{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_5160/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_5160","id":"gutenberg_5160","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5160","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Adventure","Category: Classics of Literature","Category: Historical Novels","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Fantasy","Mythology, Celtic -- Wales","Tales -- Wales","Welsh literature -- 1100-1400 -- Translations into English"],"text":"THE MABINOGION\n\n\n                    TRANSLATED BY LADY CHARLOTTE GUEST\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\nIntroduction\nThe Lady of the Fountain\nPeredur the Son of Evrawc\nGeraint the son of Erbin\nKilhwch and Olwen\nThe dream of Rhonabwy\nPwyll Prince of Dyved\nBranwen the daughter of Llyr\nManawyddan the son of Llyr\nMath the son of Mathonwy\nThe dream of Maxen Wledig\nThe story of Lludd and Llevelys\nTaliesin\n\n\n\n\nINTRODUCTION\n\n\nWhilst engaged on the Translations contained in these volumes, and on the\nNotes appended to the various Tales, I have found myself led unavoidably\ninto a much more extensive course of reading than I had originally\ncontemplated, and one which in great measure bears directly upon the\nearlier Medi\u00e6val Romance.\n\nBefore commencing these labours, I was aware, generally, that there\nexisted a connexion between the Welsh Mabinogion and the Romance of the\nContinent; but as I advanced, I became better acquainted with the\ncloseness and extent of that connexion, its history, and the proofs by\nwhich it is supported.\n\nAt the same time, indeed, I became aware, and still strongly feel, that\nit is one thing to collect facts, and quite another to classify and draw\nfrom them their legitimate conclusions; and though I am loth that what\nhas been collected with some pains, should be entirely thrown away, it is\nunwillingly, and with diffidence, that I trespass beyond the acknowledged\nprovince of a translator.\n\nIn the twelfth and thirteenth centuries there arose into general\nnotoriety in Europe, a body of \u201cRomance,\u201d which in various forms retained\nits popularity till the Reformation.  In it the plot, the incidents, the\ncharacters, were almost wholly those of Chivalry, that bond which united\nthe warriors of France, Spain, and Italy, with those of pure Teutonic\ndescent, and embraced more or less firmly all the nations of Europe,\nexcepting only the Slavonic races, not yet risen to power, and the Celts,\nwho had fallen from it.  It is not difficult to account for this latter\nomission.  The Celts, driven from the plains into the mountains and\nislands, preserved their liberty, and hated their oppressors with fierce,\nand not causeless, hatred.  A proud and free people, isolated both in\ncountry and language, were not likely to adopt customs which implied\nbrotherhood with their foes.\n\nSuch being the case, it is remarkable that when the chief romances are\nexamined, the name of many of the heroes and their scenes of action are\nfound to be Celtic, and those of persons and places famous in the\ntraditions of Wales and Brittany.  Of this the romances of Ywaine and\nGawaine, Sir Perceval de Galles, Eric and Enide, Mort d\u2019Arthur, Sir\nLancelot, Sir Tristan, the Graal, &c., may be cited as examples.  In some\ncases a tendency to triads, and other matters of internal evidence, point\nin the same direction.\n\nIt may seem difficult to account for this.  Although the ancient dominion\nof the Celts over Europe is not without enduring evidence in the names of\nthe mountains and streams, the great features of a country, yet the loss\nof their prior language by the great mass of the Celtic nations in\nSouthern Europe (if indeed their successors in territory be at all of\ntheir blood), prevents us from clearly seeing, and makes us wonder, how\nstories, originally embodied in the Celtic dialects of Great Britain and\nFrance, could so influence the literature of nations to whom the Celtic\nlanguages were utterly unknown.  Whence then came these internal marks,\nand these proper names of persons and places, the features of a story\nusually of earliest date and least likely to change?\n\nThese romances were found in England, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden,\nand even Iceland, as early as the beginning of the thirteenth and end of\nthe twelfth century.  The Germans, who propagated them through the\nnations of the North, derived them certainly from France.  Robert Wace\npublished his Anglo-Norman Romance of the Brut d\u2019Angleterre about 1155.\nSir Tristan was written in French prose in 1170; and The Chevalier au\nLion, Chevalier de l\u2019Ep\u00e9e, and Sir Lancelot du Lac, in metrical French,\nby Chrestien de Troyes, before 1200.\n\nFrom these facts it is to be argued that the further back these romances\nare traced, the more clearly does it appear that they spread over the\nContinent from the North-west of France.  The older versions, it may be\nremarked, are far more simple than the later corruptions.  In them there\nis less allusion to the habits and usages of Chivalry, and the Welsh\nnames and elements stand out in stronger relief.  It is a great step to\nbe able to trace the stocks of these romances back to Wace, or to his\ncountry and age.  For Wace\u2019s work was not original.  He himself, a native\nof Jersey, appears to have derived much of it from the \u201cHistoria\nBritonum\u201d of Gruffydd ab Arthur, commonly known as \u201cGeoffrey of\nMonmouth,\u201d born 1128, who himself professes to have translated from a\nBritish original.  It is, however, very possible that Wace may have had\naccess, like Geoffrey, to independent sources of information.\n\nTo the claims set up on behalf of Wace and Geoffrey, to be regarded as\nthe channels by which the Cymric tales passed into the Continental\nRomance, may be added those of a third almost contemporary author.\nLayamon, a Saxon priest, dwelling, about 1200, upon the banks of the\nupper Severn, acknowledges for the source of his British history, the\n_English_ Bede, the _Latin_ Albin, and the _French_ Wace.  The last-named\nhowever is by very much his chief, and, for Welsh matters, his only\navowed authority.  His book, nevertheless, contains a number of names and\nstories relating to Wales, of which no traces appear in Wace, or indeed\nin Geoffrey, but which he was certainly in a very favourable position to\nobtain for himself.  Layamon, therefore, not only confirms Geoffrey in\nsome points, but it is clear, that, professing to follow Wace, he had\nindependent access to the great body of Welsh literature then current.\nSir F. Madden has put this matter very clearly, in his recent edition of\nLayamon.  The Abb\u00e9 de la Rue, also, was of opinion that Gaimar, an\nAnglo-Norman, in the reign of Stephen, usually regarded as a translator\nof Geoffrey of Monmouth, had access to a Welsh independent authority.\n\nIn addition to these, is to be mentioned the English version of Sir\nTristrem, which Sir Walter Scott considered to be derived from a distinct\nCeltic source, and not, like the later Amadis, Palmerin, and Lord\nBerners\u2019s Canon of Romance, imported into English literature by\ntranslation from the French.  For the Auntours of Arthur, recently\npublished by the Camden Society, their Editor, Mr. Robson, seems to hint\nat a similar claim.\n\nHere then are various known channels, by which portions of Welsh and\nArmoric fiction crossed the Celtic border, and gave rise to the more\nornate, and widely-spread romance of the Age of Chivalry.  It is not\nimprobable that there may have existed many others.  It appears then that\na large portion of the stocks of Medi\u00e6val Romance proceeded from Wales.\nWe have next to see in what condition they are still found in that\ncountry.\n\nThat Wales possessed an ancient literature, containing various lyric\ncompositions, and certain triads, in which are arranged historical facts\nor moral aphorisms, has been shown by Sharon Turner, who has established\nthe high antiquity of many of these compositions.\n\nThe more strictly Romantic Literature of Wales has been less fortunate,\nthough not less deserving of critical attention.  Small portions only of\nit have hitherto appeared in print, the remainder being still hidden in\nthe obscurity of ancient Manuscripts: of these the chief is supposed to\nbe the Red Book of Hergest, now in the Library of Jesus College, Oxford,\nand of the fourteenth century.  This contains, besides poems, the prose\nromances known as Mabinogion.  The Black Book of Caermarthen, preserved\nat Hengwrt, and considered not to be of later date than the twelfth\ncentury, is said to contain poems only. {1}\n\nThe Mabinogion, however, though thus early recorded in the Welsh tongue,\nare in their existing form by no means wholly Welsh.  They are of two\ntolerably distinct classes.  Of these, the older contains few allusions\nto Norman customs, manners, arts, arms, and luxuries.  The other, and\nless ancient, are full of such allusions, and of ecclesiastical terms.\nBoth classes, no doubt, are equally of Welsh root, but the former are not\nmore overlaid or corrupted, than might have been expected, from the\ncommunication that so early took place between the Normans and the Welsh;\nwhereas the latter probably migrated from Wales, and were brought back\nand re-translated after an absence of centuries, with a load of Norman\nadditions.  Kilhwch and Olwen, and the dream of Rhonabwy, may be cited as\nexamples of the older and purer class; the Lady of the Fountain, Peredur,\nand Geraint ab Erbin, of the later, or decorated.\n\nBesides these, indeed, there are a few tales, as Amlyn and Amic, Sir\nBevis of Hamtoun, the Seven Wise Masters, and the story of Charlemagne,\nso obviously of foreign extraction, and of late introduction into Wales,\nnot presenting even a Welsh name, or allusion, and of such very slender\nintrinsic merit, that although comprised in the Llyvr Coch, they have not\na shadow of claim to form part of the Canon of Welsh Romance.  Therefore,\nalthough I have translated and examined them, I have given them no place\nin these volumes.\n\nThere is one argument in favour of the high antiquity in Wales of many of\nthe Mabinogion, which deserves to be mentioned here.  This argument is\nfounded on the topography of the country.  It is found that Saxon names\nof places are very frequently definitions of the nature of the locality\nto which they are attached, as Clifton, Deepden, Bridge-ford, Thorpe,\nHam, Wick, and the like; whereas those of Wales are more frequently\ncommemorative of some event, real or supposed, said to have happened on\nor near the spot, or bearing allusion to some person renowned in the\nstory of the country or district.  Such are \u201cLlyn y Morwynion,\u201d the Lake\nof the Maidens; \u201cRhyd y Bedd,\u201d the Ford of the Grave; \u201cBryn Cyfergyr,\u201d\nthe Hill of Assault; and so on.  But as these names could not have\npreceded the events to which they refer, the events themselves must be\nnot unfrequently as old as the early settlement in the country.  And as\nsome of these events and fictions are the subjects of, and are explained\nby, existing Welsh legends, it follows that the legends must be, in some\nshape or other, of very remote antiquity.  It will be observed that this\nargument supports _remote_ antiquity only for such legends as are\nconnected with the greater topographical features, as mountains, lakes,\nrivers, seas, which must have been named at an early period in the\ninhabitation of the country by man.  But there exist, also, legends\nconnected with the lesser features, as pools, hills, detached rocks,\ncaves, fords, and the like, places not necessarily named by the earlier\nsettlers, but the names of which are, nevertheless, probably very old,\nsince the words of which they are composed are in many cases not retained\nin the colloquial tongue, in which they must once have been included, and\nare in some instances lost from the language altogether, so much so as to\nbe only partially explicable even by scholars.  The argument applies\nlikewise, in their degree, to camps, barrows, and other artificial\nearth-works.\n\nConclusions thus drawn, when established, rest upon a very firm basis.\nThey depend upon the number and appositeness of the facts, and it would\nbe very interesting to pursue this branch of evidence in detail.  In\nfollowing up this idea, the names to be sought for might thus be\nclassed:\u2014\n\nI.  Names of the great features, involving proper names and actions.\n\nCadair Idris and Cadair Arthur both involve more than a mere name.  Idris\nand Arthur must have been invested with heroic qualifications to have\nbeen placed in such \u201cseats.\u201d\n\nII.  Names of lesser features, as \u201cBryn y Saeth,\u201d Hill of the Dart; \u201cLlyn\nLlyngclys,\u201d Lake of the Engulphed Court; \u201cCeven y Bedd,\u201d the Ridge of the\nGrave; \u201cRhyd y Saeson,\u201d the Saxons\u2019 Ford.\n\nIII.  Names of mixed natural and artificial objects, as \u201cCoeten Arthur,\u201d\nArthur\u2019s Coit; \u201cCerrig y Drudion,\u201d the Crag of the Heroes; which involve\nactions.  And such as embody proper names only, as \u201cCerrig Howell,\u201d the\nCrag of Howell; \u201cCaer Arianrod,\u201d the Camp of Arianrod; \u201cBron Goronwy,\u201d\nthe Breast (of the Hill) of Goronwy; \u201cCastell mab Wynion,\u201d the Castle of\nthe son of Wynion; \u201cNant Gwrtheyrn,\u201d the Rill of Vortigern.\n\nThe selection of names would demand much care and discretion.  The\ntranslations should be indisputable, and, where known, the connexion of a\nname with a legend should be noted.  Such a name as \u201cMochdrev,\u201d\nSwine-town, would be valueless unless accompanied by a legend.\n\nIt is always valuable to find a place or work called after an individual,\nbecause it may help to support some tradition of his existence or his\nactions.  But it is requisite that care be taken not to push the\netymological dissection too far.  Thus, \u201cCaer Arianrod\u201d should be taken\nsimply as the \u201cCamp of Arianrod,\u201d and not rendered the \u201cCamp of the\nsilver circle,\u201d because the latter, though it might possibly have\nsomething to do with the reason for which the name was borne by Arianrod\nherself, had clearly no reference to its application to her camp.\n\nIt appears to me, then, looking back upon what has been advanced:\u2014\n\nI.  That we have throughout Europe, at an early period, a great body of\nliterature, known as Medi\u00e6val Romance, which, amidst much that is wholly\nof Teutonic origin and character, includes certain well-marked traces of\nan older Celtic nucleus.\n\nII.  Proceeding backwards in time, we find these romances, their\nornaments falling away at each step, existing towards the twelfth\ncentury, of simpler structure, and with less encumbered Celtic features,\nin the works of Wace, and other Bards of the Langue d\u2019Oil.\n\nIII.  We find that Geoffrey of Monmouth, Layamon, and other early British\nand Anglo-Saxon historians, and minstrels, on the one hand, transmitted\nto Europe the rudiments of its after romance, much of which, on the other\nhand, they drew from Wales.\n\nIV.  Crossing into Wales we find, in the Mabinogion, the evident\ncounterpart of the Celtic portion of the continental romance, mixed up,\nindeed, with various reflex additions from beyond the border, but still\ncontaining ample internal evidence of a Welsh original.\n\nV.  Looking at the connexion between divers of the more ancient\nMabinogion, and the topographical nomenclature of part of the country, we\nfind evidence of the great, though indefinite, antiquity of these tales,\nand of an origin, which, if not indigenous, is certainly derived from no\nEuropean nation.\n\nIt was with a general belief in some of these conclusions, that I\ncommenced my labours, and I end them with my impressions strongly\nconfirmed.  The subject is one not unworthy of the talents of a Llwyd or\na Prichard.  It might, I think, be shown, by pursuing the inquiry, that\nthe Cymric nation is not only, as Dr. Prichard has proved it to be, an\nearly offshoot of the Indo-European family, and a people of unmixed\ndescent, but that when driven out of their conquests by the later\nnations, the names and exploits of their heroes, and the compositions of\ntheir bards, spread far and wide among the invaders, and affected\nintimately their tastes and literature for many centuries, and that it\nhas strong claims to be considered the cradle of European Romance.\n\n                                                                  C. E. G.\n\nDOWLAIS, _August 29th_, _1848_.\n\n\n\n\nTHE LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN\n\n\nKing Arthur was at Caerlleon upon Usk; and one day he sat in his chamber;\nand with him were Owain the son of Urien, and Kynon the son of Clydno,\nand Kai the son of Kyner; and Gwenhwyvar and her handmaidens at\nneedlework by the window.  And if it should be said that there was a\nporter at Arthur\u2019s palace, there was none.  Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr was\nthere, acting as porter, to welcome guests and strangers, and to receive\nthem with honour, and to inform them of the manners and customs of the\nCourt; and to direct those who came to the Hall or to the\npresence-chamber, and those who came to take up their lodging.\n\nIn the centre of the chamber King Arthur sat upon a seat of green rushes,\nover which was spread a covering of flame-coloured satin, and a cushion\nof red satin was under his elbow.\n\nThen Arthur spoke, \u201cIf I thought you would not disparage me,\u201d said he, \u201cI\nwould sleep while I wait for my repast; and you can entertain one another\nwith relating tales, and can obtain a flagon of mead and some meat from\nKai.\u201d  And the King went to sleep.  And Kynon the son of Clydno asked Kai\nfor that which Arthur had promised them.  \u201cI, too, will have the good\ntale which he promised to me,\u201d said Kai.  \u201cNay,\u201d answered Kynon, \u201cfairer\nwill it be for thee to fulfill Arthur\u2019s behest, in the first place, and\nthen we will tell thee the best tale that we know.\u201d  So Kai went to the\nkitchen and to the mead-cellar, and returned bearing a flagon of mead and\na golden goblet, and a handful of skewers, upon which were broiled\ncollops of meat.  Then they ate the collops and began to drink the mead.\n\u201cNow,\u201d said Kai, \u201cit is time for you to give me my story.\u201d  \u201cKynon,\u201d said\nOwain, \u201cdo thou pay to Kai the tale that is his due.\u201d  \u201cTruly,\u201d said\nKynon, \u201cthou are older, and art a better teller of tales, and hast seen\nmore marvellous things than I; do thou therefore pay Kai his tale.\u201d\n\u201cBegin thyself,\u201d quoth Owain, \u201cwith the best that thou knowest.\u201d  \u201cI will\ndo so,\u201d answered Kynon.\n\n\u201cI was the only son of my mother and father, and I was exceedingly\naspiring, and my daring was very great.  I thought there was no\nenterprise in the world too mighty for me, and after I had achieved all\nthe adventures that were in my own country, I equipped myself, and set\nforth to journey through deserts and distant regions.  And at length it\nchanced that I came to the fairest valley in the world, wherein were\ntrees of equal growth; and a river ran through the valley, and a path was\nby the side of the river.  And I followed the path until mid-day, and\ncontinued my journey along the remainder of the valley until the evening;\nand at the extremity of a plain I came to a large and lustrous Castle, at\nthe foot of which was a torrent.  And I approached the Castle, and there\nI beheld two youths with yellow curling hair, each with a frontlet of\ngold upon his head, and clad in a garment of yellow satin, and they had\ngold clasps upon their insteps.  In the hand of each of them was an ivory\nbow, strung with the sinews of the stag; and their arrows had shafts of\nthe bone of the whale, and were winged with peacock\u2019s feathers; the\nshafts also had golden heads.  And they had daggers with blades of gold,\nand with hilts of the bone of the whale.  And they were shooting their\ndaggers.\n\n\u201cAnd a little way from them I saw a man in the prime of life, with his\nbeard newly shorn, clad in a robe and a mantle of yellow satin; and round\nthe top of his mantle was a band of gold lace.  On his feet were shoes of\nvariegated leather, fastened by two bosses of gold.  When I saw him, I\nwent towards him and saluted him, and such was his courtesy that he no\nsooner received my greeting than he returned it.  And he went with me\ntowards the Castle.  Now there were no dwellers in the Castle except\nthose who were in one hall.  And there I saw four-and-twenty damsels,\nembroidering satin at a window.  And this I tell thee, Kai, that the\nleast fair of them was fairer than the fairest maid thou hast ever beheld\nin the Island of Britain, and the least lovely of them was more lovely\nthan Gwenhwyvar, the wife of Arthur, when she has appeared loveliest at\nthe Offering, on the day of the Nativity, or at the feast of Easter.\nThey rose up at my coming, and six of them took my horse, and divested me\nof my armour; and six others took my arms, and washed them in a vessel\nuntil they were perfectly bright.  And the third six spread cloths upon\nthe tables and prepared meat.  And the fourth six took off my soiled\ngarments, and placed others upon me; namely, an under-vest and a doublet\nof fine linen, and a robe, and a surcoat, and a mantle of yellow satin\nwith a broad gold band upon the mantle.  And they placed cushions both\nbeneath and around me, with coverings of red linen; and I sat down.  Now\nthe six maidens who had taken my horse, unharnessed him, as well as if\nthey had been the best squires in the Island of Britain.  Then, behold,\nthey brought bowls of silver wherein was water to wash, and towels of\nlinen, some green and some white; and I washed.  And in a little while\nthe man sat down to the table.  And I sat next to him, and below me sat\nall the maidens, except those who waited on us.  And the table was of\nsilver, and the cloths upon the table were of linen; and no vessel was\nserved upon the table that was not either of gold or of silver, or of\nbuffalo-horn.  And our meat was brought to us.  And verily, Kai, I saw\nthere every sort of meat and every sort of liquor that I have ever seen\nelsewhere; but the meat and the liquor were better served there than I\nhave ever seen them in any other place.\n\n\u201cUntil the repast was half over, neither the man nor any one of the\ndamsels spoke a single word to me; but when the man perceived that it\nwould be more agreeable to me to converse than to eat any more, he began\nto inquire of me who I was.  I said I was glad to find that there was\nsome one who would discourse with me, and that it was not considered so\ngreat a crime at that Court for people to hold converse together.\n\u2018Chieftain,\u2019 said the man, \u2018we would have talked to thee sooner, but we\nfeared to disturb thee during thy repast; now, however, we will\ndiscourse.\u2019  Then I told the man who I was, and what was the cause of my\njourney; and said that I was seeking whether any one was superior to me,\nor whether I could gain the mastery over all.  The man looked upon me,\nand he smiled and said, \u2018If I did not fear to distress thee too much, I\nwould show thee that which thou seekest.\u2019  Upon this I became anxious and\nsorrowful, and when the man perceived it, he said, \u2018If thou wouldest\nrather that I should show thee thy disadvantage than thine advantage, I\nwill do so.  Sleep here to-night, and in the morning arise early, and\ntake the road upwards through the valley until thou reachest the wood\nthrough which thou camest hither.  A little way within the wood thou wilt\nmeet with a road branching off to the right, by which thou must proceed,\nuntil thou comest to a large sheltered glade with a mound in the centre.\nAnd thou wilt see a black man of great stature on the top of the mound.\nHe is not smaller in size than two of the men of this world.  He has but\none foot; and one eye in the middle of his forehead.  And he has a club\nof iron, and it is certain that there are no two men in the world who\nwould not find their burden in that club.  And he is not a comely man,\nbut on the contrary he is exceedingly ill-favoured; and he is the\nwoodward of that wood.  And thou wilt see a thousand wild animals grazing\naround him.  Inquire of him the way out of the glade, and he will reply\nto thee briefly, and will point out the road by which thou shalt find\nthat which thou art in quest of.\u2019\n\n\u201cAnd long seemed that night to me.  And the next morning I arose and\nequipped myself, and mounted my horse, and proceeded straight through the\nvalley to the wood; and I followed the cross-road which the man had\npointed out to me, till at length I arrived at the glade.  And there was\nI three times more astonished at the number of wild animals that I\nbeheld, than the man had said I should be.  And the black man was there,\nsitting upon the top of the mound.  Huge of stature as the man had told\nme that he was, I found him to exceed by far the description he had given\nme of him.  As for the iron club which the man had told me was a burden\nfor two men, I am certain, Kai, that it would be a heavy weight for four\nwarriors to lift; and this was in the black man\u2019s hand.  And he only\nspoke to me in answer to my questions.  Then I asked him what power he\nheld over those animals. \u2018I will show thee, little man,\u2019 said he.  And he\ntook his club in his hand, and with it he struck a stag a great blow so\nthat he brayed vehemently, and at his braying the animals came together,\nas numerous as the stars in the sky, so that it was difficult for me to\nfind room in the glade to stand among them.  There were serpents, and\ndragons, and divers sorts of animals.  And he looked at them, and bade\nthem go and feed; and they bowed their heads, and did him homage as\nvassals to their lord.\n\n\u201cThen the black man said to me, \u2018Seest thou now, little man, what power I\nhold over these animals?\u2019  Then I inquired of him the way, and he became\nvery rough in his manner to me; however, he asked me whither I would go?\nAnd when I told him who I was and what I sought, he directed me.  \u2018Take,\u2019\nsaid he, \u2018that path that leads towards the head of the glade, and ascend\nthe wooded steep until thou comest to its summit; and there thou wilt\nfind an open space like to a large valley, and in the midst of it a tall\ntree, whose branches are greener than the greenest pine-trees.  Under\nthis tree is a fountain, and by the side of the fountain a marble slab,\nand on the marble slab a silver bowl, attached by a chain of silver, so\nthat it may not be carried away.  Take the bowl and throw a bowlful of\nwater upon the slab, and thou wilt hear a mighty peal of thunder, so that\nthou wilt think that heaven and earth are trembling with its fury.  With\nthe thunder there will come a shower so severe that it will be scarce\npossible for thee to endure it and live.  And the shower will be of\nhailstones; and after the shower, the weather will become fair, but every\nleaf that was upon the tree will have been carried away by the shower.\nThen a flight of birds will come and alight upon the tree; and in thine\nown country thou didst never hear a strain so sweet as that which they\nwill sing.  And at the moment thou art most delighted with the song of\nthe birds, thou wilt hear a murmuring and complaining coming towards thee\nalong the valley.  And thou wilt see a knight upon a coal-black horse,\nclothed in black velvet, and with a pennon of black linen upon his lance;\nand he will ride unto thee to encounter thee with the utmost speed.  If\nthou fleest from him he will overtake thee, and if thou abidest there, as\nsure as thou art a mounted knight, he will leave thee on foot.  And if\nthou dost not find trouble in that adventure, thou needest not seek it\nduring the rest of thy life.\u2019\n\n\u201cSo I journeyed on, until I reached the summit of the steep, and there I\nfound everything as the black man had described it to me.  And I went up\nto the tree, and beneath it I saw the fountain, and by its side the\nmarble slab, and the silver bowl fastened by the chain.  Then I took the\nbowl, and cast a bowlful of water upon the slab; and thereupon, behold,\nthe thunder came, much more violent than the black man had led me to\nexpect; and after the thunder came the shower; and of a truth I tell\nthee, Kai, that there is neither man nor beast that can endure that\nshower and live.  For not one of those hailstones would be stopped,\neither by the flesh or by the skin, until it had reached the bone.  I\nturned my horse\u2019s flank towards the shower, and placed the beak of my\nshield over his head and neck, while I held the upper part of it over my\nown head.  And thus I withstood the shower.  When I looked on the tree\nthere was not a single leaf upon it, and then the sky became clear, and\nwith that, behold the birds lighted upon the tree, and sang.  And truly,\nKai, I never heard any melody equal to that, either before or since.  And\nwhen I was most charmed with listening to the birds, lo, a murmuring\nvoice was heard through the valley, approaching me and saying, \u2018Oh,\nKnight, what has brought thee hither?  What evil have I done to thee,\nthat thou shouldst act towards me and my possessions as thou hast this\nday?  Dost thou not know that the shower to-day has left in my dominions\nneither man nor beast alive that was exposed to it?\u2019  And thereupon,\nbehold, a Knight on a black horse appeared, clothed in jet-black velvet,\nand with a tabard of black linen about him.  And we charged each other,\nand, as the onset was furious, it was not long before I was overthrown.\nThen the Knight passed the shaft of his lance through the bridle rein of\nmy horse, and rode off with the two horses, leaving me where I was.  And\nhe did not even bestow so much notice upon me as to imprison me, nor did\nhe despoil me of my arms.  So I returned along the road by which I had\ncome.  And when I reached the glade where the black man was, I confess to\nthee, Kai, it is a marvel that I did not melt down into a liquid pool,\nthrough the shame that I felt at the black man\u2019s derision.  And that\nnight I came to the same castle where I had spent the night preceding.\nAnd I was more agreeably entertained that night than I had been the night\nbefore; and I was better feasted, and I conversed freely with the inmates\nof the castle, and none of them alluded to my expedition to the fountain,\nneither did I mention it to any; and I remained there that night.  When I\narose on the morrow, I found, ready saddled, a dark bay palfrey, with\nnostrils as red as scarlet; and after putting on my armour, and leaving\nthere my blessing, I returned to my own Court.  And that horse I still\npossess, and he is in the stable yonder.  And I declare that I would not\npart with him for the best palfrey in the Island of Britain.\n\n\u201cNow of a truth, Kai, no man ever before confessed to an adventure so\nmuch to his own discredit, and verily it seems strange to me, that\nneither before nor since have I heard of any person besides myself who\nknew of this adventure, and that the subject of it should exist within\nKing Arthur\u2019s dominions, without any other person lighting upon it.\u201d\n\n\u201cNow,\u201d quoth Owain, \u201cwould it not be well to go and endeavour to discover\nthat place?\u201d\n\n\u201cBy the hand of my friend,\u201d said Kai, \u201coften dost thou utter that with\nthy tongue which thou wouldst not make good with thy deeds.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn very truth,\u201d said Gwenhwyvar, \u201cit were better thou wert hanged, Kai,\nthan to use such uncourteous speech towards a man like Owain.\u201d\n\n\u201cBy the hand of my friend, good Lady,\u201d said Kai, \u201cthy praise of Owain is\nnot greater than mine.\u201d\n\nWith that Arthur awoke, and asked if he had not been sleeping a little.\n\n\u201cYes, Lord,\u201d answered Owain, \u201cthou hast slept awhile.\u201d\n\n\u201cIs it time for us to go to meat?\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is, Lord,\u201d said Owain.\n\nThen the horn for washing was sounded, and the King and all his household\nsat down to eat.  And when the meal was ended, Owain withdrew to his\nlodging, and made ready his horse and his arms.\n\nOn the morrow, with the dawn of day, he put on his armour, and mounted\nhis charger, and travelled through distant lands and over desert\nmountains.  And at length he arrived at the valley which Kynon had\ndescribed to him; and he was certain that it was the same that he sought.\nAnd journeying along the valley by the side of the river, he followed its\ncourse till he came to the plain and within sight of the Castle.  When he\napproached the Castle, he saw the youths shooting their daggers in the\nplace where Kynon had seen them, and the yellow man, to whom the Castle\nbelonged, standing hard by.  And no sooner had Owain saluted the yellow\nman than he was saluted by him in return.\n\nAnd he went forward towards the Castle, and there he saw the chamber, and\nwhen he had entered the chamber he beheld the maidens working at satin\nembroidery, in chairs of gold.  And their beauty and their comeliness\nseemed to Owain far greater than Kynon had represented to him.  And they\nrose to wait upon Owain, as they had done to Kynon, and the meal which\nthey set before him gave more satisfaction to Owain than it had done to\nKynon.\n\nAbout the middle of the repast, the yellow man asked Owain the object of\nhis journey.  And Owain made it known to him, and said, \u201cI am in quest of\nthe Knight who guards the fountain.\u201d  Upon this the yellow man smiled,\nand said that he was as loth to point out that adventure to Owain as he\nhad been to Kynon.  However, he described the whole to Owain, and they\nretired to rest.\n\nThe next morning Owain found his horse made ready for him by the damsels,\nand he set forward and came to the glade where the black man was.  And\nthe stature of the black man seemed more wonderful to Owain than it had\ndone to Kynon, and Owain asked of him his road, and he showed it to him.\nAnd Owain followed the road, as Kynon had done, till he came to the green\ntree; and he beheld the fountain, and the slab beside the fountain, with\nthe bowl upon it.  And Owain took the bowl, and threw a bowlful of water\nupon the slab.  And, lo, the thunder was heard, and after the thunder\ncame the shower, much more violent than Kynon had described, and after\nthe shower the sky became bright.  And when Owain looked at the tree,\nthere was not one leaf upon it.  And immediately the birds came, and\nsettled upon the tree, and sang.  And when their song was most pleasing\nto Owain, he beheld a Knight coming towards him through the valley, and\nhe prepared to receive him; and encountered him violently.  Having broken\nboth their lances, they drew their swords, and fought blade to blade.\nThen Owain struck the Knight a blow through his helmet, head-piece and\nvisor, and through the skin, and the flesh, and the bone, until it\nwounded the very brain.  Then the black Knight felt that he had received\na mortal wound, upon which he turned his horse\u2019s head, and fled.  And\nOwain pursued him, and followed close upon him, although he was not near\nenough to strike him with his sword.  Thereupon Owain descried a vast and\nresplendent Castle.  And they came to the Castle gate.  And the black\nKnight was allowed to enter, and the portcullis was let fall upon Owain;\nand it struck his horse behind the saddle, and cut him in two, and\ncarried away the rowels of the spurs that were upon Owain\u2019s heels.  And\nthe portcullis descended to the floor.  And the rowels of the spurs and\npart of the horse were without, and Owain with the other part of the\nhorse remained between the two gates, and the inner gate was closed, so\nthat Owain could not go thence; and Owain was in a perplexing situation.\nAnd while he was in this state, he could see through an aperture in the\ngate, a street facing him, with a row of houses on each side.  And he\nbeheld a maiden, with yellow curling hair, and a frontlet of gold upon\nher head; and she was clad in a dress of yellow satin, and on her feet\nwere shoes of variegated leather.  And she approached the gate, and\ndesired that it should be opened.  \u201cHeaven knows, Lady,\u201d said Owain, \u201cit\nis no more possible for me to open to thee from hence, than it is for\nthee to set me free.\u201d  \u201cTruly,\u201d said the damsel, \u201cit is very sad that\nthou canst not be released, and every woman ought to succour thee, for I\nnever saw one more faithful in the service of ladies than thou.  As a\nfriend thou art the most sincere, and as a lover the most devoted.\nTherefore,\u201d quoth she, \u201cwhatever is in my power to do for thy release, I\nwill do it.  Take this ring and put it on thy finger, with the stone\ninside thy hand; and close thy hand upon the stone.  And as long as thou\nconcealest it, it will conceal thee.  When they have consulted together,\nthey will come forth to fetch thee, in order to put thee to death; and\nthey will be much grieved that they cannot find thee.  And I will await\nthee on the horseblock yonder; and thou wilt be able to see me, though I\ncannot see thee; therefore come and place thy hand upon my shoulder, that\nI may know that thou art near me.  And by the way that I go hence, do\nthou accompany me.\u201d\n\nThen she went away from Owain, and he did all that the maiden had told\nhim.  And the people of the Castle came to seek Owain, to put him to\ndeath, and when they found nothing but the half of his horse, they were\nsorely grieved.\n\nAnd Owain vanished from among them, and went to the maiden, and placed\nhis hand upon her shoulder; whereupon she set off, and Owain followed\nher, until they came to the door of a large and beautiful chamber, and\nthe maiden opened it, and they went in, and closed the door.  And Owain\nlooked around the chamber, and behold there was not even a single nail in\nit that was not painted with gorgeous colours; and there was not a single\npanel that had not sundry images in gold portrayed upon it.\n\nThe maiden kindled a fire, and took water in a silver bowl, and put a\ntowel of white linen on her shoulder, and gave Owain water to wash.  Then\nshe placed before him a silver table, inlaid with gold; upon which was a\ncloth of yellow linen; and she brought him food.  And of a truth, Owain\nhad never seen any kind of meat that was not there in abundance, but it\nwas better cooked there than he had ever found it in any other place.\nNor did he ever see so excellent a display of meat and drink, as there.\nAnd there was not one vessel from which he was served, that was not of\ngold or of silver.  And Owain ate and drank, until late in the afternoon,\nwhen lo, they heard a mighty clamour in the Castle; and Owain asked the\nmaiden what that outcry was.  \u201cThey are administering extreme unction,\u201d\nsaid she, \u201cto the Nobleman who owns the Castle.\u201d  And Owain went to\nsleep.\n\nThe couch which the maiden had prepared for him was meet for Arthur\nhimself; it was of scarlet, and fur, and satin, and sendal, and fine\nlinen.  In the middle of the night they heard a woful outcry.  \u201cWhat\noutcry again is this?\u201d said Owain.  \u201cThe Nobleman who owned the Castle is\nnow dead,\u201d said the maiden.  And a little after daybreak, they heard an\nexceeding loud clamour and wailing.  And Owain asked the maiden what was\nthe cause of it.  \u201cThey are bearing to the church the body of the\nNobleman who owned the Castle.\u201d\n\nAnd Owain rose up, and clothed himself, and opened a window of the\nchamber, and looked towards the Castle; and he could see neither the\nbounds, nor the extent of the hosts that filled the streets.  And they\nwere fully armed; and a vast number of women were with them, both on\nhorseback and on foot; and all the ecclesiastics in the city, singing.\nAnd it seemed to Owain that the sky resounded with the vehemence of their\ncries, and with the noise of the trumpets, and with the singing of the\necclesiastics.  In the midst of the throng, he beheld the bier, over\nwhich was a veil of white linen; and wax tapers were burning beside and\naround it, and none that supported the bier was lower in rank than a\npowerful Baron.\n\nNever did Owain see an assemblage so gorgeous with satin, and silk, and\nsendal.  And following the train, he beheld a lady with yellow hair\nfalling over her shoulders, and stained with blood; and about her a dress\nof yellow satin, which was torn.  Upon her feet were shoes of variegated\nleather.  And it was a marvel that the ends of her fingers were not\nbruised, from the violence with which she smote her hands together.\nTruly she would have been the fairest lady Owain ever saw, had she been\nin her usual guise.  And her cry was louder than the shout of the men, or\nthe clamour of the trumpets.  No sooner had he beheld the lady, than he\nbecame inflamed with her love, so that it took entire possession of him.\n\nThen he inquired of the maiden who the lady was.  \u201cHeaven knows,\u201d replied\nthe maiden, \u201cshe may be said to be the fairest, and the most chaste, and\nthe most liberal, and the wisest, and the most noble of women.  And she\nis my mistress; and she is called the Countess of the Fountain, the wife\nof him whom thou didst slay yesterday.\u201d  \u201cVerily,\u201d said Owain, \u201cshe is\nthe woman that I love best.\u201d  \u201cVerily,\u201d said the maiden, \u201cshe shall also\nlove thee not a little.\u201d\n\nAnd with that the maid arose, and kindled a fire, and filled a pot with\nwater, and placed it to warm; and she brought a towel of white linen, and\nplaced it around Owain\u2019s neck; and she took a goblet of ivory, and a\nsilver basin, and filled them with warm water, wherewith she washed\nOwain\u2019s head.  Then she opened a wooden casket, and drew forth a razor,\nwhose haft was of ivory, and upon which were two rivets of gold.  And she\nshaved his beard, and she dried his head, and his throat, with the towel.\nThen she rose up from before Owain, and brought him to eat.  And truly\nOwain had never so good a meal, nor was he ever so well served.\n\nWhen he had finished his repast, the maiden arranged his couch.  \u201cCome\nhere,\u201d said she, \u201cand sleep, and I will go and woo for thee.\u201d  And Owain\nwent to sleep, and the maiden shut the door of the chamber after her, and\nwent towards the Castle.  When she came there, she found nothing but\nmourning, and sorrow; and the Countess in her chamber could not bear the\nsight of any one through grief.  Luned came and saluted her, but the\nCountess answered her not.  And the maiden bent down towards her, and\nsaid, \u201cWhat aileth thee, that thou answerest no one to-day?\u201d  \u201cLuned,\u201d\nsaid the Countess, \u201cwhat change hath befallen thee, that thou hast not\ncome to visit me in my grief?  It was wrong in thee, and I having made\nthee rich; it was wrong in thee that thou didst not come to see me in my\ndistress.  That was wrong in thee.\u201d  \u201cTruly,\u201d said Luned, \u201cI thought thy\ngood sense was greater than I find it to be.  Is it well for thee to\nmourn after that good man, or for anything else, that thou canst not\nhave?\u201d  \u201cI declare to heaven,\u201d said the Countess, \u201cthat in the whole\nworld there is not a man equal to him.\u201d  \u201cNot so,\u201d said Luned, \u201cfor an\nugly man would be as good as, or better than he.\u201d  \u201cI declare to heaven,\u201d\nsaid the Countess, \u201cthat were it not repugnant to me to cause to be put\nto death one whom I have brought up, I would have thee executed, for\nmaking such a comparison to me.  As it is, I will banish thee.\u201d  \u201cI am\nglad,\u201d said Luned, \u201cthat thou hast no other cause to do so, than that I\nwould have been of service to thee where thou didst not know what was to\nthine advantage.  And henceforth evil betide whichever of us shall make\nthe first advance towards reconciliation to the other; whether I should\nseek an invitation from thee, or thou of thine own accord shouldst send\nto invite me.\u201d\n\nWith that Luned went forth: and the Countess arose and followed her to\nthe door of the chamber, and began coughing loudly.  And when Luned\nlooked back, the Countess beckoned to her; and she returned to the\nCountess.  \u201cIn truth,\u201d said the Countess, \u201cevil is thy disposition; but\nif thou knowest what is to my advantage, declare it to me.\u201d  \u201cI will do\nso,\u201d quoth she.\n\n\u201cThou knowest that except by warfare and arms it is impossible for thee\nto preserve thy possessions; delay not, therefore, to seek some one who\ncan defend them.\u201d  \u201cAnd how can I do that?\u201d said the Countess.  \u201cI will\ntell thee,\u201d said Luned.  \u201cUnless thou canst defend the fountain, thou\ncanst not maintain thy dominions; and no one can defend the fountain,\nexcept it be a knight of Arthur\u2019s household; and I will go to Arthur\u2019s\nCourt, and ill betide me, if I return thence without a warrior who can\nguard the fountain as well as, or even better than, he who defended it\nformerly.\u201d  \u201cThat will be hard to perform,\u201d said the Countess.  \u201cGo,\nhowever, and make proof of that which thou hast promised.\u201d\n\nLuned set out, under the pretence of going to Arthur\u2019s Court; but she\nwent back to the chamber where she had left Owain; and she tarried there\nwith him as long as it might have taken her to have travelled to the\nCourt of King Arthur.  And at the end of that time, she apparelled\nherself and went to visit the Countess.  And the Countess was much\nrejoiced when she saw her, and inquired what news she brought from the\nCourt.  \u201cI bring thee the best of news,\u201d said Luned, \u201cfor I have\ncompassed the object of my mission.  When wilt thou, that I should\npresent to thee the chieftain who has come with me hither?\u201d  \u201cBring him\nhere to visit me to-morrow, at mid-day,\u201d said the Countess, \u201cand I will\ncause the town to be assembled by that time.\u201d\n\nAnd Luned returned home.  And the next day, at noon, Owain arrayed\nhimself in a coat, and a surcoat, and a mantle of yellow satin, upon\nwhich was a broad band of gold lace; and on his feet were high shoes of\nvariegated leather, which were fastened by golden clasps, in the form of\nlions.  And they proceeded to the chamber of the Countess.\n\nRight glad was the Countess of their coming, and she gazed steadfastly\nupon Owain, and said, \u201cLuned, this knight has not the look of a\ntraveller.\u201d  \u201cWhat harm is there in that, lady?\u201d said Luned.  \u201cI am\ncertain,\u201d said the Countess, \u201cthat no other man than this chased the soul\nfrom the body of my lord.\u201d  \u201cSo much the better for thee, lady,\u201d said\nLuned, \u201cfor had he not been stronger than thy lord he could not have\ndeprived him of life.  There is no remedy for that which is past, be it\nas it may.\u201d  \u201cGo back to thine abode,\u201d said the Countess, \u201cand I will\ntake counsel.\u201d\n\nThe next day the Countess caused all her subjects to assemble, and showed\nthem that her earldom was left defenceless, and that it could not be\nprotected but with horse and arms, and military skill.  \u201cTherefore,\u201d said\nshe, \u201cthis is what I offer for your choice: either let one of you take\nme, or give your consent for me to take a husband from elsewhere to\ndefend my dominions.\u201d\n\nSo they came to the determination that it was better that she should have\npermission to marry some one from elsewhere; and, thereupon, she sent for\nthe bishops and archbishops to celebrate her nuptials with Owain.  And\nthe men of the earldom did Owain homage.\n\nAnd Owain defended the Fountain with lance and sword.  And this is the\nmanner in which he defended it: Whensoever a knight came there he\noverthrew him, and sold him for his full worth, and what he thus gained\nhe divided among his barons and his knights; and no man in the whole\nworld could be more beloved than he was by his subjects.  And it was thus\nfor the space of three years.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\nIt befell that as Gwalchmai went forth one day with King Arthur, he\nperceived him to be very sad and sorrowful.  And Gwalchmai was much\ngrieved to see Arthur in this state; and he questioned him, saying, \u201cOh,\nmy lord! what has befallen thee?\u201d  \u201cIn sooth, Gwalchmai,\u201d said Arthur, \u201cI\nam grieved concerning Owain, whom I have lost these three years, and I\nshall certainly die if the fourth year passes without my seeing him.  Now\nI am sure, that it is through the tale which Kynon the son of Clydno\nrelated, that I have lost Owain.\u201d  \u201cThere is no need for thee,\u201d said\nGwalchmai, \u201cto summon to arms thy whole dominions on this account, for\nthou thyself and the men of thy household will be able to avenge Owain,\nif he be slain; or to set him free, if he be in prison; and, if alive, to\nbring him back with thee.\u201d  And it was settled according to what\nGwalchmai had said.\n\nThen Arthur and the men of his household prepared to go and seek Owain,\nand their number was three thousand, besides their attendants.  And Kynon\nthe son of Clydno acted as their guide.  And Arthur came to the Castle\nwhere Kynon had been before, and when he came there the youths were\nshooting in the same place, and the yellow man was standing hard by.\nWhen the yellow man saw Arthur he greeted him, and invited him to the\nCastle; and Arthur accepted his invitation, and they entered the Castle\ntogether.  And great as was the number of his retinue, their presence was\nscarcely observed in the Castle, so vast was its extent.  And the maidens\nrose up to wait on them, and the service of the maidens appeared to them\nall to excel any attendance they had ever met with; and even the pages\nwho had charge of the horses were no worse served, that night, than\nArthur himself would have been in his own palace.\n\nThe next morning Arthur set out thence, with Kynon for his guide, and\ncame to the place where the black man was.  And the stature of the black\nman was more surprising to Arthur than it had been represented to him.\nAnd they came to the top of the wooded steep, and traversed the valley\ntill they reached the green tree, where they saw the fountain, and the\nbowl, and the slab.  And upon that, Kai came to Arthur and spoke to him.\n\u201cMy lord,\u201d said he, \u201cI know the meaning of all this, and my request is,\nthat thou wilt permit me to throw the water on the slab, and to receive\nthe first adventure that may befall.\u201d  And Arthur gave him leave.\n\nThen Kai threw a bowlful of water upon the slab, and immediately there\ncame the thunder, and after the thunder the shower.  And such a\nthunderstorm they had never known before, and many of the attendants who\nwere in Arthur\u2019s train were killed by the shower.  After the shower had\nceased the sky became clear; and on looking at the tree they beheld it\ncompletely leafless.  Then the birds descended upon the tree, and the\nsong of the birds was far sweeter than any strain they had ever heard\nbefore.  Then they beheld a knight on a coal-black horse, clothed in\nblack satin, coming rapidly towards them.  And Kai met him and\nencountered him, and it was not long before Kai was overthrown.  And the\nknight withdrew, and Arthur and his host encamped for the night.\n\nAnd when they arose in the morning, they perceived the signal of combat\nupon the lance of the Knight.  And Kai came to Arthur, and spoke to him:\n\u201cMy lord,\u201d said he, \u201cthough I was overthrown yesterday, if it seem good\nto thee, I would gladly meet the Knight again to-day.\u201d  \u201cThou mayst do\nso,\u201d said Arthur.  And Kai went towards the Knight.  And on the spot he\noverthrew Kai, and struck him with the head of his lance in the forehead,\nso that it broke his helmet and the head-piece, and pierced the skin and\nthe flesh, the breadth of the spear-head, even to the bone.  And Kai\nreturned to his companions.\n\nAfter this, all the household of Arthur went forth, one after the other,\nto combat the Knight, until there was not one that was not overthrown by\nhim, except Arthur and Gwalchmai.  And Arthur armed himself to encounter\nthe Knight.  \u201cOh, my lord,\u201d said Gwalchmai, \u201cpermit me to fight with him\nfirst.\u201d  And Arthur permitted him.  And he went forth to meet the Knight,\nhaving over himself and his horse a satin robe of honour which had been\nsent him by the daughter of the Earl of Rhangyw, and in this dress he was\nnot known by any of the host.  And they charged each other, and fought\nall that day until the evening, and neither of them was able to unhorse\nthe other.\n\nThe next day they fought with strong lances, and neither of them could\nobtain the mastery.\n\nAnd the third day they fought with exceeding strong lances.  And they\nwere incensed with rage, and fought furiously, even until noon.  And they\ngave each other such a shock that the girths of their horses were broken,\nso that they fell over their horses\u2019 cruppers to the ground.  And they\nrose up speedily, and drew their swords, and resumed the combat; and the\nmultitude that witnessed their encounter felt assured that they had never\nbefore seen two men so valiant or so powerful.  And had it been midnight,\nit would have been light from the fire that flashed from their weapons.\nAnd the Knight gave Gwalchmai a blow that turned his helmet from off his\nface, so that the Knight knew that it was Gwalchmai.  Then Owain said,\n\u201cMy lord Gwalchmai, I did not know thee for my cousin, owing to the robe\nof honour that enveloped thee; take my sword and my arms.\u201d  Said\nGwalchmai, \u201cThou, Owain, art the victor; take thou my sword.\u201d  And with\nthat Arthur saw that they were conversing, and advanced towards them.\n\u201cMy lord Arthur,\u201d said Gwalchmai, \u201chere is Owain, who has vanquished me,\nand will not take my arms.\u201d  \u201cMy lord,\u201d said Owain, \u201cit is he that has\nvanquished me, and he will not take my sword.\u201d  \u201cGive me your swords,\u201d\nsaid Arthur, \u201cand then neither of you has vanquished the other.\u201d  Then\nOwain put his arms around Arthur\u2019s neck, and they embraced.  And all the\nhost hurried forward to see Owain, and to embrace him; and there was nigh\nbeing a loss of life, so great was the press.\n\nAnd they retired that night, and the next day Arthur prepared to depart.\n\u201cMy lord,\u201d said Owain, \u201cthis is not well of thee; for I have been absent\nfrom thee these three years, and during all that time, up to this very\nday, I have been preparing a banquet for thee, knowing that thou wouldst\ncome to seek me.  Tarry with me, therefore, until thou and thy attendants\nhave recovered the fatigues of the journey, and have been anointed.\u201d\n\nAnd they all proceeded to the Castle of the Countess of the Fountain, and\nthe banquet which had been three years preparing was consumed in three\nmonths.  Never had they a more delicious or agreeable banquet.  And\nArthur prepared to depart.  Then he sent an embassy to the Countess, to\nbeseech her to permit Owain to go with him for the space of three months,\nthat he might show him to the nobles and the fair dames of the Island of\nBritain.  And the Countess gave her consent, although it was very painful\nto her.  So Owain came with Arthur to the Island of Britain.  And when he\nwas once more amongst his kindred and friends, he remained three years,\ninstead of three months, with them.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\nAnd as Owain one day sat at meat, in the city of Caerlleon upon Usk,\nbehold a damsel entered upon a bay horse, with a curling mane and covered\nwith foam, and the bridle and so much as was seen of the saddle were of\ngold.  And the damsel was arrayed in a dress of yellow satin.  And she\ncame up to Owain, and took the ring from off his hand.  \u201cThus,\u201d said she,\n\u201cshall be treated the deceiver, the traitor, the faithless, the\ndisgraced, and the beardless.\u201d  And she turned her horse\u2019s head and\ndeparted.\n\nThen his adventure came to Owain\u2019s remembrance, and he was sorrowful; and\nhaving finished eating he went to his own abode and made preparations\nthat night.  And the next day he arose but did not go to the Court, but\nwandered to the distant parts of the earth and to uncultivated mountains.\nAnd he remained there until all his apparel was worn out, and his body\nwas wasted away, and his hair was grown long.  And he went about with the\nwild beasts and fed with them, until they became familiar with him; but\nat length he grew so weak that he could no longer bear them company.\nThen he descended from the mountains to the valley, and came to a park\nthat was the fairest in the world, and belonged to a widowed Countess.\n\nOne day the Countess and her maidens went forth to walk by a lake, that\nwas in the middle of the park.  And they saw the form of a man.  And they\nwere terrified.  Nevertheless they went near him, and touched him, and\nlooked at him.  And they saw that there was life in him, though he was\nexhausted by the heat of the sun.  And the Countess returned to the\nCastle, and took a flask full of precious ointment, and gave it to one of\nher maidens.  \u201cGo with this,\u201d said she, \u201cand take with thee yonder horse\nand clothing, and place them near the man we saw just now.  And anoint\nhim with this balsam, near his heart; and if there is life in him, he\nwill arise through the efficacy of this balsam.  Then watch what he will\ndo.\u201d\n\nAnd the maiden departed from her, and poured the whole of the balsam upon\nOwain, and left the horse and the garments hard by, and went a little way\noff, and hid herself to watch him.  In a short time she saw him begin to\nmove his arms; and he rose up, and looked at his person, and became\nashamed of the unseemliness of his appearance.  Then he perceived the\nhorse and the garments that were near him.  And he crept forward till he\nwas able to draw the garments to him from off the saddle.  And he clothed\nhimself, and with difficulty mounted the horse.  Then the damsel\ndiscovered herself to him, and saluted him.  And he was rejoiced when he\nsaw her, and inquired of her, what land and what territory that was.\n\u201cTruly,\u201d said the maiden, \u201ca widowed Countess owns yonder Castle; at the\ndeath of her husband, he left her two Earldoms, but at this day she has\nbut this one dwelling that has not been wrested from her by a young Earl,\nwho is her neighbour, because she refused to become his wife.\u201d  \u201cThat is\npity,\u201d said Owain.  And he and the maiden proceeded to the Castle; and he\nalighted there, and the maiden conducted him to a pleasant chamber, and\nkindled a fire and left him.\n\nAnd the maiden came to the Countess, and gave the flask into her hand.\n\u201cHa! maiden,\u201d said the Countess, \u201cwhere is all the balsam?\u201d  \u201cHave I not\nused it all?\u201d said she.  \u201cOh, maiden,\u201d said the Countess, \u201cI cannot\neasily forgive thee this; it is sad for me to have wasted seven-score\npounds\u2019 worth of precious ointment upon a stranger whom I know not.\nHowever, maiden, wait thou upon him, until he is quite recovered.\u201d\n\nAnd the maiden did so, and furnished him with meat and drink, and fire,\nand lodging, and medicaments, until he was well again.  And in three\nmonths he was restored to his former guise, and became even more comely\nthan he had ever been before.\n\nOne day Owain heard a great tumult, and a sound of arms in the Castle,\nand he inquired of the maiden the cause thereof.  \u201cThe Earl,\u201d said she,\n\u201cwhom I mentioned to thee, has come before the Castle, with a numerous\narmy, to subdue the Countess.\u201d  And Owain inquired of her whether the\nCountess had a horse and arms in her possession.  \u201cShe has the best in\nthe world,\u201d said the maiden.  \u201cWilt thou go and request the loan of a\nhorse and arms for me,\u201d said Owain, \u201cthat I may go and look at this\narmy?\u201d  \u201cI will,\u201d said the maiden.\n\nAnd she came to the Countess, and told her what Owain had said.  And the\nCountess laughed.  \u201cTruly,\u201d said she, \u201cI will even give him a horse and\narms for ever; such a horse and such arms had he never yet, and I am glad\nthat they should be taken by him to-day, lest my enemies should have them\nagainst my will to-morrow.  Yet I know not what he would do with them.\u201d\n\nThe Countess bade them bring out a beautiful black steed, upon which was\na beechen saddle, and a suit of armour, for man and horse.  And Owain\narmed himself, and mounted the horse, and went forth, attended by two\npages completely equipped, with horses and arms.  And when they came near\nto the Earl\u2019s army, they could see neither its extent nor its extremity.\nAnd Owain asked the pages in which troop the Earl was.  \u201cIn yonder\ntroop,\u201d said they, \u201cin which are four yellow standards.  Two of them are\nbefore, and two behind him.\u201d  \u201cNow,\u201d said Owain, \u201cdo you return and await\nme near the portal of the Castle.\u201d  So they returned, and Owain pressed\nforward until he met the Earl.  And Owain drew him completely out of his\nsaddle, and turned his horse\u2019s head towards the Castle, and though it was\nwith difficulty, he brought the Earl to the portal, where the pages\nawaited him.  And in they came.  And Owain presented the Earl as a gift\nto the Countess.  And said to her, \u201cBehold a requital to thee for thy\nblessed balsam.\u201d\n\nThe army encamped around the Castle.  And the Earl restored to the\nCountess the two Earldoms he had taken from her, as a ransom for his\nlife; and for his freedom he gave her the half of his own dominions, and\nall his gold, and his silver, and his jewels, besides hostages.\n\nAnd Owain took his departure.  And the Countess and all her subjects\nbesought him to remain, but Owain chose rather to wander through distant\nlands and deserts.\n\nAnd as he journeyed, he heard a loud yelling in a wood.  And it was\nrepeated a second and a third time.  And Owain went towards the spot, and\nbeheld a huge craggy mound, in the middle of the wood; on the side of\nwhich was a grey rock.  And there was a cleft in the rock, and a serpent\nwas within the cleft.  And near the rock stood a black lion, and every\ntime the lion sought to go thence, the serpent darted towards him to\nattack him.  And Owain unsheathed his sword, and drew near to the rock;\nand as the serpent sprang out, he struck him with his sword, and cut him\nin two.  And he dried his sword, and went on his way, as before.  But\nbehold the lion followed him, and played about him, as though it had been\na greyhound that he had reared.\n\nThey proceeded thus throughout the day, until the evening.  And when it\nwas time for Owain to take his rest, he dismounted, and turned his horse\nloose in a flat and wooded meadow.  And he struck fire, and when the fire\nwas kindled, the lion brought him fuel enough to last for three nights.\nAnd the lion disappeared.  And presently the lion returned, bearing a\nfine large roebuck.  And he threw it down before Owain, who went towards\nthe fire with it.\n\nAnd Owain took the roebuck, and skinned it, and placed collops of its\nflesh upon skewers, around the fire.  The rest of the buck he gave to the\nlion to devour.  While he was doing this, he heard a deep sigh near him,\nand a second, and a third.  And Owain called out to know whether the sigh\nhe heard proceeded from a mortal; and he received answer that it did.\n\u201cWho art thou?\u201d said Owain.  \u201cTruly,\u201d said the voice, \u201cI am Luned, the\nhandmaiden of the Countess of the Fountain.\u201d  \u201cAnd what dost thou here?\u201d\nsaid Owain.  \u201cI am imprisoned,\u201d said she, \u201con account of the knight who\ncame from Arthur\u2019s Court, and married the Countess.  And he stayed a\nshort time with her, but he afterwards departed for the Court of Arthur,\nand has not returned since.  And he was the friend I loved best in the\nworld.  And two of the pages in the Countess\u2019s chamber traduced him, and\ncalled him a deceiver.  And I told them that they two were not a match\nfor him alone.  So they imprisoned me in the stone vault, and said that I\nshould be put to death, unless he came himself to deliver me, by a\ncertain day; and that is no further off than the day after to-morrow.\nAnd I have no one to send to seek him for me.  And his name is Owain the\nson of Urien.\u201d  \u201cAnd art thou certain that if that knight knew all this,\nhe would come to thy rescue?\u201d  \u201cI am most certain of it,\u201d said she.\n\nWhen the collops were cooked, Owain divided them into two parts, between\nhimself and the maiden; and after they had eaten, they talked together,\nuntil the day dawned.  And the next morning Owain inquired of the damsel,\nif there was any place where he could get food and entertainment for that\nnight.  \u201cThere is, Lord,\u201d said she; \u201ccross over yonder, and go along the\nside of the river, and in a short time thou wilt see a great Castle, in\nwhich are many towers, and the Earl who owns that Castle is the most\nhospitable man in the world.  There thou mayst spend the night.\u201d\n\nNever did sentinel keep stricter watch over his lord, than the lion that\nnight over Owain.\n\nAnd Owain accoutred his horse, and passed across by the ford, and came in\nsight of the Castle.  And he entered it, and was honourably received.\nAnd his horse was well cared for, and plenty of fodder was placed before\nhim.  Then the lion went and lay down in the horse\u2019s manger; so that none\nof the people of the Castle dared to approach him.  The treatment which\nOwain met with there was such as he had never known elsewhere, for every\none was as sorrowful as though death had been upon him.  And they went to\nmeat; and the Earl sat upon one side of Owain, and on the other side his\nonly daughter.  And Owain had never seen any more lovely than she.  Then\nthe lion came and placed himself between Owain\u2019s feet, and he fed him\nwith every kind of food that he took himself.  And he never saw anything\nequal to the sadness of the people.\n\nIn the middle of the repast the Earl began to bid Owain welcome.  \u201cThen,\u201d\nsaid Owain, \u201cbehold, it is time for thee to be cheerful.\u201d  \u201cHeaven\nknows,\u201d said the Earl, \u201cthat it is not thy coming that makes us\nsorrowful, but we have cause enough for sadness and care.\u201d  \u201cWhat is\nthat?\u201d said Owain.  \u201cI have two sons,\u201d replied the Earl, \u201cand yesterday\nthey went to the mountains to hunt.  Now there is on the mountain a\nmonster who kills men and devours them, and he seized my sons; and\nto-morrow is the time he has fixed to be here, and he threatens that he\nwill then slay my sons before my eyes, unless I will deliver into his\nhands this my daughter.  He has the form of a man, but in stature he is\nno less than a giant.\u201d\n\n\u201cTruly,\u201d said Owain, \u201cthat is lamentable.  And which wilt thou do?\u201d\n\u201cHeaven knows,\u201d said the Earl, \u201cit will be better that my sons should be\nslain against my will, than that I should voluntarily give up my daughter\nto him to ill-treat and destroy.\u201d  Then they talked about other things,\nand Owain stayed there that night.\n\nThe next morning they heard an exceeding great clamour, which was caused\nby the coming of the giant with the two youths.  And the Earl was anxious\nboth to protect his Castle and to release his two sons.  Then Owain put\non his armour and went forth to encounter the giant, and the lion\nfollowed him.  And when the giant saw that Owain was armed, he rushed\ntowards him and attacked him.  And the lion fought with the giant much\nmore fiercely than Owain did.  \u201cTruly,\u201d said the giant, \u201cI should find no\ndifficulty in fighting with thee, were it not for the animal that is with\nthee.\u201d  Upon that Owain took the lion back to the Castle and shut the\ngate upon him, and then he returned to fight the giant, as before.  And\nthe lion roared very loud, for he heard that it went hard with Owain.\nAnd he climbed up till he reached the top of the Earl\u2019s hall, and thence\nhe got to the top of the Castle, and he sprang down from the walls and\nwent and joined Owain.  And the lion gave the giant a stroke with his\npaw, which tore him from his shoulder to his hip, and his heart was laid\nbare, and the giant fell down dead.  Then Owain restored the two youths\nto their father.\n\nThe Earl besought Owain to remain with him, and he would not, but set\nforward towards the meadow where Luned was.  And when he came there he\nsaw a great fire kindled, and two youths with beautiful curling auburn\nhair were leading the maiden to cast her into the fire.  And Owain asked\nthem what charge they had against her.  And they told him of the compact\nthat was between them, as the maiden had done the night before.  \u201cAnd,\u201d\nsaid they, \u201cOwain has failed her, therefore we are taking her to be\nburnt.\u201d  \u201cTruly,\u201d said Owain, \u201che is a good knight, and if he knew that\nthe maiden was in such peril, I marvel that he came not to her rescue;\nbut if you will accept me in his stead, I will do battle with you.\u201d  \u201cWe\nwill,\u201d said the youths, \u201cby him who made us.\u201d\n\nAnd they attacked Owain, and he was hard beset by them.  And with that\nthe lion came to Owain\u2019s assistance, and they two got the better of the\nyoung men.  And they said to him, \u201cChieftain, it was not agreed that we\nshould fight save with thyself alone, and it is harder for us to contend\nwith yonder animal than with thee.\u201d  And Owain put the lion in the place\nwhere the maiden had been imprisoned, and blocked up the door with\nstones, and he went to fight with the young men, as before.  But Owain\nhad not his usual strength, and the two youths pressed hard upon him.\nAnd the lion roared incessantly at seeing Owain in trouble; and he burst\nthrough the wall until he found a way out, and rushed upon the young men,\nand instantly slew them.  So Luned was saved from being burned.\n\nThen Owain returned with Luned to the dominions of the Countess of the\nFountain.  And when he went thence he took the Countess with him to\nArthur\u2019s Court, and she was his wife as long as she lived.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\nAnd then he took the road that led to the Court of the savage black man,\nand Owain fought with him, and the lion did not quit Owain until he had\nvanquished him.  And when he reached the Court of the savage black man he\nentered the hall, and beheld four-and-twenty ladies, the fairest that\ncould be seen.  And the garments which they had on were not worth\nfour-and-twenty pence, and they were as sorrowful as death.  And Owain\nasked them the cause of their sadness.  And they said, \u201cWe are the\ndaughters of Earls, and we all came here with our husbands, whom we\ndearly loved.  And we were received with honour and rejoicing.  And we\nwere thrown into a state of stupor, and while we were thus, the demon who\nowns this Castle slew all our husbands, and took from us our horses, and\nour raiment, and our gold, and our silver; and the corpses of our\nhusbands are still in this house, and many others with them.  And this,\nChieftain, is the cause of our grief, and we are sorry that thou art come\nhither, lest harm should befall thee.\u201d\n\nAnd Owain was grieved when he heard this.  And he went forth from the\nCastle, and he beheld a knight approaching him, who saluted him in a\nfriendly and cheerful manner, as if he had been a brother.  And this was\nthe savage black man.  \u201cIn very sooth,\u201d said Owain, \u201cit is not to seek\nthy friendship that I am here.\u201d  \u201cIn sooth,\u201d said he, \u201cthou shalt not\nfind it then.\u201d  And with that they charged each other, and fought\nfuriously.  And Owain overcame him, and bound his hands behind his back.\nThen the black savage besought Owain to spare his life, and spoke thus:\n\u201cMy lord Owain,\u201d said he, \u201cit was foretold that thou shouldst come hither\nand vanquish me, and thou hast done so.  I was a robber here, and my\nhouse was a house of spoil; but grant me my life, and I will become the\nkeeper of an Hospice, and I will maintain this house as an Hospice for\nweak and for strong, as long as I live, for the good of thy soul.\u201d  And\nOwain accepted this proposal of him, and remained there that night.\n\nAnd the next day he took the four-and-twenty ladies, and their horses,\nand their raiment, and what they possessed of goods and jewels, and\nproceeded with them to Arthur\u2019s Court.  And if Arthur was rejoiced when\nhe saw him, after he had lost him the first time, his joy was now much\ngreater.  And of those ladies, such as wished to remain in Arthur\u2019s Court\nremained there, and such as wished to depart departed.\n\nAnd thenceforward Owain dwelt at Arthur\u2019s Court greatly beloved, as the\nhead of his household, until he went away with his followers; and those\nwere the army of three hundred ravens which Kenverchyn had left him.  And\nwherever Owain went with these he was victorious.\n\nAnd this is the tale of THE LADY OF THE FOUNTAIN.\n\n\n\n\nPEREDUR THE SON OF EVRAWC\n\n\nEarl Evrawc owned the Earldom of the North.  And he had seven sons.  And\nEvrawc maintained himself not so much by his own possessions as by\nattending tournaments, and wars, and combats.  And, as it often befalls\nthose who join in encounters and wars, he was slain, and six of his sons\nlikewise.  Now the name of his seventh son was Peredur, and he was the\nyoungest of them.  And he was not of an age to go to wars and encounters,\notherwise he might have been slain as well as his father and brothers.\nHis mother was a scheming and thoughtful woman, and she was very\nsolicitous concerning this her only son and his possessions.  So she took\ncounsel with herself to leave the inhabited country, and to flee to the\ndeserts and unfrequented wildernesses.  And she permitted none to bear\nher company thither but women and boys, and spiritless men, who were both\nunaccustomed and unequal to war and fighting.  And none dared to bring\neither horses or arms where her son was, lest he should set his mind upon\nthem.  And the youth went daily to divert himself in the forest, by\nflinging sticks and staves.  And one day he saw his mother\u2019s flock of\ngoats, and near the goats two hinds were standing.  And he marvelled\ngreatly that these two should be without horns, while the others had\nthem.  And he thought they had long run wild, and on that account they\nhad lost their horns.  And by activity and swiftness of foot, he drove\nthe hinds and the goats together into the house which there was for the\ngoats at the extremity of the forest.  Then Peredur returned to his\nmother.  \u201cAh, mother,\u201d said he, \u201ca marvellous thing have I seen in the\nwood; two of thy goats have run wild, and lost their horns, through their\nhaving been so long missing in the wood.  And no man had ever more\ntrouble than I had to drive them in.\u201d  Then they all arose and went to\nsee.  And when they beheld the hinds they were greatly astonished.\n\nAnd one day they saw three knights coming along the horse-road on the\nborders of the forest.  And the three knights were Gwalchmai the son of\nGwyar, and Geneir Gwystyl, and Owain the son of Urien.  And Owain kept on\nthe track of the knight who had divided the apples in Arthur\u2019s Court,\nwhom they were in pursuit of.  \u201cMother,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cwhat are those\nyonder?\u201d  \u201cThey are angels, my son,\u201d said she.  \u201cBy my faith,\u201d said\nPeredur, \u201cI will go and become an angel with them.\u201d  And Peredur went to\nthe road, and met them.  \u201cTell me, good soul,\u201d said Owain, \u201csawest thou a\nknight pass this way, either to-day or yesterday?\u201d  \u201cI know not,\u201d\nanswered he, \u201cwhat a knight is.\u201d  \u201cSuch an one as I am,\u201d said Owain.  \u201cIf\nthou wilt tell me what I ask thee, I will tell thee that which thou\naskest me.\u201d  \u201cGladly will I do so,\u201d replied Owain.  \u201cWhat is this?\u201d\ndemanded Peredur, concerning the saddle.  \u201cIt is a saddle,\u201d said Owain.\nThen he asked about all the accoutrements which he saw upon the men, and\nthe horses, and the arms, and what they were for, and how they were used.\nAnd Owain shewed him all these things fully, and told him what use was\nmade of them.  \u201cGo forward,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cfor I saw such an one as thou\ninquirest for, and I will follow thee.\u201d\n\nThen Peredur returned to his mother and her company, and he said to her,\n\u201cMother, those were not angels, but honourable knights.\u201d  Then his mother\nswooned away.  And Peredur went to the place where they kept the horses\nthat carried firewood, and that brought meat and drink from the inhabited\ncountry to the desert.  And he took a bony piebald horse, which seemed to\nhim the strongest of them.  And he pressed a pack into the form of a\nsaddle, and with twisted twigs he imitated the trappings which he had\nseen upon the horses.  And when Peredur came again to his mother, the\nCountess had recovered from her swoon.  \u201cMy son,\u201d said she, \u201cdesirest\nthou to ride forth?\u201d  \u201cYes, with thy leave,\u201d said he.  \u201cWait, then, that\nI may counsel thee before thou goest.\u201d  \u201cWillingly,\u201d he answered; \u201cspeak\nquickly.\u201d  \u201cGo forward, then,\u201d she said, \u201cto the Court of Arthur, where\nthere are the best, and the boldest, and the most bountiful of men.  And\nwherever thou seest a church, repeat there thy Paternoster unto it.  And\nif thou see meat and drink, and have need of them, and none have the\nkindness or the courtesy to give them to thee, take them thyself.  If\nthou hear an outcry, proceed towards it, especially if it be the outcry\nof a woman.  If thou see a fair jewel, possess thyself of it, and give it\nto another, for thus thou shalt obtain praise.  If thou see a fair woman,\npay thy court to her, whether she will or no; for thus thou wilt render\nthyself a better and more esteemed man than thou wast before.\u201d\n\nAfter this discourse, Peredur mounted the horse, and taking a handful of\nsharp-pointed forks in his hand, he rode forth.  And he journeyed two\ndays and two nights in the woody wildernesses, and in desert places,\nwithout food and without drink.  And then he came to a vast wild wood,\nand far within the wood he saw a fair even glade, and in the glade he saw\na tent, and the tent seeming to him to be a church, he repeated his\nPaternoster to it.  And he went towards it, and the door of the tent was\nopen.  And a golden chair was near the door.  And on the chair sat a\nlovely auburn-haired maiden, with a golden frontlet on her forehead, and\nsparkling stones in the frontlet, and with a large gold ring on her hand.\nAnd Peredur dismounted, and entered the tent.  And the maiden was glad at\nhis coming, and bade him welcome.  At the entrance of the tent he saw\nfood, and two flasks full of wine, and two loaves of fine wheaten flour,\nand collops of the flesh of the wild boar.  \u201cMy mother told me,\u201d said\nPeredur, \u201cwheresoever I saw meat and drink, to take it.\u201d  \u201cTake the meat\nand welcome, chieftain,\u201d said she.  So Peredur took half of the meat and\nof the liquor himself, and left the rest to the maiden.  And when Peredur\nhad finished eating, he bent upon his knee before the maiden.  \u201cMy\nmother,\u201d said he, \u201ctold me, wheresoever I saw a fair jewel, to take it.\u201d\n\u201cDo so, my soul,\u201d said she.  So Peredur took the ring.  And he mounted\nhis horse, and proceeded on his journey.\n\nAfter this, behold the knight came to whom the tent belonged; and he was\nthe Lord of the Glade.  And he saw the track of the horse, and he said to\nthe maiden, \u201cTell me who has been here since I departed.\u201d  \u201cA man,\u201d said\nshe, \u201cof wonderful demeanour.\u201d  And she described to him what Peredur\u2019s\nappearance and conduct had been.  \u201cTell me,\u201d said he, \u201cdid he offer thee\nany wrong?\u201d  \u201cNo,\u201d answered the maiden, \u201cby my faith, he harmed me not.\u201d\n\u201cBy my faith, I do not believe thee; and until I can meet with him, and\nrevenge the insult he has done me, and wreak my vengeance upon him, thou\nshalt not remain two nights in the same house.\u201d  And the knight arose,\nand set forth to seek Peredur.\n\nMeanwhile Peredur journeyed on towards Arthur\u2019s Court.  And before he\nreached it, another knight had been there, who gave a ring of thick gold\nat the door of the gate for holding his horse, and went into the Hall\nwhere Arthur and his household, and Gwenhwyvar and her maidens, were\nassembled.  And the page of the chamber was serving Gwenhwyvar with a\ngolden goblet.  Then the knight dashed the liquor that was therein upon\nher face, and upon her stomacher, and gave her a violent blow on the\nface, and said, \u201cIf any have the boldness to dispute this goblet with me,\nand to revenge the insult to Gwenhwyvar, let him follow me to the meadow,\nand there I will await him.\u201d  So the knight took his horse, and rode to\nthe meadow.  And all the household hung down their heads, lest any of\nthem should be requested to go and avenge the insult to Gwenhwyvar.  For\nit seemed to them, that no one would have ventured on so daring an\noutrage, unless he possessed such powers, through magic or charms, that\nnone could be able to take vengeance upon him.  Then, behold, Peredur\nentered the Hall, upon the bony piebald horse, with the uncouth trappings\nupon it; and in this way he traversed the whole length of the Hall.  In\nthe centre of the Hall stood Kai.  \u201cTell me, tall man,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cis\nthat Arthur yonder?\u201d  \u201cWhat wouldest thou with Arthur?\u201d asked Kai.  \u201cMy\nmother told me to go to Arthur, and receive the honour of knighthood.\u201d\n\u201cBy my faith,\u201d said he, \u201cthou art all too meanly equipped with horse and\nwith arms.\u201d  Thereupon he was perceived by all the household, and they\nthrew sticks at him.  Then, behold, a dwarf came forward.  He had already\nbeen a year at Arthur\u2019s Court, both he and a female dwarf.  They had\ncraved harbourage of Arthur, and had obtained it; and during the whole\nyear, neither of them had spoken a single word to any one.  When the\ndwarf beheld Peredur, \u201cHaha!\u201d said he, \u201cthe welcome of Heaven be unto\nthee, goodly Peredur, son of Evrawc, the chief of warriors, and flower of\nknighthood.\u201d  \u201cTruly,\u201d said Kai, \u201cthou art ill-taught to remain a year\nmute at Arthur\u2019s Court, with choice of society; and now, before the face\nof Arthur and all his household, to call out, and declare such a man as\nthis the chief of warriors, and the flower of knighthood.\u201d  And he gave\nhim such a box on the ear that he fell senseless to the ground.  Then\nexclaimed the female dwarf, \u201cHaha! goodly Peredur, son of Evrawc; the\nwelcome of Heaven be unto thee, flower of knights, and light of\nchivalry.\u201d  \u201cOf a truth, maiden,\u201d said Kai, \u201cthou art ill-bred to remain\nmute for a year at the Court of Arthur, and then to speak as thou dost of\nsuch a man as this.\u201d  And Kai kicked her with his foot, so that she fell\nto the ground senseless.  \u201cTall man,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cshew me which is\nArthur.\u201d  \u201cHold thy peace,\u201d said Kai, \u201cand go after the knight who went\nhence to the meadow, and take from him the goblet, and overthrow him, and\npossess thyself of his horse and arms, and then thou shalt receive the\norder of knighthood.\u201d  \u201cI will do so, tall man,\u201d said Peredur.  So he\nturned his horse\u2019s head towards the meadow.  And when he came there, the\nknight was riding up and down, proud of his strength, and valour, and\nnoble mien.  \u201cTell me,\u201d said the knight, \u201cdidst thou see any one coming\nafter me from the Court?\u201d  \u201cThe tall man that was there,\u201d said he,\n\u201cdesired me to come, and overthrow thee, and to take from thee the\ngoblet, and thy horse and thy armour for myself.\u201d  \u201cSilence!\u201d said the\nknight; \u201cgo back to the Court, and tell Arthur, from me, either to come\nhimself, or to send some other to fight with me; and unless he do so\nquickly, I will not wait for him.\u201d  \u201cBy my faith,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cchoose\nthou whether it shall be willingly or unwillingly, but I will have the\nhorse, and the arms, and the goblet.\u201d  And upon this the knight ran at\nhim furiously, and struck him a violent blow with the shaft of his spear,\nbetween the neck and the shoulder.  \u201cHaha! lad,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cmy\nmother\u2019s servants were not used to play with me in this wise; therefore,\nthus will I play with thee.\u201d  And thereupon he struck him with a\nsharp-pointed fork, and it hit him in the eye, and came out at the back\nof his neck, so that he instantly fell down lifeless.\n\n\u201cVerily,\u201d said Owain the son of Urien to Kai, \u201cthou wert ill-advised,\nwhen thou didst send that madman after the knight.  For one of two things\nmust befall him.  He must either be overthrown, or slain.  If he is\noverthrown by the knight, he will be counted by him to be an honourable\nperson of the Court, and an eternal disgrace will it be to Arthur and his\nwarriors.  And if he is slain, the disgrace will be the same, and\nmoreover, his sin will be upon him; therefore will I go to see what has\nbefallen him.\u201d  So Owain went to the meadow, and he found Peredur\ndragging the man about.  \u201cWhat art thou doing thus?\u201d said Owain.  \u201cThis\niron coat,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cwill never come from off him; not by my\nefforts, at any rate.\u201d  And Owain unfastened his armour and his clothes.\n\u201cHere, my good soul,\u201d said he, \u201cis a horse and armour better than thine.\nTake them joyfully, and come with me to Arthur, to receive the order of\nknighthood, for thou dost merit it.\u201d  \u201cMay I never shew my face again if\nI go,\u201d said Peredur; \u201cbut take thou the goblet to Gwenhwyvar, and tell\nArthur, that wherever I am, I will be his vassal, and will do him what\nprofit and service I am able.  And say that I will not come to his Court\nuntil I have encountered the tall man that is there, to revenge the\ninjury he did to the dwarf and dwarfess.\u201d  And Owain went back to the\nCourt, and related all these things to Arthur and Gwenhwyvar, and to all\nthe household.\n\nAnd Peredur rode forward.  And as he proceeded, behold a knight met him.\n\u201cWhence comest thou?\u201d said the knight.  \u201cI come from Arthur\u2019s Court,\u201d\nsaid Peredur.  \u201cArt thou one of his men?\u201d asked he.  \u201cYes, by my faith,\u201d\nhe answered.  \u201cA good service, truly, is that of Arthur.\u201d  \u201cWherefore\nsayest thou so?\u201d said Peredur.  \u201cI will tell thee,\u201d said he; \u201cI have\nalways been Arthur\u2019s enemy, and all such of his men as I have ever\nencountered I have slain.\u201d  And without further parlance they fought, and\nit was not long before Peredur brought him to the ground, over his\nhorse\u2019s crupper.  Then the knight besought his mercy.  \u201cMercy thou shalt\nhave,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cif thou wilt make oath to me, that thou wilt go to\nArthur\u2019s Court, and tell him that it was I that overthrew thee, for the\nhonour of his service; and say, that I will never come to the Court until\nI have avenged the insult offered to the dwarf and dwarfess.\u201d  The knight\npledged him his faith of this, and proceeded to the Court of Arthur, and\nsaid as he had promised, and conveyed the threat to Kai.\n\nAnd Peredur rode forward.  And within that week he encountered sixteen\nknights, and overthrew them all shamefully.  And they all went to\nArthur\u2019s Court, taking with them the same message which the first knight\nhad conveyed from Peredur, and the same threat which he had sent to Kai.\nAnd thereupon Kai was reproved by Arthur; and Kai was greatly grieved\nthereat.\n\nAnd Peredur rode forward.  And he came to a vast and desert wood, on the\nconfines of which was a lake.  And on the other side was a fair castle.\nAnd on the border of the lake he saw a venerable, hoary-headed man,\nsitting upon a velvet cushion, and having a garment of velvet upon him.\nAnd his attendants were fishing in the lake.  When the hoary-headed man\nbeheld Peredur approaching, he arose and went towards the castle.  And\nthe old man was lame.  Peredur rode to the palace, and the door was open,\nand he entered the hall.  And there was the hoary-headed man sitting on a\ncushion, and a large blazing fire burning before him.  And the household\nand the company arose to meet Peredur, and disarrayed him.  And the man\nasked the youth to sit on the cushion; and they sat down, and conversed\ntogether.  When it was time, the tables were laid, and they went to meat.\nAnd when they had finished their meal, the man inquired of Peredur if he\nknew well how to fight with the sword.  \u201cI know not,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cbut\nwere I to be taught, doubtless I should.\u201d  \u201cWhoever can play well with\nthe cudgel and shield, will also be able to fight with a sword.\u201d  And the\nman had two sons; the one had yellow hair, and the other auburn.  \u201cArise,\nyouths,\u201d said he, \u201cand play with the cudgel and the shield.\u201d  And so did\nthey.  \u201cTell me, my soul,\u201d said the man, \u201cwhich of the youths thinkest\nthou plays best.\u201d  \u201cI think,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cthat the yellow-haired youth\ncould draw blood from the other, if he chose.\u201d  \u201cArise thou, my life, and\ntake the cudgel and the shield from the hand of the youth with the auburn\nhair, and draw blood from the yellow-haired youth if thou canst.\u201d  So\nPeredur arose, and went to play with the yellow-haired youth; and he\nlifted up his arm, and struck him such a mighty blow, that his brow fell\nover his eye, and the blood flowed forth.  \u201cAh, my life,\u201d said the man,\n\u201ccome now, and sit down, for thou wilt become the best fighter with the\nsword of any in this island; and I am thy uncle, thy mother\u2019s brother.\nAnd with me shalt thou remain a space, in order to learn the manners and\ncustoms of different countries, and courtesy, and gentleness, and noble\nbearing.  Leave, then, the habits and the discourse of thy mother, and I\nwill be thy teacher; and I will raise thee to the rank of knight from\nthis time forward.  And thus do thou.  If thou seest aught to cause thee\nwonder, ask not the meaning of it; if no one has the courtesy to inform\nthee, the reproach will not fall upon thee, but upon me that am thy\nteacher.\u201d  And they had abundance of honour and service.  And when it was\ntime they went to sleep.  At the break of day, Peredur arose, and took\nhis horse, and with his uncle\u2019s permission he rode forth.  And he came to\na vast desert wood, and at the further end of the wood was a meadow, and\non the other side of the meadow he saw a large castle.  And thitherward\nPeredur bent his way, and he found the gate open, and he proceeded to the\nhall.  And he beheld a stately hoary-headed man sitting on one side of\nthe hall, and many pages around him, who arose to receive and to honour\nPeredur.  And they placed him by the side of the owner of the palace.\nThen they discoursed together; and when it was time to eat, they caused\nPeredur to sit beside the nobleman during the repast.  And when they had\neaten and drunk as much as they desired, the nobleman asked Peredur\nwhether he could fight with a sword?  \u201cWere I to receive instruction,\u201d\nsaid Peredur, \u201cI think I could.\u201d  Now, there was on the floor of the hall\na huge staple, as large as a warrior could grasp.  \u201cTake yonder sword,\u201d\nsaid the man to Peredur, \u201cand strike the iron staple.\u201d  So Peredur arose\nand struck the staple, so that he cut it in two; and the sword broke into\ntwo parts also.  \u201cPlace the two parts together, and reunite them,\u201d and\nPeredur placed them together, and they became entire as they were before.\nAnd a second time he struck upon the staple, so that both it and the\nsword broke in two, and as before they reunited.  And the third time he\ngave a like blow, and placed the broken parts together, and neither the\nstaple nor the sword would unite as before.  \u201cYouth,\u201d said the nobleman,\n\u201ccome now, and sit down, and my blessing be upon thee.  Thou fightest\nbest with the sword of any man in the kingdom.  Thou hast arrived at\ntwo-thirds of thy strength, and the other third thou hast not yet\nobtained; and when thou attainest to thy full power, none will be able to\ncontend with thee.  I am thy uncle, thy mother\u2019s brother, and I am\nbrother to the man in whose house thou wast last night.\u201d  Then Peredur\nand his uncle discoursed together, and he beheld two youths enter the\nhall, and proceed up to the chamber, bearing a spear of mighty size, with\nthree streams of blood flowing from the point to the ground.  And when\nall the company saw this, they began wailing and lamenting.  But for all\nthat, the man did not break off his discourse with Peredur.  And as he\ndid not tell Peredur the meaning of what he saw, he forbore to ask him\nconcerning it.  And when the clamour had a little subsided, behold two\nmaidens entered, with a large salver between them, in which was a man\u2019s\nhead, surrounded by a profusion of blood.  And thereupon the company of\nthe court made so great an outcry, that it was irksome to be in the same\nhall with them.  But at length they were silent.  And when time was that\nthey should sleep, Peredur was brought into a fair chamber.\n\nAnd the next day, with his uncle\u2019s permission, he rode forth.  And he\ncame to a wood, and far within the wood he heard a loud cry, and he saw a\nbeautiful woman with auburn hair, and a horse with a saddle upon it,\nstanding near her, and a corpse by her side.  And as she strove to place\nthe corpse upon the horse, it fell to the ground, and thereupon she made\na great lamentation.  \u201cTell me, sister,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cwherefore art\nthou bewailing?\u201d  \u201cOh! accursed Peredur, little pity has my ill-fortune\never met with from thee.\u201d  \u201cWherefore,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cam I accursed?\u201d\n\u201cBecause thou wast the cause of thy mother\u2019s death; for when thou didst\nride forth against her will, anguish seized upon her heart, so that she\ndied; and therefore art thou accursed.  And the dwarf and the dwarfess\nthat thou sawest at Arthur\u2019s Court were the dwarfs of thy father and\nmother; and I am thy foster-sister, and this was my wedded husband, and\nhe was slain by the knight that is in the glade in the wood; and do not\nthou go near him, lest thou shouldest be slain by him likewise.\u201d  \u201cMy\nsister, thou dost reproach me wrongfully; through my having so long\nremained amongst you, I shall scarcely vanquish him; and had I continued\nlonger, it would, indeed, be difficult for me to succeed.  Cease,\ntherefore, thy lamenting, for it is of no avail, and I will bury the\nbody, and then I will go in quest of the knight, and see if I can do\nvengeance upon him.\u201d  And when he had buried the body, they went to the\nplace where the knight was, and found him riding proudly along the glade;\nand he inquired of Peredur whence he came.  \u201cI come from Arthur\u2019s Court.\u201d\n\u201cAnd art thou one of Arthur\u2019s men?\u201d  \u201cYes, by my faith.\u201d  \u201cA profitable\nalliance, truly, is that of Arthur.\u201d  And without further parlance, they\nencountered one another, and immediately Peredur overthrew the knight,\nand he besought mercy of Peredur.  \u201cMercy shalt thou have,\u201d said he,\n\u201cupon these terms, that thou take this woman in marriage, and do her all\nthe honour and reverence in thy power, seeing thou hast, without cause,\nslain her wedded husband; and that thou go to Arthur\u2019s Court, and shew\nhim that it was I that overthrew thee, to do him honour and service; and\nthat thou tell him that I will never come to his Court again until I have\nmet with the tall man that is there, to take vengeance upon him for his\ninsult to the dwarf and dwarfess.\u201d  And he took the knight\u2019s assurance,\nthat he would perform all this.  Then the knight provided the lady with a\nhorse and garments that were suitable for her, and took her with him to\nArthur\u2019s Court.  And he told Arthur all that had occurred, and gave the\ndefiance to Kai.  And Arthur and all his household reproved Kai, for\nhaving driven such a youth as Peredur from his Court.\n\nSaid Owain the son of Urien, \u201cThis youth will never come into the Court\nuntil Kai has gone forth from it.\u201d  \u201cBy my faith,\u201d said Arthur, \u201cI will\nsearch all the deserts in the Island of Britain, until I find Peredur,\nand then let him and his adversary do their utmost to each other.\u201d\n\nThen Peredur rode forward.  And he came to a desert wood, where he saw\nnot the track either of men or animals, and where there was nothing but\nbushes and weeds.  And at the upper end of the wood he saw a vast castle,\nwherein were many strong towers; and when he came near the gate, he found\nthe weeds taller than he had seen them elsewhere.  And he struck the gate\nwith the shaft of his lance, and thereupon behold a lean, auburn-haired\nyouth came to an opening in the battlements.  \u201cChoose thou, chieftain,\u201d\nsaid he, \u201cwhether shall I open the gate unto thee, or shall I announce\nunto those that are chief, that thou art at the gateway?\u201d  \u201cSay that I am\nhere,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cand if it is desired that I should enter, I will go\nin.\u201d  And the youth came back, and opened the gate for Peredur.  And when\nhe went into the hall, he beheld eighteen youths, lean and red-headed, of\nthe same height, and of the same aspect, and of the same dress, and of\nthe same age as the one who had opened the gate for him.  And they were\nwell skilled in courtesy and in service.  And they disarrayed him.  Then\nthey sat down to discourse.  Thereupon, behold five maidens came from the\nchamber into the hall.  And Peredur was certain that he had never seen\nanother of so fair an aspect as the chief of the maidens.  And she had an\nold garment of satin upon her, which had once been handsome, but was then\nso tattered, that her skin could be seen through it.  And whiter was her\nskin than the bloom of crystal, and her hair and her two eyebrows were\nblacker than jet, and on her cheeks were two red spots, redder than\nwhatever is reddest.  And the maiden welcomed Peredur, and put her arms\nabout his neck, and made him sit down beside her.  Not long after this he\nsaw two nuns enter, and a flask full of wine was borne by one, and six\nloaves of white bread by the other.  \u201cLady,\u201d said they, \u201cHeaven is\nwitness, that there is not so much of food and liquor as this left in\nyonder Convent this night.\u201d  Then they went to meat, and Peredur observed\nthat the maiden wished to give more of the food and of the liquor to him\nthan to any of the others.  \u201cMy sister,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cI will share out\nthe food and the liquor.\u201d  \u201cNot so, my soul,\u201d said she.  \u201cBy my faith but\nI will.\u201d  So Peredur took the bread, and he gave an equal portion of it\nto each alike, as well as a cup full of the liquor.  And when it was time\nfor them to sleep, a chamber was prepared for Peredur, and he went to\nrest.\n\n\u201cBehold, sister,\u201d said the youths to the fairest and most exalted of the\nmaidens, \u201cwe have counsel for thee.\u201d  \u201cWhat may it be?\u201d she inquired.\n\u201cGo to the youth that is in the upper chamber, and offer to become his\nwife, or the lady of his love, if it seem well to him.\u201d  \u201cThat were\nindeed unfitting,\u201d said she.  \u201cHitherto I have not been the lady-love of\nany knight, and to make him such an offer before I am wooed by him, that,\ntruly, can I not do.\u201d  \u201cBy our confession to Heaven, unless thou actest\nthus, we will leave thee here to thy enemies, to do as they will with\nthee.\u201d  And through fear of this, the maiden went forth; and shedding\ntears, she proceeded to the chamber.  And with the noise of the door\nopening, Peredur awoke; and the maiden was weeping and lamenting.  \u201cTell\nme, my sister,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cwherefore dost thou weep?\u201d  \u201cI will tell\nthee, lord,\u201d said she.  \u201cMy father possessed these dominions as their\nchief, and this palace was his, and with it he held the best earldom in\nthe kingdom; then the son of another earl sought me of my father, and I\nwas not willing to be given unto him, and my father would not give me\nagainst my will, either to him or any earl in the world.  And my father\nhad no child except myself.  And after my father\u2019s death, these dominions\ncame into my own hands, and then was I less willing to accept him than\nbefore.  So he made war upon me, and conquered all my possessions, except\nthis one house.  And through the valour of the men whom thou hast seen,\nwho are my foster-brothers, and the strength of the house, it can never\nbe taken while food and drink remain.  And now our provisions are\nexhausted; but, as thou hast seen, we have been fed by the nuns, to whom\nthe country is free.  And at length they also are without supply of food\nor liquor.  And at no later date than to-morrow, the earl will come\nagainst this place with all his forces; and if I fall into his power, my\nfate will be no better than to be given over to the grooms of his horses.\nTherefore, lord, I am come to offer to place myself in thy hands, that\nthou mayest succour me, either by taking me hence, or by defending me\nhere, whichever may seem best unto thee.\u201d  \u201cGo, my sister,\u201d said he, \u201cand\nsleep; nor will I depart from thee until I do that which thou requirest,\nor prove whether I can assist thee or not.\u201d  The maiden went again to\nrest; and the next morning she came to Peredur, and saluted him.  \u201cHeaven\nprosper thee, my soul, and what tidings dost thou bring?\u201d  \u201cNone other,\nthan that the earl and all his forces have alighted at the gate, and I\nnever beheld any place so covered with tents, and thronged with knights\nchallenging others to the combat.\u201d  \u201cTruly,\u201d said Peredur, \u201clet my horse\nbe made ready.\u201d  So his horse was accoutred, and he arose and sallied\nforth to the meadow.  And there was a knight riding proudly along the\nmeadow, having raised the signal for battle.  And they encountered, and\nPeredur threw the knight over his horse\u2019s crupper to the ground.  And at\nthe close of the day, one of the chief knights came to fight with him,\nand he overthrew him also, so that he besought his mercy.  \u201cWho art\nthou?\u201d said Peredur.  \u201cVerily,\u201d said he, \u201cI am Master of the Household to\nthe earl.\u201d  \u201cAnd how much of the countess\u2019s possessions is there in thy\npower?\u201d  \u201cThe third part, verily,\u201d answered he.  \u201cThen,\u201d said Peredur,\n\u201crestore to her the third of her possessions in full, and all the profit\nthou hast made by them, and bring meat and drink for a hundred men, with\ntheir horses and arms, to her court this night.  And thou shalt remain\nher captive, unless she wish to take thy life.\u201d  And this he did\nforthwith.  And that night the maiden was right joyful, and they fared\nplenteously.\n\nAnd the next day Peredur rode forth to the meadow; and that day he\nvanquished a multitude of the host.  And at the close of the day, there\ncame a proud and stately knight, and Peredur overthrew him, and he\nbesought his mercy.  \u201cWho art thou?\u201d said Peredur.  \u201cI am Steward of the\nPalace,\u201d said he.  \u201cAnd how much of the maiden\u2019s possessions are under\nthy control?\u201d  \u201cOne-third part,\u201d answered he.  \u201cVerily,\u201d said Peredur,\n\u201cthou shalt fully restore to the maiden her possessions, and, moreover,\nthou shalt give her meat and drink for two hundred men, and their horses\nand their arms.  And for thyself, thou shalt be her captive.\u201d  And\nimmediately it was so done.\n\nAnd the third day Peredur rode forth to the meadow; and he vanquished\nmore that day than on either of the preceding.  And at the close of the\nday, an earl came to encounter him, and he overthrew him, and he besought\nhis mercy.  \u201cWho art thou?\u201d said Peredur.  \u201cI am the earl,\u201d said he.  \u201cI\nwill not conceal it from thee.\u201d  \u201cVerily,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cthou shalt\nrestore the whole of the maiden\u2019s earldom, and shalt give her thine own\nearldom in addition thereto, and meat and drink for three hundred men,\nand their horses and arms, and thou thyself shalt remain in her power.\u201d\nAnd thus it was fulfilled.  And Peredur tarried three weeks in the\ncountry, causing tribute and obedience to be paid to the maiden, and the\ngovernment to be placed in her hands.  \u201cWith thy leave,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cI\nwill go hence.\u201d  \u201cVerily, my brother, desirest thou this?\u201d  \u201cYes, by my\nfaith; and had it not been for love of thee, I should not have been here\nthus long.\u201d  \u201cMy soul,\u201d said she, \u201cwho art thou?\u201d  \u201cI am Peredur the son\nof Evrawc from the North; and if ever thou art in trouble or in danger,\nacquaint me therewith, and if I can, I will protect thee.\u201d\n\nSo Peredur rode forth.  And far thence there met him a lady, mounted on a\nhorse that was lean, and covered with sweat; and she saluted the youth.\n\u201cWhence comest thou, my sister?\u201d  Then she told him the cause of her\njourney.  Now she was the wife of the Lord of the Glade.  \u201cBehold,\u201d said\nhe, \u201cI am the knight through whom thou art in trouble, and he shall\nrepent it, who has treated thee thus.\u201d  Thereupon, behold a knight rode\nup, and he inquired of Peredur, if he had seen a knight such as he was\nseeking.  \u201cHold thy peace,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cI am he whom thou seekest; and\nby my faith, thou deservest ill of thy household for thy treatment of the\nmaiden, for she is innocent concerning me.\u201d  So they encountered, and\nthey were not long in combat ere Peredur overthrew the knight, and he\nbesought his mercy.  \u201cMercy thou shalt have,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cso thou wilt\nreturn by the way thou camest, and declare that thou holdest the maiden\ninnocent, and so that thou wilt acknowledge unto her the reverse thou\nhast sustained at my hands.\u201d  And the knight plighted him his faith\nthereto.\n\nThen Peredur rode forward.  And above him he beheld a castle, and\nthitherward he went.  And he struck upon the gate with his lance, and\nthen, behold, a comely auburn-haired youth opened the gate, and he had\nthe stature of a warrior, and the years of a boy.  And when Peredur came\ninto the hall, there was a tall and stately lady sitting in a chair, and\nmany handmaidens around her; and the lady rejoiced at his coming.  And\nwhen it was time, they went to meat.  And after their repast was\nfinished, \u201cIt were well for thee, chieftain,\u201d said she, \u201cto go elsewhere\nto sleep.\u201d  \u201cWherefore can I not sleep here?\u201d said Peredur.  \u201cNine\nsorceresses are here, my soul, of the sorceresses of Gloucester, and\ntheir father and their mother are with them; and unless we can make our\nescape before daybreak, we shall be slain; and already they have\nconquered and laid waste all the country, except this one dwelling.\u201d\n\u201cBehold,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cI will remain here to-night, and if you are in\ntrouble, I will do you what service I can; but harm shall you not receive\nfrom me.\u201d  So they went to rest.  And with the break of day, Peredur\nheard a dreadful outcry.  And he hastily arose, and went forth in his\nvest and his doublet, with his sword about his neck, and he saw a\nsorceress overtake one of the watch, who cried out violently.  Peredur\nattacked the sorceress, and struck her upon the head with his sword, so\nthat he flattened her helmet and her head-piece like a dish upon her\nhead.  \u201cThy mercy, goodly Peredur, son of Evrawc, and the mercy of\nHeaven.\u201d  \u201cHow knowest thou, hag, that I am Peredur?\u201d  \u201cBy destiny, and\nthe foreknowledge that I should suffer harm from thee.  And thou shalt\ntake a horse and armour of me; and with me thou shalt go to learn\nchivalry and the use of thy arms.\u201d  Said Peredur, \u201cThou shalt have mercy,\nif thou pledge thy faith thou wilt never more injure the dominions of the\nCountess.\u201d  And Peredur took surety of this, and with permission of the\nCountess, he set forth with the sorceress to the palace of the\nsorceresses.  And there he remained for three weeks, and then he made\nchoice of a horse and arms, and went his way.\n\nAnd in the evening he entered a valley, and at the head of the valley he\ncame to a hermit\u2019s cell, and the hermit welcomed him gladly, and there he\nspent the night.  And in the morning he arose, and when he went forth,\nbehold a shower of snow had fallen the night before, and a hawk had\nkilled a wild fowl in front of the cell.  And the noise of the horse\nscared the hawk away, and a raven alighted upon the bird.  And Peredur\nstood, and compared the blackness of the raven and the whiteness of the\nsnow, and the redness of the blood, to the hair of the lady that best he\nloved, which was blacker than jet, and to her skin which was whiter than\nthe snow, and to the two red spots upon her cheeks, which were redder\nthan the blood upon the snow appeared to be.\n\nNow Arthur and his household were in search of Peredur.  \u201cKnow ye,\u201d said\nArthur, \u201cwho is the knight with the long spear that stands by the brook\nup yonder?\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said one of them, \u201cI will go and learn who he is.\u201d\nSo the youth came to the place where Peredur was, and asked him what he\ndid thus, and who he was.  And from the intensity with which he thought\nupon the lady whom best he loved, he gave him no answer.  Then the youth\nthrust at Peredur with his lance, and Peredur turned upon him, and struck\nhim over his horse\u2019s crupper to the ground.  And after this,\nfour-and-twenty youths came to him, and he did not answer one more than\nanother, but gave the same reception to all, bringing them with one\nsingle thrust to the ground.  And then came Kai, and spoke to Peredur\nrudely and angrily; and Peredur took him with his lance under the jaw,\nand cast him from him with a thrust, so that he broke his arm and his\nshoulder-blade, and he rode over him one-and-twenty times.  And while he\nlay thus, stunned with the violence of the pain that he had suffered, his\nhorse returned back at a wild and prancing pace.  And when the household\nsaw the horse come back without his rider, they rode forth in haste to\nthe place where the encounter had been.  And when they first came there,\nthey thought that Kai was slain; but they found that if he had a skilful\nphysician, he yet might live.  And Peredur moved not from his meditation,\non seeing the concourse that was around Kai.  And Kai was brought to\nArthur\u2019s tent, and Arthur caused skilful physicians to come to him.  And\nArthur was grieved that Kai had met with this reverse, for he loved him\ngreatly.\n\n\u201cThen,\u201d said Gwalchmai, \u201cit is not fitting that any should disturb an\nhonourable knight from his thought unadvisedly; for either he is\npondering some damage that he has sustained, or he is thinking of the\nlady whom best he loves.  And through such ill-advised proceeding,\nperchance this misadventure has befallen him who last met with him.  And\nif it seem well to thee, lord, I will go and see if this knight hath\nchanged from his thought; and if he has, I will ask him courteously to\ncome and visit thee.\u201d  Then Kai was wroth, and he spoke angry and\nspiteful words.  \u201cGwalchmai,\u201d said he, \u201cI know that thou wilt bring him\nbecause he is fatigued.  Little praise and honour, nevertheless, wilt\nthou have from vanquishing a weary knight, who is tired with fighting.\nYet thus hast thou gained the advantage over many.  And while thy speech\nand thy soft words last, a coat of thin linen were armour sufficient for\nthee, and thou wilt not need to break either lance or sword in fighting\nwith the knight in the state he is in.\u201d  Then said Gwalchmai to Kai,\n\u201cThou mightest use more pleasant words, wert thou so minded: and it\nbehoves thee not upon me to wreak thy wrath and thy displeasure.\nMethinks I shall bring the knight hither with me without breaking either\nmy arm or my shoulder.\u201d  Then said Arthur to Gwalchmai, \u201cThou speakest\nlike a wise and prudent man; go, and take enough of armour about thee,\nand choose thy horse.\u201d  And Gwalchmai accoutred himself and rode forward\nhastily to the place where Peredur was.\n\nAnd Peredur was resting on the shaft of his spear, pondering the same\nthought, and Gwalchmai came to him without any signs of hostility, and\nsaid to him, \u201cIf I thought that it would be as agreeable to thee as it\nwould be to me, I would converse with thee.  I have also a message from\nArthur unto thee, to pray thee to come and visit him.  And two men have\nbeen before on this errand.\u201d  \u201cThat is true,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cand\nuncourteously they came.  They attacked me, and I was annoyed thereat,\nfor it was not pleasing to me to be drawn from the thought that I was in,\nfor I was thinking of the lady whom best I love, and thus was she brought\nto my mind:\u2014I was looking upon the snow, and upon the raven, and upon the\ndrops of the blood of the bird that the hawk had killed upon the snow.\nAnd I bethought me that her whiteness was like that of the snow, and that\nthe blackness of her hair and her eyebrows like that of the raven, and\nthat the two red spots upon her cheeks were like the two drops of blood.\u201d\nSaid Gwalchmai, \u201cThis was not an ungentle thought, and I should marvel if\nit were pleasant to thee to be drawn from it.\u201d  \u201cTell me,\u201d said Peredur,\n\u201cis Kai in Arthur\u2019s Court?\u201d  \u201cHe is,\u201d said he, \u201cand behold he is the\nknight that fought with thee last; and it would have been better for him\nhad he not come, for his arm and his shoulder-blade were broken with the\nfall which he had from thy spear.\u201d  \u201cVerily,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cI am not\nsorry to have thus begun to avenge the insult to the dwarf and dwarfess.\u201d\nThen Gwalchmai marvelled to hear him speak of the dwarf and the dwarfess;\nand he approached him, and threw his arms around his neck, and asked him\nwhat was his name.  \u201cPeredur the son of Evrawc am I called,\u201d said he;\n\u201cand thou, Who art thou?\u201d  \u201cI am called Gwalchmai,\u201d he replied.  \u201cI am\nright glad to meet with thee,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cfor in every country where\nI have been I have heard of thy fame for prowess and uprightness, and I\nsolicit thy fellowship.\u201d  \u201cThou shalt have it, by my faith, and grant me\nthine,\u201d said he, \u201cGladly will I do so,\u201d answered Peredur.\n\nSo they rode forth together joyfully towards the place where Arthur was,\nand when Kai saw them coming, he said, \u201cI knew that Gwalchmai needed not\nto fight the knight.  And it is no wonder that he should gain fame; more\ncan he do by his fair words than I by the strength of my arm.\u201d  And\nPeredur went with Gwalchmai to his tent, and they took off their armour.\nAnd Peredur put on garments like those that Gwalchmai wore, and they went\ntogether unto Arthur, and saluted him.  \u201cBehold, lord,\u201d said Gwalchmai,\n\u201chim whom thou hast sought so long.\u201d  \u201cWelcome unto thee, chieftain,\u201d\nsaid Arthur.  \u201cWith me thou shalt remain; and had I known thy valour had\nbeen such, thou shouldst not have left me as thou didst; nevertheless,\nthis was predicted of thee by the dwarf and the dwarfess, whom Kai\nill-treated and whom thou hast avenged.\u201d  And hereupon, behold there came\nthe Queen and her handmaidens, and Peredur saluted them.  And they were\nrejoiced to see him, and bade him welcome.  And Arthur did him great\nhonour and respect, and they returned towards Caerlleon.\n\nAnd the first night Peredur came to Caerlleon to Arthur\u2019s Court, and as\nhe walked in the city after his repast, behold, there met him Angharad\nLaw Eurawc.  \u201cBy my faith, sister,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cthou art a beauteous\nand lovely maiden; and, were it pleasing to thee, I could love thee above\nall women.\u201d  \u201cI pledge my faith,\u201d said she, \u201cthat I do not love thee, nor\nwill I ever do so.\u201d  \u201cI also pledge my faith,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cthat I will\nnever speak a word to any Christian again, until thou come to love me\nabove all men.\u201d\n\nThe next day Peredur went forth by the high road, along a mountain-ridge,\nand he saw a valley of a circular form, the confines of which were rocky\nand wooded.  And the flat part of the valley was in meadows, and there\nwere fields betwixt the meadows and the wood.  And in the bosom of the\nwood he saw large black houses of uncouth workmanship.  And he\ndismounted, and led his horse towards the wood.  And a little way within\nthe wood he saw a rocky ledge, along which the road lay.  And upon the\nledge was a lion bound by a chain, and sleeping.  And beneath the lion he\nsaw a deep pit of immense size, full of the bones of men and animals.\nAnd Peredur drew his sword and struck the lion, so that he fell into the\nmouth of the pit and hung there by the chain; and with a second blow he\nstruck the chain and broke it, and the lion fell into the pit; and\nPeredur led his horse over the rocky ledge, until he came into the\nvalley.  And in the centre of the valley he saw a fair castle, and he\nwent towards it.  And in the meadow by the castle he beheld a huge grey\nman sitting, who was larger than any man he had ever before seen.  And\ntwo young pages were shooting the hilts of their daggers, of the bone of\nthe sea-horse.  And one of the pages had red hair, and the other auburn.\nAnd they went before him to the place where the grey man was, and Peredur\nsaluted him.  And the grey man said, \u201cDisgrace to the beard of my\nporter.\u201d  Then Peredur understood that the porter was the lion.\u2014And the\ngrey man and the pages went together into the castle, and Peredur\naccompanied them; and he found it a fair and noble place.  And they\nproceeded to the hall, and the tables were already laid, and upon them\nwas abundance of food and liquor.  And thereupon he saw an aged woman and\na young woman come from the chamber; and they were the most stately women\nhe had ever seen.  Then they washed and went to meat, and the grey man\nsat in the upper seat at the head of the table, and the aged woman next\nto him.  And Peredur and the maiden were placed together, and the two\nyoung pages served them.  And the maiden gazed sorrowfully upon Peredur,\nand Peredur asked the maiden wherefore she was sad.  \u201cFor thee, my soul;\nfor, from when I first beheld thee, I have loved thee above all men.  And\nit pains me to know that so gentle a youth as thou should have such a\ndoom as awaits thee to-morrow.  Sawest thou the numerous black houses in\nthe bosom of the wood?  All these belong to the vassals of the grey man\nyonder, who is my father.  And they are all giants.  And to-morrow they\nwill rise up against thee, and will slay thee.  And the Round Valley is\nthis valley called.\u201d  \u201cListen, fair maiden, wilt thou contrive that my\nhorse and arms be in the same lodging with me to-night?\u201d  \u201cGladly will I\ncause it so to be, by Heaven, if I can.\u201d\n\nAnd when it was time for them to sleep rather than to carouse, they went\nto rest.  And the maiden caused Peredur\u2019s horse and arms to be in the\nsame lodging with him.  And the next morning Peredur heard a great tumult\nof men and horses around the castle.  And Peredur arose, and armed\nhimself and his horse, and went to the meadow.  Then the aged woman and\nthe maiden came to the grey man: \u201cLord,\u201d said they, \u201ctake the word of the\nyouth, that he will never disclose what he has seen in this place, and we\nwill be his sureties that he keep it.\u201d  \u201cI will not do so, by my faith,\u201d\nsaid the grey man.  So Peredur fought with the host, and towards evening\nhe had slain the one-third of them without receiving any hurt himself.\nThen said the aged woman, \u201cBehold, many of thy host have been slain by\nthe youth; do thou, therefore, grant him mercy.\u201d  \u201cI will not grant it,\nby my faith,\u201d said he.  And the aged woman and the fair maiden were upon\nthe battlements of the castle, looking forth.  And at that juncture,\nPeredur encountered the yellow-haired youth and slew him.  \u201cLord,\u201d said\nthe maiden, \u201cgrant the young man mercy.\u201d  \u201cThat will I not do, by\nHeaven,\u201d he replied; and thereupon Peredur attacked the auburn-haired\nyouth, and slew him likewise.  \u201cIt were better that thou hadst accorded\nmercy to the youth before he had slain thy two sons; for now scarcely\nwilt thou thyself escape from him.\u201d  \u201cGo, maiden, and beseech the youth\nto grant mercy unto us, for we yield ourselves into his hands.\u201d  So the\nmaiden came to the place where Peredur was, and besought mercy for her\nfather, and for all such of his vassals as had escaped alive.  \u201cThou\nshalt have it, on condition that thy father and all that are under him go\nand render homage to Arthur, and tell him that it was his vassal Peredur\nthat did him this service.\u201d  \u201cThis will we do willingly, by Heaven.\u201d\n\u201cAnd you shall also receive baptism; and I will send to Arthur, and\nbeseech him to bestow this valley upon thee and upon thy heirs after thee\nfor ever.\u201d  Then they went in, and the grey man and the tall woman\nsaluted Peredur.  And the grey man said unto him, \u201cSince I have possessed\nthis valley I have not seen any Christian depart with his life, save\nthyself.  And we will go to do homage to Arthur, and to embrace the faith\nand be baptized.\u201d  Then said Peredur, \u201cTo Heaven I render thanks that I\nhave not broken my vow to the lady that best I love, which was, that I\nwould not speak one word unto any Christian.\u201d\n\nThat night they tarried there.  And the next day, in the morning, the\ngrey man, with his company, set forth to Arthur\u2019s Court; and they did\nhomage unto Arthur, and he caused them to be baptized.  And the grey man\ntold Arthur that it was Peredur that had vanquished them.  And Arthur\ngave the valley to the grey man and his company, to hold it of him as\nPeredur had besought.  And with Arthur\u2019s permission, the grey man went\nback to the Round Valley.\n\nPeredur rode forward next day, and he traversed a vast tract of desert,\nin which no dwellings were.  And at length he came to a habitation, mean\nand small.  And there he heard that there was a serpent that lay upon a\ngold ring, and suffered none to inhabit the country for seven miles\naround.  And Peredur came to the place where he heard the serpent was.\nAnd angrily, furiously, and desperately fought he with the serpent; and\nat last he killed it, and took away the ring.  And thus he was for a long\ntime without speaking a word to any Christian.  And therefrom he lost his\ncolour and his aspect, through extreme longing after the Court of Arthur,\nand the society of the lady whom best he loved, and of his companions.\nThen he proceeded forward to Arthur\u2019s Court, and on the road there met\nhim Arthur\u2019s household going on a particular errand, with Kai at their\nhead.  And Peredur knew them all, but none of the household recognized\nhim.  \u201cWhence comest thou, chieftain?\u201d said Kai.  And this he asked him\ntwice and three times, and he answered him not.  And Kai thrust him\nthrough the thigh with his lance.  And lest he should be compelled to\nspeak, and to break his vow, he went on without stopping.  \u201cThen,\u201d said\nGwalchmai, \u201cI declare to Heaven, Kai, that thou hast acted ill in\ncommitting such an outrage on a youth like this, who cannot speak.\u201d\n\nAnd Gwalchmai returned back to Arthur\u2019s Court.  \u201cLady,\u201d said he to\nGwenhwyvar, \u201cseest thou how wicked an outrage Kai has committed upon this\nyouth who cannot speak; for Heaven\u2019s sake, and for mine, cause him to\nhave medical care before I come back, and I will repay thee the charge.\u201d\n\nAnd before the men returned from their errand, a knight came to the\nmeadow beside Arthur\u2019s Palace, to dare some one to the encounter.  And\nhis challenge was accepted; and Peredur fought with him, and overthrew\nhim.  And for a week he overthrew one knight every day.\n\nAnd one day, Arthur and his household were going to Church, and they\nbeheld a knight who had raised the signal for combat.  \u201cVerily,\u201d said\nArthur, \u201cby the valour of men, I will not go hence until I have my horse\nand my arms to overthrow yonder boor.\u201d  Then went the attendants to fetch\nArthur\u2019s horse and arms.  And Peredur met the attendants as they were\ngoing back, and he took the horse and arms from them, and proceeded to\nthe meadow; and all those who saw him arise and go to do battle with the\nknight, went upon the tops of the houses, and the mounds, and the high\nplaces, to behold the combat.  And Peredur beckoned with his hand to the\nknight to commence the fight.  And the knight thrust at him, but he was\nnot thereby moved from where he stood.  And Peredur spurred his horse,\nand ran at him wrathfully, furiously, fiercely, desperately, and with\nmighty rage, and he gave him a thrust, deadly-wounding, severe, furious,\nadroit, and strong, under his jaw, and raised him out of his saddle, and\ncast him a long way from him.  And Peredur went back, and left the horse\nand the arms with the attendant as before, and he went on foot to the\nPalace.\n\nThen Peredur went by the name of the Dumb Youth.  And behold, Angharad\nLaw Eurawc met him.  \u201cI declare to Heaven, chieftain,\u201d said she, \u201cwoful\nis it that thou canst not speak; for couldst thou speak, I would love\nthee best of all men; and by my faith, although thou canst not, I do love\nthee above all.\u201d  \u201cHeaven reward thee, my sister,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cby my\nfaith I also do love thee.\u201d  Thereupon it was known that he was Peredur.\nAnd then he held fellowship with Gwalchmai, and Owain the son of Urien,\nand all the household, and he remained in Arthur\u2019s Court.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\nArthur was in Caerlleon upon Usk; and he went to hunt, and Peredur went\nwith him.  And Peredur let loose his dog upon a hart, and the dog killed\nthe hart in a desert place.  And a short space from him he saw signs of a\ndwelling, and towards the dwelling he went, and he beheld a hall, and at\nthe door of the hall he found bald swarthy youths playing at chess.  And\nwhen he entered, he beheld three maidens sitting on a bench, and they\nwere all clothed alike, as became persons of high rank.  And he came, and\nsat by them upon the bench; and one of the maidens looked steadfastly\nupon Peredur, and wept.  And Peredur asked her wherefore she was weeping.\n\u201cThrough grief, that I should see so fair a youth as thou art, slain.\u201d\n\u201cWho will slay me?\u201d inquired Peredur.  \u201cIf thou art so daring as to\nremain here to-night, I will tell thee.\u201d  \u201cHow great soever my danger may\nbe from remaining here, I will listen unto thee.\u201d  \u201cThis Palace is owned\nby him who is my father,\u201d said the maiden, \u201cand he slays every one who\ncomes hither without his leave.\u201d  \u201cWhat sort of a man is thy father, that\nhe is able to slay every one thus?\u201d  \u201cA man who does violence and wrong\nunto his neighbours, and who renders justice unto none.\u201d  And hereupon he\nsaw the youths arise and clear the chessmen from the board.  And he heard\na great tumult; and after the tumult there came in a huge black one-eyed\nman, and the maidens arose to meet him.  And they disarrayed him, and he\nwent and sat down; and after he had rested and pondered awhile, he looked\nat Peredur, and asked who the knight was.  \u201cLord,\u201d said one of the\nmaidens, \u201che is the fairest and gentlest youth that ever thou didst see.\nAnd for the sake of Heaven, and of thine own dignity, have patience with\nhim.\u201d  \u201cFor thy sake I will have patience, and I will grant him his life\nthis night.\u201d  Then Peredur came towards them to the fire, and partook of\nfood and liquor, and entered into discourse with the ladies.  And being\nelated with the liquor, he said to the black man, \u201cIt is a marvel to me,\nso mighty as thou sayest thou art, who could have put out thine eye.\u201d\n\u201cIt is one of my habits,\u201d said the black man, \u201cthat whosoever puts to me\nthe question which thou hast asked, shall not escape with his life,\neither as a free gift or for a price.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said the maiden,\n\u201cwhatsoever he may say to thee in jest, and through the excitement of\nliquor, make good that which thou saidst and didst promise me just now.\u201d\n\u201cI will do so, gladly, for thy sake,\u201d said he.  \u201cWillingly will I grant\nhim his life this night.\u201d  And that night thus they remained.\n\nAnd the next day the black man got up, and put on his armour, and said to\nPeredur, \u201cArise, man, and suffer death.\u201d  And Peredur said unto him, \u201cDo\none of two things, black man; if thou wilt fight with me, either throw\noff thy own armour, or give arms to me, that I may encounter thee.\u201d  \u201cHa,\nman,\u201d said he, \u201ccouldst thou fight, if thou hadst arms?  Take, then, what\narms thou dost choose.\u201d  And thereupon the maiden came to Peredur with\nsuch arms as pleased him; and he fought with the black man, and forced\nhim to crave his mercy.  \u201cBlack man, thou shalt have mercy, provided thou\ntell me who thou art, and who put out thine eye.\u201d  \u201cLord, I will tell\nthee; I lost it in fighting with the Black Serpent of the Carn.  There is\na mound, which is called the Mound of Mourning; and on the mound there is\na carn, and in the carn there is a serpent, and on the tail of the\nserpent there is a stone, and the virtues of the stone are such, that\nwhosoever should hold it in one hand, in the other he will have as much\ngold as he may desire.  And in fighting with this serpent was it that I\nlost my eye.  And the Black Oppressor am I called.  And for this reason I\nam called the Black Oppressor, that there is not a single man around me\nwhom I have not oppressed, and justice have I done unto none.\u201d  \u201cTell\nme,\u201d said Peredur, \u201chow far is it hence?\u201d  \u201cThe same day that thou\nsettest forth, thou wilt come to the Palace of the Sons of the King of\nthe Tortures.\u201d  \u201cWherefore are they called thus?\u201d  \u201cThe Addanc of the\nLake slays them once every day.  When thou goest thence, thou wilt come\nto the Court of the Countess of the Achievements.\u201d  \u201cWhat achievements\nare there?\u201d asked Peredur.  \u201cThree hundred men there are in her\nhousehold, and unto every stranger that comes to the Court, the\nachievements of her household are related.  And this is the manner of\nit,\u2014the three hundred men of the household sit next unto the Lady; and\nthat not through disrespect unto the guests, but that they may relate the\nachievements of the household.  And the day that thou goest thence, thou\nwilt reach the Mound of Mourning, and round about the mound there are the\nowners of three hundred tents guarding the serpent.\u201d  \u201cSince thou hast,\nindeed, been an oppressor so long,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cI will cause that thou\ncontinue so no longer.\u201d  So he slew him.\n\nThen the maiden spoke, and began to converse with him.  \u201cIf thou wast\npoor when thou camest here, henceforth thou wilt be rich through the\ntreasure of the black man whom thou hast slain.  Thou seest the many\nlovely maidens that there are in this Court; thou shalt have her whom\nthou best likest for the lady of thy love.\u201d  \u201cLady, I came not hither\nfrom my country to woo; but match yourselves as it liketh you with the\ncomely youths I see here; and none of your goods do I desire, for I need\nthem not.\u201d  Then Peredur rode forward, and he came to the Palace of the\nSons of the King of the Tortures; and when he entered the Palace, he saw\nnone but women; and they rose up, and were joyful at his coming; and as\nthey began to discourse with him, he beheld a charger arrive, with a\nsaddle upon it, and a corpse in the saddle.  And one of the women arose,\nand took the corpse from the saddle, and anointed it in a vessel of warm\nwater, which was below the door, and placed precious balsam upon it; and\nthe man rose up alive, and came to the place where Peredur was, and\ngreeted him, and was joyful to see him.  And two other men came in upon\ntheir saddles, and the maiden treated these two in the same manner as she\nhad done the first.  Then Peredur asked the chieftain wherefore it was\nthus.  And they told him, that there was an Addanc in a cave, which slew\nthem once every day.  And thus they remained that night.\n\nAnd next morning the youths arose to sally forth, and Peredur besought\nthem, for the sake of the ladies of their love, to permit him to go with\nthem; but they refused him, saying, \u201cIf thou shouldst be slain there,\nthou hast none to bring thee back to life again.\u201d  And they rode forward,\nand Peredur followed after them; and, after they had disappeared out of\nhis sight, he came to a mound, whereon sat the fairest lady he had ever\nbeheld.  \u201cI know thy quest,\u201d said she; \u201cthou art going to encounter the\nAddanc, and he will slay thee, and that not by courage, but by craft.  He\nhas a cave, and at the entrance of the cave there is a stone pillar, and\nhe sees every one that enters, and none see him; and from behind the\npillar he slays every one with a poisonous dart.  And if thou wouldst\npledge me thy faith to love me above all women, I would give thee a\nstone, by which thou shouldst see him when thou goest in, and he should\nnot see thee.\u201d  \u201cI will, by my troth,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cfor when first I\nbeheld thee I loved thee; and where shall I seek thee?\u201d  \u201cWhen thou\nseekest me, seek towards India.\u201d  And the maiden vanished, after placing\nthe stone in Peredur\u2019s hand.\n\nAnd he came towards a valley, through which ran a river; and the borders\nof the valley were wooded, and on each side of the river were level\nmeadows.  And on one side of the river he saw a flock of white sheep, and\non the other a flock of black sheep.  And whenever one of the white sheep\nbleated, one of the black sheep would cross over and become white; and\nwhen one of the black sheep bleated, one of the white sheep would cross\nover and become black.  And he saw a tall tree by the side of the river,\none half of which was in flames from the root to the top, and the other\nhalf was green and in full leaf.  And nigh thereto he saw a youth sitting\nupon a mound, and two greyhounds, white-breasted and spotted, in leashes,\nlying by his side.  And certain was he that he had never seen a youth of\nso royal a bearing as he.  And in the wood opposite he heard hounds\nraising a herd of deer.  And Peredur saluted the youth, and the youth\ngreeted him in return.  And there were three roads leading from the\nmound; two of them were wide roads, and the third was more narrow.  And\nPeredur inquired where the three roads went.  \u201cOne of them goes to my\npalace,\u201d said the youth; \u201cand one of two things I counsel thee to do;\neither to proceed to my palace, which is before thee, and where thou wilt\nfind my wife, or else to remain here to see the hounds chasing the roused\ndeer from the wood to the plain.  And thou shalt see the best greyhounds\nthou didst ever behold, and the boldest in the chase, kill them by the\nwater beside us; and when it is time to go to meat, my page will come\nwith my horse to meet me, and thou shalt rest in my palace to-night.\u201d\n\u201cHeaven reward thee; but I cannot tarry, for onward must I go.\u201d  \u201cThe\nother road leads to the town, which is near here, and wherein food and\nliquor may be bought; and the road which is narrower than the others goes\ntowards the cave of the Addanc.\u201d  \u201cWith thy permission, young man, I will\ngo that way.\u201d\n\nAnd Peredur went towards the cave.  And he took the stone in his left\nhand, and his lance in his right.  And as he went in he perceived the\nAddanc, and he pierced him through with his lance, and cut off his head.\nAnd as he came from the cave, behold the three companions were at the\nentrance; and they saluted Peredur, and told him that there was a\nprediction that he should slay that monster.  And Peredur gave the head\nto the young men, and they offered him in marriage whichever of the three\nsisters he might choose, and half their kingdom with her.  \u201cI came not\nhither to woo,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cbut if peradventure I took a wife, I\nshould prefer your sister to all others.\u201d  And Peredur rode forward, and\nhe heard a noise behind him.  And he looked back, and saw a man upon a\nred horse, with red armour upon him; and the man rode up by his side, and\nsaluted him, and wished him the favour of Heaven and of man.  And Peredur\ngreeted the youth kindly.  \u201cLord, I come to make a request unto thee.\u201d\n\u201cWhat wouldest thou?\u201d  \u201cThat thou shouldest take me as thine attendant.\u201d\n\u201cWhom then should I take as my attendant, if I did so?\u201d  \u201cI will not\nconceal from thee what kindred I am of.  Etlym Gleddyv Coch am I called,\nan Earl from the East Country.\u201d  \u201cI marvel that thou shouldest offer to\nbecome attendant to a man whose possessions are no greater than thine\nown; for I have but an earldom like thyself.  But since thou desirest to\nbe my attendant, I will take thee joyfully.\u201d\n\nAnd they went forward to the Court of the Countess, and all they of the\nCourt were glad at their coming; and they were told it was not through\ndisrespect they were placed below the household, but that such was the\nusage of the Court.  For, whoever should overthrow the three hundred men\nof her household, would sit next the Countess, and she would love him\nabove all men.  And Peredur having overthrown the three hundred men of\nher household, sat down beside her, and the Countess said, \u201cI thank\nHeaven that I have a youth so fair and so valiant as thou, since I have\nnot obtained the man whom best I love.\u201d  \u201cWho is he whom best thou\nlovest?\u201d  \u201cBy my faith, Etlym Gleddyv Coch is the man whom I love best,\nand I have never seen him.\u201d  \u201cOf a truth, Etlym is my companion; and\nbehold here he is, and for his sake did I come to joust with thy\nhousehold.  And he could have done so better than I, had it pleased him.\nAnd I do give thee unto him.\u201d  \u201cHeaven reward thee, fair youth, and I\nwill take the man whom I love above all others.\u201d  And the Countess became\nEtlym\u2019s bride from that moment.\n\nAnd the next day Peredur set forth towards the Mound of Mourning.  \u201cBy\nthy hand, lord, but I will go with thee,\u201d said Etlym.  Then they went\nforwards till they came in sight of the mound and the tents.  \u201cGo unto\nyonder men,\u201d said Peredur to Etlym, \u201cand desire them to come and do me\nhomage.\u201d  So Etlym went unto them, and said unto them thus,\u2014\u201cCome and do\nhomage to my lord.\u201d  \u201cWho is thy lord?\u201d said they.  \u201cPeredur with the\nlong lance is my lord,\u201d said Etlym.  \u201cWere it permitted to slay a\nmessenger, thou shouldest not go back to thy lord alive, for making unto\nKings, and Earls, and Barons so arrogant a demand as to go and do him\nhomage.\u201d  Peredur desired him to go back to them, and to give them their\nchoice, either to do him homage, or to do battle with him.  And they\nchose rather to do battle.  And that day Peredur overthrew the owners of\na hundred tents; and the next day he overthrew the owners of a hundred\nmore; and the third day the remaining hundred took counsel to do homage\nto Peredur.  And Peredur inquired of them, wherefore they were there.\nAnd they told him they were guarding the serpent until he should die.\n\u201cFor then should we fight for the stone among ourselves, and whoever\nshould be conqueror among us would have the stone.\u201d  \u201cAwait here,\u201d said\nPeredur, \u201cand I will go to encounter the serpent.\u201d  \u201cNot so, lord,\u201d said\nthey; \u201cwe will go altogether to encounter the serpent.\u201d  \u201cVerily,\u201d said\nPeredur, \u201cthat will I not permit; for if the serpent be slain, I shall\nderive no more fame therefrom than one of you.\u201d  Then he went to the\nplace where the serpent was, and slew it, and came back to them, and\nsaid, \u201cReckon up what you have spent since you have been here, and I will\nrepay you to the full.\u201d  And he paid to each what he said was his claim.\nAnd he required of them only that they should acknowledge themselves his\nvassals.  And he said to Etlym, \u201cGo back unto her whom thou lovest best,\nand I will go forwards, and I will reward thee for having been my\nattendant.\u201d  And he gave Etlym the stone.  \u201cHeaven repay thee and prosper\nthee,\u201d said Etlym.\n\nAnd Peredur rode thence, and he came to the fairest valley he had ever\nseen, through which ran a river; and there he beheld many tents of\nvarious colours.  And he marvelled still more at the number of\nwater-mills and of wind-mills that he saw.  And there rode up with him a\ntall auburn-haired man, in workman\u2019s garb, and Peredur inquired of him\nwho he was.  \u201cI am the chief miller,\u201d said he, \u201cof all the mills yonder.\u201d\n\u201cWilt thou give me lodging?\u201d said Peredur.  \u201cI will, gladly,\u201d he\nanswered.  And Peredur came to the miller\u2019s house, and the miller had a\nfair and pleasant dwelling.  And Peredur asked money as a loan from the\nmiller, that he might buy meat and liquor for himself and for the\nhousehold, and he promised that he would pay him again ere he went\nthence.  And he inquired of the miller, wherefore such a multitude was\nthere assembled.  Said the miller to Peredur, \u201cOne thing is certain:\neither thou art a man from afar, or thou art beside thyself.  The Empress\nof Cristinobyl the Great is here; and she will have no one but the man\nwho is most valiant; for riches does she not require.  And it was\nimpossible to bring food for so many thousands as are here, therefore\nwere all these mills constructed.\u201d  And that night they took their rest.\n\nAnd the next day Peredur arose, and he equipped himself and his horse for\nthe tournament.  And among the other tents he beheld one, which was the\nfairest he had ever seen.  And he saw a beauteous maiden leaning her head\nout of a window of the tent, and he had never seen a maiden more lovely\nthan she.  And upon her was a garment of satin.  And he gazed fixedly on\nthe maiden, and began to love her greatly.  And he remained there, gazing\nupon the maiden from morning until mid-day, and from mid-day until\nevening; and then the tournament was ended and he went to his lodging and\ndrew off his armour.  Then he asked money of the miller as a loan, and\nthe miller\u2019s wife was wroth with Peredur; nevertheless, the miller lent\nhim the money.  And the next day he did in like manner as he had done the\nday before.  And at night he came to his lodging, and took money as a\nloan from the miller.  And the third day, as he was in the same place,\ngazing upon the maiden, he felt a hard blow between the neck and the\nshoulder, from the edge of an axe.  And when he looked behind him, he saw\nthat it was the miller; and the miller said to him, \u201cDo one of two\nthings: either turn thy head from hence, or go to the tournament.\u201d  And\nPeredur smiled on the miller, and went to the tournament; and all that\nencountered him that day he overthrew.  And as many as he vanquished he\nsent as a gift to the Empress, and their horses and arms he sent as a\ngift to the wife of the miller, in payment of the borrowed money.\nPeredur attended the tournament until all were overthrown, and he sent\nall the men to the prison of the Empress, and the horses and arms to the\nwife of the miller, in payment of the borrowed money.  And the Empress\nsent to the Knight of the Mill, to ask him to come and visit her.  And\nPeredur went not for the first nor for the second message.  And the third\ntime she sent a hundred knights to bring him against his will, and they\nwent to him and told him their mission from the Empress.  And Peredur\nfought well with them, and caused them to be bound like stags, and thrown\ninto the mill-dyke.  And the Empress sought advice of a wise man who was\nin her counsel; and he said to her, \u201cWith thy permission, I will go to\nhim myself.\u201d  So he came to Peredur, and saluted him, and besought him,\nfor the sake of the lady of his love, to come and visit the Empress.  And\nthey went, together with the miller.  And Peredur went and sat down in\nthe outer chamber of the tent, and she came and placed herself by his\nside.  And there was but little discourse between them.  And Peredur took\nhis leave, and went to his lodging.\n\nAnd the next day he came to visit her, and when he came into the tent\nthere was no one chamber less decorated than the others.  And they knew\nnot where he would sit.  And Peredur went and sat beside the Empress, and\ndiscoursed with her courteously.  And while they were thus, they beheld a\nblack man enter with a goblet full of wine in his hand.  And he dropped\nupon his knee before the Empress, and besought her to give it to no one\nwho would not fight with him for it.  And she looked upon Peredur.\n\u201cLady,\u201d said he, \u201cbestow on me the goblet.\u201d  And Peredur drank the wine,\nand gave the goblet to the miller\u2019s wife.  And while they were thus,\nbehold there entered a black man of larger stature than the other, with a\nwild beast\u2019s claw in his hand, wrought into the form of a goblet and\nfilled with wine.  And he presented it to the Empress, and besought her\nto give it to no one but the man who would fight with him.  \u201cLady,\u201d said\nPeredur, \u201cbestow it on me.\u201d  And she gave it to him.  And Peredur drank\nthe wine, and sent the goblet to the wife of the miller.  And while they\nwere thus, behold a rough-looking, crisp-haired man, taller than either\nof the others, came in with a bowl in his hand full of wine; and he bent\nupon his knee, and gave it into the hands of the Empress, and he besought\nher to give it to none but him who would fight with him for it; and she\ngave it to Peredur, and he sent it to the miller\u2019s wife.  And that night\nPeredur returned to his lodging; and the next day he accoutred himself\nand his horse, and went to the meadow and slew the three men.  Then\nPeredur proceeded to the tent, and the Empress said to him, \u201cGoodly\nPeredur, remember the faith thou didst pledge me when I gave thee the\nstone, and thou didst kill the Addanc.\u201d  \u201cLady,\u201d answered he, \u201cthou\nsayest truth, I do remember it.\u201d  And Peredur was entertained by the\nEmpress fourteen years, as the story relates.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\nArthur was at Caerlleon upon Usk, his principal palace; and in the centre\nof the floor of the hall were four men sitting on a carpet of velvet,\nOwain the son of Urien, and Gwalchmai the son of Gwyar, and Howel the son\nof Emyr Llydaw, and Peredur of the long lance.  And thereupon they saw a\nblack curly-headed maiden enter, riding upon a yellow mule, with jagged\nthongs in her hand to urge it on; and having a rough and hideous aspect.\nBlacker were her face and her two hands than the blackest iron covered\nwith pitch; and her hue was not more frightful than her form.  High\ncheeks had she, and a face lengthened downwards, and a short nose with\ndistended nostrils.  And one eye was of a piercing mottled grey, and the\nother was as black as jet, deep-sunk in her head.  And her teeth were\nlong and yellow, more yellow were they than the flower of the broom.  And\nher stomach rose from the breast-bone, higher than her chin.  And her\nback was in the shape of a crook, and her legs were large and bony.  And\nher figure was very thin and spare, except her feet and her legs, which\nwere of huge size.  And she greeted Arthur and all his household except\nPeredur.  And to Peredur she spoke harsh and angry words.  \u201cPeredur, I\ngreet thee not, seeing that thou dost not merit it.  Blind was fate in\ngiving thee fame and favour.  When thou wast in the Court of the Lame\nKing, and didst see there the youth bearing the streaming spear, from the\npoints of which were drops of blood flowing in streams, even to the hand\nof the youth, and many other wonders likewise, thou didst not inquire\ntheir meaning nor their cause.  Hadst thou done so, the King would have\nbeen restored to health, and his dominions to peace.  Whereas from\nhenceforth, he will have to endure battles and conflicts, and his knights\nwill perish, and wives will be widowed, and maidens will be left\nportionless, and all this is because of thee.\u201d  Then said she unto\nArthur, \u201cMay it please thee, lord, my dwelling is far hence, in the\nstately castle of which thou hast heard, and therein are five hundred and\nsixty-six knights of the order of Chivalry, and the lady whom best he\nloves with each; and whoever would acquire fame in arms, and encounters,\nand conflicts, he will gain it there, if he deserve it.  And whoso would\nreach the summit of fame and of honour, I know where he may find it.\nThere is a castle on a lofty mountain, and there is a maiden therein, and\nshe is detained a prisoner there, and whoever shall set her free will\nattain the summit of the fame of the world.\u201d  And thereupon she rode\naway.\n\nSaid Gwalchmai, \u201cBy my faith, I will not rest tranquilly until I have\nproved if I can release the maiden.\u201d  And many of Arthur\u2019s household\njoined themselves with him.  Then, likewise, said Peredur, \u201cBy my faith,\nI will not rest tranquilly until I know the story and the meaning of the\nlance whereof the black maiden spoke.\u201d  And while they were equipping\nthemselves, behold a knight came to the gate.  And he had the size and\nthe strength of a warrior, and was equipped with arms and habiliments.\nAnd he went forward, and saluted Arthur and all his household, except\nGwalchmai.  And the knight had upon his shoulder a shield, ingrained with\ngold, with a fesse of azure blue upon it, and his whole armour was of the\nsame hue.  And he said to Gwalchmai, \u201cThou didst slay my lord by thy\ntreachery and deceit, and that will I prove upon thee.\u201d  Then Gwalchmai\nrose up.  \u201cBehold,\u201d said he, \u201chere is my gage against thee, to maintain,\neither in this place or wherever else thou wilt, that I am not a traitor\nor deceiver.\u201d  \u201cBefore the King whom I obey, will I that my encounter\nwith thee take place,\u201d said the knight.  \u201cWillingly,\u201d said Gwalchmai; \u201cgo\nforward, and I will follow thee.\u201d  So the knight went forth, and\nGwalchmai accoutred himself, and there was offered unto him abundance of\narmour, but he would take none but his own.  And when Gwalchmai and\nPeredur were equipped, they set forth to follow him, by reason of their\nfellowship and of the great friendship that was between them.  And they\ndid not go after him in company together, but each went his own way.\n\nAt the dawn of day Gwalchmai came to a valley, and in the valley he saw a\nfortress, and within the fortress a vast palace and lofty towers around\nit.  And he beheld a knight coming out to hunt from the other side,\nmounted on a spirited black snorting palfrey, that advanced at a prancing\npace, proudly stepping, and nimbly bounding, and sure of foot; and this\nwas the man to whom the palace belonged.  And Gwalchmai saluted him.\n\u201cHeaven prosper thee, chieftain,\u201d said he, \u201cand whence comest thou?\u201d  \u201cI\ncome,\u201d answered Gwalchmai, \u201cfrom the Court of Arthur.\u201d  \u201cAnd art thou\nArthur\u2019s vassal?\u201d  \u201cYes, by my faith,\u201d said Gwalchmai.  \u201cI will give thee\ngood counsel,\u201d said the knight.  \u201cI see that thou art tired and weary; go\nunto my palace, if it may please thee, and tarry there to-night.\u201d\n\u201cWillingly, lord,\u201d said he, \u201cand Heaven reward thee.\u201d  \u201cTake this ring as\na token to the porter, and go forward to yonder tower, and therein thou\nwilt find my sister.\u201d  And Gwalchmai went to the gate, and showed the\nring, and proceeded to the tower.  And on entering he beheld a large\nblazing fire, burning without smoke and with a bright and lofty flame,\nand a beauteous and stately maiden was sitting on a chair by the fire.\nAnd the maiden was glad at his coming, and welcomed him, and advanced to\nmeet him.  And he went and sat beside the maiden, and they took their\nrepast.  And when their repast was over, they discoursed pleasantly\ntogether.  And while they were thus, behold there entered a venerable\nhoary-headed man.  \u201cAh! base girl,\u201d said he, \u201cif thou didst think it was\nright for thee to entertain and to sit by yonder man, thou wouldest not\ndo so.\u201d  And he withdrew his head, and went forth.  \u201cAh! chieftain,\u201d said\nthe maiden, \u201cif thou wilt do as I counsel thee, thou wilt shut the door,\nlest the man should have a plot against thee.\u201d  Upon that Gwalchmai\narose, and when he came near unto the door, the man, with sixty others,\nfully armed, were ascending the tower.  And Gwalchmai defended the door\nwith a chessboard, that none might enter until the man should return from\nthe chase.  And thereupon, behold the Earl arrived.  \u201cWhat is all this?\u201d\nasked he.  \u201cIt is a sad thing,\u201d said the hoary-headed man; \u201cthe young\ngirl yonder has been sitting and eating with him who slew your father.\nHe is Gwalchmai, the son of Gwyar.\u201d  \u201cHold thy peace, then,\u201d said the\nEarl, \u201cI will go in.\u201d  And the Earl was joyful concerning Gwalchmai.\n\u201cHa! chieftain,\u201d said he, \u201cit was wrong of thee to come to my court, when\nthou knewest that thou didst slay my father; and though we cannot avenge\nhim, Heaven will avenge him upon thee.\u201d  \u201cMy soul,\u201d said Gwalchmai, \u201cthus\nit is: I came not here either to acknowledge or to deny having slain thy\nfather; but I am on a message from Arthur, and therefore do I crave the\nspace of a year until I shall return from my embassy, and then, upon my\nfaith, I will come back unto this palace, and do one of two things,\neither acknowledge it, or deny it.\u201d  And the time was granted him\nwillingly; and he remained there that night.  And the next morning he\nrode forth.  And the story relates nothing further of Gwalchmai\nrespecting this adventure.\n\nAnd Peredur rode forward.  And he wandered over the whole island, seeking\ntidings of the black maiden, and he could meet with none.  And he came to\nan unknown land, in the centre of a valley, watered by a river.  And as\nhe traversed the valley he beheld a horseman coming towards him, and\nwearing the garments of a priest; and he besought his blessing.\n\u201cWretched man,\u201d said he, \u201cthou meritest no blessing, and thou wouldest\nnot be profited by one, seeing that thou art clad in armour on such a day\nas this.\u201d  \u201cAnd what day is to-day?\u201d said Peredur.  \u201cTo-day is Good\nFriday,\u201d he answered.  \u201cChide me not that I knew not this, seeing that it\nis a year to-day since I journeyed forth from my country.\u201d  Then he\ndismounted, and led his horse in his hand.  And he had not proceeded far\nalong the high road before he came to a cross road, and the cross road\ntraversed a wood.  And on the other side of the wood he saw an\nunfortified castle, which appeared to be inhabited.  And at the gate of\nthe castle there met him the priest whom he had seen before, and he asked\nhis blessing.  \u201cThe blessing of Heaven be unto thee,\u201d said he, \u201cit is\nmore fitting to travel in thy present guise than as thou wast erewhile;\nand this night thou shalt tarry with me.\u201d  So he remained there that\nnight.\n\nAnd the next day Peredur sought to go forth.  \u201cTo-day may no one journey.\nThou shalt remain with me to-day and to-morrow, and the day following,\nand I will direct thee as best I may to the place which thou art\nseeking.\u201d  And the fourth day Peredur sought to go forth, and he\nentreated the priest to tell him how he should find the Castle of\nWonders.  \u201cWhat I know thereof I will tell thee,\u201d he replied.  \u201cGo over\nyonder mountain, and on the other side of the mountain thou wilt come to\na river, and in the valley wherein the river runs is a King\u2019s palace,\nwherein the King sojourned during Easter.  And if thou mayest have\ntidings anywhere of the Castle of Wonders, thou wilt have them there.\u201d\n\nThen Peredur rode forward.  And he came to the valley in which was the\nriver, and there met him a number of men going to hunt, and in the midst\nof them was a man of exalted rank, and Peredur saluted him.  \u201cChoose,\nchieftain,\u201d said the man, \u201cwhether thou wilt go with me to the chase, or\nwilt proceed to my palace, and I will dispatch one of my household to\ncommend thee to my daughter, who is there, and who will entertain thee\nwith food and liquor until I return from hunting; and whatever may be\nthine errand, such as I can obtain for thee thou shalt gladly have.\u201d  And\nthe King sent a little yellow page with him as an attendant; and when\nthey came to the palace the lady had arisen, and was about to wash before\nmeat.  Peredur went forward, and she saluted him joyfully, and placed him\nby her side.  And they took their repast.  And whatsoever Peredur said\nunto her, she laughed loudly, so that all in the palace could hear.  Then\nspoke the yellow page to the lady.  \u201cBy my faith,\u201d said he, \u201cthis youth\nis already thy husband; or if he be not, thy mind and thy thoughts are\nset upon him.\u201d  And the little yellow page went unto the King, and told\nhim that it seemed to him that the youth whom he had met with was his\ndaughter\u2019s husband, or if he were not so already that he would shortly\nbecome so unless he were cautious.  \u201cWhat is thy counsel in this matter,\nyouth?\u201d said the King.  \u201cMy counsel is,\u201d he replied, \u201cthat thou set\nstrong men upon him, to seize him, until thou hast ascertained the truth\nrespecting this.\u201d  So he set strong men upon Peredur, who seized him and\ncast him into prison.  And the maiden went before her father, and asked\nhim wherefore he had caused the youth from Arthur\u2019s Court to be\nimprisoned.  \u201cIn truth,\u201d he answered, \u201che shall not be free to-night, nor\nto-morrow, nor the day following, and he shall not come from where he\nis.\u201d  She replied not to what the King had said, but she went to the\nyouth.  \u201cIs it unpleasant to thee to be here?\u201d said she.  \u201cI should not\ncare if I were not,\u201d he replied.  \u201cThy couch and thy treatment shall be\nin no wise inferior to that of the King himself, and thou shalt have the\nbest entertainment that the palace affords.  And if it were more pleasing\nto thee that my couch should be here, that I might discourse with thee,\nit should be so, cheerfully.\u201d  \u201cThis can I not refuse,\u201d said Peredur.\nAnd he remained in prison that night.  And the maiden provided all that\nshe had promised him.\n\nAnd the next day Peredur heard a tumult in the town.  \u201cTell me, fair\nmaiden, what is that tumult?\u201d said Peredur.  \u201cAll the King\u2019s hosts and\nhis forces have come to the town to-day.\u201d  \u201cAnd what seek they here?\u201d he\ninquired.  \u201cThere is an Earl near this place who possesses two Earldoms,\nand is as powerful as a King; and an engagement will take place between\nthem to-day.\u201d  \u201cI beseech thee,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cto cause a horse and arms\nto be brought, that I may view the encounter, and I promise to come back\nto my prison again.\u201d  \u201cGladly,\u201d said she, \u201cwill I provide thee with horse\nand arms.\u201d  So she gave him a horse and arms, and a bright scarlet robe\nof honour over his armour, and a yellow shield upon his shoulder.  And he\nwent to the combat; and as many of the Earl\u2019s men as encountered him that\nday he overthrew; and he returned to his prison.  And the maiden asked\ntidings of Peredur, and he answered her not a word.  And she went and\nasked tidings of her father, and inquired who had acquitted himself best\nof the household.  And he said that he knew not, but that it was a man\nwith a scarlet robe of honour over his armour, and a yellow shield upon\nhis shoulder.  Then she smiled, and returned to where Peredur was, and\ndid him great honour that night.  And for three days did Peredur slay the\nEarl\u2019s men; and before any one could know who he was, he returned to his\nprison.  And the fourth day Peredur slew the Earl himself.  And the\nmaiden went unto her father, and inquired of him the news.  \u201cI have good\nnews for thee,\u201d said the King; \u201cthe Earl is slain, and I am the owner of\nhis two Earldoms.\u201d  \u201cKnowest thou, lord, who slew him?\u201d  \u201cI do not know,\u201d\nsaid the King.  \u201cIt was the knight with the scarlet robe of honour and\nthe yellow shield.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said she, \u201cI know who that is.\u201d  \u201cBy\nHeaven!\u201d he exclaimed, \u201cwho is he?\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d she replied, \u201che is the\nknight whom thou hast imprisoned.\u201d  Then he went unto Peredur, and\nsaluted him, and told him that he would reward the service he had done\nhim, in any way he might desire.  And when they went to meat, Peredur was\nplaced beside the King, and the maiden on the other side of Peredur.  \u201cI\nwill give thee,\u201d said the King, \u201cmy daughter in marriage, and half my\nkingdom with her, and the two Earldoms as a gift.\u201d  \u201cHeaven reward thee,\nlord,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cbut I came not here to woo.\u201d  \u201cWhat seekest thou\nthen, chieftain?\u201d  \u201cI am seeking tidings of the Castle of Wonders.\u201d  \u201cThy\nenterprise is greater, chieftain, than thou wilt wish to pursue,\u201d said\nthe maiden, \u201cnevertheless, tidings shalt thou have of the Castle, and\nthou shalt have a guide through my father\u2019s dominions, and a sufficiency\nof provisions for thy journey, for thou art, O chieftain, the man whom\nbest I love.\u201d  Then she said to him, \u201cGo over yonder mountain, and thou\nwilt find a lake, and in the middle of the lake there is a Castle, and\nthat is the Castle that is called the Castle of Wonders; and we know not\nwhat wonders are therein, but thus is it called.\u201d\n\nAnd Peredur proceeded towards the Castle, and the gate of the Castle was\nopen.  And when he came to the hall, the door was open, and he entered.\nAnd he beheld a chessboard in the hall, and the chessmen were playing\nagainst each other, by themselves.  And the side that he favoured lost\nthe game, and thereupon the others set up a shout, as though they had\nbeen living men.  And Peredur was wroth, and took the chessmen in his\nlap, and cast the chessboard into the lake.  And when he had done thus,\nbehold the black maiden came in, and she said to him, \u201cThe welcome of\nHeaven be not unto thee.  Thou hadst rather do evil than good.\u201d  \u201cWhat\ncomplaint hast thou against me, maiden?\u201d said Peredur.  \u201cThat thou hast\noccasioned unto the Empress the loss of her chessboard, which she would\nnot have lost for all her empire.  And the way in which thou mayest\nrecover the chessboard is, to repair to the Castle of Ysbidinongyl, where\nis a black man, who lays waste the dominions of the Empress; and if thou\ncanst slay him, thou wilt recover the chessboard.  But if thou goest\nthere, thou wilt not return alive.\u201d  \u201cWilt thou direct me thither?\u201d said\nPeredur.  \u201cI will show thee the way,\u201d she replied.  So he went to the\nCastle of Ysbidinongyl, and he fought with the black man.  And the black\nman besought mercy of Peredur.  \u201cMercy will I grant thee,\u201d said he, \u201con\ncondition that thou cause the chessboard to be restored to the place\nwhere it was when I entered the hall.\u201d  Then the maiden came to him, and\nsaid, \u201cThe malediction of Heaven attend thee for thy work, since thou\nhast left that monster alive, who lays waste all the possessions of the\nEmpress.\u201d  \u201cI granted him his life,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cthat he might cause\nthe chessboard to be restored.\u201d  \u201cThe chessboard is not in the place\nwhere thou didst find it; go back, therefore, and slay him,\u201d answered\nshe.  So Peredur went back, and slew the black man.  And when he returned\nto the palace, he found the black maiden there.  \u201cAh! maiden,\u201d said\nPeredur, \u201cwhere is the Empress?\u201d  \u201cI declare to Heaven that thou wilt not\nsee her now, unless thou dost slay the monster that is in yonder forest.\u201d\n\u201cWhat monster is there?\u201d  \u201cIt is a stag that is as swift as the swiftest\nbird; and he has one horn in his forehead, as long as the shaft of a\nspear, and as sharp as whatever is sharpest.  And he destroys the\nbranches of the best trees in the forest, and he kills every animal that\nhe meets with therein; and those that he doth not slay perish of hunger.\nAnd what is worse than that, he comes every night, and drinks up the\nfish-pond, and leaves the fishes exposed, so that for the most part they\ndie before the water returns again.\u201d  \u201cMaiden,\u201d said Peredur, \u201cwilt thou\ncome and show me this animal?\u201d  \u201cNot so,\u201d said the maiden, \u201cfor he has\nnot permitted any mortal to enter the forest for above a twelvemonth.\nBehold, here is a little dog belonging to the Empress, which will rouse\nthe stag, and will chase him towards thee, and the stag will attack\nthee.\u201d  Then the little dog went as a guide to Peredur, and roused the\nstag, and brought him towards the place where Peredur was.  And the stag\nattacked Peredur, and he let him pass by him, and as he did so, he smote\noff his head with his sword.  And while he was looking at the head of the\nstag, he saw a lady on horseback coming towards him.  And she took the\nlittle dog in the lappet of her cap, and the head and the body of the\nstag lay before her.  And around the stag\u2019s neck was a golden collar.\n\u201cHa! chieftain,\u201d said she, \u201cuncourteously hast thou acted in slaying the\nfairest jewel that was in my dominions.\u201d  \u201cI was entreated so to do; and\nis there any way by which I can obtain thy friendship?\u201d  \u201cThere is,\u201d she\nreplied.  \u201cGo thou forward unto yonder mountain, and there thou wilt find\na grove; and in the grove there is a cromlech; do thou there challenge a\nman three times to fight, and thou shalt have my friendship.\u201d\n\nSo Peredur proceeded onward, and came to the side of the grove, and\nchallenged any man to fight.  And a black man arose from beneath the\ncromlech, mounted upon a bony horse, and both he and his horse were clad\nin huge rusty armour.  And they fought.  And as often as Peredur cast the\nblack man to the earth, he would jump again into his saddle.  And Peredur\ndismounted, and drew his sword; and thereupon the black man disappeared\nwith Peredur\u2019s horse and his own, so that he could not gain sight of him\na second time.  And Peredur went along the mountain, and on the other\nside of the mountain he beheld a castle in the valley, wherein was a\nriver.  And he went to the castle; and as he entered it, he saw a hall,\nand the door of the hall was open, and he went in.  And there he saw a\nlame grey-headed man sitting on one side of the hall, with Gwalchmai\nbeside him.  And Peredur beheld his horse, which the black man had taken,\nin the same stall with that of Gwalchmai.  And they were glad concerning\nPeredur.  And he went and seated himself on the other side of the\nhoary-headed man.  Then, behold a yellow-haired youth came, and bent upon\nthe knee before Peredur, and besought his friendship.  \u201cLord,\u201d said the\nyouth, \u201cit was I that came in the form of the black maiden to Arthur\u2019s\nCourt, and when thou didst throw down the chessboard, and when thou didst\nslay the black man of Ysbidinongyl, and when thou didst slay the stag,\nand when thou didst go to fight the black man of the cromlech.  And I\ncame with the bloody head in the salver, and with the lance that streamed\nwith blood from the point to the hand, all along the shaft; and the head\nwas thy cousin\u2019s, and he was killed by the sorceresses of Gloucester, who\nalso lamed thine uncle; and I am thy cousin.  And there is a prediction\nthat thou art to avenge these things.\u201d  Then Peredur and Gwalchmai took\ncounsel, and sent to Arthur and his household, to beseech them to come\nagainst the sorceresses.  And they began to fight with them; and one of\nthe sorceresses slew one of Arthur\u2019s men before Peredur\u2019s face, and\nPeredur bade her forbear.  And the sorceress slew a man before Peredur\u2019s\nface a second time, and a second time he forbad her.  And the third time\nthe sorceress slew a man before the face of Peredur; and then Peredur\ndrew his sword, and smote the sorceress on the helmet; and all her\nhead-armour was split in two parts.  And she set up a cry, and desired\nthe other sorceresses to flee, and told them that this was Peredur, the\nman who had learnt Chivalry with them, and by whom they were destined to\nbe slain.  Then Arthur and his household fell upon the sorceresses, and\nslew the sorceresses of Gloucester every one.  And thus is it related\nconcerning the Castle of Wonders.\n\n\n\n\nGERAINT THE SON OF ERBIN\n\n\nArthur was accustomed to hold his Court at Caerlleon upon Usk.  And there\nhe held it seven Easters and five Christmases.  And once upon a time he\nheld his Court there at Whitsuntide.  For Caerlleon was the place most\neasy of access in his dominions, both by sea and by land.  And there were\nassembled nine crowned kings, who were his tributaries, and likewise\nearls and barons.  For they were his invited guests at all the high\nfestivals, unless they were prevented by any great hindrance.  And when\nhe was at Caerlleon, holding his Court, thirteen churches were set apart\nfor mass.  And thus were they appointed: one church for Arthur, and his\nkings, and his guests; and the second for Gwenhwyvar and her ladies; and\nthe third for the Steward of the Household and the suitors; and the\nfourth for the Franks and the other officers; and the other nine churches\nwere for the nine Masters of the Household and chiefly for Gwalchmai; for\nhe, from the eminence of his warlike fame, and from the nobleness of his\nbirth, was the most exalted of the nine.  And there was no other\narrangement respecting the churches than that which we have mentioned\nabove.\n\nGlewlwyd Gavaelvawr was the chief porter; but he did not himself perform\nthe office, except at one of the three high festivals, for he had seven\nmen to serve him, and they divided the year amongst them.  They were\nGrynn, and Pen Pighon, and Llaes Cymyn, and Gogyfwlch, and Gwrdnei with\ncat\u2019s eyes, who could see as well by night as by day, and Drem the son of\nDremhitid, and Clust the son of Clustveinyd; and these were Arthur\u2019s\nguards.  And on Whit-Tuesday, as the King sat at the banquet, lo! there\nentered a tall, fair-headed youth, clad in a coat and a surcoat of\ndiapered satin, and a golden-hilted sword about his neck, and low shoes\nof leather upon his feet.  And he came, and stood before Arthur.  \u201cHail\nto thee, Lord!\u201d said he.  \u201cHeaven prosper thee,\u201d he answered, \u201cand be\nthou welcome.  Dost thou bring any new tidings?\u201d  \u201cI do, Lord,\u201d he said.\n\u201cI know thee not,\u201d said Arthur.  \u201cIt is a marvel to me that thou dost not\nknow me.  I am one of thy foresters, Lord, in the Forest of Dean, and my\nname is Madawc, the son of Twrgadarn.\u201d  \u201cTell me thine errand,\u201d said\nArthur.  \u201cI will do so, Lord,\u201d said he.  \u201cIn the Forest I saw a stag, the\nlike of which beheld I never yet.\u201d  \u201cWhat is there about him,\u201d asked\nArthur, \u201cthat thou never yet didst see his like?\u201d  \u201cHe is of pure white,\nLord, and he does not herd with any other animal through stateliness and\npride, so royal is his bearing.  And I come to seek thy counsel, Lord,\nand to know thy will concerning him.\u201d  \u201cIt seems best to me,\u201d said\nArthur, \u201cto go and hunt him to-morrow at break of day; and to cause\ngeneral notice thereof to be given to-night in all quarters of the\nCourt.\u201d  And Arryfuerys was Arthur\u2019s chief huntsman, and Arelivri was his\nchief page.  And all received notice; and thus it was arranged.  And they\nsent the youth before them.  Then Gwenhwyvar said to Arthur, \u201cWilt thou\npermit me, Lord,\u201d said she, \u201cto go to-morrow to see and hear the hunt of\nthe stag of which the young man spoke?\u201d  \u201cI will gladly,\u201d said Arthur.\n\u201cThen will I go,\u201d said she.  And Gwalchmai said to Arthur, \u201cLord, if it\nseem well to thee, permit that into whose hunt soever the stag shall\ncome, that one, be he a knight, or one on foot, may cut off his head, and\ngive it to whom he pleases, whether to his own lady-love, or to the lady\nof his friend.\u201d  \u201cI grant it gladly,\u201d said Arthur, \u201cand let the Steward\nof the Household be chastised, if all are not ready to-morrow for the\nchase.\u201d\n\nAnd they passed the night with songs, and diversions, and discourse, and\nample entertainment.  And when it was time for them all to go to sleep,\nthey went.  And when the next day came, they arose; and Arthur called the\nattendants, who guarded his couch.  And these were four pages, whose\nnames were Cadyrnerth the son of Porthawr Gandwy, and Ambreu the son of\nBedwor, and Amhar the son of Arthur, and Goreu the son of Custennin.  And\nthese men came to Arthur and saluted him, and arrayed him in his\ngarments.  And Arthur wondered that Gwenhwyvar did not awake, and did not\nmove in her bed; and the attendants wished to awaken her.  \u201cDisturb her\nnot,\u201d said Arthur, \u201cfor she had rather sleep than go to see the hunting.\u201d\n\nThen Arthur went forth, and he heard two horns sounding, one from near\nthe lodging of the chief huntsman, and the other from near that of the\nchief page.  And the whole assembly of the multitudes came to Arthur, and\nthey took the road to the Forest.\n\nAnd after Arthur had gone forth from the palace, Gwenhwyvar awoke, and\ncalled to her maidens, and apparelled herself.  \u201cMaidens,\u201d said she, \u201cI\nhad leave last night to go and see the hunt.  Go one of you to the\nstable, and order hither a horse such as a woman may ride.\u201d  And one of\nthem went, and she found but two horses in the stable, and Gwenhwyvar and\none of her maidens mounted them, and went through the Usk, and followed\nthe track of the men and the horses.  And as they rode thus, they heard a\nloud and rushing sound; and they looked behind them, and beheld a knight\nupon a hunter foal of mighty size; and the rider was a fair-haired youth,\nbare-legged, and of princely mien, and a golden-hilted sword was at his\nside, and a robe and a surcoat of satin were upon him, and two low shoes\nof leather upon his feet; and around him was a scarf of blue purple, at\neach corner of which was a golden apple.  And his horse stepped stately,\nand swift, and proud; and he overtook Gwenhwyvar, and saluted her.\n\u201cHeaven prosper thee, Geraint,\u201d said she, \u201cI knew thee when first I saw\nthee just now.  And the welcome of Heaven be unto thee.  And why didst\nthou not go with thy lord to hunt?\u201d  \u201cBecause I knew not when he went,\u201d\nsaid he.  \u201cI marvel, too,\u201d said she, \u201chow he could go unknown to me.\u201d\n\u201cIndeed, lady,\u201d said he.  \u201cI was asleep, and knew not when he went; but\nthou, O young man, art the most agreeable companion I could have in the\nwhole kingdom; and it may be, that I shall be more amused with the\nhunting than they; for we shall hear the horns when they sound, and we\nshall hear the dogs when they are let loose, and begin to cry.\u201d  So they\nwent to the edge of the Forest, and there they stood.  \u201cFrom this place,\u201d\nsaid she, \u201cwe shall hear when the dogs are let loose.\u201d  And thereupon,\nthey heard a loud noise, and they looked towards the spot whence it came,\nand they beheld a dwarf riding upon a horse, stately, and foaming, and\nprancing, and strong, and spirited.  And in the hand of the dwarf was a\nwhip.  And near the dwarf they saw a lady upon a beautiful white horse,\nof steady and stately pace; and she was clothed in a garment of gold\nbrocade.  And near her was a knight upon a warhorse of large size, with\nheavy and bright armour both upon himself and upon his horse.  And truly\nthey never before saw a knight, or a horse, or armour, of such remarkable\nsize.  And they were all near to each other.\n\n\u201cGeraint,\u201d said Gwenhwyvar, \u201cknowest thou the name of that tall knight\nyonder?\u201d  \u201cI know him not,\u201d said he, \u201cand the strange armour that he\nwears prevents my either seeing his face or his features.\u201d  \u201cGo, maiden,\u201d\nsaid Gwenhwyvar, \u201cand ask the dwarf who that knight is.\u201d  Then the maiden\nwent up to the dwarf; and the dwarf waited for the maiden, when he saw\nher coming towards him.  And the maiden inquired of the dwarf who the\nknight was.  \u201cI will not tell thee,\u201d he answered.  \u201cSince thou art so\nchurlish as not to tell me,\u201d said she, \u201cI will ask him himself.\u201d  \u201cThou\nshalt not ask him, by my faith,\u201d said he.  \u201cWherefore?\u201d said she.\n\u201cBecause thou art not of honour sufficient to befit thee to speak to my\nLord.\u201d  Then the maiden turned her horse\u2019s head towards the knight, upon\nwhich the dwarf struck her with the whip that was in his hand across the\nface and the eyes, until the blood flowed forth.  And the maiden, through\nthe hurt she received from the blow, returned to Gwenhwyvar, complaining\nof the pain.  \u201cVery rudely has the dwarf treated thee,\u201d said Geraint.  \u201cI\nwill go myself to know who the knight is.\u201d  \u201cGo,\u201d said Gwenhwyvar.  And\nGeraint went up to the dwarf.  \u201cWho is yonder knight?\u201d said Geraint.  \u201cI\nwill not tell thee,\u201d said the dwarf.  \u201cThen will I ask him himself,\u201d said\nhe.  \u201cThat wilt thou not, by my faith,\u201d said the dwarf, \u201cthou art not\nhonourable enough to speak with my Lord.\u201d  Said Geraint, \u201cI have spoken\nwith men of equal rank with him.\u201d  And he turned his horse\u2019s head towards\nthe knight; but the dwarf overtook him, and struck him as he had done the\nmaiden, so that the blood coloured the scarf that Geraint wore.  Then\nGeraint put his hand upon the hilt of his sword, but he took counsel with\nhimself, and considered that it would be no vengeance for him to slay the\ndwarf, and to be attacked unarmed by the armed knight, so he returned to\nwhere Gwenhwyvar was.\n\n\u201cThou hast acted wisely and discreetly,\u201d said she.  \u201cLady,\u201d said he, \u201cI\nwill follow him yet, with thy permission; and at last he will come to\nsome inhabited place, where I may have arms either as a loan or for a\npledge, so that I may encounter the knight.\u201d  \u201cGo,\u201d said she, \u201cand do not\nattack him until thou hast good arms, and I shall be very anxious\nconcerning thee, until I hear tidings of thee.\u201d  \u201cIf I am alive,\u201d said\nhe, \u201cthou shalt hear tidings of me by to-morrow afternoon;\u201d and with that\nhe departed.\n\nAnd the road they took was below the palace of Caerlleon, and across the\nford of the Usk; and they went along a fair, and even, and lofty ridge of\nground, until they came to a town, and at the extremity of the town they\nsaw a Fortress and a Castle.  And they came to the extremity of the town.\nAnd as the knight passed through it, all the people arose, and saluted\nhim, and bade him welcome.  And when Geraint came into the town, he\nlooked at every house, to see if he knew any of those whom he saw.  But\nhe knew none, and none knew him to do him the kindness to let him have\narms either as a loan or for a pledge.  And every house he saw was full\nof men, and arms, and horses.  And they were polishing shields, and\nburnishing swords, and washing armour, and shoeing horses.  And the\nknight, and the lady, and the dwarf rode up to the Castle that was in the\ntown, and every one was glad in the Castle.  And from the battlements and\nthe gates they risked their necks, through their eagerness to greet them,\nand to show their joy.\n\nGeraint stood there to see whether the knight would remain in the Castle;\nand when he was certain that he would do so, he looked around him; and at\na little distance from the town he saw an old palace in ruins, wherein\nwas a hall that was falling to decay.  And as he knew not any one in the\ntown, he went towards the old palace; and when he came near to the\npalace, he saw but one chamber, and a bridge of marble-stone leading to\nit.  And upon the bridge he saw sitting a hoary-headed man, upon whom\nwere tattered garments.  And Geraint gazed steadfastly upon him for a\nlong time.  Then the hoary-headed man spoke to him.  \u201cYoung man,\u201d he\nsaid, \u201cwherefore art thou thoughtful?\u201d  \u201cI am thoughtful,\u201d said he,\n\u201cbecause I know not where to go to-night.\u201d  \u201cWilt thou come forward this\nway, chieftain?\u201d said he, \u201cand thou shalt have of the best that can be\nprocured for thee.\u201d  So Geraint went forward.  And the hoary-headed man\npreceded him into the hall.  And in the hall he dismounted, and he left\nthere his horse.  Then he went on to the upper chamber with the\nhoary-headed man.  And in the chamber he beheld an old decrepit woman,\nsitting on a cushion, with old, tattered garments of satin upon her; and\nit seemed to him that he had never seen a woman fairer than she must have\nbeen, when in the fulness of youth.  And beside her was a maiden, upon\nwhom were a vest and a veil, that were old, and beginning to be worn out.\nAnd truly, he never saw a maiden more full of comeliness, and grace, and\nbeauty than she.  And the hoary-headed man said to the maiden, \u201cThere is\nno attendant for the horse of this youth but thyself.\u201d  \u201cI will render\nthe best service I am able,\u201d said she, \u201cboth to him and to his horse.\u201d\nAnd the maiden disarrayed the youth, and then she furnished his horse\nwith straw and with corn.  And she went to the hall as before, and then\nshe returned to the chamber.  And the hoary-headed man said to the\nmaiden, \u201cGo to the town,\u201d said he, \u201cand bring hither the best that thou\ncanst find both of food and of liquor.\u201d  \u201cI will, gladly, Lord,\u201d said\nshe.  And to the town went the maiden.  And they conversed together while\nthe maiden was at the town.  And, behold! the maiden came back, and a\nyouth with her, bearing on his back a costrel full of good purchased\nmead, and a quarter of a young bullock.  And in the hands of the maiden\nwas a quantity of white bread, and she had some manchet bread in her\nveil, and she came into the chamber.  \u201cI could not obtain better than\nthis,\u201d said she, \u201cnor with better should I have been trusted.\u201d  \u201cIt is\ngood enough,\u201d said Geraint.  And they caused the meat to be boiled; and\nwhen their food was ready, they sat down.  And it was on this wise;\nGeraint sat between the hoary-headed man and his wife, and the maiden\nserved them.  And they ate and drank.\n\nAnd when they had finished eating, Geraint talked with the hoary-headed\nman, and he asked him in the first place, to whom belonged the palace\nthat he was in.  \u201cTruly,\u201d said he, \u201cit was I that built it, and to me\nalso belonged the city and the castle which thou sawest.\u201d  \u201cAlas!\u201d said\nGeraint, \u201chow is it that thou hast lost them now?\u201d  \u201cI lost a great\nEarldom as well as these,\u201d said he; \u201cand this is how I lost them.  I had\na nephew, the son of my brother, and I took his possessions to myself;\nand when he came to his strength, he demanded of me his property, but I\nwithheld it from him.  So he made war upon me, and wrested from me all\nthat I possessed.\u201d  \u201cGood Sir,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cwilt thou tell me\nwherefore came the knight, and the lady, and the dwarf, just now into the\ntown, and what is the preparation which I saw, and the putting of arms in\norder?\u201d  \u201cI will do so,\u201d said he.  \u201cThe preparations are for the game\nthat is to be held to-morrow by the young Earl, which will be on this\nwise.  In the midst of a meadow which is here, two forks will be set up,\nand upon the two forks a silver rod, and upon the silver rod a\nSparrow-Hawk, and for the Sparrow-Hawk there will be a tournament.  And\nto the tournament will go all the array thou didst see in the city, of\nmen, and of horses, and of arms.  And with each man will go the lady he\nloves best; and no man can joust for the Sparrow-Hawk, except the lady he\nloves best be with him.  And the knight that thou sawest has gained the\nSparrow-Hawk these two years; and if he gains it the third year, they\nwill, from that time, send it every year to him, and he himself will come\nhere no more.  And he will be called the Knight of the Sparrow-Hawk from\nthat time forth.\u201d  \u201cSir,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cwhat is thy counsel to me\nconcerning this knight, on account of the insult which I received from\nthe dwarf, and that which was received by the maiden of Gwenhwyvar, the\nwife of Arthur?\u201d  And Geraint told the hoary-headed man what the insult\nwas that he had received.  \u201cIt is not easy to counsel thee, inasmuch as\nthou hast neither dame nor maiden belonging to thee, for whom thou canst\njoust.  Yet, I have arms here, which thou couldest have; and there is my\nhorse also, if he seem to thee better than thine own.\u201d  \u201cAh!  Sir,\u201d said\nhe, \u201cHeaven reward thee.  But my own horse, to which I am accustomed,\ntogether with thy arms, will suffice me.  And if, when the appointed time\nshall come to-morrow, thou wilt permit me, Sir, to challenge for yonder\nmaiden that is thy daughter, I will engage, if I escape from the\ntournament, to love the maiden as long as I live; and if I do not escape,\nshe will remain unsullied as before.\u201d  \u201cGladly will I permit thee,\u201d said\nthe hoary-headed man, \u201cand since thou dost thus resolve, it is necessary\nthat thy horse and arms should be ready to-morrow at break of day.  For\nthen the Knight of the Sparrow-Hawk will make proclamation, and ask the\nlady he loves best to take the Sparrow-Hawk.  \u2018For,\u2019 will he say to her,\n\u2018thou art the fairest of women, and thou didst possess it last year, and\nthe year previous; and if any deny it thee to-day, by force will I defend\nit for thee.\u2019  And therefore,\u201d said the hoary-headed man, \u201cit is needful\nfor thee to be there at daybreak; and we three will be with thee.\u201d  And\nthus was it settled.\n\nAnd at night, lo! they went to sleep; and before the dawn they arose, and\narrayed themselves; and by the time that it was day, they were all four\nin the meadow.  And there was the Knight of the Sparrow-Hawk making the\nproclamation, and asking his lady-love to fetch the Sparrow-Hawk.  \u201cFetch\nit not,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cfor there is here a maiden, who is fairer, and\nmore noble, and more comely, and who has a better claim to it than thou.\u201d\n\u201cIf thou maintainest the Sparrow-Hawk to be due to her, come forward, and\ndo battle with me.\u201d  And Geraint went forward to the top of the meadow,\nhaving upon himself and upon his horse armour which was heavy, and rusty,\nand worthless, and of uncouth shape.  Then they encountered each other,\nand they broke a set of lances, and they broke a second set, and a third.\nAnd thus they did at every onset, and they broke as many lances as were\nbrought to them.  And when the Earl and his company saw the Knight of the\nSparrow-Hawk gaining the mastery, there was shouting, and joy, and mirth\namongst them.  And the hoary-headed man, and his wife, and his daughter\nwere sorrowful.  And the hoary-headed man served Geraint lances as often\nas he broke them, and the dwarf served the Knight of the Sparrow-Hawk.\nThen the hoary-headed man came to Geraint.  \u201cOh! chieftain,\u201d said he,\n\u201csince no other will hold with thee, behold, here is the lance which was\nin my hand on the day when I received the honour of knighthood; and from\nthat time to this I never broke it.  And it has an excellent point.\u201d\nThen Geraint took the lance, thanking the hoary-headed man.  And\nthereupon the dwarf also brought a lance to his lord.  \u201cBehold, here is a\nlance for thee, not less good than his,\u201d said the dwarf.  \u201cAnd bethink\nthee, that no knight ever withstood thee before so long as this one has\ndone.\u201d  \u201cI declare to Heaven,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cthat unless death takes me\nquickly hence, he shall fare never the better for thy service.\u201d  And\nGeraint pricked his horse towards him from afar, and warning him, he\nrushed upon him, and gave him a blow so severe, and furious, and fierce,\nupon the face of his shield, that he cleft it in two, and broke his\narmour, and burst his girths, so that both he and his saddle were borne\nto the ground over the horse\u2019s crupper.  And Geraint dismounted quickly.\nAnd he was wroth, and he drew his sword, and rushed fiercely upon him.\nThen the knight also arose, and drew his sword against Geraint.  And they\nfought on foot with their swords until their arms struck sparks of fire\nlike stars from one another; and thus they continued fighting until the\nblood and sweat obscured the light from their eyes.  And when Geraint\nprevailed, the hoary-headed man, and his wife, and his daughter were\nglad; and when the knight prevailed, it rejoiced the Earl and his party.\nThen the hoary-headed man saw Geraint receive a severe stroke, and he\nwent up to him quickly, and said to him, \u201cOh, chieftain, remember the\ntreatment which thou hadst from the dwarf; and wilt thou not seek\nvengeance for the insult to thyself, and for the insult to Gwenhwyvar the\nwife of Arthur!\u201d  And Geraint was roused by what he said to him, and he\ncalled to him all his strength, and lifted up his sword, and struck the\nknight upon the crown of his head, so that he broke all his head-armour,\nand cut through all the flesh and the skin, even to the skull, until he\nwounded the bone.\n\nThen the knight fell upon his knees, and cast his sword from his hand,\nand besought mercy of Geraint.  \u201cOf a truth,\u201d said he, \u201cI relinquish my\noverdaring and my pride in craving thy mercy; and unless I have time to\ncommit myself to Heaven for my sins, and to talk with a priest, thy mercy\nwill avail me little.\u201d  \u201cI will grant thee grace upon this condition,\u201d\nsaid Geraint, \u201cthat thou wilt go to Gwenhwyvar the wife of Arthur, to do\nher satisfaction for the insult which her maiden received from thy dwarf.\nAs to myself, for the insult which I received from thee and thy dwarf, I\nam content with that which I have done unto thee.  Dismount not from the\ntime thou goest hence until thou comest into the presence of Gwenhwyvar,\nto make her what atonement shall be adjudged at the Court of Arthur.\u201d\n\u201cThis will I do gladly.  And who art thou?\u201d said he.  \u201cI am Geraint the\nson of Erbin.  And declare thou also who thou art.\u201d  \u201cI am Edeyrn the son\nof Nudd.\u201d  Then he threw himself upon his horse, and went forward to\nArthur\u2019s Court, and the lady he loved best went before him and the dwarf,\nwith much lamentation.  And thus far this story up to that time.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\nThen came the little Earl and his hosts to Geraint, and saluted him, and\nbade him to his castle.  \u201cI may not go,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cbut where I was\nlast night, there will I be to-night also.\u201d  \u201cSince thou wilt none of my\ninviting, thou shalt have abundance of all that I can command for thee,\nin the place thou wast last night.  And I will order ointment for thee,\nto recover thee from thy fatigues, and from the weariness that is upon\nthee.\u201d  \u201cHeaven reward thee,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cand I will go to my\nlodging.\u201d  And thus went Geraint, and Earl Ynywl, and his wife, and his\ndaughter.  And when they reached the chamber, the household servants and\nattendants of the young Earl had arrived at the Court, and they arranged\nall the houses, dressing them with straw and with fire; and in a short\ntime the ointment was ready, and Geraint came there, and they washed his\nhead.  Then came the young Earl, with forty honourable knights from among\nhis attendants, and those who were bidden to the tournament.  And Geraint\ncame from the anointing.  And the Earl asked him to go to the hall to\neat.  \u201cWhere is the Earl Ynywl,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cand his wife, and his\ndaughter?\u201d  \u201cThey are in the chamber yonder,\u201d said the Earl\u2019s\nchamberlain, \u201carraying themselves in garments which the Earl has caused\nto be brought for them.\u201d  \u201cLet not the damsel array herself,\u201d said he,\n\u201cexcept in her vest and her veil, until she come to the Court of Arthur,\nto be clad by Gwenhwyvar in such garments as she may choose.\u201d  So the\nmaiden did not array herself.\n\nThen they all entered the hall, and they washed, and went, and sat down\nto meat.  And thus were they seated.  On one side of Geraint sat the\nyoung Earl, and Earl Ynywl beyond him; and on the other side of Geraint\nwere the maiden and her mother.  And after these all sat according to\ntheir precedence in honour.  And they ate.  And they were served\nabundantly, and they received a profusion of divers kind of gifts.  Then\nthey conversed together.  And the young Earl invited Geraint to visit him\nnext day.  \u201cI will not, by Heaven,\u201d said Geraint.  \u201cTo the Court of\nArthur will I go with this maiden to-morrow.  And it is enough for me, as\nlong as Earl Ynywl is in poverty and trouble; and I go chiefly to seek to\nadd to his maintenance.\u201d  \u201cAh, chieftain,\u201d said the young Earl, \u201cit is\nnot by my fault that Earl Ynywl is without his possessions.\u201d  \u201cBy my\nfaith,\u201d said Geraint, \u201che shall not remain without them, unless death\nquickly takes me hence.\u201d  \u201cOh, chieftain,\u201d said he, \u201cwith regard to the\ndisagreement between me and Ynywl, I will gladly abide by thy counsel,\nand agree to what thou mayest judge right between us.\u201d  \u201cI but ask thee,\u201d\nsaid Geraint, \u201cto restore to him what is his, and what he should have\nreceived from the time he lost his possessions, even until this day.\u201d\n\u201cThat I will do gladly, for thee,\u201d answered he.  \u201cThen,\u201d said Geraint,\n\u201cwhosoever is here who owes homage to Ynywl, let him come forward, and\nperform it on the spot.\u201d  And all the men did so.  And by that treaty\nthey abided.  And his castle, and his town, and all his possessions were\nrestored to Ynywl.  And he received back all that he had lost, even to\nthe smallest jewel.\n\nThen spoke Earl Ynywl to Geraint.  \u201cChieftain,\u201d said he, \u201cbehold the\nmaiden for whom thou didst challenge at the tournament, I bestow her upon\nthee.\u201d  \u201cShe shall go with me,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cto the Court of Arthur;\nand Arthur and Gwenhwyvar they shall dispose of her as they will.\u201d  And\nthe next day they proceeded to Arthur\u2019s Court.  So far concerning\nGeraint.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\nNow, this is how Arthur hunted the stag.  The men and the dogs were\ndivided into hunting parties, and the dogs were let loose upon the stag.\nAnd the last dog that was let loose was the favourite dog of Arthur.\nCavall was his name.  And he left all the other dogs behind him, and\nturned the stag.  And at the second turn, the stag came towards the\nhunting party of Arthur.  And Arthur set upon him.  And before he could\nbe slain by any other, Arthur cut off his head.  Then they sounded the\ndeath horn for slaying, and they all gathered round.\n\nThen came Kadyrieith to Arthur, and spoke to him.  \u201cLord,\u201d said he,\n\u201cbehold, yonder is Gwenhwyvar, and none with her save only one maiden.\u201d\n\u201cCommand Gildas the son of Caw, and all the scholars of the Court,\u201d said\nArthur, \u201cto attend Gwenhwyvar to the palace.\u201d  And they did so.\n\nThen they all set forth, holding converse together concerning the head of\nthe stag, to whom it should be given.  One wished that it should be given\nto the lady best beloved by him, and another to the lady whom he loved\nbest.  And all they of the household, and the knights, disputed sharply\nconcerning the head.  And with that they came to the palace.  And when\nArthur and Gwenhwyvar heard them disputing about the head of the stag,\nGwenhwyvar said to Arthur, \u201cMy lord, this is my counsel concerning the\nstag\u2019s head; let it not be given away until Geraint the son of Erbin\nshall return from the errand he is upon.\u201d  And Gwenhwyvar told Arthur\nwhat that errand was.  \u201cRight gladly shall it be so,\u201d said Arthur.  And\nthus it was settled.  And the next day Gwenhwyvar caused a watch to be\nset upon the ramparts for Geraint\u2019s coming.  And after mid-day they\nbeheld an unshapely little man upon a horse, and after him, as they\nsupposed, a dame or a damsel, also on horseback, and after her a knight\nof large stature, bowed down, and hanging his head low and sorrowfully,\nand clad in broken and worthless armour.\n\nAnd before they came near to the gate, one of the watch went to\nGwenhwyvar, and told her what kind of people they saw, and what aspect\nthey bore.  \u201cI know not who they are,\u201d said he.  \u201cBut I know,\u201d said\nGwenhwyvar; \u201cthis is the knight whom Geraint pursued, and methinks that\nhe comes not here by his own free will.  But Geraint has overtaken him,\nand avenged the insult to the maiden to the uttermost.\u201d  And thereupon,\nbehold a porter came to the spot where Gwenhwyvar was.  \u201cLady,\u201d said he,\n\u201cat the gate there is a knight, and I saw never a man of so pitiful an\naspect to look upon as he.  Miserable and broken is the armour that he\nwears, and the hue of blood is more conspicuous upon it than its own\ncolour.\u201d  \u201cKnowest thou his name?\u201d said she.  \u201cI do,\u201d said he; \u201che tells\nme that he is Edeyrn the son of Nudd.\u201d  Then she replied, \u201cI know him\nnot.\u201d\n\nSo Gwenhwyvar went to the gate to meet him, and he entered.  And\nGwenhwyvar was sorry when she saw the condition he was in, even though he\nwas accompanied by the churlish dwarf.  Then Edeyrn saluted Gwenhwyvar.\n\u201cHeaven protect thee,\u201d said she.  \u201cLady,\u201d said he, \u201cGeraint the son of\nErbin, thy best and most valiant servant, greets thee.\u201d  \u201cDid he meet\nthee?\u201d she asked.  \u201cYes,\u201d said he, \u201cand it was not to my advantage; and\nthat was not his fault, but mine, Lady.  And Geraint greets thee well;\nand in greeting thee he compelled me to come hither to do thy pleasure\nfor the insult which thy maiden received from the dwarf.  He forgives the\ninsult to himself, in consideration of his having put me in peril of my\nlife.  And he imposed on me a condition, manly, and honourable, and\nwarrior-like, which was to do thee justice, Lady.\u201d  \u201cNow, where did he\novertake thee?\u201d  \u201cAt the place where we were jousting, and contending for\nthe Sparrow-Hawk, in the town which is now called Cardiff.  And there\nwere none with him save three persons, of a mean and tattered condition.\nAnd these were an aged, hoary-headed man, and a woman advanced in years,\nand a fair young maiden, clad in worn-out garments.  And it was for the\navouchment of the love of that maiden that Geraint jousted for the\nSparrow-Hawk at the tournament, for he said that that maiden was better\nentitled to the Sparrow-Hawk than this maiden who was with me.  And\nthereupon we encountered each other, and he left me, Lady, as thou\nseest.\u201d  \u201cSir,\u201d said she, \u201cwhen thinkest thou that Geraint will be here?\u201d\n\u201cTo-morrow, Lady, I think he will be here with the maiden.\u201d\n\nThen Arthur came to him, and he saluted Arthur; and Arthur gazed a long\ntime upon him, and was amazed to see him thus.  And thinking that he knew\nhim, he inquired of him, \u201cArt thou Edeyrn the son of Nudd?\u201d  \u201cI am,\nLord,\u201d said he, \u201cand I have met with much trouble, and received wounds\nunsupportable.\u201d  Then he told Arthur all his adventure.  \u201cWell,\u201d said\nArthur, \u201cfrom what I hear, it behoves Gwenhwyvar to be merciful towards\nthee.\u201d  \u201cThe mercy which thou desirest, Lord,\u201d said she, \u201cwill I grant to\nhim, since it is as insulting to thee that an insult should be offered to\nme as to thyself.\u201d  \u201cThus will it be best to do,\u201d said Arthur; \u201clet this\nman have medical care until it be known whether he may live.  And if he\nlive, he shall do such satisfaction as shall be judged best by the men of\nthe Court; and take thou sureties to that effect.  And if he die, too\nmuch will be the death of such a youth as Edeyrn for an insult to a\nmaiden.\u201d  \u201cThis pleases me,\u201d said Gwenhwyvar.  And Arthur became surety\nfor Edeyrn, and Caradawc the son of Llyr, Gwallawg the son of Llenawg,\nand Owain the son of Nudd, and Gwalchmai, and many others with them.  And\nArthur caused Morgan Tud to be called to him.  He was the chief\nphysician.  \u201cTake with thee Edeyrn the son of Nudd, and cause a chamber\nto be prepared for him, and let him have the aid of medicine as thou\nwouldst do unto myself, if I were wounded, and let none into his chamber\nto molest him, but thyself and thy disciples, to administer to him\nremedies.\u201d  \u201cI will do so gladly, Lord,\u201d said Morgan Tud.  Then said the\nsteward of the household, \u201cWhither is it right, Lord, to order the\nmaiden?\u201d  \u201cTo Gwenhwyvar and her handmaidens,\u201d said he.  And the steward\nof the household so ordered her.  Thus far concerning them.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\nThe next day came Geraint towards the Court; and there was a watch set on\nthe ramparts by Gwenhwyvar, lest he should arrive unawares.  And one of\nthe watch came to the place where Gwenhwyvar was.  \u201cLady,\u201d said he,\n\u201cmethinks that I see Geraint, and the maiden with him.  He is on\nhorseback, but he has his walking gear upon him, and the maiden appears\nto be in white, seeming to be clad in a garment of linen.\u201d  \u201cAssemble all\nthe women,\u201d said Gwenhwyvar, \u201cand come to meet Geraint, to welcome him,\nand wish him joy.\u201d  And Gwenhwyvar went to meet Geraint and the maiden.\nAnd when Geraint came to the place where Gwenhwyvar was, he saluted her.\n\u201cHeaven prosper thee,\u201d said she, \u201cand welcome to thee.  And thy career\nhas been successful, and fortunate, and resistless, and glorious.  And\nHeaven reward thee, that thou hast so proudly caused me to have\nretribution.\u201d  \u201cLady,\u201d said he, \u201cI earnestly desired to obtain thee\nsatisfaction according to thy will; and, behold, here is the maiden\nthrough whom thou hadst thy revenge.\u201d  \u201cVerily,\u201d said Gwenhwyvar, \u201cthe\nwelcome of Heaven be unto her; and it is fitting that we should receive\nher joyfully.\u201d  Then they went in, and dismounted.  And Geraint came to\nwhere Arthur was, and saluted him.  \u201cHeaven protect thee,\u201d said Arthur,\n\u201cand the welcome of Heaven be unto thee.  And since Edeyrn the son of\nNudd has received his overthrow and wounds from thy hands, thou hast had\na prosperous career.\u201d  \u201cNot upon me be the blame,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cit was\nthrough the arrogance of Edeyrn the son of Nudd himself that we were not\nfriends.  I would not quit him until I knew who he was, and until the one\nhad vanquished the other.\u201d  \u201cNow,\u201d said Arthur, \u201cwhere is the maiden for\nwhom I heard thou didst give challenge?\u201d  \u201cShe is gone with Gwenhwyvar to\nher chamber.\u201d\n\nThen went Arthur to see the maiden.  And Arthur, and all his companions,\nand his whole Court, were glad concerning the maiden.  And certain were\nthey all, that had her array been suitable to her beauty, they had never\nseen a maid fairer than she.  And Arthur gave away the maiden to Geraint.\nAnd the usual bond made between two persons was made between Geraint and\nthe maiden, and the choicest of all Gwenhwyvar\u2019s apparel was given to the\nmaiden; and thus arrayed, she appeared comely and graceful to all who\nbeheld her.  And that day and that night were spent in abundance of\nminstrelsy, and ample gifts of liquor, and a multitude of games.  And\nwhen it was time for them to go to sleep, they went.  And in the chamber\nwhere the couch of Arthur and Gwenhwyvar was, the couch of Geraint and\nEnid was prepared.  And from that time she became his bride.  And the\nnext day Arthur satisfied all the claimants upon Geraint with bountiful\ngifts.  And the maiden took up her abode in the palace; and she had many\ncompanions, both men and women, and there was no maiden more esteemed\nthan she in the Island of Britain.\n\nThen spake Gwenhwyvar.  \u201cRightly did I judge,\u201d said she, \u201cconcerning the\nhead of the stag, that it should not be given to any until Geraint\u2019s\nreturn; and, behold, here is a fit occasion for bestowing it.  Let it be\ngiven to Enid the daughter of Ynywl, the most illustrious maiden.  And I\ndo not believe that any will begrudge it her, for between her and every\none here there exists nothing but love and friendship.\u201d  Much applauded\nwas this by them all, and by Arthur also.  And the head of the stag was\ngiven to Enid.  And thereupon her fame increased, and her friends\nthenceforward became more in number than before.  And Geraint from that\ntime forth loved the stag, and the tournament, and hard encounters; and\nhe came victorious from them all.  And a year, and a second, and a third,\nhe proceeded thus, until his fame had flown over the face of the kingdom.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\nAnd once upon a time Arthur was holding his Court at Caerlleon upon Usk,\nat Whitsuntide.  And, behold, there came to him ambassadors, wise and\nprudent, full of knowledge, and eloquent of speech, and they saluted\nArthur.  \u201cHeaven prosper you,\u201d said Arthur, \u201cand the welcome of Heaven be\nunto you.  And whence do you come?\u201d  \u201cWe come, Lord,\u201d said they, \u201cfrom\nCornwall; and we are ambassadors from Erbin the son of Custennin, thy\nuncle, and our mission is unto thee.  And he greets thee well, as an\nuncle should greet his nephew, and as a vassal should greet his lord.\nAnd he represents unto thee that he waxes heavy and feeble, and is\nadvancing in years.  And the neighbouring chiefs, knowing this, grow\ninsolent towards him, and covet his land and possessions.  And he\nearnestly beseeches thee, Lord, to permit Geraint his son to return to\nhim, to protect his possessions, and to become acquainted with his\nboundaries.  And unto him he represents that it were better for him to\nspend the flower of his youth and the prime of his age in preserving his\nown boundaries, than in tournaments, which are productive of no profit,\nalthough he obtains glory in them.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell,\u201d said Arthur, \u201cgo, and divest yourselves of your accoutrements,\nand take food, and refresh yourselves after your fatigues; and before you\ngo forth hence you shall have an answer.\u201d  And they went to eat.  And\nArthur considered that it would go hard with him to let Geraint depart\nfrom him and from his Court; neither did he think it fair that his cousin\nshould be restrained from going to protect his dominions and his\nboundaries, seeing that his father was unable to do so.  No less was the\ngrief and regret of Gwenhwyvar, and all her women, and all her damsels,\nthrough fear that the maiden would leave them.  And that day and that\nnight were spent in abundance of feasting.  And Arthur showed Geraint the\ncause of the mission, and of the coming of the ambassadors to him out of\nCornwall.  \u201cTruly,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cbe it to my advantage or disadvantage,\nLord, I will do according to thy will concerning this embassy.\u201d\n\u201cBehold,\u201d said Arthur, \u201cthough it grieves me to part with thee, it is my\ncounsel that thou go to dwell in thine own dominions, and to defend thy\nboundaries, and to take with thee to accompany thee as many as thou wilt\nof those thou lovest best among my faithful ones, and among thy friends,\nand among thy companions in arms.\u201d  \u201cHeaven reward thee; and this will I\ndo,\u201d said Geraint.  \u201cWhat discourse,\u201d said Gwenhwyvar, \u201cdo I hear between\nyou?  Is it of those who are to conduct Geraint to his country?\u201d  \u201cIt\nis,\u201d said Arthur.  \u201cThen it is needful for me to consider,\u201d said she,\n\u201cconcerning companions and a provision for the lady that is with me?\u201d\n\u201cThou wilt do well,\u201d said Arthur.\n\nAnd that night they went to sleep.  And the next day the ambassadors were\npermitted to depart, and they were told that Geraint should follow them.\nAnd on the third day Geraint set forth, and many went with him.\nGwalchmai the son of Gwyar, and Riogonedd the son of the king of Ireland,\nand Ondyaw the son of the duke of Burgundy, Gwilim the son of the ruler\nof the Franks, Howel the son of Emyr of Brittany, Elivry, and Nawkyrd,\nGwynn the son of Tringad, Goreu the son of Custennin, Gweir Gwrhyd Vawr,\nGarannaw the son of Golithmer, Peredur the son of Evrawc, Gwynnllogell,\nGwyr a judge in the Court of Arthur, Dyvyr the son of Alun of Dyved,\nGwrei Gwalstawd Ieithoedd, Bedwyr the son of Bedrawd, Hadwry the son of\nGwryon, Kai the son of Kynyr, Odyar the Frank, the Steward of Arthur\u2019s\nCourt, and Edeyrn the son of Nudd.  Said Geraint, \u201cI think that I shall\nhave enough of knighthood with me.\u201d  \u201cYes,\u201d said Arthur, \u201cbut it will not\nbe fitting for thee to take Edeyrn with thee, although he is well, until\npeace shall be made between him and Gwenhwyvar.\u201d  \u201cGwenhwyvar can permit\nhim to go with me, if he give sureties.\u201d  \u201cIf she please, she can let him\ngo without sureties, for enough of pain and affliction has he suffered\nfor the insult which the maiden received from the dwarf.\u201d  \u201cTruly,\u201d said\nGwenhwyvar, \u201csince it seems well to thee and to Geraint, I will do this\ngladly, Lord.\u201d  Then she permitted Edeyrn freely to depart.  And many\nthere were who accompanied Geraint, and they set forth; and never was\nthere seen a fairer host journeying towards the Severn.  And on the other\nside of the Severn were the nobles of Erbin the son of Custennin, and his\nfoster-father at their head, to welcome Geraint with gladness; and many\nof the women of the Court, with his mother, came to receive Enid the\ndaughter of Ynywl, his wife.  And there was great rejoicing and gladness\nthroughout the whole Court, and throughout all the country, concerning\nGeraint, because of the greatness of their love towards him, and of the\ngreatness of the fame which he had gained since he went from amongst\nthem, and because he was come to take possession of his dominions and to\npreserve his boundaries.  And they came to the Court.  And in the Court\nthey had ample entertainment, and a multitude of gifts and abundance of\nliquor, and a sufficiency of service, and a variety of minstrelsy and of\ngames.  And to do honour to Geraint, all the chief men of the country\nwere invited that night to visit him.  And they passed that day and that\nnight in the utmost enjoyment.  And at dawn next day Erbin arose, and\nsummoned to him Geraint, and the noble persons who had borne him company.\nAnd he said to Geraint, \u201cI am a feeble and aged man, and whilst I was\nable to maintain the dominion for thee and for myself, I did so.  But\nthou art young, and in the flower of thy vigour and of thy youth;\nhenceforth do thou preserve thy possessions.\u201d  \u201cTruly,\u201d said Geraint,\n\u201cwith my consent thou shalt not give the power over thy dominions at this\ntime into my hands, and thou shalt not take me from Arthur\u2019s Court.\u201d\n\u201cInto thy hands will I give them,\u201d said Erbin, \u201cand this day also shalt\nthou receive the homage of thy subjects.\u201d\n\nThen said Gwalchmai, \u201cIt were better for thee to satisfy those who have\nboons to ask, to-day, and to-morrow thou canst receive the homage of thy\ndominions.\u201d  So all that had boons to ask were summoned into one place.\nAnd Kadyrieith came to them, to know what were their requests.  And every\none asked that which he desired.  And the followers of Arthur began to\nmake gifts, and immediately the men of Cornwall came, and gave also.  And\nthey were not long in giving, so eager was every one to bestow gifts.\nAnd of those who came to ask gifts, none departed unsatisfied.  And that\nday and that night were spent in the utmost enjoyment.\n\nAnd the next day, at dawn, Erbin desired Geraint to send messengers to\nthe men, to ask them whether it was displeasing to them that he should\ncome to receive their homage, and whether they had anything to object to\nhim.  Then Geraint sent ambassadors to the men of Cornwall, to ask them\nthis.  And they all said that it would be the fulness of joy and honour\nto them for Geraint to come and receive their homage.  So he received the\nhomage of such as were there.  And they remained with him till the third\nnight.  And the day after the followers of Arthur intended to go away.\n\u201cIt is too soon for you to go away yet,\u201d said he, \u201cstay with me until I\nhave finished receiving the homage of my chief men, who have agreed to\ncome to me.\u201d  And they remained with him until he had done so.  Then they\nset forth towards the Court of Arthur; and Geraint went to bear them\ncompany, and Enid also, as far as Diganhwy: there they parted.  Then\nOndyaw the son of the duke of Burgundy said to Geraint, \u201cGo first of all\nand visit the uppermost parts of thy dominions, and see well to the\nboundaries of thy territories; and if thou hast any trouble respecting\nthem, send unto thy companions.\u201d  \u201cHeaven reward thee,\u201d said Geraint,\n\u201cand this will I do.\u201d  And Geraint journeyed to the uttermost part of his\ndominions.  And experienced guides, and the chief men of his country,\nwent with him.  And the furthermost point that they showed him he kept\npossession of.\n\nAnd, as he had been used to do when he was at Arthur\u2019s Court, he\nfrequented tournaments.  And he became acquainted with valiant and mighty\nmen, until he had gained as much fame there as he had formerly done\nelsewhere.  And he enriched his Court, and his companions, and his\nnobles, with the best horses and the best arms, and with the best and\nmost valuable jewels, and he ceased not until his fame had flown over the\nface of the whole kingdom.  And when he knew that it was thus, he began\nto love ease and pleasure, for there was no one who was worth his\nopposing.  And he loved his wife, and liked to continue in the palace,\nwith minstrelsy and diversions.  And for a long time he abode at home.\nAnd after that he began to shut himself up in the chamber of his wife,\nand he took no delight in anything besides, insomuch that he gave up the\nfriendship of his nobles, together with his hunting and his amusements,\nand lost the hearts of all the host in his Court; and there was murmuring\nand scoffing concerning him among the inhabitants of the palace, on\naccount of his relinquishing so completely their companionship for the\nlove of his wife.  And these tidings came to Erbin.  And when Erbin had\nheard these things, he spoke unto Enid, and inquired of her whether it\nwas she that had caused Geraint to act thus, and to forsake his people\nand his hosts.  \u201cNot I, by my confession unto Heaven,\u201d said she, \u201cthere\nis nothing more hateful to me than this.\u201d  And she knew not what she\nshould do, for, although it was hard for her to own this to Geraint, yet\nwas it not more easy for her to listen to what she heard, without warning\nGeraint concerning it.  And she was very sorrowful.\n\nAnd one morning in the summer time, they were upon their couch, and\nGeraint lay upon the edge of it.  And Enid was without sleep in the\napartment, which had windows of glass.  And the sun shone upon the couch.\nAnd the clothes had slipped from off his arms and his breast, and he was\nasleep.  Then she gazed upon the marvellous beauty of his appearance, and\nshe said, \u201cAlas, and am I the cause that these arms and this breast have\nlost their glory and the warlike fame which they once so richly enjoyed!\u201d\nAnd as she said this, the tears dropped from her eyes, and they fell upon\nhis breast.  And the tears she shed, and the words she had spoken, awoke\nhim; and another thing contributed to awaken him, and that was the idea\nthat it was not in thinking of him that she spoke thus, but that it was\nbecause she loved some other man more than him, and that she wished for\nother society, and thereupon Geraint was troubled in his mind, and he\ncalled his squire; and when he came to him, \u201cGo quickly,\u201d said he, \u201cand\nprepare my horse and my arms, and make them ready.  And do thou arise,\u201d\nsaid he to Enid, \u201cand apparel thyself; and cause thy horse to be\naccoutred, and clothe thee in the worst riding-dress that thou hast in\nthy possession.  And evil betide me,\u201d said he, \u201cif thou returnest here\nuntil thou knowest whether I have lost my strength so completely as thou\ndidst say.  And if it be so, it will then be easy for thee to seek the\nsociety thou didst wish for of him of whom thou wast thinking.\u201d  So she\narose, and clothed herself in her meanest garments.  \u201cI know nothing,\nLord,\u201d said she, \u201cof thy meaning.\u201d  \u201cNeither wilt thou know at this\ntime,\u201d said he.\n\nThen Geraint went to see Erbin.  \u201cSir,\u201d said he, \u201cI am going upon a\nquest, and I am not certain when I may come back.  Take heed, therefore,\nunto thy possessions, until my return.\u201d  \u201cI will do so,\u201d said he, \u201cbut it\nis strange to me that thou shouldest go so suddenly.  And who will\nproceed with thee, since thou art not strong enough to traverse the land\nof Lloegyr alone?\u201d  \u201cBut one person only will go with me.\u201d  \u201cHeaven\ncounsel thee, my son,\u201d said Erbin, \u201cand may many attach themselves to\nthee in Lloegyr.\u201d  Then went Geraint to the place where his horse was,\nand it was equipped with foreign armour, heavy and shining.  And he\ndesired Enid to mount her horse, and to ride forward, and to keep a long\nway before him.  \u201cAnd whatever thou mayest see, and whatever thou mayest\nhear concerning me,\u201d said he, \u201cdo thou not turn back.  And unless I speak\nunto thee, say not thou one word either.\u201d  And they set forward.  And he\ndid not choose the pleasantest and most frequented road, but that which\nwas the wildest and most beset by thieves, and robbers, and venomous\nanimals.  And they came to a high road, which they followed till they saw\na vast forest, and they went towards it, and they saw four armed horsemen\ncome forth from the forest.  When the horsemen had beheld them, one of\nthem said to the others, \u201cBehold, here is a good occasion for us to\ncapture two horses and armour, and a lady likewise; for this we shall\nhave no difficulty in doing against yonder single knight, who hangs his\nhead so pensively and heavily.\u201d  And Enid heard this discourse, and she\nknew not what she should do through fear of Geraint, who had told her to\nbe silent.  \u201cThe vengeance of Heaven be upon me,\u201d she said, \u201cif I would\nnot rather receive my death from his hand than from the hand of any\nother; and though he should slay me yet will I speak to him, lest I\nshould have the misery to witness his death.\u201d  So she waited for Geraint\nuntil he came near to her.  \u201cLord,\u201d said she, \u201cdidst thou hear the words\nof those men concerning thee?\u201d  Then he lifted up his eyes, and looked at\nher angrily.  \u201cThou hadst only,\u201d said he, \u201cto hold thy peace as I bade\nthee.  I wish but for silence, and not for warning.  And though thou\nshouldest desire to see my defeat and my death by the hands of those men,\nyet do I feel no dread.\u201d  Then the foremost of them couched his lance,\nand rushed upon Geraint.  And he received him, and that not feebly.  But\nhe let the thrust go by him, while he struck the horseman upon the centre\nof his shield in such a manner that his shield was split, and his armour\nbroken, and so that a cubit\u2019s length of the shaft of Geraint\u2019s lance\npassed through his body, and sent him to the earth, the length of the\nlance over his horse\u2019s crupper.  Then the second horseman attacked him\nfuriously, being wroth at the death of his companion.  But with one\nthrust Geraint overthrew him also, and killed him as he had done the\nother.  Then the third set upon him, and he killed him in like manner.\nAnd thus also he slew the fourth.  Sad and sorrowful was the maiden as\nshe saw all this.  Geraint dismounted from his horse, and took the arms\nof the men he had slain, and placed them upon their saddles, and tied\ntogether the reins of their horses, and he mounted his horse again.\n\u201cBehold what thou must do,\u201d said he; \u201ctake the four horses, and drive\nthem before thee, and proceed forward, as I bade thee just now.  And say\nnot one word unto me, unless I speak first unto thee.  And I declare unto\nHeaven,\u201d said he, \u201cif thou doest not thus, it will be to thy cost.\u201d  \u201cI\nwill do, as far as I can, Lord,\u201d said she, \u201caccording to thy desire.\u201d\nThen they went forward through the forest; and when they left the forest,\nthey came to a vast plain, in the centre of which was a group of thickly\ntangled copse-wood; and from out thereof they beheld three horsemen\ncoming towards them, well equipped with armour, both they and their\nhorses.  Then the maiden looked steadfastly upon them; and when they had\ncome near, she heard them say one to another, \u201cBehold, here is a good\narrival for us; here are coming for us four horses and four suits of\narmour.  We shall easily obtain them spite of yonder dolorous knight, and\nthe maiden also will fall into our power.\u201d  \u201cThis is but too true,\u201d said\nshe to herself, \u201cfor my husband is tired with his former combat.  The\nvengeance of Heaven will be upon me, unless I warn him of this.\u201d  So the\nmaiden waited until Geraint came up to her.  \u201cLord,\u201d said she, \u201cdust thou\nnot hear the discourse of yonder men concerning thee?\u201d  \u201cWhat was it?\u201d\nasked he.  \u201cThey say to one another, that they will easily obtain all\nthis spoil.\u201d  \u201cI declare to Heaven,\u201d he answered, \u201cthat their words are\nless grievous to me than that thou wilt not be silent, and abide by my\ncounsel.\u201d  \u201cMy Lord,\u201d said she, \u201cI feared lest they should surprise thee\nunawares.\u201d  \u201cHold thy peace, then,\u201d said he, \u201cdo not I desire silence?\u201d\nAnd thereupon one of the horsemen couched his lance, and attacked\nGeraint.  And he made a thrust at him, which he thought would be very\neffective; but Geraint received it carelessly, and struck it aside, and\nthen he rushed upon him, and aimed at the centre of his person, and from\nthe shock of man and horse, the quantity of his armour did not avail him,\nand the head of the lance and part of the shaft passed through him, so\nthat he was carried to the ground an arm and a spear\u2019s length over the\ncrupper of his horse.  And both the other horsemen came forward in their\nturn, but their onset was not more successful than that of their\ncompanion.  And the maiden stood by, looking at all this; and on the one\nhand she was in trouble lest Geraint should be wounded in his encounter\nwith the men, and on the other hand she was joyful to see him victorious.\nThen Geraint dismounted, and bound the three suits of armour upon the\nthree saddles, and he fastened the reins of all the horses together, so\nthat he had seven horses with him.  And he mounted his own horse, and\ncommanded the maiden to drive forward the others.  \u201cIt is no more use for\nme to speak to thee than to refrain, for thou wilt not attend to my\nadvice.\u201d  \u201cI will do so, as far as I am able, Lord,\u201d said she; \u201cbut I\ncannot conceal from thee the fierce and threatening words which I may\nhear against thee, Lord, from such strange people as those that haunt\nthis wilderness.\u201d  \u201cI declare to Heaven,\u201d said he, \u201cthat I desire nought\nbut silence; therefore, hold thy peace.\u201d  \u201cI will, Lord, while I can.\u201d\nAnd the maiden went on with the horses before her, and she pursued her\nway straight onwards.  And from the copse-wood already mentioned, they\njourneyed over a vast and dreary open plain.  And at a great distance\nfrom them they beheld a wood, and they could see neither end nor boundary\nto the wood, except on that side that was nearest to them, and they went\ntowards it.  Then there came from out the wood five horsemen, eager, and\nbold, and mighty, and strong, mounted upon chargers that were powerful,\nand large of bone, and high-mettled, and proudly snorting, and both the\nmen and the horses were well equipped with arms.  And when they drew near\nto them, Enid heard them say, \u201cBehold, here is a fine booty coming to us,\nwhich we shall obtain easily and without labour, for we shall have no\ntrouble in taking all those horses and arms, and the lady also, from\nyonder single knight, so doleful and sad.\u201d\n\nSorely grieved was the maiden upon hearing this discourse, so that she\nknew not in the world what she should do.  At last, however, she\ndetermined to warn Geraint; so she turned her horse\u2019s head towards him.\n\u201cLord,\u201d said she, \u201cif thou hadst heard as I did what yonder horsemen said\nconcerning thee, thy heaviness would be greater than it is.\u201d  Angrily and\nbitterly did Geraint smile upon her, and he said, \u201cThee do I hear doing\neverything that I forbade thee; but it may be that thou will repent this\nyet.\u201d  And immediately, behold, the men met them, and victoriously and\ngallantly did Geraint overcome them all five.  And he placed the five\nsuits of armour upon the five saddles, and tied together the reins of the\ntwelve horses, and gave them in charge to Enid.  \u201cI know not,\u201d said he,\n\u201cwhat good it is for me to order thee; but this time I charge thee in an\nespecial manner.\u201d  So the maiden went forward towards the wood, keeping\nin advance of Geraint, as he had desired her; and it grieved him as much\nas his wrath would permit, to see a maiden so illustrious as she having\nso much trouble with the care of the horses.  Then they reached the wood,\nand it was both deep and vast; and in the wood night overtook them.  \u201cAh,\nmaiden,\u201d said he, \u201cit is vain to attempt proceeding forward!\u201d  \u201cWell,\nLord,\u201d said she, \u201cwhatsoever thou wishest, we will do.\u201d  \u201cIt will be best\nfor us,\u201d he answered, \u201cto turn out of the wood, and to rest, and wait for\nthe day, in order to pursue our journey.\u201d  \u201cThat will we, gladly,\u201d said\nshe.  And they did so.  Having dismounted himself, he took her down from\nher horse.  \u201cI cannot, by any means, refrain from sleep, through\nweariness,\u201d said he.  \u201cDo thou, therefore, watch the horses, and sleep\nnot.\u201d  \u201cI will, Lord,\u201d said she.  Then he went to sleep in his armour,\nand thus passed the night, which was not long at that season.  And when\nshe saw the dawn of day appear, she looked around her, to see if he were\nwaking, and thereupon he woke.  \u201cMy Lord,\u201d she said, \u201cI have desired to\nawake thee for some time.\u201d  But he spake nothing to her about fatigue, as\nhe had desired her to be silent.  Then he arose, and said unto her, \u201cTake\nthe horses, and ride on; and keep straight on before thee as thou didst\nyesterday.\u201d  And early in the day they left the wood, and they came to an\nopen country, with meadows on one hand, and mowers mowing the meadows.\nAnd there was a river before them, and the horses bent down, and drank\nthe water.  And they went up out of the river by a lofty steep; and there\nthey met a slender stripling, with a satchel about his neck, and they saw\nthat there was something in the satchel, but they knew not what it was.\nAnd he had a small blue pitcher in his hand, and a bowl on the mouth of\nthe pitcher.  And the youth saluted Geraint.  \u201cHeaven prosper thee,\u201d said\nGeraint, \u201cand whence dost thou come?\u201d  \u201cI come,\u201d said he, \u201cfrom the city\nthat lies before thee.  My Lord,\u201d he added, \u201cwill it be displeasing to\nthee if I ask whence thou comest also?\u201d  \u201cBy no means\u2014through yonder wood\ndid I come.\u201d  \u201cThou camest not through the wood to-day.\u201d  \u201cNo,\u201d he\nreplied, \u201cwe were in the wood last night.\u201d  \u201cI warrant,\u201d said the youth,\n\u201cthat thy condition there last night was not the most pleasant, and that\nthou hadst neither meat nor drink.\u201d  \u201cNo, by my faith,\u201d said he.  \u201cWilt\nthou follow my counsel,\u201d said the youth, \u201cand take thy meal from me?\u201d\n\u201cWhat sort of meal?\u201d he inquired.  \u201cThe breakfast which is sent for\nyonder mowers, nothing less than bread and meat and wine; and if thou\nwilt, Sir, they shall have none of it.\u201d  \u201cI will,\u201d said he, \u201cand Heaven\nreward thee for it.\u201d\n\nSo Geraint alighted, and the youth took the maiden from off her horse.\nThen they washed, and took their repast.  And the youth cut the bread in\nslices, and gave them drink, and served them withal.  And when they had\nfinished, the youth arose, and said to Geraint, \u201cMy Lord, with thy\npermission, I will now go and fetch some food for the mowers.\u201d  \u201cGo,\nfirst, to the town,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cand take a lodging for me in the best\nplace that thou knowest, and the most commodious one for the horses, and\ntake thou whichever horse and arms thou choosest in payment for thy\nservice and thy gift.\u201d  \u201cHeaven reward thee, Lord,\u201d said the youth, \u201cand\nthis would be ample to repay services much greater than those I have\nrendered unto thee.\u201d  And to the town went the youth, and he took the\nbest and the most pleasant lodgings that he knew; and after that he went\nto the palace, having the horse and armour with him, and proceeded to the\nplace where the Earl was, and told him all his adventure.  \u201cI go now,\nLord,\u201d said he, \u201cto meet the young man, and to conduct him to his\nlodging.\u201d  \u201cGo, gladly,\u201d said the Earl, \u201cand right joyfully shall he be\nreceived here, if he so come.\u201d  And the youth went to meet Geraint, and\ntold him that he would be received gladly by the Earl in his own palace;\nbut he would go only to his lodgings.  And he had a goodly chamber, in\nwhich was plenty of straw, and drapery, and a spacious and commodious\nplace he had for the horses; and the youth prepared for them plenty of\nprovender.  And after they had disarrayed themselves, Geraint spoke thus\nto Enid: \u201cGo,\u201d said he, \u201cto the other side of the chamber, and come not\nto this side of the house; and thou mayest call to thee the woman of the\nhouse, if thou wilt.\u201d  \u201cI will do, Lord,\u201d said she, \u201cas thou sayest.\u201d\nAnd thereupon the man of the house came to Geraint, and welcomed him.\n\u201cOh, chieftain,\u201d he said, \u201chast thou taken thy meal?\u201d  \u201cI have,\u201d said he.\nThen the youth spoke to him, and inquired if he would not drink something\nbefore he met the Earl.  \u201cTruly I will,\u201d said he.  So the youth went into\nthe town, and brought them drink.  And they drank.  \u201cI must needs sleep,\u201d\nsaid Geraint.  \u201cWell,\u201d said the youth; \u201cand whilst thou sleepest, I will\ngo to see the Earl.\u201d  \u201cGo, gladly,\u201d he said, \u201cand come here again when I\nrequire thee.\u201d  And Geraint went to sleep; and so did Enid also.\n\nAnd the youth came to the place where the Earl was, and the Earl asked\nhim where the lodgings of the knight were, and he told him.  \u201cI must go,\u201d\nsaid the youth, \u201cto wait on him in the evening.\u201d  \u201cGo,\u201d answered the\nEarl, \u201cand greet him well from me, and tell him that in the evening I\nwill go to see him.\u201d  \u201cThis will I do,\u201d said the youth.  So he came when\nit was time for them to awake.  And they arose, and went forth.  And when\nit was time for them to take their food, they took it.  And the youth\nserved them.  And Geraint inquired of the man of the house, whether there\nwere any of his companions that he wished to invite to him, and he said\nthat there were.  \u201cBring them hither, and entertain them at my cost with\nthe best thou canst buy in the town.\u201d\n\nAnd the man of the house brought there those whom he chose, and feasted\nthem at Geraint\u2019s expense.  Thereupon, behold, the Earl came to visit\nGeraint, and his twelve honourable knights with him.  And Geraint rose\nup, and welcomed him.  \u201cHeaven preserve thee,\u201d said the Earl.  Then they\nall sat down according to their precedence in honour.  And the Earl\nconversed with Geraint, and inquired of him the object of his journey.\n\u201cI have none,\u201d he replied, \u201cbut to seek adventures, and to follow my own\ninclination.\u201d  Then the Earl cast his eye upon Enid, and he looked at her\nsteadfastly.  And he thought he had never seen a maiden fairer or more\ncomely than she.  And he set all his thoughts and his affections upon\nher.  Then he asked of Geraint, \u201cHave I thy permission to go and converse\nwith yonder maiden, for I see that she is apart from thee?\u201d  \u201cThou hast\nit gladly,\u201d said he.  So the Earl went to the place where the maiden was,\nand spake with her.  \u201cAh, maiden,\u201d said he, \u201cit cannot be pleasant to\nthee to journey thus with yonder man!\u201d  \u201cIt is not unpleasant to me,\u201d\nsaid she, \u201cto journey the same road that he journeys.\u201d  \u201cThou hast\nneither youths nor maidens to serve thee,\u201d said he.  \u201cTruly,\u201d she\nreplied, \u201cit is more pleasant for me to follow yonder man, than to be\nserved by youths and maidens.\u201d  \u201cI will give thee good counsel,\u201d said he.\n\u201cAll my Earldom will I place in thy possession, if thou wilt dwell with\nme.\u201d  \u201cThat will I not, by Heaven,\u201d she said; \u201cyonder man was the first\nto whom my faith was ever pledged; and shall I prove inconstant to him!\u201d\n\u201cThou art in the wrong,\u201d said the Earl; \u201cif I slay the man yonder, I can\nkeep thee with me as long as I choose; and when thou no longer pleasest\nme I can turn thee away.  But if thou goest with me by thine own good\nwill, I protest that our union shall continue eternal and undivided as\nlong as I remain alive.\u201d  Then she pondered these words of his, and she\nconsidered that it was advisable to encourage him in his request.\n\u201cBehold, then, chieftain, this is most expedient for thee to do to save\nme any needless imputation; come here to-morrow, and take me away as\nthough I knew nothing thereof.\u201d  \u201cI will do so,\u201d said he.  So he arose,\nand took his leave, and went forth with his attendants.  And she told not\nthen to Geraint any of the conversation which she had had with the Earl,\nlest it should rouse his anger, and cause him uneasiness and care.\n\nAnd at the usual hour they went to sleep.  And at the beginning of the\nnight Enid slept a little; and at midnight she arose, and placed all\nGeraint\u2019s armour together, so that it might be ready to put on.  And\nalthough fearful of her errand, she came to the side of Geraint\u2019s bed;\nand she spoke to him softly and gently, saying, \u201cMy Lord, arise, and\nclothe thyself, for these were the words of the Earl to me, and his\nintention concerning me.\u201d  So she told Geraint all that had passed.  And\nalthough he was wroth with her, he took warning, and clothed himself.\nAnd she lighted a candle, that he might have light to do so.  \u201cLeave\nthere the candle,\u201d said he, \u201cand desire the man of the house to come\nhere.\u201d  Then she went, and the man of the house came to him.  \u201cDost thou\nknow how much I owe thee?\u201d asked Geraint.  \u201cI think thou owest but\nlittle.\u201d  \u201cTake the eleven horses and the eleven suits of armour.\u201d\n\u201cHeaven reward thee, lord,\u201d said he, \u201cbut I spent not the value of one\nsuit of armour upon thee.\u201d  \u201cFor that reason,\u201d said he, \u201cthou wilt be the\nricher.  And now, wilt thou come to guide me out of the town?\u201d  \u201cI will,\ngladly,\u201d said he, \u201cand in which direction dost thou intend to go?\u201d  \u201cI\nwish to leave the town by a different way from that by which I entered\nit.\u201d  So the man of the lodgings accompanied him as far as he desired.\nThen he bade the maiden to go on before him; and she did so, and went\nstraight forward, and his host returned home.  And he had only just\nreached his house, when, behold, the greatest tumult approached that was\never heard.  And when he looked out, he saw fourscore knights in complete\narmour around the house, with the Earl Dwnn at their head.  \u201cWhere is the\nknight that was here?\u201d said the Earl.  \u201cBy thy hand,\u201d said he, \u201che went\nhence some time ago.\u201d  \u201cWherefore, villain,\u201d said he, \u201cdidst thou let him\ngo without informing me?\u201d  \u201cMy Lord, thou didst not command me to do so,\nelse would I not have allowed him to depart.\u201d  \u201cWhat way dost thou think\nthat he took?\u201d  \u201cI know not, except that he went along the high road.\u201d\nAnd they turned their horses\u2019 heads that way, and seeing the tracks of\nthe horses upon the high road, they followed.  And when the maiden beheld\nthe dawning of the day, she looked behind her, and saw vast clouds of\ndust coming nearer and nearer to her.  And thereupon she became uneasy,\nand she thought that it was the Earl and his host coming after them.  And\nthereupon she beheld a knight appearing through the mist.  \u201cBy my faith,\u201d\nsaid she, \u201cthough he should slay me, it were better for me to receive my\ndeath at his hands, than to see him killed without warning him.  My\nLord,\u201d she said to him, \u201cseest thou yonder man hastening after thee, and\nmany others with him?\u201d  \u201cI do see him,\u201d said he; \u201cand in despite of all\nmy orders, I see that thou wilt never keep silence.\u201d  Then he turned upon\nthe knight, and with the first thrust he threw him down under his horse\u2019s\nfeet.  And as long as there remained one of the fourscore knights, he\noverthrew every one of them at the first onset.  And from the weakest to\nthe strongest, they all attacked him one after the other, except the\nEarl: and last of all the Earl came against him also.  And he broke his\nlance, and then he broke a second.  But Geraint turned upon him, and\nstruck him with his lance upon the centre of his shield, so that by that\nsingle thrust the shield was split, and all his armour broken, and he\nhimself was brought over his horse\u2019s crupper to the ground, and was in\nperil of his life.  And Geraint drew near to him; and at the noise of the\ntrampling of his horse the Earl revived.  \u201cMercy, Lord,\u201d said he to\nGeraint.  And Geraint granted him mercy.  But through the hardness of the\nground where they had fallen, and the violence of the stroke which they\nhad received, there was not a single knight amongst them that escaped\nwithout receiving a fall, mortally severe, and grievously painful, and\ndesperately wounding, from the hand of Geraint.\n\nAnd Geraint journeyed along the high road that was before him, and the\nmaiden went on first; and near them they beheld a valley which was the\nfairest ever seen, and which had a large river running through it; and\nthere was a bridge over the river, and the high road led to the bridge.\nAnd above the bridge upon the opposite side of the river, they beheld a\nfortified town, the fairest ever seen.  And as they approached the\nbridge, Geraint saw coming towards him from a thick copse a man mounted\nupon a large and lofty steed, even of pace and spirited though tractable.\n\u201cAh, knight,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cwhence comest thou?\u201d  \u201cI come,\u201d said he,\n\u201cfrom the valley below us.\u201d  \u201cCanst thou tell me,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cwho is\nthe owner of this fair valley and yonder walled town?\u201d  \u201cI will tell\nthee, willingly,\u201d said he.  \u201cGwiffert Petit he is called by the Franks,\nbut the Cymry call him the Little King.\u201d  \u201cCan I go by yonder bridge,\u201d\nsaid Geraint, \u201cand by the lower highway that is beneath the town?\u201d  Said\nthe knight, \u201cThou canst not go by his tower on the other side of the\nbridge, unless thou dost intend to combat him; because it is his custom\nto encounter every knight that comes upon his lands.\u201d  \u201cI declare to\nHeaven,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cthat I will, nevertheless, pursue my journey that\nway.\u201d  \u201cIf thou dost so,\u201d said the knight, \u201cthou wilt probably meet with\nshame and disgrace in reward for thy daring.\u201d  Then Geraint proceeded\nalong the road that led to the town, and the road brought him to a ground\nthat was hard, and rugged, and high, and ridgy.  And as he journeyed\nthus, he beheld a knight following him upon a warhorse, strong, and\nlarge, and proudly-stepping, and wide-hoofed, and broad-chested.  And he\nnever saw a man of smaller stature than he who was upon the horse.  And\nboth he and his horse were completely armed.  When he had overtaken\nGeraint, he said to him, \u201cTell me, chieftain, whether it is through\nignorance or through presumption that thou seekest to insult my dignity,\nand to infringe my rules.\u201d  \u201cNay,\u201d answered Geraint, \u201cI knew not this\nroad was forbid to any.\u201d  \u201cThou didst know it,\u201d said the other; \u201ccome\nwith me to my Court, to give me satisfaction.\u201d  \u201cThat will I not, by my\nfaith,\u201d said Geraint; \u201cI would not go even to thy Lord\u2019s Court, excepting\nArthur were thy Lord.\u201d  \u201cBy the hand of Arthur himself,\u201d said the knight,\n\u201cI will have satisfaction of thee, or receive my overthrow at thy hands.\u201d\nAnd immediately they charged one another.  And a squire of his came to\nserve him with lances as he broke them.  And they gave each other such\nhard and severe strokes that their shields lost all their colour.  But it\nwas very difficult for Geraint to fight with him on account of his small\nsize, for he was hardly able to get a full aim at him with all the\nefforts he could make.  And they fought thus until their horses were\nbrought down upon their knees; and at length Geraint threw the knight\nheadlong to the ground; and then they fought on foot, and they gave one\nanother blows so boldly fierce, so frequent, and so severely powerful,\nthat their helmets were pierced, and their skullcaps were broken, and\ntheir arms were shattered, and the light of their eyes was darkened by\nsweat and blood.  At the last Geraint became enraged, and he called to\nhim all his strength; and boldly angry, and swiftly resolute, and\nfuriously determined, he lifted up his sword, and struck him on the crown\nof his head a blow so mortally painful, so violent, so fierce, and so\npenetrating, that it cut through all his head armour, and his skin, and\nhis flesh, until it wounded the very bone, and the sword flew out of the\nhand of the Little King to the furthest end of the plain, and he besought\nGeraint that he would have mercy and compassion upon him.  \u201cThough thou\nhast been neither courteous nor just,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cthou shalt have\nmercy, upon condition that thou wilt become my ally, and engage never to\nfight against me again, but to come to my assistance whenever thou\nhearest of my being in trouble.\u201d  \u201cThis will I do, gladly, Lord,\u201d said\nhe.  So he pledged him his faith thereof.  \u201cAnd now, Lord, come with me,\u201d\nsaid he, \u201cto my Court yonder, to recover from thy weariness and fatigue.\u201d\n\u201cThat will I not, by Heaven,\u201d said he.\n\nThen Gwiffert Petit beheld Enid where she stood, and it grieved him to\nsee one of her noble mien appear so deeply afflicted.  And he said to\nGeraint, \u201cMy Lord, thou doest wrong not to take repose, and refresh\nthyself awhile; for, if thou meetest with any difficulty in thy present\ncondition, it will not be easy for thee to surmount it.\u201d  But Geraint\nwould do no other than proceed on his journey, and he mounted his horse\nin pain, and all covered with blood.  And the maiden went on first, and\nthey proceeded towards the wood which they saw before them.\n\nAnd the heat of the sun was very great, and through the blood and sweat,\nGeraint\u2019s armour cleaved to his flesh; and when they came into the wood,\nhe stood under a tree, to avoid the sun\u2019s heat; and his wounds pained him\nmore than they had done at the time when he received them.  And the\nmaiden stood under another tree.  And lo! they heard the sound of horns,\nand a tumultuous noise; and the occasion of it was, that Arthur and his\ncompany had come down to the wood.  And while Geraint was considering\nwhich way he should go to avoid them, behold, he was espied by a\nfoot-page, who was an attendant on the Steward of the Household; and he\nwent to the Steward, and told him what kind of man he had seen in the\nwood.  Then the Steward caused his horse to be saddled, and he took his\nlance and his shield, and went to the place where Geraint was.  \u201cAh,\nknight!\u201d said he, \u201cwhat dost thou here?\u201d  \u201cI am standing under a shady\ntree, to avoid the heat and the rays of the sun.\u201d  \u201cWherefore is thy\njourney, and who art thou?\u201d  \u201cI seek adventures, and go where I list.\u201d\n\u201cIndeed,\u201d said Kai; \u201cthen come with me to see Arthur, who is here hard\nby.\u201d  \u201cThat will I not, by Heaven,\u201d said Geraint.  \u201cThou must needs\ncome,\u201d said Kai.  Then Geraint knew who he was, but Kai did not know\nGeraint.  And Kai attacked Geraint as best he could.  And Geraint became\nwroth, and he struck him with the shaft of his lance, so that he rolled\nheadlong to the ground.  But chastisement worse than this would he not\ninflict on him.\n\nScared and wildly Kai arose, and he mounted his horse, and went back to\nhis lodging.  And thence he proceeded to Gwalchmai\u2019s tent.  \u201cOh, Sir,\u201d\nsaid he to Gwalchmai, \u201cI was told by one of the attendants, that he saw\nin the wood above a wounded knight, having on battered armour; and if\nthou dost right, thou wilt go and see if this be true.\u201d  \u201cI care not if I\ndo so,\u201d said Gwalchmai.  \u201cTake, then, thy horse, and some of thy armour,\u201d\nsaid Kai; \u201cfor I hear that he is not over courteous to those who approach\nhim.\u201d  So Gwalchmai took his spear and his shield, and mounted his horse,\nand came to the spot where Geraint was.  \u201cSir Knight,\u201d said he,\n\u201cwherefore is thy journey?\u201d  \u201cI journey for my own pleasure, and to seek\nthe adventures of the world.\u201d  \u201cWilt thou tell me who thou art; or wilt\nthou come and visit Arthur, who is near at hand?\u201d  \u201cI will make no\nalliance with thee, nor will I go and visit Arthur,\u201d said he.  And he\nknew that it was Gwalchmai, but Gwalchmai knew him not.  \u201cI purpose not\nto leave thee,\u201d said Gwalchmai, \u201ctill I know who thou art.\u201d  And he\ncharged him with his lance, and struck him on his shield, so that the\nshaft was shivered into splinters, and their horses were front to front.\nThen Gwalchmai gazed fixedly upon him, and he knew him.  \u201cAh, Geraint,\u201d\nsaid he, \u201cis it thou that art here?\u201d  \u201cI am not Geraint,\u201d said he.\n\u201cGeraint thou art, by Heaven,\u201d he replied, \u201cand a wretched and insane\nexpedition is this.\u201d  Then he looked around, and beheld Enid, and he\nwelcomed her gladly.  \u201cGeraint,\u201d said Gwalchmai, \u201ccome thou and see\nArthur; he is thy lord and thy cousin.\u201d  \u201cI will not,\u201d said he, \u201cfor I am\nnot in a fit state to go and see any one.\u201d  Thereupon, behold, one of the\npages came after Gwalchmai to speak to him.  So he sent him to apprise\nArthur that Geraint was there wounded, and that he would not go to visit\nhim, and that it was pitiable to see the plight that he was in.  And this\nhe did without Geraint\u2019s knowledge, inasmuch as he spoke in a whisper to\nthe page.  \u201cEntreat Arthur,\u201d said he, \u201cto have his tent brought near to\nthe road, for he will not meet him willingly, and it is not easy to\ncompel him in the mood he is in.\u201d  So the page came to Arthur, and told\nhim this.  And he caused his tent to be removed unto the side of the\nroad.  And the maiden rejoiced in her heart.  And Gwalchmai led Geraint\nonwards along the road, till they came to the place where Arthur was\nencamped, and the pages were pitching his tent by the roadside.  \u201cLord,\u201d\nsaid Geraint, \u201call hail unto thee.\u201d  \u201cHeaven prosper thee; and who art\nthou?\u201d said Arthur.  \u201cIt is Geraint,\u201d said Gwalchmai, \u201cand of his own\nfree will would he not come to meet thee.\u201d  \u201cVerily,\u201d said Arthur, \u201che is\nbereft of his reason.\u201d  Then came Enid, and saluted Arthur.  \u201cHeaven\nprotect thee,\u201d said he.  And thereupon he caused one of the pages to take\nher from her horse.  \u201cAlas! Enid,\u201d said Arthur, \u201cwhat expedition is\nthis?\u201d  \u201cI know not, Lord,\u201d said she, \u201csave that it behoves me to journey\nby the same road that he journeys.\u201d  \u201cMy Lord,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cwith thy\npermission we will depart.\u201d  \u201cWhither wilt thou go?\u201d said Arthur.  \u201cThou\ncanst not proceed now, unless it be unto thy death.\u201d  \u201cHe will not suffer\nhimself to be invited by me,\u201d said Gwalchmai.  \u201cBut by me he will,\u201d said\nArthur; \u201cand, moreover, he does not go from here until he is healed.\u201d  \u201cI\nhad rather, Lord,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cthat thou wouldest let me go forth.\u201d\n\u201cThat will I not, I declare to Heaven,\u201d said he.  Then he caused a maiden\nto be sent for to conduct Enid to the tent where Gwenhwyvar\u2019s chamber\nwas.  And Gwenhwyvar and all her women were joyful at her coming; and\nthey took off her riding-dress, and placed other garments upon her.\nArthur also called Kadyrieith, and ordered him to pitch a tent for\nGeraint and the physicians; and he enjoined him to provide him with\nabundance of all that might be requisite for him.  And Kadyrieith did as\nhe had commanded him.  And Morgan Tud and his disciples were brought to\nGeraint.\n\nAnd Arthur and his hosts remained there nearly a month, whilst Geraint\nwas being healed.  And when he was fully recovered, Geraint came to\nArthur, and asked his permission to depart.  \u201cI know not if thou art\nquite well.\u201d  \u201cIn truth I am, Lord,\u201d said Geraint.  \u201cI shall not believe\nthee concerning that, but the physicians that were with thee.\u201d  So Arthur\ncaused the physicians to be summoned to him, and asked them if it were\ntrue.  \u201cIt is true, Lord,\u201d said Morgan Tud.  So the next day Arthur\npermitted him to go forth, and he pursued his journey.  And on the same\nday Arthur removed thence.  And Geraint desired Enid to go on, and to\nkeep before him, as she had formerly done.  And she went forward along\nthe high road.  And as they journeyed thus, they heard an exceeding loud\nwailing near to them.  \u201cStay thou here,\u201d said he, \u201cand I will go and see\nwhat is the cause of this wailing.\u201d  \u201cI will,\u201d said she.  Then he went\nforward unto an open glade that was near the road.  And in the glade he\nsaw two horses, one having a man\u2019s saddle, and the other a woman\u2019s saddle\nupon it.  And, behold, there was a knight lying dead in his armour, and a\nyoung damsel in a riding-dress standing over him, lamenting.  \u201cAh! Lady,\u201d\nsaid Geraint, \u201cwhat hath befallen thee?\u201d  \u201cBehold,\u201d she answered, \u201cI\njourneyed here with my beloved husband, when, lo! three giants came upon\nus, and without any cause in the world, they slew him.\u201d  \u201cWhich way went\nthey hence?\u201d said Geraint.  \u201cYonder by the high road,\u201d she replied.  So\nhe returned to Enid.  \u201cGo,\u201d said he, \u201cto the lady that is below yonder,\nand await me there till I come.\u201d  She was sad when he ordered her to do\nthus, but nevertheless she went to the damsel, whom it was ruth to hear,\nand she felt certain that Geraint would never return.  Meanwhile Geraint\nfollowed the giants, and overtook them.  And each of them was greater of\nstature than three other men, and a huge club was on the shoulder of\neach.  Then he rushed upon one of them, and thrust his lance through his\nbody.  And having drawn it forth again, he pierced another of them\nthrough likewise.  But the third turned upon him, and struck him with his\nclub, so that he split his shield, and crushed his shoulder, and opened\nhis wounds anew, and all his blood began to flow from him.  But Geraint\ndrew his sword, and attacked the giant, and gave him a blow on the crown\nof his head so severe, and fierce, and violent, that his head and his\nneck were split down to his shoulders, and he fell dead.  So Geraint left\nhim thus, and returned to Enid.  And when he saw her, he fell down\nlifeless from his horse.  Piercing, and loud, and thrilling was the cry\nthat Enid uttered.  And she came and stood over him where he had fallen.\nAnd at the sound of her cries came the Earl of Limours, and the host that\njourneyed with him, whom her lamentations brought out of their road.  And\nthe Earl said to Enid, \u201cAlas, Lady, what hath befallen thee?\u201d  \u201cAh! good\nSir,\u201d said she, \u201cthe only man I have loved, or ever shall love, is\nslain.\u201d  Then he said to the other, \u201cAnd what is the cause of thy grief?\u201d\n\u201cThey have slain my beloved husband also,\u201d said she.  \u201cAnd who was it\nthat slew them?\u201d  \u201cSome giants,\u201d she answered, \u201cslew my best-beloved, and\nthe other knight went in pursuit of them, and came back in the state thou\nseest, his blood flowing excessively; but it appears to me that he did\nnot leave the giants without killing some of them, if not all.\u201d  The Earl\ncaused the knight that was dead to be buried, but he thought that there\nstill remained some life in Geraint; and to see if he yet would live, he\nhad him carried with him in the hollow of his shield, and upon a bier.\nAnd the two damsels went to the Court; and when they arrived there,\nGeraint was placed upon a litter-couch in front of the table that was in\nthe hall.  Then they all took off their travelling gear, and the Earl\nbesought Enid to do the same, and to clothe herself in other garments.\n\u201cI will not, by Heaven,\u201d said she.  \u201cAh! Lady,\u201d said he, \u201cbe not so\nsorrowful for this matter.\u201d  \u201cIt were hard to persuade me to be\notherwise,\u201d said she.  \u201cI will act towards thee in such wise, that thou\nneedest not be sorrowful, whether yonder knight live or die.  Behold, a\ngood Earldom, together with myself, will I bestow on thee; be, therefore,\nhappy and joyful.\u201d  \u201cI declare to Heaven,\u201d said she, \u201cthat henceforth I\nshall never be joyful while I live.\u201d  \u201cCome, then,\u201d said he, \u201cand eat.\u201d\n\u201cNo, by Heaven, I will not,\u201d she answered.  \u201cBut, by Heaven, thou shalt,\u201d\nsaid he.  So he took her with him to the table against her will, and many\ntimes desired her to eat.  \u201cI call Heaven to witness,\u201d said she, \u201cthat I\nwill not eat until the man that is upon yonder bier shall eat likewise.\u201d\n\u201cThou canst not fulfil that,\u201d said the Earl, \u201cyonder man is dead\nalready.\u201d  \u201cI will prove that I can,\u201d said she.  Then he offered her a\ngoblet of liquor.  \u201cDrink this goblet,\u201d he said, \u201cand it will cause thee\nto change thy mind.\u201d  \u201cEvil betide me,\u201d she answered, \u201cif I drink aught\nuntil he drink also.\u201d  \u201cTruly,\u201d said the Earl, \u201cit is of no more avail\nfor me to be gentle with thee than ungentle.\u201d  And he gave her a box on\nthe ear.  Thereupon she raised a loud and piercing shriek, and her\nlamentations were much greater than they had been before, for she\nconsidered in her mind that had Geraint been alive, he durst not have\nstruck her thus.  But, behold, at the sound of her cry, Geraint revived\nfrom his swoon, and he sat up on the bier, and finding his sword in the\nhollow of his shield, he rushed to the place where the Earl was, and\nstruck him a fiercely-wounding, severely-venomous, and sternly-smiting\nblow upon the crown of his head, so that he clove him in twain, until his\nsword was stayed by the table.  Then all left the board, and fled away.\nAnd this was not so much through fear of the living as through the dread\nthey felt at seeing the dead man rise up to slay them.  And Geraint\nlooked upon Enid, and he was grieved for two causes; one was, to see that\nEnid had lost her colour and her wonted aspect, and the other, to know\nthat she was in the right.  \u201cLady,\u201d said he, \u201cknowest thou where our\nhorses are?\u201d  \u201cI know, Lord, where thy horse is,\u201d she replied, \u201cbut I\nknow not where is the other.  Thy horse is in the house yonder.\u201d  So he\nwent to the house, and brought forth his horse, and mounted him, and took\nup Enid from the ground, and placed her upon the horse with him.  And he\nrode forward.  And their road lay between two hedges.  And the night was\ngaining on the day.  And lo! they saw behind them the shafts of spears\nbetwixt them and the sky, and they heard the trampling of horses, and the\nnoise of a host approaching.  \u201cI hear something following us,\u201d said he,\n\u201cand I will put thee on the other side of the hedge.\u201d  And thus he did.\nAnd thereupon, behold, a knight pricked towards him, and couched his\nlance.  When Enid saw this, she cried out, saying, \u201cOh! chieftain,\nwhoever thou art, what renown wilt thou gain by slaying a dead man?\u201d\n\u201cOh! Heaven,\u201d said he, \u201cis it Geraint?\u201d  \u201cYes, in truth,\u201d said she.  \u201cAnd\nwho art thou?\u201d  \u201cI am the Little King,\u201d he answered, \u201ccoming to thy\nassistance, for I heard that thou wast in trouble.  And if thou hadst\nfollowed my advice, none of these hardships would have befallen thee.\u201d\n\u201cNothing can happen,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cwithout the will of Heaven, though\nmuch good results from counsel.\u201d  \u201cYes,\u201d said the Little King, \u201cand I\nknow good counsel for thee now.  Come with me to the court of a\nson-in-law of my sister, which is near here, and thou shalt have the best\nmedical assistance in the kingdom.\u201d  \u201cI will do so gladly,\u201d said Geraint.\nAnd Enid was placed upon the horse of one of the Little King\u2019s squires,\nand they went forward to the Baron\u2019s palace.  And they were received\nthere with gladness, and they met with hospitality and attention.  And\nthe next morning they went to seek physicians; and it was not long before\nthey came, and they attended Geraint until he was perfectly well.  And\nwhile Geraint was under medical care, the Little King caused his armour\nto be repaired, until it was as good as it had ever been.  And they\nremained there a fortnight and a month.\n\nThen the Little King said to Geraint, \u201cNow will we go towards my own\nCourt, to take rest, and amuse ourselves.\u201d  \u201cNot so,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cwe\nwill first journey for one day more, and return again.\u201d  \u201cWith all my\nheart,\u201d said the Little King, \u201cdo thou go then.\u201d  And early in the day\nthey set forth.  And more gladly and more joyfully did Enid journey with\nthem that day than she had ever done.  And they came to the main road.\nAnd when they reached a place where the road divided in two, they beheld\na man on foot coming towards them along one of these roads, and Gwiffert\nasked the man whence he came.  \u201cI come,\u201d said he, \u201cfrom an errand in the\ncountry.\u201d  \u201cTell me,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cwhich is the best for me to follow\nof these two roads?\u201d  \u201cThat is the best for thee to follow,\u201d answered he,\n\u201cfor if thou goest by this one, thou wilt never return.  Below us,\u201d said\nhe, \u201cthere is a hedge of mist, and within it are enchanted games, and no\none who has gone there has ever returned.  And the Court of the Earl\nOwain is there, and he permits no one to go to lodge in the town, except\nhe will go to his Court.\u201d  \u201cI declare to Heaven,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cthat we\nwill take the lower road.\u201d  And they went along it until they came to the\ntown.  And they took the fairest and pleasantest place in the town for\ntheir lodging.  And while they were thus, behold, a young man came to\nthem, and greeted them.  \u201cHeaven be propitious to thee,\u201d said they.\n\u201cGood Sirs,\u201d said he, \u201cwhat preparations are you making here?\u201d  \u201cWe are\ntaking up our lodging,\u201d said they, \u201cto pass the night.\u201d  \u201cIt is not the\ncustom with him who owns the town,\u201d he answered, \u201cto permit any of gentle\nbirth, unless they come to stay in his Court, to abide here; therefore,\ncome ye to the Court.\u201d  \u201cWe will come, gladly,\u201d said Geraint.  And they\nwent with the page, and they were joyfully received.  And the Earl came\nto the hall to meet them, and he commanded the tables to be laid.  And\nthey washed, and sat down.  And this is the order in which they sat:\nGeraint on one side of the Earl, and Enid on the other side, and next to\nEnid the Little King, and then the Countess next to Geraint; and all\nafter that as became their rank.  Then Geraint recollected the games, and\nthought that he should not go to them; and on that account he did not\neat.  Then the Earl looked upon Geraint, and considered, and he bethought\nhim that his not eating was because of the games, and it grieved him that\nhe had ever established those games, were it only on account of losing\nsuch a youth as Geraint.  And if Geraint had asked him to abolish the\ngames, he would gladly have done so.  Then the Earl said to Geraint,\n\u201cWhat thought occupies thy mind, that thou dost not eat?  If thou\nhesitatest about going to the games, thou shalt not go, and no other of\nthy rank shall ever go either.\u201d  \u201cHeaven reward thee,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cbut\nI wish nothing better than to go to the games, and to be shown the way\nthither.\u201d  \u201cIf that is what thou dost prefer, thou shalt obtain it\nwillingly.\u201d  \u201cI do prefer it, indeed,\u201d said he.  Then they ate, and they\nwere amply served, and they had a variety of gifts, and abundance of\nliquor.  And when they had finished eating they arose.  And Geraint\ncalled for his horse and his armour, and he accoutred both himself and\nhis horse.  And all the hosts went forth until they came to the side of\nthe hedge, and the hedge was so lofty, that it reached as high as they\ncould see in the air, and upon every stake in the hedge, except two,\nthere was the head of a man, and the number of stakes throughout the\nhedge was very great.  Then said the Little King, \u201cMay no one go in with\nthe chieftain?\u201d  \u201cNo one may,\u201d said Earl Owain.  \u201cWhich way can I enter?\u201d\ninquired Geraint.  \u201cI know not,\u201d said Owain, \u201cbut enter by the way that\nthou wilt, and that seemeth easiest to thee.\u201d\n\nThen fearlessly and unhesitatingly Geraint dashed forward into the mist.\nAnd on leaving the mist, he came to a large orchard; and in the orchard\nhe saw an open space, wherein was a tent of red satin; and the door of\nthe tent was open, and an apple-tree stood in front of the door of the\ntent; and on a branch of the apple-tree hung a huge hunting-horn.  Then\nhe dismounted, and went into the tent; and there was no one in the tent\nsave one maiden sitting in a golden chair, and another chair was opposite\nto her, empty.  And Geraint went to the empty chair, and sat down\ntherein.  \u201cAh! chieftain,\u201d said the maiden, \u201cI would not counsel thee to\nsit in that chair.\u201d  \u201cWherefore?\u201d said Geraint.  \u201cThe man to whom that\nchair belongs has never suffered another to sit in it.\u201d  \u201cI care not,\u201d\nsaid Geraint, \u201cthough it displease him that I sit in the chair.\u201d  And\nthereupon they heard a mighty tumult around the tent.  And Geraint looked\nto see what was the cause of the tumult.  And he beheld without a knight\nmounted upon a warhorse, proudly snorting, high-mettled, and large of\nbone; and a robe of honour in two parts was upon him and upon his horse,\nand beneath it was plenty of armour.  \u201cTell me, chieftain,\u201d said he to\nGeraint, \u201cwho it was that bade thee sit there?\u201d  \u201cMyself,\u201d answered he.\n\u201cIt was wrong of thee to do me this shame and disgrace.  Arise, and do me\nsatisfaction for thine insolence.\u201d  Then Geraint arose; and they\nencountered immediately; and they broke a set of lances, and a second\nset, and a third; and they gave each other fierce and frequent strokes;\nand at last Geraint became enraged, and he urged on his horse, and rushed\nupon him, and gave him a thrust on the centre of his shield, so that it\nwas split, and so that the head of his lance went through his armour, and\nhis girths were broken, and he himself was borne headlong to the ground\nthe length of Geraint\u2019s lance and arm, over his horse\u2019s crupper.  \u201cOh, my\nLord!\u201d said he, \u201cthy mercy, and thou shalt have what thou wilt.\u201d  \u201cI only\ndesire,\u201d said Geraint, \u201cthat this game shall no longer exist here, nor\nthe hedge of mist, nor magic, nor enchantment.\u201d  \u201cThou shalt have this\ngladly, Lord,\u201d he replied.  \u201cCause, then, the mist to disappear from this\nplace,\u201d said Geraint.  \u201cSound yonder horn,\u201d said he, \u201cand when thou\nsoundest it, the mist will vanish; but it will not go hence unless the\nhorn be blown by the knight by whom I am vanquished.\u201d  And sad and\nsorrowful was Enid where she remained, through anxiety concerning\nGeraint.  Then Geraint went and sounded the horn.  And at the first blast\nhe gave, the mist vanished.  And all the hosts came together, and they\nall became reconciled to each other.  And the Earl invited Geraint and\nthe Little King to stay with him that night.  And the next morning they\nseparated.  And Geraint went towards his own dominions; and thenceforth\nhe reigned prosperously, and his warlike fame and splendour lasted with\nrenown and honour both to him and to Enid from that time forth.\n\n\n\n\nKILHWCH AND OLWEN\nOR THE\nTWRCH TRWYTH\n\n\nKilydd the son of Prince Kelyddon desired a wife as a helpmate, and the\nwife that he chose was Goleuddydd, the daughter of Prince Anlawdd.  And\nafter their union, the people put up prayers that they might have an\nheir.  And they had a son through the prayers of the people.  From the\ntime of her pregnancy Goleuddydd became wild, and wandered about, without\nhabitation; but when her delivery was at hand, her reason came back to\nher.  Then she went to a mountain where there was a swineherd, keeping a\nherd of swine.  And through fear of the swine the queen was delivered.\nAnd the swineherd took the boy, and brought him to the palace; and he was\nchristened, and they called him Kilhwch, because he had been found in a\nswine\u2019s burrow.  Nevertheless the boy was of gentle lineage, and cousin\nunto Arthur; and they put him out to nurse.\n\nAfter this the boy\u2019s mother, Goleuddydd, the daughter of Prince Anlawdd,\nfell sick.  Then she called her husband unto her, and said to him, \u201cOf\nthis sickness I shall die, and thou wilt take another wife.  Now wives\nare the gift of the Lord, but it would be wrong for thee to harm thy son.\nTherefore I charge thee that thou take not a wife until thou see a briar\nwith two blossoms upon my grave.\u201d  And this he promised her.  Then she\nbesought him to dress her grave every year, that nothing might grow\nthereon.  So the queen died.  Now the king sent an attendant every\nmorning to see if anything were growing upon the grave.  And at the end\nof the seventh year the master neglected that which he had promised to\nthe queen.\n\nOne day the king went to hunt, and he rode to the place of burial to see\nthe grave, and to know if it were time that he should take a wife; and\nthe king saw the briar.  And when he saw it, the king took counsel where\nhe should find a wife.  Said one of his counsellors, \u201cI know a wife that\nwill suit thee well, and she is the wife of King Doged.\u201d  And they\nresolved to go to seek her; and they slew the king, and brought away his\nwife and one daughter that she had along with her.  And they conquered\nthe king\u2019s lands.\n\nOn a certain day, as the lady walked abroad, she came to the house of an\nold crone that dwelt in the town, and that had no tooth in her head.  And\nthe queen said to her, \u201cOld woman, tell me that which I shall ask thee,\nfor the love of Heaven.  Where are the children of the man who has\ncarried me away by violence?\u201d  Said the crone, \u201cHe has not children.\u201d\nSaid the queen, \u201cWoe is me, that I should have come to one who is\nchildless!\u201d  Then said the hag, \u201cThou needest not lament on account of\nthat, for there is a prediction he shall have an heir by thee, and by\nnone other.  Moreover, be not sorrowful, for he has one son.\u201d\n\nThe lady returned home with joy; and she asked her consort, \u201cWherefore\nhast thou concealed thy children from me?\u201d  The king said, \u201cI will do so\nno longer.\u201d  And he sent messengers for his son, and he was brought to\nthe Court.  His stepmother said unto him, \u201cIt were well for thee to have\na wife, and I have a daughter who is sought of every man of renown in the\nworld.\u201d  \u201cI am not yet of an age to wed,\u201d answered the youth.  Then said\nshe unto him, \u201cI declare to thee, that it is thy destiny not to be suited\nwith a wife until thou obtain Olwen, the daughter of Yspaddaden Penkawr.\u201d\nAnd the youth blushed, and the love of the maiden diffused itself through\nall his frame, although he had never seen her.  And his father inquired\nof him, \u201cWhat has come over thee, my son, and what aileth thee?\u201d  \u201cMy\nstepmother has declared to me that I shall never have a wife until I\nobtain Olwen, the daughter of Yspaddaden Penkawr.\u201d  \u201cThat will be easy\nfor thee,\u201d answered his father.  \u201cArthur is thy cousin.  Go, therefore,\nunto Arthur, to cut thy hair, and ask this of him as a boon.\u201d\n\nAnd the youth pricked forth upon a steed with head dappled grey, of four\nwinters old, firm of limb, with shell-formed hoofs, having a bridle of\nlinked gold on his head, and upon him a saddle of costly gold.  And in\nthe youth\u2019s hand were two spears of silver, sharp, well-tempered, headed\nwith steel, three ells in length, of an edge to wound the wind, and cause\nblood to flow, and swifter than the fall of the dewdrop from the blade of\nreed-grass upon the earth when the dew of June is at the heaviest.  A\ngold-hilted sword was upon his thigh, the blade of which was of gold,\nbearing a cross of inlaid gold of the hue of the lightning of heaven: his\nwar-horn was of ivory.  Before him were two brindled white-breasted\ngreyhounds, having strong collars of rubies about their necks, reaching\nfrom the shoulder to the ear.  And the one that was on the left side\nbounded across to the right side, and the one on the right to the left,\nand like two sea-swallows sported around him.  And his courser cast up\nfour sods with his four hoofs, like four swallows in the air, about his\nhead, now above, now below.  About him was a four-cornered cloth of\npurple, and an apple of gold was at each corner, and every one of the\napples was of the value of an hundred kine.  And there was precious gold\nof the value of three hundred kine upon his shoes, and upon his stirrups,\nfrom his knee to the tip of his toe.  And the blade of grass bent not\nbeneath him, so light was his courser\u2019s tread as he journeyed towards the\ngate of Arthur\u2019s Palace.\n\nSpoke the youth, \u201cIs there a porter?\u201d  \u201cThere is; and if thou holdest not\nthy peace, small will be thy welcome.  I am Arthur\u2019s porter every first\nday of January.  And during every other part of the year but this, the\noffice is filled by Huandaw, and Gogigwc, and Llaeskenym, and\nPennpingyon, who goes upon his head to save his feet, neither towards the\nsky nor towards the earth, but like a rolling stone upon the floor of the\ncourt.\u201d  \u201cOpen the portal.\u201d  \u201cI will not open it.\u201d  \u201cWherefore not?\u201d\n\u201cThe knife is in the meat, and the drink is in the horn, and there is\nrevelry in Arthur\u2019s Hall, and none may enter therein but the son of a\nking of a privileged country, or a craftsman bringing his craft.  But\nthere will be refreshment for thy dogs, and for thy horses; and for thee\nthere will be collops cooked and peppered, and luscious wine and mirthful\nsongs, and food for fifty men shall be brought unto thee in the guest\nchamber, where the stranger and the sons of other countries eat, who come\nnot unto the precincts of the Palace of Arthur.  Thou wilt fare no worse\nthere than thou wouldest with Arthur in the Court.  A lady shall smooth\nthy couch, and shall lull thee with songs; and early to-morrow morning,\nwhen the gate is open for the multitude that come hither to-day, for thee\nshall it be opened first, and thou mayest sit in the place that thou\nshalt choose in Arthur\u2019s Hall, from the upper end to the lower.\u201d  Said\nthe youth, \u201cThat will I not do.  If thou openest the gate, it is well.\nIf thou dost not open it, I will bring disgrace upon thy Lord, and evil\nreport upon thee.  And I will set up three shouts at this very gate, than\nwhich none were ever more deadly, from the top of Pengwaed in Cornwall to\nthe bottom of Dinsol, in the North, and to Esgair Oervel, in Ireland.\nAnd all the women in this Palace that are pregnant shall lose their\noffspring; and such as are not pregnant, their hearts shall be turned by\nillness, so that they shall never bear children from this day forward.\u201d\n\u201cWhat clamour soever thou mayest make,\u201d said Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr,\n\u201cagainst the laws of Arthur\u2019s Palace shalt thou not enter therein, until\nI first go and speak with Arthur.\u201d\n\nThen Glewlwyd went into the Hall.  And Arthur said to him, \u201cHast thou\nnews from the gate?\u201d\u2014\u201cHalf of my life is past, and half of thine.  I was\nheretofore in Kaer Se and Asse, in Sach and Salach, in Lotor and Fotor;\nand I have been heretofore in India the Great and India the Lesser; and I\nwas in the battle of Dau Ynyr, when the twelve hostages were brought from\nLlychlyn.  And I have also been in Europe, and in Africa, and in the\nislands of Corsica, and in Caer Brythwch, and Brythach, and Verthach; and\nI was present when formerly thou didst slay the family of Clis the son of\nMerin, and when thou didst slay Mil Du the son of Ducum, and when thou\ndidst conquer Greece in the East.  And I have been in Caer Oeth and\nAnnoeth, and in Caer Nevenhyr; nine supreme sovereigns, handsome men, saw\nwe there, but never did I behold a man of equal dignity with him who is\nnow at the door of the portal.\u201d  Then said Arthur, \u201cIf walking thou didst\nenter in here, return thou running.  And every one that beholds the\nlight, and every one that opens and shuts the eye, let them shew him\nrespect, and serve him, some with gold-mounted drinking-horns, others\nwith collops cooked and peppered, until food and drink can be prepared\nfor him.  It is unbecoming to keep such a man as thou sayest he is, in\nthe wind and the rain.\u201d  Said Kai, \u201cBy the hand of my friend, if thou\nwouldest follow my counsel, thou wouldest not break through the laws of\nthe Court because of him.\u201d  \u201cNot so, blessed Kai.  It is an honour to us\nto be resorted to, and the greater our courtesy the greater will be our\nrenown, and our fame, and our glory.\u201d\n\nAnd Glewlwyd came to the gate, and opened the gate before him; and\nalthough all dismounted upon the horseblock at the gate, yet did he not\ndismount, but rode in upon his charger.  Then said Kilhwch, \u201cGreeting be\nunto thee, Sovereign Ruler of this Island; and be this greeting no less\nunto the lowest than unto the highest, and be it equally unto thy guests,\nand thy warriors, and thy chieftains\u2014let all partake of it as completely\nas thyself.  And complete be thy favour, and thy fame, and thy glory,\nthroughout all this Island.\u201d  \u201cGreeting unto thee also,\u201d said Arthur;\n\u201csit thou between two of my warriors, and thou shalt have minstrels\nbefore thee, and thou shalt enjoy the privileges of a king born to a\nthrone, as long as thou remainest here.  And when I dispense my presents\nto the visitors and strangers in this Court, they shall be in thy hand at\nmy commencing.\u201d  Said the youth, \u201cI came not here to consume meat and\ndrink; but if I obtain the boon that I seek, I will requite it thee, and\nextol thee; and if I have it not, I will bear forth thy dispraise to the\nfour quarters of the world, as far as thy renown has extended.\u201d  Then\nsaid Arthur, \u201cSince thou wilt not remain here, chieftain, thou shalt\nreceive the boon whatsoever thy tongue may name, as far as the wind\ndries, and the rain moistens, and the sun revolves, and the sea\nencircles, and the earth extends; save only my ship; and my mantle; and\nCaledvwlch, my sword; and Rhongomyant, my lance; and Wynebgwrthucher, my\nshield; and Carnwenhau, my dagger; and Gwenhwyvar, my wife.  By the truth\nof Heaven, thou shalt have it cheerfully, name what thou wilt.\u201d  \u201cI would\nthat thou bless my hair.\u201d  \u201cThat shall be granted thee.\u201d\n\nAnd Arthur took a golden comb, and scissors, whereof the loops were of\nsilver, and he combed his hair.  And Arthur inquired of him who he was.\n\u201cFor my heart warms unto thee, and I know that thou art come of my blood.\nTell me, therefore, who thou art.\u201d  \u201cI will tell thee,\u201d said the youth.\n\u201cI am Kilhwch, the son of Kilydd, the son of Prince Kelyddon, by\nGoleuddydd, my mother, the daughter of Prince Anlawdd.\u201d  \u201cThat is true,\u201d\nsaid Arthur; \u201cthou art my cousin.  Whatsoever boon thou mayest ask, thou\nshalt receive, be it what it may that thy tongue shall name.\u201d  \u201cPledge\nthe truth of Heaven and the faith of thy kingdom thereof.\u201d  \u201cI pledge it\nthee, gladly.\u201d  \u201cI crave of thee then, that thou obtain for me Olwen, the\ndaughter of Yspaddaden Penkawr; and this boon I likewise seek at the\nhands of thy warriors.  I seek it from Kai, and Bedwyr, and Greidawl\nGalldonyd, and Gwythyr the son of Greidawl, and Greid the son of Eri, and\nKynddelig Kyvarwydd, and Tathal Twyll Goleu, and Maelwys the son of\nBaeddan, and Crychwr the son of Nes, and Cubert the son of Daere, and\nPercos the son of Poch, and Lluber Beuthach, and Corvil Bervach, and\nGwynn the son of Nudd, and Edeyrn the son of Nudd, and Gadwy the son of\nGeraint, and Prince Fflewddur Fflam, and Ruawn Pebyr the son of Dorath,\nand Bradwen the son of Moren Mynawc, and Moren Mynawc himself, and\nDalldav the son of Kimin C\u00f4v, and the son of Alun Dyved, and the son of\nSaidi, and the son of Gwryon, and Uchtryd Ardywad Kad, and Kynwas\nCurvagyl, and Gwrhyr Gwarthegvras, and Isperyr Ewingath, and Gallcoyt\nGovynynat, and Duach, and Grathach, and Nerthach, the sons of Gwawrddur\nKyrvach (these men came forth from the confines of hell), and Kilydd\nCanhastyr, and Canastyr Kanllaw, and Cors Cant-Ewin, and Esgeir Gulhwch\nGovynkawn, and Drustwrn Hayarn, and Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr, and Lloch\nLlawwynnyawc, and Aunwas Adeiniawc, and Sinnoch the son of Seithved, and\nGwennwynwyn the son of Naw, and Bedyw the son of Seithved, and Gobrwy the\nson of Echel Vorddwyttwll, and Echel Vorddwyttwll himself, and Mael the\nson of Roycol, and Dadweir Dallpenn, and Garwyli the son of Gwythawc\nGwyr, and Gwythawc Gwyr himself, and Gormant the son of Ricca, and Menw\nthe son of Teirgwaedd, and Digon the son of Alar, and Selyf the son of\nSmoit, and Gusg the son of Atheu, and Nerth the son of Kedarn, and\nDrudwas the son of Tryffin, and Twrch the son of Perif, and Twrch the son\nof Annwas, and Iona king of France, and Sel the son of Selgi, and Teregud\nthe son of Iaen, and Sulyen the son of Iaen, and Bradwen the son of Iaen,\nand Moren the son of Iaen, and Siawn the son of Iaen, and Cradawc the son\nof Iaen.  (They were men of Caerdathal, of Arthur\u2019s kindred on his\nfather\u2019s side.)  Dirmyg the son of Kaw, and Justic the son of Kaw, and\nEtmic the son of Kaw, and Anghawd the son of Kaw, and Ovan the son of\nKaw, and Kelin the son of Kaw, and Connyn the son of Kaw, and Mabsant the\nson of Kaw, and Gwyngad the son of Kaw, and Llwybyr the son of Kaw, and\nCoth the son of Kaw, and Meilic the son of Kaw, and Kynwas the son of\nKaw, and Ardwyad the son of Kaw, and Ergyryad the son of Kaw, and Neb the\nson of Kaw, and Gilda the son of Kaw, and Calcas the son of Kaw, and\nHueil the son of Kaw (he never yet made a request at the hand of any\nLord).  And Samson Vinsych, and Taliesin the chief of the bards, and\nManawyddan the son of Llyr, and Llary the son of Prince Kasnar, and\nYsperni the son of Fflergant king of Armorica, and Saranhon the son of\nGlythwyr, and Llawr Eilerw, and Annyanniawc the son of Menw the son of\nTeirgwaedd, and Gwynn the son of Nwyvre, and Fflam the son of Nwyvre, and\nGeraint the son of Erbin, and Ermid the son of Erbin, and Dyvel the son\nof Erbin, and Gwynn the son of Ermid, and Kyndrwyn the son of Ermid, and\nHyveidd Unllenn, and Eiddon Vawr Vrydic, and Reidwn Arwy, and Gormant the\nson of Ricca (Arthur\u2019s brother by his mother\u2019s side; the Penhynev of\nCornwall was his father), and Llawnrodded Varvawc, and Nodawl Varyf\nTwrch, and Berth the son of Kado, and Rheidwn the son of Beli, and\nIscovan Hael, and Iscawin the son of Panon, and Morvran the son of Tegid\n(no one struck him in the battle of Camlan by reason of his ugliness; all\nthought he was an auxiliary devil.  Hair had he upon him like the hair of\na stag).  And Sandde Bryd Angel (no one touched him with a spear in the\nbattle of Camlan because of his beauty; all thought he was a ministering\nangel).  And Kynwyl Sant (the third man that escaped from the battle of\nCamlan, and he was the last who parted from Arthur on Hengroen his\nhorse).  And Uchtryd the son of Erim, and Eus the son of Erim, and Henwas\nAdeinawg the son of Erim, and Henbedestyr the son of Erim, and Sgilti\nYscawndroed the son of Erim. (Unto these three men belonged these three\nqualities,\u2014With Henbedestyr there was not any one who could keep pace,\neither on horseback or on foot; with Henwas Adeinawg, no four-footed\nbeast could run the distance of an acre, much less could it go beyond it;\nand as to Sgilti Yscawndroed, when he intended to go upon a message for\nhis Lord, he never sought to find a path, but knowing whither he was to\ngo, if his way lay through a wood he went along the tops of the trees.\nDuring his whole life, a blade of reed grass bent not beneath his feet,\nmuch less did one ever break, so lightly did he tread.)  Teithi H\u00ean the\nson of Gwynhan (his dominions were swallowed up by the sea, and he\nhimself hardly escaped, and he came to Arthur; and his knife had this\npeculiarity, that from the time that he came there no haft would ever\nremain upon it, and owing to this a sickness came over him, and he pined\naway during the remainder of his life, and of this he died).  And\nCarneddyr the son of Govynyon H\u00ean, and Gwenwynwyn the son of Nav\nGyssevin, Arthur\u2019s champion, and Llysgadrudd Emys, and Gwrbothu H\u00ean\n(uncles unto Arthur were they, his mother\u2019s brothers).  Kulvanawyd the\nson of Goryon, and Llenlleawg Wyddel from the headland of Ganion, and\nDyvynwal Moel, and Dunard king of the North, Teirnon Twryf Bliant, and\nTegvan Gloff, and Tegyr Talgellawg, Gwrdinal the son of Ebrei, and\nMorgant Hael, Gwystyl the son of Rhun the son of Nwython, and Llwyddeu\nthe son of Nwython, and Gwydre the son of Llwyddeu (Gwenabwy the daughter\nof [Kaw] was his mother, Hueil his uncle stabbed him, and hatred was\nbetween Hueil and Arthur because of the wound).  Drem the son of Dremidyd\n(when the gnat arose in the morning with the sun, he could see it from\nGelli Wic in Cornwall, as far off as Pen Blathaon in North Britain).  And\nEidyol the son of Ner, and Glwyddyn Saer (who constructed Ehangwen,\nArthur\u2019s Hall).  Kynyr Keinvarvawc (when he was told he had a son born he\nsaid to his wife, \u2018Damsel, if thy son be mine, his heart will be always\ncold, and there will be no warmth in his hands; and he will have another\npeculiarity, if he is my son he will always be stubborn; and he will have\nanother peculiarity, when he carries a burden, whether it be large or\nsmall, no one will be able to see it, either before him or at his back;\nand he will have another peculiarity, no one will be able to resist fire\nand water so well as he will; and he will have another peculiarity, there\nwill never be a servant or an officer equal to him\u2019).  Henwas, and\nHenwyneb (an old companion to Arthur).  Gwallgoyc (another; when he came\nto a town, though there were three hundred houses in it, if he wanted\nanything, he would not let sleep come to the eyes of any one whilst he\nremained there).  Berwyn the son of Gerenhir, and Paris king of France,\nand Osla Gyllellvawr (who bore a short broad dagger.  When Arthur and his\nhosts came before a torrent, they would seek for a narrow place where\nthey might pass the water, and would lay the sheathed dagger across the\ntorrent, and it would form a bridge sufficient for the armies of the\nthree Islands of Britain, and of the three islands adjacent, with their\nspoil).  Gwyddawg the son of Menestyr (who slew Kai, and whom Arthur\nslew, together with his brothers, to revenge Kai).  Garanwyn the son of\nKai, and Amren the son of Bedwyr, and Ely Amyr, and Rheu Rhwyd Dyrys, and\nRhun Rhudwern, and Eli, and Trachmyr (Arthur\u2019s chief huntsmen).  And\nLlwyddeu the son of Kelcoed, and Hunabwy the son of Gwryon, and Gwynn\nGodyvron, and Gweir Datharwenniddawg, and Gweir the son of Cadell the son\nof Talaryant, and Gweir Gwrhyd Ennwir, and Gweir Paladyr Hir (the uncles\nof Arthur, the brothers of his mother).  The sons of Llwch Llawwynnyawg\n(from beyond the raging sea).  Llenlleawg Wyddel, and Ardderchawg\nPrydain.  Cas the son of Saidi, Gwrvan Gwallt Avwyn, and Gwyllennhin the\nking of France, and Gwittart the son of Oedd king of Ireland.  Garselit\nWyddel, Panawr Pen Bagad, and Ffleudor the son of Nav, Gwynnhyvar mayor\nof Cornwall and Devon (the ninth man that rallied the battle of Camlan).\nKeli and Kueli, and Gilla Coes Hydd (he would clear three hundred acres\nat one bound: the chief leaper of Ireland was he).  Sol, and Gwadyn\nOssol, and Gwadyn Odyeith.  (Sol could stand all day upon one foot.\nGwadyn Ossol, if he stood upon the top of the highest mountain in the\nworld, it would become a level plain under his feet.  Gwadyn Odyeith, the\nsoles of his feet emitted sparks of fire when they struck upon things\nhard, like the heated mass when drawn out of the forge.  He cleared the\nway for Arthur when he came to any stoppage.)  Hirerwm and Hiratrwm.\n(The day they went on a visit three Cantrevs provided for their\nentertainment, and they feasted until noon and drank until night, when\nthey went to sleep.  And then they devoured the heads of the vermin\nthrough hunger, as if they had never eaten anything.  When they made a\nvisit they left neither the fat nor the lean, neither the hot nor the\ncold, the sour nor the sweet, the fresh nor the salt, the boiled nor the\nraw.)  Huarwar the son of Aflawn (who asked Arthur such a boon as would\nsatisfy him.  It was the third great plague of Cornwall when he received\nit.  None could get a smile from him but when he was satisfied).  Gware\nGwallt Euryn.  The two cubs of Gast Rhymi, Gwyddrud and Gwyddneu Astrus.\nSugyn the son of Sugnedydd (who would suck up the sea on which were three\nhundred ships so as to leave nothing but a dry strand.  He was\nbroad-chested).  Rhacymwri, the attendant of Arthur (whatever barn he was\nshown, were there the produce of thirty ploughs within it, he would\nstrike it with an iron flail until the rafters, the beams, and the boards\nwere no better than the small oats in the mow upon the floor of the\nbarn).  Dygyflwng and Anoeth Veidawg.  And Hir Eiddyl, and Hir Amreu\n(they were two attendants of Arthur).  And Gwevyl the son of Gwestad (on\nthe day that he was sad, he would let one of his lips drop below his\nwaist, while he turned up the other like a cap upon his head).  Uchtryd\nVaryf Draws (who spread his red untrimmed beard over the eight-and-forty\nrafters which were in Arthur\u2019s Hall).  Elidyr Gyvarwydd.  Yskyrdav and\nYscudydd (two attendants of Gwenhwyvar were they.  Their feet were swift\nas their thoughts when bearing a message).  Brys the son of Bryssethach\n(from the Hill of the Black Fernbrake in North Britain).  And Grudlwyn\nGorr.  Bwlch, and Kyfwlch, and Sefwlch, the sons of Cleddyf Kyfwlch, the\ngrandsons of Cleddyf Difwlch.  (Their three shields were three gleaming\nglitterers; their three spears were three pointed piercers; their three\nswords were three grinding gashers; Glas, Glessic, and Gleisad.  Their\nthree dogs, Call, Cuall, and Cavall.  Their three horses, Hwyrdyddwd, and\nDrwgdyddwd, and Llwyrdyddwg.  Their three wives, Och, and Garym, and\nDiaspad.  Their three grandchildren, Lluched, and Neved, and Eissiwed.\nTheir three daughters, Drwg, and Gwaeth, and Gwaethav Oll.  Their three\nhand-maids, Eheubryd the daughter of Kyfwlch, Gorascwrn the daughter of\nNerth, Ewaedan the daughter of Kynvelyn Keudawd Pwyll the half-man.)\nDwnn Diessic Unbenn, Eiladyr the son of Pen Llarcau, Kynedyr Wyllt the\nson of Hettwn Talaryant, Sawyl Ben Uchel, Gwalchmai the son of Gwyar,\nGwalhaved the son of Gwyar, Gwrhyr Gwastawd Ieithoedd (to whom all\ntongues were known), and Kethcrwm the Priest.  Clust the son of\nClustveinad (though he were buried seven cubits beneath the earth, he\nwould hear the ant fifty miles off rise from her nest in the morning).\nMedyr the son of Methredydd (from Gelli Wic he could, in a twinkling,\nshoot the wren through the two legs upon Esgeir Oervel in Ireland).\nGwiawn Llygad Cath (who could cut a haw from the eye of the gnat without\nhurting him).  Ol the son of Olwydd (seven years before he was born his\nfather\u2019s swine were carried off, and when he grew up a man he tracked the\nswine, and brought them back in seven herds).  Bedwini the Bishop (who\nblessed Arthur\u2019s meat and drink).  For the sake of the golden-chained\ndaughters of this island.  For the sake of Gwenhwyvar its chief lady, and\nGwennhwyach her sister, and Rathtyeu the only daughter of Clemenhill, and\nRhelemon the daughter of Kai, and Tannwen the daughter of Gweir\nDatharwen\u00eeddawg.  Gwenn Alarch the daughter of Kynwyl Canbwch.  Eurneid\nthe daughter of Clydno Eiddin.  Eneuawc the daughter of Bedwyr.  Enrydreg\nthe daughter of Tudvathar.  Gwennwledyr the daughter of Gwaledyr Kyrvach.\nErddudnid the daughter of Tryffin.  Eurolwen the daughter of Gwdolwyn\nGorr.  Teleri the daughter of Peul.  Indeg the daughter of Garwy Hir.\nMorvudd the daughter of Urien Rheged.  Gwenllian Deg the majestic maiden.\nCreiddylad the daughter of Lludd Llaw Ereint.  (She was the most splendid\nmaiden in the three Islands of the mighty, and in the three Islands\nadjacent, and for her Gwythyr the son of Greidawl and Gwynn the son of\nNudd fight every first of May until the day of doom.)  Ellylw the\ndaughter of Neol Kynn-Crog (she lived three ages).  Essyllt Vinwen and\nEssyllt Vingul.\u201d  And all these did Kilhwch the son of Kilydd adjure to\nobtain his boon.\n\nThen said Arthur, \u201cOh! chieftain, I have never heard of the maiden of\nwhom thou speakest, nor of her kindred, but I will gladly send messengers\nin search of her.  Give me time to seek her.\u201d  And the youth said, \u201cI\nwill willingly grant from this night to that at the end of the year to do\nso.\u201d  Then Arthur sent messengers to every land within his dominions to\nseek for the maiden; and at the end of the year Arthur\u2019s messengers\nreturned without having gained any knowledge or intelligence concerning\nOlwen more than on the first day.  Then said Kilhwch, \u201cEvery one has\nreceived his boon, and I yet lack mine.  I will depart and bear away thy\nhonour with me.\u201d  Then said Kai, \u201cRash chieftain! dost thou reproach\nArthur?  Go with us, and we will not part until thou dost either confess\nthat the maiden exists not in the world, or until we obtain her.\u201d\nThereupon Kai rose up.  Kai had this peculiarity, that his breath lasted\nnine nights and nine days under water, and he could exist nine nights and\nnine days without sleep.  A wound from Kai\u2019s sword no physician could\nheal.  Very subtle was Kai.  When it pleased him he could render himself\nas tall as the highest tree in the forest.  And he had another\npeculiarity,\u2014so great was the heat of his nature, that, when it rained\nhardest, whatever he carried remained dry for a handbreadth above and a\nhandbreadth below his hand; and when his companions were coldest, it was\nto them as fuel with which to light their fire.\n\nAnd Arthur called Bedwyr, who never shrank from any enterprise upon which\nKai was bound.  None was equal to him in swiftness throughout this island\nexcept Arthur and Drych Ail Kibddar.  And although he was one-handed,\nthree warriors could not shed blood faster than he on the field of\nbattle.  Another property he had; his lance would produce a wound equal\nto those of nine opposing lances.\n\nAnd Arthur called to Kynddelig the Guide, \u201cGo thou upon this expedition\nwith the chieftain.\u201d  For as good a guide was he in a land which he had\nnever seen as he was in his own.\n\nHe called Gwrhyr Gwalstawt Ieithoedd, because he knew all tongues.\n\nHe called Gwalchmai the son of Gwyar, because he never returned home\nwithout achieving the adventure of which he went in quest.  He was the\nbest of footmen and the best of knights.  He was nephew to Arthur, the\nson of his sister, and his cousin.\n\nAnd Arthur called Menw the son of Teirgwaedd, in order that if they went\ninto a savage country, he might cast a charm and an illusion over them,\nso that none might see them whilst they could see every one.\n\nThey journeyed until they came to a vast open plain, wherein they saw a\ngreat castle, which was the fairest of the castles of the world.  And\nthey journeyed that day until the evening, and when they thought they\nwere nigh to the castle, they were no nearer to it than they had been in\nthe morning.  And the second and the third day they journeyed, and even\nthen scarcely could they reach so far.  And when they came before the\ncastle, they beheld a vast flock of sheep, which was boundless and\nwithout an end.  And upon the top of a mound there was a herdsman,\nkeeping the sheep.  And a rug made of skins was upon him; and by his side\nwas a shaggy mastiff, larger than a steed nine winters old.  Never had he\nlost even a lamb from his flock, much less a large sheep.  He let no\noccasion ever pass without doing some hurt and harm.  All the dead trees\nand bushes in the plain he burnt with his breath down to the very ground.\n\nThen said Kai, \u201cGwrhyr Gwalstawt Ieithoedd, go thou and salute yonder\nman.\u201d  \u201cKai,\u201d said he, \u201cI engaged not to go further than thou thyself.\u201d\n\u201cLet us go then together,\u201d answered Kai.  Said Menw the son of\nTeirgwaedd, \u201cFear not to go thither, for I will cast a spell upon the\ndog, so that he shall injure no one.\u201d  And they went up to the mound\nwhereon the herdsman was, and they said to him, \u201cHow dost thou fare, O\nherdsman?\u201d  \u201cNo less fair be it to you than to me.\u201d  \u201cTruly, art thou the\nchief?\u201d  \u201cThere is no hurt to injure me but my own.\u201d {5}  \u201cWhose are the\nsheep that thou dost keep, and to whom does yonder castle belong?\u201d\n\u201cStupid are ye, truly!  Through the whole world is it known that this is\nthe castle of Yspaddaden Penkawr.\u201d  \u201cAnd who art thou?\u201d  \u201cI am called\nCustennin the son of Dyfnedig, and my brother Yspaddaden Penkawr\noppressed me because of my possessions.  And ye also, who are ye?\u201d  \u201cWe\nare an embassy from Arthur, come to seek Olwen the daughter of Yspaddaden\nPenkawr.\u201d  \u201cOh men! the mercy of Heaven be upon you, do not that for all\nthe world.  None who ever came hither on this quest has returned alive.\u201d\nAnd the herdsman rose up.  And as he arose, Kilhwch gave unto him a ring\nof gold.  And he sought to put on the ring, but it was too small for him,\nso he placed it in the finger of his glove.  And he went home, and gave\nthe glove to his spouse to keep.  And she took the ring from the glove\nwhen it was given her, and she said, \u201cWhence came this ring, for thou art\nnot wont to have good fortune?\u201d  \u201cI went,\u201d said he, \u201cto the sea to seek\nfor fish, and lo, I saw a corpse borne by the waves.  And a fairer corpse\nthan it did I never behold.  And from its finger did I take this ring.\u201d\n\u201cO man! does the sea permit its dead to wear jewels?  Show me then this\nbody.\u201d  \u201cOh wife, him to whom this ring belonged thou shalt see here in\nthe evening.\u201d  \u201cAnd who is he?\u201d asked the woman, \u201cKilhwch the son of\nKilydd, the son of Prince Kelyddon, by Goleuddydd the daughter of Prince\nAnlawdd, his mother, who is come to seek Olwen as his wife.\u201d  And when\nshe heard that, her feelings were divided between the joy that she had\nthat her nephew, the son of her sister, was coming to her, and sorrow\nbecause she had never known any one depart alive who had come on that\nquest.\n\nAnd they went forward to the gate of Custennin the herdsman\u2019s dwelling.\nAnd when she heard their footsteps approaching, she ran out with joy to\nmeet them.  And Kai snatched a billet out of the pile.  And when she met\nthem she sought to throw her arms about their necks.  And Kai placed the\nlog between her two hands, and she squeezed it so that it became a\ntwisted coil.  \u201cOh woman,\u201d said Kai, \u201cif thou hadst squeezed me thus,\nnone could ever again have set their affections on me.  Evil love were\nthis.\u201d  They entered into the house, and were served; and soon after they\nall went forth to amuse themselves.  Then the woman opened a stone chest\nthat was before the chimney-corner, and out of it arose a youth with\nyellow curling hair.  Said Gwrhyr, \u201cIt is a pity to hide this youth.  I\nknow that it is not his own crime that is thus visited upon him.\u201d  \u201cThis\nis but a remnant,\u201d said the woman.  \u201cThree-and-twenty of my sons has\nYspaddaden Penkawr slain, and I have no more hope of this one than of the\nothers.\u201d  Then said Kai, \u201cLet him come and be a companion with me, and he\nshall not be slain unless I also am slain with him.\u201d  And they ate.  And\nthe woman asked them, \u201cUpon what errand come you here?\u201d  \u201cWe come to seek\nOlwen for this youth.\u201d  Then said the woman, \u201cIn the name of Heaven,\nsince no one from the castle hath yet seen you, return again whence you\ncame.\u201d  \u201cHeaven is our witness, that we will not return until we have\nseen the maiden.\u201d  Said Kai, \u201cDoes she ever come hither, so that she may\nbe seen?\u201d  \u201cShe comes here every Saturday to wash her head, and in the\nvessel where she washes, she leaves all her rings, and she never either\ncomes herself or sends any messengers to fetch them.\u201d\n\n\u201cWill she come here if she is sent to?\u201d  \u201cHeaven knows that I will not\ndestroy my soul, nor will I betray those that trust me; unless you will\npledge me your faith that you will not harm her, I will not send to her.\u201d\n\u201cWe pledge it,\u201d said they.  So a message was sent, and she came.\n\nThe maiden was clothed in a robe of flame-coloured silk, and about her\nneck was a collar of ruddy gold, on which were precious emeralds and\nrubies.  More yellow was her head than the flower of the broom, and her\nskin was whiter than the foam of the wave, and fairer were her hands and\nher fingers than the blossoms of the wood anemone amidst the spray of the\nmeadow fountain.  The eye of the trained hawk, the glance of the\nthree-mewed falcon was not brighter than hers.  Her bosom was more snowy\nthan the breast of the white swan, her cheek was redder than the reddest\nroses.  Whoso beheld her was filled with her love.  Four white trefoils\nsprung up wherever she trod.  And therefore was she called Olwen.\n\nShe entered the house, and sat beside Kilhwch upon the foremost bench;\nand as soon as he saw her he knew her.  And Kilhwch said unto her, \u201cAh!\nmaiden, thou art she whom I have loved; come away with me, lest they\nspeak evil of thee and of me.  Many a day have I loved thee.\u201d  \u201cI cannot\ndo this, for I have pledged my faith to my father not to go without his\ncounsel, for his life will last only until the time of my espousals.\nWhatever is, must be.  But I will give thee advice if thou wilt take it.\nGo, ask me of my father, and that which he shall require of thee, grant\nit, and thou wilt obtain me; but if thou deny him anything, thou wilt not\nobtain me, and it will be well for thee if thou escape with thy life.\u201d\n\u201cI promise all this, if occasion offer,\u201d said he.\n\nShe returned to her chamber, and they all rose up and followed her to the\ncastle.  And they slew the nine porters that were at the nine gates in\nsilence.  And they slew the nine watch-dogs without one of them barking.\nAnd they went forward to the hall.\n\n\u201cThe greeting of Heaven and of man be unto thee, Yspaddaden Penkawr,\u201d\nsaid they.  \u201cAnd you, wherefore come you?\u201d  \u201cWe come to ask thy daughter\nOlwen, for Kilhwch the son of Kilydd, the son of Prince Kelyddon.\u201d\n\u201cWhere are my pages and my servants?  Raise up the forks beneath my two\neyebrows which have fallen over my eyes, that I may see the fashion of my\nson-in-law.\u201d  And they did so.  \u201cCome hither to-morrow, and you shall\nhave an answer.\u201d\n\nThey rose to go forth, and Yspaddaden Penkawr seized one of the three\npoisoned darts that lay beside him, and threw it after them.  And Bedwyr\ncaught it, and flung it, and pierced Yspaddaden Penkawr grievously with\nit through the knee.  Then he said, \u201cA cursed ungentle son-in-law, truly.\nI shall ever walk the worse for his rudeness, and shall ever be without a\ncure.  This poisoned iron pains me like the bite of a gadfly.  Cursed be\nthe smith who forged it, and the anvil whereon it was wrought!  So sharp\nis it!\u201d\n\nThat night also they took up their abode in the house of Custennin the\nherdsman.  The next day with the dawn they arrayed themselves in haste\nand proceeded to the castle, and entered the hall, and they said,\n\u201cYspaddaden Penkawr, give us thy daughter in consideration of her dower\nand her maiden fee, which we will pay to thee and to her two kinswomen\nlikewise.  And unless thou wilt do so, thou shalt meet with thy death on\nher account.\u201d  Then he said, \u201cHer four great-grandmothers, and her four\ngreat-grandsires are yet alive, it is needful that I take counsel of\nthem.\u201d  \u201cBe it so,\u201d answered they, \u201cwe will go to meat.\u201d  As they rose\nup, he took the second dart that was beside him, and cast it after them.\nAnd Menw the son of Gwaedd caught it, and flung it back at him, and\nwounded him in the centre of the breast, so that it came out at the small\nof his back.  \u201cA cursed ungentle son-in-law, truly,\u201d said he, \u201cthe hard\niron pains me like the bite of a horse-leech.  Cursed be the hearth\nwhereon it was heated, and the smith who formed it!  So sharp is it!\nHenceforth, whenever I go up a hill, I shall have a scant in my breath,\nand a pain in my chest, and I shall often loathe my food.\u201d  And they went\nto meat.\n\nAnd the third day they returned to the palace.  And Yspaddaden Penkawr\nsaid to them, \u201cShoot not at me again unless you desire death.  Where are\nmy attendants?  Lift up the forks of my eyebrows which have fallen over\nmy eyeballs, that I may see the fashion of my son-in-law.\u201d  Then they\narose, and, as they did so, Yspaddaden Penkawr took the third poisoned\ndart and cast it at them.  And Kilhwch caught it and threw it vigorously,\nand wounded him through the eyeball, so that the dart came out at the\nback of his head.  \u201cA cursed ungentle son-in-law, truly!  As long as I\nremain alive, my eyesight will be the worse.  Whenever I go against the\nwind, my eyes will water; and peradventure my head will burn, and I shall\nhave a giddiness every new moon.  Cursed be the fire in which it was\nforged.  Like the bite of a mad dog is the stroke of this poisoned iron.\u201d\nAnd they went to meat.\n\nAnd the next day they came again to the palace, and they said, \u201cShoot not\nat us any more, unless thou desirest such hurt, and harm, and torture as\nthou now hast, and even more.\u201d  \u201cGive me thy daughter, and if thou wilt\nnot give her, thou shalt receive thy death because of her.\u201d  \u201cWhere is he\nthat seeks my daughter?  Come hither where I may see thee.\u201d  And they\nplaced him a chair face to face with him.\n\nSaid Yspaddaden Penkawr, \u201cIs it thou that seekest my daughter?\u201d  \u201cIt is\nI,\u201d answered Kilhwch.  \u201cI must have thy pledge that thou wilt not do\ntowards me otherwise than is just, and when I have gotten that which I\nshall name, my daughter thou shalt have.\u201d  \u201cI promise thee that\nwillingly,\u201d said Kilhwch, \u201cname what thou wilt.\u201d  \u201cI will do so,\u201d said\nhe.\n\n\u201cSeest thou yonder vast hill?\u201d  \u201cI see it.\u201d  \u201cI require that it be rooted\nup, and that the grubbings be burned for manure on the face of the land,\nand that it be ploughed and sown in one day, and in one day that the\ngrain ripen.  And of that wheat I intend to make food and liquor fit for\nthe wedding of thee and my daughter.  And all this I require done in one\nday.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough this be easy for thee, there is yet that which will not be so.\nNo husbandman can till or prepare this land, so wild is it, except\nAmaethon the son of Don, and he will not come with thee by his own free\nwill, and thou wilt not be able to compel him.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.\nGovannon the son of Don to come to the headland to rid the iron, he will\ndo no work of his own good will except for a lawful king, and thou wilt\nnot be able to compel him.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get; the two\ndun oxen of Gwlwlyd, both yoked together, to plough the wild land yonder\nstoutly.  He will not give them of his own free will, and thou wilt not\nbe able to compel him.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get; the\nyellow and the brindled bull yoked together do I require.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get; the two\nhorned oxen, one of which is beyond, and the other this side of the\npeaked mountain, yoked together in the same plough.  And these are\nNynniaw and Peibaw whom God turned into oxen on account of their sins.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  Seest\nthou yonder red tilled ground?\u201d\n\n\u201cI see it.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen first I met the mother of this maiden, nine bushels of flax were\nsown therein, and none has yet sprung up, neither white nor black; and I\nhave the measure by me still.  I require to have the flax to sow in the\nnew land yonder, that when it grows up it may make a white wimple for my\ndaughter\u2019s head, on the day of thy wedding.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  Honey\nthat is nine times sweeter than the honey of the virgin swarm, without\nscum and bees, do I require to make bragget for the feast.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe vessel of Llwyr the son of Llwyryon, which is of the utmost value.\nThere is no other vessel in the world that can hold this drink.  Of his\nfree will thou wilt not get it, and thou canst not compel him.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  The\nbasket of Gwyddneu Garanhir, if the whole world should come together,\nthrice nine men at a time, the meat that each of them desired would be\nfound within it.  I require to eat therefrom on the night that my\ndaughter becomes thy bride.  He will give it to no one of his own free\nwill, and thou canst not compel him.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  The\nhorn of Gwlgawd Gododin to serve us with liquor that night.  He will not\ngive it of his own free will, and thou wilt not be able to compel him.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  The\nharp of Teirtu to play to us that night.  When a man desires that it\nshould play, it does so of itself, and when he desires that it should\ncease, it ceases.  And this he will not give of his own free will, and\nthou wilt not be able to compel him.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  The\ncauldron of Diwrnach Wyddel, the steward of Odgar the son of Aedd, king\nof Ireland, to boil the meat for thy marriage feast.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  It is\nneedful for me to wash my head, and shave my beard, and I require the\ntusk of Yskithyrwyn Penbaedd to shave myself withal, neither shall I\nprofit by its use if it be not plucked alive out of his head.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  There\nis no one in the world that can pluck it out of his head except Odgar the\nson of Aedd, king of Ireland.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  I will\nnot trust any one to keep the tusk except Gado of North Britain.  Now the\nthreescore Cantrevs of North Britain are under his sway, and of his own\nfree will he will not come out of his kingdom, and thou wilt not be able\nto compel him.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  I must\nspread out my hair in order to shave it, and it will never be spread out\nunless I have the blood of the jet-black sorceress, the daughter of the\npure white sorceress, from Pen Nant Govid, on the confines of Hell.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  I will\nnot have the blood unless I have it warm, and no vessels will keep warm\nthe liquid that is put therein except the bottles of Gwyddolwyd Gorr,\nwhich preserve the heat of the liquor that is put into them in the east,\nuntil they arrive at the west.  And he will not give them of his own free\nwill, and thou wilt not be able to compel him.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  Some\nwill desire fresh milk, and it will not be possible to have fresh milk\nfor all, unless we have the bottles of Rhinnon Rhin Barnawd, wherein no\nliquor ever turns sour.  And he will not give them of his own free will,\nand thou wilt not be able to compel him.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.\nThroughout the world there is not a comb or scissors with which I can\narrange my hair, on account of its rankness, except the comb and scissors\nthat are between the two ears of Twrch Trwyth, the son of Prince Tared.\nHe will not give them of his own free will, and thou wilt not be able to\ncompel him.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  It\nwill not be possible to hunt Twrch Trwyth without Drudwyn the whelp of\nGreid, the son of Eri.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.\nThroughout the world there is not a leash that can hold him, except the\nleash of Cwrs Cant Ewin.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.\nThroughout the world there is no collar that will hold the leash except\nthe collar of Canhastyr Canllaw.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  The\nchain of Kilydd Canhastyr to fasten the collar to the leash.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.\nThroughout the world there is not a huntsman who can hunt with this dog,\nexcept Mabon the son of Modron.  He was taken from his mother when three\nnights old, and it is not known where he now is, nor whether he is living\nor dead.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  Gwynn\nMygdwn, the horse of Gweddw, that is as swift as the wave, to carry Mabon\nthe son of Modron to hunt the boar Trwyth.  He will not give him of his\nown free will, and thou wilt not be able to compel him.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  Thou\nwilt not get Mabon, for it is not known where he is, unless thou find\nEidoel, his kinsman in blood, the son of Aer.  For it would be useless to\nseek for him.  He is his cousin.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.\nGarselit the Gwyddelian is the chief huntsman of Ireland; the Twrch\nTrwyth can never be hunted without him.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  A\nleash made from the beard of Dillus Varvawc, for that is the only one\nthat can hold those two cubs.  And the leash will be of no avail unless\nit be plucked from his beard while he is alive, and twitched out with\nwooden tweezers.  While he lives he will not suffer this to be done to\nhim, and the leash will be of no use should he be dead, because it will\nbe brittle.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.\nThroughout the world there is no huntsman that can hold those two whelps\nexcept Kynedyr Wyllt, the son of Hettwn Glafyrawc; he is nine times more\nwild than the wildest beast upon the mountains.  Him wilt thou never get,\nneither wilt thou ever get my daughter.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  It is\nnot possible to hunt the boar Trwyth without Gwynn the son of Nudd, whom\nGod has placed over the brood of devils in Annwvyn, lest they should\ndestroy the present race.  He will never be spared thence.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  There\nis not a horse in the world that can carry Gwynn to hunt the Twrch\nTrwyth, except Du, the horse of Mor of Oerveddawg.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  Until\nGilennhin the king of France shall come, the Twrch Trwyth cannot be\nhunted.  It will be unseemly for him to leave his kingdom for thy sake,\nand he will never come hither.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  The\nTwrch Trwyth can never be hunted without the son of Alun Dyved; he is\nwell skilled in letting loose the dogs.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  The\nTwrch Trwyth cannot be hunted unless thou get Aned and Aethlem.  They are\nas swift as the gale of wind, and they were never let loose upon a beast\nthat they did not kill him.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get; Arthur\nand his companions to hunt the Twrch Trwyth.  He is a mighty man, and he\nwill not come for thee, neither wilt thou be able to compel him.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  The\nTwrch Trwyth cannot be hunted unless thou get Bwlch, and Kyfwlch [and\nSefwlch], the grandsons of Cleddyf Difwlch.  Their three shields are\nthree gleaming glitterers.  Their three spears are three pointed\npiercers.  Their three swords are three griding gashers, Glas, Glessic,\nand Clersag.  Their three dogs, Call, Cuall, and Cavall.  Their three\nhorses, Hwyrdydwg, and Drwgdydwg, and Llwyrdydwg.  Their three wives,\nOch, and Garam, and Diaspad.  Their three grandchildren, Lluched, and\nVyned, and Eissiwed.  Their three daughters, Drwg, and Gwaeth, and\nGwaethav Oll.  Their three hand-maids [Eheubryd, the daughter of Kyfwlch;\nGorasgwrn, the daughter of Nerth; and Gwaedan, the daughter of Kynvelyn].\nThese three men shall sound the horn, and all the others shall shout, so\nthat all will think that the sky is falling to the earth.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.  The\nsword of Gwrnach the Giant; he will never be slain except therewith.  Of\nhis own free will he will not give it, either for a price or as a gift,\nand thou wilt never be able to compel him.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that\nit will not be easy.\u201d\n\n\u201cThough thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get.\nDifficulties shalt thou meet with, and nights without sleep, in seeking\nthis, and if thou obtain it not, neither shalt thou obtain my daughter.\u201d\n\n\u201cHorses shall I have, and chivalry; and my lord and kinsman Arthur will\nobtain for me all these things.  And I shall gain thy daughter, and thou\nshalt lose thy life.\u201d\n\n\u201cGo forward.  And thou shalt not be chargeable for food or raiment for my\ndaughter while thou art seeking these things; and when thou hast\ncompassed all these marvels, thou shalt have my daughter for thy wife.\u201d\n\n                                * * * * *\n\nAll that day they journeyed until the evening, and then they beheld a\nvast castle, which was the largest in the world.  And lo, a black man,\nhuger than three of the men of this world, came out from the castle.  And\nthey spoke unto him, \u201cWhence comest thou, O man?\u201d  \u201cFrom the castle which\nyou see yonder.\u201d  \u201cWhose castle is that?\u201d asked they.  \u201cStupid are ye\ntruly, O men.  There is no one in the world that does not know to whom\nthis castle belongs.  It is the castle of Gwrnach the Giant.\u201d  \u201cWhat\ntreatment is there for guests and strangers that alight in that castle?\u201d\n\u201cOh!  Chieftain, Heaven protect thee.  No guest ever returned thence\nalive, and no one may enter therein unless he brings with him his craft.\u201d\n\nThen they proceeded towards the gate.  Said Gwrhyr Gwalstawt Ieithoedd,\n\u201cIs there a porter?\u201d  \u201cThere is.  And thou, if thy tongue be not mute in\nthy head, wherefore dost thou call?\u201d  \u201cOpen the gate.\u201d  \u201cI will not open\nit.\u201d  \u201cWherefore wilt thou not?\u201d  \u201cThe knife is in the meat, and the\ndrink is in the horn, and there is revelry in the hall of Gwrnach the\nGiant, and except for a craftsman who brings his craft, the gate will not\nbe opened to-night.\u201d  \u201cVerily, porter,\u201d then said Kai, \u201cmy craft bring I\nwith me.\u201d  \u201cWhat is thy craft?\u201d  \u201cThe best burnisher of swords am I in\nthe world.\u201d  \u201cI will go and tell this unto Gwrnach the Giant, and I will\nbring thee an answer.\u201d\n\nSo the porter went in, and Gwrnach said to him, \u201cHast thou any news from\nthe gate?\u201d  \u201cI have.  There is a party at the door of the gate who desire\nto come in.\u201d  \u201cDidst thou inquire of them if they possessed any art?\u201d  \u201cI\ndid inquire,\u201d said he, \u201cand one told me that he was well skilled in the\nburnishing of swords.\u201d  \u201cWe have need of him then.  For some time have I\nsought for some one to polish my sword, and could find no one.  Let this\nman enter, since he brings with him his craft.\u201d  The porter thereupon\nreturned and opened the gate.  And Kai went in by himself, and he saluted\nGwrnach the Giant.  And a chair was placed for him opposite to Gwrnach.\nAnd Gwrnach said to him, \u201cOh man! is it true that is reported of thee,\nthat thou knowest how to burnish swords?\u201d  \u201cI know full well how to do\nso,\u201d answered Kai.  Then was the sword of Gwrnach brought to him.  And\nKai took a blue whetstone from under his arm, and asked him whether he\nwould have it burnished white or blue.  \u201cDo with it as it seems good to\nthee, and as thou wouldest if it were thine own.\u201d  Then Kai polished one\nhalf of the blade and put it in his hand.  \u201cWill this please thee?\u201d asked\nhe.  \u201cI would rather than all that is in my dominions that the whole of\nit were like unto this.  It is a marvel to me that such a man as thou\nshould be without a companion.\u201d  \u201cOh! noble sir, I have a companion,\nalbeit he is not skilled in this art.\u201d  \u201cWho may he be?\u201d  \u201cLet the porter\ngo forth, and I will tell him whereby he may know him.  The head of his\nlance will leave its shaft, and draw blood from the wind, and will\ndescend upon its shaft again.\u201d  Then the gate was opened, and Bedwyr\nentered.  And Kai said, \u201cBedwyr is very skilful, although he knows not\nthis art.\u201d\n\nAnd there was much discourse among those who were without, because that\nKai and Bedwyr had gone in.  And a young man who was with them, the only\nson of Custennin the herdsman, got in also.  And he caused all his\ncompanions to keep close to him as he passed the three wards, and until\nhe came into the midst of the castle.  And his companions said unto the\nson of Custennin, \u201cThou hast done this!  Thou art the best of all men.\u201d\nAnd thenceforth he was called Goreu, the son of Custennin.  Then they\ndispersed to their lodgings, that they might slay those who lodged\ntherein, unknown to the Giant.\n\nThe sword was now polished, and Kai gave it unto the hand of Gwrnach the\nGiant, to see if he were pleased with his work.  And the Giant said, \u201cThe\nwork is good, I am content therewith.\u201d  Said Kai, \u201cIt is thy scabbard\nthat hath rusted thy sword, give it to me that I may take out the wooden\nsides of it and put in new ones.\u201d  And he took the scabbard from him, and\nthe sword in the other hand.  And he came and stood over against the\nGiant, as if he would have put the sword into the scabbard; and with it\nhe struck at the head of the Giant, and cut off his head at one blow.\nThen they despoiled the castle, and took from it what goods and jewels\nthey would.  And again on the same day, at the beginning of the year,\nthey came to Arthur\u2019s Court, bearing with them the sword of Gwrnach the\nGiant.\n\nNow, when they told Arthur how they had sped, Arthur said, \u201cWhich of\nthese marvels will it be best for us to seek first?\u201d  \u201cIt will be best,\u201d\nsaid they, \u201cto seek Mabon the son of Modron; and he will not be found\nunless we first find Eidoel the son of Aer, his kinsman.\u201d  Then Arthur\nrose up, and the warriors of the Islands of Britain with him, to seek for\nEidoel; and they proceeded until they came before the Castle of Glivi,\nwhere Eidoel was imprisoned.  Glivi stood on the summit of his castle,\nand he said, \u201cArthur, what requirest thou of me, since nothing remains to\nme in this fortress, and I have neither joy nor pleasure in it; neither\nwheat nor oats?  Seek not therefore to do me harm.\u201d  Said Arthur, \u201cNot to\ninjure thee came I hither, but to seek for the prisoner that is with\nthee.\u201d  \u201cI will give thee my prisoner, though I had not thought to give\nhim up to any one; and therewith shalt thou have my support and my aid.\u201d\n\nHis followers said unto Arthur, \u201cLord, go thou home, thou canst not\nproceed with thy host in quest of such small adventures as these.\u201d  Then\nsaid Arthur, \u201cIt were well for thee, Gwrhyr Gwalstawt Ieithoedd, to go\nupon this quest, for thou knowest all languages, and art familiar with\nthose of the birds and the beasts.  Thou, Eidoel, oughtest likewise to go\nwith my men in search of thy cousin.  And as for you, Kai and Bedwyr, I\nhave hope of whatever adventure ye are in quest of, that ye will achieve\nit.  Achieve ye this adventure for me.\u201d\n\nThey went forward until they came to the Ousel of Cilgwri.  And Gwrhyr\nadjured her for the sake of Heaven, saying, \u201cTell me if thou knowest\naught of Mabon the son of Modron, who was taken when three nights old\nfrom between his mother and the wall.\u201d  And the Ousel answered, \u201cWhen I\nfirst came here, there was a smith\u2019s anvil in this place, and I was then\na young bird; and from that time no work has been done upon it, save the\npecking of my beak every evening, and now there is not so much as the\nsize of a nut remaining thereof; yet the vengeance of Heaven be upon me,\nif during all that time I have ever heard of the man for whom you\ninquire.  Nevertheless I will do that which is right, and that which it\nis fitting that I should do for an embassy from Arthur.  There is a race\nof animals who were formed before me, and I will be your guide to them.\u201d\n\nSo they proceeded to the place where was the Stag of Redynvre.  \u201cStag of\nRedynvre, behold we are come to thee, an embassy from Arthur, for we have\nnot heard of any animal older than thou.  Say, knowest thou aught of\nMabon the son of Modron, who was taken from his mother when three nights\nold?\u201d  The Stag said, \u201cWhen first I came hither, there was a plain all\naround me, without any trees save one oak sapling, which grew up to be an\noak with an hundred branches.  And that oak has since perished, so that\nnow nothing remains of it but the withered stump; and from that day to\nthis I have been here, yet have I never heard of the man for whom you\ninquire.  Nevertheless, being an embassy from Arthur, I will be your\nguide to the place where there is an animal which was formed before I\nwas.\u201d\n\nSo they proceeded to the place where was the Owl of Cwm Cawlwyd.  \u201cOwl of\nCwm Cawlwyd, here is an embassy from Arthur; knowest thou aught of Mabon\nthe son of Modron, who was taken after three nights from his mother?\u201d\n\u201cIf I knew I would tell you.  When first I came hither, the wide valley\nyou see was a wooded glen.  And a race of men came and rooted it up.  And\nthere grew there a second wood; and this wood is the third.  My wings,\nare they not withered stumps?  Yet all this time, even until to-day, I\nhave never heard of the man for whom you inquire.  Nevertheless, I will\nbe the guide of Arthur\u2019s embassy until you come to the place where is the\noldest animal in this world, and the one that has travelled most, the\nEagle of Gwern Abwy.\u201d\n\nGwrhyr said, \u201cEagle of Gwern Abwy, we have come to thee an embassy from\nArthur, to ask thee if thou knowest aught of Mabon the son of Modron, who\nwas taken from his mother when he was three nights old.\u201d  The Eagle said,\n\u201cI have been here for a great space of time, and when I first came hither\nthere was a rock here, from the top of which I pecked at the stars every\nevening; and now it is not so much as a span high.  From that day to this\nI have been here, and I have never heard of the man for whom you inquire,\nexcept once when I went in search of food as far as Llyn Llyw.  And when\nI came there, I struck my talons into a salmon, thinking he would serve\nme as food for a long time.  But he drew me into the deep, and I was\nscarcely able to escape from him.  After that I went with my whole\nkindred to attack him, and to try to destroy him, but he sent messengers,\nand made peace with me; and came and besought me to take fifty fish\nspears out of his back.  Unless he know something of him whom you seek, I\ncannot tell who may.  However, I will guide you to the place where he\nis.\u201d\n\nSo they went thither; and the Eagle said, \u201cSalmon of Llyn Llyw, I have\ncome to thee with an embassy from Arthur, to ask thee if thou knowest\naught concerning Mabon the son of Modron, who was taken away at three\nnights old from his mother.\u201d  \u201cAs much as I know I will tell thee.  With\nevery tide I go along the river upwards, until I come near to the walls\nof Gloucester, and there have I found such wrong as I never found\nelsewhere; and to the end that ye may give credence thereto, let one of\nyou go thither upon each of my two shoulders.\u201d  So Kai and Gwrhyr\nGwalstawt Ieithoedd went upon the two shoulders of the salmon, and they\nproceeded until they came unto the wall of the prison, and they heard a\ngreat wailing and lamenting from the dungeon.  Said Gwrhyr, \u201cWho is it\nthat laments in this house of stone?\u201d  \u201cAlas, there is reason enough for\nwhoever is here to lament.  It is Mabon the son of Modron who is here\nimprisoned; and no imprisonment was ever so grievous as mine, neither\nthat of Lludd Llaw Ereint, nor that of Greid the son of Eri.\u201d  \u201cHast thou\nhope of being released for gold or for silver, or for any gifts of\nwealth, or through battle and fighting?\u201d  \u201cBy fighting will whatever I\nmay gain be obtained.\u201d\n\nThen they went thence, and returned to Arthur, and they told him where\nMabon the son of Modron was imprisoned.  And Arthur summoned the warriors\nof the Island, and they journeyed as far as Gloucester, to the place\nwhere Mabon was in prison.  Kai and Bedwyr went upon the shoulders of the\nfish, whilst the warriors of Arthur attacked the castle.  And Kai broke\nthrough the wall into the dungeon, and brought away the prisoner upon his\nback, whilst the fight was going on between the warriors.  And Arthur\nreturned home, and Mabon with him at liberty.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\nSaid Arthur, \u201cWhich of the marvels will it be best for us now to seek\nfirst?\u201d  \u201cIt will be best to seek for the two cubs of Gast Rhymhi.\u201d  \u201cIs\nit known,\u201d asked Arthur, \u201cwhere she is?\u201d  \u201cShe is in Aber Deu Cleddyf,\u201d\nsaid one.  Then Arthur went to the house of Tringad, in Aber Cleddyf, and\nhe inquired of him whether he had heard of her there.  \u201cIn what form may\nshe be?\u201d  \u201cShe is in the form of a she-wolf,\u201d said he; \u201cand with her\nthere are two cubs.\u201d  \u201cShe has often slain my herds, and she is there\nbelow in a cave in Aber Cleddyf.\u201d\n\nSo Arthur went in his ship Prydwen by sea, and the others went by land,\nto hunt her.  And they surrounded her and her two cubs, and God did\nchange them again for Arthur into their own form.  And the host of Arthur\ndispersed themselves into parties of one and two.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\nOn a certain day, as Gwythyr the son of Greidawl was walking over a\nmountain, he heard a wailing and a grievous cry.  And when he heard it,\nhe sprang forward, and went towards it.  And when he came there, he drew\nhis sword, and smote off an ant-hill close to the earth, whereby it\nescaped being burned in the fire.  And the ants said to him, \u201cReceive\nfrom us the blessing of Heaven, and that which no man can give we will\ngive thee.\u201d  Then they fetched the nine bushels of flax-seed which\nYspaddaden Penkawr had required of Kilhwch, and they brought the full\nmeasure without lacking any, except one flax-seed, and that the lame\npismire brought in before night.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\nAs Kai and Bedwyr sat on a beacon carn on the summit of Plinlimmon, in\nthe highest wind that ever was in the world, they looked around them, and\nsaw a great smoke towards the south, afar off, which did not bend with\nthe wind.  Then said Kai, \u201cBy the hand of my friend, behold, yonder is\nthe fire of a robber!\u201d  Then they hastened towards the smoke, and they\ncame so near to it, that they could see Dillus Varvawc scorching a wild\nboar.  \u201cBehold, yonder is the greatest robber that ever fled from\nArthur,\u201d said Bedwyr unto Kai.  \u201cDost thou know him?\u201d  \u201cI do know him,\u201d\nanswered Kai, \u201che is Dillus Varvawc, and no leash in the world will be\nable to hold Drudwyn, the cub of Greid the son of Eri, save a leash made\nfrom the beard of him thou seest yonder.  And even that will be useless,\nunless his beard be plucked alive with wooden tweezers; for if dead, it\nwill be brittle.\u201d  \u201cWhat thinkest thou that we should do concerning\nthis?\u201d said Bedwyr.  \u201cLet us suffer him,\u201d said Kai, \u201cto eat as much as he\nwill of the meat, and after that he will fall asleep.\u201d  And during that\ntime they employed themselves in making the wooden tweezers.  And when\nKai knew certainly that he was asleep, he made a pit under his feet, the\nlargest in the world, and he struck him a violent blow, and squeezed him\ninto the pit.  And there they twitched out his beard completely with the\nwooden tweezers; and after that they slew him altogether.\n\nAnd from thence they both went to Gelli Wic, in Cornwall, and took the\nleash made of Dillus Varvawc\u2019s beard with them, and they gave it into\nArthur\u2019s hand.  Then Arthur composed this Englyn\u2014\n\n   Kai made a leash\n   Of Dillus son of Eurei\u2019s beard.\n   Were he alive, thy death he\u2019d be.\n\nAnd thereupon Kai was wroth, so that the warriors of the Island could\nscarcely make peace between Kai and Arthur.  And thenceforth, neither in\nArthur\u2019s troubles, nor for the slaying of his men, would Kai come forward\nto his aid for ever after.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\nSaid Arthur, \u201cWhich of the marvels is it best for us now to seek?\u201d  \u201cIt\nis best for us to seek Drudwyn, the cub of Greid the son of Eri.\u201d\n\nA little while before this, Creiddylad the daughter of Lludd Llaw Ereint,\nand Gwythyr the son of Greidawl, were betrothed.  And before she had\nbecome his bride, Gwyn ap Nudd came and carried her away by force; and\nGwythyr the son of Greidawl gathered his host together, and went to fight\nwith Gwyn ap Nudd.  But Gwyn overcame him, and captured Greid the son of\nEri, and Glinneu the son of Taran, and Gwrgwst Ledlwm, and Dynvarth his\nson.  And he captured Penn the son of Nethawg, and Nwython, and Kyledyr\nWyllt his son.  And they slew Nwython, and took out his heart, and\nconstrained Kyledyr to eat the heart of his father.  And therefrom\nKyledyr became mad.  When Arthur heard of this, he went to the North, and\nsummoned Gwyn ap Nudd before him, and set free the nobles whom he had put\nin prison, and made peace between Gwyn ap Nudd and Gwythyr the son of\nGriedawl.  And this was the peace that was made:\u2014that the maiden should\nremain in her father\u2019s house, without advantage to either of them, and\nthat Gwyn ap Nudd and Gwythyr the son of Greidawl should fight for her\nevery first of May, from thenceforth until the day of doom, and that\nwhichever of them should then be conqueror should have the maiden.\n\nAnd when Arthur had thus reconciled these chieftains, he obtained Mygdwn,\nGweddw\u2019s horse, and the leash of Cwrs Cant Ewin.\n\nAnd after that Arthur went into Armorica, and with him Mabon the son of\nMellt, and Gware Gwallt Euryn, to seek the two dogs of Glythmyr Ledewic.\nAnd when he had got them, he went to the West of Ireland, in search of\nGwrgi Seven; and Odgar the son of Aedd king of Ireland went with him.\nAnd thence went Arthur into the North, and captured Kyledyr Wyllt; and he\nwent after Yskithyrwyn Penbaedd.  And Mabon the son of Mellt came with\nthe two dogs of Glythmyr Ledewic in his hand, and Drudwyn, the cub of\nGreid the son of Eri.  And Arthur went himself to the chase, leading his\nown dog Cavall.  And Kaw, of North Britain, mounted Arthur\u2019s mare\nLlamrei, and was first in the attack.  Then Kaw, of North Britain,\nwielded a mighty axe, and absolutely daring he came valiantly up to the\nboar, and clave his head in twain.  And Kaw took away the tusk.  Now the\nboar was not slain by the dogs that Yspaddaden had mentioned, but by\nCavall, Arthur\u2019s own dog.\n\nAnd after Yskithyrwyn Penbaedd was killed, Arthur and his host departed\nto Gelli Wic in Cornwall.  And thence he sent Menw the son of Teirgwaedd\nto see if the precious things were between the two ears of Twrch Trwyth,\nsince it were useless to encounter him if they were not there.  Albeit it\nwas certain where he was, for he had laid waste the third part of\nIreland.  And Menw went to seek for him, and he met with him in Ireland,\nin Esgeir Oervel.  And Menw took the form of a bird; and he descended\nupon the top of his lair, and strove to snatch away one of the precious\nthings from him, but he carried away nothing but one of his bristles.\nAnd the boar rose up angrily and shook himself so that some of his venom\nfell upon Menw, and he was never well from that day forward.\n\nAfter this Arthur sent an embassy to Odgar, the son of Aedd king of\nIreland, to ask for the cauldron of Diwrnach Wyddel, his purveyor.  And\nOdgar commanded him to give it.  But Diwrnach said, \u201cHeaven is my\nwitness, if it would avail him anything even to look at it, he should not\ndo so.\u201d  And the embassy of Arthur returned from Ireland with this\ndenial.  And Arthur set forward with a small retinue, and entered into\nPrydwen, his ship, and went over to Ireland.  And they proceeded into the\nhouse of Diwrnach Wyddel.  And the hosts of Odgar saw their strength.\nWhen they had eaten and drunk as much as they desired, Arthur demanded to\nhave the cauldron.  And he answered, \u201cIf I would have given it to any\none, I would have given it at the word of Odgar king of Ireland.\u201d\n\nWhen he had given them this denial, Bedwyr arose and seized hold of the\ncauldron, and placed it upon the back of Hygwyd, Arthur\u2019s servant, who\nwas brother, by the mother\u2019s side, to Arthur\u2019s servant, Cachamwri.  His\noffice was always to carry Arthur\u2019s cauldron, and to place fire under it.\nAnd Llenlleawg Wyddel seized Caledvwlch, and brandished it.  And they\nslew Diwrnach Wyddel and his company.  Then came the Irish and fought\nwith them.  And when he had put them to flight, Arthur with his men went\nforward to the ship, carrying away the cauldron full of Irish money.  And\nhe disembarked at the house of Llwydden the son of Kelcoed, at Porth\nKerddin in Dyved.  And there is the measure of the cauldron.\n\nThen Arthur summoned unto him all the warriors that were in the three\nIslands of Britain, and in the three Islands adjacent, and all that were\nin France and in Armorica, in Normandy and in the Summer Country, and all\nthat were chosen footmen and valiant horsemen.  And with all these he\nwent into Ireland.  And in Ireland there was great fear and terror\nconcerning him.  And when Arthur had landed in the country, there came\nunto him the saints of Ireland and besought his protection.  And he\ngranted his protection unto them, and they gave him their blessing.  Then\nthe men of Ireland came unto Arthur, and brought him provisions.  And\nArthur went as far as Esgeir Oervel in Ireland, to the place where the\nBoar Trwyth was with his seven young pigs.  And the dogs were let loose\nupon him from all sides.  That day until evening the Irish fought with\nhim, nevertheless he laid waste the fifth part of Ireland.  And on the\nday following the household of Arthur fought with him, and they were\nworsted by him, and got no advantage.  And the third day Arthur himself\nencountered him, and he fought with him nine nights and nine days without\nso much as killing even one little pig.  The warriors inquired of Arthur\nwhat was the origin of that swine; and he told them that he was once a\nking, and that God had transformed him into a swine for his sins.\n\nThen Arthur sent Gwrhyr Gwalstawt Ieithoedd, to endeavour to speak with\nhim.  And Gwrhyr assumed the form of a bird, and alighted upon the top of\nthe lair, where he was with the seven young pigs.  And Gwrhyr Gwalstawt\nIeithoedd asked him, \u201cBy him who turned you into this form, if you can\nspeak, let some one of you, I beseech you, come and talk with Arthur.\u201d\nGrugyn Gwrych Ereint made answer to him.  (Now his bristles were like\nsilver wire, and whether he went through the wood or through the plain,\nhe was to be traced by the glittering of his bristles.)  And this was the\nanswer that Grugyn made: \u201cBy him who turned us into this form, we will\nnot do so, and we will not speak with Arthur.  That we have been\ntransformed thus is enough for us to suffer, without your coming here to\nfight with us.\u201d  \u201cI will tell you.  Arthur comes but to fight for the\ncomb, and the razor, and the scissors which are between the two ears of\nTwrch Trwyth.\u201d  Said Grugyn, \u201cExcept he first take his life, he will\nnever have those precious things.  And to-morrow morning we will rise up\nhence, and we will go into Arthur\u2019s country, and there will we do all the\nmischief that we can.\u201d\n\nSo they set forth through the sea towards Wales.  And Arthur and his\nhosts, and his horses and his dogs, entered Prydwen, that they might\nencounter them without delay.  Twrch Trwyth landed in Porth Cleis in\nDyved, and Arthur came to Mynyw.  The next day it was told to Arthur that\nthey had gone by, and he overtook them as they were killing the cattle of\nKynnwas Kwrr y Vagyl, having slain all that were at Aber Gleddyf, of man\nand beast, before the coming of Arthur.\n\nNow when Arthur approached, Twrch Trwyth went on as far as Preseleu, and\nArthur and his hosts followed him thither, and Arthur sent men to hunt\nhim; Eli and Trachmyr, leading Drudwyn the whelp of Greid the son of Eri,\nand Gwarthegyd the son of Kaw, in another quarter, with the two dogs of\nGlythmyr Ledewic, and Bedwyr leading Cavall, Arthur\u2019s own dog.  And all\nthe warriors ranged themselves around the Nyver.  And there came there\nthe three sons of Cleddyf Divwlch, men who had gained much fame at the\nslaying of Yskithyrwyn Penbaedd; and they went on from Glyn Nyver, and\ncame to Cwm Kerwyn.\n\nAnd there Twrch Trwyth made a stand, and slew four of Arthur\u2019s champions,\nGwarthegyd the son of Kaw, and Tarawc of Allt Clwyd, and Rheidwn the son\nof Eli Atver, and Iscovan Hael.  And after he had slain these men, he\nmade a second stand in the same place.  And there he slew Gwydre the son\nof Arthur, and Garselit Wyddel, and Glew the son of Ysgawd, and Iscawyn\nthe son of Panon; and there he himself was wounded.\n\nAnd the next morning before it was day, some of the men came up with him.\nAnd he slew Huandaw, and Gogigwr, and Penpingon, three attendants upon\nGlewlwyd Gavaelvawr, so that Heaven knows he had not an attendant\nremaining, excepting only Llaesgevyn, a man from whom no one ever derived\nany good.  And together with these he slew many of the men of that\ncountry, and Gwlydyn Saer, Arthur\u2019s chief Architect.\n\nThen Arthur overtook him at Pelumyawc, and there he slew Madawc the son\nof Teithyon, and Gwyn the son of Tringad, the son of Neved, and Eiryawn\nPenllorau.  Thence he went to Aberteivi, where he made another stand, and\nwhere he slew Kyflas the son of Kynan, and Gwilenhin king of France.\nThen he went as far as Glyn Ystu, and there the men and the dogs lost\nhim.\n\nThen Arthur summoned unto him Gwyn ab Nudd, and he asked him if he knew\naught of Twrch Trwyth.  And he said that he did not.\n\nAnd all the huntsmen went to hunt the swine as far as Dyffryn Llychwr.\nAnd Grugyn Gwallt Ereint and Llwydawg Govynnyad closed with them and\nkilled all the huntsmen, so that there escaped but one man only.  And\nArthur and his hosts came to the place where Grugyn and Llwydawg were.\nAnd there he let loose the whole of the dogs upon them, and with the\nshout and barking that was set up, Twrch Trwyth came to their assistance.\n\nAnd from the time that they came across the Irish sea, Arthur had never\ngot sight of him until then.  So he set men and dogs upon him, and\nthereupon he started off and went to Mynydd Amanw.  And there one of his\nyoung pigs was killed.  Then they set upon him life for life, and Twrch\nLlawin was slain, and then there was slain another of the swine, Gwys was\nhis name.  After that he went on to Dyffryn Amanw, and there Banw and\nBennwig were killed.  Of all his pigs there went with him alive from that\nplace none save Grugyn Gwallt Ereint and Llwydawg Govynnyad.\n\nThence he went on to Llwch Ewin, and Arthur overtook him there, and he\nmade a stand.  And there he slew Echel Forddwytwll, and Garwyli the son\nof Gwyddawg Gwyr, and many men and dogs likewise.  And thence they went\nto Llwch Tawy.  Grugyn Gwrych Ereint parted from them there, and went to\nDin Tywi.  And thence he proceeded to Ceredigiawn, and Eli and Trachmyr\nwith him, and a multitude likewise.  Then he came to Garth Gregyn, and\nthere Llwydawg Govynnyad fought in the midst of them, and slew Rhudvyw\nRhys and many others with him.  Then Llwydawg went thence to Ystrad Yw,\nand there the men of Armorica met him, and there he slew Hirpeissawg the\nking of Armorica, and Llygatrudd Emys, and Gwrbothu, Arthur\u2019s uncles, his\nmother\u2019s brothers, and there was he himself slain.\n\nTwrch Trwyth went from there to between Tawy and Euyas, and Arthur\nsummoned all Cornwall and Devon unto him, to the estuary of the Severn,\nand he said to the warriors of this Island, \u201cTwrch Trwyth has slain many\nof my men, but, by the valour of warriors, while I live he shall not go\ninto Cornwall.  And I will not follow him any longer, but I will oppose\nhim life to life.  Do ye as ye will.\u201d  And he resolved that he would send\na body of knights, with the dogs of the Island, as far as Euyas, who\nshould return thence to the Severn, and that tried warriors should\ntraverse the Island, and force him into the Severn.  And Mabon the son of\nModron came up with him at the Severn, upon Gwynn Mygdwn, the horse of\nGweddw, and Goreu the son of Custennin, and Menw the son of Teirgwaedd;\nthis was betwixt Llyn Lliwan and Aber Gwy.  And Arthur fell upon him\ntogether with the champions of Britain.  And Osla Kyllellvawr drew near,\nand Manawyddan the son of Llyr, and Kacmwri the servant of Arthur, and\nGwyngelli, and they seized hold of him, catching him first by his feet,\nand plunged him in the Severn, so that it overwhelmed him.  On the one\nside, Mabon the son of Modron spurred his steed and snatched his razor\nfrom him, and Kyledyr Wyllt came up with him on the other side, upon\nanother steed, in the Severn, and took from him the scissors.  But before\nthey could obtain the comb, he had regained the ground with his feet, and\nfrom the moment that he reached the shore, neither dog, nor man, nor\nhorse could overtake him until he came to Cornwall.  If they had had\ntrouble in getting the jewels from him, much more had they in seeking to\nsave the two men from being drowned.  Kacmwri, as they drew him forth,\nwas dragged by two millstones into the deep.  And as Osla Kyllellvawr was\nrunning after the boar, his knife had dropped out of the sheath, and he\nhad lost it, and after that, the sheath became full of water, and its\nweight drew him down into the deep, as they were drawing him forth.\n\nThen Arthur and his hosts proceeded until they overtook the boar in\nCornwall, and the trouble which they had met with before was mere play to\nwhat they encountered in seeking the comb.  But from one difficulty to\nanother, the comb was at length obtained.  And then he was hunted from\nCornwall, and driven straight forward into the deep sea.  And thenceforth\nit was never known whither he went; and Aned and Aethlem with him.  Then\nwent Arthur to Gelli Wic, in Cornwall, to anoint himself, and to rest\nfrom his fatigues.\n\nSaid Arthur, \u201cIs there any one of the marvels yet unobtained?\u201d  Said one\nof his men, \u201cThere is\u2014the blood of the witch Orddu, the daughter of the\nwitch Orwen, of Pen Nant Govid, on the confines of Hell.\u201d  Arthur set\nforth towards the North, and came to the place where was the witch\u2019s\ncave.  And Gwyn ab Nudd, and Gwythyr the son of Greidawl, counselled him\nto send Kacmwri, and Hygwyd his brother, to fight with the witch.  And as\nthey entered the cave, the witch seized upon them, and she caught Hygwyd\nby the hair of his head, and threw him on the floor beneath her.  And\nKacmwri caught her by the hair of her head, and dragged her to the earth\nfrom off Hygwyd, but she turned again upon them both, and drove them both\nout with kicks and with cuffs.\n\nAnd Arthur was wroth at seeing his two attendants almost slain, and he\nsought to enter the cave; but Gwyn and Gwythyr said unto him, \u201cIt would\nnot be fitting or seemly for us to see thee squabbling with a hag.  Let\nHiramreu and Hireidil go to the cave.\u201d  So they went.  But if great was\nthe trouble of the first two that went, much greater was that of these\ntwo.  And Heaven knows that not one of the four could move from the spot,\nuntil they placed them all upon Llamrei, Arthur\u2019s mare.  And then Arthur\nrushed to the door of the cave, and at the door he struck at the witch,\nwith Carnwennan his dagger, and clove her in twain, so that she fell in\ntwo parts.  And Kaw, of North Britain, took the blood of the witch and\nkept it.\n\nThen Kilhwch set forward, and Goreu the son of Custennin with him, and as\nmany as wished ill to Yspaddaden Penkawr.  And they took the marvels with\nthem to his court.  And Kaw of North Britain came and shaved his beard,\nskin, and flesh clean off to the very bone from ear to ear.  \u201cArt thou\nshaved, man?\u201d said Kilhwch.  \u201cI am shaved,\u201d answered he.  \u201cIs thy\ndaughter mine now?\u201d  \u201cShe is thine,\u201d said he, \u201cbut therefore needest thou\nnot thank me, but Arthur who hath accomplished this for thee.  By my free\nwill thou shouldest never have had her, for with her I lose my life.\u201d\nThen Goreu the son of Custennin seized him by the hair of his head, and\ndragged him after him to the keep, and cut off his head and placed it on\na stake on the citadel.  Then they took possession of his castle, and of\nhis treasures.\n\nAnd that night Olwen became Kilhwch\u2019s bride, and she continued to be his\nwife as long as she lived.  And the hosts of Arthur dispersed themselves,\neach man to his own country.  And thus did Kilhwch obtain Olwen, the\ndaughter of Yspaddaden Penkawr.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DREAM OF RHONABWY\n\n\nMadawc the son of Maredudd possessed Powys within its boundaries, from\nPorfoed to Gwauan in the uplands of Arwystli.  And at that time he had a\nbrother, Iorwerth the son of Maredudd, in rank not equal to himself.  And\nIorwerth had great sorrow and heaviness because of the honour and power\nthat his brother enjoyed, which he shared not.  And he sought his fellows\nand his foster-brothers, and took counsel with them what he should do in\nthis matter.  And they resolved to dispatch some of their number to go\nand seek a maintenance for him.  Then Madawc offered him to become Master\nof the Household and to have horses, and arms, and honour, and to fare\nlike as himself.  But Iorwerth refused this.\n\nAnd Iorwerth made an inroad into Loegria, slaying the inhabitants, and\nburning houses, and carrying away prisoners.  And Madawc took counsel\nwith the men of Powys, and they determined to place an hundred men in\neach of the three Commots of Powys to seek for him.  And thus did they in\nthe plains of Powys from Aber Ceirawc, and in Allictwn Ver, and in Rhyd\nWilure, on the Vyrnwy, the three best Commots of Powys.  So he was none\nthe better, he nor his household, in Powys, nor in the plains thereof.\nAnd they spread these men over the plains as far as Nillystwn Trevan.\n\nNow one of the men who was upon this quest was called Rhonabwy.  And\nRhonabwy and Kynwrig Vrychgoch, a man of Mawddwy, and Cadwgan Vras, a man\nof Moelvre in Kynlleith, came together to the house of Heilyn Goch the\nson of Cadwgan the son of Iddon.  And when they came near to the house,\nthey saw an old hall, very black and having an upright gable, whence\nissued a great smoke; and on entering, they found the floor full of\npuddles and mounds; and it was difficult to stand thereon, so slippery\nwas it with the mire of cattle.  And where the puddles were, a man might\ngo up to his ankles in water and dirt.  And there were boughs of holly\nspread over the floor, whereof the cattle had browsed the sprigs.  When\nthey came to the hall of the house, they beheld cells full of dust, and\nvery gloomy, and on one side an old hag making a fire.  And whenever she\nfelt cold, she cast a lapful of chaff upon the fire, and raised such a\nsmoke, that it was scarcely to be borne, as it rose up the nostrils.  And\non the other side was a yellow calf-skin on the floor; a main privilege\nwas it to any one who should get upon that hide.\n\nAnd when they had sat down, they asked the hag where were the people of\nthe house.  And the hag spoke not, but muttered.  Thereupon behold the\npeople of the house entered; a ruddy, clownish, curly-headed man, with a\nburthen of faggots on his back, and a pale slender woman, also carrying a\nbundle under her arm.  And they barely welcomed the men, and kindled a\nfire with the boughs.  And the woman cooked something, and gave them to\neat, barley bread, and cheese, and milk and water.\n\nAnd there arose a storm of wind and rain, so that it was hardly possible\nto go forth with safety.  And being weary with their journey, they laid\nthemselves down and sought to sleep.  And when they looked at the couch,\nit seemed to be made but of a little coarse straw full of dust and\nvermin, with the stems of boughs sticking up there-through, for the\ncattle had eaten all the straw that was placed at the head and the foot.\nAnd upon it was stretched an old russet-coloured rug, threadbare and\nragged; and a coarse sheet, full of slits, was upon the rug, and an\nill-stuffed pillow, and a worn-out cover upon the sheet.  And after much\nsuffering from the vermin, and from the discomfort of their couch, a\nheavy sleep fell on Rhonabwy\u2019s companions.  But Rhonabwy, not being able\neither to sleep or to rest, thought he should suffer less if he went to\nlie upon the yellow calf-skin that was stretched out on the floor.  And\nthere he slept.\n\nAs soon as sleep had come upon his eyes, it seemed to him that he was\njourneying with his companions across the plain of Argyngroeg, and he\nthought that he went towards Rhyd y Groes on the Severn.  As he\njourneyed, he heard a mighty noise, the like whereof heard he never\nbefore; and looking behind him, he beheld a youth with yellow curling\nhair, and with his beard newly trimmed, mounted on a chestnut horse,\nwhereof the legs were grey from the top of the forelegs, and from the\nbend of the hindlegs downwards.  And the rider wore a coat of yellow\nsatin sewn with green silk, and on his thigh was a gold-hilted sword,\nwith a scabbard of new leather of Cordova, belted with the skin of the\ndeer, and clasped with gold.  And over this was a scarf of yellow satin\nwrought with green silk, the borders whereof were likewise green.  And\nthe green of the caparison of the horse, and of his rider, was as green\nas the leaves of the fir-tree, and the yellow was as yellow as the\nblossom of the broom.  So fierce was the aspect of the knight, that fear\nseized upon them, and they began to flee.  And the knight pursued them.\nAnd when the horse breathed forth, the men became distant from him, and\nwhen he drew in his breath, they were drawn near to him, even to the\nhorse\u2019s chest.  And when he had overtaken them, they besought his mercy.\n\u201cYou have it gladly,\u201d said he, \u201cfear nought.\u201d  \u201cHa, chieftain, since thou\nhast mercy upon me, tell me also who thou art,\u201d said Rhonabwy.  \u201cI will\nnot conceal my lineage from thee, I am Iddawc the son of Mynyo, yet not\nby my name, but by my nickname am I best known.\u201d  \u201cAnd wilt thou tell us\nwhat thy nickname is?\u201d  \u201cI will tell you; it is Iddawc Cordd Prydain.\u201d\n\u201cHa, chieftain,\u201d said Rhonabwy, \u201cwhy art thou called thus?\u201d  \u201cI will tell\nthee.  I was one of the messengers between Arthur and Medrawd his nephew,\nat the battle of Camlan; and I was then a reckless youth, and through my\ndesire for battle, I kindled strife between them, and stirred up wrath,\nwhen I was sent by Arthur the Emperor to reason with Medrawd, and to show\nhim, that he was his foster-father and his uncle, and to seek for peace,\nlest the sons of the Kings of the Island of Britain, and of the nobles,\nshould be slain.  And whereas Arthur charged me with the fairest sayings\nhe could think of, I uttered unto Medrawd the harshest I could devise.\nAnd therefore am I called Iddawc Cordd Prydain, for from this did the\nbattle of Camlan ensue.  And three nights before the end of the battle of\nCamlan I left them, and went to the Llech Las in North Britain to do\npenance.  And there I remained doing penance seven years, and after that\nI gained pardon.\u201d\n\nThen lo! they heard a mighty sound which was much louder than that which\nthey had heard before, and when they looked round towards the sound, they\nbeheld a ruddy youth, without beard or whiskers, noble of mien, and\nmounted on a stately courser.  And from the shoulders and the front of\nthe knees downwards the horse was bay.  And upon the man was a dress of\nred satin wrought with yellow silk, and yellow were the borders of his\nscarf.  And such parts of his apparel and of the trappings of his horse\nas were yellow, as yellow were they as the blossom of the broom, and such\nas were red, were as ruddy as the ruddiest blood in the world.\n\nThen, behold the horseman overtook them, and he asked of Iddawc a share\nof the little men that were with him.  \u201cThat which is fitting for me to\ngrant I will grant, and thou shalt be a companion to them as I have\nbeen.\u201d  And the horseman went away.  \u201cIddawc,\u201d inquired Rhonabwy, \u201cwho\nwas that horseman?\u201d  \u201cRhuvawn Pebyr the son of Prince Deorthach.\u201d\n\nAnd they journeyed over the plain of Argyngroeg as far as the ford of\nRhyd y Groes on the Severn.  And for a mile around the ford on both sides\nof the road, they saw tents and encampments, and there was the clamour of\na mighty host.  And they came to the edge of the ford, and there they\nbeheld Arthur sitting on a flat island below the ford, having Bedwini the\nBishop on one side of him, and Gwarthegyd the son of Kaw on the other.\nAnd a tall, auburn-haired youth stood before him, with his sheathed sword\nin his hand, and clad in a coat and cap of jet-black satin.  And his face\nwas white as ivory, and his eyebrows black as jet, and such part of his\nwrist as could be seen between his glove and his sleeve, was whiter than\nthe lily, and thicker than a warrior\u2019s ankle.\n\nThen came Iddawc and they that were with him, and stood before Arthur and\nsaluted him.  \u201cHeaven grant thee good,\u201d said Arthur.  \u201cAnd where, Iddawc,\ndidst thou find these little men?\u201d  \u201cI found them, lord, up yonder on the\nroad.\u201d  Then the Emperor smiled.  \u201cLord,\u201d said Iddawc, \u201cwherefore dost\nthou laugh?\u201d  \u201cIddawc,\u201d replied Arthur, \u201cI laugh not; but it pitieth me\nthat men of such stature as these should have this island in their\nkeeping, after the men that guarded it of yore.\u201d  Then said Iddawc,\n\u201cRhonabwy, dost thou see the ring with a stone set in it, that is upon\nthe Emperor\u2019s hand?\u201d  \u201cI see it,\u201d he answered.  \u201cIt is one of the\nproperties of that stone to enable thee to remember that thou seest here\nto-night, and hadst thou not seen the stone, thou wouldest never have\nbeen able to remember aught thereof.\u201d\n\nAfter this they saw a troop coming towards the ford.  \u201cIddawc,\u201d inquired\nRhonabwy, \u201cto whom does yonder troop belong?\u201d  \u201cThey are the fellows of\nRhuvawn Pebyr the son of Prince Deorthach.  And these men are honourably\nserved with mead and bragget, and are freely beloved by the daughters of\nthe kings of the Island of Britain.  And this they merit, for they were\never in the front and the rear in every peril.\u201d  And he saw but one hue\nupon the men and the horses of this troop, for they were all as red as\nblood.  And when one of the knights rode forth from the troop, he looked\nlike a pillar of fire glancing athwart the sky.  And this troop encamped\nabove the ford.\n\nThen they beheld another troop coming towards the ford, and these from\ntheir horses\u2019 chests upwards were whiter than the lily, and below blacker\nthan jet.  And they saw one of these knights go before the rest, and spur\nhis horse into the ford in such a manner that the water dashed over\nArthur and the Bishop, and those holding counsel with them, so that they\nwere as wet as if they had been drenched in the river.  And as he turned\nthe head of his horse, the youth who stood before Arthur struck the horse\nover the nostrils with his sheathed sword, so that, had it been with the\nbare blade, it would have been a marvel if the bone had not been wounded\nas well as the flesh.  And the knight drew his sword half out of the\nscabbard, and asked of him, \u201cWherefore didst thou strike my horse?\nWhether was it in insult or in counsel unto me?\u201d  \u201cThou dost indeed lack\ncounsel.  What madness caused thee to ride so furiously as to dash the\nwater of the ford over Arthur, and the consecrated Bishop, and their\ncounsellors, so that they were as wet as if they had been dragged out of\nthe river?\u201d  \u201cAs counsel then will I take it.\u201d  So he turned his horse\u2019s\nhead round towards his army.\n\n\u201cIddawc,\u201d said Rhonabwy, \u201cwho was yonder knight?\u201d  \u201cThe most eloquent and\nthe wisest youth that is in this island; Adaon, the son of Taliesin.\u201d\n\u201cWho was the man that struck his horse?\u201d  \u201cA youth of froward nature;\nElphin, the son of Gwyddno.\u201d\n\nThen spake a tall and stately man, of noble and flowing speech, saying\nthat it was a marvel that so vast a host should be assembled in so narrow\na space, and that it was a still greater marvel that those should be\nthere at that time who had promised to be by mid-day in the battle of\nBadon, fighting with Osla Gyllellvawr.  \u201cWhether thou mayest choose to\nproceed or not, I will proceed.\u201d  \u201cThou sayest well,\u201d said Arthur, \u201cand\nwe will go altogether.\u201d  \u201cIddawc,\u201d said Rhonabwy, \u201cwho was the man who\nspoke so marvellously unto Arthur erewhile?\u201d  \u201cA man who may speak as\nboldly as he listeth, Caradawc Vreichvras, the son of Llyr Marini, his\nchief counsellor and his cousin.\u201d\n\nThen Iddawc took Rhonabwy behind him on his horse, and that mighty host\nmoved forward, each troop in its order, towards Cevndigoll.  And when\nthey came to the middle of the ford of the Severn, Iddawc turned his\nhorse\u2019s head, and Rhonabwy looked along the valley of the Severn.  And he\nbeheld two fair troops coming towards the ford.  One troop there came of\nbrilliant white, whereof every one of the men had a scarf of white satin\nwith jet-black borders.  And the knees and the tops of the shoulders of\ntheir horses were jet-black, though they were of a pure white in every\nother part.  And their banners were pure white, with black points to them\nall.\n\n\u201cIddawc,\u201d said Rhonabwy, \u201cwho are yonder pure white troop?\u201d  \u201cThey are\nthe men of Norway, and March the son of Meirchion is their prince.  And\nhe is cousin unto Arthur.\u201d  And further on he saw a troop, whereof each\nman wore garments of jet-black, with borders of pure white to every\nscarf; and the tops of the shoulders and the knees of their horses were\npure white.  And their banners were jet-black with pure white at the\npoint of each.\n\n\u201cIddawc,\u201d said Rhonabwy, \u201cwho are the jet-black troop yonder?\u201d  \u201cThey are\nthe men of Denmark, and Edeyrn the son of Nudd is their prince.\u201d\n\nAnd when they had overtaken the host, Arthur and his army of mighty ones\ndismounted below Caer Badou, and he perceived that he and Iddawc\njourneyed the same road as Arthur.  And after they had dismounted he\nheard a great tumult and confusion amongst the host, and such as were\nthen at the flanks turned to the centre, and such as had been in the\ncentre moved to the flanks.  And then, behold, he saw a knight coming,\nclad, both he and his horse, in mail, of which the rings were whiter than\nthe whitest lily, and the rivets redder than the ruddiest blood.  And he\nrode amongst the host.\n\n\u201cIddawc,\u201d said Rhonabwy, \u201cwill yonder host flee?\u201d  \u201cKing Arthur never\nfled, and if this discourse of thine were heard, thou wert a lost man.\nBut as to the knight whom thou seest yonder, it is Kai.  The fairest\nhorseman is Kai in all Arthur\u2019s Court; and the men who are at the front\nof the army hasten to the rear to see Kai ride, and the men who are in\nthe centre flee to the side, from the shock of his horse.  And this is\nthe cause of the confusion of the host.\u201d\n\nThereupon they heard a call made for Kadwr, Earl of Cornwall, and behold\nhe arose with the sword of Arthur in his hand.  And the similitude of two\nserpents was upon the sword in gold.  And when the sword was drawn from\nits scabbard, it seemed as if two flames of fire burst forth from the\njaws of the serpents, and then, so wonderful was the sword, that it was\nhard for any one to look upon it.  And the host became still, and the\ntumult ceased, and the Earl returned to the tent.\n\n\u201cIddawc,\u201d said Rhonabwy, \u201cwho is the man who bore the sword of Arthur?\u201d\n\u201cKadwr, the Earl of Cornwall, whose duty it is to arm the King on the\ndays of battle and warfare.\u201d\n\nAnd they heard a call made for Eirynwych Amheibyn, Arthur\u2019s servant, a\nred, rough, ill-favoured man, having red whiskers with bristly hairs.\nAnd behold he came upon a tall red horse with the mane parted on each\nside, and he brought with him a large and beautiful sumpter pack.  And\nthe huge red youth dismounted before Arthur, and he drew a golden chair\nout of the pack, and a carpet of diapered satin.  And he spread the\ncarpet before Arthur, and there was an apple of ruddy gold at each corner\nthereof, and he placed the chair upon the carpet.  And so large was the\nchair that three armed warriors might have sat therein.  Gwenn was the\nname of the carpet, and it was one of its properties that whoever was\nupon it no one could see him, and he could see every one.  And it would\nretain no colour but its own.\n\nAnd Arthur sat within the carpet, and Owain the son of Urien was standing\nbefore him.  \u201cOwain,\u201d said Arthur, \u201cwilt thou play chess?\u201d  \u201cI will,\nLord,\u201d said Owain.  And the red youth brought the chess for Arthur and\nOwain; golden pieces and a board of silver.  And they began to play.\n\nAnd while they were thus, and when they were best amused with their game,\nbehold they saw a white tent with a red canopy, and the figure of a\njet-black serpent on the top of the tent, and red glaring venomous eyes\nin the head of the serpent, and a red flaming tongue.  And there came a\nyoung page with yellow curling hair, and blue eyes, and a newly-springing\nbeard, wearing a coat and a surcoat of yellow satin, and hose of thin\ngreenish-yellow cloth upon his feet, and over his hose shoes of\nparti-coloured leather, fastened at the insteps with golden clasps.  And\nhe bore a heavy three-edged sword with a golden hilt, in a scabbard of\nblack leather tipped with fine gold.  And he came to the place where the\nEmperor and Owain were playing at chess.\n\nAnd the youth saluted Owain.  And Owain marvelled that the youth should\nsalute him and should not have saluted the Emperor Arthur.  And Arthur\nknew what was in Owain\u2019s thought.  And he said to Owain, \u201cMarvel not that\nthe youth salutes thee now, for he saluted me erewhile; and it is unto\nthee that his errand is.\u201d  Then said the youth unto Owain, \u201cLord, is it\nwith thy leave that the young pages and attendants of the Emperor harass\nand torment and worry thy Ravens?  And if it be not with thy leave, cause\nthe Emperor to forbid them.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said Owain, \u201cthou hearest what the\nyouth says; if it seem good to thee, forbid them from my Ravens.\u201d  \u201cPlay\nthy game,\u201d said he.  Then the youth returned to the tent.\n\nThat game did they finish, and another they began, and when they were in\nthe midst of the game, behold, a ruddy young man with auburn curling hair\nand large eyes, well-grown, and having his beard new-shorn, came forth\nfrom a bright yellow tent, upon the summit of which was the figure of a\nbright red lion.  And he was clad in a coat of yellow satin, falling as\nlow as the small of his leg, and embroidered with threads of red silk.\nAnd on his feet were hose of fine white buckram, and buskins of black\nleather were over his hose, whereon were golden clasps.  And in his hand\na huge, heavy, three-edged sword, with a scabbard of red deer-hide,\ntipped with gold.  And he came to the place where Arthur and Owain were\nplaying at chess.  And he saluted him.  And Owain was troubled at his\nsalutation, but Arthur minded it no more than before.  And the youth said\nunto Owain, \u201cIs it not against thy will that the attendants of the\nEmperor harass thy Ravens, killing some and worrying others?  If against\nthy will it be, beseech him to forbid them.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said Owain, \u201cforbid\nthy men, if it seem good to thee.\u201d  \u201cPlay thy game,\u201d said the Emperor.\nAnd the youth returned to the tent.\n\nAnd that game was ended and another begun.  And as they were beginning\nthe first move of the game, they beheld at a small distance from them a\ntent speckled yellow, the largest ever seen, and the figure of an eagle\nof gold upon it, and a precious stone on the eagle\u2019s head.  And coming\nout of the tent, they saw a youth with thick yellow hair upon his head,\nfair and comely, and a scarf of blue satin upon him, and a brooch of gold\nin the scarf upon his right shoulder as large as a warrior\u2019s middle\nfinger.  And upon his feet were hose of fine Totness, and shoes of\nparti-coloured leather, clasped with gold, and the youth was of noble\nbearing, fair of face, with ruddy cheeks and large hawk\u2019s eyes.  In the\nhand of the youth was a mighty lance, speckled yellow, with a\nnewly-sharpened head; and upon the lance a banner displayed.\n\nFiercely angry, and with rapid pace, came the youth to the place where\nArthur was playing at chess with Owain.  And they perceived that he was\nwroth.  And thereupon he saluted Owain, and told him that his Ravens had\nbeen killed, the chief part of them, and that such of them as were not\nslain were so wounded and bruised that not one of them could raise its\nwings a single fathom above the earth.  \u201cLord,\u201d said Owain, \u201cforbid thy\nmen.\u201d  \u201cPlay,\u201d said he, \u201cif it please thee.\u201d  Then said Owain to the\nyouth, \u201cGo back, and wherever thou findest the strife at the thickest,\nthere lift up the banner, and let come what pleases Heaven.\u201d\n\nSo the youth returned back to the place where the strife bore hardest\nupon the Ravens, and he lifted up the banner; and as he did so they all\nrose up in the air, wrathful and fierce and high of spirit, clapping\ntheir wings in the wind, and shaking off the weariness that was upon\nthem.  And recovering their energy and courage, furiously and with\nexultation did they, with one sweep, descend upon the heads of the men,\nwho had erewhile caused them anger and pain and damage, and they seized\nsome by the heads and others by the eyes, and some by the ears, and\nothers by the arms, and carried them up into the air; and in the air\nthere was a mighty tumult with the flapping of the wings of the\ntriumphant Ravens, and with their croaking; and there was another mighty\ntumult with the groaning of the men, that were being torn and wounded,\nand some of whom were slain.\n\nAnd Arthur and Owain marvelled at the tumult as they played at chess;\nand, looking, they perceived a knight upon a dun-coloured horse coming\ntowards them.  And marvellous was the hue of the dun horse.  Bright red\nwas his right shoulder, and from the top of his legs to the centre of his\nhoof was bright yellow.  Both the knight and his horse were fully\nequipped with heavy foreign armour.  The clothing of the horse from the\nfront opening upwards was of bright red sendal, and from thence opening\ndownwards was of bright yellow sendal.  A large gold-hilted one-edged\nsword had the youth upon his thigh, in a scabbard of light blue, and\ntipped with Spanish laton.  The belt of the sword was of dark green\nleather with golden slides and a clasp of ivory upon it, and a buckle of\njet-black upon the clasp.  A helmet of gold was on the head of the\nknight, set with precious stones of great virtue, and at the top of the\nhelmet was the image of a flame-coloured leopard with two ruby-red stones\nin its head, so that it was astounding for a warrior, however stout his\nheart, to look at the face of the leopard, much more at the face of the\nknight.  He had in his hand a blue-shafted lance, but from the haft to\nthe point it was stained crimson-red with the blood of the Ravens and\ntheir plumage.\n\nThe knight came to the place where Arthur and Owain were seated at chess.\nAnd they perceived that he was harassed and vexed and weary as he came\ntowards them.  And the youth saluted Arthur, and told him that the Ravens\nof Owain were slaying his young men and attendants.  And Arthur looked at\nOwain and said, \u201cForbid thy Ravens.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d answered Owain, \u201cplay thy\ngame.\u201d  And they played.  And the knight returned back towards the\nstrife, and the Ravens were not forbidden any more than before.\n\nAnd when they had played awhile, they heard a mighty tumult, and a\nwailing of men, and a croaking of Ravens, as they carried the men in\ntheir strength into the air, and, tearing them betwixt them, let them\nfall piecemeal to the earth.  And during the tumult they saw a knight\ncoming towards them, on a light grey horse, and the left foreleg of the\nhorse was jet-black to the centre of his hoof.  And the knight and the\nhorse were fully accoutred with huge heavy blue armour.  And a robe of\nhonour of yellow diapered satin was upon the knight, and the borders of\nthe robe were blue.  And the housings of the horse were jet-black, with\nborders of bright yellow.  And on the thigh of the youth was a sword,\nlong, and three-edged, and heavy.  And the scabbard was of red cut\nleather, and the belt of new red deer-skin, having upon it many golden\nslides and a buckle of the bone of the sea-horse, the tongue of which was\njet-black.  A golden helmet was upon the head of the knight, wherein were\nset sapphire-stones of great virtue.  And at the top of the helmet was\nthe figure of a flame-coloured lion, with a fiery-red tongue, issuing\nabove a foot from his mouth, and with venomous eyes, crimson-red, in his\nhead.  And the knight came, bearing in his hand a thick ashen lance, the\nhead whereof, which had been newly steeped in blood, was overlaid with\nsilver.\n\nAnd the youth saluted the Emperor: \u201cLord,\u201d said he, \u201ccarest thou not for\nthe slaying of thy pages, and thy young men, and the sons of the nobles\nof the Island of Britain, whereby it will be difficult to defend this\nisland from henceforward for ever?\u201d  \u201cOwain,\u201d said Arthur, \u201cforbid thy\nRavens.\u201d  \u201cPlay this game, Lord,\u201d said Owain.\n\nSo they finished the game and began another; and as they were finishing\nthat game, lo, they heard a great tumult and a clamour of armed men, and\na croaking of Ravens, and a flapping of wings in the air, as they flung\ndown the armour entire to the ground, and the men and the horses\npiecemeal.  Then they saw coming a knight on a lofty-headed piebald\nhorse.  And the left shoulder of the horse was of bright red, and its\nright leg from the chest to the hollow of the hoof was pure white.  And\nthe knight and horse were equipped with arms of speckled yellow,\nvariegated with Spanish laton.  And there was a robe of honour upon him,\nand upon his horse, divided in two parts, white and black, and the\nborders of the robe of honour were of golden purple.  And above the robe\nhe wore a sword three-edged and bright, with a golden hilt.  And the belt\nof the sword was of yellow goldwork, having a clasp upon it of the eyelid\nof a black sea-horse, and a tongue of yellow gold to the clasp.  Upon the\nhead of the knight was a bright helmet of yellow laton, with sparkling\nstones of crystal in it, and at the crest of the helmet was the figure of\na griffin, with a stone of many virtues in its head.  And he had an ashen\nspear in his hand, with a round shaft, coloured with azure blue.  And the\nhead of the spear was newly stained with blood, and was overlaid with\nfine silver.\n\nWrathfully came the knight to the place where Arthur was, and he told him\nthat the Ravens had slain his household and the sons of the chief men of\nthis island, and he besought him to cause Owain to forbid his Ravens.\nAnd Arthur besought Owain to forbid them.  Then Arthur took the golden\nchessmen that were upon the board, and crushed them until they became as\ndust.  Then Owain ordered Gwres the son of Rheged to lower his banner.\nSo it was lowered, and all was peace.\n\nThen Rhonabwy inquired of Iddawc who were the first three men that came\nto Owain, to tell him his Ravens were being slain.  Said Iddawc, \u201cThey\nwere men who grieved that Owain should suffer loss, his fellow-chieftains\nand companions, Selyv the son of Kynan Garwyn of Powys, and Gwgawn\nGleddyvrudd, and Gwres the son of Rheged, he who bears the banner in the\nday of battle and strife.\u201d  \u201cWho,\u201d said Rhonabwy, \u201cwere the last three\nmen who came to Arthur, and told him that the Ravens were slaughtering\nhis men?\u201d  \u201cThe best of men,\u201d said Iddawc, \u201cand the bravest, and who\nwould grieve exceedingly that Arthur should have damage in aught;\nBlathaon the son of Mawrheth, and Rhuvawn Pebyr the son of Prince\nDeorthach, and Hyveidd Unllenn.\u201d\n\nAnd with that behold four-and-twenty knights came from Osla Gyllellvawr,\nto crave a truce of Arthur for a fortnight and a month.  And Arthur rose\nand went to take counsel.  And he came to where a tall, auburn,\ncurly-headed man was a little way off, and there he assembled his\ncounsellors.  Bedwini, the Bishop, and Gwarthegyd the son of Kaw, and\nMarch the son of Meirchawn, and Caradawc Vreichvras, and Gwalchmai the\nson of Gwyar, and Edeyrn the son of Nudd, and Rhuvawn Pebyr the son of\nPrince Deorthach, and Rhiogan the son of the King of Ireland, and\nGwenwynwyn the son of Nav, Howel the son of Emyr Llydaw, Gwilym the son\nof Rhwyf Freinc, and Daned the son of Ath, and Goreu Custennin, and Mabon\nthe son of Modron, and Peredur Paladyr Hir, and Hyveidd Unllenn, and\nTwrch the son of Perif, and Nerth the son of Kadarn, and Gobrwy the son\nof Echel Vorddwyttwll, Gwair the son of Gwestyl, and Gadwy the son of\nGeraint, Trystan the son of Tallwch, Moryen Manawc, Granwen the son of\nLlyr, and Llacheu the son of Arthur, and Llawvrodedd Varvawc, and Kadwr\nEarl of Cornwall, Morvran the son of Tegid, and Rhyawd the son of\nMorgant, and Dyvyr the son of Alun Dyved, Gwrhyr Gwalstawd Ieithoedd,\nAdaon the son of Taliesin, Llary the son of Kasnar Wledig, and Fflewddur\nFflam, and Greidawl Galldovydd, Gilbert the son of Kadgyffro, Menw the\nson of Teirgwaedd, Gwrthmwl Wledig, Cawrdav the son of Caradawc\nVreichvras, Gildas the son of Kaw, Kadyriaith the son of Saidi, and many\nof the men of Norway and Denmark, and many of the men of Greece, and a\ncrowd of the men of the host came to that council.\n\n\u201cIddawc,\u201d said Rhonabwy, \u201cwho was the auburn haired man to whom they came\njust now?\u201d  \u201cRhun the son of Maelgwn Gwynedd, a man whose prerogative it\nis, that he may join in counsel with all.\u201d  \u201cAnd wherefore did they admit\ninto counsel with men of such dignity as are yonder a stripling so young\nas Kadyriaith the son of Saidi?\u201d  \u201cBecause there is not throughout\nBritain a man better skilled in counsel than he.\u201d\n\nThereupon, behold, bards came and recited verses before Arthur, and no\nman understood those verses but Kadyriaith only, save that they were in\nArthur\u2019s praise.\n\nAnd lo, there came four-and-twenty asses with their burdens of gold and\nof silver, and a tired way-worn man with each of them, bringing tribute\nto Arthur from the Islands of Greece.  Then Kadyriaith the son of Saidi\nbesought that a truce might be granted to Osla Gyllellvawr for the space\nof a fortnight and a month, and that the asses and the burdens they\ncarried might be given to the bards, to be to them as the reward for\ntheir stay and that their verse might be recompensed during the time of\nthe truce.  And thus it was settled.\n\n\u201cRhonabwy,\u201d said Iddawc, \u201cwould it not be wrong to forbid a youth who can\ngive counsel so liberal as this from coming to the councils of his Lord?\u201d\n\nThen Kai arose, and he said, \u201cWhosoever will follow Arthur, let him be\nwith him to-night in Cornwall, and whosoever will not, let him be opposed\nto Arthur even during the truce.\u201d  And through the greatness of the\ntumult that ensued, Rhonabwy awoke.  And when he awoke he was upon the\nyellow calf-skin, having slept three nights and three days.\n\nAnd this tale is called the Dream of Rhonabwy.  And this is the reason\nthat no one knows the dream without a book, neither bard nor gifted seer;\nbecause of the various colours that were upon the horses, and the many\nwondrous colours of the arms and of the panoply, and of the precious\nscarfs, and of the virtue-bearing stones.\n\n\n\n\nPWYLL PRINCE OF DYVED\n\n\nPwyll PRINCE OF DYVED was lord of the seven Cantrevs of Dyved; and once\nupon a time he was at Narberth his chief palace, and he was minded to\ngo and hunt, and the part of his dominions in which it pleased him to\nhunt was Glyn Cuch.  So he set forth from Narberth that night, and went\nas far as Llwyn Diarwyd.  And that night he tarried there, and early on\nthe morrow he rose and came to Glyn Cuch, when he let loose the dogs in\nthe wood, and sounded the horn, and began the chase.  And as he\nfollowed the dogs, he lost his companions; and whilst he listened to\nthe hounds, he heard the cry of other hounds, a cry different from his\nown, and coming in the opposite direction.\n\nAnd he beheld a glade in the wood forming a level plain, and as his dogs\ncame to the edge of the glade, he saw a stag before the other dogs.  And\nlo, as it reached the middle of the glade, the dogs that followed the\nstag overtook it and brought it down.  Then looked he at the colour of\nthe dogs, staying not to look at the stag, and of all the hounds that he\nhad seen in the world, he had never seen any that were like unto these.\nFor their hair was of a brilliant shining white, and their ears were red;\nand as the whiteness of their bodies shone, so did the redness of their\nears glisten.  And he came towards the dogs, and drove away those that\nhad brought down the stag, and set his own dogs upon it.\n\nAnd as he was setting on his dogs he saw a horseman coming towards him\nupon a large light-grey steed, with a hunting horn round his neck, and\nclad in garments of grey woollen in the fashion of a hunting garb.  And\nthe horseman drew near and spoke unto him thus.  \u201cChieftain,\u201d said he, \u201cI\nknow who thou art, and I greet thee not.\u201d  \u201cPeradventure,\u201d said Pwyll,\n\u201cthou art of such dignity that thou shouldest not do so.\u201d  \u201cVerily,\u201d\nanswered he, \u201cit is not my dignity that prevents me.\u201d  \u201cWhat is it then,\nO Chieftain?\u201d asked he.  \u201cBy Heaven, it is by reason of thine own\nignorance and want of courtesy.\u201d  \u201cWhat discourtesy, Chieftain, hast thou\nseen in me?\u201d  \u201cGreater discourtesy saw I never in man,\u201d said he, \u201cthan to\ndrive away the dogs that were killing the stag and to set upon it thine\nown.  This was discourteous, and though I may not be revenged upon thee,\nyet I declare to Heaven that I will do thee more dishonour than the value\nof an hundred stags.\u201d  \u201cO Chieftain,\u201d he replied, \u201cif I have done ill I\nwill redeem thy friendship.\u201d  \u201cHow wilt thou redeem it?\u201d  \u201cAccording as\nthy dignity may be, but I know not who thou art?\u201d  \u201cA crowned king am I\nin the land whence I come.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said he, \u201cmay the day prosper with\nthee, and from what land comest thou?\u201d  \u201cFrom Annwvyn,\u201d {2} answered he;\n\u201cArawn, a King of Annwvyn, am I.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said he, \u201chow may I gain thy\nfriendship?\u201d  \u201cAfter this manner mayest thou,\u201d he said.  \u201cThere is a man\nwhose dominions are opposite to mine, who is ever warring against me, and\nhe is Havgan, a King of Annwvyn, and by ridding me of this oppression,\nwhich thou canst easily do, shalt thou gain my friendship.\u201d  \u201cGladly will\nI do this,\u201d said he.  \u201cShow me how I may.\u201d  \u201cI will show thee.  Behold\nthus it is thou mayest.  I will make firm friendship with thee; and this\nwill I do.  I will send thee to Annwvyn in my stead, and I will give thee\nthe fairest lady thou didst ever behold to be thy companion, and I will\nput my form and semblance upon thee, so that not a page of the chamber,\nnor an officer, nor any other man that has always followed me shall know\nthat it is not I.  And this shall be for the space of a year from\nto-morrow, and then we will meet in this place.\u201d  \u201cYes,\u201d said he; \u201cbut\nwhen I shall have been there for the space of a year, by what means shall\nI discover him of whom thou speakest?\u201d  \u201cOne year from this night,\u201d he\nanswered, \u201cis the time fixed between him and me that we should meet at\nthe Ford; be thou there in my likeness, and with one stroke that thou\ngivest him, he shall no longer live.  And if he ask thee to give him\nanother, give it not, how much soever he may entreat thee, for when I did\nso, he fought with me next day as well as ever before.\u201d  \u201cVerily,\u201d said\nPwyll, \u201cwhat shall I do concerning my kingdom?\u201d  Said Arawn, \u201cI will\ncause that no one in all thy dominions, neither man nor woman, shall know\nthat I am not thou, and I will go there in thy stead.\u201d  \u201cGladly then,\u201d\nsaid Pwyll, \u201cwill I set forward.\u201d  \u201cClear shall be thy path, and nothing\nshall detain thee, until thou come into my dominions, and I myself will\nbe thy guide!\u201d\n\nSo he conducted him until he came in sight of the palace and its\ndwellings.  \u201cBehold,\u201d said he, \u201cthe Court and the kingdom in thy power.\nEnter the Court, there is no one there who will know thee, and when thou\nseest what service is done there, thou wilt know the customs of the\nCourt.\u201d\n\nSo he went forward to the Court, and when he came there, he beheld\nsleeping-rooms, and halls, and chambers, and the most beautiful buildings\never seen.  And he went into the hall to disarray, and there came youths\nand pages and disarrayed him, and all as they entered saluted him.  And\ntwo knights came and drew his hunting-dress from about him, and clothed\nhim in a vesture of silk and gold.  And the hall was prepared, and behold\nhe saw the household and the host enter in, and the host was the most\ncomely and the best equipped that he had ever seen.  And with them came\nin likewise the Queen, who was the fairest woman that he had ever yet\nbeheld.  And she had on a yellow robe of shining satin; and they washed\nand went to the table, and sat, the Queen upon one side of him, and one\nwho seemed to be an Earl on the other side.\n\nAnd he began to speak with the Queen, and he thought, from her speech,\nthat she was the seemliest and most noble lady of converse and of cheer\nthat ever was.  And they partook of meat, and drink, with songs and with\nfeasting; and of all the Courts upon the earth, behold this was the best\nsupplied with food and drink, and vessels of gold and royal jewels.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\nAnd the year he spent in hunting, and minstrelsy, and feasting, and\ndiversions, and discourse with his companions until the night that was\nfixed for the conflict.  And when that night came, it was remembered even\nby those who lived in the furthest part of his dominions, and he went to\nthe meeting, and the nobles of the kingdom with him.  And when he came to\nthe Ford, a knight arose and spake thus.  \u201cLords,\u201d said he, \u201clisten well.\nIt is between two kings that this meeting is, and between them only.\nEach claimeth of the other his land and territory, and do all of you\nstand aside and leave the fight to be between them.\u201d\n\nThereupon the two kings approached each other in the middle of the Ford,\nand encountered, and at the first thrust, the man who was in the stead of\nArawn struck Havgan on the centre of the boss of his shield, so that it\nwas cloven in twain, and his armour was broken, and Havgan himself was\nborne to the ground an arm\u2019s and a spear\u2019s length over the crupper of his\nhorse, and he received a deadly blow.  \u201cO Chieftain,\u201d said Havgan, \u201cwhat\nright hast thou to cause my death?  I was not injuring thee in anything,\nand I know not wherefore thou wouldest slay me.  But, for the love of\nHeaven, since thou hast begun to slay me, complete thy work.\u201d  \u201cAh,\nChieftain,\u201d he replied, \u201cI may yet repent doing that unto thee, slay thee\nwho may, I will not do so.\u201d  \u201cMy trusty Lords,\u201d said Havgan, \u201cbear me\nhence.  My death has come.  I shall be no more able to uphold you.\u201d  \u201cMy\nNobles,\u201d also said he who was in the semblance of Arawn, \u201ctake counsel\nand know who ought to be my subjects.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said the Nobles, \u201call\nshould be, for there is no king over the whole of Annwvyn but thee.\u201d\n\u201cYes,\u201d he replied, \u201cit is right that he who comes humbly should be\nreceived graciously, but he that doth not come with obedience, shall be\ncompelled by the force of swords.\u201d  And thereupon he received the homage\nof the men, and he began to conquer the country; and the next day by noon\nthe two kingdoms were in his power.  And thereupon he went to keep his\ntryst, and came to Glyn Cuch.\n\nAnd when he came there, the King of Annwvyn was there to meet him, and\neach of them was rejoiced to see the other.  \u201cVerily,\u201d said Arawn, \u201cmay\nHeaven reward thee for thy friendship towards me.  I have heard of it.\nWhen thou comest thyself to thy dominions,\u201d said he, \u201cthou wilt see that\nwhich I have done for thee.\u201d  \u201cWhatever thou hast done for me, may Heaven\nrepay it thee.\u201d\n\nThen Arawn gave to Pwyll Prince of Dyved his proper form and semblance,\nand he himself took his own; and Arawn set forth towards the Court of\nAnnwvyn; and he was rejoiced when he beheld his hosts, and his household,\nwhom he had not seen so long; but they had not known of his absence, and\nwondered no more at his coming than usual.  And that day was spent in joy\nand merriment; and he sat and conversed with his wife and his nobles.\nAnd when it was time for them rather to sleep than to carouse, they went\nto rest.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\nPwyll Prince of Dyved came likewise to his country and dominions, and\nbegan to inquire of the nobles of the land, how his rule had been during\nthe past year, compared with what it had been before.  \u201cLord,\u201d said they,\n\u201cthy wisdom was never so great, and thou wast never so kind or so free in\nbestowing thy gifts, and thy justice was never more worthily seen than in\nthis year.\u201d  \u201cBy Heaven,\u201d said he, \u201cfor all the good you have enjoyed,\nyou should thank him who hath been with you; for behold, thus hath this\nmatter been.\u201d  And thereupon Pwyll related the whole unto them.  \u201cVerily,\nLord,\u201d said they, \u201crender thanks unto Heaven that thou hast such a\nfellowship, and withhold not from us the rule which we have enjoyed for\nthis year past.\u201d  \u201cI take Heaven to witness that I will not withhold it,\u201d\nanswered Pwyll.\n\nAnd thenceforth they made strong the friendship that was between them,\nand each sent unto the other horses, and greyhounds, and hawks, and all\nsuch jewels as they thought would be pleasing to each other.  And by\nreason of his having dwelt that year in Annwvyn, and having ruled there\nso prosperously, and united the two kingdoms in one day by his valour and\nprowess, he lost the name of Pwyll Prince of Dyved, and was called Pwyll\nChief of Annwvyn from that time forward.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\nOnce upon a time, Pwyll was at Narberth his chief palace, where a feast\nhad been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.  And\nafter the first meal, Pwyll arose to walk, and he went to the top of a\nmound that was above the palace, and was called Gorsedd Arberth.  \u201cLord,\u201d\nsaid one of the Court, \u201cit is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits\nupon it cannot go thence, without either receiving wounds or blows, or\nelse seeing a wonder.\u201d  \u201cI fear not to receive wounds and blows in the\nmidst of such a host as this, but as to the wonder, gladly would I see\nit.  I will go therefore and sit upon the mound.\u201d\n\nAnd upon the mound he sat.  And while he sat there, they saw a lady, on a\npure white horse of large size, with a garment of shining gold around\nher, coming along the highway that led from the mound; and the horse\nseemed to move at a slow and even pace, and to be coming up towards the\nmound.  \u201cMy men,\u201d said Pwyll, \u201cis there any among you who knows yonder\nlady?\u201d  \u201cThere is not, Lord,\u201d said they.  \u201cGo one of you and meet her,\nthat we may know who she is.\u201d  And one of them arose, and as he came upon\nthe road to meet her, she passed by, and he followed as fast as he could,\nbeing on foot; and the greater was his speed, the further was she from\nhim.  And when he saw that it profited him nothing to follow her, he\nreturned to Pwyll, and said unto him, \u201cLord, it is idle for any one in\nthe world to follow her on foot.\u201d  \u201cVerily,\u201d said Pwyll, \u201cgo unto the\npalace, and take the fleetest horse that thou seest, and go after her.\u201d\n\nAnd he took a horse and went forward.  And he came to an open level\nplain, and put spurs to his horse; and the more he urged his horse, the\nfurther was she from him.  Yet she held the same pace as at first.  And\nhis horse began to fail; and when his horse\u2019s feet failed him, he\nreturned to the place where Pwyll was.  \u201cLord,\u201d said he, \u201cit will avail\nnothing for any one to follow yonder lady.  I know of no horse in these\nrealms swifter than this, and it availed me not to pursue her.\u201d  \u201cOf a\ntruth,\u201d said Pwyll, \u201cthere must be some illusion here.  Let us go towards\nthe palace.\u201d  So to the palace they went, and they spent that day.  And\nthe next day they arose, and that also they spent until it was time to go\nto meat.  And after the first meal, \u201cVerily,\u201d said Pwyll, \u201cwe will go the\nsame party as yesterday to the top of the mound.  And do thou,\u201d said he\nto one of his young men, \u201ctake the swiftest horse that thou knowest in\nthe field.\u201d  And thus did the young man.  And they went towards the\nmound, taking the horse with them.  And as they were sitting down they\nbeheld the lady on the same horse, and in the same apparel, coming along\nthe same road.  \u201cBehold,\u201d said Pwyll, \u201chere is the lady of yesterday.\nMake ready, youth, to learn who she is.\u201d  \u201cMy lord,\u201d said he, \u201cthat will\nI gladly do.\u201d  And thereupon the lady came opposite to them.  So the\nyouth mounted his horse; and before he had settled himself in his saddle,\nshe passed by, and there was a clear space between them.  But her speed\nwas no greater than it had been the day before.  Then he put his horse\ninto an amble, and thought that notwithstanding the gentle pace at which\nhis horse went, he should soon overtake her.  But this availed him not;\nso he gave his horse the reins.  And still he came no nearer to her than\nwhen he went at a foot\u2019s pace.  And the more he urged his horse, the\nfurther was she from him.  Yet she rode not faster than before.  When he\nsaw that it availed not to follow her, he returned to the place where\nPwyll was.  \u201cLord,\u201d said he, \u201cthe horse can no more than thou hast seen.\u201d\n\u201cI see indeed that it avails not that any one should follow her.  And by\nHeaven,\u201d said he, \u201cshe must needs have an errand to some one in this\nplain, if her haste would allow her to declare it.  Let us go back to the\npalace.\u201d  And to the palace they went, and they spent that night in songs\nand feasting, as it pleased them.\n\nAnd the next day they amused themselves until it was time to go to meat.\nAnd when meat was ended, Pwyll said, \u201cWhere are the hosts that went\nyesterday and the day before to the top of the mound?\u201d  \u201cBehold, Lord, we\nare here,\u201d said they.  \u201cLet us go,\u201d said he, \u201cto the mound, to sit there.\nAnd do thou,\u201d said he to the page who tended his horse, \u201csaddle my horse\nwell, and hasten with him to the road, and bring also my spurs with\nthee.\u201d  And the youth did thus.  And they went and sat upon the mound;\nand ere they had been there but a short time, they beheld the lady coming\nby the same road, and in the same manner, and at the same pace.  \u201cYoung\nman,\u201d said Pwyll, \u201cI see the lady coming; give me my horse.\u201d  And no\nsooner had he mounted his horse than she passed him.  And he turned after\nher and followed her.  And he let his horse go bounding playfully, and\nthought that at the second step or the third he should come up with her.\nBut he came no nearer to her than at first.  Then he urged his horse to\nhis utmost speed, yet he found that it availed nothing to follow her.\nThen said Pwyll, \u201cO maiden, for the sake of him whom thou best lovest,\nstay for me.\u201d  \u201cI will stay gladly,\u201d said she, \u201cand it were better for\nthy horse hadst thou asked it long since.\u201d  So the maiden stopped, and\nshe threw back that part of her headdress which covered her face.  And\nshe fixed her eyes upon him, and began to talk with him.  \u201cLady,\u201d asked\nhe, \u201cwhence comest thou, and whereunto dost thou journey?\u201d  \u201cI journey on\nmine own errand,\u201d said she, \u201cand right glad am I to see thee.\u201d  \u201cMy\ngreeting be unto thee,\u201d said he.  Then he thought that the beauty of all\nthe maidens, and all the ladies that he had ever seen, was as nothing\ncompared to her beauty.  \u201cLady,\u201d he said, \u201cwilt thou tell me aught\nconcerning thy purpose?\u201d  \u201cI will tell thee,\u201d said she.  \u201cMy chief quest\nwas to seek thee.\u201d  \u201cBehold,\u201d said Pwyll, \u201cthis is to me the most\npleasing quest on which thou couldst have come; and wilt thou tell me who\nthou art?\u201d  \u201cI will tell thee, Lord,\u201d said she.  \u201cI am Rhiannon, the\ndaughter of Heveydd H\u00ean, and they sought to give me to a husband against\nmy will.  But no husband would I have, and that because of my love for\nthee, neither will I yet have one unless thou reject me.  And hither have\nI come to hear thy answer.\u201d  \u201cBy Heaven,\u201d said Pwyll, \u201cbehold this is my\nanswer.  If I might choose among all the ladies and damsels in the world,\nthee would I choose.\u201d  \u201cVerily,\u201d said she, \u201cif thou art thus minded, make\na pledge to meet me ere I am given to another.\u201d  \u201cThe sooner I may do so,\nthe more pleasing will it be unto me,\u201d said Pwyll, \u201cand wheresoever thou\nwilt, there will I meet with thee.\u201d  \u201cI will that thou meet me this day\ntwelvemonth at the palace of Heveydd.  And I will cause a feast to be\nprepared, so that it be ready against thou come.\u201d  \u201cGladly,\u201d said he,\n\u201cwill I keep this tryst.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said she, \u201cremain in health, and be\nmindful that thou keep thy promise; and now I will go hence.\u201d  So they\nparted, and he went back to his hosts and to them of his household.  And\nwhatsoever questions they asked him respecting the damsel, he always\nturned the discourse upon other matters.  And when a year from that time\nwas gone, he caused a hundred knights to equip themselves and to go with\nhim to the palace of Heveydd H\u00ean.  And he came to the palace, and there\nwas great joy concerning him, with much concourse of people and great\nrejoicing, and vast preparations for his coming.  And the whole Court was\nplaced under his orders.\n\nAnd the hall was garnished and they went to meat, and thus did they sit;\nHeveydd H\u00ean was on one side of Pwyll, and Rhiannon on the other.  And all\nthe rest according to their rank.  And they ate and feasted and talked\none with another, and at the beginning of the carousal after the meat,\nthere entered a tall auburn-haired youth, of royal bearing, clothed in a\ngarment of satin.  And when he came into the hall, he saluted Pwyll and\nhis companions.  \u201cThe greeting of Heaven be unto thee, my soul,\u201d said\nPwyll, \u201ccome thou and sit down.\u201d  \u201cNay,\u201d said he, \u201ca suitor am I, and I\nwill do mine errand.\u201d  \u201cDo so willingly,\u201d said Pwyll.  \u201cLord,\u201d said he,\n\u201cmy errand is unto thee, and it is to crave a boon of thee that I come.\u201d\n\u201cWhat boon soever thou mayest ask of me, as far as I am able, thou shalt\nhave.\u201d  \u201cAh,\u201d said Rhiannon, \u201cwherefore didst thou give that answer?\u201d\n\u201cHas he not given it before the presence of these nobles?\u201d asked the\nyouth.  \u201cMy soul,\u201d said Pwyll, \u201cwhat is the boon thou askest?\u201d  \u201cThe lady\nwhom best I love is to be thy bride this night; I come to ask her of\nthee, with the feast and the banquet that are in this place.\u201d  And Pwyll\nwas silent because of the answer which he had given.  \u201cBe silent as long\nas thou wilt,\u201d said Rhiannon.  \u201cNever did man make worse use of his wits\nthan thou hast done.\u201d  \u201cLady,\u201d said he, \u201cI knew not who he was.\u201d  \u201cBehold\nthis is the man to whom they would have given me against my will,\u201d said\nshe.  \u201cAnd he is Gwawl the son of Clud, a man of great power and wealth,\nand because of the word thou hast spoken, bestow me upon him lest shame\nbefall thee.\u201d  \u201cLady,\u201d said he, \u201cI understand not thine answer.  Never\ncan I do as thou sayest.\u201d  \u201cBestow me upon him,\u201d said she, \u201cand I will\ncause that I shall never be his.\u201d  \u201cBy what means will that be?\u201d asked\nPwyll.  \u201cIn thy hand will I give thee a small bag,\u201d said she.  \u201cSee that\nthou keep it well, and he will ask of thee the banquet, and the feast,\nand the preparations which are not in thy power.  Unto the hosts and the\nhousehold will I give the feast.  And such will be thy answer respecting\nthis.  And as concerns myself, I will engage to become his bride this\nnight twelvemonth.  And at the end of the year be thou here,\u201d said she,\n\u201cand bring this bag with thee, and let thy hundred knights be in the\norchard up yonder.  And when he is in the midst of joy and feasting, come\nthou in by thyself, clad in ragged garments, and holding thy bag in thy\nhand, and ask nothing but a bagful of food, and I will cause that if all\nthe meat and liquor that are in these seven Cantrevs were put into it, it\nwould be no fuller than before.  And after a great deal has been put\ntherein, he will ask thee whether thy bag will ever be full.  Say thou\nthen that it never will, until a man of noble birth and of great wealth\narise and press the food in the bag with both his feet, saying, \u2018Enough\nhas been put therein;\u2019 and I will cause him to go and tread down the food\nin the bag, and when he does so, turn thou the bag, so that he shall be\nup over his head in it, and then slip a knot upon the thongs of the bag.\nLet there be also a good bugle horn about thy neck, and as soon as thou\nhast bound him in the bag, wind thy horn, and let it be a signal between\nthee and thy knights.  And when they hear the sound of the horn, let them\ncome down upon the palace.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said Gwawl, \u201cit is meet that I have\nan answer to my request.\u201d  \u201cAs much of that thou hast asked as it is in\nmy power to give, thou shalt have,\u201d replied Pwyll.  \u201cMy soul,\u201d said\nRhiannon unto him, \u201cas for the feast and the banquet that are here, I\nhave bestowed them upon the men of Dyved, and the household, and the\nwarriors that are with us.  These can I not suffer to be given to any.\nIn a year from to-night a banquet shall be prepared for thee in this\npalace, that I may become thy bride.\u201d\n\nSo Gwawl went forth to his possessions, and Pwyll went also back to\nDyved.  And they both spent that year until it was the time for the feast\nat the palace of Heveydd H\u00ean.  Then Gwawl the son of Clud set out to the\nfeast that was prepared for him, and he came to the palace, and was\nreceived there with rejoicing.  Pwyll, also, the Chief of Annwvyn, came\nto the orchard with his hundred knights, as Rhiannon had commanded him,\nhaving the bag with him.  And Pwyll was clad in coarse and ragged\ngarments, and wore large clumsy old shoes upon his feet.  And when he\nknew that the carousal after the meat had begun, he went towards the\nhall, and when he came into the hall, he saluted Gwawl the son of Clud,\nand his company, both men and women.  \u201cHeaven prosper thee,\u201d said Gwawl,\n\u201cand the greeting of Heaven be unto thee.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said he, \u201cmay Heaven\nreward thee, I have an errand unto thee.\u201d  \u201cWelcome be thine errand, and\nif thou ask of me that which is just, thou shalt have it gladly.\u201d  \u201cIt is\nfitting,\u201d answered he.  \u201cI crave but from want, and the boon that I ask\nis to have this small bag that thou seest filled with meat.\u201d  \u201cA request\nwithin reason is this,\u201d said he, \u201cand gladly shalt thou have it.  Bring\nhim food.\u201d  A great number of attendants arose and began to fill the bag,\nbut for all that they put into it, it was no fuller than at first.  \u201cMy\nsoul,\u201d said Gwawl, \u201cwill thy bag be ever full?\u201d  \u201cIt will not, I declare\nto Heaven,\u201d said he, \u201cfor all that may be put into it, unless one\npossessed of lands, and domains, and treasure, shall arise and tread down\nwith both his feet the food that is within the bag, and shall say,\n\u2018Enough has been put therein.\u2019\u201d  Then said Rhiannon unto Gwawl the son of\nClud, \u201cRise up quickly.\u201d  \u201cI will willingly arise,\u201d said he.  So he rose\nup, and put his two feet into the bag.  And Pwyll turned up the sides of\nthe bag, so that Gwawl was over his head in it.  And he shut it up\nquickly and slipped a knot upon the thongs, and blew his horn.  And\nthereupon behold his household came down upon the palace.  And they\nseized all the host that had come with Gwawl, and cast them into his own\nprison.  And Pwyll threw off his rags, and his old shoes, and his\ntattered array; and as they came in, every one of Pwyll\u2019s knights struck\na blow upon the bag, and asked, \u201cWhat is here?\u201d  \u201cA Badger,\u201d said they.\nAnd in this manner they played, each of them striking the bag, either\nwith his foot or with a staff.  And thus played they with the bag.  Every\none as he came in asked, \u201cWhat game are you playing at thus?\u201d  \u201cThe game\nof Badger in the Bag,\u201d said they.  And then was the game of Badger in the\nBag first played.\n\n\u201cLord,\u201d said the man in the bag, \u201cif thou wouldest but hear me, I merit\nnot to be slain in a bag.\u201d  Said Heveydd H\u00ean, \u201cLord, he speaks truth.  It\nwere fitting that thou listen to him, for he deserves not this.\u201d\n\u201cVerily,\u201d said Pwyll, \u201cI will do thy counsel concerning him.\u201d  \u201cBehold\nthis is my counsel then,\u201d said Rhiannon; \u201cthou art now in a position in\nwhich it behoves thee to satisfy suitors and minstrels; let him give unto\nthem in thy stead, and take a pledge from him that he will never seek to\nrevenge that which has been done to him.  And this will be punishment\nenough.\u201d  \u201cI will do this gladly,\u201d said the man in the bag.  \u201cAnd gladly\nwill I accept it,\u201d said Pwyll, \u201csince it is the counsel of Heveydd and\nRhiannon.\u201d  \u201cSuch then is our counsel,\u201d answered they.  \u201cI accept it,\u201d\nsaid Pwyll.  \u201cSeek thyself sureties.\u201d  \u201cWe will be for him,\u201d said\nHeveydd, \u201cuntil his men be free to answer for him.\u201d  And upon this he was\nlet out of the bag, and his liegemen were liberated.  \u201cDemand now of\nGwawl his sureties,\u201d said Heveydd, \u201cwe know which should be taken for\nhim.\u201d  And Heveydd numbered the sureties.  Said Gwawl, \u201cDo thou thyself\ndraw up the covenant.\u201d  \u201cIt will suffice me that it be as Rhiannon said,\u201d\nanswered Pwyll.  So unto that covenant were the sureties pledged.\n\u201cVerily, Lord,\u201d said Gwawl, \u201cI am greatly hurt, and I have many bruises.\nI have need to be anointed; with thy leave I will go forth.  I will leave\nnobles in my stead, to answer for me in all that thou shalt require.\u201d\n\u201cWillingly,\u201d said Pwyll, \u201cmayest thou do thus.\u201d  So Gwawl went towards\nhis own possessions.\n\nAnd the hall was set in order for Pwyll and the men of his host, and for\nthem also of the palace, and they went to the tables and sat down.  And\nas they had sat that time twelvemonth, so sat they that night.  And they\nate, and feasted, and spent the night in mirth and tranquillity.  And the\ntime came that they should sleep, and Pwyll and Rhiannon went to their\nchamber.\n\nAnd next morning at the break of day, \u201cMy Lord,\u201d said Rhiannon, \u201carise\nand begin to give thy gifts unto the minstrels.  Refuse no one to-day\nthat may claim thy bounty.\u201d  \u201cThus shall it be gladly,\u201d said Pwyll, \u201cboth\nto-day and every day while the feast shall last.\u201d  So Pwyll arose, and he\ncaused silence to be proclaimed, and desired all the suitors and the\nminstrels to show and to point out what gifts were to their wish and\ndesire.  And this being done, the feast went on, and he denied no one\nwhile it lasted.  And when the feast was ended, Pwyll said unto Heveydd,\n\u201cMy Lord, with thy permission I will set out for Dyved to-morrow.\u201d\n\u201cCertainly,\u201d said Heveydd, \u201cmay Heaven prosper thee.  Fix also a time\nwhen Rhiannon may follow thee.\u201d  \u201cBy Heaven,\u201d said Pwyll, \u201cwe will go\nhence together.\u201d  \u201cWillest thou this, Lord?\u201d said Heveydd.  \u201cYes, by\nHeaven,\u201d answered Pwyll.\n\nAnd the next day, they set forward towards Dyved, and journeyed to the\npalace of Narberth, where a feast was made ready for them.  And there\ncame to them great numbers of the chief men and the most noble ladies of\nthe land, and of these there was none to whom Rhiannon did not give some\nrich gift, either a bracelet, or a ring, or a precious stone.  And they\nruled the land prosperously both that year and the next.\n\nAnd in the third year the nobles of the land began to be sorrowful at\nseeing a man whom they loved so much, and who was moreover their lord and\ntheir foster-brother, without an heir.  And they came to him.  And the\nplace where they met was Preseleu, in Dyved.  \u201cLord,\u201d said they, \u201cwe know\nthat thou art not so young as some of the men of this country, and we\nfear that thou mayest not have an heir of the wife whom thou hast taken.\nTake therefore another wife of whom thou mayest have heirs.  Thou canst\nnot always continue with us, and though thou desire to remain as thou\nart, we will not suffer thee.\u201d  \u201cTruly,\u201d said Pwyll, \u201cwe have not long\nbeen joined together, and many things may yet befall.  Grant me a year\nfrom this time, and for the space of a year we will abide together, and\nafter that I will do according to your wishes.\u201d  So they granted it.  And\nbefore the end of a year a son was born unto him.  And in Narberth was he\nborn; and on the night that he was born, women were brought to watch the\nmother and the boy.  And the women slept, as did also Rhiannon, the\nmother of the boy.  And the number of the women that were brought into\nthe chamber was six.  And they watched for a good portion of the night,\nand before midnight every one of them fell asleep, and towards break of\nday they awoke; and when they awoke, they looked where they had put the\nboy, and behold he was not there.  \u201cOh,\u201d said one of the women, \u201cthe boy\nis lost?\u201d  \u201cYes,\u201d said another, \u201cand it will be small vengeance if we are\nburnt or put to death because of the child.\u201d  Said one of the women, \u201cIs\nthere any counsel for us in the world in this matter?\u201d  \u201cThere is,\u201d\nanswered another, \u201cI offer you good counsel.\u201d  \u201cWhat is that?\u201d asked\nthey.  \u201cThere is here a stag-hound bitch, and she has a litter of whelps.\nLet us kill some of the cubs, and rub the blood on the face and hands of\nRhiannon, and lay the bones before her, and assert that she herself hath\ndevoured her son, and she alone will not be able to gainsay us six.\u201d  And\naccording to this counsel it was settled.  And towards morning Rhiannon\nawoke, and she said, \u201cWomen, where is my son?\u201d  \u201cLady,\u201d said they, \u201cask\nus not concerning thy son, we have nought but the blows and the bruises\nwe got by struggling with thee, and of a truth we never saw any woman so\nviolent as thou, for it was of no avail to contend with thee.  Hast thou\nnot thyself devoured thy son?  Claim him not therefore of us.\u201d  \u201cFor\npity\u2019s sake,\u201d said Rhiannon; \u201cthe Lord God knows all things.  Charge me\nnot falsely.  If you tell me this from fear, I assert before Heaven that\nI will defend you.\u201d  \u201cTruly,\u201d said they, \u201cwe would not bring evil on\nourselves for any one in the world.\u201d  \u201cFor pity\u2019s sake,\u201d said Rhiannon,\n\u201cyou will receive no evil by telling the truth.\u201d  But for all her words,\nwhether fair or harsh, she received but the same answer from the women.\n\nAnd Pwyll the chief of Annwvyn arose, and his household, and his hosts.\nAnd this occurrence could not be concealed, but the story went forth\nthroughout the land, and all the nobles heard it.  Then the nobles came\nto Pwyll, and besought him to put away his wife, because of the great\ncrime which she had done.  But Pwyll answered them, that they had no\ncause wherefore they might ask him to put away his wife, save for her\nhaving no children.  \u201cBut children has she now had, therefore will I not\nput her away; if she has done wrong, let her do penance for it.\u201d\n\nSo Rhiannon sent for the teachers and the wise men, and as she preferred\ndoing penance to contending with the women, she took upon her a penance.\nAnd the penance that was imposed upon her was, that she should remain in\nthat palace of Narberth until the end of seven years, and that she should\nsit every day near unto a horseblock that was without the gate.  And that\nshe should relate the story to all who should come there, whom she might\nsuppose not to know it already; and that she should offer the guests and\nstrangers, if they would permit her, to carry them upon her back into the\npalace.  But it rarely happened that any would permit.  And thus did she\nspend part of the year.\n\nNow at that time Teirnyon Twryv Vliant was Lord of Gwent Is Coed, and he\nwas the best man in the world.  And unto his house there belonged a mare,\nthan which neither mare nor horse in the kingdom was more beautiful.  And\non the night of every first of May she foaled, and no one ever knew what\nbecame of the colt.  And one night Teirnyon talked with his wife: \u201cWife,\u201d\nsaid he, \u201cit is very simple of us that our mare should foal every year,\nand that we should have none of her colts.\u201d  \u201cWhat can be done in the\nmatter?\u201d said she.  \u201cThis is the night of the first of May,\u201d said he.\n\u201cThe vengeance of Heaven be upon me, if I learn not what it is that takes\naway the colts.\u201d  So he caused the mare to be brought into a house, and\nhe armed himself, and began to watch that night.  And in the beginning of\nthe night, the mare foaled a large and beautiful colt.  And it was\nstanding up in the place.  And Teirnyon rose up and looked at the size of\nthe colt, and as he did so he heard a great tumult, and after the tumult\nbehold a claw came through the window into the house, and it seized the\ncolt by the mane.  Then Teirnyon drew his sword, and struck off the arm\nat the elbow, so that portion of the arm together with the colt was in\nthe house with him.  And then did he hear a tumult and wailing, both at\nonce.  And he opened the door, and rushed out in the direction of the\nnoise, and he could not see the cause of the tumult because of the\ndarkness of the night, but he rushed after it and followed it.  Then he\nremembered that he had left the door open, and he returned.  And at the\ndoor behold there was an infant boy in swaddling-clothes, wrapped around\nin a mantle of satin.  And he took up the boy, and behold he was very\nstrong for the age that he was of.\n\nThen he shut the door, and went into the chamber where his wife was.\n\u201cLady,\u201d said he, \u201cart thou sleeping?\u201d  \u201cNo, lord,\u201d said she, \u201cI was\nasleep, but as thou camest in I did awake.\u201d  \u201cBehold, here is a boy for\nthee if thou wilt,\u201d said he, \u201csince thou hast never had one.\u201d  \u201cMy lord,\u201d\nsaid she, \u201cwhat adventure is this?\u201d  \u201cIt was thus,\u201d said Teirnyon; and he\ntold her how it all befell.  \u201cVerily, lord,\u201d said she, \u201cwhat sort of\ngarments are there upon the boy?\u201d  \u201cA mantle of satin,\u201d said he.  \u201cHe is\nthen a boy of gentle lineage,\u201d she replied.  \u201cMy lord,\u201d she said, \u201cif\nthou wilt, I shall have great diversion and mirth.  I will call my women\nunto me, and tell them that I have been pregnant.\u201d  \u201cI will readily grant\nthee to do this,\u201d he answered.  And thus did they, and they caused the\nboy to be baptized, and the ceremony was performed there; and the name\nwhich they gave unto him was Gwri Wallt Euryn, because what hair was upon\nhis head was as yellow as gold.  And they had the boy nursed in the Court\nuntil he was a year old.  And before the year was over he could walk\nstoutly.  And he was larger than a boy of three years old, even one of\ngreat growth and size.  And the boy was nursed the second year, and then\nhe was as large as a child six years old.  And before the end of the\nfourth year, he would bribe the grooms to allow him to take the horses to\nwater.  \u201cMy lord,\u201d said his wife unto Teirnyon, \u201cwhere is the colt which\nthou didst save on the night that thou didst find the boy?\u201d  \u201cI have\ncommanded the grooms of the horses,\u201d said he, \u201cthat they take care of\nhim.\u201d  \u201cWould it not be well, lord,\u201d said she, \u201cif thou wert to cause him\nto be broken in, and given to the boy, seeing that on the same night that\nthou didst find the boy, the colt was foaled and thou didst save him?\u201d\n\u201cI will not oppose thee in this matter,\u201d said Teirnyon.  \u201cI will allow\nthee to give him the colt.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said she, \u201cmay Heaven reward thee; I\nwill give it him.\u201d  So the horse was given to the boy.  Then she went to\nthe grooms and those who tended the horses, and commanded them to be\ncareful of the horse, so that he might be broken in by the time that the\nboy could ride him.\n\nAnd while these things were going forward, they heard tidings of Rhiannon\nand her punishment.  And Teirnyon Twryv Vliant, by reason of the pity\nthat he felt on hearing this story of Rhiannon and her punishment,\ninquired closely concerning it, until he had heard from many of those who\ncame to his court.  Then did Teirnyon, often lamenting the sad history,\nponder within himself, and he looked steadfastly on the boy, and as he\nlooked upon him, it seemed to him that he had never beheld so great a\nlikeness between father and son, as between the boy and Pwyll the Chief\nof Annwvyn.  Now the semblance of Pwyll was well known to him, for he had\nof yore been one of his followers.  And thereupon he became grieved for\nthe wrong that he did, in keeping with him a boy whom he knew to be the\nson of another man.  And the first time that he was alone with his wife,\nhe told her that it was not right that they should keep the boy with\nthem, and suffer so excellent a lady as Rhiannon to be punished so\ngreatly on his account, whereas the boy was the son of Pwyll the Chief of\nAnnwvyn.  And Teirnyon\u2019s wife agreed with him, that they should send the\nboy to Pwyll.  \u201cAnd three things, lord,\u201d said she, \u201cshall we gain\nthereby.  Thanks and gifts for releasing Rhiannon from her punishment;\nand thanks from Pwyll for nursing his son and restoring him unto him; and\nthirdly, if the boy is of gentle nature, he will be our foster-son, and\nhe will do for us all the good in his power.\u201d  So it was settled\naccording to this counsel.\n\nAnd no later than the next day was Teirnyon equipped, and two other\nknights with him.  And the boy, as a fourth in their company, went with\nthem upon the horse which Teirnyon had given him.  And they journeyed\ntowards Narberth, and it was not long before they reached that place.\nAnd as they drew near to the palace, they beheld Rhiannon sitting beside\nthe horseblock.  And when they were opposite to her, \u201cChieftain,\u201d said\nshe, \u201cgo not further thus, I will bear every one of you into the palace,\nand this is my penance for slaying my own son and devouring him.\u201d  \u201cOh,\nfair lady,\u201d said Teirnyon, \u201cthink not that I will be one to be carried\nupon thy back.\u201d  \u201cNeither will I,\u201d said the boy.  \u201cTruly, my soul,\u201d said\nTeirnyon, \u201cwe will not go.\u201d  So they went forward to the palace, and\nthere was great joy at their coming.  And at the palace a feast was\nprepared, because Pywll was come back from the confines of Dyved.  And\nthey went into the hall and washed, and Pwyll rejoiced to see Teirnyon.\nAnd in this order they sat.  Teirnyon between Pwyll and Rhiannon, and\nTeirnyon\u2019s two companions on the other side of Pwyll, with the boy\nbetween them.  And after meat they began to carouse and to discourse.\nAnd Teirnyon\u2019s discourse was concerning the adventure of the mare and the\nboy, and how he and his wife had nursed and reared the child as their\nown.  \u201cAnd behold here is thy son, lady,\u201d said Teirnyon.  \u201cAnd whosoever\ntold that lie concerning thee, has done wrong.  And when I heard of thy\nsorrow, I was troubled and grieved.  And I believe that there is none of\nthis host who will not perceive that the boy is the son of Pwyll,\u201d said\nTeirnyon.  \u201cThere is none,\u201d said they all, \u201cwho is not certain thereof.\u201d\n\u201cI declare to Heaven,\u201d said Rhiannon, \u201cthat if this be true, there is\nindeed an end to my trouble.\u201d  \u201cLady,\u201d said Pendaran Dyved, \u201cwell hast\nthou named thy son Pryderi, {3} and well becomes him the name of Pryderi\nson of Pwyll Chief of Annwvyn.\u201d  \u201cLook you,\u201d said Rhiannon, \u201cwill not his\nown name become him better?\u201d  \u201cWhat name has he?\u201d asked Pendaran Dyved.\n\u201cGwri Wallt Euryn is the name that we gave him.\u201d  \u201cPryderi,\u201d said\nPendaran, \u201cshall his name be.\u201d  \u201cIt were more proper,\u201d said Pwyll, \u201cthat\nthe boy should take his name from the word his mother spoke when she\nreceived the joyful tidings of him.\u201d  And thus was it arranged.\n\n\u201cTeirnyon,\u201d said Pwyll, \u201cHeaven reward thee that thou hast reared the boy\nup to this time, and, being of gentle lineage, it were fitting that he\nrepay thee for it.\u201d  \u201cMy lord,\u201d said Teirnyon, \u201cit was my wife who nursed\nhim, and there is no one in the world so afflicted as she at parting with\nhim.  It were well that he should bear in mind what I and my wife have\ndone for him.\u201d  \u201cI call Heaven to witness,\u201d said Pwyll, \u201cthat while I\nlive I will support thee and thy possessions, as long as I am able to\npreserve my own.  And when he shall have power, he will more fitly\nmaintain them than I.  And if this counsel be pleasing unto thee, and to\nmy nobles, it shall be that, as thou hast reared him up to the present\ntime, I will give him to be brought up by Pendaran Dyved, from\nhenceforth.  And you shall be companions, and shall both be\nfoster-fathers unto him.\u201d  \u201cThis is good counsel,\u201d said they all.  So the\nboy was given to Pendaran Dyved, and the nobles of the land were sent\nwith him.  And Teirnyon Twryv Vliant, and his companions, set out for his\ncountry, and his possessions, with love and gladness.  And he went not\nwithout being offered the fairest jewels and the fairest horses, and the\nchoicest dogs; but he would take none of them.\n\nThereupon they all remained in their own dominions.  And Pryderi, the son\nof Pwyll the Chief of Annwvyn, was brought up carefully as was fit, so\nthat he became the fairest youth, and the most comely, and the best\nskilled in all good games, of any in the kingdom.  And thus passed years\nand years, until the end of Pwyll the Chief of Annwvyn\u2019s life came, and\nhe died.\n\nAnd Pryderi ruled the seven Cantrevs of Dyved prosperously, and he was\nbeloved by his people, and by all around him.  And at length he added\nunto them the three Cantrevs of Ystrad Tywi, and the four Cantrevs of\nCardigan; and these were called the Seven Cantrevs of Seissyllwch.  And\nwhen he made this addition, Pryderi the son of Pwyll the Chief of Annwvyn\ndesired to take a wife.  And the wife he chose was Kicva, the daughter of\nGwynn Gohoyw, the son of Gloyw Wallt Lydan, the son of Prince Casnar, one\nof the nobles of this Island.\n\nAnd thus ends this portion of the Mabinogion.\n\n\n\n\nBRANWEN THE DAUGHTER OF LLYR\nHERE IS THE SECOND PORTION OF THE MABINOGI\n\n\nBendigeid Vran, the son of Llyr, was the crowned king of this island, and\nhe was exalted from the crown of London.  And one afternoon he was at\nHarlech in Ardudwy, at his Court, and he sat upon the rock of Harlech,\nlooking over the sea.  And with him were his brother Manawyddan the son\nof Llyr, and his brothers by the mother\u2019s side, Nissyen and Evnissyen,\nand many nobles likewise, as was fitting to see around a king.  His two\nbrothers by the mother\u2019s side were the sons of Eurosswydd, by his mother,\nPenardun, the daughter of Beli son of Manogan.  And one of these youths\nwas a good youth and of gentle nature, and would make peace between his\nkindred, and cause his family to be friends when their wrath was at the\nhighest; and this one was Nissyen; but the other would cause strife\nbetween his two brothers when they were most at peace.  And as they sat\nthus, they beheld thirteen ships coming from the south of Ireland, and\nmaking towards them, and they came with a swift motion, the wind being\nbehind them, and they neared them rapidly.  \u201cI see ships afar,\u201d said the\nking, \u201ccoming swiftly towards the land.  Command the men of the Court\nthat they equip themselves, and go and learn their intent.\u201d  So the men\nequipped themselves and went down towards them.  And when they saw the\nships near, certain were they that they had never seen ships better\nfurnished.  Beautiful flags of satin were upon them.  And behold one of\nthe ships outstripped the others, and they saw a shield lifted up above\nthe side of the ship, and the point of the shield was upwards, in token\nof peace.  And the men drew near that they might hold converse.  Then\nthey put out boats and came towards the land.  And they saluted the king.\nNow the king could hear them from the place where he was, upon the rock\nabove their heads.  \u201cHeaven prosper you,\u201d said he, \u201cand be ye welcome.\nTo whom do these ships belong, and who is the chief amongst you?\u201d\n\u201cLord,\u201d said they, \u201cMatholwch, king of Ireland, is here, and these ships\nbelong to him.\u201d  \u201cWherefore comes he?\u201d asked the king, \u201cand will he come\nto the land?\u201d  \u201cHe is a suitor unto thee, lord,\u201d said they, \u201cand he will\nnot land unless he have his boon.\u201d  \u201cAnd what may that be?\u201d inquired the\nking.  \u201cHe desires to ally himself with thee, lord,\u201d said they, \u201cand he\ncomes to ask Branwen the daughter of Llyr, that, if it seem well to thee,\nthe Island of the Mighty may be leagued with Ireland, and both become\nmore powerful.\u201d  \u201cVerily,\u201d said he, \u201clet him come to land, and we will\ntake counsel thereupon.\u201d  And this answer was brought to Matholwch.  \u201cI\nwill go willingly,\u201d said he.  So he landed, and they received him\njoyfully; and great was the throng in the palace that night, between his\nhosts and those of the Court; and next day they took counsel, and they\nresolved to bestow Branwen upon Matholwch.  Now she was one of the three\nchief ladies of this island, and she was the fairest damsel in the world.\n\nAnd they fixed upon Aberffraw as the place where she should become his\nbride.  And they went thence, and towards Aberffraw the hosts proceeded;\nMatholwch and his host in their ships; Bendigeid Vran and his host by\nland, until they came to Aberffraw.  And at Aberffraw they began the\nfeast and sat down.  And thus sat they.  The King of the Island of the\nMighty and Manawyddan the son of Llyr on one side, and Matholwch on the\nother side, and Branwen the daughter of Llyr beside him.  And they were\nnot within a house, but under tents.  No house could ever contain\nBendigeid Vran.  And they began the banquet and caroused and discoursed.\nAnd when it was more pleasing to them to sleep than to carouse, they went\nto rest, and that night Branwen became Matholwch\u2019s bride.\n\nAnd next day they arose, and all they of the Court, and the officers\nbegan to equip and to range the horses and the attendants, and they\nranged them in order as far as the sea.\n\nAnd behold one day, Evnissyen, the quarrelsome man of whom it is spoken\nabove, came by chance into the place, where the horses of Matholwch were,\nand asked whose horses they might be.  \u201cThey are the horses of Matholwch\nking of Ireland, who is married to Branwen, thy sister; his horses are\nthey.\u201d  \u201cAnd is it thus they have done with a maiden such as she, and\nmoreover my sister, bestowing her without my consent?  They could have\noffered no greater insult to me than this,\u201d said he.  And thereupon he\nrushed under the horses and cut off their lips at the teeth, and their\nears close to their heads, and their tails close to their backs, and\nwherever he could clutch their eyelids, he cut them to the very bone, and\nhe disfigured the horses and rendered them useless.\n\nAnd they came with these tidings unto Matholwch, saying that the horses\nwere disfigured, and injured so that not one of them could ever be of any\nuse again.  \u201cVerily, lord,\u201d said one, \u201cit was an insult unto thee, and as\nsuch was it meant.\u201d  \u201cOf a truth, it is a marvel to me, that if they\ndesire to insult me, they should have given me a maiden of such high rank\nand so much beloved of her kindred, as they have done.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said\nanother, \u201cthou seest that thus it is, and there is nothing for thee to do\nbut to go to thy ships.\u201d  And thereupon towards his ships he set out.\n\nAnd tidings came to Bendigeid Vran that Matholwch was quitting the Court\nwithout asking leave, and messengers were sent to inquire of him\nwherefore he did so.  And the messengers that went were Iddic the son of\nAnarawd, and Heveydd Hir.  And these overtook him and asked of him what\nhe designed to do, and wherefore he went forth.  \u201cOf a truth,\u201d said he,\n\u201cif I had known I had not come hither.  I have been altogether insulted,\nno one had ever worse treatment than I have had here.  But one thing\nsurprises me above all.\u201d  \u201cWhat is that?\u201d asked they.  \u201cThat Branwen the\ndaughter of Llyr, one of the three chief ladies of this island, and the\ndaughter of the King of the Island of the Mighty, should have been given\nme as my bride, and that after that I should have been insulted; and I\nmarvel that the insult was not done me before they had bestowed upon me a\nmaiden so exalted as she.\u201d  \u201cTruly, lord, it was not the will of any that\nare of the Court,\u201d said they, \u201cnor of any that are of the council, that\nthou shouldest have received this insult; and as thou hast been insulted,\nthe dishonour is greater unto Bendigeid Vran than unto thee.\u201d  \u201cVerily,\u201d\nsaid he, \u201cI think so.  Nevertheless he cannot recall the insult.\u201d  These\nmen returned with that answer to the place where Bendigeid Vran was, and\nthey told him what reply Matholwch had given them.  \u201cTruly,\u201d said he,\n\u201cthere are no means by which we may prevent his going away at enmity with\nus, that we will not take.\u201d  \u201cWell, lord,\u201d said they, \u201csend after him\nanother embassy.\u201d  \u201cI will do so,\u201d said he.  \u201cArise, Manawyddan son of\nLlyr, and Heveydd Hir, and Unic Glew Ysgwyd, and go after him, and tell\nhim that he shall have a sound horse for every one that has been injured.\nAnd beside that, as an atonement for the insult, he shall have a staff of\nsilver, as large and as tall as himself, and a plate of gold of the\nbreadth of his face.  And show unto him who it was that did this, and\nthat it was done against my will; but that he who did it is my brother,\nby the mother\u2019s side, and therefore it would be hard for me to put him to\ndeath.  And let him come and meet me,\u201d said he, \u201cand we will make peace\nin any way he may desire.\u201d\n\nThe embassy went after Matholwch, and told him all these sayings in a\nfriendly manner, and he listened thereunto.  \u201cMen,\u201d said he, \u201cI will take\ncounsel.\u201d  So to the council he went.  And in the council they considered\nthat if they should refuse this, they were likely to have more shame\nrather than to obtain so great an atonement.  They resolved therefore to\naccept it, and they returned to the Court in peace.\n\nThen the pavilions and the tents were set in order after the fashion of a\nhall; and they went to meat, and as they had sat at the beginning of the\nfeast, so sat they there.  And Matholwch and Bendigeid Vran began to\ndiscourse; and behold it seemed to Bendigeid Vran, while they talked,\nthat Matholwch was not so cheerful as he had been before.  And he thought\nthat the chieftain might be sad, because of the smallness of the\natonement which he had, for the wrong that had been done him.  \u201cOh, man,\u201d\nsaid Bendigeid Vran, \u201cthou dost not discourse to-night so cheerfully as\nthou wast wont.  And if it be because of the smallness of the atonement,\nthou shalt add thereunto whatsoever thou mayest choose, and to-morrow I\nwill pay thee the horses.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said he, \u201cHeaven reward thee.\u201d  \u201cAnd\nI will enhance the atonement,\u201d said Bendigeid Vran, \u201cfor I will give unto\nthee a cauldron, the property of which is, that if one of thy men be\nslain to-day, and be cast therein, to-morrow he will be as well as ever\nhe was at the best, except that he will not regain his speech.\u201d  And\nthereupon he gave him great thanks, and very joyful was he for that\ncause.\n\nAnd the next morning they paid Matholwch the horses as long as the\ntrained horses lasted.  And then they journeyed into another commot,\nwhere they paid him with colts until the whole had been paid, and from\nthenceforth that commot was called Talebolion.\n\nAnd a second night sat they together.  \u201cMy lord,\u201d said Matholwch, \u201cwhence\nhadst thou the cauldron which thou hast given me?\u201d  \u201cI had it of a man\nwho had been in thy land,\u201d said he, \u201cand I would not give it except to\none from there.\u201d  \u201cWho was it?\u201d asked he.  \u201cLlassar Llaesgyvnewid; he\ncame here from Ireland with Kymideu Kymeinvoll, his wife, who escaped\nfrom the Iron House in Ireland, when it was made red hot around them, and\nfled hither.  And it is a marvel to me that thou shouldst know nothing\nconcerning the matter.\u201d  \u201cSomething I do know,\u201d said he, \u201cand as much as\nI know I will tell thee.  One day I was hunting in Ireland, and I came to\nthe mound at the head of the lake, which is called the Lake of the\nCauldron.  And I beheld a huge yellow-haired man coming from the lake\nwith a cauldron upon his back.  And he was a man of vast size, and of\nhorrid aspect, and a woman followed after him.  And if the man was tall,\ntwice as large as he was the woman, and they came towards me and greeted\nme.  \u2018Verily,\u2019 asked I, \u2018wherefore are you journeying?\u2019  \u2018Behold, this,\u2019\nsaid he to me, \u2018is the cause that we journey.  At the end of a month and\na fortnight this woman will have a son; and the child that will be born\nat the end of the month and the fortnight will be a warrior fully armed.\u2019\nSo I took them with me and maintained them.  And they were with me for a\nyear.  And that year I had them with me not grudgingly.  But thenceforth\nwas there murmuring, because that they were with me.  For, from the\nbeginning of the fourth month they had begun to make themselves hated and\nto be disorderly in the land; committing outrages, and molesting and\nharassing the nobles and ladies; and thenceforward my people rose up and\nbesought me to part with them, and they bade me to choose between them\nand my dominions.  And I applied to the council of my country to know\nwhat should be done concerning them; for of their own free will they\nwould not go, neither could they be compelled against their will, through\nfighting.  And [the people of the country] being in this strait, they\ncaused a chamber to be made all of iron.  Now when the chamber was ready,\nthere came there every smith that was in Ireland, and every one who owned\ntongs and hammer.  And they caused coals to be piled up as high as the\ntop of the chamber.  And they had the man, and the woman, and the\nchildren, served with plenty of meat and drink; but when it was known\nthat they were drunk, they began to put fire to the coals about the\nchamber, and they blew it with bellows until the house was red hot all\naround them.  Then was there a council held in the centre of the floor of\nthe chamber.  And the man tarried until the plates of iron were all of a\nwhite heat; and then, by reason of the great heat, the man dashed against\nthe plates with his shoulder and struck them out, and his wife followed\nhim; but except him and his wife none escaped thence.  And then I\nsuppose, lord,\u201d said Matholwch unto Bendigeid Vran, \u201cthat he came over\nunto thee.\u201d  \u201cDoubtless he came here,\u201d said he, \u201cand gave unto me the\ncauldron.\u201d  \u201cIn what manner didst thou receive them?\u201d  \u201cI dispersed them\nthrough every part of my dominions, and they have become numerous and are\nprospering everywhere, and they fortify the places where they are with\nmen and arms, of the best that were ever seen.\u201d\n\nThat night they continued to discourse as much as they would, and had\nminstrelsy and carousing, and when it was more pleasant to them to sleep\nthan to sit longer, they went to rest.  And thus was the banquet carried\non with joyousness; and when it was finished, Matholwch journeyed towards\nIreland, and Branwen with him, and they went from Aber Menei with\nthirteen ships, and came to Ireland.  And in Ireland was there great joy\nbecause of their coming.  And not one great man or noble lady visited\nBranwen unto whom she gave not either a clasp, or a ring, or a royal\njewel to keep, such as it was honourable to be seen departing with.  And\nin these things she spent that year in much renown, and she passed her\ntime pleasantly, enjoying honour and friendship.  And in the meanwhile it\nchanced that she became pregnant, and in due time a son was born unto\nher, and the name that they gave him was Gwern the son of Matholwch, and\nthey put the boy out to be foster-nursed, in a place where were the best\nmen of Ireland.\n\nAnd behold in the second year a tumult arose in Ireland, on account of\nthe insult which Matholwch had received in Cambria, and the payment made\nhim for his horses.  And his foster-brothers, and such as were nearest\nunto him, blamed him openly for that matter.  And he might have no peace\nby reason of the tumult until they should revenge upon him this disgrace.\nAnd the vengeance which they took was to drive away Branwen from the same\nchamber with him, and to make her cook for the Court; and they caused the\nbutcher after he had cut up the meat to come to her and give her every\nday a blow on the ear, and such they made her punishment.\n\n\u201cVerily, lord,\u201d said his men to Matholwch, \u201cforbid now the ships and the\nferry boats and the coracles, that they go not into Cambria, and such as\ncome over from Cambria hither, imprison them that they go not back for\nthis thing to be known there.\u201d  And he did so; and it was thus for not\nless than three years.\n\nAnd Branwen reared a starling in the cover of the kneading trough, and\nshe taught it to speak, and she taught the bird what manner of man her\nbrother was.  And she wrote a letter of her woes, and the despite with\nwhich she was treated, and she bound the letter to the root of the bird\u2019s\nwing, and sent it towards Britain.  And the bird came to this island, and\none day it found Bendigeid Vran at Caer Seiont in Arvon, conferring\nthere, and it alighted upon his shoulder and ruffled its feathers, so\nthat the letter was seen, and they knew that the bird had been reared in\na domestic manner.\n\nThen Bendigeid Vran took the letter and looked upon it.  And when he had\nread the letter he grieved exceedingly at the tidings of Branwen\u2019s woes.\nAnd immediately he began sending messengers to summon the island\ntogether.  And he caused sevenscore and four countries to come unto him,\nand he complained to them himself of the grief that his sister endured.\nSo they took counsel.  And in the council they resolved to go to Ireland,\nand to leave seven men as princes here, and Caradawc, the son of Bran, as\nthe chief of them, and their seven knights.  In Edeyrnion were these men\nleft.  And for this reason were the seven knights placed in the town.\nNow the names of these seven men were, Caradawc the son of Bran, and\nHeveydd Hir, and Unic Glew Ysgwyd, and Iddic the son of Anarawc\nGwalltgrwn, and Fodor the son of Ervyll, and Gwlch Minascwrn, and Llassar\nthe son of Llaesar Llaesgygwyd, and Pendaran Dyved as a young page with\nthem.  And these abode as seven ministers to take charge of this island;\nand Caradawc the son of Bran was the chief amongst them.\n\nBendigeid Vran, with the host of which we spoke, sailed towards Ireland,\nand it was not far across the sea, and he came to shoal water.  It was\ncaused by two rivers; the Lli and the Archan were they called; and the\nnations covered the sea.  Then he proceeded with what provisions he had\non his own back, and approached the shore of Ireland.\n\nNow the swineherds of Matholwch were upon the seashore, and they came to\nMatholwch.  \u201cLord,\u201d said they, \u201cgreeting be unto thee.\u201d  \u201cHeaven protect\nyou,\u201d said he, \u201chave you any news?\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said they, \u201cwe have\nmarvellous news, a wood have we seen upon the sea, in a place where we\nnever yet saw a single tree.\u201d  \u201cThis is indeed a marvel,\u201d said he; \u201csaw\nyou aught else?\u201d  \u201cWe saw, lord,\u201d said they, \u201ca vast mountain beside the\nwood, which moved, and there was a lofty ridge on the top of the\nmountain, and a lake on each side of the ridge.  And the wood, and the\nmountain, and all these things moved.\u201d  \u201cVerily,\u201d said he, \u201cthere is none\nwho can know aught concerning this, unless it be Branwen.\u201d\n\nMessengers then went unto Branwen.  \u201cLady,\u201d said they, \u201cwhat thinkest\nthou that this is?\u201d  \u201cThe men of the Island of the Mighty, who have come\nhither on hearing of my ill-treatment and my woes.\u201d  \u201cWhat is the forest\nthat is seen upon the sea?\u201d asked they.  \u201cThe yards and the masts of\nships,\u201d she answered.  \u201cAlas,\u201d said they, \u201cwhat is the mountain that is\nseen by the side of the ships?\u201d  \u201cBendigeid Vran, my brother,\u201d she\nreplied, \u201ccoming to shoal water; there is no ship that can contain him in\nit.\u201d  \u201cWhat is the lofty ridge with the lake on each side thereof?\u201d  \u201cOn\nlooking towards this island he is wroth, and his two eyes, one on each\nside of his nose, are the two lakes beside the ridge.\u201d\n\nThe warriors and the chief men of Ireland were brought together in haste,\nand they took counsel.  \u201cLord,\u201d said the nobles unto Matholwch, \u201cthere is\nno other counsel than to retreat over the Linon (a river which is in\nIreland), and to keep the river between thee and him, and to break down\nthe bridge that is across the river, for there is a loadstone at the\nbottom of the river that neither ship nor vessel can pass over.\u201d  So they\nretreated across the river, and broke down the bridge.\n\nBendigeid Vran came to land, and the fleet with him by the bank of the\nriver.  \u201cLord,\u201d said his chieftains, \u201cknowest thou the nature of this\nriver, that nothing can go across it, and there is no bridge over it?\u201d\n\u201cWhat,\u201d said they, \u201cis thy counsel concerning a bridge?\u201d  \u201cThere is\nnone,\u201d said he, \u201cexcept that he who will be chief, let him be a bridge.\nI will be so,\u201d said he.  And then was that saying first uttered, and it\nis still used as a proverb.  And when he had lain down across the river,\nhurdles were placed upon him, and the host passed over thereby.\n\nAnd as he rose up, behold the messengers of Matholwch came to him, and\nsaluted him, and gave him greeting in the name of Matholwch, his kinsman,\nand showed how that of his goodwill he had merited of him nothing but\ngood.  \u201cFor Matholwch has given the kingdom of Ireland to Gwern the son\nof Matholwch, thy nephew and thy sister\u2019s son.  And this he places before\nthee, as a compensation for the wrong and despite that has been done unto\nBranwen.  And Matholwch shall be maintained wheresoever thou wilt, either\nhere or in the Island of the Mighty.\u201d  Said Bendigeid Vran, \u201cShall not I\nmyself have the kingdom?  Then peradventure I may take counsel concerning\nyour message.  From this time until then no other answer will you get\nfrom me.\u201d  \u201cVerily,\u201d said they, \u201cthe best message that we receive for\nthee, we will convey it unto thee, and do thou await our message unto\nhim.\u201d  \u201cI will wait,\u201d answered he, \u201cand do you return quickly.\u201d\n\nThe messengers set forth and came to Matholwch.  \u201cLord,\u201d said they,\n\u201cprepare a better message for Bendigeid Vran.  He would not listen at all\nto the message that we bore him.\u201d  \u201cMy friends,\u201d said Matholwch, \u201cwhat\nmay be your counsel?\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said they, \u201cthere is no other counsel than\nthis alone.  He was never known to be within a house, make therefore a\nhouse that will contain him and the men of the Island of the Mighty on\nthe one side, and thyself and thy host on the other; and give over thy\nkingdom to his will, and do him homage.  So by reason of the honour thou\ndoest him in making him a house, whereas he never before had a house to\ncontain him, he will make peace with thee.\u201d  So the messengers went back\nto Bendigeid Vran, bearing him this message.\n\nAnd he took counsel, and in the council it was resolved that he should\naccept this, and this was all done by the advice of Branwen, and lest the\ncountry should be destroyed.  And this peace was made, and the house was\nbuilt both vast and strong.  But the Irish planned a crafty device, and\nthe craft was that they should put brackets on each side of the hundred\npillars that were in the house, and should place a leathern bag on each\nbracket, and an armed man in every one of them.  Then Evnissyen came in\nbefore the host of the Island of the Mighty, and scanned the house with\nfierce and savage looks, and descried the leathern bags which were around\nthe pillars.  \u201cWhat is in this bag?\u201d asked he of one of the Irish.\n\u201cMeal, good soul,\u201d said he.  And Evnissyen felt about it until he came to\nthe man\u2019s head, and he squeezed the head until he felt his fingers meet\ntogether in the brain through the bone.  And he left that one and put his\nhand upon another, and asked what was therein.  \u201cMeal,\u201d said the\nIrishman.  So he did the like unto every one of them, until he had not\nleft alive, of all the two hundred men, save one only; and when he came\nto him, he asked what was there.  \u201cMeal, good soul,\u201d said the Irishman.\nAnd he felt about until he felt the head, and he squeezed that head as he\nhad done the others.  And, albeit he found that the head of this one was\narmed, he left him not until he had killed him.  And then he sang an\nEnglyn:\u2014\n\n   \u201cThere is in this bag a different sort of meal,\n   The ready combatant, when the assault is made\n   By his fellow-warriors, prepared for battle.\u201d\n\nThereupon came the hosts unto the house.  The men of the Island of\nIreland entered the house on the one side, and the men of the Island of\nthe Mighty on the other.  And as soon as they had sat down there was\nconcord between them; and the sovereignty was conferred upon the boy.\nWhen the peace was concluded, Bendigeid Vran called the boy unto him, and\nfrom Bendigeid Vran the boy went unto Manawyddan, and he was beloved by\nall that beheld him.  And from Manawyddan the boy was called by Nissyen\nthe son of Eurosswydd, and the boy went unto him lovingly.  \u201cWherefore,\u201d\nsaid Evnissyen, \u201ccomes not my nephew the son of my sister unto me?\nThough he were not king of Ireland, yet willingly would I fondle the\nboy.\u201d  \u201cCheerfully let him go to thee,\u201d said Bendigeid Vran, and the boy\nwent unto him cheerfully.  \u201cBy my confession to Heaven,\u201d said Evnissyen\nin his heart, \u201cunthought of by the household is the slaughter that I will\nthis instant commit.\u201d\n\nThen he arose and took up the boy by the feet, and before any one in the\nhouse could seize hold of him, he thrust the boy headlong into the\nblazing fire.  And when Branwen saw her son burning in the fire, she\nstrove to leap into the fire also, from the place where she sat between\nher two brothers.  But Bendigeid Vran grasped her with one hand, and his\nshield with the other.  Then they all hurried about the house, and never\nwas there made so great a tumult by any host in one house as was made by\nthem, as each man armed himself.  Then said Morddwydtyllyon, \u201cThe\ngadflies of Morddwydtyllyon\u2019s Cow!\u201d  And while they all sought their\narms, Bendigeid Vran supported Branwen between his shield and his\nshoulder.\n\nThen the Irish kindled a fire under the cauldron of renovation, and they\ncast the dead bodies into the cauldron until it was full, and the next\nday they came forth fighting-men as good as before, except that they were\nnot able to speak.  Then when Evnissyen saw the dead bodies of the men of\nthe Island of the Mighty nowhere resuscitated, he said in his heart,\n\u201cAlas! woe is me, that I should have been the cause of bringing the men\nof the Island of the Mighty into so great a strait.  Evil betide me if I\nfind not a deliverance therefrom.\u201d  And he cast himself among the dead\nbodies of the Irish, and two unshod Irishmen came to him, and, taking him\nto be one of the Irish, flung him into the cauldron.  And he stretched\nhimself out in the cauldron, so that he rent the cauldron into four\npieces, and burst his own heart also.\n\nIn consequence of that the men of the Island of the Mighty obtained such\nsuccess as they had; but they were not victorious, for only seven men of\nthem all escaped, and Bendigeid Vran himself was wounded in the foot with\na poisoned dart.  Now the seven men that escaped were Pryderi,\nManawyddan, Gluneu Eil Taran, Taliesin, Ynawc, Grudyen the son of Muryel,\nand Heilyn the son of Gwynn Hen.\n\nAnd Bendigeid Vran commanded them that they should cut off his head.\n\u201cAnd take you my head,\u201d said he, \u201cand bear it even unto the White Mount,\nin London, and bury it there, with the face towards France.  And a long\ntime will you be upon the road.  In Harlech you will be feasting seven\nyears, the birds of Rhiannon singing unto you the while.  And all that\ntime the head will be to you as pleasant company as it ever was when on\nmy body.  And at Gwales in Penvro you will be fourscore years, and you\nmay remain there, and the head with you uncorrupted, until you open the\ndoor that looks towards Aber Henvelen, and towards Cornwall.  And after\nyou have opened that door, there you may no longer tarry, set forth then\nto London to bury the head, and go straight forward.\u201d\n\nSo they cut off his head, and these seven went forward therewith.  And\nBranwen was the eighth with them, and they came to land at Aber Alaw, in\nTalebolyon, and they sat down to rest.  And Branwen looked towards\nIreland and towards the Island of the Mighty, to see if she could descry\nthem.  \u201cAlas,\u201d said she, \u201cwoe is me that I was ever born; two islands\nhave been destroyed because of me!\u201d  Then she uttered a loud groan, and\nthere broke her heart.  And they made her a four-sided grave, and buried\nher upon the banks of the Alaw.\n\nThen the seven men journeyed forward towards Harlech, bearing the head\nwith them; and as they went, behold there met them a multitude of men and\nof women.  \u201cHave you any tidings?\u201d asked Manawyddan.  \u201cWe have none,\u201d\nsaid they, \u201csave that Caswallawn the son of Beli has conquered the Island\nof the Mighty, and is crowned king in London.\u201d  \u201cWhat has become,\u201d said\nthey, \u201cof Caradawc the son of Bran, and the seven men who were left with\nhim in this island?\u201d  \u201cCaswallawn came upon them, and slew six of the\nmen, and Caradawc\u2019s heart broke for grief thereof; for he could see the\nsword that slew the men, but knew not who it was that wielded it.\nCaswallawn had flung upon him the Veil of Illusion, so that no one could\nsee him slay the men, but the sword only could they see.  And it liked\nhim not to slay Caradawc, because he was his nephew, the son of his\ncousin.  And now he was the third whose heart had broke through grief.\nPendaran Dyved, who had remained as a young page with these men, escaped\ninto the wood,\u201d said they.\n\nThen they went on to Harlech, and there stopped to rest, and they\nprovided meat and liquor, and sat down to eat and to drink.  And there\ncame three birds, and began singing unto them a certain song, and all the\nsongs they had ever heard were unpleasant compared thereto; and the birds\nseemed to them to be at a great distance from them over the sea, yet they\nappeared as distinct as if they were close by, and at this repast they\ncontinued seven years.\n\nAnd at the close of the seventh year they went forth to Gwales in Penvro.\nAnd there they found a fair and regal spot overlooking the ocean; and a\nspacious hall was therein.  And they went into the hall, and two of its\ndoors were open, but the third door was closed, that which looked towards\nCornwall.  \u201cSee, yonder,\u201d said Manawyddan, \u201cis the door that we may not\nopen.\u201d  And that night they regaled themselves and were joyful.  And of\nall they had seen of food laid before them, and of all they had heard of,\nthey remembered nothing; neither of that, nor of any sorrow whatsoever.\nAnd there they remained fourscore years, unconscious of having ever spent\na time more joyous and mirthful.  And they were not more weary than when\nfirst they came, neither did they, any of them, know the time they had\nbeen there.  And it was not more irksome to them having the head with\nthem, than if Bendigeid Vran had been with them himself.  And because of\nthese fourscore years, it was called \u201cthe Entertaining of the noble\nHead.\u201d  The entertaining of Branwen and Matholwch was in the time that\nthey went to Ireland.\n\nOne day said Heilyn the son of Gwynn, \u201cEvil betide me, if I do not open\nthe door to know if that is true which is said concerning it.\u201d  So he\nopened the door and looked towards Cornwall and Aber Henvelen.  And when\nthey had looked, they were as conscious of all the evils they had ever\nsustained, and of all the friends and companions they had lost, and of\nall the misery that had befallen them, as if all had happened in that\nvery spot; and especially of the fate of their lord.  And because of\ntheir perturbation they could not rest, but journeyed forth with the head\ntowards London.  And they buried the head in the White Mount, and when it\nwas buried, this was the third goodly concealment; and it was the third\nill-fated disclosure when it was disinterred, inasmuch as no invasion\nfrom across the sea came to this island while the head was in that\nconcealment.\n\nAnd thus is the story related of those who journeyed over from Ireland.\n\nIn Ireland none were left alive, except five pregnant women in a cave in\nthe Irish wilderness; and to these five women in the same night were born\nfive sons, whom they nursed until they became grown-up youths.  And they\nthought about wives, and they at the same time desired to possess them,\nand each took a wife of the mothers of their companions, and they\ngoverned the country and peopled it.\n\nAnd these five divided it amongst them, and because of this partition are\nthe five divisions of Ireland still so termed.  And they examined the\nland where the battles had taken place, and they found gold and silver\nuntil they became wealthy.\n\nAnd thus ends this portion of the Mabinogi, concerning the blow given to\nBranwen, which was the third unhappy blow of this island; and concerning\nthe entertainment of Bran, when the hosts of sevenscore countries and ten\nwent over to Ireland to revenge the blow given to Branwen; and concerning\nthe seven years\u2019 banquet in Harlech, and the singing of the birds of\nRhiannon, and the sojourning of the head for the space of fourscore\nyears.\n\n\n\n\nMANAWYDDAN THE SON OF LLYR\nHERE IS THE THIRD PORTION OF THE MABINOGI\n\n\nWhen the seven men of whom we spoke above had buried the head of\nBendigeid Vran, in the White Mount in London, with its face towards\nFrance; Manawyddan gazed upon the town of London, and upon his\ncompanions, and heaved a great sigh; and much grief and heaviness came\nupon him.  \u201cAlas, Almighty Heaven, woe is me,\u201d he exclaimed, \u201cthere is\nnone save myself without a resting-place this night.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said\nPryderi, \u201cbe not so sorrowful.  Thy cousin is king of the Island of the\nMighty, and though he should do thee wrong, thou hast never been a\nclaimant of land or possessions.  Thou art the third disinherited\nprince.\u201d  \u201cYea,\u201d answered he, \u201cbut although this man is my cousin, it\ngrieveth me to see any one in the place of my brother Bendigeid Vran,\nneither can I be happy in the same dwelling with him.\u201d  \u201cWilt thou follow\nthe counsel of another?\u201d said Pryderi.  \u201cI stand in need of counsel,\u201d he\nanswered, \u201cand what may that counsel be?\u201d  \u201cSeven Cantrevs remain unto\nme,\u201d said Pryderi, \u201cwherein Rhiannon my mother dwells.  I will bestow her\nupon thee and the seven Cantrevs with her, and though thou hadst no\npossessions but those Cantrevs only, thou couldst not have seven Cantrevs\nfairer than they.  Kicva, the daughter of Gwynn Gloyw, is my wife, and\nsince the inheritance of the Cantrevs belongs to me, do thou and Rhiannon\nenjoy them, and if thou ever desire any possessions thou wilt take\nthese.\u201d  \u201cI do not, Chieftain,\u201d said he; \u201cHeaven reward thee for thy\nfriendship.\u201d  \u201cI would show thee the best friendship in the world if thou\nwouldst let me.\u201d  \u201cI will, my friend,\u201d said he, \u201cand Heaven reward thee.\nI will go with thee to seek Rhiannon and to look at thy possessions.\u201d\n\u201cThou wilt do well,\u201d he answered.  \u201cAnd I believe that thou didst never\nhear a lady discourse better than she, and when she was in her prime none\nwas ever fairer.  Even now her aspect is not uncomely.\u201d\n\nThey set forth, and, however long the journey, they came at length to\nDyved, and a feast was prepared for them against their coming to\nNarberth, which Rhiannon and Kicva had provided.  Then began Manawyddan\nand Rhiannon to sit and to talk together, and from their discourse his\nmind and his thoughts became warmed towards her, and he thought in his\nheart he had never beheld any lady more fulfilled of grace and beauty\nthan she.  \u201cPryderi,\u201d said he, \u201cI will that it be as thou didst say.\u201d\n\u201cWhat saying was that?\u201d asked Rhiannon.  \u201cLady,\u201d said Pryderi, \u201cI did\noffer thee as a wife to Manawyddan the son of Llyr.\u201d  \u201cBy that will I\ngladly abide,\u201d said Rhiannon.  \u201cRight glad am I also,\u201d said Manawyddan;\n\u201cmay Heaven reward him who hath shown unto me friendship so perfect as\nthis.\u201d\n\nAnd before the feast was over she became his bride.  Said Pryderi, \u201cTarry\nye here the rest of the feast, and I will go into Lloegyr to tender my\nhomage unto Caswallawn the son of Beli.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said Rhiannon,\n\u201cCaswallawn is in Kent, thou mayest therefore tarry at the feast, and\nwait until he shall be nearer.\u201d  \u201cWe will wait,\u201d he answered.  So they\nfinished the feast.  And they began to make the circuit of Dyved, and to\nhunt, and to take their pleasure.  And as they went through the country,\nthey had never seen lands more pleasant to live in, nor better hunting\ngrounds, nor greater plenty of honey and fish.  And such was the\nfriendship between those four, that they would not be parted from each\nother by night nor by day.\n\nAnd in the midst of all this he went to Caswallawn at Oxford, and\ntendered his homage; and honourable was his reception there, and highly\nwas he praised for offering his homage.\n\nAnd after his return, Pryderi and Manawyddan feasted and took their ease\nand pleasure.  And they began a feast at Narberth, for it was the chief\npalace; and there originated all honour.  And when they had ended the\nfirst meal that night, while those who served them ate, they arose and\nwent forth, and proceeded all four to the Gorsedd of Narberth, and their\nretinue with them.  And as they sat thus, behold, a peal of thunder, and\nwith the violence of the thunderstorm, lo there came a fall of mist, so\nthick that not one of them could see the other.  And after the mist it\nbecame light all around.  And when they looked towards the place where\nthey were wont to see cattle, and herds, and dwellings, they saw nothing\nnow, neither house, nor beast, nor smoke, nor fire, nor man, nor\ndwelling; but the houses of the Court empty, and desert, and uninhabited,\nwithout either man or beast within them.  And truly all their companions\nwere lost to them, without their knowing aught of what had befallen them,\nsave those four only.\n\n\u201cIn the name of Heaven,\u201d cried Manawyddan, \u201cwhere are they of the Court,\nand all my host beside these?  Let us go and see.\u201d  So they came into the\nhall, and there was no man; and they went on to the castle and to the\nsleeping-place, and they saw none; and in the mead-cellar and in the\nkitchen there was nought but desolation.  So they four feasted, and\nhunted, and took their pleasure.  Then they began to go through the land\nand all the possessions that they had, and they visited the houses and\ndwellings, and found nothing but wild beasts.  And when they had consumed\ntheir feast and all their provisions, they fed upon the prey they killed\nin hunting, and the honey of the wild swarms.  And thus they passed the\nfirst year pleasantly, and the second; but at the last they began to be\nweary.\n\n\u201cVerily,\u201d said Manawyddan, \u201cwe must not bide thus.  Let us go into\nLloegyr, and seek some craft whereby we may gain our support.\u201d  So they\nwent into Lloegyr, and came as far as Hereford.  And they betook\nthemselves to making saddles.  And Manawyddan began to make housings, and\nhe gilded and coloured them with blue enamel, in the manner that he had\nseen it done by Llasar Llaesgywydd.  And he made the blue enamel as it\nwas made by the other man.  And therefore is it still called Calch Lasar\n[blue enamel], because Llasar Llaesgywydd had wrought it.\n\nAnd as long as that workmanship could be had of Manawyddan, neither\nsaddle nor housing was bought of a saddler throughout all Hereford; till\nat length every one of the saddlers perceived that they were losing much\nof their gain, and that no man bought of them, but him who could not get\nwhat he sought from Manawyddan.  Then they assembled together, and agreed\nto slay him and his companions.\n\nNow they received warning of this, and took counsel whether they should\nleave the city.  \u201cBy Heaven,\u201d said Pryderi, \u201cit is not my counsel that we\nshould quit the town, but that we should slay these boors.\u201d  \u201cNot so,\u201d\nsaid Manawyddan, \u201cfor if we fight with them, we shall have evil fame, and\nshall be put in prison.  It were better for us to go to another town to\nmaintain ourselves.\u201d  So they four went to another city.\n\n\u201cWhat craft shall we take?\u201d said Pryderi.  \u201cWe will make shields,\u201d said\nManawyddan.  \u201cDo we know anything about that craft?\u201d said Pryderi.  \u201cWe\nwill try,\u201d answered he.  There they began to make shields, and fashioned\nthem after the shape of the good shields they had seen; and they\nenamelled they, as them had done the saddles.  And they prospered in that\nplace, so that not a shield was asked for in the whole town, but such as\nwas had of them.  Rapid therefore was their work, and numberless were the\nshields they made.  But at last they were marked by the craftsmen, who\ncame together in haste, and their fellow-townsmen with them, and agreed\nthat they should seek to slay them.  But they received warning, and heard\nhow the men had resolved on their destruction.  \u201cPryderi,\u201d said\nManawyddan, \u201cthese men desire to slay us.\u201d  \u201cLet us not endure this from\nthese boors, but let us rather fall upon them and slay them.\u201d  \u201cNot so,\u201d\nhe answered; \u201cCaswallawn and his men will hear of it, and we shall be\nundone.  Let us go to another town.\u201d  So to another town they went.\n\n\u201cWhat craft shall we take?\u201d said Manawyddan.  \u201cWhatsoever thou wilt that\nwe know,\u201d said Pryderi.  \u201cNot so,\u201d he replied, \u201cbut let us take to making\nshoes, for there is not courage enough among cordwainers either to fight\nwith us or to molest us.\u201d  \u201cI know nothing thereof,\u201d said Pryderi.  \u201cBut\nI know,\u201d answered Manawyddan; \u201cand I will teach thee to stitch.  We will\nnot attempt to dress the leather, but we will buy it ready dressed and\nwill make the shoes from it.\u201d\n\nSo he began by buying the best cordwal that could be had in the town, and\nnone other would he buy except the leather for the soles; and he\nassociated himself with the best goldsmith in the town, and caused him to\nmake clasps for the shoes, and to gild the clasps, and he marked how it\nwas done until he learnt the method.  And therefore was he called one of\nthe three makers of Gold Shoes; and, when they could be had from him, not\na shoe nor hose was bought of any of the cordwainers in the town.  But\nwhen the cordwainers perceived that their gains were failing (for as\nManawyddan shaped the work, so Pryderi stitched it), they came together\nand took counsel, and agreed that they would slay them.\n\n\u201cPryderi,\u201d said Manawyddan, \u201cthese men are minded to slay us.\u201d\n\u201cWherefore should we bear this from the boorish thieves?\u201d said Pryderi.\n\u201cRather let us slay them all.\u201d  \u201cNot so,\u201d said Manawyddan, \u201cwe will not\nslay them, neither will we remain in Lloegyr any longer.  Let us set\nforth to Dyved and go to see it.\u201d\n\nSo they journeyed along until they came to Dyved, and they went forward\nto Narberth.  And there they kindled fire and supported themselves by\nhunting.  And thus they spent a month.  And they gathered their dogs\naround them, and tarried there one year.\n\nAnd one morning Pryderi and Manawyddan rose up to hunt, and they ranged\ntheir dogs and went forth from the palace.  And some of the dogs ran\nbefore them and came to a small bush which was near at hand; but as soon\nas they were come to the bush, they hastily drew back and returned to the\nmen, their hair bristling up greatly.  \u201cLet us go near to the bush,\u201d said\nPryderi, \u201cand see what is in it.\u201d  And as they came near, behold, a wild\nboar of a pure white colour rose up from the bush.  Then the dogs, being\nset on by the men, rushed towards him; but he left the bush and fell back\na little way from the men, and made a stand against the dogs without\nretreating from them, until the men had come near.  And when the men came\nup, he fell back a second time, and betook him to flight.  Then they\npursued the boar until they beheld a vast and lofty castle, all newly\nbuilt, in a place where they had never before seen either stone or\nbuilding.  And the boar ran swiftly into the castle and the dogs after\nhim.  Now when the boar and the dogs had gone into the castle, they began\nto wonder at finding a castle in a place where they had never before seen\nany building whatsoever.  And from the top of the Gorsedd they looked and\nlistened for the dogs.  But so long as they were there they heard not one\nof the dogs nor aught concerning them.\n\n\u201cLord,\u201d said Pryderi, \u201cI will go into the castle to get tidings of the\ndogs.\u201d  \u201cTruly,\u201d he replied, \u201cthou wouldst be unwise to go into this\ncastle, which thou hast never seen till now.  If thou wouldst follow my\ncounsel, thou wouldst not enter therein.  Whosoever has cast a spell over\nthis land has caused this castle to be here.\u201d  \u201cOf a truth,\u201d answered\nPryderi, \u201cI cannot thus give up my dogs.\u201d  And for all the counsel that\nManawyddan gave him, yet to the castle he went.\n\nWhen he came within the castle, neither man nor beast, nor boar nor dogs,\nnor house nor dwelling saw he within it.  But in the centre of the castle\nfloor he beheld a fountain with marble work around it, and on the margin\nof the fountain a golden bowl upon a marble slab, and chains hanging from\nthe air, to which he saw no end.\n\nAnd he was greatly pleased with the beauty of the gold, and with the rich\nworkmanship of the bowl, and he went up to the bowl and laid hold of it.\nAnd when he had taken hold of it his hands stuck to the bowl, and his\nfeet to the slab on which the howl was placed, and all his joyousness\nforsook him, so that he could not utter a word.  And thus he stood.\n\nAnd Manawyddan waited for him till near the close of the day.  And late\nin the evening, being certain that he should have no tidings of Pryderi\nor of the dogs, he went back to the palace.  And as he entered, Rhiannon\nlooked at him.  \u201cWhere,\u201d said she, \u201care thy companion and thy dogs?\u201d\n\u201cBehold,\u201d he answered, \u201cthe adventure that has befallen me.\u201d  And he\nrelated it all unto her.  \u201cAn evil companion hast thou been,\u201d said\nRhiannon, \u201cand a good companion hast thou lost.\u201d  And with that word she\nwent out, and proceeded towards the castle according to the direction\nwhich he gave her.  The gate of the castle she found open.  She was\nnothing daunted, and she went in.  And as she went in, she perceived\nPryderi laying hold of the bowl, and she went towards him.  \u201cOh, my\nlord,\u201d said she, \u201cwhat dost thou do here?\u201d  And she took hold of the bowl\nwith him; and as she did so her hands became fast to the bowl, and her\nfeet to the slab, and she was not able to utter a word.  And with that,\nas it became night, lo, there came thunder upon them, and a fall of mist,\nand thereupon the castle vanished, and they with it.\n\nWhen Kicva the daughter of Gwynn Gloyw saw that there was no one in the\npalace but herself and Manawyddan, she sorrowed so that she cared not\nwhether she lived or died.  And Manawyddan saw this.  \u201cThou art in the\nwrong,\u201d said he, \u201cif through fear of me thou grievest thus.  I call\nHeaven to witness that thou hast never seen friendship mere pure than\nthat which I will bear thee, as long as Heaven will that thou shouldst be\nthus.  I declare to thee that were I in the dawn of youth I would keep my\nfaith unto Pryderi, and unto thee also will I keep it.  Be there no fear\nupon thee, therefore,\u201d said he, \u201cfor Heaven is my witness that thou shalt\nmeet with all the friendship thou canst wish, and that it is in my power\nto show thee, as long as it shall please Heaven to continue us in this\ngrief and woe.\u201d  \u201cHeaven reward thee,\u201d she said, \u201cand that is what I\ndeemed of thee.\u201d  And the damsel thereupon took courage and was glad.\n\n\u201cTruly, lady,\u201d said Manawyddan, \u201cit is not fitting for us to stay here,\nwe have lost our dogs, and we cannot get food.  Let us go into Lloegyr;\nit is easiest for us to find support there.\u201d  \u201cGladly, lord,\u201d said she,\n\u201cwe will do so.\u201d  And they set forth together to Lloegyr.\n\n\u201cLord,\u201d said she, \u201cwhat craft wilt thou follow?  Take up one that is\nseemly.\u201d  \u201cNone other will I take,\u201d answered he, \u201csave that of making\nshoes, as I did formerly.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said she, \u201csuch a craft becomes not a\nman so nobly born as thou.\u201d  \u201cBy that however will I abide,\u201d said he.\n\nSo he began his craft, and he made all his work of the finest leather he\ncould get in the town, and, as he had done at the other place, he caused\ngilded clasps to be made for the shoes.  And except himself all the\ncordwainers in the town were idle, and without work.  For as long as they\ncould be had from him, neither shoes nor hose were bought elsewhere.  And\nthus they tarried there a year, until the cordwainers became envious, and\ntook counsel concerning him.  And he had warning thereof, and it was told\nhim how the cordwainers had agreed together to slay him.\n\n\u201cLord,\u201d said Kicva, \u201cwherefore should this be borne from these boors?\u201d\n\u201cNay,\u201d said he, \u201cwe will go back unto Dyved.\u201d  So towards Dyved they set\nforth.\n\nNow Manawyddan, when he set out to return to Dyved, took with him a\nburden of wheat.  And he proceeded towards Narberth, and there he dwelt.\nAnd never was he better pleased than when he saw Narberth again, and the\nlands where he had been wont to hunt with Pryderi and with Rhiannon.  And\nhe accustomed himself to fish, and to hunt the deer in their covert.  And\nthen he began to prepare some ground, and he sowed a croft, and a second,\nand a third.  And no wheat in the world ever sprung up better.  And the\nthree crofts prospered with perfect growth, and no man ever saw fairer\nwheat than it.\n\nAnd thus passed the seasons of the year until the harvest came.  And he\nwent to look at one of his crofts, and behold it was ripe.  \u201cI will reap\nthis to-morrow,\u201d said he.  And that night he went back to Narberth, and\non the morrow in the grey dawn he went to reap the croft, and when he\ncame there he found nothing but the bare straw.  Every one of the ears of\nthe wheat was cut from off the stalk, and all the ears carried entirely\naway, and nothing but the straw left.  And at this he marvelled greatly.\n\nThen he went to look at another croft, and behold that also was ripe.\n\u201cVerily,\u201d said he, \u201cthis will I reap to-morrow.\u201d  And on the morrow he\ncame with the intent to reap it, and when he came there he found nothing\nbut the bare straw.  \u201cOh, gracious Heaven,\u201d he exclaimed, \u201cI know that\nwhosoever has begun my ruin is completing it, and has also destroyed the\ncountry with me.\u201d\n\nThen he went to look at the third croft, and when he came there, finer\nwheat had there never been seen, and this also was ripe.  \u201cEvil betide\nme,\u201d said he, \u201cif I watch not here to-night.  Whoever carried off the\nother corn will come in like manner to take this.  And I will know who it\nis.\u201d  So he took his arms, and began to watch the croft.  And he told\nKicva all that had befallen.  \u201cVerily,\u201d said she, \u201cwhat thinkest thou to\ndo?\u201d  \u201cI will watch the croft to-night,\u201d said he.\n\nAnd he went to watch the croft.  And at midnight, lo, there arose the\nloudest tumult in the world.  And he looked, and behold the mightiest\nhost of mice in the world, which could neither be numbered nor measured.\nAnd he knew not what it was until the mice had made their way into the\ncroft, and each of them climbing up the straw and bending it down with\nits weight, had cut off one of the ears of wheat, and had carried it\naway, leaving there the stalk, and he saw not a single stalk there that\nhad not a mouse to it.  And they all took their way, carrying the ears\nwith them.\n\nIn wrath and anger did he rush upon the mice, but he could no more come\nup with them than if they had been gnats, or birds in the air, except one\nonly, which though it was but sluggish, went so fast that a man on foot\ncould scarce overtake it.  And after this one he went, and he caught it\nand put it in his glove, and tied up the opening of the glove with a\nstring, and kept it with him, and returned to the palace.  Then he came\nto the hall where Kicva was, and he lighted a fire, and hung the glove by\nthe string upon a peg.  \u201cWhat hast thou there, lord?\u201d said Kicva.  \u201cA\nthief,\u201d said he, \u201cthat I found robbing me.\u201d  \u201cWhat kind of thief may it\nbe, lord, that thou couldst put into thy glove?\u201d said she.  \u201cBehold I\nwill tell thee,\u201d he answered.  Then he showed her how his fields had been\nwasted and destroyed, and how the mice came to the last of the fields in\nhis sight.  \u201cAnd one of them was less nimble than the rest, and is now in\nmy glove; to-morrow I will hang it, and before Heaven, if I had them, I\nwould hang them all.\u201d  \u201cMy lord,\u201d said she, \u201cthis is marvellous; but yet\nit would be unseemly for a man of dignity like thee to be hanging such a\nreptile as this.  And if thou doest right, thou wilt not meddle with the\ncreature, but wilt let it go.\u201d  \u201cWoe betide me,\u201d said he, \u201cif I would not\nhang them all could I catch them, and such as I have I will hang.\u201d\n\u201cVerily, lord,\u201d said she, \u201cthere is no reason that I should succour this\nreptile, except to prevent discredit unto thee.  Do therefore, lord, as\nthou wilt.\u201d  \u201cIf I knew of any cause in the world wherefore thou shouldst\nsuccour it, I would take thy counsel concerning it,\u201d said Manawyddan,\n\u201cbut as I know of none, lady, I am minded to destroy it.\u201d  \u201cDo so\nwillingly then,\u201d said she.\n\nAnd then he went to the Gorsedd of Narberth, taking the mouse with him.\nAnd he set up two forks on the highest part of the Gorsedd.  And while he\nwas doing this, behold he saw a scholar coming towards him, in old and\npoor and tattered garments.  And it was now seven years since he had seen\nin that place either man or beast, except those four persons who had\nremained together until two of them were lost.\n\n\u201cMy lord,\u201d said the scholar, \u201cgood day to thee.\u201d  \u201cHeaven prosper thee,\nand my greeting be unto thee.  And whence dost thou come, scholar?\u201d asked\nhe.  \u201cI come, lord, from singing in Lloegyr; and wherefore dost thou\ninquire?\u201d  \u201cBecause for the last seven years,\u201d answered he, \u201cI have seen\nno man here save four secluded persons, and thyself this moment.\u201d\n\u201cTruly, lord,\u201d said he, \u201cI go through this land unto mine own.  And what\nwork art thou upon, lord?\u201d  \u201cI am hanging a thief that I caught robbing\nme,\u201d said he.  \u201cWhat manner of thief is that?\u201d asked the scholar.  \u201cI see\na creature in thy hand like unto a mouse, and ill does it become a man of\nrank equal to thine to touch a reptile such as this.  Let it go forth\nfree.\u201d  \u201cI will not let it go free, by Heaven,\u201d said he; \u201cI caught it\nrobbing me, and the doom of a thief will I inflict upon it, and I will\nhang it.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said he, \u201crather than see a man of rank equal to thine\nat such a work as this, I would give thee a pound which I have received\nas alms, to let the reptile go forth free.\u201d  \u201cI will not let it go free,\u201d\nsaid he, \u201cby Heaven, neither will I sell it.\u201d  \u201cAs thou wilt, lord,\u201d he\nanswered; \u201cexcept that I would not see a man of rank equal to thine\ntouching such a reptile, I care nought.\u201d  And the scholar went his way.\n\nAnd as he was placing the crossbeam upon the two forks, behold a priest\ncame towards him upon a horse covered with trappings.  \u201cGood day to thee,\nlord,\u201d said he.  \u201cHeaven prosper thee,\u201d said Manawyddan; \u201cthy blessing.\u201d\n\u201cThe blessing of Heaven be upon thee.  And what, lord, art thou doing?\u201d\n\u201cI am hanging a thief that I caught robbing me,\u201d said he.  \u201cWhat manner\nof thief, lord?\u201d asked he.  \u201cA creature,\u201d he answered, \u201cin form of a\nmouse.  It has been robbing me, and I am inflicting upon it the doom of a\nthief.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said he, \u201crather than see thee touch this reptile, I\nwould purchase its freedom.\u201d  \u201cBy my confession to Heaven, neither will I\nsell it nor set it free.\u201d  \u201cIt is true, lord, that it is worth nothing to\nbuy; but rather than see thee defile thyself by touching such a reptile\nas this, I will give thee three pounds to let it go.\u201d  \u201cI will not, by\nHeaven,\u201d said he, \u201ctake any price for at.  As it ought, so shall it be\nhanged.\u201d  \u201cWillingly, lord, do thy good pleasure.\u201d  And the priest went\nhis way.\n\nThen he noosed the string around the mouse\u2019s neck, and as he was about to\ndraw it up, behold, he saw a bishop\u2019s retinue with his sumpter-horses,\nand his attendants.  And the bishop himself came towards him.  And he\nstayed his work.  \u201cLord bishop,\u201d said he, \u201cthy blessing.\u201d  \u201cHeaven\u2019s\nblessing be unto thee,\u201d said he; \u201cwhat work art thou upon?\u201d  \u201cHanging a\nthief that I caught robbing me,\u201d said he.  \u201cIs not that a mouse that I\nsee in thy hand?\u201d  \u201cYes,\u201d answered he.  \u201cAnd she has robbed me.\u201d  \u201cAye,\u201d\nsaid he, \u201csince I have come at the doom of this reptile, I will ransom it\nof thee.  I will give thee seven pounds for it, and that rather than see\na man of rank equal to thine destroying so vile a reptile as this.  Let\nit loose and thou shalt have the money.\u201d  \u201cI declare to Heaven that I\nwill not set it loose.\u201d  \u201cIf thou wilt not loose it for this, I will give\nthee four-and-twenty pounds of ready money to set it free.\u201d  \u201cI will not\nset it free, by Heaven, for as much again,\u201d said he.  \u201cIf thou wilt not\nset it free for this, I will give thee all the horses that thou seest in\nthis plain, and the seven loads of baggage, and the seven horses that\nthey are upon.\u201d  \u201cBy Heaven, I will not,\u201d he replied.  \u201cSince for this\nthou wilt not, do so at what price soever thou wilt.\u201d  \u201cI will do so,\u201d\nsaid he.  \u201cI will that Rhiannon and Pryderi be free,\u201d said he.  \u201cThat\nthou shalt have,\u201d he answered.  \u201cNot yet will I loose the mouse, by\nHeaven.\u201d  \u201cWhat then wouldst thou?\u201d  \u201cThat the charm and the illusion be\nremoved from the seven Cantrevs of Dyved.\u201d  \u201cThis shalt thou have also;\nset therefore the mouse free.\u201d  \u201cI will not set it free, by Heaven,\u201d said\nhe.  \u201cI will know who the mouse may be.\u201d  \u201cShe is my wife.\u201d  \u201cEven though\nshe be, I will not set her free.  Wherefore came she to me?\u201d  \u201cTo despoil\nthee,\u201d he answered.  \u201cI am Llwyd the son of Kilcoed, and I cast the charm\nover the seven Cantrevs of Dyved.  And it was to avenge Gwawl the son of\nClud, from the friendship I had towards him, that I cast the charm.  And\nupon Pryderi did I revenge Gwawl the son of Clud, for the game of Badger\nin the Bag, that Pwyll Pen Annwvyn played upon him, which he did\nunadvisedly in the Court of Heveydd H\u00ean.  And when it was known that thou\nwast come to dwell in the land, my household came and besought me to\ntransform them into mice, that they might destroy thy corn.  And it was\nmy own household that went the first night.  And the second night also\nthey went, and they destroyed thy two crofts.  And the third night came\nunto me my wife and the ladies of the Court, and besought me to transform\nthem.  And I transformed them.  Now she is pregnant.  And had she not\nbeen pregnant thou wouldst not have been able to overtake her; but since\nthis has taken place, and she has been caught, I will restore thee\nPryderi and Rhiannon; and I will take the charm and illusion from off\nDyved.  I have now told thee who she is.  Set her therefore free.\u201d  \u201cI\nwill not set her free, by Heaven,\u201d said he.  \u201cWhat wilt thou more?\u201d he\nasked.  \u201cI will that there be no more charm upon the seven Cantrevs of\nDyved, and that none shall be put upon it henceforth.\u201d  \u201cThis thou shalt\nhave,\u201d said he.  \u201cNow set her free.\u201d  \u201cI will not, by my faith,\u201d he\nanswered.  \u201cWhat wilt thou furthermore?\u201d asked he.  \u201cBehold,\u201d said he,\n\u201cthis will I have; that vengeance be never taken for this, either upon\nPryderi or Rhiannon, or upon me.\u201d  \u201cAll this shalt thou have.  And truly\nthou hast done wisely in asking this.  Upon thy head would have lighted\nall this trouble.\u201d  \u201cYea,\u201d said he, \u201cfor fear thereof was it, that I\nrequired this.\u201d  \u201cSet now my wife at liberty.\u201d  \u201cI will not, by Heaven,\u201d\nsaid he, \u201cuntil I see Pryderi and Rhiannon with me free.\u201d  \u201cBehold, here\nthey come,\u201d he answered.\n\nAnd thereupon behold Pryderi and Rhiannon.  And he rose up to meet them,\nand greeted them, and sat down beside them.  \u201cAh, Chieftain, set now my\nwife at liberty,\u201d said the bishop.  \u201cHast thou not received all thou\ndidst ask?\u201d  \u201cI will release her gladly,\u201d said he.  And thereupon he set\nher free.\n\nThen Llwyd struck her with a magic wand, and she was changed back into a\nyoung woman, the fairest ever seen.\n\n\u201cLook around upon thy land,\u201d said he, \u201cand then thou wilt see it all\ntilled and peopled, as it was in its best state.\u201d  And he rose up and\nlooked forth.  And when he looked he saw all the lands tilled, and full\nof herds and dwellings.  \u201cWhat bondage,\u201d he inquired, \u201chas there been\nupon Pryderi and Rhiannon?\u201d  \u201cPryderi has had the knockers of the gate of\nmy palace about his neck, and Rhiannon has had the collars of the asses,\nafter they have been carrying hay, about her neck.\u201d\n\nAnd such had been their bondage.\n\nAnd by reason of this bondage is this story called the Mabinogi of\nMynnweir and Mynord.\n\nAnd thus ends this portion of the Mabinogi.\n\n\n\n\nMATH THE SON OF MATHONWY\nTHIS IS THE FOURTH PORTION OF THE MABINOGI\n\n\nMath the son of Mathonwy was lord over Gwynedd, and Pryderi the son of\nPwyll was lord over the one-and-twenty Cantrevs of the South; and these\nwere the seven Cantrevs of Dyved, and the seven Cantrevs of Morganwc, the\nfour Cantrevs of Ceredigiawn, and the three of Ystrad Tywi.\n\nAt that time, Math the son of Mathonwy could not exist unless his feet\nwere in the lap of a maiden, except only when he was prevented by the\ntumult of war.  Now the maiden who was with him was Goewin, the daughter\nof Pebin of D\u00f4l Pebin, in Arvon, and she was the fairest maiden of her\ntime who was known there.\n\nAnd Math dwelt always at Caer Dathyl, in Arvon, and was not able to go\nthe circuit of the land, but Gilvaethwy the son of Don, and Eneyd the son\nof Don, his nephews, the sons of his sisters, with his household, went\nthe circuit of the land in his stead.\n\nNow the maiden was with Math continually, and Gilvaethwy the son of Don\nset his affections upon her, and loved her so that he knew not what he\nshould do because of her, and therefrom behold his hue, and his aspect,\nand his spirits changed for love of her, so that it was not easy to know\nhim.\n\nOne day his brother Gwydion gazed steadfastly upon him.  \u201cYouth,\u201d said\nhe, \u201cwhat aileth thee?\u201d  \u201cWhy,\u201d replied he, \u201cwhat seest thou in me?\u201d  \u201cI\nsee,\u201d said he, \u201cthat thou hast lost thy aspect and thy hue; what,\ntherefore, aileth thee?\u201d  \u201cMy lord brother,\u201d he answered, \u201cthat which\naileth me, it will not profit me that I should own to any.\u201d  \u201cWhat may it\nbe, my soul?\u201d said he.  \u201cThou knowest,\u201d he said, \u201cthat Math the son of\nMathonwy has this property, that if men whisper together, in a tone how\nlow soever, if the wind meet it, it becomes known unto him.\u201d  \u201cYes,\u201d said\nGwydion, \u201chold now thy peace, I know thy intent, thou lovest Goewin.\u201d\n\nWhen he found that his brother knew his intent, he gave the heaviest sigh\nin the world.  \u201cBe silent, my soul, and sigh not,\u201d he said.  \u201cIt is not\nthereby that thou wilt succeed.  I will cause,\u201d said he, \u201cif it cannot be\notherwise, the rising of Gwynedd, and Powys, and Deheubarth, to seek the\nmaiden.  Be thou of glad cheer therefore, and I will compass it.\u201d\n\nSo they went unto Math the son of Mathonwy.  \u201cLord,\u201d said Gwydion, \u201cI\nhave heard that there have come to the South some beasts, such as were\nnever known in this island before.\u201d  \u201cWhat are they called?\u201d he asked.\n\u201cPigs, lord.\u201d  \u201cAnd what kind of animals are they?\u201d  \u201cThey are small\nanimals, and their flesh is better than the flesh of oxen.\u201d  \u201cThey are\nsmall, then?\u201d  \u201cAnd they change their names.  Swine are they now called.\u201d\n\u201cWho owneth them?\u201d  \u201cPryderi the son of Pwyll; they were sent him from\nAnnwvyn, by Arawn the king of Annwvyn, and still they keep that name,\nhalf hog, half pig.\u201d  \u201cVerily,\u201d asked he, \u201cand by what means may they be\nobtained from him?\u201d  \u201cI will go, lord, as one of twelve, in the guise of\nbards, to seek the swine.\u201d  \u201cBut it may be that he will refuse you,\u201d said\nhe.  \u201cMy journey will not be evil, lord,\u201d said he; \u201cI will not come back\nwithout the swine.\u201d  \u201cGladly,\u201d said he, \u201cgo thou forward.\u201d\n\nSo he and Gilvaethwy went, and ten other men with them.  And they came\ninto Ceredigiawn, to the place that is now called Rhuddlan Teivi, where\nthe palace of Pryderi was.  In the guise of bards they came in, and they\nwere received joyfully, and Gwydion was placed beside Pryderi that night.\n\n\u201cOf a truth,\u201d said Pryderi, \u201cgladly would I have a tale from some of your\nmen yonder.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said Gwydion, \u201cwe have a custom that the first\nnight that we come to the Court of a great man, the chief of song\nrecites.  Gladly will I relate a tale.\u201d  Now Gwydion was the best teller\nof tales in the world, and he diverted all the Court that night with\npleasant discourse and with tales, so that he charmed every one in the\nCourt, and it pleased Pryderi to talk with him.\n\nAnd after this, \u201cLord,\u201d said he unto Pryderi, \u201cwere it more pleasing to\nthee, that another should discharge my errand unto thee, than that I\nshould tell thee myself what it is?\u201d  \u201cNo,\u201d he answered, \u201cample speech\nhast thou.\u201d  \u201cBehold then, lord,\u201d said he, \u201cmy errand.  It is to crave\nfrom thee the animals that were sent thee from Annwvyn.\u201d  \u201cVerily,\u201d he\nreplied, \u201cthat were the easiest thing in the world to grant, were there\nnot a covenant between me and my land concerning them.  And the covenant\nis that they shall not go from me, until they have produced double their\nnumber in the land.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said he, \u201cI can set thee free from those\nwords, and this is the way I can do so; give me not the swine to-night,\nneither refuse them unto me, and to-morrow I will show thee an exchange\nfor them.\u201d\n\nAnd that night he and his fellows went unto their lodging, and they took\ncounsel.  \u201cAh, my men,\u201d said he, \u201cwe shall not have the swine for the\nasking.\u201d  \u201cWell,\u201d said they, \u201chow may they be obtained?\u201d  \u201cI will cause\nthem to be obtained,\u201d said Gwydion.\n\nThen he betook himself to his arts, and began to work a charm.  And he\ncaused twelve chargers to appear, and twelve black greyhounds, each of\nthem white-breasted, and having upon them twelve collars and twelve\nleashes, such as no one that saw them could know to be other than gold.\nAnd upon the horses twelve saddles, and every part which should have been\nof iron was entirely of gold, and the bridles were of the same\nworkmanship.  And with the horses and the dogs he came to Pryderi.\n\n\u201cGood day unto thee, lord,\u201d said he.  \u201cHeaven prosper thee,\u201d said the\nother, \u201cand greetings be unto thee.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said he, \u201cbehold here is a\nrelease for thee from the word which thou spakest last evening concerning\nthe swine; that thou wouldst neither give nor sell them.  Thou mayest\nexchange them for that which is better.  And I will give these twelve\nhorses, all caparisoned as they are, with their saddles and their\nbridles, and these twelve greyhounds, with their collars and their\nleashes as thou seest, and the twelve gilded shields that thou beholdest\nyonder.\u201d  Now these he had formed of fungus.  \u201cWell,\u201d said he, \u201cwe will\ntake counsel.\u201d  And they consulted together, and determined to give the\nswine to Gwydion, and to take his horses and his dogs and his shields.\n\nThen Gwydion and his men took their leave, and began to journey forth\nwith the pigs.  \u201cAh, my comrades,\u201d said Gwydion, \u201cit is needful that we\njourney with speed.  The illusion will not last but from the one hour to\nthe same to-morrow.\u201d\n\nAnd that night they journeyed as far as the upper part of Ceredigiawn, to\nthe place which, from that cause, is called Mochdrev still.  And the next\nday they took their course through Melenydd, and came that night to the\ntown which is likewise for that reason called Mochdrev between Keri and\nArwystli.  And thence they journeyed forward; and that night they came as\nfar as that Commot in Powys, which also upon account thereof is called\nMochnant, and there tarried they that night.  And they journeyed thence\nto the Cantrev of Rhos, and the place where they were that night is still\ncalled Mochdrev.\n\n\u201cMy men,\u201d said Gwydion, \u201cwe must push forward to the fastnesses of\nGwynedd with these animals, for there is a gathering of hosts in pursuit\nof us.\u201d  So they journeyed on to the highest town of Arllechwedd, and\nthere they made a sty for the swine, and therefore was the name of\nCreuwyryon given to that town.  And after they had made the sty for the\nswine, they proceeded to Math the son of Mathonwy, at Caer Dathyl.  And\nwhen they came there, the country was rising.  \u201cWhat news is there here?\u201d\nasked Gwydion.  \u201cPryderi is assembling one-and-twenty Cantrevs to pursue\nafter you,\u201d answered they.  \u201cIt is marvellous that you should have\njourneyed so slowly.\u201d  \u201cWhere are the animals whereof you went in quest?\u201d\nsaid Math.  \u201cThey have had a sty made for them in the other Cantrev\nbelow,\u201d said Gwydion.\n\nThereupon, lo, they heard the trumpets and the host in the land, and they\narrayed themselves and set forward and came to Penardd in Arvon.\n\nAnd at night Gwydion the son of Don, and Gilvaethwy his brother, returned\nto Caer Dathyl; and Gilvaethwy took Math the son of Mathonwy\u2019s couch.\nAnd while he turned out the other damsels from the room discourteously,\nhe made Goewin unwillingly remain.\n\nAnd when they saw the day on the morrow, they went back unto the place\nwhere Math the son of Mathonwy was with his host; and when they came\nthere, the warriors were taking counsel in what district they should\nawait the coming of Pryderi, and the men of the South.  So they went in\nto the council.  And it was resolved to wait in the strongholds of\nGwynedd, in Arvon.  So within the two Maenors they took their stand,\nMaenor Penardd and Maenor Coed Alun.  And there Pryderi attacked them,\nand there the combat took place.  And great was the slaughter on both\nsides; but the men of the South were forced to flee.  And they fled unto\nthe place which is still called Nantcall.  And thither did they follow\nthem, and they made a vast slaughter of them there, so that they fled\nagain as far as the place called Dol Pen Maen, and there they halted and\nsought to make peace.\n\nAnd that he might have peace, Pryderi gave hostages, Gwrgi Gwastra gave\nhe and three-and-twenty others, sons of nobles.  And after this they\njourneyed in peace even unto Traeth Mawr; but as they went on together\ntowards Melenryd, the men on foot could not be restrained from shooting.\nPryderi dispatched unto Math an embassy to pray him to forbid his people,\nand to leave it between him and Gwydion the son of Don, for that he had\ncaused all this.  And the messengers came to Math.  \u201cOf a truth,\u201d said\nMath, \u201cI call Heaven to witness, if it be pleasing unto Gwydion the son\nof Don, I will so leave it gladly.  Never will I compel any to go to\nfight, but that we ourselves should do our utmost.\u201d\n\n\u201cVerily,\u201d said the messengers, \u201cPryderi saith that it were more fair that\nthe man who did him this wrong should oppose his own body to his, and let\nhis people remain unscathed.\u201d  \u201cI declare to Heaven, I will not ask the\nmen of Gwynedd to fight because of me.  If I am allowed to fight Pryderi\nmyself, gladly will I oppose my body to his.\u201d  And this answer they took\nback to Pryderi.  \u201cTruly,\u201d said Pryderi, \u201cI shall require no one to\ndemand my rights but myself.\u201d\n\nThen these two came forth and armed themselves, and they fought.  And by\nforce of strength, and fierceness, and by the magic and charms of\nGwydion, Pryderi was slain.  And at Maen Tyriawc, above Melenryd, was he\nburied, and there is his grave.\n\nAnd the men of the South set forth in sorrow towards their own land; nor\nis it a marvel that they should grieve, seeing that they had lost their\nlord, and many of their best warriors, and for the most part their horses\nand their arms.\n\nThe men of Gwynedd went back joyful and in triumph.  \u201cLord,\u201d said Gwydion\nunto Math, \u201cwould it not be right for us to release the hostages of the\nmen of the South, which they pledged unto us for peace? for we ought not\nto put them in prison.\u201d  \u201cLet them then be set free,\u201d saith Math.  So\nthat youth, and the other hostages that were with him, were set free to\nfollow the men of the South.\n\nMath himself went forward to Caer Dathyl.  Gilvaethwy the son of Don, and\nthey of the household that were with him, went to make the circuit of\nGwynedd as they were wont, without coming to the Court.  Math went into\nhis chamber, and caused a place to be prepared for him whereon to\nrecline, so that he might put his feet in the maiden\u2019s lap.  \u201cLord,\u201d said\nGoewin, \u201cseek now another to hold thy feet, for I am now a wife.\u201d  \u201cWhat\nmeaneth this?\u201d said he.  \u201cAn attack, lord, was made unawares upon me; but\nI held not my peace, and there was no one in the Court who knew not of\nit.  Now the attack was made by thy nephews, lord, the sons of thy\nsister, Gwydion the son of Don, and Gilvaethwy the son of Don; unto me\nthey did wrong, and unto thee dishonour.\u201d  \u201cVerily,\u201d he exclaimed, \u201cI\nwill do to the utmost of my power concerning this matter.  But first I\nwill cause thee to have compensation, and then will I have amends made\nunto myself.  As for thee, I will take thee to be my wife, and the\npossession of my dominions will I give unto thy hands.\u201d\n\nAnd Gwydion and Gilvaethwy came not near the Court, but stayed in the\nconfines of the land until it was forbidden to give them meat and drink.\nAt first they came not near unto Math, but at the last they came.\n\u201cLord,\u201d said they, \u201cgood day to thee.\u201d  \u201cWell,\u201d said he, \u201cis it to make\nme compensation that ye are come?\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d they said, \u201cwe are at thy\nwill.\u201d  \u201cBy my will I would not have lost my warriors, and so many arms\nas I have done.  You cannot compensate me my shame, setting aside the\ndeath of Pryderi.  But since ye come hither to be at my will, I shall\nbegin your punishment forthwith.\u201d\n\nThen he took his magic wand, and struck Gilvaethwy, so that he became a\ndeer, and he seized upon the other hastily lest he should escape from\nhim.  And he struck him with the same magic wand, and he became a deer\nalso.  \u201cSince now ye are in bonds, I will that ye go forth together and\nbe companions, and possess the nature of the animals whose form ye bear.\nAnd this day twelvemonth come hither unto me.\u201d\n\nAt the end of a year from that day, lo there was a loud noise under the\nchamber wall, and the barking of the dogs of the palace together with the\nnoise.  \u201cLook,\u201d said he, \u201cwhat is without.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said one, \u201cI have\nlooked; there are there two deer, and a fawn with them.\u201d  Then he arose\nand went out.  And when he came he beheld the three animals.  And he\nlifted up his wand.  \u201cAs ye were deer last year, be ye wild hogs each and\neither of you, for the year that is to come.\u201d  And thereupon he struck\nthem with the magic wand.  \u201cThe young one will I take and cause to be\nbaptized.\u201d  Now the name that he gave him was Hydwn.  \u201cGo ye and be wild\nswine, each and either of you, and be ye of the nature of wild swine.\nAnd this day twelvemonth be ye here under the wall.\u201d\n\nAt the end of the year the barking of dogs was heard under the wall of\nthe chamber.  And the Court assembled, and thereupon he arose and went\nforth, and when he came forth he beheld three beasts.  Now these were the\nbeasts that he saw; two wild hogs of the woods, and a well-grown young\none with them.  And he was very large for his age.  \u201cTruly,\u201d said Math,\n\u201cthis one will I take and cause to be baptized.\u201d  And he struck him with\nhis magic wand, and he become a fine fair auburn-haired youth, and the\nname that he gave him was Hychdwn.  \u201cNow as for you, as ye were wild hogs\nlast year, be ye wolves each and either of you for the year that is to\ncome.\u201d  Thereupon he struck them with his magic wand, and they became\nwolves.  \u201cAnd be ye of like nature with the animals whose semblance ye\nbear, and return here this day twelvemonth beneath this wall.\u201d\n\nAnd at the same day at the end of the year, he heard a clamour and a\nbarking of dogs under the wall of the chamber.  And he rose and went\nforth.  And when he came, behold, he saw two wolves, and a strong cub\nwith them.  \u201cThis one will I take,\u201d said Math, \u201cand I will cause him to\nbe baptized; there is a name prepared for him, and that is Bleiddwn.  Now\nthese three, such are they:\u2014\n\n   The three sons of Gilvaethwy the false,\n   The three faithful combatants,\n   Bleiddwn, Hydwn, and Hychdwn the Tall.\u201d\n\nThen he struck the two with his magic wand, and they resumed their own\nnature.  \u201cOh men,\u201d said he, \u201cfor the wrong that ye did unto me sufficient\nhas been your punishment and your dishonour.  Prepare now precious\nointment for these men, and wash their heads, and equip them.\u201d  And this\nwas done.\n\nAnd after they were equipped, they came unto him.  \u201cOh men,\u201d said he,\n\u201cyou have obtained peace, and you shall likewise have friendship.  Give\nyour counsel unto me, what maiden I shall seek.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d said Gwydion\nthe son of Don, \u201cit is easy to give thee counsel; seek Arianrod, the\ndaughter of Don, thy niece, thy sister\u2019s daughter.\u201d\n\nAnd they brought her unto him, and the maiden came in.  \u201cHa, damsel,\u201d\nsaid he, \u201cart thou the maiden?\u201d  \u201cI know not, lord, other than that I\nam.\u201d  Then he took up his magic wand, and bent it.  \u201cStep over this,\u201d\nsaid he, \u201cand I shall know if thou art the maiden.\u201d  Then stepped she\nover the magic wand, and there appeared forthwith a fine chubby\nyellow-haired boy.  And at the crying out of the boy, she went towards\nthe door.  And thereupon some small form was seen; but before any one\ncould get a second glimpse of it, Gwydion had taken it, and had flung a\nscarf of velvet around it and hidden it.  Now the place where he hid it\nwas the bottom of a chest at the foot of his bed.\n\n\u201cVerily,\u201d said Math the son of Mathonwy, concerning the fine\nyellow-haired boy, \u201cI will cause this one to be baptized, and Dylan is\nthe name I will give him.\u201d\n\nSo they had the boy baptized, and as they baptized him he plunged into\nthe sea.  And immediately when he was in the sea, he took its nature, and\nswam as well as the best fish that was therein.  And for that reason was\nhe called Dylan, the son of the Wave.  Beneath him no wave ever broke.\nAnd the blow whereby he came to his death, was struck by his uncle\nGovannon.  The third fatal blow was it called.\n\nAs Gwydion lay one morning on his bed awake, he heard a cry in the chest\nat his feet; and though it was not loud, it was such that he could hear\nit.  Then he arose in haste, and opened the chest: and when he opened it,\nhe beheld an infant boy stretching out his arms from the folds of the\nscarf, and casting it aside.  And he took up the boy in his arms, and\ncarried him to a place where he knew there was a woman that could nurse\nhim.  And he agreed with the woman that she should take charge of the\nboy.  And that year he was nursed.\n\nAnd at the end of the year he seemed by his size as though he were two\nyears old.  And the second year he was a big child, and able to go to the\nCourt by himself.  And when he came to the Court, Gwydion noticed him,\nand the boy became familiar with him, and loved him better than any one\nelse.  Then was the boy reared at the Court until he was four years old,\nwhen he was as big as though he had been eight.\n\nAnd one day Gwydion walked forth, and the boy followed him, and he went\nto the Castle of Arianrod, having the boy with him; and when he came into\nthe Court, Arianrod arose to meet him, and greeted him and bade him\nwelcome.  \u201cHeaven prosper thee,\u201d said he.  \u201cWho is the boy that followeth\nthee?\u201d she asked.  \u201cThis youth, he is thy son,\u201d he answered.  \u201cAlas,\u201d\nsaid she, \u201cwhat has come unto thee that thou shouldst shame me thus?\nwherefore dost thou seek my dishonour, and retain it so long as this?\u201d\n\u201cUnless thou suffer dishonour greater than that of my bringing up such a\nboy as this, small will be thy disgrace.\u201d  \u201cWhat is the name of the boy?\u201d\nsaid she.  \u201cVerily,\u201d he replied, \u201che has not yet a name.\u201d  \u201cWell,\u201d she\nsaid, \u201cI lay this destiny upon him, that he shall never have a name until\nhe receives one from me.\u201d  \u201cHeaven bears me witness,\u201d answered he, \u201cthat\nthou art a wicked woman.  But the boy shall have a name how displeasing\nsoever it may be unto thee.  As for thee, that which afflicts thee is\nthat thou art no longer called a damsel.\u201d  And thereupon he went forth in\nwrath, and returned to Caer Dathyl and there he tarried that night.\n\nAnd the next day he arose and took the boy with him, and went to walk on\nthe seashore between that place and Aber Menei.  And there he saw some\nsedges and seaweed, and he turned them into a boat.  And out of dry\nsticks and sedges he made some Cordovan leather, and a great deal\nthereof, and he coloured it in such a manner that no one ever saw leather\nmore beautiful than it.  Then he made a sail to the boat, and he and the\nboy went in it to the port of the castle of Arianrod.  And he began\nforming shoes and stitching them, until he was observed from the castle.\nAnd when he knew that they of the castle were observing him, he disguised\nhis aspect, and put another semblance upon himself, and upon the boy, so\nthat they might not be known.  \u201cWhat men are those in yonder boat?\u201d said\nArianrod.  \u201cThey are cordwainers,\u201d answered they.  \u201cGo and see what kind\nof leather they have, and what kind of work they can do.\u201d\n\nSo they came unto them.  And when they came he was colouring some\nCordovan leather, and gilding it.  And the messengers came and told her\nthis.  \u201cWell,\u201d said she, \u201ctake the measure of my foot, and desire the\ncordwainer to make shoes for me.\u201d  So he made the shoes for her, yet not\naccording to the measure, but larger.  The shoes then were brought unto\nher, and behold they were too large.  \u201cThese are too large,\u201d said she,\n\u201cbut he shall receive their value.  Let him also make some that are\nsmaller than they.\u201d  Then he made her others that were much smaller than\nher foot, and sent them unto her.  \u201cTell him that these will not go on my\nfeet,\u201d said she.  And they told him this.  \u201cVerily,\u201d said he, \u201cI will not\nmake her any shoes, unless I see her foot.\u201d  And this was told unto her.\n\u201cTruly,\u201d she answered, \u201cI will go unto him.\u201d\n\nSo she went down to the boat, and when she came there, he was shaping\nshoes and the boy stitching them.  \u201cAh, lady,\u201d said he, \u201cgood day to\nthee.\u201d  \u201cHeaven prosper thee,\u201d said she.  \u201cI marvel that thou canst not\nmanage to make shoes according to a measure.\u201d  \u201cI could not,\u201d he replied,\n\u201cbut now I shall be able.\u201d\n\nThereupon behold a wren stood upon the deck of the boat, and the boy shot\nat it, and hit it in the leg between the sinew and the bone.  Then she\nsmiled.  \u201cVerily,\u201d said she, \u201cwith a steady hand did the lion aim at it.\u201d\n\u201cHeaven reward thee not, but now has he got a name.  And a good enough\nname it is.  Llew Llaw Gyffes be he called henceforth.\u201d\n\nThen the work disappeared in seaweed and sedges, and he went on with it\nno further.  And for that reason was he called the third Gold-shoemaker.\n\u201cOf a truth,\u201d said she, \u201cthou wilt not thrive the better for doing evil\nunto me.\u201d  \u201cI have done thee no evil yet,\u201d said he.  Then he restored the\nboy to his own form.  \u201cWell,\u201d said she, \u201cI will lay a destiny upon this\nboy, that he shall never have arms and armour until I invest him with\nthem.\u201d  \u201cBy Heaven,\u201d said he, \u201clet thy malice be what it may, he shall\nhave arms.\u201d\n\nThen they went towards Dinas Dinllev, and there he brought up Llew Llaw\nGyffes, until he could manage any horse, and he was perfect in features,\nand strength, and stature.  And then Gwydion saw that he languished\nthrough the want of horses and arms.  And he called him unto him.  \u201cAh,\nyouth,\u201d said he, \u201cwe will go to-morrow on an errand together.  Be\ntherefore more cheerful than thou art.\u201d  \u201cThat I will,\u201d said the youth.\n\nNext morning, at the dawn of day, they arose.  And they took way along\nthe sea coast, up towards Bryn Aryen.  And at the top of Cevn Clydno they\nequipped themselves with horses, and went towards the Castle of Arianrod.\nAnd they changed their form, and pricked towards the gate in the\nsemblance of two youths, but the aspect of Gwydion was more staid than\nthat of the other.  \u201cPorter,\u201d said he, \u201cgo thou in and say that there are\nhere bards from Glamorgan.\u201d  And the porter went in.  \u201cThe welcome of\nHeaven be unto them, let them in,\u201d said Arianrod.\n\nWith great joy were they greeted.  And the hall was arranged, and they\nwent to meat.  When meat was ended, Arianrod discoursed with Gwydion of\ntales and stories.  Now Gwydion was an excellent teller of tales.  And\nwhen it was time to leave off feasting, a chamber was prepared for them,\nand they went to rest.\n\nIn the early twilight Gwydion arose, and he called unto him his magic and\nhis power.  And by the time that the day dawned, there resounded through\nthe land uproar, and trumpets and shouts.  When it was now day, they\nheard a knocking at the door of the chamber, and therewith Arianrod\nasking that it might be opened.  Up rose the youth and opened unto her,\nand she entered and a maiden with her.  \u201cAh, good men,\u201d she said, \u201cin\nevil plight are we.\u201d  \u201cYes, truly,\u201d said Gwydion, \u201cwe have heard trumpets\nand shouts; what thinkest thou that they may mean?\u201d  \u201cVerily,\u201d said she,\n\u201cwe cannot see the colour of the ocean by reason of all the ships, side\nby side.  And they are making for the land with all the speed they can.\nAnd what can we do?\u201d said she.  \u201cLady,\u201d said Gwydion, \u201cthere is none\nother counsel than to close the castle upon us, and to defend it as best\nwe may.\u201d  \u201cTruly,\u201d said she, \u201cmay Heaven reward you.  And do you defend\nit.  And here may you have plenty of arms.\u201d\n\nAnd thereupon went she forth for the arms, and behold she returned, and\ntwo maidens, and suits of armour for two men, with her.  \u201cLady,\u201d said he,\n\u201cdo you accoutre this stripling, and I will arm myself with the help of\nthy maidens.  Lo, I hear the tumult of the men approaching.\u201d  \u201cI will do\nso, gladly.\u201d  So she armed him fully, and that right cheerfully.  \u201cHast\nthou finished arming the youth?\u201d said he.  \u201cI have finished,\u201d she\nanswered.  \u201cI likewise have finished,\u201d said Gwydion.  \u201cLet us now take\noff our arms, we have no need of them.\u201d  \u201cWherefore?\u201d said she.  \u201cHere is\nthe army around the house.\u201d  \u201cOh, lady, there is here no army.\u201d  \u201cOh,\u201d\ncried she, \u201cwhence then was this tumult?\u201d  \u201cThe tumult was but to break\nthy prophecy and to obtain arms for thy son.  And now has he got arms\nwithout any thanks unto thee.\u201d  \u201cBy Heaven,\u201d said Arianrod, \u201cthou art a\nwicked man.  Many a youth might have lost his life through the uproar\nthou hast caused in this Cantrev to-day.  Now will I lay a destiny upon\nthis youth,\u201d she said, \u201cthat he shall never have a wife of the race that\nnow inhabits this earth.\u201d  \u201cVerily,\u201d said he, \u201cthou wast ever a malicious\nwoman, and no one ought to support thee.  A wife shall he have\nnotwithstanding.\u201d\n\nThey went thereupon unto Math the son of Mathonwy, and complained unto\nhim most bitterly of Arianrod.  Gwydion showed him also how he had\nprocured arms for the youth.  \u201cWell,\u201d said Math, \u201cwe will seek, I and\nthou, by charms and illusion, to form a wife for him out of flowers.  He\nhas now come to man\u2019s stature, and he is the comeliest youth that was\never beheld.\u201d  So they took the blossoms of the oak, and the blossoms of\nthe broom, and the blossoms of the meadow-sweet, and produced from them a\nmaiden, the fairest and most graceful that man ever saw.  And they\nbaptized her, and gave her the name of Blodeuwedd.\n\nAfter she had become his bride, and they had feasted, said Gwydion, \u201cIt\nis not easy for a man to maintain himself without possessions.\u201d  \u201cOf a\ntruth,\u201d said Math, \u201cI will give the young man the best Cantrev to hold.\u201d\n\u201cLord,\u201d said he, \u201cwhat Cantrev is that?\u201d  \u201cThe Cantrev of Dinodig,\u201d he\nanswered.  Now it is called at this day Eivionydd and Ardudwy.  And the\nplace in the Cantrev where he dwelt, was a palace of his in a spot called\nMur y Castell, on the confines of Ardudwy.  There dwelt he and reigned,\nand both he and his sway were beloved by all.\n\nOne day he went forth to Caer Dathyl, to visit Math the son of Mathonwy.\nAnd on the day that he set out for Caer Dathyl, Blodeuwedd walked in the\nCourt.  And she heard the sound of a horn.  And after the sound of the\nhorn, behold a tired stag went by, with dogs and huntsmen following it.\nAnd after the dogs and the huntsmen there came a crowd of men on foot.\n\u201cSend a youth,\u201d said she, \u201cto ask who yonder host may be.\u201d  So a youth\nwent, and inquired who they were.  \u201cGronw Pebyr is this, the lord of\nPenllyn,\u201d said they.  And thus the youth told her.\n\nGronw Pebyr pursued the stag, and by the river Cynvael he overtook the\nstag and killed it.  And what with flaying the stag and baiting his dogs,\nhe was there until the night began to close in upon him.  And as the day\ndeparted and the night drew near, he came to the gate of the Court.\n\u201cVerily,\u201d said Blodeuwedd, \u201cthe Chieftain will speak ill of us if we let\nhim at this hour depart to another land without inviting him in.\u201d  \u201cYes,\ntruly, lady,\u201d said they, \u201cit will be most fitting to invite him.\u201d\n\nThen went messengers to meet him and bid him in.  And he accepted her\nbidding gladly, and came to the Court, and Blodeuwedd went to meet him,\nand greeted him, and bade him welcome.  \u201cLady,\u201d said he, \u201cHeaven repay\nthee thy kindness.\u201d\n\nWhen they had disaccoutred themselves, they went to sit down.  And\nBlodeuwedd looked upon him, and from the moment that she looked on him\nshe became filled with his love.  And he gazed on her, and the same\nthought came unto him as unto her, so that he could not conceal from her\nthat he loved her, but he declared unto her that he did so.  Thereupon\nshe was very joyful.  And all their discourse that night was concerning\nthe affection and love which they felt one for the other, and which in no\nlonger space than one evening had arisen.  And that evening passed they\nin each other\u2019s company.\n\nThe next day he sought to depart.  But she said, \u201cI pray thee go not from\nme to-day.\u201d  And that night he tarried also.  And that night they\nconsulted by what means they might always be together.  \u201cThere is none\nother counsel,\u201d said he, \u201cbut that thou strive to learn from Llew Llaw\nGyffes in what manner he will meet his death.  And this must thou do\nunder the semblance of solicitude concerning him.\u201d\n\nThe next day Gronw sought to depart.  \u201cVerily,\u201d said she, \u201cI will counsel\nthee not to go from me to-day.\u201d  \u201cAt thy instance will I not go,\u201d said\nhe, \u201calbeit, I must say, there is danger that the chief who owns the\npalace may return home.\u201d  \u201cTo-morrow,\u201d answered she, \u201cwill I indeed\npermit thee to go forth.\u201d\n\nThe next day he sought to go, and she hindered him not.  \u201cBe mindful,\u201d\nsaid Gronw, \u201cof what I have said unto thee, and converse with him fully,\nand that under the guise of the dalliance of love, and find out by what\nmeans he may come to his death.\u201d\n\nThat night Llew Llaw Gyffes returned to his home.  And the day they spent\nin discourse, and minstrelsy, and feasting.  And at night they went to\nrest, and he spoke to Blodeuwedd once, and he spoke to her a second time.\nBut, for all this, he could not get from her one word.  \u201cWhat aileth\nthee?\u201d said he, \u201cart thou well?\u201d  \u201cI was thinking,\u201d said she, \u201cof that\nwhich thou didst never think of concerning me; for I was sorrowful as to\nthy death, lest thou shouldst go sooner than I.\u201d  \u201cHeaven reward thy care\nfor me,\u201d said he, \u201cbut until Heaven take me I shall not easily be slain.\u201d\n\u201cFor the sake of Heaven, and for mine, show me how thou mightest be\nslain.  My memory in guarding is better than thine.\u201d  \u201cI will tell thee\ngladly,\u201d said he.  \u201cNot easily can I be slain, except by a wound.  And\nthe spear wherewith I am struck must be a year in the forming.  And\nnothing must be done towards it except during the sacrifice on Sundays.\u201d\n\u201cIs this certain?\u201d asked she.  \u201cIt is in truth,\u201d he answered.  \u201cAnd I\ncannot be slain within a house, nor without.  I cannot be slain on\nhorseback nor on foot.\u201d  \u201cVerily,\u201d said she, \u201cin what manner then canst\nthou be slain?\u201d  \u201cI will tell thee,\u201d said he.  \u201cBy making a bath for me\nby the side of a river, and by putting a roof over the cauldron, and\nthatching it well and tightly, and bringing a buck, and putting it beside\nthe cauldron.  Then if I place one foot on the buck\u2019s back, and the other\non the edge of the cauldron, whosoever strikes me thus will cause my\ndeath.\u201d  \u201cWell,\u201d said she, \u201cI thank Heaven that it will be easy to avoid\nthis.\u201d\n\nNo sooner had she held this discourse than she sent to Gronw Pebyr.\nGronw toiled at making the spear, and that day twelvemonth it was ready.\nAnd that very day he caused her to be informed thereof.\n\n\u201cLord,\u201d said Blodeuwedd unto Llew, \u201cI have been thinking how it is\npossible that what thou didst tell me formerly can be true; wilt thou\nshow me in what manner thou couldst stand at once upon the edge of a\ncauldron and upon a buck, if I prepare the bath for thee?\u201d  \u201cI will show\nthee,\u201d said he.\n\nThen she sent unto Gronw, and bade him be in ambush on the hill which is\nnow called Bryn Kyvergyr, on the bank of the river Cynvael.  She caused\nalso to be collected all the goats that were in the Cantrev, and had them\nbrought to the other side of the river, opposite Bryn Kyvergyr.\n\nAnd the next day she spoke thus.  \u201cLord,\u201d said she, \u201cI have caused the\nroof and the bath to be prepared, and lo! they are ready.\u201d  \u201cWell,\u201d said\nLlew, \u201cwe will go gladly to look at them.\u201d\n\nThe day after they came and looked at the bath.  \u201cWilt thou go into the\nbath, lord?\u201d said she.  \u201cWillingly will I go in,\u201d he answered.  So into\nthe bath he went, and he anointed himself.  \u201cLord,\u201d said she, \u201cbehold the\nanimals which thou didst speak of as being called bucks.\u201d  \u201cWell,\u201d said\nhe, \u201ccause one of them to be caught and brought here.\u201d  And the buck was\nbrought.  Then Llew rose out of the bath, and put on his trowsers, and he\nplaced one foot on the edge of the bath and the other on the buck\u2019s back.\n\nThereupon Gronw rose up from the bill which is called Bryn Kyvergyr, and\nhe rested on one knee, and flung the poisoned dart and struck him on the\nside, so that the shaft started out, but the head of the dart remained\nin.  Then he flew up in the form of an eagle and gave a fearful scream.\nAnd thenceforth was he no more seen.\n\nAs soon as he departed Gronw and Blodeuwedd went together unto the palace\nthat night.  And the next day Gronw arose and took possession of Ardudwy.\nAnd after he had overcome the land, he ruled over it, so that Ardudwy and\nPenllyn were both under his sway.\n\nThen these tidings reached Math the son of Mathonwy.  And heaviness and\ngrief came upon Math, and much more upon Gwydion than upon him.  \u201cLord,\u201d\nsaid Gwydion, \u201cI shall never rest until I have tidings of my nephew.\u201d\n\u201cVerily,\u201d said Math, \u201cmay Heaven be thy strength.\u201d  Then Gwydion set\nforth and began to go forward.  And he went through Gwynedd and Powys to\nthe confines.  And when he had done so, he went into Arvon, and came to\nthe house of a vassal, in Maenawr Penardd.  And he alighted at the house,\nand stayed there that night.  The man of the house and his house-hold\ncame in, and last of all came there the swineherd.  Said the man of the\nhouse to the swineherd, \u201cWell, youth, hath thy sow come in to-night?\u201d\n\u201cShe hath,\u201d said he, \u201cand is this instant returned to the pigs.\u201d  \u201cWhere\ndoth this sow go to?\u201d said Gwydion.  \u201cEvery day, when the sty is opened,\nshe goeth forth and none can catch sight of her, neither is it known\nwhither she goeth more than if she sank into the earth.\u201d  \u201cWilt thou\ngrant unto me,\u201d said Gwydion, \u201cnot to open the sty until I am beside the\nsty with thee?\u201d  \u201cThis will I do, right gladly,\u201d he answered.\n\nThat night they went to rest; and as soon as the swineherd saw the light\nof day, he awoke Gwydion.  And Gwydion arose and dressed himself, and\nwent with the swineherd, and stood beside the sty.  Then the swineherd\nopened the sty.  And as soon as he opened it, behold she leaped forth,\nand set off with great speed.  And Gwydion followed her, and she went\nagainst the course of a river, and made for a brook, which is now called\nNant y Llew.  And there she halted and began feeding.  And Gwydion came\nunder the tree, and looked what it might be that the sow was feeding on.\nAnd he saw that she was eating putrid flesh and vermin.  Then looked he\nup to the top of the tree, and as he looked he beheld on the top of the\ntree an eagle, and when the eagle shook itself, there fell vermin and\nputrid flesh from off it, and these the sow devoured.  And it seemed to\nhim that the eagle was Llew.  And he sang an Englyn:\u2014\n\n   \u201cOak that grows between the two banks;\n   Darkened is the sky and hill!\n   Shall I not tell him by his wounds,\n   That this is Llew?\u201d\n\nUpon this the eagle came down until he reached the centre of the tree.\nAnd Gwydion sang another Englyn:\u2014\n\n   \u201cOak that grows in upland ground,\n   Is it not wetted by the rain?  Has it not been drenched\n   By nine score tempests?\n   It bears in its branches Llew Llaw Gyffes!\u201d\n\nThen the eagle came down until he was on the lowest branch of the tree,\nand thereupon this Englyn did Gwydion sing:\u2014\n\n   \u201cOak that grows beneath the steep;\n   Stately and majestic is its aspect!\n   Shall I not speak it?\n   That Llew will come to my lap?\u201d\n\nAnd the eagle came down upon Gwydion\u2019s knee.  And Gwydion struck him with\nhis magic wand, so that he returned to his own form.  No one ever saw a\nmore piteous sight, for he was nothing but skin and bone.\n\nThen he went unto Caer Dathyl, and there were brought unto him good\nphysicians that were in Gwynedd, and before the end of the year he was\nquite healed.\n\n\u201cLord,\u201d said he unto Math the son of Mathonwy, \u201cit is full time now that\nI have retribution of him by whom I have suffered all this woe.\u201d\n\u201cTruly,\u201d said Math, \u201che will never be able to maintain himself in the\npossession of that which is thy right.\u201d  \u201cWell,\u201d said Llew, \u201cthe sooner I\nhave my right, the better shall I be pleased.\u201d\n\nThen they called together the whole of Gwynedd, and set forth to Ardudwy.\nAnd Gwydion went on before and proceeded to Mur y Castell.  And when\nBlodeuwedd heard that he was coming, she took her maidens with her, and\nfled to the mountain.  And they passed through the river Cynvael, and\nwent towards a court that there was upon the mountain, and through fear\nthey could not proceed except with their faces looking backwards, so that\nunawares they fell into the lake.  And they were all drowned except\nBlodeuwedd herself, and her Gwydion overtook.  And he said unto her, \u201cI\nwill not slay thee, but I will do unto thee worse than that.  For I will\nturn thee into a bird; and because of the shame thou hast done unto Llew\nLlaw Gyffes, thou shalt never show thy face in the light of day\nhenceforth; and that through fear of all the other birds.  For it shall\nbe their nature to attack thee, and to chase thee from wheresoever they\nmay find thee.  And thou shalt not lose thy name, but shalt be always\ncalled Blodeuwedd.\u201d  Now Blodeuwedd is an owl in the language of this\npresent time, and for this reason is the owl hateful unto all birds.  And\neven now the owl is called Blodeuwedd.\n\nThen Gronw Pebyr withdrew unto Penllyn, and he dispatched thence an\nembassy.  And the messengers he sent asked Llew Llaw Gyffes if he would\ntake land, or domain, or gold, or silver, for the injury he had received.\n\u201cI will not, by my confession to Heaven,\u201d said he.  \u201cBehold this is the\nleast that I will accept from him; that he come to the spot where I was\nwhen he wounded me with the dart, and that I stand where he did, and that\nwith a dart I take my aim at him.  And this is the very least that I will\naccept.\u201d\n\nAnd this was told unto Gronw Pebyr.  \u201cVerily,\u201d said he, \u201cis it needful\nfor me to do thus?  My faithful warriors, and my household, and my\nfoster-brothers, is there not one among you who will stand the blow in my\nstead?\u201d  \u201cThere is not, verily,\u201d answered they.  And because of their\nrefusal to suffer one stroke for their lord, they are called the third\ndisloyal tribe even unto this day.  \u201cWell,\u201d said he, \u201cI will meet it.\u201d\n\nThen they two went forth to the banks of the river Cynvael, and Gronw\nstood in the place where Llew Llaw Gyffes was when he struck him, and\nLlew in the place where Gronw was.  Then said Gronw Pebyr unto Llew,\n\u201cSince it was through the wiles of a woman that I did unto thee as I have\ndone, I adjure thee by Heaven to let me place between me and the blow,\nthe slab thou seest yonder on the river\u2019s bank.\u201d  \u201cVerily,\u201d said Llew, \u201cI\nwill not refuse thee this.\u201d  \u201cAh,\u201d said he, \u201cmay Heaven reward thee.\u201d  So\nGronw took the slab and placed it between him and the blow.\n\nThen Llew flung the dart at him, and it pierced the slab and went through\nGronw likewise, so that it pierced through his back.  And thus was Gronw\nPebyr slain.  And there is still the slab on the bank of the river\nCynvael, in Ardudwy, having the hole through it.  And therefore is it\neven now called Llech Gronw.\n\nA second time did Llew Llaw Gyffes take possession of the land, and\nprosperously did he govern it.  And, as the story relates, he was lord\nafter this over Gwynedd.  And thus ends this portion of the Mabinogi.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DREAM OF MAXEN WLEDIG\n\n\nMaxen Wledig was emperor of Rome, and he was a comelier man, and a better\nand a wiser than any emperor that had been before him.  And one day he\nheld a council of kings, and he said to his friends, \u201cI desire to go\nto-morrow to hunt.\u201d  And the next day in the morning he set forth with\nhis retinue, and came to the valley of the river that flowed towards\nRome.  And he hunted through the valley until mid-day.  And with him also\nwere two-and-thirty crowned kings, that were his vassals; not for the\ndelight of hunting went the emperor with them, but to put himself on\nequal terms with those kings.\n\nAnd the sun was high in the sky over their heads and the heat was great.\nAnd sleep came upon Maxen Wledig.  And his attendants stood and set up\ntheir shields around him upon the shafts of their spears to protect him\nfrom the sun, and they placed a gold enamelled shield under his head; and\nso Maxen slept.\n\nAnd he saw a dream.  And this is the dream that he saw.  He was\njourneying along the valley of the river towards its source; and he came\nto the highest mountain in the world.  And he thought that the mountain\nwas as high as the sky; and when he came over the mountain, it seemed to\nhim that he went through the fairest and most level regions that man ever\nyet beheld, on the other side of the mountain.  And he saw large and\nmighty rivers descending from the mountain to the sea, and towards the\nmouths of the rivers he proceeded.  And as he journeyed thus, he came to\nthe mouth of the largest river ever seen.  And he beheld a great city at\nthe entrance of the river, and a vast castle in the city, and he saw many\nhigh towers of various colours in the castle.  And he saw a fleet at the\nmouth of the river, the largest ever seen.  And he saw one ship among the\nfleet; larger was it by far, and fairer than all the others.  Of such\npart of the ship as he could see above the water, one plank was gilded\nand the other silvered over.  He saw a bridge of the bone of a whale from\nthe ship to the land, and he thought that he went along the bridge, and\ncame into the ship.  And a sail was hoisted on the ship, and along the\nsea and the ocean was it borne.  Then it seemed that he came to the\nfairest island in the whole world, and he traversed the island from sea\nto sea, even to the furthest shore of the island.  Valleys he saw, and\nsteeps, and rocks of wondrous height, and rugged precipices.  Never yet\nsaw he the like.  And thence he beheld an island in the sea, facing this\nrugged land.  And between him and this island was a country of which the\nplain was as large as the sea, the mountain as vast as the wood.  And\nfrom the mountain he saw a river that flowed through the land and fell\ninto the sea.  And at the mouth of the river he beheld a castle, the\nfairest that man ever saw, and the gate of the castle was open, and he\nwent into the castle.  And in the castle he saw a fair hall, of which the\nroof seemed to be all gold, the walls of the hall seemed to be entirely\nof glittering precious gems, the doors all seemed to be of gold.  Golden\nseats he saw in the hall, and silver tables.  And on a seat opposite to\nhim he beheld two auburn-haired youths playing at chess.  He saw a silver\nboard for the chess, and golden pieces thereon.  The garments of the\nyouths were of jet-black satin, and chaplets of ruddy gold bound their\nhair, whereon were sparkling jewels of great price, rubies, and gems,\nalternately with imperial stones.  Buskins of new Cordovan leather on\ntheir feet, fastened by slides of red gold.\n\nAnd beside a pillar in the hall he saw a hoary-headed man, in a chair of\nivory, with the figures of two eagles of ruddy gold thereon.  Bracelets\nof gold were upon his arms, and many rings were on his hands, and a\ngolden torque about his neck; and his hair was bound with a golden\ndiadem.  He was of powerful aspect.  A chessboard of gold was before him,\nand a rod of gold, and a steel file in his hand.  And he was carving out\nchessmen.\n\nAnd he saw a maiden sitting before him in a chair of ruddy gold.  Not\nmore easy than to gaze upon the sun when brightest, was it to look upon\nher by reason of her beauty.  A vest of white silk was upon the maiden,\nwith clasps of red gold at the breast; and a surcoat of gold tissue upon\nher, and a frontlet of red gold upon her head, and rubies and gems were\nin the frontlet, alternating with pearls and imperial stones.  And a\ngirdle of ruddy gold was around her.  She was the fairest sight that man\never beheld.\n\nThe maiden arose from her chair before him, and he threw his arms about\nthe neck of the maiden, and they two sat down together in the chair of\ngold: and the chair was not less roomy for them both, than for the maiden\nalone.  And as he had his arms about the maiden\u2019s neck, and his cheek by\nher cheek, behold, through the chafing of the dogs at their leashing, and\nthe clashing of the shields as they struck against each other, and the\nbeating together of the shafts of the spears, and the neighing of the\nhorses and their prancing, the emperor awoke.\n\nAnd when he awoke, nor spirit nor existence was left him, because of the\nmaiden whom he had seen in his sleep, for the love of the maiden pervaded\nhis whole frame.  Then his household spake unto him.  \u201cLord,\u201d said they,\n\u201cis it not past the time for thee to take thy food?\u201d  Thereupon the\nemperor mounted his palfrey, the saddest man that mortal ever saw, and\nwent forth towards Rome.\n\nAnd thus he was during the space of a week.  When they of the household\nwent to drink wine and mead out of golden vessels, he went not with any\nof them.  When they went to listen to songs and tales, he went not with\nthem there; neither could he be persuaded to do anything but sleep.  And\nas often as he slept, he beheld in his dreams the maiden he loved best;\nbut except when he slept he saw nothing of her, for he knew not where in\nthe world she was.\n\nOne day the page of the chamber spake unto him; now, although he was page\nof the chamber, he was king of the Romans.  \u201cLord,\u201d said he, \u201call the\npeople revile thee.\u201d  \u201cWherefore do they revile me?\u201d asked the emperor.\n\u201cBecause they can get neither message nor answer from thee as men should\nhave from their lord.  This is the cause why thou art spoken evil of.\u201d\n\u201cYouth,\u201d said the emperor, \u201cdo thou bring unto me the wise men of Rome,\nand I will tell them wherefore I am sorrowful.\u201d\n\nThen the wise men of Rome were brought to the emperor, and he spake to\nthem.  \u201cSages of Rome,\u201d said he, \u201cI have seen a dream.  And in the dream\nI beheld a maiden, and because of the maiden is there neither life, nor\nspirit, nor existence within me.\u201d  \u201cLord,\u201d they answered, \u201csince thou\njudgest us worthy to counsel thee, we will give thee counsel.  And this\nis our counsel; that thou send messengers for three years to the three\nparts of the world to seek for thy dream.  And as thou knowest not what\nday or what night good news may come to thee, the hope thereof will\nsupport thee.\u201d\n\nSo the messengers journeyed for the space of a year, wandering about the\nworld, and seeking tidings concerning his dream.  But when they came back\nat the end of the year, they knew not one word more than they did the day\nthey set forth.  And then was the emperor exceeding sorrowful, for he\nthought that he should never have tidings of her whom best he loved.\n\nThen spoke the king of the Romans unto the emperor.  \u201cLord,\u201d said he, \u201cgo\nforth to hunt by the way thou didst seem to go, whether it were to the\neast, or to the west.\u201d  So the emperor went forth to the hunt, and he\ncame to the bank of the river.  \u201cBehold,\u201d said he, \u201cthis is where I was\nwhen I saw the dream, and I went towards the source of the river\nwestward.\u201d\n\nAnd thereupon thirteen messengers of the emperor\u2019s set forth, and before\nthem they saw a high mountain, which seemed to them to touch the sky.\nNow this was the guise in which the messengers journeyed; one sleeve was\non the cap of each of them in front, as a sign that they were messengers,\nin order that through what hostile land soever they might pass no harm\nmight be done them.  And when they were come over this mountain, they\nbeheld vast plains, and large rivers flowing there through.\n\n\u201cBehold,\u201d said they, \u201cthe land which our master saw.\u201d\n\nAnd they went along the mouths of the rivers, until they came to the\nmighty river which they saw flowing to the sea, and the vast city, and\nthe many-coloured high towers in the castle.  They saw the largest fleet\nin the world, in the harbour of the river, and one ship that was larger\nthan any of the others.  \u201cBehold again,\u201d said they, \u201cthe dream that our\nmaster saw.\u201d  And in the great ship they crossed the sea, and came to the\nIsland of Britain.  And they traversed the island until they came to\nSnowdon.  \u201cBehold,\u201d said they, \u201cthe rugged land that our master saw.\u201d\nAnd they went forward until they saw Anglesey before them, and until they\nsaw Arvon likewise.  \u201cBehold,\u201d said they, \u201cthe land our master saw in his\nsleep.\u201d  And they saw Aber Sain, and a castle at the mouth of the river.\nThe portal of the castle saw they open, and into the castle they went,\nand they saw a hall in the castle.  Then said they, \u201cBehold, the hall\nwhich he saw in his sleep.\u201d  They went into the hall, and they beheld two\nyouths playing at chess on the golden bench.  And they beheld the\nhoary-headed man beside the pillar, in the ivory chair, carving chessmen.\nAnd they beheld the maiden sitting on a chair of ruddy gold.\n\nThe messengers bent down upon their knees.  \u201cEmpress of Rome, all hail!\u201d\n\u201cHa, gentles,\u201d said the maiden, \u201cye bear the seeming of honourable men,\nand the badge of envoys, what mockery is this ye do to me?\u201d  \u201cWe mock\nthee not, lady; but the Emperor of Rome hath seen thee in his sleep, and\nhe has neither life nor spirit left because of thee.  Thou shalt have of\nus therefore the choice, lady, whether thou wilt go with us and be made\nempress of Rome, or that the emperor come hither and take thee for his\nwife?\u201d  \u201cHa, lords,\u201d said the maiden, \u201cI will not deny what ye say,\nneither will I believe it too well.  If the emperor love me, let him come\nhere to seek me.\u201d\n\nAnd by day and night the messengers hied them back.  And when their\nhorses failed, they bought other fresh ones.  And when they came to Rome,\nthey saluted the emperor, and asked their boon, which was given to them\naccording as they named it.  \u201cWe will be thy guides, lord,\u201d said they,\n\u201cover sea and over land, to the place where is the woman whom best thou\nlovest, for we know her name, and her kindred, and her race.\u201d\n\nAnd immediately the emperor set forth with his army.  And these men were\nhis guides.  Towards the Island of Britain they went over the sea and the\ndeep.  And he conquered the Island from Beli the son of Manogan, and his\nsons, and drove them to the sea, and went forward even unto Arvon.  And\nthe emperor knew the land when he saw it.  And when he beheld the castle\nof Aber Sain, \u201cLook yonder,\u201d said he, \u201cthere is the castle wherein I saw\nthe damsel whom I best love.\u201d  And he went forward into the castle and\ninto the hall, and there he saw Kynan the son of Eudav, and Adeon the son\nof Eudav, playing at chess.  And he saw Eudav the son of Caradawc,\nsitting on a chair of ivory carving chessmen.  And the maiden whom he had\nbeheld in his sleep, he saw sitting on a chair of gold.  \u201cEmpress of\nRome,\u201d said he, \u201call hail!\u201d  And the emperor threw his arms about her\nneck; and that night she became his bride.\n\nAnd the next day in the morning, the damsel asked her maiden portion.\nAnd he told her to name what she would.  And she asked to have the Island\nof Britain for her father, from the Channel to the Irish Sea, together\nwith the three adjacent Islands, to hold under the empress of Rome; and\nto have three chief castles made for her, in whatever places she might\nchoose in the Island of Britain.  And she chose to have the highest\ncastle made at Arvon.  And they brought thither earth from Rome that it\nmight be more healthful for the emperor to sleep, and sit, and walk upon.\nAfter that the two other castles were made for her, which were Caerlleon\nand Caermarthen.\n\nAnd one day the emperor went to hunt at Caermarthen, and he came so far\nas the top of Brevi Vawr, and there the emperor pitched his tent.  And\nthat encamping place is called Cadeir Maxen, even to this day.  And\nbecause that he built the castle with a myriad of men, he called it\nCaervyrddin.  Then Helen bethought her to make high roads from one castle\nto another throughout the Island of Britain.  And the roads were made.\nAnd for this cause are they called the roads of Helen Luyddawc, that she\nwas sprung from a native of this island, and the men of the Island of\nBritain would not have made these great roads for any save for her.\n\nSeven years did the emperor tarry in this Island.  Now, at that time, the\nmen of Rome had a custom, that whatsoever emperor should remain in other\nlands more than seven years should remain to his own overthrow, and\nshould never return to Rome again.\n\nSo they made a new emperor.  And this one wrote a letter of threat to\nMaxen.  There was nought in the letter but only this.  \u201cIf thou comest,\nand if thou ever comest to Rome.\u201d  And even unto Caerlleon came this\nletter to Maxen, and these tidings.  Then sent he a letter to the man who\nstyled himself emperor in Rome.  There was nought in that letter also but\nonly this.  \u201cIf I come to Rome, and if I come.\u201d\n\nAnd thereupon Maxen set forth towards Rome with his army, and vanquished\nFrance and Bugundy, and every land on the way, and sat down before the\ncity of Rome.\n\nA year was the emperor before the city, and he was no nearer taking it\nthan the first day.  And after him there came the brothers of Helen\nLuyddawc from the Island of Britain, and a small host with them, and\nbetter warriors were in that small host than twice as many Romans.  And\nthe emperor was told that a host was seen, halting close to his army and\nencamping, and no man ever saw a fairer or better appointed host for its\nsize, nor more handsome standards.\n\nAnd Helen went to see the hosts, and she knew the standards of her\nbrothers.  Then came Kynan the son of Eudav, and Adeon the son of Eudav,\nto meet the emperor.  And the emperor was glad because of them, and\nembraced them.\n\nThen they looked at the Romans as they attacked the city.  Said Kynan to\nhis brother, \u201cWe will try to attack the city more expertly than this.\u201d\nSo they measured by night the height of the wall, and they sent their\ncarpenters to the wood, and a ladder was made for every four men of their\nnumber.  Now when these were ready, every day at mid-day the emperors\nwent to meat, and they ceased to fight on both sides till all had\nfinished eating.  And in the morning the men of Britain took their food\nand they drank until they were invigorated.  And while the two emperors\nwere at meat, the Britons came to the city, and placed their ladders\nagainst it, and forthwith they came in through the city.\n\nThe new emperor had no time to arm himself when they fell upon him, and\nslew him, and many others with him.  And three nights and three days were\nthey subduing the men that were in the city and taking the castle.  And\nothers of them kept the city, lest any of the host of Maxen should come\ntherein, until they had subjected all to their will.\n\nThen spake Maxen to Helen Luyddawc.  \u201cI marvel, lady,\u201d said he, \u201cthat thy\nbrothers have not conquered this city for me.\u201d  \u201cLord, emperor,\u201d she\nanswered, \u201cthe wisest youths in the world are my brothers.  Go thou\nthither and ask the city of them, and if it be in their possession thou\nshalt have it gladly.\u201d  So the emperor and Helen went and demanded the\ncity.  And they told the emperor that none had taken the city, and that\nnone could give it him, but the men of the Island of Britain.  Then the\ngates of the city of Rome were opened, and the emperor sat on the throne,\nand all the men of Rome submitted them selves unto him.\n\nThe emperor then said unto Kynan and Adeon, \u201cLords,\u201d said he, \u201cI have now\nhad possession of the whole of my empire.  This host give I unto you to\nvanquish whatever region ye may desire in the world.\u201d\n\nSo they set forth and conquered lands, and castles, and cities.  And they\nslew all the men, but the women they kept alive.  And thus they continued\nuntil the young men that had come with them were grown grey-headed, from\nthe length of time they were upon this conquest.\n\nThen spoke Kynan unto Adeon his brother, \u201cWhether wilt thou rather,\u201d said\nhe, \u201ctarry in this land, or go back into the land whence thou didst come\nforth?\u201d  Now he chose to go back to his own land, and many with him.  But\nKynan tarried there with the other part and dwelt there.\n\nAnd they took counsel and cut out the tongues of the women, lest they\nshould corrupt their speech.  And because of the silence of the women\nfrom their own speech, the men of Armorica are called Britons.  From that\ntime there came frequently, and still comes, that language from the\nIsland of Britain.\n\nAnd this dream is called the Dream of Maxen Wledig, emperor of Rome.  And\nhere it ends.\n\n\n\n\nHERE IS THE STORY OF LLUDD AND LLEVELYS\n\n\nBeli the Great, the son of Manogan, had three sons, Lludd, and\nCaswallawn, and Nynyaw; and according to the story he had a fourth son\ncalled Llevelys.  And after the death of Beli, the kingdom of the Island\nof Britain fell into the hands of Lludd his eldest son; and Lludd ruled\nprosperously, and rebuilt the walls of London, and encompassed it about\nwith numberless towers.  And after that he bade the citizens build houses\ntherein, such as no houses in the kingdoms could equal.  And moreover he\nwas a mighty warrior, and generous and liberal in giving meat and drink\nto all that sought them.  And though he had many castles and cities this\none loved he more than any.  And he dwelt therein most part of the year,\nand therefore was it called Caer Lludd, and at last Caer London.  And\nafter the stranger-race came there, it was called London, or Lwndrys.\n\nLludd loved Llevelys best of all his brothers, because he was a wise and\ndiscreet man.  Having heard that the king of France had died, leaving no\nheir except a daughter, and that he had left all his possessions in her\nhands, he came to Lludd his brother, to beseech his counsel and aid.  And\nthat not so much for his own welfare, as to seek to add to the glory and\nhonour and dignity of his kindred, if he might go to France to woo the\nmaiden for his wife.  And forthwith his brother conferred with him, and\nthis counsel was pleasing unto him.\n\nSo he prepared ships and filled them with armed knights, and set forth\ntowards France.  And as soon as they had landed, they sent messengers to\nshow the nobles of France the cause of the embassy.  And by the joint\ncounsel of the nobles of France and of the princes, the maiden was given\nto Llevelys, and the crown of the kingdom with her.  And thenceforth he\nruled the land discreetly, and wisely, and happily, as long as his life\nlasted.\n\nAfter a space of time had passed, three plagues fell on the Island of\nBritain, such as none in the islands had ever seen the like of.  The\nfirst was a certain race that came, and was called the Coranians; and so\ngreat was their knowledge, that there was no discourse upon the face of\nthe Island, however low it might be spoken, but what, if the wind met it,\nit was known to them.  And through this they could not be injured. {4}\n\nThe second plague was a shriek which came on every May-eve, over every\nhearth in the Island of Britain.  And this went through people\u2019s hearts,\nand so scared them, that the men lost their hue and their strength, and\nthe women their children, and the young men and the maidens lost their\nsenses, and all the animals and trees and the earth and the waters, were\nleft barren.\n\nThe third plague was, that however much of provisions and food might be\nprepared in the king\u2019s courts, were there even so much as a year\u2019s\nprovision of meat and drink, none of it could ever be found, except what\nwas consumed in the first night.  And two of these plagues, no one ever\nknew their cause, therefore was there better hope of being freed from the\nfirst than from the second and third.\n\nAnd thereupon King Lludd felt great sorrow and care, because that he knew\nnot how he might be freed from these plagues.  And he called to him all\nthe nobles of his kingdom, and asked counsel of them what they should do\nagainst these afflictions.  And by the common counsel of the nobles,\nLludd the son of Beli went to Llevelys his brother, king of France, for\nhe was a man great of counsel and wisdom, to seek his advice.\n\nAnd they made ready a fleet, and that in secret and in silence, lest that\nrace should know the cause of their errand, or any besides the king and\nhis counsellors.  And when they were made ready, they went into their\nships, Lludd and those whom he chose with him.  And they began to cleave\nthe seas towards France.\n\nAnd when these tidings came to Llevelys, seeing that he knew not the\ncause of his brother\u2019s ships, he came on the other side to meet him, and\nwith him was a fleet vast of size.  And when Lludd saw this, he left all\nthe ships out upon the sea except one only; and in that one he came to\nmeet his brother, and he likewise with a single ship came to meet him.\nAnd when they were come together, each put his arms about the other\u2019s\nneck, and they welcomed each other with brotherly love.\n\nAfter that Lludd had shown his brother the cause of his errand, Llevelys\nsaid that he himself knew the cause of the coming to those lands.  And\nthey took counsel together to discourse on the matter otherwise than\nthus, in order that the wind might not catch their words, nor the\nCoranians know what they might say.  Then Llevelys caused a long horn to\nbe made of brass, and through this horn they discoursed.  But whatsoever\nwords they spoke through this horn, one to the other, neither of them\ncould hear any other but harsh and hostile words.  And when Llevelys saw\nthis, and that there was a demon thwarting them and disturbing through\nthis horn, he caused wine to be put therein to wash it.  And through the\nvirtue of the wine the demon was driven out of the horn.  And when their\ndiscourse was unobstructed, Llevelys told his brother that he would give\nhim some insects whereof he should keep some to breed, lest by chance the\nlike affliction might come a second time.  And other of these insects he\nshould take and bruise in water.  And he assured him that it would have\npower to destroy the race of the Coranians.  That is to say, that when he\ncame home to his kingdom he should call together all the people both of\nhis own race and of the race of the Coranians for a conference, as though\nwith the intent of making peace between them; and that when they were all\ntogether, he should take this charmed water, and cast it over all alike.\nAnd he assured him that the water would poison the race of the Coranians,\nbut that it would not slay or harm those of his own race.\n\n\u201cAnd the second plague,\u201d said he, \u201cthat is in thy dominion, behold it is\na dragon.  And another dragon of a foreign race is fighting with it, and\nstriving to overcome it.  And therefore does your dragon make a fearful\noutcry.  And on this wise mayest thou come to know this.  After thou hast\nreturned home, cause the Island to be measured in its length and breadth,\nand in the place where thou dost find the exact central point, there\ncause a pit to be dug, and cause a cauldron full of the best mead that\ncan be made to be put in the pit, with a covering of satin over the face\nof the cauldron.  And then, in thine own person do thou remain there\nwatching, and thou wilt see the dragon fighting in the form of terrific\nanimals.  And at length they will take the form of dragons in the air.\nAnd last of all, after wearying themselves with fierce and furious\nfighting, they will fall in the form of two pigs upon the covering, and\nthey will sink in, and the covering with them, and they will draw it down\nto the very bottom of the cauldron.  And they will drink up the whole of\nthe mead; and after that they will sleep.  Thereupon do thou immediately\nfold the covering around them, and bury them in a kistvaen, in the\nstrongest place thou hast in thy dominions, and hide them in the earth.\nAnd as long as they shall bide in that strong place no plague shall come\nto the Island of Britain from elsewhere.\n\n\u201cThe cause of the third plague,\u201d said he, \u201cis a mighty man of magic, who\ntake thy meat and thy drink and thy store.  And he through illusions and\ncharms causes every one to sleep.  Therefore it is needful for thee in\nthy own person to watch thy food and thy provisions.  And lest he should\novercome thee with sleep, be there a cauldron of cold water by thy side,\nand when thou art oppressed with sleep, plunge into the cauldron.\u201d\n\nThen Lludd returned back unto his land.  And immediately he summoned to\nhim the whole of his own race and of the Coranians.  And as Llevelys had\ntaught him, he bruised the insects in water, the which he cast over them\nall together, and forthwith it destroyed the whole tribe of the\nCoranians, without hurt to any of the Britons.\n\nAnd some time after this, Lludd caused the Island to be measured in its\nlength and in its breadth.  And in Oxford he found the central point, and\nin that place he caused the earth to be dug, and in that pit a cauldron\nto be set, full of the best mead that could be made, and a covering of\nsatin over the face of it.  And he himself watched that night.  And while\nhe was there, he beheld the dragons fighting.  And when they were weary\nthey fell, and came down upon the top of the satin, and drew it with them\nto the bottom of the cauldron.  And when they had drunk the mead they\nslept.  And in their sleep, Lludd folded the covering around them, and in\nthe securest place he had in Snowdon, he hid them in a kistvaen.  Now\nafter that this spot was called Dinas Emreis, but before that, Dinas\nFfaraon.  And thus the fierce outcry ceased in his dominions.\n\nAnd when this was ended, King Lludd caused an exceeding great banquet to\nbe prepared.  And when it was ready, he placed a vessel of cold water by\nhis side, and he in his own proper person watched it.  And as he abode\nthus clad with arms, about the third watch of the night, lo, he heard\nmany surpassing fascinations and various songs.  And drowsiness urged him\nto sleep.  Upon this, lest he should be hindered from his purpose and be\novercome by sleep, he went often into the water.  And at last, behold, a\nman of vast size, clad in strong, heavy armour, came in, bearing a\nhamper.  And, as he was wont, he put all the food and provisions of meat\nand drink into the hamper, and proceeded to go with it forth.  And\nnothing was ever more wonderful to Lludd, than that the hamper should\nhold so much.\n\nAnd thereupon King Lludd went after him and spoke unto him thus.  \u201cStop,\nstop,\u201d said he, \u201cthough thou hast done many insults and much spoil\nerewhile, thou shalt not do so any more, unless thy skill in arms and thy\nprowess be greater than mine.\u201d\n\nThen he instantly put down the hamper on the floor, and awaited him.  And\na fierce encounter was between them, so that the glittering fire flew out\nfrom their arms.  And at the last Lludd grappled with him, and fate\nbestowed the victory on Lludd.  And he threw the plague to the earth.\nAnd after he had overcome him by strength and might, he besought his\nmercy.  \u201cHow can I grant thee mercy,\u201d said the king, \u201cafter all the many\ninjuries and wrongs that thou hast done me?\u201d  \u201cAll the losses that ever I\nhave caused thee,\u201d said he, \u201cI will make thee atonement for, equal to\nwhat I have taken.  And I will never do the like from this time forth.\nBut thy faithful vassal will I be.\u201d  And the king accepted this from him.\n\nAnd thus Lludd freed the Island of Britain from the three plagues.  And\nfrom thenceforth until the end of his life, in prosperous peace did Lludd\nthe son of Beli rule the Island of Britain.  And this Tale is called the\nStory of Lludd and Llevelys.  And thus it ends.\n\n\n\n\nTALIESIN\n\n\nIn times past there lived in Penllyn a man of gentle lineage, named Tegid\nVoel, and his dwelling was in the midst of the lake Tegid, and his wife\nwas called Caridwen.  And there was born to him of his wife a son named\nMorvran ab Tegid, and also a daughter named Creirwy, the fairest maiden\nin the world was she; and they had a brother, the most ill-favoured man\nin the world, Avagddu.  Now Caridwen his mother thought that he was not\nlikely to be admitted among men of noble birth, by reason of his\nugliness, unless he had some exalted merits or knowledge.  For it was in\nthe beginning of Arthur\u2019s time and of the Round Table.\n\nSo she resolved, according to the arts of the books of the Fferyllt, to\nboil a cauldron of Inspiration and Science for her son, that his\nreception might be honourable because of his knowledge of the mysteries\nof the future state of the world.\n\nThen she began to boil the cauldron, which from the beginning of its\nboiling might not cease to boil for a year and a day, until three blessed\ndrops were obtained of the grace of Inspiration.\n\nAnd she put Gwion Bach the son of Gwreang of Llanfair in Caereinion, in\nPowys, to stir the cauldron, and a blind man named Morda to kindle the\nfire beneath it, and she charged them that they should not suffer it to\ncease boiling for the space of a year and a day.  And she herself,\naccording to the books of the astronomers, and in planetary hours,\ngathered every day of all charm-bearing herbs.  And one day, towards the\nend of the year, as Caridwen was culling plants and making incantations,\nit chanced that three drops of the charmed liquor flew out of the\ncauldron and fell upon the finger of Gwion Bach.  And by reason of their\ngreat heat he put his finger to his mouth, and the instant he put those\nmarvel-working drops into his mouth, he foresaw everything that was to\ncome, and perceived that his chief care must be to guard against the\nwiles of Caridwen, for vast was her skill.  And in very great fear he\nfled towards his own land.  And the cauldron burst in two, because all\nthe liquor within it except the three charm-bearing drops was poisonous,\nso that the horses of Gwyddno Garanhir were poisoned by the water of the\nstream into which the liquor of the cauldron ran, and the confluence of\nthat stream was called the Poison of the Horses of Gwyddno from that time\nforth.\n\nThereupon came in Caridwen and saw all the toil of the whole year lost.\nAnd she seized a billet of wood and struck the blind Morda on the head\nuntil one of his eyes fell out upon his cheek.  And he said, \u201cWrongfully\nhast thou disfigured me, for I am innocent.  Thy loss was not because of\nme.\u201d  \u201cThou speakest truth,\u201d said Caridwen, \u201cit was Gwion Bach who robbed\nme.\u201d\n\nAnd she went forth after him, running.  And he saw her, and changed\nhimself into a hare and fled.  But she changed herself into a greyhound\nand turned him.  And he ran towards a river, and became a fish.  And she\nin the form of an otter-bitch chased him under the water, until he was\nfain to turn himself into a bird of the air.  She, as a hawk, followed\nhim and gave him no rest in the sky.  And just as she was about to stoop\nupon him, and he was in fear of death, he espied a heap of winnowed wheat\non the floor of a barn, and he dropped among the wheat, and turned\nhimself into one of the grains.  Then she transformed herself into a\nhigh-crested black hen, and went to the wheat and scratched it with her\nfeet, and found him out and swallowed him.  And, as the story says, she\nbore him nine months, and when she was delivered of him, she could not\nfind it in her heart to kill him, by reason of his beauty.  So she\nwrapped him in a leathern bag, and cast him into the sea to the mercy of\nGod, on the twenty-ninth day of April.\n\nAnd at that time the weir of Gwyddno was on the strand between Dyvi and\nAberystwyth, near to his own castle, and the value of an hundred pounds\nwas taken in that weir every May eve.  And in those days Gwyddno had an\nonly son named Elphin, the most hapless of youths, and the most needy.\nAnd it grieved his father sore, for he thought that he was born in an\nevil hour.  And by the advice of his council, his father had granted him\nthe drawing of the weir that year, to see if good luck would ever befall\nhim, and to give him something wherewith to begin the world.\n\nAnd the next day when Elphin went to look, there was nothing in the weir.\nBut as he turned back he perceived the leathern bag upon a pole of the\nweir.  Then said one of the weir-ward unto Elphin, \u201cThou wast never\nunlucky until to-night, and now thou hast destroyed the virtues of the\nweir, which always yielded the value of an hundred pounds every May eve,\nand to-night there is nothing but this leathern skin within it.\u201d  \u201cHow\nnow,\u201d said Elphin, \u201cthere may be therein the value of an hundred pounds.\u201d\nWell, they took up the leathern bag, and he who opened it saw the\nforehead of the boy, and said to Elphin, \u201cBehold a radiant brow!\u201d {6}\n\u201cTaliesin be he called,\u201d said Elphin.  And he lifted the boy in his arms,\nand lamenting his mischance, he placed him sorrowfully behind him.  And\nhe made his horse amble gently, that before had been trotting, and he\ncarried him as softly as if he had been sitting in the easiest chair in\nthe world.  And presently the boy made a Consolation and praise to\nElphin, and foretold honour to Elphin; and the Consolation was as you may\nsee:\u2014\n\n   \u201cFair Elphin, cease to lament!\n   Let no one be dissatisfied with his own,\n   To despair will bring no advantage.\n   No man sees what supports him;\n   The prayer of Cynllo will not be in vain;\n   God will not violate his promise.\n   Never in Gwyddno\u2019s weir\n   Was there such good luck as this night.\n   Fair Elphin, dry thy cheeks!\n   Being too sad will not avail.\n   Although thou thinkest thou hast no gain,\n   Too much grief will bring thee no good;\n   Nor doubt the miracles of the Almighty:\n   Although I am but little, I am highly gifted.\n   From seas, and from mountains,\n   And from the depths of rivers,\n   God brings wealth to the fortunate man.\n   Elphin of lively qualities,\n   Thy resolution is unmanly;\n   Thou must not be over sorrowful:\n   Better to trust in God than to forbode ill.\n   Weak and small as I am,\n   On the foaming beach of the ocean,\n   In the day of trouble I shall be\n   Of more service to thee than three hundred salmon.\n   Elphin of notable qualities,\n   Be not displeased at thy misfortune;\n   Although reclined thus weak in my bag,\n   There lies a virtue in my tongue.\n   While I continue thy protector\n   Thou hast not much to fear;\n   Remembering the names of the Trinity,\n   None shall be able to harm thee.\u201d\n\nAnd this was the first poem that Taliesin ever sang, being to console\nElphin in his grief for that the produce of the weir was lost, and, what\nwas worse, that all the world would consider that it was through his\nfault and ill-luck.  And then Gwyddno Garanhir {7} asked him what he was,\nwhether man or spirit.  Whereupon he sang this tale, and said:\u2014\n\n   \u201cFirst, I have been formed a comely person,\n   In the court of Caridwen I have done penance;\n   Though little I was seen, placidly received,\n   I was great on the floor of the place to where I was led;\n   I have been a prized defence, the sweet muse the cause,\n   And by law without speech I have been liberated\n   By a smiling black old hag, when irritated\n   Dreadful her claim when pursued:\n   I have fled with vigour, I have fled as a frog,\n   I have fled in the semblance of a crow, scarcely finding rest;\n   I have fled vehemently, I have fled as a chain,\n   I have fled as a roe into an entangled thicket;\n   I have fled as a wolf cub, I have fled as a wolf in a wilderness,\n   I have fled as a thrush of portending language;\n   I have fled as a fox, used to concurrent bounds of quirks;\n   I have fled as a martin, which did not avail;\n   I have fled as a squirrel, that vainly hides,\n   I have fled as a stag\u2019s antler, of ruddy course,\n   I have fled as iron in a glowing fire,\n   I have fled as a spear-head, of woe to such as has a wish for it;\n   I have fled as a fierce hull bitterly fighting,\n   I have fled as a bristly boar seen in a ravine,\n   I have fled as a white grain of pure wheat,\n   On the skirt of a hempen sheet entangled,\n   That seemed of the size of a mare\u2019s foal,\n   That is filling like a ship on the waters;\n   Into a dark leathern bag I was thrown,\n   And on a boundless sea I was sent adrift;\n   Which was to me an omen of being tenderly nursed,\n   And the Lord God then set me at liberty.\u201d\n\nThen came Elphin to the house or court of Gwyddno his father, and\nTaliesin with him.  And Gwyddno asked him if he had had a good haul at\nthe weir, and he told him that he had got that which was better than\nfish.  \u201cWhat was that?\u201d said Gwyddno.  \u201cA Bard,\u201d answered Elphin.  Then\nsaid Gwyddno, \u201cAlas, what will he profit thee?\u201d  And Taliesin himself\nreplied and said, \u201cHe will profit him more than the weir ever profited\nthee.\u201d  Asked Gwyddno, \u201cArt thou able to speak, and thou so little?\u201d  And\nTaliesin answered him, \u201cI am better able to speak than thou to question\nme.\u201d  \u201cLet me hear what thou canst say,\u201d quoth Gwyddno.  Then Taliesin\nsang:\u2014\n\n   \u201cIn water there is a quality endowed with a blessing;\n   On God it is most just to meditate aright;\n   To God it is proper to supplicate with seriousness,\n   Since no obstacle can there be to obtain a reward from him.\n   Three times have I been born, I know by meditation;\n   It were miserable for a person not to come and obtain\n   All the sciences of the world, collected together in my breast,\n   For I know what has been, what in future will occur.\n   I will supplicate my Lord that I get refuge in him,\n   A regard I may obtain in his grace;\n   The Son of Mary is my trust, great in him is my delight,\n   For in him is the world continually upholden.\n   God has been to instruct me and to raise my expectation,\n   The true Creator of heaven, who affords me protection;\n   It is rightly intended that the saints should daily pray,\n   For God, the renovator, will bring them to him.\u201d\n\nAnd forthwith Elphin gave his haul to his wife, and she nursed him\ntenderly and lovingly.  Thenceforward Elphin increased in riches more and\nmore day after day, and in love and favour with the king, and there abode\nTaliesin until he was thirteen years old, when Elphin son of Gwyddno went\nby a Christmas invitation to his uncle, Maelgwn Gwynedd, who some time\nafter this held open court at Christmastide in the castle of Dyganwy, for\nall the number of his lords of both degrees, both spiritual and temporal,\nwith a vast and thronged host of knights and squires.  And amongst them\nthere arose a discourse and discussion.  And thus was it said.\n\n\u201cIs there in the whole world a king so great as Maelgwn, or one on whom\nHeaven has bestowed so many spiritual gifts as upon him?  First, form,\nand beauty, and meekness, and strength, besides all the powers of the\nsoul!\u201d  And together with these they said that Heaven had given one gift\nthat exceeded all the others, which was the beauty, and comeliness, and\ngrace, and wisdom, and modesty of his queen; whose virtues surpassed\nthose of all the ladies and noble maidens throughout the whole kingdom.\nAnd with this they put questions one to another amongst themselves: Who\nhad braver men?  Who had fairer or swifter horses or greyhounds?  Who had\nmore skilful or wiser bards\u2014than Maelgwn?\n\nNow at that time the bards were in great favour with the exalted of the\nkingdom; and then none performed the office of those who are now called\nheralds, unless they were learned men, not only expert in the service of\nkings and princes, but studious and well versed in the lineage, and arms,\nand exploits of princes and kings, and in discussions concerning foreign\nkingdoms, and the ancient things of this kingdom, and chiefly in the\nannals of the first nobles; and also were prepared always with their\nanswers in various languages, Latin, French, Welsh, and English.  And\ntogether with this they were great chroniclers, and recorders, and\nskilful in framing verses, and ready in making englyns in every one of\nthose languages.  Now of these there were at that feast within the palace\nof Maelgwn as many as four-and-twenty, and chief of them all was one\nnamed Heinin Vardd.\n\nWhen they had all made an end of thus praising the king and his gifts, it\nbefell that Elphin spoke in this wise.  \u201cOf a truth none but a king may\nvie with a king; but were he not a king, I would say that my wife was as\nvirtuous as any lady in the kingdom, and also that I have a bard who is\nmore skilful than all the king\u2019s bards.\u201d  In a short space some of his\nfellows showed the king all the boastings of Elphin; and the king ordered\nhim to be thrown into a strong prison, until he might know the truth as\nto the virtues of his wife, and the wisdom of his bard.\n\nNow when Elphin had been put in a tower of the castle, with a thick chain\nabout his feet (it is said that it was a silver chain, because he was of\nroyal blood), the king, as the story relates, sent his son Rhun to\ninquire into the demeanour of Elphin\u2019s wife.  Now Rhun was the most\ngraceless man in the world, and there was neither wife nor maiden with\nwhom he had held converse, but was evil spoken of.  While Rhun went in\nhaste towards Elphin\u2019s dwelling, being fully minded to bring disgrace\nupon his wife, Taliesin told his mistress how that the king had placed\nhis master in durance in prison, and how that Rhun was coming in haste to\nstrive to bring disgrace upon her.  Wherefore he caused his mistress to\narray one of the maids of her kitchen in her apparel; which the noble\nlady gladly did; and she loaded her hands with the best rings that she\nand her husband possessed.\n\nIn this guise Taliesin caused his mistress to put the maiden to sit at\nthe board in her room at supper, and he made her to seem as her mistress,\nand the mistress to seem as the maid.  And when they were in due time\nseated at their supper in the manner that has been said, Rhun suddenly\narrived at Elphin\u2019s dwelling, and was received with joy, for all the\nservants knew him plainly; and they brought him in haste to the room of\ntheir mistress, in the semblance of whom the maid rose up from supper and\nwelcomed him gladly.  And afterwards she sat down to supper again the\nsecond time, and Rhun with her.  Then Rhun began jesting with the maid,\nwho still kept the semblance of her mistress.  And verily this story\nshows that the maiden became so intoxicated, that she fell asleep; and\nthe story relates that it was a powder that Rhun put into the drink, that\nmade her sleep so soundly that she never felt it when he cut from off her\nhand her little finger, whereupon was the signet ring of Elphin, which he\nhad sent to his wife as a token, a short time before.  And Rhun returned\nto the king with the finger and the ring as a proof, to show that he had\ncut it from off her hand, without her awaking from her sleep of\nintemperance.\n\nThe king rejoiced greatly at these tidings, and he sent for his\ncouncillors, to whom he told the whole story from the beginning.  And he\ncaused Elphin to be brought out of his prison, and he chided him because\nof his boast.  And he spake unto Elphin on this wise.  \u201cElphin, be it\nknown to thee beyond a doubt that it is but folly for a man to trust in\nthe virtues of his wife further than he can see her; and that thou mayest\nbe certain of thy wife\u2019s vileness, behold her finger, with thy signet\nring upon it, which was cut from her hand last night, while she slept the\nsleep of intoxication.\u201d  Then thus spake Elphin.  \u201cWith thy leave, mighty\nking, I cannot deny my ring, for it is known of many; but verily I assert\nstrongly that the finger around which it is, was never attached to the\nhand of my wife, for in truth and certainty there are three notable\nthings pertaining to it, none of which ever belonged to any of my wife\u2019s\nfingers.  The first of the three is, that it is certain, by your grace\u2019s\nleave, that wheresoever my wife is at this present hour, whether sitting,\nor standing, or lying down, this ring would never remain upon her thumb,\nwhereas you can plainly see that it was hard to draw it over the joint of\nthe little finger of the hand whence this was cut; the second thing is,\nthat my wife has never let pass one Saturday since I have known her\nwithout paring her nails before going to bed, and you can see fully that\nthe nail of this little finger has not been pared for a month.  The third\nis, truly, that the hand whence this finger came was kneading rye dough\nwithin three days before the finger was cut therefrom, and I can assure\nyour goodness that my wife has never kneaded rye dough since my wife she\nhas been.\u201d\n\nThen the king was mightily wroth with Elphin for so stoutly withstanding\nhim, respecting the goodness of his wife, wherefore he ordered him to his\nprison a second time, saying that he should not be loosed thence until he\nhad proved the truth of his boast, as well concerning the wisdom of his\nbard as the virtues of his wife.\n\nIn the meantime his wife and Taliesin remained joyful at Elphin\u2019s\ndwelling.  And Taliesin showed his mistress how that Elphin was in prison\nbecause of them, but he bade her be glad, for that he would go to\nMaelgwn\u2019s court to free his master.  Then she asked him in what manner he\nwould set him free.  And he answered her:\u2014\n\n   \u201cA journey will I perform,\n   And to the gate I will come;\n   The hall I will enter,\n   And my song I will sing;\n   My speech I will pronounce\n   To silence royal bards,\n   In presence of their chief,\n   I will greet to deride,\n   Upon them I will break\n   And Elphin I will free.\n   Should contention arise,\n   In presence of the prince,\n   With summons to the bards,\n   For the sweet flowing song,\n   And wizards\u2019 posing lore\n   And wisdom of Druids,\n   In the court of the sons of the Distributor\n   Some are who did appear\n   Intent on wily schemes,\n   By craft and tricking means,\n   In pangs of affliction\n   To wrong the innocent,\n   Let the fools be silent,\n   As erst in Badon\u2019s fight,\u2014\n   With Arthur of liberal ones\n   The head, with long red blades;\n   Through feats of testy men,\n   And a chief with his foes.\n   Woe be to them, the fools,\n   When revenge comes on them.\n   I Taliesin, chief of bards,\n   With a sapient Druid\u2019s words,\n   Will set kind Elphin free\n   From haughty tyrant\u2019s bonds.\n   To their fell and chilling cry,\n   By the act of a surprising steed,\n   From the far distant North,\n   There soon shall be an end.\n   Let neither grace nor health\n   Be to Maelgwn Gwynedd,\n   For this force and this wrong;\n   And be extremes of ills\n   And an avenged end\n   To Rhun and all his race:\n   Short be his course of life,\n   Be all his lands laid waste;\n   And long exile be assigned\n   To Maelgwn Gwynedd!\u201d\n\nAfter this he took leave of his mistress, and came at last to the Court\nof Maelgwn, who was going to sit in his hall and dine in his royal state,\nas it was the custom in those days for kings and princes to do at every\nchief feast.  And as soon as Taliesin entered the hall, he placed himself\nin a quiet corner, near the place where the bards and the minstrels were\nwont to come in doing their service and duty to the king, as is the\ncustom at the high festivals when the bounty is proclaimed.  And so, when\nthe bards and the heralds came to cry largess, and to proclaim the power\nof the king and his strength, at the moment that they passed by the\ncorner wherein he was crouching, Taliesin pouted out his lips after them,\nand played \u201cBlerwm, blerwm,\u201d with his finger upon his lips.  Neither took\nthey much notice of him as they went by, but proceeded forward till they\ncame before the king, unto whom they made their obeisance with their\nbodies, as they were wont, without speaking a single word, but pouting\nout their lips, and making mouths at the king, playing \u201cBlerwm, blerwm,\u201d\nupon their lips with their fingers, as they had seen the boy do\nelsewhere.  This sight caused the king to wonder and to deem within\nhimself that they were drunk with many liquors.  Wherefore he commanded\none of his lords, who served at the board, to go to them and desire them\nto collect their wits, and to consider where they stood, and what it was\nfitting for them to do.  And this lord did so gladly.  But they ceased\nnot from their folly any more than before.  Whereupon he sent to them a\nsecond time, and a third, desiring them to go forth from the hall.  At\nthe last the king ordered one of his squires to give a blow to the chief\nof them named Heinin Vardd; and the squire took a broom and struck him on\nthe head, so that he fell back in his seat.  Then he arose and went on\nhis knees, and besought leave of the king\u2019s grace to show that this their\nfault was not through want of knowledge, neither through drunkenness, but\nby the influence of some spirit that was in the hall.  And after this\nHeinin spoke on this wise.  \u201cOh, honourable king, be it known to your\ngrace, that not from the strength of drink, or of too much liquor, are we\ndumb, without power of speech like drunken men, but through the influence\nof a spirit that sits in the corner yonder in the form of a child.\u201d\nForthwith the king commanded the squire to fetch him; and he went to the\nnook where Taliesin sat, and brought him before the king, who asked him\nwhat he was, and whence he came.  And he answered the king in verse.\n\n   \u201cPrimary chief bard am I to Elphin,\n   And my original country is the region of the summer stars;\n   Idno and Heinin called me Merddin,\n   At length every king will call me Taliesin.\n\n   I was with my Lord in the highest sphere,\n   On the fall of Lucifer into the depth of hell\n   I have borne a banner before Alexander;\n   I know the names of the stars from north to south;\n   I have been on the galaxy at the throne of the Distributor;\n   I was in Canaan when Absalom was slain;\n   I conveyed the Divine Spirit to the level of the vale of Hebron;\n   I was in the court of Don before the birth of Gwydion.\n   I was instructor to Eli and Enoc;\n   I have been winged by the genius of the splendid crosier;\n   I have been loquacious prior to being gifted with speech;\n   I was at the place of the crucifixion of the merciful Son of God;\n   I have been three periods in the prison of Arianrod;\n   I have been the chief director of the work of the tower of Nimrod;\n   I am a wonder whose origin is not known.\n   I have been in Asia with Noah in the ark,\n   I have seen the destruction of Sodom and Gomorra;\n   I have been in India when Roma was built,\n   I am now come here to the remnant of Troia.\n\n   I have been with my Lord in the manger of the ass:\n   I strengthened Moses through the water of Jordan;\n   I have been in the firmament with Mary Magdalene;\n   I have obtained the muse from the cauldron of Caridwen;\n   I have been bard of the harp to Lleon of Lochlin.\n   I have been on the White Hill, in the court of Cynvelyn,\n   For a day and a year in stocks and fetters,\n   I have suffered hunger for the Son of the Virgin,\n   I have been fostered in the land of the Deity,\n   I have been teacher to all intelligences,\n   I am able to instruct the whole universe.\n   I shall be until the day of doom on the face of the earth;\n   And it is not known whether my body is flesh or fish.\n\n      Then I was for nine months\n      In the womb of the hag Caridwen;\n      I was originally little Gwion,\n      And at length I am Taliesin.\u201d\n\nAnd when the king and his nobles had heard the song, they wondered much,\nfor they had never heard the like from a boy so young as he.  And when\nthe king knew that he was the bard of Elphin, he bade Heinin, his first\nand wisest bard, to answer Taliesin and to strive with him.  But when he\ncame, he could do no other but play \u201cblerwm\u201d on his lips; and when he\nsent for the others of the four-and-twenty bards they all did likewise,\nand could do no other.  And Maelgwn asked the boy Taliesin what was his\nerrand, and he answered him in song.\n\n   \u201cPuny bards, I am trying\n   To secure the prize, if I can;\n   By a gentle prophetic strain\n   I am endeavouring to retrieve\n   The loss I may have suffered;\n   Complete the attempt I hope,\n   Since Elphin endures trouble\n   In the fortress of Teganwy,\n   On him may there not be laid\n   Too many chains and fetters;\n   The Chair of the fortress of Teganwy\n   Will I again seek;\n   Strengthened by my muse I am powerful;\n   Mighty on my part is what I seek,\n   For three hundred songs and more\n   Are combined in the spell I sing.\n   There ought not to stand where I am\n   Neither stone, neither ring;\n   And there ought not to be about me\n   Any bard who may not know\n   That Elphin the son of Gwyddno\n   Is in the land of Artro,\n   Secured by thirteen locks,\n   For praising his instructor;\n   And then I Taliesin,\n   Chief of the bards of the west,\n   Shall loosen Elphin\n   Out of a golden fetter.\u201d\n\n                                  * * * * *\n\n   \u201cIf you be primary bards\n   To the master of sciences,\n   Declare ye mysteries\n   That relate to the inhabitants of the world;\n   There is a noxious creature,\n   From the rampart of Satanas,\n   Which has overcome all\n   Between the deep and the shallow;\n   Equally wide are his jaws\n   As the mountains of the Alps;\n   Him death will not subdue,\n   Nor hand or blades;\n   There is the load of nine hundred wagons\n   In the hair of his two paws;\n   There is in his head an eye\n   Green as the limpid sheet of icicle;\n   Three springs arise\n   In the nape of his neck;\n   Sea-roughs thereon\n   Swim through it;\n   There was the dissolution of the oxen\n   Of Deivrdonwy the water-gifted.\n   The names of the three springs\n   From the midst of the ocean;\n   One generated brine\n   Which is from the Corina,\n   To replenish the flood\n   Over seas disappearing;\n   The second, without injury\n   It will fall on us,\n   When there is rain abroad,\n   Through the whelming sky;\n   The third will appear\n   Through the mountain veins,\n   Like a flinty banquet,\n   The work of the King of kings,\n   You are blundering bards,\n   In too much solicitude;\n   You cannot celebrate\n   The kingdom of the Britons;\n   And I am Taliesin,\n   Chief of the bards of the west,\n   Who will loosen Elphin\n   Out of the golden fetter.\u201d\n\n                                  * * * * *\n\n   \u201cBe silent, then, ye unlucky rhyming bards,\n   For you cannot judge between truth and falsehood.\n   If you be primary bards formed by heaven,\n   Tell your king what his fate will be.\n   It is I who am a diviner and a leading bard,\n   And know every passage in the country of your king;\n   I shall liberate Elphin from the belly of the stony tower;\n   And will tell your king what will befall him.\n   A most strange creature will come from the sea marsh of Rhianedd\n   As a punishment of iniquity on Maelgwn Gwynedd;\n   His hair, his teeth, and his eyes being as gold,\n   And this will bring destruction upon Maelgwn Gwynedd.\u201d\n\n                                  * * * * *\n\n   \u201cDiscover thou what is\n   The strong creature from before the flood,\n   Without flesh, without bone,\n   Without vein, without blood,\n   Without head, without feet,\n   It will neither be older nor younger\n   Than at the beginning;\n   For fear of a denial,\n   There are no rude wants\n   With creatures.\n   Great God! how the sea whitens\n   When first it comes!\n   Great are its gusts\n   When it comes from the south;\n   Great are its evaporations\n   When it strikes on coasts.\n   It is in the field, it is in the wood,\n   Without hand, and without foot,\n   Without signs of old age,\n   Though it be co-\u00e6val\n   With the five ages or periods\n   And older still,\n   Though they be numberless years.\n   It is also so wide\n   As the surface of the earth;\n   And it was not born,\n   Nor was it seen.\n   It will cause consternation\n   Wherever God willeth.\n   On sea, and on land,\n   It neither sees, nor is seen.\n   Its course is devious,\n   And will not come when desired;\n   On land and on sea,\n   It is indispensable.\n   It is without an equal,\n   It is four-sided;\n   It is not confined,\n   It is incomparable;\n   It comes from four quarters;\n   It will not be advised,\n   It will not be without advice.\n   It commences its journey\n   Above the marble rock,\n   It is sonorous, it is dumb,\n   It is mild,\n   It is strong, it is bold,\n   When it glances over the land,\n   It is silent, it is vocal,\n   It is clamorous,\n   It is the most noisy\n   On the face of the earth.\n   It is good, it is bad,\n   It is extremely injurious.\n   It is concealed,\n   Because sight cannot perceive it.\n   It is noxious, it is beneficial;\n   It is yonder, it is here;\n   It will discompose,\n   But will not repair the injury;\n   It will not suffer for its doings,\n   Seeing it is blameless.\n   It is wet, it is dry,\n   It frequently comes,\n   Proceeding from the heat of the sun,\n   And the coldness of the moon.\n   The moon is less beneficial,\n   Inasmuch as her heat is less.\n   One Being has prepared it,\n   Out of all creatures,\n   By a tremendous blast,\n   To wreak vengeance\n   On Maelgwn Gwynedd.\u201d\n\nAnd while he was thus singing his verse near the door, there arose a\nmighty storm of wind, so that the king and all his nobles thought that\nthe castle would fall on their heads.  And the king caused them to fetch\nElphin in haste from his dungeon, and placed him before Taliesin.  And it\nis said, that immediately he sang a verse, so that the chains opened from\nabout his feet.\n\n   \u201cI adore the Supreme, Lord of all animation,\u2014\n   Him that supports the heavens, Ruler of every extreme,\n   Him that made the water good for all,\n   Him who has bestowed each gift, and blesses it;\u2014\n   May abundance of mead be given Maelgwn of Anglesey, who supplies us,\n   From his foaming meadhorns, with the choicest pure liquor.\n   Since bees collect, and do not enjoy,\n   We have sparkling distilled mead, which is universally praised.\n   The multitude of creatures which the earth nourishes\n   God made for man, with a view to enrich him;\u2014\n   Some are violent, some are mute, he enjoys them,\n   Some are wild, some are tame; the Lord makes them;\u2014\n   Part of their produce becomes clothing;\n   For food and beverage till doom will they continue.\n   I entreat the Supreme, Sovereign of the region of peace,\n   To liberate Elphin from banishment,\n   The man who gave me wine, and ale, and mead,\n   With large princely steeds, of beautiful appearance;\n   May he yet give me; and at the end,\n   May God of his good will grant me, in honour,\n   A succession of numberless ages, in the retreat of tranquillity.\n   Elphin, knight of mead, late be thy dissolution!\u201d\n\nAnd afterwards he sang the ode which is called \u201cThe Excellence of the\nBards.\u201d\n\n   \u201cWhat was the first man\n   Made by the God of heaven;\n   What the fairest flattering speech\n   That was prepared by leuav;\n   What meat, what drink,\n   What roof his shelter;\n   What the first impression\n   Of his primary thinking;\n   What became his clothing;\n   Who carried on a disguise,\n   Owing to the wilds of the country,\n   In the beginning?\n   Wherefore should a stone be hard;\n   Why should a thorn be sharp-pointed?\n   Who is hard like a flint;\n   Who is salt like brine;\n   Who sweet like honey;\n   Who rides on the gale;\n   Why ridged should be the nose;\n   Why should a wheel be round;\n   Why should the tongue be gifted with speech\n   Rather than another member?\n   If thy bards, Heinin, be competent,\n   Let them reply to me, Taliesin.\u201d\n\nAnd after that he sang the address which is called \u201cThe Reproof of the\nBards.\u201d\n\n   \u201cIf thou art a bard completely imbued\n   With genius not to be controlled,\n   Be thou not untractable\n   Within the court of thy king;\n   Until thy rigmarole shall be known,\n   Be thou silent, Heinin,\n   As to the name of thy verse,\n   And the name of thy vaunting;\n   And as to the name of thy grandsire\n   Prior to his being baptized.\n   And the name of the sphere,\n   And the name of the element,\n   And the name of thy language,\n   And the name of thy region.\n   Avaunt, ye bards above,\n   Avaunt, ye bards below!\n   My beloved is below,\n   In the fetter of Arianrod\n   It is certain you know not\n   How to understand the song I utter,\n   Nor clearly how to discriminate\n   Between the truth and what is false;\n   Puny bards, crows of the district,\n   Why do you not take to flight?\n   A bard that will not silence me,\n   Silence may he not obtain,\n   Till he goes to be covered\n   Under gravel and pebbles;\n   Such as shall listen to me,\n   May God listen to him.\u201d\n\nThen sang he the piece called \u201cThe Spite of the Bards.\u201d\n\n   \u201cMinstrels persevere in their false custom,\n   Immoral ditties are their delight;\n   Vain and tasteless praise they recite;\n   Falsehood at all times do they utter;\n   The innocent persons they ridicule;\n   Married women they destroy,\n   Innocent virgins of Mary they corrupt;\n   As they pass their lives away in vanity,\n   Poor innocent persons they ridicule;\n   At night they get drunk, they sleep the day;\n   In idleness without work they feed themselves;\n   The Church they hate, and the tavern they frequent;\n   With thieves and perjured fellows they associate;\n   At courts they inquire after feasts;\n   Every senseless word they bring forward;\n   Every deadly sin they praise;\n   Every vile course of life they lead;\n   Through every village, town, and country they stroll;\n   Concerning the gripe of death they think not;\n   Neither lodging nor charity do they give;\n   Indulging in victuals to excess.\n   Psalms or prayers they do not use,\n   Tithes or offerings to God they do not pay,\n   On holidays or Sundays they do not worship;\n   Vigils or festivals they do not heed.\n   The birds do fly, the fish do swim,\n   The bees collect honey, worms do crawl,\n   Every thing travails to obtain its food,\n   Except minstrels and lazy useless thieves.\n\n   I deride neither song nor minstrelsy,\n   For they are given by God to lighten thought;\n   But him who abuses them,\n   For blaspheming Jesus and his service.\u201d\n\nTaliesin having set his master free from prison, and having protected the\ninnocence of his wife, and silenced the Bards, so that not one of them\ndared to say a word, now brought Elphin\u2019s wife before them, and showed\nthat she had not one finger wanting.  Right glad was Elphin, right glad\nwas Taliesin.\n\nThen he bade Elphin wager the king, that he had a horse both better and\nswifter than the king\u2019s horses.  And this Elphin did, and the day, and\nthe time, and the place were fixed, and the place was that which at this\nday is called Morva Rhiannedd: and thither the king went with all his\npeople, and four-and-twenty of the swiftest horses he possessed.  And\nafter a long process the course was marked, and the horses were placed\nfor running.  Then came Taliesin with four-and-twenty twigs of holly,\nwhich he had burnt black, and he caused the youth who was to ride his\nmaster\u2019s horse to place them in his belt, and he gave him orders to let\nall the king\u2019s horses get before him, and as he should overtake one horse\nafter the other, to take one of the twigs and strike the horse with it\nover the crupper, and then let that twig fall; and after that to take\nanother twig, and do in like manner to every one of the horses, as he\nshould overtake them, enjoining the horseman strictly to watch when his\nown horse should stumble, and to throw down his cap on the spot.  All\nthese things did the youth fulfil, giving a blow to every one of the\nking\u2019s horses, and throwing down his cap on the spot where his horse\nstumbled.  And to this spot Taliesin brought his master after his horse\nhad won the race.  And he caused Elphin to put workmen to dig a hole\nthere; and when they had dug the ground deep enough, they found a large\ncauldron full of gold.  And then said Taliesin, \u201cElphin, behold a payment\nand reward unto thee, for having taken me out of the weir, and for having\nreared me from that time until now.\u201d  And on this spot stands a pool of\nwater, which is to this time called Pwllbair.\n\nAfter all this, the king caused Taliesin to be brought before him, and he\nasked him to recite concerning the creation of man from the beginning;\nand thereupon he made the poem which is now called \u201cOne of the Four\nPillars of Song.\u201d\n\n   \u201cThe Almighty made,\n   Down the Hebron vale,\n   With his plastic hands,\n      Adam\u2019s fair form:\n\n   And five hundred years,\n   Void of any help,\n   There he remained and lay\n      Without a soul.\n\n   He again did form,\n   In calm paradise,\n   From a left-side rib,\n      Bliss-throbbing Eve.\n\n   Seven hours they were\n   The orchard keeping,\n   Till Satan brought strife,\n      With wiles from hell.\n\n   Thence were they driven,\n   Cold and shivering,\n   To gain their living,\n      Into this world.\n\n   To bring forth with pain\n   Their sons and daughters,\n   To have possession\n      Of Asia\u2019s land.\n\n   Twice five, ten and eight,\n   She was self-bearing,\n   The mixed burden\n      Of man-woman.\n\n   And once, not hidden,\n   She brought forth Abel,\n   And Cain the forlorn,\n      The homicide.\n\n   To him and his mate\n   Was given a spade,\n   To break up the soil,\n      Thus to get bread.\n\n   The wheat pure and white,\n   Summer tilth to sow,\n   Every man to feed,\n      Till great yule feast.\n\n   An angelic hand\n   From the high Father,\n   Brought seed for growing\n      That Eve might sow;\n\n   But she then did hide\n   Of the gift a tenth,\n   And all did not sow\n      Of what was dug.\n\n   Black rye then was found,\n   And not pure wheat grain,\n   To show the mischief\n      Thus of thieving.\n\n   For this thievish act,\n   It is requisite,\n   That all men should pay\n      Tithe unto God.\n\n   Of the ruddy wine,\n   Planted on sunny days,\n   And on new-moon nights;\n      And the white wine.\n\n   The wheat rich in grain\n   And red flowing wine\n   Christ\u2019s pure body make,\n      Son of Alpha.\n\n   The wafer is flesh,\n   The wine is spilt blood,\n   The Trinity\u2019s words\n      Sanctify them.\n\n   The concealed books\n   From Emmanuel\u2019s hand\n   Were brought by Raphael\n      As Adam\u2019s gift,\n\n   When in his old age,\n   To his chin immersed\n   In Jordan\u2019s water,\n      Keeping a fast,\n\n   Moses did obtain\n   In Jordan\u2019s water,\n   The aid of the three\n      Most special rods.\n\n   Solomon did obtain\n   In Babel\u2019s tower,\n   All the sciences\n      In Asia land.\n\n   So did I obtain,\n   In my bardic books,\n   All the sciences\n      Of Europe and Africa.\n\n   Their course, their bearing,\n   Their permitted way,\n   And their fate I know,\n      Unto the end.\n\n   Oh! what misery,\n   Through extreme of woe,\n   Prophecy will show\n      On Troia\u2019s race!\n\n   A coiling serpent\n   Proud and merciless,\n   On her golden wings,\n      From Germany.\n\n   She will overrun\n   England and Scotland,\n   From Lychlyn sea-shore\n      To the Severn.\n\n   Then will the Brython\n   Be as prisoners,\n   By strangers swayed,\n      From Saxony.\n\n   Their Lord they will praise,\n   Their speech they will keep,\n   Their land they will lose,\n      Except wild Walia.\n\n   Till some change shall come,\n   After long penance,\n   When equally rife\n      The two crimes come.\n\n   Britons then shall have\n   Their land and their crown,\n   And the stranger swarm\n      Shall disappear.\n\n   All the angel\u2019s words,\n   As to peace and war,\n   Will be fulfilled\n      To Britain\u2019s race.\u201d\n\nHe further told the king various prophecies of things that should be in\nthe world, in songs, as follows.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n\n\n\nFOOTNOTES\n\n\n{1}  It is also stated, that there is in the Hengwrt Library, a MS.\ncontaining the Graal in Welsh, as early as the time of Henry I.  I had\nhoped to have added this to the present collection; but the death of Col.\nVaughan, to whom I applied, and other subsequent circumstances, have\nprevented me from obtaining access to it.\n\n{2}  Hades.\n\n{3}  The word \u201cPryder\u201d or \u201cPryderi\u201d means anxiety.\n\n{4}  The version in the Greal adds, \u201cAnd their coin was fairy money;\u201d\nliterally, dwarf\u2019s money: that is, money which, when received, appeared\nto be good coin, but which, if kept, turned into pieces of fungus, &c.\n\n{5}  This dialogue consists of a series of repartees with a play upon\nwords, which it is impossible to follow in the translation.\n\n{6}  Taliesin.\n\n{7}  The mention of Gwyddno Garanhir instead of Elphin ab Gwyddno in this\nplace is evidently an error of some transcriber of the MS.","title":"The Mabinogion","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":107599}