"><a
+name="page3_6"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+6</span>CARMARTHENSHIRE.</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. David Bowen, Thomas St., Llanelly</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>George Alex. Evans, Esq., Carmarthen</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Rev. Rees Evans, Llandebie</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Rev. John Griffiths, D.D., Llandilo</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>John Jennings, Esq., Greenfields, Llanelly</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>John Prothero Lewis, Esq., Bryneithin,
+Llandilo</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Rev. Prof. Morgan, Carmarthen</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Wm. Morris, Esq., Pontamman Cross Inn</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Rev. John Rhys Morgan, West End, Llanelly</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Henry Norton, Esq., Greenhill, Carmarthen</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">2</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Douglas A. Onslow, Esq., J.P., Pembrey</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. David Rees, Stepney Place, Llanelly</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Wm. Rosser, Esq., C.E., Greenfield House,
+Llanelly</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. David Rees, Shipbroker, Llanelly</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>John Prytherch, Esq., Banker, Llandilo</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Thos. Barton Snead, Esq., Solicitor,
+Llanelly</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>John Thomas, Esq., Glamorganshire Bank,
+Llandilo</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>J. Little Thomas, Esq., Gynin House, St.
+Clears</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Wm. Thomas, Esq., Wellfield, Llanelly</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Henry Thomas, Mina Street, Llanelly</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Rev. David Williams, Vicarage, Llanelly</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="3"><p style="text-align: center">NORTH WALES.</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>George Henry Adams, Esq., King St., Mold</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Andrew Jones Brereton, Esq. (Andreas o Von),
+Mold</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">2</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Andrew Brereton, Esq., 11, Edmund Street,
+Oldham St., Liverpool</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>John Griffiths, Esq., 28, Chapel Street,
+Liverpool</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>William Jones, Esq., Tyddyn House, Mold</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>W. O. Jones, Esq., Mona Brewery, Llanfachrith,
+Anglesea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>W. Brereton Jones, Esq., Victoria Brewery,
+Llangyfin, Anglesea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Rev. T. R. Lloyd (yr Estyn), Llanfynydd,
+Wrexham</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p><a name="page3_7"></a><span class="pagenum">p.
+7</span>Love Jones Parry, Esq., Madryn, Pwllheli, North Wales</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Wm. Parry, Esq., Marlow Terrace, Wrexham
+Street, Mold</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Mr. Benjamin Powell, High Street, Mold</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Thomas Williams, Esq., Tyddyn Waun,
+Llanfechel, Anglesea</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>John Davies, Esq., Albert Road, Fenton Stoke,
+Stafford</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Henry Hurst, Esq., 4, Norton Terrace,
+Llandrindod Wells</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>William Morgan, Esq., Middle House,
+Penybont</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>N. Bennett, Esq., Trefeglwys, Llanidloes</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Thos. Morley, Esq., Bryntimon, Gold Tops,
+Newport</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Rev. Hugh Williams, M.A., J.P., Chancellor of
+Llandaff, Bassaleg Vicarage, Newport</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td colspan="2"><p>Thos. Reece Thomas, Esq., J.P., D.L., Lampeter
+House, Narberth</p>
+</td>
+<td><p style="text-align: right">1</p>
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+<h2>NOTES.</h2>
+<p><a name="footnote178"></a><a href="#citation178"
+class="footnote">[178]</a>&nbsp; This is a literal fact.</p>
+<p><a name="footnote260"></a><a href="#citation260"
+class="footnote">[260]</a>&nbsp; Mr. Eli, I fancy, obtained some
+of his facts from Pennant.</p>
+<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CAMBRIAN SKETCH-BOOK***</p>
+<pre>
+
+
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