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diff --git a/19973.txt b/19973.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c2eda48 --- /dev/null +++ b/19973.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3741 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Mabinogion Vol. 2 (of 3), Edited by Owen +M. Edwards, Translated by Charlotte Guest + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Mabinogion Vol. 2 (of 3) + + +Editor: Owen M. Edwards + +Release Date: November 29, 2006 [eBook #19973] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MABINOGION VOL. 2 (OF 3)*** + + + + + + +Transcribed from the 1902 Fisher Unwin edition by David Price, email +ccx074@pglaf.org + + + + + +THE MABINOGION + + +TRANSLATED FROM THE RED BOOK OF HERGEST BY LADY CHARLOTTE GUEST +VOL. II. LONDON +T. FISHER UNWIN +11 PATERNOSTER +BUILDINGS. MXCII + +{The salmon of Llyn Llyw. "And they heard a great wailing and lamenting +from the dungeon.": p0.jpg} + + + + +INTRODUCTION. + + +In this second volume, as in the first, I have given Lady Charlotte +Guest's translation exactly as she wrote it. It would have been easy to +make it a more faithful reproduction of the Welsh by occasionally +changing a word, or by making a phrase more simple in diction. But the +reader would not have forgiven me for placing before him a translation +that was not Lady Charlotte Guest's. I have again ventured, however, +after a careful comparison of the translation with the original, to put +in the form of footnotes a more accurate or more literal rendering of +passages which Lady Charlotte Guest did not read aright, passages which +she has omitted, and passages the real meaning of which she seems to me +to have failed to grasp. + +The first two tales in this volume make up, with "The Dream of Rhonabwy," +the second volume of the original edition. "The Dream of Rhonabwy" was +placed in my first volume, with "The Lady of the Fountain" and +"Peredur"--the two tales that form the first volume of the original +edition. The oldest of the tales--the Mabinogion proper--will all be +included in the third volume. + +OWEN EDWARDS. + +LLANUWCHLLYN, +_June_ 1902. + + + + +GERAINT THE SON OF ERBIN. + + +{Picture: p7.jpg} + +Arthur was accustomed to hold his Court at Caerlleon upon Usk. And there +he held it seven Easters, {7a} and five Christmases. And once upon a +time he held his Court there at Whitsuntide. For Caerlleon was the place +most easy of access in his dominions, both by sea and by land. And there +were assembled {7b} nine crowned kings, who were his tributaries, and +likewise earls and barons. For they were his invited guests at all the +high festivals, unless they were prevented by any great hindrance. And +when he was at Caerlleon, holding his Court, thirteen churches were set +apart for mass. And thus were they appointed: one church for Arthur, and +his kings, and his guests; and the second for Gwenhwyvar and her ladies; +and the third for the Steward of the Household and the Suitors; and the +fourth for the Franks, and the other officers; and the other nine +churches were for the nine Masters of the Household, and chiefly for +Gwalchmai; for he, from the eminence of his warlike fame, and from the +nobleness of his birth, was the most exalted of the nine. And there was +no other arrangement respecting the churches than that which we have +mentioned above. + +Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr was the chief porter; but he did not himself perform +the office, except at one of the three high festivals, for he had seven +men to serve him; and they divided the year amongst them. They were +Grynn, and Pen Pighon, and Llaes Cymyn, and Gogyfwlch, and Gwrdnei with +Cat's eyes, who could see as well by night as by day, and Drem the son of +Dremhitid, and Clust the son of Clustveinyd; and these were Arthur's +guards. And on Whit Tuesday, as the King sat at the banquet, lo! there +entered a tall, fair-headed youth, clad in a coat and a surcoat of +diapred satin, and a golden-hilted sword about his neck, and low shoes of +leather upon his feet. And he came, and stood before Arthur. "Hail to +thee, Lord!" said he. "Heaven prosper thee," he answered, "and be thou +welcome. Dost thou bring any new tidings?" "I do, Lord," he said. "I +know thee not," said Arthur. "It is a marvel to me that thou dost not +know me. I am one of thy foresters, Lord, in the Forest of Dean, and my +name is Madawc, the son of Twrgadarn." "Tell me thine errand," said +Arthur. "I will do so, Lord," said he. "In the Forest I saw a stag, the +like of which beheld I never yet." "What is there about him," asked +Arthur, "that thou never yet didst see his like?" "He is of pure white, +Lord, and he does not herd with any other animal through stateliness and +pride, so royal is his bearing. And I come to seek thy counsel, Lord, +and to know thy will concerning him." "It seems best to me," said +Arthur, "to go and hunt him to-morrow at break of day; and to cause +general notice thereof to be given to-night in all quarters of the +Court." And Arryfuerys was Arthur's chief huntsman, and Arelivri was his +chief page. And all received notice; and thus it was arranged. And they +sent the youth before them. Then Gwenhwyvar said to Arthur, "Wilt thou +permit me, Lord," said she, "to go to-morrow to see and hear the hunt of +the stag of which the young man spoke?" "I will, gladly," said Arthur. +"Then will I go," said she. And Gwalchmai said to Arthur, "Lord, if it +seem well to thee, permit that into whose hunt soever the stag shall +come, that one, be he a knight or one on foot, may cut off his head, and +give it to whom he pleases, whether to his own ladylove, or to the lady +of his friend." "I grant it gladly," said Arthur, "and let the Steward +of the Household be chastised if all are not ready to-morrow for the +chase." + +And they passed the night with songs, and diversions, and discourse, and +ample entertainment. And when it was time for them all to go to sleep, +they went. And when the next day came, they arose; and Arthur called the +attendants, who guarded his couch. And these were four pages, whose +names were Cadyrnerth the son of Porthawr Gandwy, and Ambreu the son of +Bedwor, and Amhar, the son of Arthur, and Goreu the son of Custennin. And +these men came to Arthur, and saluted him, and arrayed him in his +garments. And Arthur wondered that Gwenhwyvar did not awake, and did not +move in her bed: and the attendants wished to awaken her. "Disturb her +not," said Arthur, "for she had rather sleep than go to see the hunting." + +Then Arthur went forth, and he heard two horns sounding, one from near +the lodging of the chief huntsman, and the other from near that of the +chief page. And the whole assembly of the multitudes came to Arthur, and +they took the road to the Forest. + +And after Arthur had gone forth from the palace, Gwenhwyvar awoke, and +called to her maidens, and apparelled herself. "Maidens," said she, "I +had leave last night to go and see the hunt. Go one of you to the +stable, and order hither a horse such as a woman may ride." And one of +them went, and she found but two horses in the stable, and Gwenhwyvar and +one of her maidens mounted them, and went through the Usk, and followed +the track of the men and the horses. And as they rode thus, they heard a +loud and rushing sound; and they looked behind them, and beheld a knight +upon a {10} hunter foal of mighty size; and the rider was a fair haired +youth, bare-legged, and of princely mien, and a golden-hilted sword was +at his side, and a robe and a surcoat of satin were upon him, and two low +shoes of leather upon his feet; and around him was a scarf of blue +purple, at each corner of which was a golden apple. And his horse +stepped stately, and swift, and proud; and he overtook Gwenhwyvar, and +saluted her. "Heaven prosper thee, Geraint," said she, "I knew thee when +first I saw thee just now. And the welcome of heaven be unto thee. And +why didst thou not go with thy Lord to hunt?" "Because I knew not when +he went," said he. "I marvel too," said she, "how he could go unknown to +me." "Indeed, lady," said he. "I was fast asleep, and knew not when he +went; but thou, O young man, art the most agreeable companion I could +have in the whole kingdom; and it may be that I shall be more amused with +the hunting than they; {11} for we shall hear the horns when they sound, +and we shall hear the dogs when they are let loose, and begin to cry." So +they went to the edge of the Forest, and there they stood. "From this +place," said she, "we shall hear when the dogs are let loose." And +thereupon they heard a loud noise, and they looked towards the spot +whence it came, and they beheld a dwarf riding upon a horse, stately, and +foaming, and prancing, and strong, and spirited. And in the hand of the +dwarf was a whip. And near the dwarf they saw a lady upon a beautiful +white horse, of steady and stately pace; and she was clothed in a garment +of gold brocade. And near her was a knight upon a war-horse of large +size, with heavy and bright armour both upon himself and upon his horse. +And truly they never before saw a knight, or a horse, or armour, of such +remarkable size. And they were all near to each other. + +"Geraint," said Gwenhwyvar, "knowest thou the name of that tall knight +yonder?" "I know him not," said he, "and the strange armour that he +wears prevents my either seeing his face or his features." "Go, maiden," +said Gwenhwyvar, "and ask the dwarf who that knight is." Then the maiden +went up to the dwarf; and the dwarf waited for the maiden, when he saw +her coming towards him. And the maiden enquired of the dwarf who the +knight was. "I will not tell thee," he answered. "Since thou art so +churlish as not to tell me," said she, "I will ask him himself." "Thou +shall not ask him, by my faith," said he. "Wherefore?" said she. +"Because thou art not of honour sufficient to befit thee to speak to my +Lord." Then the maiden turned her horse's head towards the knight, upon +which the dwarf struck her with the whip that was in his hand across the +face and the eyes, until the blood flowed forth. And the maiden, through +the hurt she received from the blow, returned to Gwenhwyvar, complaining +of the pain. "Very rudely has the dwarf treated thee," said Geraint. "I +will go myself to know who the knight is." "Go," said Gwenhwyvar. And +Geraint went up to the dwarf. "Who is yonder knight?" said Geraint. "I +will not tell thee," said the dwarf. "Then will I ask him himself," said +he. "That wilt thou not, by my faith," said the dwarf; "thou art not +honourable enough to speak with my Lord." Said Geraint, "I have spoken +with men of equal rank with him." And he turned his horse's head towards +the knight, but the dwarf overtook him and struck him as he had done the +maiden, so that the blood coloured the scarf that Geraint wore. Then +Geraint put his hand upon the hilt of his sword, but he took counsel with +himself, and considered that it would be no vengeance for him to slay the +dwarf, and to be attacked unarmed by the armed knight, so he returned to +where Gwenhwyvar was. + +"Thou hast acted wisely and discreetly," said she. "Lady," said he, "I +will follow him yet, with thy permission; and at last he will come to +some inhabited place, where I may have arms either as a loan or for a +pledge, so that I may encounter the knight." "Go," said she, "and do not +attack him until thou hast good arms, and I shall be very anxious +concerning thee, until I hear tidings of thee." "If I am alive," said +he, "thou shall hear tidings of me by to-morrow afternoon;" and with that +he departed. + +And the road they took was below the palace of Caerlleon, and across the +ford of the Usk; and they went along a fair, and even, and lofty ridge of +ground, until they came to a town, and at the extremity of the town they +saw a Fortress and a Castle. And they came to the extremity of the town. +And as the knight passed through it, all the people arose, and saluted +him, and bade him welcome. And when Geraint came into the town, he +looked at every house, to see if he knew any of those whom he saw. But +he knew none, and none knew him to do him the kindness to let him have +arms either as a loan or for a pledge. And every house he saw was full +of men, and arms, and horses. And they were polishing shields, and +burnishing swords, and washing armour, and shoeing horses. And the +knight, and the lady, and the dwarf, rode up to the Castle that was in +the town, and every one was glad in the Castle. And from the battlements +and the gates they risked their necks, through their eagerness to greet +them, and to show their joy. + +Geraint stood there to see whether the knight would remain in the Castle; +and when he was certain that he would do so, he looked around him; and at +a little distance from the town he saw an old palace in ruins, wherein +was a hall that was falling to decay. And as he knew not any one in the +town, he went towards the old palace; and when he came near to the +palace, he saw but one chamber, and a bridge of marble-stone leading to +it. And upon the bridge he saw sitting a hoary-headed man, upon whom +were tattered garments. And Geraint gazed steadfastly upon him for a +long time. Then the hoary-headed man spoke to him. "Young man," he +said, "wherefore art thou thoughtful?" "I am thoughtful," said he, +"because I know not where to go to-night." "Wilt thou come forward this +way, chieftain?" said he, "and thou shalt have of the best that can be +procured for thee." So Geraint went forward. And the hoary-headed man +preceded him into the hall. And in the hall he dismounted, and he left +there his horse. Then he went on to the upper chamber with the hoary- +headed man. And in the chamber he beheld an old decrepit woman, sitting +on a cushion, with old tattered garments of satin upon her; and it seemed +to him that he had never seen a woman fairer than she must have been when +in the fulness of youth. And beside her was a maiden, upon whom were a +vest and a veil, that were old, and beginning to be worn out. And truly +he never saw a maiden more full of comeliness, and grace, and beauty, +than she. And the hoary-headed man said to the maiden, "There is no +attendant for the horse of this youth but thyself." "I will render the +best service I am able," said she, "both to him and to his horse." And +the maiden disarrayed the youth, and then she furnished his horse with +straw and with corn. And she went to the hall as before, and then she +returned to the chamber. And the hoary-headed man said to the maiden, +"Go to the town," said he, "and bring hither the best that thou canst +find both of food and of liquor." "I will, gladly, Lord," said she. And +to the town went the maiden. And they conversed together, while the +maiden was at the town. And, behold! the maiden came back, and a youth +with her, bearing on his back a costrel full of good purchased mead and a +quarter of a young bullock. And in the hands of the maiden was a +quantity of white bread, and she had some manchet bread in her veil, and +she came into the chamber. "I could not obtain better than this," said +she, "nor with better should I have been trusted." "It is good enough," +said Geraint. And they caused the meat to be boiled; and when their food +was ready, they sat down. And it was in this wise; Geraint sat between +the hoary-headed man and his wife, and the maiden served them. And they +ate and drank. + +And when they had finished eating, Geraint talked with the hoary-headed +man, and he asked him in the first place, to whom belonged the Palace +that he was in. "Truly," said he, "it was I that built it, and to me +also belonged the city and the castle which thou sawest." "Alas!" said +Geraint, "how is it that thou hast lost them now?" "I lost a great +Earldom as well as these," said he, "and this is how I lost them. I had +a nephew, the son of my brother, and I took his possessions to myself; +and when he came to his strength, he demanded of me his property, but I +withheld it from him. So he made war upon me, and wrested from me all +that I possessed." "Good, Sir," {15} said Geraint, "wilt thou tell me +wherefore came the knight, and the lady, and the dwarf, just now into the +town, and what is the preparation which I saw, and the putting of arms in +order." "I will do so," said he. "The preparations are for the game +that is to be held to-morrow by the young Earl, which will be on this +wise. In the midst of a meadow which is here, two forks will be set up, +and upon the two forks a silver rod, and upon the silver rod a Sparrow- +Hawk, and for the Sparrow-Hawk there will be a tournament. And to the +tournament will go all the array thou didst see in the city, of men, and +of horses, and of arms. And with each man will go the lady he loves +best; and no man can joust for the Sparrow-Hawk, except the lady he loves +best be with him. And the knight that thou sawest has gained the Sparrow- +Hawk these two years; and if he gains it the third year, they will, from +that time, send it every year to him, and he himself will come here no +more. And he will be called the knight of the Sparrow-Hawk from that +time forth." "Sir," said Geraint, "what is thy counsel to me concerning +this knight, on account of the insult which I received from the dwarf, +and that which was received by the maiden of Gwenhwyvar, the wife of +Arthur?" And Geraint told the hoary-headed man what the insult was that +he had received. "It is not easy to counsel thee, inasmuch as thou hast +neither dame nor maiden belonging to thee, for whom thou canst joust. +Yet, I have arms here, which thou couldest have; and there is my horse +also, if he seem to thee better than thine own." "Ah! Sir," said he, +"Heaven reward thee. But my own horse, to which I am accustomed, +together with thine arms, will suffice me. And if, when the appointed +time shall come to-morrow, thou wilt permit me, Sir, to challenge for +yonder maiden that is thy daughter, I will engage, if I escape from the +tournament, to love the maiden as long as I live, and if I do not escape, +she will remain unsullied as before." "Gladly will I permit thee," said +the hoary-headed man, "and since thou dost thus resolve, it is necessary +that thy horse and arms should be ready to-morrow at break of day. For +then, the knight of the Sparrow-Hawk will make proclamation, and ask the +lady he loves best to take the Sparrow-Hawk. 'For,' will he say to her, +'thou art the fairest of women, and thou didst possess it last year, and +the year previous; and if any deny it thee to-day, by force will I defend +it for thee.' And therefore," said the hoary-headed man, "it is needful +for thee to be there at daybreak; and we three will be with thee," and +thus was it settled. + +And at night, lo! {17} they went to sleep; and before the dawn they +arose, and arrayed themselves; and by the time that it was day, they were +all four in the meadow. And there was the knight of the Sparrow-Hawk +making the proclamation, and asking his ladylove to fetch the Sparrow- +Hawk. "Fetch it not," said Geraint, "for there is here a maiden, who is +fairer, and more noble, and more comely, and who has a better claim to it +than thou." "If thou maintainest the Sparrow-Hawk to be due to her, come +forward, and do battle with me." And Geraint went forward to the top of +the meadow, having upon himself and upon his horse armour which was +heavy, and rusty, and worthless, and of uncouth shape. Then they +encountered each other, and they broke a set of lances, and they broke a +second set, and a third. And thus they did at every onset, and they +broke as many lances as were brought to them. And when the Earl and his +company saw the knight of the Sparrow-Hawk gaining the mastery, there was +shouting, and joy, and mirth amongst them. And the hoary-headed man, and +his wife, and his daughter, were sorrowful. And the hoary-headed man +served Geraint lances as often as he broke them, and the dwarf served the +knight of the Sparrow-Hawk. Then the hoary-headed man came to Geraint. +"Oh! chieftain," said he, "since no other will hold with thee, behold, +here is the lance which was in my hand on the day when I received the +honour of knighthood; and from that time to this I never broke it. And +it has an excellent point." Then Geraint took the lance, thanking the +hoary-headed man. And thereupon the dwarf also brought a lance to his +lord. "Behold here is a lance for thee, not less good than his," said +the dwarf. "And bethink thee, that no knight ever withstood thee before +so long as this one has done." "I declare to Heaven," said Geraint, +"that unless death takes me quickly hence, he shall fare never the better +for thy service." And Geraint pricked his horse towards him from afar, +and warning him, he rushed upon him, and gave him a blow so severe, and +furious, and fierce, upon the face of his shield, that he cleft it in +two, and broke his armour, and burst his girths, so that both he and his +saddle were borne to the ground over the horse's crupper. And Geraint +dismounted quickly. And he was wroth, and he drew his sword, and rushed +fiercely upon him. Then the knight also arose, and drew his sword +against Geraint. And they fought on foot with their swords until their +aims struck sparks of fire like stars from one another; and thus they +continued fighting until the blood and sweat obscured the light from +their eyes. And when Geraint prevailed, the hoary-headed man, and his +wife, and his daughter were glad; and when the knight prevailed, it +rejoiced the Earl and his party. Then the hoary-headed man saw Geraint +receive a severe stroke, and he went up to him quickly, and said to him, +"Oh, chieftain, remember the treatment which thou hadst from the dwarf; +and wilt thou not seek vengeance for the insult to thyself, and for the +insult to Gwenhwyvar the wife of Arthur!" And Geraint was roused by what +he said to him, {19} and he called to him all his strength, and lifted up +his sword, and struck the knight upon the crown of his head, so that he +broke all his head armour, and cut through all the flesh and the skin, +even to the skull, until he wounded the bone. + +{Picture: p18.jpg} + +Then the knight fell upon his knees, and cast his sword from his hand, +and besought mercy of Geraint. "Of a truth," said he, "I relinquish my +overdaring and my pride in craving thy mercy; and unless I have time to +commit myself to Heaven for my sins, and to talk with a priest, thy mercy +will avail me little." "I will grant thee grace upon this condition," +said Geraint, "that thou wilt go to Gwenhwyvar, the wife of Arthur, to do +her satisfaction for the insult which her maiden received from thy dwarf. +As to myself, for the insult which I received from thee and thy dwarf, I +am content with that which I have done unto thee. Dismount not from the +time thou goest hence until thou comest into the presence of Gwenhwyvar, +to make her what atonement shall be adjudged at the Court of Arthur." +"This will I do gladly. And who art thou?" said he. "I am Geraint the +son of Erbin. And declare thou also who thou art." "I am Edeyrn the son +of Nudd." Then he threw himself upon his horse, and went forward to +Arthur's Court, and the lady he loved best went before him and the dwarf, +with much lamentation. And thus far this story up to that time. + +* * * * * + +Then came the little Earl and his hosts to Geraint, and saluted him, and +bade him to his castle. "I may not go," said Geraint, "but where I was +last night, there will I be to-night also." "Since thou wilt none of my +inviting, thou shall have abundance of all that I can command for thee, +in the place thou wast last night. And I will order ointment for thee, +to recover thee from thy fatigues, and from the weariness that is upon +thee." "Heaven reward thee," said Geraint, "and I will go to my +lodging." And thus went Geraint, and Earl Ynywl, and his wife, and his +daughter. And when they reached the chamber, the household servants and +attendants of the young Earl had arrived at the Court, and they arranged +all the houses, dressing them with straw and with fire; and in a short +time the ointment was ready, and Geraint came there, and they washed his +head. Then came the young Earl, with forty honourable knights from among +his attendants, and those who were bidden to the tournament. And Geraint +came from the anointing. And the Earl asked him to go to the hall to +eat. "Where is the Earl Ynywl," said Geraint, "and his wife, and his +daughter?" "They are in the chamber yonder," said the Earl's +chamberlain, "arraying themselves in garments which the Earl has caused +to be brought for them." "Let not the damsel array herself," said he, +"except in her vest and her veil, until she come to the Court of Arthur, +to be clad by Gwenhwyvar, in such garments as she may choose." So the +maiden did not array herself. + +Then they all entered the hall, and they washed, and went, and sat down +to meat. And thus were they seated. On one side of Geraint sat the +young Earl, and Earl Ynywl beyond him; and on the other side of Geraint +was the maiden and her mother. And after these all sat according to +their precedence in honour. And they ate. And they were served +abundantly, and they received a profusion of divers kind of gifts. Then +they conversed together. And the young Earl invited Geraint to visit him +next day. "I will not, by Heaven," said Geraint. "To the Court of +Arthur will I go with this maiden to-morrow. And it is enough for me, as +long as Earl Ynywl is in poverty and trouble; and I go chiefly to seek to +add to his maintenance." "Ah, chieftain," said the young Earl, "it is +not by my fault that Earl Ynywl is without his possessions." "By my +faith," said Geraint, "he shall not remain without them, unless death +quickly takes me hence." "Oh, chieftain," said he, "with regard to the +disagreement between me and Ynywl, I will gladly abide by thy counsel, +and agree to what thou mayest judge right between us." {22} "I but ask +thee," said Geraint, "to restore to him what is his, and what he should +have received from the time he lost his possessions, even until this +day." "That will I do gladly, for thee," answered he. "Then," said +Geraint, "whosoever is here who owes homage to Ynywl, let him come +forward, and perform it on the spot." And all the men did so. And by +that treaty they abided. And his castle, and his town, and all his +possessions, were restored to Ynywl. And he received back all that he +had lost, even to the smallest jewel. + +Then spoke Earl Ynywl to Geraint. "Chieftain," said he "behold the +maiden for whom thou didst challenge at the tournament, I bestow her upon +thee." "She shall go with me," said Geraint, "to the Court of Arthur; +and Arthur and Gwenhwyvar, they shall dispose of her as they will." And +the next day they proceeded to Arthur's Court. So far concerning +Geraint. + +* * * * * + +Now, this is how Arthur hunted the stag. The men and the dogs were +divided into hunting parties, and the dogs were let loose upon the stag. +And the last dog that was let loose was the favourite dog of Arthur. +Cavall was his name. And he left all the other dogs behind him, and +turned the stag. And at the second turn, the stag came towards the +hunting party of Arthur. And Arthur set upon him. And before he could +be slain by any other, Arthur cut off his head. Then they sounded the +death horn for slaying, and they all gathered round. + +Then came Kadyrieith to Arthur, and spoke to him. "Lord," said he, +"behold yonder is Gwenhwyvar, and none with her save only one maiden." +"Command Gildas the son of Caw, and all the scholars of the Court," said +Arthur, "to attend Gwenhwyvar to the palace." And they did so. + +Then they all set forth, holding converse together concerning the head of +the stag, to whom it should be given. One wished that it should be given +to the lady best beloved by him, and another to the lady whom he loved +best. And all they of the household and the knights disputed sharply +concerning the head. And with that they came to the palace. And when +Arthur and Gwenhwyvar heard them disputing about the head of the stag, +Gwenhwyvar said to Arthur, "My lord, this is my counsel concerning the +stag's head; let it not be given away until Geraint the son of Erbin +shall return from the errand he is upon." And Gwenhwyvar told Arthur +what that errand was. "Right gladly shall it be so," said Arthur. And +thus it was settled. And the next day Gwenhwyvar caused a watch to be +set upon the ramparts for Geraint's coming. And after mid-day they +beheld an unshapely little man upon a horse, and after him, as they +supposed, a dame or a damsel, also on horseback, and after her a knight +of large stature, bowed down, and hanging his head low and sorrowfully, +and clad in broken and worthless armour. + +And before they came near to the gate, one of the watch went to +Gwenhwyvar, and told her what kind of people they saw, and what aspect +they bore. "I know not who they are," said he. "But I know," said +Gwenhwyvar, "this is the knight whom Geraint pursued, and methinks that +he comes not here by his own free will. But Geraint has overtaken him, +and avenged the insult to the maiden to the uttermost." And thereupon, +behold a porter came to the spot where Gwenhwyvar was. "Lady," said he, +"at the gate there is a knight, and I saw never a man of so pitiful an +aspect to look upon as he. Miserable and broken is the armour that he +wears, and the hue of blood is more conspicuous upon it than its own +colour." "Knowest thou his name?" said she. "I do," said he, "he tells +me that he is Edeyrn the son of Nudd." Then she replied, "I know him +not." + +So Gwenhwyvar went to the gate to meet him, and he entered. And +Gwenhwyvar was sorry when she saw the condition he was in, even though he +was accompanied by the churlish dwarf. Then Edeyrn saluted Gwenhwyvar. +"Heaven protect thee," said she. "Lady," said he, "Geraint the son of +Erbin, thy best and most valiant servant, greets thee." "Did he meet +with thee?" she asked. "Yes," said he, "and it was not to my advantage; +and that was not his fault, but mine, Lady. And Geraint greets thee +well; and in greeting thee he compelled me to come hither to do thy +pleasure for the insult which thy maiden received from the dwarf. He +forgives the insult to himself, in consideration of his having put me in +peril of my life. And he imposed on me a condition, manly, and +honourable, and warrior-like, which was to do thee justice, Lady." "Now, +where did he overtake thee?" "At the place where we were jousting, and +contending for the Sparrow-Hawk, in the town which is now called Cardiff. +And there were none with him, save three persons, of a mean and tattered +condition. And these were an aged, hoary-headed man and a woman advanced +in years, and a fair young maiden, clad in worn-out garments. And it was +for the avouchment of the love of that maiden that Geraint jousted for +the Sparrow-Hawk at the tournament; for he said that that maiden was +better entitled to the Sparrow-Hawk than this maiden who was with me. And +thereupon we encountered each other, and he left me, Lady, as thou +seest." "Sir," said she, "when thinkest thou that Geraint will be here?" +"To-morrow, Lady, I think he will be here with the maiden." + +Then Arthur came to him, and he saluted Arthur, and Arthur gazed a long +time upon him, and was amazed to see him thus. And thinking that he knew +him, he enquired of him, "Art thou Edeyrn the son of Nudd?" "I am, +Lord," said he, "and I have met with much trouble, and received wounds +unsupportable." Then he told Arthur all his adventure. + +"Well," said Arthur, "from what I hear, it behoves Gwenhwyvar to be +merciful towards thee." "The mercy which thou desirest, Lord," said she, +"will I grant to him, since it is as insulting to thee that an insult +should be offered to me as to thyself." "Thus will it be best to do," +said Arthur, "let this man have medical care until it be known whether he +may live. And if he live, he shall do such satisfaction as shall be +judged best by the men of the Court; and take thou sureties to that +effect. And it he die, too much will be the death of such a youth as +Edeyrn for an insult to a maiden." "This pleases me," said Gwenhwyvar. +And Arthur became surety for Edeyrn, and Caradawc the son of Llyr, +Gwallawg the son of Llenawg, and Owain the son of Nudd, and Gwalchmai, +and many others with them. And Arthur caused Morgan Tud to be called to +him. He was the chief physician. "Take with thee Edeyrn the son of +Nudd, and cause a chamber to be prepared for him, and let him have the +aid of medicine as thou wouldest do unto myself if I were wounded, and +let none into his chamber to molest him, but thyself and thy disciples, +to administer to him remedies." "I will do so, gladly, Lord," said +Morgan Tud. Then said the steward of the household, "Whither is it +right, Lord, to order the maiden?" "To Gwenhwyvar and her and maidens," +said he. And the Steward of the Household so ordered her. Thus far +concerning them. + +* * * * * + +The next day came Geraint towards the Court, and there was a watch set on +the ramparts by Gwenhwyvar, lest he should arrive unawares. And one of +the watch came to the place where Gwenhwyvar was. "Lady," said he, +"methinks that I see Geraint, and the maiden with him. He is on +horseback, but he has his walking gear upon him, and the maiden appears +to be in white, seeming to be clad in a garment of linen." "Assemble all +the women," said Gwenhwyvar, "and come to meet Geraint, to welcome him, +and wish him joy." And Gwenhwyvar went to meet Geraint and the maiden. +And when Geraint came to the place where Gwenhwyvar was, he saluted her. +"Heaven prosper thee," said she, "and welcome to thee. And thy career +has been successful, and fortunate, and resistless, and glorious. And +Heaven reward thee, that thou hast so proudly caused me to have +retribution." "Lady," said he, "I earnestly desired to obtain thee +satisfaction according to thy will; and, behold, here is the maiden +through whom thou hadst thy revenge." "Verily," said Gwenhwyvar, "the +welcome of Heaven be unto her; and it is fitting that we should receive +her joyfully." Then they went in, and dismounted. And Geraint came to +where Arthur was, and saluted him. "Heaven protect thee," said Arthur, +"and the welcome of Heaven be unto thee. And since {27} Edeyrn the son +of Nudd has received his overthrow and wounds from thy hands, thou hadst +had a prosperous career." "Not upon me be the blame," said Geraint, "it +was through the arrogance of Edeyrn the son of Nudd himself that we were +not friends. I would not quit him until I knew who he was, and until the +one had vanquished the other." "Now," said Arthur, "where is the maiden +for whom I heard thou didst give challenge?" "She is gone with +Gwenhwyvar to her chamber." Then went Arthur to see the maiden. And +Arthur, and all his companions, and his whole Court, were glad concerning +the maiden. And certain were they all, that had her array been suitable +to her beauty, they had never seen a maid fairer than she. And Arthur +gave away the maiden to Geraint. And the usual bond made between two +persons was made between Geraint and the maiden, and the choicest of all +Gwenhwyvar's apparel was given to the maiden; and thus arrayed, she +appeared comely and graceful to all who beheld her. And that day and +that night were spent in abundance of minstrelsy, and ample gifts of +liquor, and a multitude of games. And when it was time for them to go to +sleep, they went. And in the chamber where the couch of Arthur and +Gwenhwyvar was, the couch of Geraint and Enid was prepared. And from +that time she became his bride. And the next day Arthur satisfied all +the claimants upon Geraint with bountiful gifts. And the maiden took up +her abode in the palace, and she had many companions, both men and women, +and there was no maiden more esteemed than she in the Island of Britain. + +Then spake Gwenhwyvar. "Rightly did I judge," said she, "concerning the +head of the stag, that it should not be given to any until Geraint's +return; and, behold, here is a fit occasion for bestowing it. Let it be +given to Enid, the daughter of Ynywl, the most illustrious maiden. And I +do not believe that any will begrudge it her, for between her and every +one here there exists nothing but love and friendship." Much applauded +was this by them all, and by Arthur also. And the head of the stag was +given to Enid. And thereupon her fame increased, and her friends +thenceforward became more in number than before. And Geraint from that +time forth loved the stag, and the tournament, and hard encounters; and +he came victorious from them all. And a year, and a second, and a third, +he proceeded thus, until his fame had flown over the face of the kingdom. + +And once upon a time, Arthur was holding his Court at Caerlleon upon Usk, +at Whitsuntide. And, behold, there came to him ambassadors, wise and +prudent, full of knowledge, and eloquent of speech, and they saluted +Arthur. "Heaven prosper you," said Arthur, "and the welcome of Heaven be +unto you. And whence do you come?" "We come, Lord," said they, "from +Cornwall; and we are ambassadors from Erbin the son of Custennin, thy +uncle, and our mission is unto thee. And he greets thee well, as an +uncle should greet his nephew, and as a vassal should greet his lord. And +he represents unto thee that he waxes heavy and feeble, and is advancing +in years. And the neighbouring chiefs knowing this, grow insolent +towards him, and covet his land and possessions. And he earnestly +beseeches thee, Lord, to permit Geraint his son to return to him, to +protect his possessions, and to become acquainted with his boundaries. +And unto him he represents that it were better for him to spend the +flower of his youth, and the prime of his age, in preserving his own +boundaries, than in tournaments, which are productive of no profit, +although he obtains glory in them." + +"Well," said Arthur, "go, and divest yourselves of your accoutrements, +and take food, and refresh yourselves after your fatigues; and before you +go forth hence you shall have an answer." And they went to eat. And +Arthur considered that it would go hard with him to let Geraint depart +from him and from his Court; neither did he think it fair that his cousin +should be restrained from going to protect his dominions and his +boundaries, seeing that his father was unable to do so. No less was the +grief and regret of Gwenhwyvar, and all her women, and all her damsels, +through fear that the maiden would leave them. And that day and that +night were spent in abundance of feasting. And Arthur showed Geraint the +cause of the mission, and of the coming of the ambassadors to him out of +Cornwall. "Truly," said Geraint, "be it to my advantage or disadvantage, +Lord, I will do according to thy will concerning this embassy." "Behold," +said Arthur, "though it grieves me to part with thee, it is my counsel +that thou go to dwell in thine own dominions, and to defend thy +boundaries, and to take with thee to accompany thee as many as thou wilt +of those thou lovest best among my faithful ones, and among thy friends, +and among thy companions in arms." "Heaven reward thee; and this will I +do," said Geraint. "What discourse," said Gwenhwyvar, "do I hear between +you? Is it of those who are to conduct Geraint to his country?" "It +is," said Arthur. "Then is it needful for me to consider," said she, +"concerning companions and a provision for the lady that is with me?" +"Thou wilt do well," said Arthur. + +And that night they went to sleep. And the next day the ambassadors were +permitted to depart, and they were told that Geraint should follow them. +And on the third day Geraint set forth, and many went with him. Gwalchmai +the son of Gwyar, and Riogonedd the son of the king of Ireland, and +Ondyaw the son of the duke of Burgandy, Gwilim the son of the ruler of +the Franks, Howel the son of Emyr of Brittany, Elivry, and Nawkyrd, Gwynn +the son of Tringad, Goreu the son of Custennin, Gweir Gwrhyd Vawr, +Garannaw the son of Golithmer, Peredur the son of Evrawc, Gwynnllogell, +Gwyr a judge in the Court of Arthur, Dyvyr the son of Alun of Dyved, +Gwrei Gwalstawd Ieithoedd, Bedwyr the son of Bedrawd, Hadwry the son of +Gwryon, Kai the son of Kynyr, Odyar the Frank, the Steward of Arthur's +Court, and Edeyrn the son of Nudd. Said Geraint, "I think that I shall +have enough of knighthood with me." "Yes," said Arthur, "but it will not +be fitting for thee to take Edeyrn with thee, although he is well, until +peace shall be made between him and Gwenhwyvar." "Gwenhwyvar can permit +him to go with me, if he gives sureties." "If she please, she can let +him go without sureties, for enough of pain and affliction has he +suffered for the insult which the maiden received from the dwarf." +"Truly," said Gwenhwyvar, "since it seems well to thee and to Geraint, I +will do this gladly, Lord." Then she permitted Edeyrn freely to depart. +And many there were who accompanied Geraint, and they set forth; and +never was there seen a fairer host journeying towards the Severn. And on +the other side of the Severn were the nobles of Erbin the son of +Custennin, and his foster father at their head, to welcome Geraint with +gladness; and many of the women of the Court, with his mother, came to +receive Enid the daughter of Ynywl, his wife. And there was great +rejoicing and gladness throughout the whole Court, and throughout all the +country, concerning Geraint, because of the greatness of their love +towards him, and of the greatness of the fame which he had gained since +he went from amongst them, and because he was come to take possession of +his dominions, and to preserve his boundaries. And they came to the +Court. And in the Court they had ample entertainment, and a multitude of +gifts, and abundance of liquor, and a sufficiency of service, and a +variety of minstrelsy and of games. And to do honour to Geraint, all the +chief men of the country were invited that night to visit him. And they +passed that day and that night in the utmost enjoyment. And at dawn next +day Erbin arose, and summoned to him Geraint, and the noble persons who +had borne him company. And he said to Geraint, "I am a feeble and an +aged man, and whilst I was able to maintain the dominion for thee and for +myself, I did so. But thou art young, and in the flower of thy vigour +and of thy youth: henceforth do thou preserve thy possessions." "Truly," +said Geraint, "with my consent thou shalt not give the power over thy +dominions at this time into my hands, and thou shall not take me from +Arthur's Court." "Into thy hands will I give them," said Erbin, "and +this day also shalt thou receive the homage of thy subjects." + +Then said Gwalchmai, "It were better for thee to satisfy those who have +boons to ask, to-day, and to-morrow thou canst receive the homage of thy +dominions." So all that had boons to ask were summoned into one place. +And Kadyrieith came to them, to know what were their requests. And every +one asked that which he desired. And the followers of Arthur began to +make gifts and immediately the men of Cornwall came, and gave also. And +they were not long in giving, so eager was every one to bestow gifts. And +of those who came to ask gifts, none departed unsatisfied. And that day +and that night were spent in the utmost enjoyment. + +And the next day, at dawn, Erbin desired Geraint to send messengers to +the men, to ask them whether it was displeasing to them that he should +come to receive their homage, and whether they had anything to object to +him. Then Geraint sent ambassadors to the men of Cornwall, to ask them +this. And they all said that it would be the fulness of joy and honour +to them for Geraint to come and receive their homage. So he received the +homage of such as were there. And they remained with him till the third +night. And the day after the followers of Arthur intended to go away. +"It is too soon for you to go away yet," said he, "stay with me until I +have finished receiving the homage of my chief men, who have agreed to +come to me." And they remained with him until he had done so. Then they +set forth towards the Court of Arthur; and Geraint went to bear them +company, and Enid also, as far as Diganhwy: there they parted. Then +Ondyaw the son of the duke of Burgundy said to Geraint, "Go first of all, +and visit the uttermost parts of thy dominions, and see well to the +boundaries of thy territories; and if thou hast any trouble respecting +them, send unto thy companions." "Heaven reward thee," said Geraint, +"and this will I do." And Geraint journeyed to the uttermost part of his +dominions. And experienced guides, and the chief men of his country, +went with him. And the furthermost point that they showed him he kept +possession of. + +And, as he had been used to do when he was at Arthur's Court, he +frequented tournaments. And he became acquainted with valiant and mighty +men, until he had gained as much fame there as he had formerly done +elsewhere. And he enriched his Court, and his companions, and his +nobles, with the best horses, and the best arms, and with the best and +most valuable jewels, and he ceased not until his fame had flown over the +face of the whole kingdom. And when he knew that it was thus, he began +to love ease and pleasure, for there was no one who was worth his +opposing. And he loved his wife, and liked to continue in the palace, +with minstrelsy and diversions. And for a long time he abode at home. +And after that he began to shut himself up in the chamber of his wife, +and he took no delight in anything besides, insomuch that he gave up the +friendship of his nobles, together with his hunting and his amusements, +and lost the hearts of all the host in his Court; and there was murmuring +and scoffing concerning him among the inhabitants of the palace, on +account of his relinquishing so completely their companionship for the +love of his wife. And these tidings came to Erbin. And when Erbin had +heard these things, he spoke unto Enid, and enquired of her whether it +was she that had caused Geraint to act thus, and to forsake his people +and his hosts. "Not I, by my confession unto Heaven," said she; "there +is nothing more hateful to me than this." And she knew not what she +should do, for, although it was hard for her to own this to Geraint, yet +was it not more easy for her to listen to what she heard without warning +Geraint concerning it. And she was very sorrowful. + +And one morning in the summer time, they were upon their couch, and +Geraint lay upon the edge of it. And Enid was without sleep in the +apartment, which had windows of glass. And the sun shone upon the couch. +And the clothes had slipped from off his arms and his breast, and he was +asleep. Then she gazed upon the marvellous beauty of his appearance, and +she said, "Alas, and am I the cause that these arms and this breast have +lost their glory and the warlike fame which they once so richly enjoyed!" +And as she said this, the tears dropped from her eyes, and they fell upon +his breast. And the tears she shed, and the words she had spoken, awoke +him; and another thing contributed to awaken him, and that was the idea +that it was not in thinking of him that she spoke thus, but that it was +because she loved some other man more than him, and that she wished for +other society, and thereupon Geraint was troubled in his mind, and he +called his squire; and when he came to him, "Go quickly," said he, "and +prepare my horse and my arms, and make them ready. And do thou arise," +said he to Enid, "and apparel thyself; and cause thy horse to be +accoutred, and clothe thee in the worst riding dress that thou hast in +thy possession. And evil betide me," said he, "if thou returnest here +until thou knowest whether I have lost my strength so completely as thou +didst say. And if it be so, it will then be easy for thee to seek the +society thou didst wish for of him of whom thou wast thinking." So she +arose, and clothed herself in her meanest garments. "I know nothing, +Lord," said she, "of thy meaning." "Neither wilt thou know at this +time," said he. + +Then Geraint went to see Erbin. "Sir," said he, "I am going upon a +quest, and I am not certain when I may come back. Take heed, therefore, +unto thy possessions, until my return." "I will do so," said he, "but it +is strange to me that thou shouldst go so suddenly. And who will proceed +with thee, since thou art not strong enough to traverse the land of +Lloegyr alone." "But one person only will go with me." "Heaven counsel +thee, my son," said Erbin, "and may many attach themselves to thee in +Lloegyr." Then went Geraint to the place where his horse was, and it was +equipped with foreign armour, heavy and shining. And he desired Enid to +mount her horse, and to ride forward, and to keep a long way before him. +"And whatever thou mayest see, and whatever thou mayest hear, concerning +me," said he, "do thou not turn back. And unless I speak unto thee, say +not thou one word either." And they set forward. And he did not choose +the pleasantest and most frequented road, but that which was the wildest +and most beset by thieves, and robbers, and venomous animals. And they +came to a high road, which they followed till they saw a vast forest, and +they went towards it, and they saw four armed horsemen come forth from +the forest. When they had beheld them, one of them said to the other, +"Behold, here is a good occasion for us to capture two horses and armour, +and a lady likewise; for this we shall have no difficulty in doing +against yonder single knight, who hangs his head so pensively and +heavily." And Enid heard this discourse, and she knew not what she +should do through fear of Geraint, who had told her to be silent. "The +vengeance of Heaven be upon me," she said, "if I would not rather receive +my death from his hand than from the hand of any other; and though he +should slay me, yet will I speak to him, lest I should have the misery to +witness his death." {36a} So she waited for Geraint until he came near +to her. "Lord," said she, "didst thou hear the words of those men +concerning thee?" Then he lifted up his eyes, and looked at her angrily. +"Thou hadst only," said he, "to hold thy peace as I bade thee. I wish +but for silence and not for warning. {36b} And though thou shouldst +desire to see my defeat and my death by the hands of those men, yet do I +feel no dread." Then the foremost of them couched his lance, and rushed +upon Geraint. And he received him, and that not feebly. But he let the +thrust go by him, while he struck the horseman upon the centre of his +shield in such a manner, that his shield was split, and his armour +broken, and so that a cubit's length of the shaft of Geraint's lance +passed through his body, and sent him to the earth the length of the +lance over his horse's crupper. Then the second horseman attacked him +furiously, being wroth at the death of his companion. But with one +thrust Geraint overthrew him also, and killed him as he had done the +other. Then the third set upon him, and he killed him in like manner. +And thus also he slew the fourth. Sad and sorrowful was the maiden as +she saw all this. Geraint dismounted his horse, and took the arms of the +men he had slain, and placed them upon their saddles, and tied together +the reins of their horses, and he mounted his horse again. "Behold what +thou must do," said he, "take the four horses, and drive them before +thee, and proceed forward, as I bade thee just now. And say not one word +unto me, unless I speak first unto thee. And I declare unto Heaven," +said he, "if thou doest not thus, it will be to thy cost." "I will do, +as far as I can, Lord," said she, "according to thy desire." Then they +went forward through the forest; and when they left the forest, they came +to a vast plain, in the centre of which was a group of thickly tangled +copse-wood; and from out thereof they beheld three horsemen coming +towards them, well equipped with armour, both they and their horses. Then +the maiden looked steadfastly upon them; and when they had come near, she +heard them say one to another, "Behold, here is a good arrival for us, +here are coming for us four horses and four suits of armour. We shall +easily obtain them spite of yonder dolorous knight, and the maiden also +will fall into our power." "This is but too true," said she to herself, +"for my husband is tired with his former combat. The vengeance of Heaven +will be upon me, unless I warn him of this." So the maiden waited until +Geraint came up to her. "Lord," said she, "dost thou not hear the +discourse of yonder men concerning thee?" "What was it?" asked he. "They +say to one another, that they will easily obtain all this spoil." "I +declare to Heaven," he answered, "that their words are less grievous to +me than that thou wilt not be silent, and abide by my counsel." "My +Lord," said she, "I feared lest they should surprise thee unawares." +"Hold thy peace then," said he, "do not I desire silence?" {38} And +thereupon one of the horsemen couched his lance, and attacked Geraint. +And he made a thrust at him, which he thought would be very effective; +but Geraint received it carelessly, and struck it aside, and then he +rushed upon him, and aimed at the centre of his person, and from the +shock of man and horse, the quantity of his armour did not avail him, and +the head of the lance and part of the shaft passed through him, so that +he was carried to the ground an arm and a spear's length over the crupper +of his horse. And both the other horsemen came forward in their turn, +but their onset was not more successful than that of their companion. And +the maiden stood by, looking at all this; and on the one hand she was in +trouble lest Geraint should be wounded in his encounter with the men, and +on the other hand she was joyful to see him victorious. Then Geraint +dismounted, and bound the three suits of armour upon the three saddles, +and he fastened the reins of all the horses together, so that he had +seven horses with him. And he mounted his own horse, and commanded the +maiden to drive forward the others. "It is no more use for me to speak +to thee than to refrain, for thou wilt not attend to my advice." "I will +do so, as far I am able, Lord," said she; "but I cannot conceal from thee +the fierce and threatening words which I may hear against thee, Lord, +from such strange people as those that haunt this wilderness." "I +declare to Heaven," said he, "that I desire nought but silence; +therefore, hold thy peace." {39} "I will, Lord, while I can." And the +maiden went on with the horses before her, and she pursued her way +straight onwards. And from the copse-wood already mentioned, they +journeyed over a vast and dreary open plain. And at a great distance +from them they beheld a wood, and they could see neither end nor boundary +to the wood, except on that side that was nearest to them, and they went +towards it. Then there came from out the wood five horsemen, eager, and +bold, and mighty, and strong, mounted upon chargers that were powerful, +and large of bone, and high-mettled, and proudly snorting, and both the +men and the horses were well equipped with arms. And when they drew near +to them, Enid heard them say, "Behold, here is a fine booty coming to us, +which we shall obtain easily and without labour, for we shall have no +trouble in taking all those horses and arms, and the lady also, from +yonder single knight, so doleful and sad." + +Sorely grieved was the maiden upon hearing this discourse, so that she +knew not in the world what she should do. At last, however, she +determined to warn Geraint; so she turned her horse's head towards him. +"Lord," said she, "if thou hadst heard as I did what yonder horsemen said +concerning thee, thy heaviness would be greater than it is." Angrily and +bitterly did Geraint smile upon her, and he said, "Thee do I hear doing +everything that I forbade thee; but it may be that thou wilt repent this +yet." And immediately, behold, the men met them, and victoriously and +gallantly did Geraint overcome them all five. And he placed the five +suits of armour upon the five saddles, and tied together the reins of the +twelve horses, and gave them in charge to Enid. "I know not," said he, +"what good it is for me to order thee; but this time I charge thee in an +especial manner." So the maiden went forward towards the wood, keeping +in advance of Geraint, as he had desired her; and it grieved him as much +as his wrath would permit, to see a maiden so illustrious as she having +so much trouble with the care of the horses. Then they reached the wood, +and it was both deep and vast; and in the wood night overtook them. "Ah, +maiden," said he, "it is vain to attempt proceeding forward!" "Well, +Lord," said she, "whatsoever thou wishest, we will do." "It will be best +for us," he answered, "to turn out of the wood, and to rest, and wait for +the day, in order to pursue our journey." "That will we, gladly," said +she. And they did so. Having dismounted himself, he took her down from +her horse. "I cannot, by any means, refrain from sleep, through +weariness," said he. "Do thou, therefore, watch the horses, and sleep +not." "I will, Lord," said she. Then he went to sleep in his armour, +and thus passed the night, which was not long at that season. And when +she saw the dawn of day appear, she looked around her, to see if he were +waking, and thereupon he woke. "My Lord," she said, "I have desired to +awake thee for some time." But he spake nothing to her about fatigue, +{40} as he had desired her to be silent. Then he arose, and said unto +her, "Take the horses, and ride on; and keep straight on before thee as +thou didst yesterday." And early in the day they left the wood, and they +came to an open country, with meadows on one hand, and mowers mowing the +meadows. And there was a river before them, and the horses bent down, +and drank the water. And they went up out of the river by a lofty steep; +and there they met a slender stripling, with a satchel about his neck, +and they saw that there was something in the satchel, but they knew not +what it was. And he had a small blue pitcher in his hand, and a bowl on +the mouth of the pitcher. And the youth saluted Geraint. "Heaven +prosper thee," said Geraint, "and whence dost thou come?" "I come," said +he, "from the city that lies before thee. My Lord," he added, "will it +be displeasing to thee, if I ask whence thou comest also?" "By no +means--through yonder wood did I come." "Thou camest not through the +wood to-day." "No," he replied, "we were in the wood last night." "I +warrant," said the youth, "that thy condition there last night was not +the most pleasant, and that thou hadst neither meat nor drink." "No, by +my faith," said he. "Wilt thou follow my counsel," said the youth, "and +take thy meal from me?" "What sort of meal?" he enquired. "The +breakfast which is sent for yonder mowers, nothing less than bread and +meat, and wine; and if thou wilt, Sir, they shall have none of it." "I +will," said he, "and Heaven reward thee for it." + +So Geraint alighted, and the youth took the maiden from off her horse. +Then they washed, and took their repast. And the youth cut the bread in +slices, and gave them drink, and served them withal. And when they had +finished, the youth arose, and said to Geraint, "My Lord, with thy +permission I will now go and fetch some food for the mowers." "Go, +first, to the town," said Geraint, "and take a lodging for me in the best +place that thou knowest, and the most commodious one for the horses, and +take thou whichever horse and arms thou choosest in payment for thy +service and thy gift." "Heaven reward thee, Lord," said the youth, "and +this would be ample to repay services much greater than those I rendered +unto thee." And to the town went the youth, and he took the best and the +most pleasant lodgings that he knew; and after that he went to the +palace, having the horse and armour with him, and proceeded to the place +where the Earl was, and told him all his adventure. "I go now, Lord," +said he, "to meet the young man, and to conduct him to his lodging." "Go +gladly," said the Earl, "and right joyfully shall he be received here, if +he so come." And the youth went to meet Geraint, and told him that he +would be received gladly by the Earl in his own palace; but he would go +only to his lodgings. And he had a goodly chamber, in which was plenty +of straw, and draperies, and a spacious and commodious place he had for +the horses, and the youth prepared for them plenty of provender. And +after they had disarrayed themselves, Geraint spoke thus to Enid: "Go," +said he, "to the other side of the chamber, and come not to this side of +the house; and thou mayest call to thee the woman of the house, if thou +wilt." "I will do, Lord," said she, "as thou sayest." And thereupon the +man of the house came to Geraint, and welcomed him. "Oh, chieftain," he +said, "hast thou taken thy meal?" "I have," said he. Then the youth +spoke to him, and enquired if he would not drink something before he met +the Earl. "Truly, I will," said he. So the youth went into the town, +and brought them drink. And they drank. "I must needs sleep," said +Geraint. "Well," said the youth, "and whilst thou sleepest, I will go to +see the Earl." "Go, gladly," he said, "and come here again when I +require thee." And Geraint went to sleep, and so did Enid also. + +And the youth came to the place where the Earl was, and the Earl asked +him where the lodgings of the knight were, and he told him. "I must go," +said the youth, "to wait on him in the evening." "Go," answered the +Earl, "and greet him well from me, and tell him that in the evening I +will go to see him." "This will I do," said the youth. So he came when +it was time for them to awake. And they arose, and went forth. And when +it was time for them to take their food they took it. And the youth +served them. And Geraint enquired of the man of the house, whether there +were any of his companions that he wished to invite to him, and he said +that there were. "Bring them hither, and entertain them at my cost with +the best thou canst buy in the town." + +And the man of the house brought there those whom he chose, and feasted +them at Geraint's expense. Thereupon, behold, the Earl came to visit +Geraint, and his twelve honourable knights with him. And Geraint rose +up, and welcomed him. "Heaven preserve thee," said the Earl. Then they +all sat down according to their precedence in honour. And the Earl +conversed with Geraint and enquired of him the object of his journey. "I +have none," he replied, "but to seek adventures, and to follow my own +inclination." Then the Earl cast his eye upon Enid, and he looked at her +steadfastly. And he thought he had never seen a maiden fairer or more +comely than she. And he set all his thoughts and his affections upon +her. Then he asked of Geraint, "Have I thy permission to go and converse +with yonder maiden, for I see that she is apart from thee?" "Thou hast +it, gladly," said he. So the Earl went to the place where the maiden +was, and spake with her. "Ah, maiden," said he, "it cannot be pleasant +to thee to journey thus with yonder man!" "It is not unpleasant to me," +said she, "to journey the same road that he journeys." "Thou hast +neither youths nor maidens to serve thee," said he. "Truly," she +replied, "it is more pleasant for me to follow yonder man than to be +served by youths and maidens." "I will give thee good counsel," said he. +"All my Earldom will I place in thy possession, if thou wilt dwell with +me." "That will I not, by Heaven," she said, "yonder man was the first +to whom my faith was ever pledged; and shall I prove inconstant to him?" +"Thou art in the wrong," said the Earl; "if I slay the man yonder, I can +keep thee with me as long as I choose; and when thou no longer pleasest +me, I can turn thee away. But if thou goest with me by thy own good +will, I protest that our union shall continue eternal and undivided as +long as I remain alive." Then she pondered these words of his, and she +considered that it was advisable to encourage him in his request. +"Behold, then, chieftain, this is most expedient for thee to do to save +me any needless imputation; come here to-morrow, and take me away as +though I knew nothing thereof." "I will do so," said he. So he arose, +and took his leave, and went forth with his attendants. And she told not +then to Geraint any of the conversation which she had had with the Earl, +lest it should rouse his anger, and cause him uneasiness and care. + +And at the usual hour they went to sleep. And at the beginning of the +night Enid slept a little; and at midnight she arose, and placed all +Geraint's armour together, so that it might be ready to put on. And +although fearful of her errand, she came to the side of Geraint's bed; +and she spoke to him softly and gently, saying, "My Lord, arise, and +clothe thyself, for these were the words of the Earl to me, and his +intention concerning me." So she told Geraint all that had passed. And +although he was wroth with her, he took warning, and clothed himself. And +she lighted a candle, that he might have light to do so. "Leave there +the candle," said he, "and desire the man of the house to come here." +Then she went, and the man of the house came to him. "Dost thou know how +much I owe thee?" asked Geraint. "I think thou owest but little." "Take +the eleven horses and the eleven suits of armour." "Heaven reward thee, +Lord," said he, "but I spent not the value of one suit of armour upon +thee." "For that reason," said he, "thou wilt be the richer. And now +wilt thou come to guide me out of the town?" "I will, gladly," said he, +"and in which direction dost thou intend to go?" "I wish to leave the +town by a different way from that by which I entered it." So the man of +the lodgings accompanied him as far as he desired. Then he bade the +maiden to go on before him; and she did so, and went straight forward, +and his host returned home. And he had only just reached his house, +when, behold, the greatest tumult approached that was ever heard. And +when he looked out he saw fourscore knights in complete armour around the +house, with the Earl Dwrm at their head. "Where is the knight that was +here?" said the Earl. "By thy hand," said he, "he went hence some time +ago." "Wherefore, villain," said he, "didst thou let him go without +informing me?" "My Lord, thou didst not command me to do so, else would +I not have allowed him to depart." "What way dost thou think that he +took?" "I know not, except that he went along the high road." And they +turned their horses' heads that way, and seeing the tracks of the horses +upon the high road, they followed. And when the maiden beheld the +dawning of the day, she looked behind her, and saw vast clouds of dust +coming nearer and nearer to her. And thereupon she became uneasy, and +she thought that it was the Earl and his host coming after them. And +thereupon she beheld a knight appearing through the mist. "By my faith," +said she, "though he should slay me, it were better for me to receive my +death at his hands, than to see him killed without warning him." "My +Lord," she said to him, "seest thou yonder man hastening after thee, and +many others with him?" "I do see him," said he, "and in despite of all +my orders, I see that thou wilt never keep silence." Then he turned upon +the knight, and with the first thrust he threw him down under his horse's +feet. And as long as there remained one of the fourscore knights, he +overthrew every one of them at the first onset. And from the weakest to +the strongest, they all attacked him one after the other, except the +Earl: and last of all the Earl came against him also. And he broke his +lance, and then he broke a second. But Geraint turned upon him, and +struck him with his lance upon the centre of his shield, so that by that +single thrust the shield was split, and all his armour broken, and he +himself was brought over his horse's crupper to the ground, and was in +peril of his life. And Geraint drew near to him; and at the noise of the +trampling of his horse the Earl revived. "Mercy, Lord," said he to +Geraint. And Geraint granted him mercy. But through the hardness of the +ground where they had fallen, and the violence of the stroke which they +had received, there was not a single knight amongst them that escaped +without receiving a fall, mortally severe, and grievously painful, and +desperately wounding, from the hand of Geraint. + +{Picture: p48.jpg} + +And Geraint journeyed along the high road that was before him, and the +maiden went on first; and near them they beheld a valley which was the +fairest ever seen, and which had a large river running through it; and +there was a bridge over the river, and the high road led to the bridge. +And above the bridge, upon the opposite side of the river, they beheld a +fortified town, the fairest ever seen. And as they approached the +bridge, Geraint saw coming towards him from a thick copse a man mounted +upon a large and lofty steed, even of pace and spirited though tractable. +"Ah, knight," said Geraint, "whence comest thou?" "I come," said he +"from the valley below us." "Canst thou tell me," said Geraint, "who is +the owner of this fair valley and yonder walled town?" "I will tell +thee, willingly," said he, "Gwiffert Petit he is called by the Franks, +but the Welsh call him the Little King." "Can I go by yonder bridge," +said Geraint, "and by the lower highway that is beneath the town?" Said +the knight, "Thou canst not go by his tower {47a} on the other side of +the bridge, unless thou dost intend to combat him; because it is his +custom to encounter every knight that comes upon his lands." "I declare +to Heaven," said Geraint, "that I will, nevertheless, pursue my journey +that way." {47b} "If thou dost so," said the knight, "thou wilt probably +meet with shame and disgrace in reward for thy daring." {48a} Then +Geraint proceeded along the road that led to the town, and the road +brought him to a ground that was hard, and rugged, and high, and ridgy. +{48b} And as he journeyed thus, he beheld a knight following him upon a +war-horse, strong, and large, and proudly-stepping, and wide-hoofed, and +broad-chested. And he never saw a man of smaller stature than he who was +upon the horse. And both he and his horse were completely armed. When +he had overtaken Geraint he said to him, "Tell me, chieftain, whether it +is through ignorance or through presumption that thou seekest to insult +my dignity, and to infringe my rules?" "Nay," answered Geraint, "I knew +not that this road was forbid to any." "Thou didst know it," said the +other; "come with me to my Court, to do me satisfaction." "That will I +not, by my faith," said Geraint; "I would not go even to thy Lord's +Court, excepting Arthur were thy Lord." "By the hand of Arthur himself," +said the knight, "I will have satisfaction of thee, or receive my +overthrow at thy hands." And immediately they charged one another. And +a squire of his came to serve him with lances as he broke them. And they +gave each other such hard and severe strokes, that their shields lost all +their colour. But it was very difficult for Geraint to fight with him on +account of his small size, for he was hardly able to get a full aim at +him with all the efforts he could make. {49} And they fought thus until +their horses were brought down upon their knees; and at length Geraint +threw the knight headlong to the ground; and then they fought on foot, +and they gave one another blows so boldly fierce, so frequent, and so +severely powerful, that their helmets were pierced, and their skullcaps +were broken, and their arms were shattered, and the light of their eyes +was darkened by sweat and blood. At the last Geraint became enraged, and +he called to him all his strength; and boldly angry, and swiftly +resolute, and furiously determined, he lifted up his sword, and struck +him on the crown of his head a blow so mortally painful, so violent, so +fierce, and so penetrating, that it cut through all his head armour, and +his skin, and his flesh, until it wounded the very bone, and the sword +flew out of the hand of the Little King to the furthest end of the plain, +and he besought Geraint that he would have mercy and compassion upon him. +"Though thou hast been neither courteous nor just," said Geraint, "thou +shalt have mercy, upon condition that thou wilt become my ally, and +engage never to fight against me again, but to come to my assistance +whenever thou hearest of my being in trouble." "This will I do, gladly, +Lord," said he. So he pledged him his faith thereof. "And now, Lord, +come with me," said he, "to my Court yonder, to recover from thy +weariness and fatigue." "That will I not, by Heaven," said he. + +Then Gwiffert Petit beheld Enid where she stood, and it grieved him to +see one of her noble mien appear so deeply afflicted. And he said to +Geraint, "My Lord, thou doest wrong not to take repose, and refresh +thyself awhile; for, if thou meetest with any difficulty in thy present +condition, it will not be easy for thee to surmount it." But Geraint +would do no other than proceed on his journey, and he mounted his horse +in pain, and all covered with blood. And the maiden went on first, and +they proceeded towards the wood which they saw before them. + +And the heat of the sun was very great, and through the blood and sweat, +Geraint's armour cleaved to his flesh; and when they came into the wood, +he stood under a tree, to avoid the sun's heat; and his wounds pained him +more than they had done at the time when he received them. And the +maiden stood under another tree. And, lo! they heard the sound of horns, +and a tumultuous noise, and the occasion of it was, that Arthur and his +company had come down to the wood. And while Geraint was considering +which way he should go to avoid them, behold, he was espied by a foot +page, who was an attendant on the Steward of the Household, and he went +to the steward, and told him what kind of man he had seen in the wood. +Then the steward caused his horse to be saddled, and he took his lance +and his shield, and went to the place where Geraint was. "Ah, knight!" +said he, "what dost thou here?" "I am standing under a shady tree, to +avoid the heat and the rays of the sun." "Wherefore is thy journey, and +who art thou?" "I seek adventures, and go where I list." "Indeed," said +Kai, "then come with me to see Arthur, who is here hard by." "That will +I not, by Heaven," said Geraint. "Thou must needs come," said Kai. Then +Geraint knew who he was, but Kai did not know Geraint. And Kai attacked +Geraint as best as he could. And Geraint became wroth, and he struck him +with the shaft of his lance, so that he rolled headlong to the ground. +But chastisement worse than this would he not inflict on him. + +Scared and wildly Kai arose, and he mounted his horse, and went back to +his lodging. And thence he proceeded to Gwalchmai's tent. "Oh, Sir," +said he to Gwalchmai, "I was told by one of the attendants, that he saw +in the wood above a wounded knight, having on battered armour, and if +thou dost right, thou wilt go and see if this be true." "I care not if I +do so," said Gwalchmai. "Take, then, thy horse, and some of thy armour," +said Kai, "for I hear that he is not over-courteous to those who approach +him." So Gwalchmai took his spear and his shield, and mounted his horse, +and came to the spot where Geraint was. "Sir Knight," said he, +"wherefore is thy journey?" "I journey for my own pleasure, and to seek +the adventures of the world." "Wilt thou tell me who thou art, or wilt +thou come and visit Arthur, who is near at hand?" "I will make no +alliance with thee, nor will I go and visit Arthur," said he. And he +knew that it was Gwalchmai, but Gwalchmai knew him not. "I purpose not +to leave thee," said Gwalchmai, "till I know who thou art." And he +charged him with his lance, and struck him on his shield, so that the +shaft was shivered into splinters, and their horses were front to front. +Then Gwalchmai gazed fixedly upon him, and he knew him. "Ah, Geraint," +said he, "is it thou that art here?" "I am not Geraint," said he. +"Geraint thou art, by Heaven," he replied, "and a wretched and insane +expedition is this." Then he looked around, and beheld Enid, and he +welcomed her gladly. "Geraint," said Gwalchmai, "come thou, and see +Arthur; he is thy lord and thy cousin." "I will not," said he, "for I am +not in a fit state to go and see any one." Thereupon, behold, one of the +pages came after Gwalchmai, to speak to him. So he sent him to apprise +Arthur that Geraint was there wounded, and that he would not go to visit +him, and that it was pitiable to see the plight that he was in. And this +he did without Geraint's knowledge, inasmuch as he spoke in a whisper to +the page. "Entreat Arthur," said he, "to have his tent brought near to +the road, for he will not meet him willingly, and it is not easy to +compel him in the mood he is in." So the page came to Arthur, and told +him this. And he caused his tent to be removed unto the side of the +road. And the maiden rejoiced in her heart. And Gwalchmai led Geraint +onwards along the road, till they came to the place where Arthur was +encamped, and the pages were pitching his tent by the road-side. "Lord," +said Geraint, "all hail unto thee." "Heaven prosper thee; and who art +thou?" said Arthur. "It is Geraint," said Gwalchmai, "and of his own +free will would he not come to meet thee." "Verily," said Arthur, "he is +bereft of his reason." Then came Enid, and saluted Arthur. "Heaven +protect thee," said he. And thereupon he caused one of the pages to take +her from her horse. "Alas! Enid," said Arthur, "what expedition is +this?" "I know not, Lord," said she, "save that it behoves me to journey +by the same road that he journeys." "My Lord," said Geraint, "with thy +permission we will depart." "Whither wilt thou go?" said Arthur. "Thou +canst not proceed now, unless it be unto thy death." {53} "He will not +suffer himself to be invited by me," said Gwalchmai. "But by me he +will," said Arthur; "and, moreover, he does not go from here until he is +healed." "I had rather, Lord," said Geraint, "that thou wouldest let me +go forth." "That will I not, I declare to Heaven," said he. Then he +caused a maiden to be sent for to conduct Enid to the tent where +Gwenhwyvar's chamber was. And Gwenhwyvar and all her women were joyful +at her coming, and they took off her riding dress, and placed other +garments upon her. Arthur also called Kadyrieith, and ordered him to +pitch a tent for Geraint, and the physicians, and he enjoined him to +provide him with abundance of all that might be requisite for him. And +Kadyrieith did as he had commanded him. And Morgan Tud and his disciples +were brought to Geraint. + +And Arthur and his hosts remained there nearly a month, whilst Geraint +was being healed. And when he was fully recovered, Geraint came to +Arthur, and asked his permission to depart. "I know not if thou art +quite well." "In truth I am, Lord," said Geraint. "I shall not believe +thee concerning that, but the physicians that were with thee." So Arthur +caused the physicians to be summoned to him, and asked them if it were +true. "It is true, Lord," said Morgan Tud. So the next day Arthur +permitted him to go forth, and he pursued his journey. And on the same +day Arthur removed thence. And Geraint desired Enid to go on, and to +keep before him, as she had formerly done. And she went forward along +the high road. And as they journeyed thus, they heard an exceeding loud +wailing near to them. "Stay thou here," said he, "and I will go and see +what is the cause of this wailing." "I will," said she. Then he went +forward into an open glade that was near the road. And in the glade he +saw two horses, one having a man's saddle, and the other a woman's saddle +upon it. And, behold, there was a knight lying dead in his armour, and a +young damsel in a riding dress standing over him, lamenting. "Ah! Lady," +said Geraint, "what hath befallen thee?" "Behold," she answered, "I +journeyed here with my beloved husband, when, lo! three giants came upon +us, and without any cause in the world, they slew him." "Which way went +they hence?" said Geraint. "Yonder by the high road," she replied. So +he returned to Enid. "Go," said he, "to the lady that is below yonder, +and await me there till I come." She was sad when he ordered her to do +thus, but nevertheless she went to the damsel, whom it was ruth to hear, +and she felt certain that Geraint would never return. Meanwhile Geraint +followed the giants, and overtook them. And each of them was greater of +stature than three other men, and a huge club was on the shoulder of +each. Then he rushed upon one of them, and thrust his lance through his +body. And having drawn it forth again, he pierced another of them +through likewise. But the third turned upon him, and struck him with his +club, so that he split his shield, and crushed his shoulder, and opened +his wounds anew, and all his blood began to flow from him. But Geraint +drew his sword, and attacked the giant, and gave him a blow on the crown +of his head so severe, and fierce, and violent, that his head and his +neck were split down to his shoulders, and he fell dead. So Geraint left +him thus, and returned to Enid. And when he saw her, he fell down +lifeless from his horse. Piercing, and loud, and thrilling was the cry +that Enid uttered. And she came and stood over him where he had fallen. +And at the sound of her cries came the Earl of Limours, and the host that +journeyed with him, whom her lamentations brought out of their road. And +the Earl said to Enid, "Alas, Lady, what hath befallen thee?" "Ah! good +Sir," said she, "the only man I have loved, or ever shall love, is +slain." Then he said to the other, "And what is the cause of thy grief?" +"They have slain my beloved husband also," said she. "And who was it +that slew them?" "Some giants," she answered, "slew my best beloved, and +the other knight went in pursuit of them, and came back in the state thou +seest, his blood flowing excessively; but it appears to me that he did +not leave the giants without killing some of them, if not all." The Earl +caused the knight that was dead to be buried, but he thought that there +still remained some life in Geraint; and to see if he yet would live, he +had him carried with him in the hollow of his shield, and upon a bier. +And the two damsels went to the court; and when they arrived there, +Geraint was placed upon a litter-couch in front of the table that was in +the hall. Then they all took off their travelling gear, and the Earl +besought Enid to do the same, and to clothe herself in other garments. "I +will not, by Heaven," said she. "Ah! Lady," said he, "be not so +sorrowful for this matter." "It were hard to persuade me to be +otherwise," said she. "I will act towards thee in such wise, that thou +needest not be sorrowful, whether yonder knight live or die. Behold, a +good Earldom, together with myself, will I bestow on thee; be, therefore, +happy and joyful." "I declare to Heaven," said she, "that henceforth I +shall never be joyful while I live." "Come, then," said he, "and eat." +"No, by Heaven, I will not," she answered. "But by Heaven thou shalt," +said he. So he took her with him to the table against her will, and many +times desired her to eat. "I call Heaven to witness," said she, "that I +will not eat until the man that is upon yonder bier shall eat likewise." +"Thou canst not fulfil that," said the Earl, "yonder man is dead +already." "I will prove that I can," said she. Then he offered her a +goblet of liquor. "Drink this goblet," he said, "and it will cause thee +to change thy mind." "Evil betide me," she answered, "if I drink aught +until he drink also." "Truly," said the Earl, "it is of no more avail +for me to be gentle with thee than ungentle." And he gave her a box in +the ear. Thereupon she raised a loud and piercing shriek, and her +lamentations were much greater than they had been before, for she +considered in her mind that had Geraint been alive, he durst not have +struck her thus. But, behold, at the sound of her cry Geraint revived +from his swoon, and he sat up on the bier, and finding his sword in the +hollow of his shield, he rushed to the place where the Earl was, and +struck him a fiercely-wounding, severely-venomous, and sternly-smiting +blow upon the crown of his head, so that he clove him in twain, until his +sword was stayed by the table. Then all left the board and fled away. +And this was not so much through fear of the living as through the dread +they felt at seeing the dead man rise up to slay them. And Geraint +looked upon Enid, and he was grieved for two causes; one was, to see that +Enid had lost her colour and her wonted aspect; and the other, to know +that she was in the right. "Lady," said he, "knowest thou where our +horses are?" "I know, Lord, where thy horse is," she replied, "but I +know not where is the other. Thy horse is in the house yonder." So he +went to the house, and brought forth his horse, and mounted him, and took +up Enid from the ground, and placed her upon the horse with him. And he +rode forward. And their road lay between two hedges. And the night was +gaining on the day. And, lo! they saw behind them the shafts of spears +betwixt them and the sky, and they heard the trampling of horses, and the +noise of a host approaching. "I hear something following us," said he, +"and I will put thee on the other side of the hedge." And thus he did. +And thereupon, behold, a knight pricked towards him, and couched his +lance. When Enid saw this, she cried out, saying, "Oh! chieftain, +whoever thou art, what renown wilt thou gain by slaying a dead man?" "Oh! +Heaven," said he, "is it Geraint?" "Yes, in truth," said she. "And who +art thou?" "I am the Little King," he answered, "coming to thy +assistance, for I heard that thou wast in trouble. And if thou hadst +followed my advice, none of these hardships would have befallen thee." +"Nothing can happen," said Geraint, "without the will of Heaven, though +much good results from counsel." "Yes," said the Little King, "and I +know good counsel for thee now. Come with me to the court of a son-in- +law of my sister, which is near here, and thou shalt have the best +medical assistance in the kingdom." "I will do so, gladly," said +Geraint. And Enid was placed upon the horse of one of the Little King's +squires, and they went forward to the Baron's palace. And they were +received there with gladness, and they met with hospitality and +attention. And the next morning they went to seek physicians; and it was +not long before they came, and they attended Geraint until he was +perfectly well. And while Geraint was under medical care, the Little +King caused his armour to be repaired, until it was as good as it had +ever been. And they remained there a fortnight and a month. + +Then the Little King said to Geraint, "Now will we go towards my own +Court, to take rest and amuse ourselves." "Not so," said Geraint, "we +will first journey for one day more, and return again." "With all my +heart," said the Little King, "do thou go then." And early in the day +they set forth. And more gladly and more joyfully did Enid journey with +them that day than she had ever done. And they came to the main road. +And when they reached a place where the road divided in two, they beheld +a man on foot coming towards them along one of these roads, and Gwiffert +asked the man whence he came. "I come," said he, "from an errand in the +country." "Tell me," said Geraint, "which is the best for me to follow +of these two roads?" "That is the best for thee to follow," answered he, +"for if thou goest by this one, thou wilt never return. Below us," said +he, "there is a hedge of mist, and within it are enchanted games, and no +one who has gone there has ever returned. And the Court of the Earl +Owain is there, and he permits no one to go to lodge in the town except +he will go to his Court." "I declare to Heaven," said Geraint, "that we +will take the lower road." And they went along it until they came to the +town. And they took the fairest and pleasantest place in the town for +their lodging. And while they were thus, behold, a young man came to +them, and greeted them. "Heaven be propitious to thee," said they. "Good +Sirs," said he, "what preparations are you making here?" "We are taking +up our lodging," said they, "to pass the night." "It is not the custom +with him who owns the town," he answered, "to permit any of gentle birth, +unless they come to stay in his Court, to abide here; therefore, come you +to the Court." "We will come, gladly," said Geraint. And they went with +the page, and they were joyfully received. And the Earl came to the hall +to meet them, and he commanded the tables to be laid. And they washed, +and sat down. And this is the order in which they sat, Geraint on one +side of the Earl, and Enid on the other side, and next to Enid the Little +King, and then the Countess next to Geraint, and all after that as became +their rank. Then Geraint recollected the games, and thought that he +should not go to them; and on that account he did not eat. Then the Earl +looked upon Geraint, and considered, and he bethought him that his not +eating was because of the games, and it grieved him that he had ever +established those games, were it only on account of losing such a youth +as Geraint. And if Geraint had asked him to abolish the games, he would +gladly have done so. Then the Earl said to Geraint, "What thought +occupies thy mind, that thou dost not eat? If thou hesitatest about +going to the games, thou shall not go, and no other of thy rank shall +ever go either." "Heaven reward thee," said Geraint, "but I wish nothing +better than to go to the games, and to be shown the way thither." "If +that is what thou dost prefer, thou shalt obtain it willingly." "I do +prefer it, indeed," said he. Then they ate, and they were amply served, +and they had a variety of gifts, and abundance of liquor. And when they +had finished eating, they arose. And Geraint called for his horse and +his armour, and he accoutred both himself and his horse. And all the +hosts went forth until they came to the side of the hedge, and the hedge +was so lofty, that it reached as high as they could see in the air, and +upon every stake in the hedge, except two, there was the head of a man, +and the number of stakes throughout the hedge was very great. Then said +the Little King, "May no one go in with the chieftain?" "No one may," +said Earl Owain. "Which way can I enter?" enquired Geraint. "I know +not," said Owain, "but enter by the way that thou wilt, and that seemeth +easiest to thee." + +Then fearlessly and unhesitatingly Geraint dashed forward into the mist. +And on leaving the mist he came to a large orchard, and in the orchard he +saw an open space, wherein was a tent of red satin, and the door of the +tent was open, and an apple-tree stood in front of the door of the tent, +and on a branch of the apple-tree hung a huge hunting horn. Then he +dismounted, and went into the tent, and there was no one in the tent save +one maiden sitting in a golden chair, and another chair was opposite to +her, empty. And Geraint went to the empty chair, and sat down therein. +"Ah! chieftain," said the maiden, "I would not counsel thee to sit in +that chair." "Wherefore?" said Geraint. "The man to whom that chair +belongs has never suffered another to sit in it." "I care not," said +Geraint, "though it displease him that I sit in the chair." And +thereupon they heard a mighty tumult around the tent. And Geraint looked +to see what was the cause of the tumult. And he beheld without a knight +mounted upon a war-horse, proudly-snorting, high-mettled, and large of +bone, and a robe of honour in two parts was upon him and upon his horse, +and beneath it was plenty of armour. "Tell me, chieftain," said he to +Geraint, "who it was that bade thee sit there?" "Myself," answered he. +"It was wrong of thee to do me this shame and disgrace. Arise, and do me +satisfaction for thine insolence." Then Geraint arose, and they +encountered immediately, and they broke a set of lances; and a second +set; and a third; and they gave each other fierce and frequent strokes; +and at last Geraint became enraged, and he urged on his horse, and rushed +upon him, and gave him a thrust on the centre of his shield, so that it +was split, and so that the head of his lance went through his armour, and +his girths were broken, and he himself was borne headlong to the ground +the length of Geraint's lance and arm, over his horse's crupper. "Oh, my +Lord!" said he, "thy mercy, and thou shalt have what thou wilt." "I only +desire," said Geraint, "that this game shall no longer exist here, nor +the hedge of mist, nor magic, nor enchantment." "Thou shalt have this +gladly, Lord," he replied. "Cause then the mist to disappear from this +place," said Geraint. "Sound yonder horn," said he, "and when thou +soundest it, the mist will vanish; but it will not go hence unless the +horn be blown by the knight by whom I am vanquished." And sad and +sorrowful was Enid where she remained, through anxiety concerning +Geraint. Then Geraint went and sounded the horn. And at the first blast +he gave, the mist vanished. And all the hosts came together, and they +all became reconciled to each other. And the Earl invited Geraint and +the Little King to stay with him that night. And the next morning they +separated. And Geraint went towards his own dominions; and thenceforth +he reigned prosperously, and his warlike fame and splendour lasted with +renown and honour both to him and to Enid from that time forward. + +{Picture: p62.jpg} + + + + +KILHWCH AND OLWEN +OR THE +TWRCH TRWYTH + + +{Picture: p63.jpg} + +Kilydd, the son of Prince Kelyddon desired a wife as a helpmate, and the +wife that he chose was Goleuddydd, the daughter of Prince Anlawdd. And +after their union the people put up prayers that they might have an heir. +And they had a son through the prayers of the people. From the time of +her pregnancy Goleuddydd became wild, and wandered about, without +habitation; but when her delivery was at hand, her reason came back to +her. Then she went to a mountain where there was a swineherd, keeping a +herd of swine. And through fear of the swine the queen was delivered. +And the swineherd took the boy, and brought him to the palace; and he was +christened, and they called him Kilhwch, because he had been found in a +swine's burrow. Nevertheless the boy was of gentle lineage, and cousin +unto Arthur; and they put him out to nurse. + +After this the boy's mother, Goleuddydd, the daughter of Prince Anlawdd, +fell sick. Then she called her husband unto her, and said to him, "Of +this sickness I shall die, and thou wilt take another wife. Now wives +are the gift of the Lord, but it would be wrong for thee to harm thy son. +Therefore I charge thee that thou take not a wife until thou see a briar +with two blossoms upon my grave." And this he promised her. Then she +besought him to dress her grave every year, that nothing might grow +thereon. {64} So the queen died. Now the king sent an attendant every +morning to see if anything were growing upon the grave. And at the end +of the seventh year the master neglected that which he had promised to +the queen. + +One day the king went to hunt, and he rode to the place of burial, to see +the grave, and to know if it were time that he should take a wife; and +the king saw the briar. And when he saw it, the king took counsel where +he should find a wife. Said one of his counsellors, "I know a wife that +will suit thee well, and she is the wife of King Doged." And they +resolved to go to seek her; and they slew the king, and brought away his +wife and one daughter that she had along with her. And they conquered +the king's lands. + +On a certain day as the lady walked abroad, she came to the house of an +old crone that dwelt in the town, and that had no tooth in her head. And +the queen said to her, "Old woman, tell me that which I shall ask thee, +for the love of Heaven. Where are the children of the man who has +carried me away by violence?" Said the crone, "He has not children." +Said the queen, "Woe is me, that I should have come to one who is +childless!" Then said the hag, "Thou needest not lament on account of +that, for there is a prediction that he shall have an heir by thee, and +by none other. Moreover, be not sorrowful, for he has one son." + +The lady returned home with joy, and she asked her consort, "Wherefore +hast thou concealed thy children from me?" The king said, "I will do so +no longer." And he sent messengers for his son, and he was brought to +the Court. His stepmother said unto him, "It were well for thee to have +a wife, and I have a daughter who is sought of every man of renown in the +world." "I am not yet of an age to wed," answered the youth. Then said +she unto him, "I declare to thee, that it is thy destiny not to be suited +with a wife until thou obtain Olwen, the daughter of Yspaddaden Penkawr." +And the youth blushed, and the love of the maiden diffused itself through +all his frame, although he had never seen her. And his father enquired +of him, "What has come over thee, my son, and what aileth thee?" "My +stepmother has declared to me, that I shall never have a wife until I +obtain Olwen, the daughter of Yspaddaden Penkawr." "That will be easy +for thee," answered his father. "Arthur is thy cousin. Go, therefore, +unto Arthur, to cut thy hair, and ask this of him as a boon." + +{Picture: p66.jpg} + +And the youth pricked forth upon a steed with head dappled grey, of four +winters old, firm of limb, with shell-formed hoofs, having a bridle of +linked gold on his head, and upon him a saddle of costly gold. And in +the youth's hand were two spears of silver, sharp, well-tempered, headed +with steel, three ells in length, of an edge to wound the wind, and cause +blood to flow, and swifter than the fall {66} of the dew-drop from the +blade of reed grass upon the earth, when the dew of June is at the +heaviest. A gold-hilted sword was upon his thigh, the blade of which was +of gold, bearing a cross of inlaid gold of the hue of the lightning of +heaven: his war-horn was of ivory. Before him were two brindled white- +breasted greyhounds, having strong collars of rubies about their necks, +reaching from the shoulder to the ear. And the one that was on the left +side bounded across to the right side, and the one on the right to the +left, and like two sea swallows sported around him. And his courser cast +up four sods with his four hoofs, like four swallows in the air, about +his head, now above, now below. About him was a four-cornered cloth of +purple, and an apple of gold was at each corner; and every one of the +apples was of the value of an hundred kine. And there was precious gold +of the value of three hundred kine upon his shoes, and upon his stirrups, +from his knee to the tip of his toe. And the blade of grass bent not +beneath him, so light was his courser's tread as he journeyed towards the +gate of Arthur's palace. + +Spoke the youth, "Is there a porter?" "There is; and if thou holdest not +thy peace, small will be thy welcome. {67} I am Arthur's porter every +first day of January. And during every other part of the year but this +the office is filled by Huandaw, and Gogigwc, and Llaeskenym, and +Pennpingyon, who goes upon his head to save his feet, neither towards the +sky nor towards the earth, but like a rolling stone upon the floor of the +Court." "Open the portal." "I will not open it." "Wherefore not?" "The +knife is in the meat, and the drink is in the horn, and there is revelry +in Arthur's hall, and none may enter therein but the son of a king of a +privileged country, or a craftsman bringing his craft. But there will be +refreshment for thy dogs, and for thy horses; and for thee there will be +collops cooked and peppered, and luscious wine and mirthful songs, and +food for fifty men shall be brought unto thee in the guest chamber, where +the stranger and the sons of other countries eat, who come not unto the +precincts of the Palace of Arthur. Thou wilt fare no worse there than +thou wouldest with Arthur in the Court. A lady shall smooth thy couch, +and shall lull thee with songs; and early to-morrow morning, when the +gate is open for the multitude that came hither to-day, for thee shall it +be opened first, and thou mayest sit in the place that thou shall choose +in Arthur's Hall, from the upper end to the lower." Said the youth, +"That will I not do. If thou openest the gate, it is well. If thou dost +not open it, I will bring disgrace upon thy Lord, and evil report upon +thee. And I will set up three shouts at this very gate, than which none +were ever more deadly, from the top of Pengwaed in Cornwall to the bottom +of Dinsol, in the North, and to Esgair Oervel, in Ireland. And all the +women in this Palace that are pregnant shall lose their offspring; and +such as are not pregnant, their hearts shall be turned by illness, so +that they shall never bear children from this day forward." "What +clamour soever thou mayest make," said Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr, "against the +laws of Arthur's Palace, shalt thou not enter therein, until I first go +and speak with Arthur." Then Glewlwyd went into the Hall. And Arthur +said to him, "Hast thou news from the gate?"--"Half of my life is past, +and half of thine. I was heretofore in Kaer Se and Asse, in Sach and +Salach, in Lotor and Fotor; and I have been heretofore in India the Great +and India the Lesser; and I was in the battle of Dau Ynyr, when the +twelve hostages were brought from Llychlyn. And I have also been in +Europe, and in Africa, and in the Islands of Corsica, and in Caer +Brythwch, and Brythach, and Verthach; and I was present when formerly +thou didst slay the family of Clis the son of Merin, and when thou didst +slay Mil Du, the son of Ducum, and when thou didst conquer Greece in the +East. And I have been in Caer Oeth and Annoeth, and in Caer Nevenhyr; +nine supreme sovereigns, handsome men, saw we there, but never did I +behold a man of equal dignity with him who is now at the door of the +portal." Then said Arthur, "If walking thou didst enter in here, return +thou running. And every one that beholds the light, and every one that +opens and shuts the eye, let him show him respect, and serve him, some +with gold-mounted drinking horns, others with collops cooked and +peppered, until food and drink can be prepared for him. It is unbecoming +to keep such a man as thou sayest he is in the wind and the rain." Said +Kai, "By the hand of my friend, if thou wouldest follow my counsel, thou +wouldest not break through the laws of the Court because of him." "Not +so, blessed Kai, it is an honour to us to be resorted to, and the greater +our courtesy, the greater will be our renown, and our fame, and our +glory." + +And Glewlwyd came to the gate, and opened the gate before him; and +although all dismounted upon the horse-block at the gate, yet did he not +dismount, but he rode in upon his charger. Then said Kilhwch, "Greeting +be unto thee, Sovereign Ruler of this Island; and be this greeting no +less unto the lowest than unto the highest, and be it equally unto thy +guests, and thy warriors, and thy chieftains--let all partake of it as +completely as thyself. And complete be thy favour, and thy fame, and thy +glory, throughout all this Island." "Greeting unto thee also," said +Arthur, "sit thou between two of my warriors, and thou shalt have +minstrels before thee, and thou shalt enjoy the privileges of a king born +to a throne, as long as thou remainest here. And when I dispense my +presents to the visitors and strangers in this Court, they shall be in +thy hand at my commencing." Said the youth, "I came not here to consume +meat and drink; but if I obtain the boon that I seek, I will requite it +thee, and extol thee; and if I have it not, I will bear forth thy +dispraise to the four quarters of the world, as far as thy renown has +extended." Then said Arthur, "Since thou wilt not remain here, +chieftain, thou shalt receive the boon whatsoever thy tongue may name, as +far as the wind dries and the rain moistens, and the sun revolves, and +the sea encircles, and the earth extends; save only my ship; and my +mantle; and Caledvwlch, my sword, and Rhongomyant, my lance; and +Wynebgwrthucher, my shield; and Carnwenhau, {70a} my dagger; and +Gwenhwyvar, my wife. By the truth of Heaven, thou shalt have it +cheerfully, name what thou wilt." "I would that thou bless {70b} my +hair." "That shalt be granted thee." + +And Arthur took a golden comb, and scissors, whereof the loops were of +silver, and he combed his hair. And Arthur enquired of him who he was. +"For my heart warms unto thee, and I know that thou art come of my blood. +Tell me, therefore, who thou art." "I will tell thee," said the youth, +"I am Kilhwch, the son of Kilydd, the son of Prince Kelyddon, by +Goleuddydd, my mother, the daughter of Prince Anlawdd." "That is true," +said Arthur. "Thou art my cousin. Whatsoever boon thou mayest ask, thou +shalt receive, be it what it may that thy tongue shall name." "Pledge +the truth of Heaven and the faith of thy kingdom thereof." "I pledge it +thee, gladly." "I crave of thee then, that thou obtain for me Olwen, the +daughter of Yspaddaden Penkawr, and this boon I likewise seek at the +hands of thy warriors. I seek it from Kai, and Bedwyr, and Greidawl +Galldonyd, {71a} and Gwythyr the son of Greidawl, and Greid the son of +Eri, and Kynddelig Kyvarwydd, and Tathal Twyll Goleu, and Maelwys the son +of Baeddan, and Crychwr {71b} the son of Nes, and Cubert the son of +Daere, and Percos the son of Poch, and Lluber Beuthach, and Corvil +Bervach, and Gwynn the son of Nudd, and Edeyrn the son of Nudd, and Gadwy +{71c} the son of Geraint, and Prince Fflewddur Fflam, and Ruawn Pebyr the +son of Dorath, and Bradwen the son of Moren Mynawc, and Moren Mynawc +himself, and Dalldav the son of Kimin Cov, and the son of Alun Dyved, and +the son of Saidi, and the son of Gwryon, and Uchtryd Ardywad Kad, and +Kynwas Curvagyl, and Gwrhyr Gwarthegvras, and Isperyr Ewingath, and +Gallcoyt Govynynat, and Duach, and Grathach, and Nerthach, the sons of +Gwawrddur Kyrvach, (these men came forth from the confines of Hell), and +Kilydd Canhastyr, and Canastyr Kanllaw, and Cors Cant-Ewin, and Esgeir +Gulhwch Govynkawn, and Drustwrn Hayarn, and Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr, and +Lloch Llawwynnyawc, and Aunwas {71d} Adeiniawc, and Sinnoch the son of +Seithved, and Gwennwynwyn the son of Naw, and Bedyw the son of Seithved, +and Gobrwy the son of Echel Vorddwyttwll, and Echel Vorddwyttwll himself, +and Mael the son of Roycol, and Dadweir Dallpenn, and Garwyli the son of +Gwythawc Gwyr, and Gwythawc Gwyr himself, and Gormant the son of Ricca, +and Menw the son of Teirgwaedd, and Digon the son of Alar, and Selyf the +son of Smoit, {71e} and Gusg the son of Atheu, and Nerth the son of +Kedarn, and Drudwas the son of Tryffin, and Twrch the son of Perif, and +Twrch the son of Annwas, and Iona king of France, and Sel the son of +Selgi, and Teregud the son of Iaen, and Sulyen the son of Iaen, and +Bradwen the son of Iaen, and Moren the son of Iaen, and Siawn the son of +Iaen, and Cradawc the son of Iaen. (They were men of Caerdathal, of +Arthur's kindred on his father's side.) Dirmyg the son of Kaw, and +Justic the son of Kaw, and Etmic the son of Kaw, and Anghawd the son of +Kaw, and Ovan the son of Kaw, and Kelin the son of Kaw, and Connyn the +son of Kaw, and Mabsant the son of Kaw, and Gwyngad the son of Kaw, and +Llwybyr the son of Kaw, and Coth the son of Kaw, and Meilic the son of +Kaw, and Kynwas the son of Kaw, and Ardwyad the son of Kaw, and Ergyryad +the son of Kaw, and Neb the son of Kaw, and Gilda the son of Kaw, and +Calcas the son of Kaw, and Hueil the son of Kaw, (he never yet made a +request at the hand of any Lord). And Samson Vinsych, and Taliesin the +chief of the bards, and Mamawyddan the son of Llyr, and Llary the son of +Prince Kasnar, and Ysperni {72a} the son of Fflergant king of Armorica, +and Saranhon the son of Glythwyr, and Llawr Eilerw, and Annyanniawc the +son of Menw the son of Teirgwaedd, and Gwynn the son of Nwyvre, and Fflam +the son of Nwyvre, and Geraint the son of Erbin, and Ermid {72b} the son +of Erbin, and Dyvel the son of Erbin, and Gwynn the son of Ermid, and +Kyndrwyn the son of Ermid, and Hyveidd Unllenn, and Eiddon Vawr Vrydic, +and Reidwn Arwy, and Gormant the son of Ricca (Arthur's brother by his +mother's side; the Penhynev of Cornwall was his father), and Llawnrodded +Varvawc, and Nodawl Varyf Twrch, and Berth the son of Kado, and Rheidwn +the son of Beli, and Iscovan Hael, and Iscawin the son of Panon, and +Morvran the son of Tegid (no one struck him in the battle of Camlan by +reason of his ugliness; all thought he was an auxiliary devil. Hair had +he upon him like the hair of a stag). And Sandde Bryd Angel (no one +touched him with a spear in the battle of Camlan because of his beauty; +all thought he was a ministering angel). And Kynwyl Sant, the third man +that escaped from the battle of Camlan, (and he was the last who parted +from Arthur on Hengroen his horse). And Uchtryd the son of Erim, and Eus +the son of Erim, and Henwas Adeinawg the son of Erim, and Henbedestyr the +son of Erim, and Sgilti Yscawndroed son of Erim. (Unto these three men +belonged these three qualities,--with Henbedestyr there was not any one +who could keep pace, either on horseback or on foot; with Henwas +Adeinawg, no four-footed beast could run the distance of an acre, much +less could it go beyond it; and as to Sgilti Yscawndroed, when he +intended to go upon a message for his Lord, he never sought to find a +path, but knowing whither he was to go, if his way lay through a wood he +went along the tops of the trees. During his whole life, a blade of reed +grass bent not beneath his feet, much less did one ever break, so lightly +did he tread.) Teithi Hen the son of Gwynhan, (his dominions were +swallowed up by the sea and he himself hardly escaped, and he came to +Arthur; and his knife had this peculiarity, that from the time that he +came there, no haft would ever remain upon it, and owing to this a +sickness came over him, and he pined away during the remainder of his +life, and of this he died). And Carneddyr the son of Govynyon Hen, and +Gwenwynwyn the son of Nav Gyssevin, Arthur's champion, and Llysgadrudd +Emys, and Gwrbothu Hen, (uncles unto Arthur were they, his mother's +brothers). Kulvanawyd the son of Goryon, and Llenlleawg {74a} Wyddel +from the headland of Ganion, and Dyvynwal Moel, and Dunard king of the +North, Teirnon Twryf Bliant, and Tegvan Gloff, and Tegyr Talgellawg, +Gwrdinal {74b} the son of Ebrei, and Morgant Hael, Gwystyl the son of +Rhun the son of Nwython, and Llwyddeu, the son of Nwython, and Gwydre the +son of Llwyddeu, (Gwenabwy the daughter of [Kaw] was his mother, Hueil +his uncle stabbed him, and hatred was between Hueil and Arthur because of +the wound). Drem the son of Dremidyd, (when the gnat arose in the +morning with the sun, he could see it from Gelli Wic in Cornwall, as far +off as Pen Blathaon in North Britain). And Eidyol the son of Ner, and +Glwyddyn Saer, (who constructed Ehangwen, Arthur's Hall). Kynyr +Keinvarvawc, (when he was told he had a son born, {74c} he said to his +wife, 'Damsel, if thy son be mine, his heart will be always cold, and +there will be no warmth in his hands; and he will have another +peculiarity, if he is my son he will always be stubborn; and he will have +another peculiarity, when he carries a burden, whether it be large or +small, no one will be able to see it, either before him or at his back; +and he will have another peculiarity, no one will be able to resist water +and fire so well as he will; and he will have another peculiarity, there +will never be a servant or an officer equal to him'). Henwas, and +Henwyneb, (an old companion to Arthur). Gwallgoyc, (another; when he +came to a town, though there were three hundred houses in it, if he +wanted any thing, he would not let sleep come to the eyes of any one +whilst he remained there). Berwyn the son of Gerenhir, and Paris king of +France, {75a} and Osla Gyllellvawr, (who bore a short broad dagger. When +Arthur and his hosts came before a torrent, they would seek for a narrow +place where they might pass the water, and would lay the sheathed dagger +across the torrent, and it would form a bridge sufficient for the armies +of the three Islands of Britain, and of the three Islands adjacent, with +their spoil). Gwyddawg the son of Menestyr, (who slew Kai, and whom +Arthur slew together with his brothers, to revenge Kai). Garanwyn the +son of Kai, and Amren the son of Bedwyr, and Ely Amyr, and Rheu Rhwyd +Dyrys, and Rhun Rhudwern, and Eli, and Trachmyr, (Arthur's chief +huntsmen). And Llwyddeu the son of Kelcoed, and Hunabwy the son of +Gwryon, and Gwynn Godyvron, and Gweir Datharwenniddawg, and Gweir the son +of Cadell the son of Talaryant, {75b} and Gweir Gwrhyd Ennwir, and Gweir +Paladyr Hir, (the uncles of Arthur, the brothers of his mother). The +sons of Llwch Llawwynnyawg, (from beyond the raging sea). Llenlleawg +Wyddel, and Ardderchawg Prydain. Cas the son of Saidi, Gwrvan Gwallt +Avwyn, and Gwyllennhin the king of France, and Gwittart the son of Oedd +king of Ireland, Garselit Wyddel, Panawr Pen Bagad, and Ffleudor the son +of Nav, Gwynnhyvar mayor of Cornwall and Devon, (the ninth man that +rallied the battle of Camlan). Keli and Kueli, and Gilla Coes Hydd, (he +would clear three hundred acres at one bound. The chief leaper of +Ireland was he). Sol, and Gwadyn Ossol and Gwadyn Odyeith. (Sol could +stand all day upon one foot. Gwadyn Ossol, if he stood upon the top of +the highest mountain in the world, it would become a level plain under +his feet. Gwadyn Odyeith, the soles of his feet emitted sparks of fire +when they struck upon things hard, like the heated mass when drawn out of +the forge. He cleared the way for Arthur when he came to any stoppage.) +Hirerwm and Hiratrwm. (The day they went on a visit three Cantrevs +provided for their entertainment, and they feasted until noon and drank +until night, when they went to sleep. And then they devoured the heads +of the vermin through hunger, as if they had never eaten anything. When +they made a visit, they left neither the fat nor the lean, neither the +hot nor the cold, the sour nor the sweet, the fresh nor the salt, the +boiled nor the raw.) Huarwar the son of Aflawn, (who asked Arthur such a +boon as would satisfy him. It was the third great plague of Cornwall +when he received it. None could get a smile from him but when he was +satisfied). Gware Gwallt Euryn. The two cubs of Gast Rhymi, Gwyddrud +and Gwyddneu Astrus. Sugyn the son of Sugnedydd, (who would suck up the +sea on which were three hundred ships, so as to leave nothing but a dry +strand. He was broad-chested). {76a} Rhacymwri, the attendant of +Arthur; (whatever barn he was shown, were there the produce of thirty +ploughs within it, he would strike it with an iron flail until the +rafters, the beams, and the boards, were no better than the small oats in +the mow upon the floor of the barn). Dygyflwng, and Anoeth Veidawg. And +Hir Eiddyl, and Hir Amreu, (they were two attendants of Arthur). And +Gwevyl the son of Gwestad, (on the day that he was sad, he would let one +of his lips drop below his waist, while he turned up the other like a cap +upon his head). Uchtryd Varyf Draws, (who spread his red untrimmed beard +over the eight-and-forty rafters which were in Arthur's Hall). Elidyr +Gyvarwydd, Yskyrdav, and Yscudydd, (two attendants of Gwenhwyvar were +they. Their feet were swift as their thoughts when bearing a message). +Brys the son of Bryssethach, (from the Hill of the Black Fernbrake in +North Britain). And Grudlwyn Gorr. Bwlch, and Kyfwlch, and Sefwlch, the +sons of Cleddyf Kyfwlch, the grandsons of Cleddyf Difwlch. (Their three +shields were three gleaming glitterers; their three spears were three +pointed piercers; their three swords were three griding gashers; Glas, +Glessic, and Gleisad. Their three dogs, Call, Cuall, and Cavall. Their +three horses, Hwyrdyddwd, and Drwgdyddwd, and Llwyrdyddwg. {77a} Their +three wives, Och, and Garym, and Diaspad. Their three grand-children, +Lluched, and Neved, and Eissiwed. Their three daughters, Drwg, and +Gwaeth, and Gwaethav Oll. Their three handmaids, Eheubryd the daughter +of Kyfwlch, Gorascwrn the daughter of Nerth, Ewaedan the daughter of +Kynvelyn Keudawd Pwyll the half man.) Dwnn Diessic Unbenn, Eiladyr the +son of Pen Llarcau, Kynedyr Wyllt the son of Hettwn Talaryant, Sawyl, Ben +Uchel, Gwalchmai the son of Gwyar, Gwalhaved the son of Gwyar, Gwrhyr +Gwastawd Ieithoedd, (to whom all tongues were known,) and Kethcrwn {77b} +the Priest. Clust the son of Clustveinad, (though he were buried seven +cubits beneath the earth, he would hear the ant, fifty miles off, rise +from her nest in the morning). Medyr the son of Methredydd, (from Gelli +Wic he could, in a twinkling, shoot the wren through the two legs upon +Esgeir Oervel in Ireland). Gwiawn Llygad Cath, (who would cut a haw from +the eye of the gnat without hurting him). Ol the son of Olwydd; (seven +years before he was born his father's swine were carried off, and when he +grew up a man, he tracked the swine, and brought them back in seven +herds). Bedwini the Bishop, (who blessed Arthur's meat and drink). For +the sake of the golden-chained daughters of this island. For the sake of +Gwenhwyvar, its chief lady, and Gwennhwyach her sister, and Rathtyeu the +only daughter of Clemenhill, and Rhelemon the daughter of Kai, and +Tannwen the daughter of Gweir Datharweniddawg. {78a} Gwenn Alarch, the +daughter of Kynwyl Canbwch. {78b} Eurneid the daughter of Clydno Eiddin. +Eneuawc the daughter of Bedwyr. Enrydreg the daughter of Tudvathar. +Gwennwledyr the daughter of Gwaledyr Kyrvach. Erddudnid the daughter of +Tryffin. Eurolwen the daughter of Gwdolwyn Gorr. Teleri the daughter of +Peul. Indeg the daughter of Garwy {78c} Hir. Morvudd the daughter of +Urien Rheged. Gwenllian Deg the majestic maiden. Creiddylad the +daughter of Llud Llaw Ereint. (She was the most splendid maiden in the +three Islands of the mighty, and in the three Islands adjacent, and for +her Gwythyr the son of Greidawl and Gwynn the son of Nudd fight every +first of May until the day of doom.) Ellylw the daughter of Neol Kynn- +Crog. (She lived three ages.) Essyllt Vinwen, and Essyllt Vingul." And +all these did Kilhwch son of Kilydd adjure to obtain his boon. + +Then said Arthur, "Oh! Chieftain, I have never heard of the maiden of +whom thou speakest, nor of her kindred, but I will gladly send messengers +in search of her. Give me time to seek her." And the youth said, "I +will willingly grant from this night to that at the end of the year to do +so." Then Arthur sent messengers to every land within his dominions, to +seek for the maiden, and at the end of the year Arthur's messengers +returned without having gained any knowledge or intelligence concerning +Olwen, more than on the first day. Then said Kilhwch, "Every one has +received his boon, and I yet lack mine. I will depart and bear away thy +honour with me." Then said Kai, "Rash chieftain! dost thou reproach +Arthur? Go with us, and we will not part until thou dost either confess +that the maiden exists not in the world, or until we obtain her." +Thereupon Kai rose up. Kai had this peculiarity, that his breath lasted +nine nights and nine days under water, and he could exist nine nights and +nine days without sleep. A wound from Kai's sword no physician could +heal. Very subtle was Kai. When it pleased him he could render himself +as tall as the highest tree in the forest. And he had another +peculiarity,--so great was the heat of his nature, that when it rained +hardest, whatever he carried remained dry for a handbreadth above and a +handbreadth below his hand; and when his companions were coldest, it was +to them as fuel with which to light their fire. + +And Arthur called Bedwyr, who never shrank from any enterprise upon which +Kai was bound. None were equal to him in swiftness throughout this +Island except Arthur and Drych Ail Kibddar. And although he was +one-handed, three warriors could not shed blood faster than he on the +field of battle. Another property he had, his lance would produce a +wound equal to those of nine opposing lances. + +And Arthur called to Kynddelig the Guide, "Go thou upon this expedition +with the chieftain." For as good a guide was he in a land which he had +never seen as he was in his own. + +He called Gwrhyr Gwalstawt Ieithoedd, because he knew all tongues. + +He called Gwalchmai the son of Gwyar, because he never returned home +without achieving the adventure of which he went in quest. He was the +best of footmen and the best of knights. He was nephew to Arthur, the +son of his sister, and his cousin. + +And Arthur called Menw the son of Teirgwaedd, in order that if they went +into a savage country, he might cast a charm and an illusion over them, +so that none might see them, whilst they could see every one. + +They journeyed until they came to a vast open plain, wherein they saw a +great castle, which was the fairest of the castles of the world. And +they journeyed that day until the evening, and when they thought they +were nigh to the castle, they were no nearer to it than they had been in +the morning. And the second and the third day they journeyed, and even +then scarcely could they reach so far. And when they came before the +castle, they beheld a vast flock of sheep, which was boundless, and +without an end. And upon the top of a mound there was a herdsman, +keeping the sheep. And a rug made of skins was upon him; and by his side +was a shaggy mastiff, larger than a steed nine winters old. Never had he +lost even a lamb from his flock, much less a large sheep. He let no +occasion ever pass without doing some hurt and harm. All the dead trees +and bushes in the plain he burnt with his breath down to the very ground. + +Then said Kai, "Gwrhyr Gwalstawt Ieithoedd, go thou and salute yonder +man." "Kai," said he, "I engaged not to go further than thou thyself." +"Let us go then together," answered Kai. {81a} Said Menw the son of +Teirgwaedd, "Fear not to go thither, for I will cast a spell upon the +dog, so that he shall injure no one." And they went up to the mound +whereon the herdsman was, and they said to him, "How dost thou fare? O +herdsman!" "No less fair be it to you than to me." "Truly, art thou the +chief?" "There is no hurt to injure me but my own." {81b} "Whose are +the sheep that thou dost keep, and to whom does yonder castle belong?" +"Stupid are ye, truly! Through the whole world is it known that this is +the castle of Yspaddaden Penkawr." "And who art thou?" "I am called +Custennin the son of Dyfnedig, and my brother Yspaddaden Penkawr +oppressed me because of my possession. And ye also, who are ye?" "We +are an embassy from Arthur, come to seek Olwen, the daughter of +Yspaddaden Penkawr." "Oh men! the mercy of Heaven be upon you, do not +that for all the world. None who ever came hither on this quest has +returned alive." And the herdsman rose up. And as he arose, Kilhwch +gave unto him a ring of gold. And he sought to put on the ring, but it +was too small for him, so he placed it in the finger of his glove. And +he went home, and gave the glove to his spouse to keep. And she took the +ring from the glove when it was given her, and she said, "Whence came +this ring, for thou art not wont to have good fortune?" "I went," said +he, "to the sea to seek for fish, and lo, I saw a corpse borne by the +waves. And a fairer corpse than it did I never behold. And from its +finger did I take this ring." "Oh man! does the sea permit its dead to +wear jewels? Show me then this body." "Oh wife, him to whom this ring +belonged thou shalt see herein the evening." {82} "And who is he?" asked +the woman. "Kilhwch the son of Kilydd, the son of Prince Kelyddon, by +Goleuddydd the daughter of Prince Anlawdd, his mother, who is come to +seek Olwen as his wife." And when she heard that, her feelings were +divided between the joy that she had that her nephew, the son of her +sister, was coming to her, and sorrow because she had never known any one +depart alive who had come on that quest. + +And they went forward to the gate of Custennin the herdsman's dwelling. +And when she heard their footsteps approaching, she ran out with joy to +meet them. And Kai snatched a billet out of the pile. And when she met +them she sought to throw her arms about their necks. And Kai placed the +log between her two hands, and she squeezed it so that it became a +twisted coil. "Oh woman," said Kai, "if thou hadst squeezed me thus, +none could ever again have set their affections on me. Evil love were +this." They entered into the house, and were served; and soon after they +all went forth to amuse themselves. Then the woman opened a stone chest +that was before the chimney corner, and out of it arose a youth with +yellow curling hair. Said Gwrhyr, "It is a pity to hide this youth. I +know that it is not his own crime that is thus visited upon him." "This +is but a remnant," said the woman. "Three and twenty of my sons has +Yspaddaden Penkawr slain, and I have no more hope of this one than of the +others." Then said Kai, "Let him come and be a companion with me, and he +shall not be slain unless I also am slain with him." And they ate. And +the woman asked them, "Upon what errand come you here?" "We come to seek +Olwen for this youth." Then said the woman, "In the name of Heaven, +since no one from the castle hath yet seen you, return again whence you +came." "Heaven is our witness, that we will not return until we have +seen the maiden." Said Kai, "Does she ever come hither, so that she may +be seen?" "She comes here every Saturday to wash her head, and in the +vessel where she washes, she leaves all her rings, and she never either +comes herself or sends any messengers to fetch them." "Will she come +here if she is sent to?" "Heaven knows that I will not destroy my soul, +nor will I betray those that trust me; unless you will pledge me your +faith that you will not harm her, I will not send to her." "We pledge +it," said they. So a message was sent, and she came. + +The maiden was clothed in a robe of flame-coloured silk, and about her +neck was a collar of ruddy gold, on which were precious emeralds and +rubies. More yellow was her head than the flower of the broom, and her +skin was whiter than the foam of the wave, and fairer were her hands and +her fingers than the blossoms of the wood anemone amidst the spray of the +meadow fountain. The eye of the trained hawk, the glance of the three- +mewed falcon, was not brighter than hers. Her bosom was more snowy than +the breast of the white swan, her cheek was redder than the reddest +roses. Whoso beheld her was filled with her love. Four white trefoils +sprung up wherever she trod. And therefore was she called Olwen. + +She entered the house, and sat beside Kilhwch upon the foremost bench; +and as soon as he saw her he knew her. And Kilhwch said unto her, "Ah! +maiden, thou art she whom I have loved; come away with me lest they speak +evil of thee and of me. Many a day have I loved thee." "I cannot do +this, for I have pledged my faith to my father not to go without his +counsel, for his life will last only until the time of my espousals. +Whatever is, must be. But I will give thee advice if thou wilt take it. +Go, ask me of my father, and that which he shall require of thee, grant +it, and thou wilt obtain me; but if thou deny him anything, thou wilt not +obtain me, and it will be well for thee if thou escape with thy life." "I +promise all this, if occasion offer," said he. {84a} + +She returned to her chamber, and they all rose up and followed her to the +castle. And they slew the nine porters that were at the nine gates in +silence. And they slew the nine watch-dogs without one of them barking. +And they went forward to the hall. + +"The greeting of Heaven and of man be unto thee, Yspaddaden Penkawr," +said they. "And you, wherefore come you?" "We come to ask thy daughter +Olwen, for Kilhwch the son of Kilydd, the son of Prince Kelyddon." "Where +are my pages and my servants? {84b} Raise up the forks beneath my two +eyebrows which have fallen over my eyes, that I may see the fashion of my +son-in-law." And they did so. "Come hither to-morrow, and you shall +have an answer." + +They rose to go forth, and Yspaddaden Penkawr seized one of the three +poisoned darts that lay beside him, and threw it after them. And Bedwyr +caught it, and flung it, and pierced Yspaddaden Penkawr grievously with +it through the knee. {85a} Then he said, "A cursed ungentle son-in-law, +truly. I shall ever walk the worse for his rudeness, and shall ever be +without a cure. This poisoned iron pains me like the bite of a gad-fly. +Cursed be the smith who forged it, and the anvil whereon it was wrought! +So sharp is it!" + +That night also they took up their abode in the house of Custennin the +herdsman. The next day with the dawn, they arrayed themselves in haste, +and proceeded to the castle, and entered the hall, and they said, +"Yspaddaden Penkawr, give us thy daughter in consideration of her dower +and her maiden fee, which we will pay to thee and to her two kinswomen +likewise. And unless thou wilt do so, thou shall meet with thy death on +her account." Then he said, "Her four great-grandmothers, and her four +great-grandsires are yet alive, it is needful that I take counsel of +them." "Be it so," answered they, "we will go to meat." As they rose +up; he took the second dart that was beside him, and cast it after them. +And Menw the son of Gwaedd caught it, and flung it back at him, and +wounded him in the centre of the breast, so that it came out at the small +of his back. "A cursed ungentle son-in-law, truly," said he, "the hard +iron pains me like the bite of a horse-leech. Cursed be the hearth +whereon it was heated, and the smith who formed it! So sharp is it! +Henceforth, whenever I go up a hill, I shall have a scant in my breath, +and a pain in my chest, and I shall often loathe my food." And they went +to meat. + +And the third day they returned to the palace. And Yspaddaden Penkawr +said to them, "Shoot not at me again unless you desire death. Where are +my attendants? Lift up the forks of my eyebrows which have fallen over +my eyeballs, that I may see the fashion of my son-in-law." Then they +arose, and, as they did so, Yspaddaden Penkawr took the third poisoned +dart, and cast it at them. And Kilhwch caught it, and threw it +vigorously, and wounded him through the eyeball, so that the dart came +out at the back of his head. "A cursed ungentle son-in-law, truly! As +long as I remain alive, my eyesight will be the worse. Whenever I go +against the wind, my eyes will water; and peradventure my head will burn, +and I shall have a giddiness every new moon. Cursed be the fire in which +it was forged. Like the bite of a mad dog is the stroke of this poisoned +iron." And they went to meat. + +And the next day they came again to the palace, and they said, "Shoot not +at us any more, unless thou desirest such hurt, and harm, and torture as +thou now hast, and even more. Give me thy daughter; and if thou wilt not +give her, thou shall receive thy death because of her." "Where is he +that seeks my daughter? Come hither where I may see thee." And they +placed him a chair face to face with him. + +Said Yspaddaden Penkawr, "Is it thou that seekest my daughter?" "It is +I," answered Kilhwch. "I must have thy pledge that thou wilt not do +towards me otherwise than is just, and, when I have gotten that which I +shall name, my daughter thou shalt have." "I promise thee that +willingly," said Kilhwch; "name what thou wilt." "I will do so," said +he. + +"Seest thou yonder vast hill?" "I see it." "I require that it be rooted +up, and that the grubbings be burned for manure on the face of the land, +and that it be ploughed and sown in one day, and in one day that the +grain ripen. And of that wheat I intend to make food and liquor fit for +the wedding of thee and my daughter. And all this I require to be done +in one day." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though this be easy for thee, there is yet that which will not be so. No +husbandman can till or prepare this land, so wild is it, except Amaethon +the son of Don, and he will not come with thee by his own free will, and +thou wilt not be able to compel him." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. +Govannon the son of Don to come to the headland to rid the iron, he will +do no work of his own good will except for a lawful king, and thou wilt +not be able to compel him." "It will be easy for me to compass this." +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get; the two +dun oxen of Gwlwlyd, {87} both yoked together, to plough the wild land +yonder stoutly. He will not give them of his own free will, and thou +wilt not be able to compel him." "It will be easy for me to compass +this." "Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get; +the yellow and the brindled bull yoked together do I require." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get; the two +horned oxen, one of which is beyond, and the other this side of the +peaked mountain, yoked together in the same plough. And these are +Nynniaw and Peibaw, whom God turned into oxen on account of their sins." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. Seest +thou yonder red tilled ground?" + +"I see it." + +"When first I met the mother of this maiden, nine bushels of flax were +sown therein, and none has yet sprung up, neither white nor black; and I +have the measure by me still. I require to have the flax to sow in the +new land yonder, that when it grows up it may make a white wimple, for my +daughter's head on the day of thy wedding." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. Honey +that is nine times sweeter than the honey of the virgin swarm, without +scum and bees, do I require to make bragget for the feast." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"The vessel of Llwyr the son of Llwyryon, which is of the utmost value. +There is no other vessel in the world that can hold this drink. Of his +free will thou wilt not get it, and thou canst not compel him." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. The +basket of Gwyddneu Garanhir, if the whole world should come together, +thrice nine men at a time, the meat that each of them desired would be +found within it. I require to eat therefrom on the night that my +daughter becomes thy bride. He will give it to no one of his own free +will, and thou canst not compel him." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. The +horn of Gwlgawd Gododin to serve us with liquor that night. He will not +give it of his own free will, and thou wilt not be able to compel him." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. The +harp of Teirtu to play to us that night. {89} When a man desires that it +should play, it does so of itself, and when he desires that it should +cease, it ceases. And this he will not give of his own free will, and +thou wilt not be able to compel him." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. The +cauldron of Diwrnach Wyddel, the steward of Odgar the son of Aedd, king +of Ireland, to boil the meat for thy marriage feast." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. It is +needful for me to wash my head, and shave my beard, and I require the +tusk of Yskithyrwyn Benbaedd to shave myself withal, neither shall I +profit by its use if it be not plucked alive out of his head." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. There +is no one in the world that can pluck it out of his head except Odgar the +son of Aedd, king of Ireland." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. I will +not trust any one to keep the tusk except Gado of North Britain. Now the +threescore Cantrevs of North Britain are under his sway, and of his own +free will he will not come out of his kingdom, and thou wilt not be able +to compel him." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it wilt not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. I must +spread out my hair in order to shave it, and it will never be spread out +unless I have the blood of the jet black sorceress, the daughter of the +pure white sorceress, from Pen Nant Govid, on the confines of Hell." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. I will +not have the blood unless I have it warm, and no vessels will keep warm +the liquid that is put therein except the bottles of Gwyddolwyn Gorr, +which preserve the heat of the liquor that is put into them in the east, +until they arrive at the west. And he will not give them of his own free +will, and thou wilt not be able to compel him." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. Some +will desire fresh milk, and it will not be possible to have fresh milk +for all, unless we have the bottles of Rhinnon Rhin Barnawd, wherein no +liquor ever turns sour. And he will not give them of his own free will, +and thou wilt not be able to compel him." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. +Throughout the world there is not a comb or scissors with which I can +arrange my hair, on account of its rankness, except the comb and scissors +that are between the two ears of Twrch Trwyth, the son of Prince Tared. +He will not give them of his own free will, and thou wilt not be able to +compel him." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. It +will not be possible to hunt Twrch Trwyth without Drudwyn, the whelp of +Greid, the son of Eri." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. +Throughout the world there is not a leash that can hold him, except the +leash of Cwrs Cant Ewin." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. +Throughout the world there is no collar that wilt hold the leash except +the collar of Canhastyr Canllaw." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. The +chain of Kilydd Canhastyr to fasten the collar to the leash." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. +Throughout the world there is not a huntsman who can hunt with this dog, +except Mabon the son of Modron. He was taken from his mother when three +nights old, and it is not known where he now is, nor whether he is living +or dead." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. Gwynn +Mygdwn, the horse of Gweddw that is as swift as the wave, to carry Mabon +the son of Modron to hunt the Boar Trwyth. He will not give him of his +own free will, and thou wilt not be able to compel him." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. Thou +wilt not get Mabon, for it is not known where he is, unless thou find +Eidoel, his kinsman in blood, the son of Aer. For it would be useless to +seek for him. He is his cousin." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. +Garselit the Gwyddelian {92} is the chief huntsman of Ireland; the Twrch +Trwyth can never be hunted without him." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. A +leash made from the beard of Dissull Varvawc, for that is the only one +that can hold those two cubs. And the leash will be of no avail unless +it be plucked from his beard while he is alive, and twitched out with +wooden tweezers. While he lives he will not suffer this to be done to +him, and the leash will be of no use should he be dead, because it will +be brittle." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. +Throughout the world there is no huntsman that can hold those two whelps, +except Kynedyr Wyllt, the son of Hettwn Glafyrawc; he is nine times more +wild than the wildest beast upon the mountains. Him wilt thou never get, +neither wilt thou ever get my daughter." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. It is +not possible to hunt the Boar Trwyth without Gwynn the son of Nudd, whom +God has placed over the brood of devils in Annwn, lest they should +destroy the present race. He will never be spared thence." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. There +is not a horse in the world that can carry Gwynn to hunt the Twrch +Trwyth, except Du, the horse of Mor of Oerveddawg." {93} + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. Until +Gilennhin the king of France shall come, the Twrch Trwyth cannot be +hunted. It will be unseemly for him to leave his kingdom for thy sake, +and he will never come hither." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. The +Twrch Trwyth can never be hunted without the son of Alun Dyved; he is +well skilled in letting loose the dogs." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. The +Twrch Trwyth cannot be hunted unless thou get Aned and Aethlem. They are +as swift as the gale of wind, and they were never let loose upon a beast +that they did not kill him." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get; Arthur +and his companions to hunt the Twrch Trwyth. He is a mighty man, and he +will not come for thee, neither wilt thou be able to compel him." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. The +Twrch Trwyth cannot be hunted unless thou get Bwlch, and Kyfwlch, [and +Sefwlch,] the grandsons of Cleddyf Difwlch. Their three shields are +three gleaming glitterers. Their three spears are three pointed +piercers. Their three swords are three griding gashers, Glas, Glessic, +and Clersag. Their three dogs, Call, Cuall, and Cavall, Their three +horses, Hwyrdydwg, and Drwgdydwg, and Llwyrdydwg. Their three wives, +Och, and Geram, and Diaspad. Their three grandchildren, Lluched, and +Vyned, and Eissiwed. Their three daughters, Drwg, and Gwaeth, and +Gwaethav Oil. Their three handmaids, [Eheubryd, the daughter of Kyfwlch; +Gorasgwrn, the daughter of Nerth; and Gwaedan, the daughter of Kynvelyn.] +These three men shall sound the horn, and all the others shall shout, so +that all will think that the sky is falling to the earth." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. The +sword of Gwrnach the Giant; he will never be slain except therewith. Of +his own free will he will not give it, either for a price or as a gift, +and thou wilt never be able to compel him." + +"It will be easy for me to compass this, although thou mayest think that +it will not be easy." + +"Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. +Difficulties shall thou meet with, and nights without sleep, in seeking +this, and if thou obtain it not, neither shalt thou obtain my daughter." + +"Horses shall I have, and chivalry; and my lord and kinsman Arthur will +obtain for me all these things. And I shall gain thy daughter, and thou +shalt lose thy life." + +"Go forward. And thou shalt not be chargeable for food or raiment for my +daughter while thou art seeking these things; and when thou hast +compassed all these marvels, thou shalt have my daughter for thy wife." + +* * * * * + +All that day they journeyed until the evening, and then they beheld a +vast castle, which was the largest in the world. And lo, a black man, +huger than three of the men of this world, came out from the castle. And +they spoke unto him, "Whence comest them, O man?" "From the castle which +you see yonder." "Whose castle is that?" asked they. "Stupid are ye +truly, O men. There is no one in the world that does not know to whom +this castle belongs. It is the castle of Gwrnach the Giant." "What +treatment is there for guests and strangers that alight in that castle?" +"Oh! chieftain, Heaven protect thee. No guest ever returned thence +alive, and no one may enter therein unless he brings with him his craft." + +Then they proceeded towards the gate. Said Gwrhyr Gwalstawd Ieithoedd, +"Is there a porter?" "There is. And thou, if thy tongue be not mute in +thy head, wherefore dost thou call?" "Open the gate." "I will not open +it." "Wherefore wilt thou not?" "The knife is in the meat, and the +drink is in the horn, and there is revelry in the hall of Gwrnach the +Giant, and except for a craftsman who brings his craft, the gate will not +be opened to-night." "Verily, porter," then said Kai, "my craft bring I +with me." "What is thy craft?" "The best burnisher of swords am I in +the world." "I will go and tell this unto Gwrnach the Giant, and I will +bring thee an answer." + +So the porter went in, and Gwrnach said to him, "Hast thou any news from +the gate?" "I have. There is a party at the door of the gate who desire +to come in." "Didst thou enquire of them if they possessed any art?" "I +did enquire," said he, "and one told me that he was well skilled in the +burnishing of swords." "We have need of him then. For some time have I +sought for some one to polish my sword, and could find no one. Let this +man enter, since he brings with him his craft." + +The porter thereupon returned, and opened the gate. And Kai went in by +himself, and he saluted Gwrnach the Giant. And a chair was placed for +him opposite to Gwrnach. And Gwrnach said to him, "Oh man! is it true +that is reported of thee that thou knowest how to burnish swords?" "I +know full well how to do so," answered Kai. Then was the sword of +Gwrnach brought to him. And Kai took a blue whetstone from under his +arm, and asked him whether he would have it burnished white or blue. "Do +with it as it seems good to thee, and as thou wouldest if it were thine +own." Then Kai polished one half of the blade and put it in his hand. +"Will this please thee?" asked he. "I would rather than all that is in +my dominions that the whole of it were like unto this. It is a marvel to +me that such a man as thou should be without a companion." "Oh! noble +sir, I have a companion, albeit he is not skilled in this art." "Who may +he be?" "Let the porter go forth, and I will tell him whereby he may +know him. The head of his lance will leave its shaft, and draw blood +from the wind, and will descend upon its shaft again." Then the gate was +opened, and Bedwyr entered. And Kai said, "Bedwyr is very skilful, +although he knows not this art." + +And there was much discourse among those who were without, because that +Kai and Bedwyr had gone in. And a young man who was with them, the only +son of Custennin the herdsman, got in also. And he caused all his +companions to keep close to him as he passed the three wards, and until +he came into the midst of the castle. {98a} And his companions said unto +the son of Custennin, "Thou hast done this! Thou art the best of all +men." And thenceforth he was called Goreu, the son of Custennin. Then +they dispersed to their lodgings, that they might slay those who lodged +therein, unknown to the Giant. + +The sword was now polished, and Kai gave it unto the hand of Gwrnach the +Giant, to see if he were pleased with his work. And the Giant said, "The +work is good, I am content therewith." Said Kai, "It is thy scabbard +that hath rusted thy sword; give it to me that I may take out the wooden +sides of it, and put in new ones." And he took the scabbard from him, +and the sword in the other hand. And he came and stood over against the +Giant, as if he would have put the sword into the scabbard; and with it +he struck at the head of the Giant, and cut off his head at one blow. +Then they despoiled the castle, and took from it what goods and jewels +they would. And again on the same day, at the beginning of the year, +they came to Arthur's Court, bearing with them the sword of Gwrnach the +Giant. + +Now when they had told Arthur how they had sped, Arthur said, "Which of +these marvels will it be best for us to seek first?" "It will be best," +said they, "to seek Mabon the son of Modron; and he will not be found +unless we first find Eidoel, the son of Aer, his kinsman." Then Arthur +rose up, and the warriors of the Islands of Britain with him, to seek for +Eidoel; and they proceeded until they came before the Castle of Glivi, +{98b} where Eidoel was imprisoned. Glivi {99a} stood on the summit of +his Castle, and he said, "Arthur, what requirest thou of me, since +nothing remains to me in this fortress, and I have neither joy nor +pleasure in it; neither wheat nor oats? Seek not therefore to do me +harm." Said Arthur, "Not to injure thee came I hither, but to seek for +the prisoner that is with thee." "I will give thee my prisoner, though I +had not thought to give him up to any one; and therewith shall thou have +my support and my aid." + +His followers said unto Arthur, "Lord, go thou home, thou canst not +proceed with thy host in quest of such small adventures as these." Then +said Arthur, "It were well for thee, Gwrhyr Gwalstawd Iethoedd, to go +upon this quest, for thou knowest all languages, and art familiar with +{99b} those of the birds and the beasts. Thou Eidoel oughtest likewise +to go with my men in search of thy cousin. And as for you, Kai and +Bedwyr, I have hope of whatever adventure ye are in quest of, that ye +will achieve it. Achieve ye this adventure for me." + +They went forward until they came to the Ousel of Cilgwri. And Gwrhyr +adjured her for the sake of Heaven, saying, "Tell me if thou knowest +aught of Mabon the son of Modron, who was taken when three nights old +from between his mother and the wall." And the Ousel answered, "When I +first came here, there was a smith's anvil in this place, and I was then +a young bird; and from that time no work has been done upon it, save the +pecking of my beak every evening, and now there is not so much as the +size of a nut remaining thereof; yet the vengeance of Heaven be upon me, +if during all that time I have ever heard of the man for whom you +enquire. Nevertheless I will do that which is right, and that which it +is fitting that I should do for an embassy from Arthur. There is a race +of animals who were formed before me, and I will be your guide to them." + +So they proceeded to the place where was the Stag of Redynvre. "Stag of +Redynvre, behold we are come to thee, an embassy from Arthur, for we have +not heard of any animal older than thou. Say, knowest thou aught of +Mabon the son of Modron, who was taken from his mother when three nights +old?" The Stag said, "When first I came hither, there was a plain all +around me, without any trees save one oak sapling, {100} which grew up to +be an oak with an hundred branches. And that oak has since perished, so +that now nothing remains of it but the withered stump; and from that day +to this I have been here, yet have I never heard of the man for whom you +enquire. Nevertheless, being an embassy from Arthur, I will be your +guide to the place where there is an animal which was formed before I +was." + +So they proceeded to the place where was the Owl of Cwm Cawlwyd. "Owl of +Cwm Cawlwyd, here is an embassy from Arthur; knowest thou aught of Mabon +the son of Modron, who was taken after three nights from his mother?" "If +I knew I would tell you. When first I came hither, the wide valley you +see was a wooded glen. And a race of men came and rooted it up. And +there grew there a second wood; and this wood is the third. My wings, +are they not withered stumps? Yet all this time, even until to-day, I +have never heard of the man for whom you enquire. Nevertheless, I will +be the guide of Arthur's embassy until you come to the place where is the +oldest animal in this world, and the one that has travelled most, the +Eagle of Gwern Abwy." + +Gwrhyr said, "Eagle of Gwern Abwy, we have come to thee an embassy from +Arthur, to ask thee if thou knowest aught of Mabon the son of Modron, who +was taken from his mother when he was three nights old." The Eagle said, +"I have been here for a great space of time, and when I first came hither +there was a rock here, from the top of which I pecked at the stars every +evening; and now it is not so much as a span high. From that day to this +I have been here, and I have never heard of the man for whom you enquire, +except once when I went in search of food as far as Llyn Llyw. And when +I came there, I struck my talons into a salmon, thinking he would serve +me as food for a long time. But he drew me into the deep, and I was +scarcely able to escape from him. After that I went with my whole +kindred to attack him, and to try to destroy him, but he sent messengers, +and made peace with me; and came and besought me to take fifty fish +spears out of his back. Unless he know something of him whom you seek, I +cannot tell who may. However, I will guide you to the place where he +is." + +So they went thither; and the Eagle said, "Salmon of Llyn Llyw, I have +come to thee with an embassy from Arthur, to ask thee if thou knowest +aught concerning Mabon the son of Modron, who was taken away at three +nights old from his mother." "As much as I know I will tell thee. With +every tide I go along the river upwards, until I come near to the walls +of Gloucester, and there have I found such wrong as I never found +elsewhere; and to the end that ye may give credence thereto, let one of +you go thither upon each of my two shoulders." So Kai and Gwrhyr +Gwalstawd Ieithoedd went upon the two shoulders of the salmon, and they +proceeded until they came unto the wall of the prison, and they heard a +great wailing and lamenting from the dungeon. {102} Said Gwrhyr, "Who is +it that laments in this house of stone?" "Alas, there is reason enough +for whoever is here to lament. It is Mabon the son of Modron who is here +imprisoned, and no imprisonment was ever so grievous as mine, neither +that of Lludd Llaw Ereint, nor that of Greid the son of Eri." "Hast thou +hope of being released for gold, or for silver, or for any gifts of +wealth, or through battle and fighting?" "By fighting will whatever I +may gain be obtained." + +{Picture: p102.jpg} + +Then they went thence, and returned to Arthur, and they told him where +Mabon the son of Modron was imprisoned. And Arthur summoned the warriors +of the Island, and they journeyed as far as Gloucester, to the place +where Mabon was in prison. Kai and Bedwyr went upon the shoulders of the +fish, whilst the warriors of Arthur attacked the castle. And Kai broke +through the wall into the dungeon, and brought away the prisoner upon his +back, whilst the fight was going on between the warriors. And Arthur +returned home, and Mabon with him at liberty. + +* * * * * + +Said Arthur, "Which of the marvels will it be best for us now to seek +first?" "It will be best to seek for the two cubs of Gast Rhymhi." "Is +it known," said Arthur, "where she is?" "She is in Aber Deu Gleddyf," +said one. Then Arthur went to the house of Tringad, in Aber Cleddyf, and +he enquired of him whether he had heard of her there. "In what form may +she be?" "She is in the form of a she wolf," said he, "and with her +there are two cubs." "She has often slain my herds, and she is there +below in a cave in Aber Cleddyf." + +So Arthur went in his ship Prydwen by sea, and the others went by land, +to hunt her. And they surrounded her and her two cubs, and God did +change them again for Arthur into their own form. And the host of Arthur +dispersed themselves into parties of one and two. + +* * * * * + +On a certain day, as Gwythyr the son of Greidawl was walking over a +mountain, he heard a wailing and a grievous cry. And when he heard it, +{103} he sprung forward, and went towards it. And when he came there, he +drew his sword, and smote off an ant-hill close to the earth, whereby it +escaped being burned in the fire. And the ants said to him, "Receive +from us the blessing of Heaven, and that which no man can give we will +give thee." Then they fetched the nine bushels of flax-seed which +Yspaddaden Penkawr had required of Kilhwch, and they brought the full +measure, without lacking any, except one flax-seed, and that the lame +pismire brought in before night. + +* * * * * + +As Kai and Bedwyr sat on a beacon carn on the summit of Plinlimmon, in +the highest wind that ever was in the world, they looked around them, and +saw a great smoke towards the south, afar off, which did not bend with +the wind. Then said Kai, "By the hand of my friend, behold, yonder is +the fire of a robber!" Then they hastened towards the smoke, and they +came so near to it, that they could see Dillus Varvawc scorching a wild +Boar. "Behold, yonder is the greatest robber that ever fled from +Arthur," said Bedwyr unto Kai. "Dost thou know him?" "I do know him," +answered Kai, "he is Dillus Varvawc, and no leash in the world will be +able to hold Drudwyn, the cub of Greid the son of Eri, save a leash made +from the beard of him thou seest yonder. And that even will be useless, +unless his beard be plucked alive with wooden tweezers; for if dead, it +will be brittle." "What thinkest thou that we should do concerning +this?" said Bedwyr. "Let us suffer him," said Kai, "to eat as much as he +will of the meat, and after that he will fall asleep." And during that +time they employed themselves in making the wooden tweezers. And when +Kai knew certainly that he was asleep, he made a pit under his feet, the +largest in the world, and he struck him a violent blow, and squeezed him +into the pit. And there they twitched out his beard completely with the +wooden tweezers; and after that they slew him altogether. + +And from thence they both went to Gelli Wic, in Cornwall, and took the +leash made of Dillus Varvawc's beard with them, and they gave it unto +Arthur's hand. + +Then Arthur composed this Englyn, + + Kai made a leash + Of Dillus son of Eurei's beard. + Were he alive, thy death he'd be. + +And thereupon Kai was wroth, so that the warriors of the Island could +scarcely make peace between Kai and Arthur. And thenceforth, neither in +Arthur's troubles, nor for the slaying of his men, would Kai come forward +to his aid for ever after. + +* * * * * + +Said Arthur, "Which of the marvels is it best for us now to seek?" "It +is best for us to seek Drudwyn, the cub of Greid, the son of Eri." + +A little while before this, Creiddylad, the daughter of Lludd Llaw +Ereint, and Gwythyr the son of Greidawl, were betrothed. And before she +had become his bride, Gwyn ap Nudd came, and carried her away by force; +and Gwythyr the son of Greidawl gathered his host together, and went to +fight with Gwyn ap Nudd. But Gwyn overcame him, and captured Greid the +son of Eri, and Glinneu the son of Taran and Gwrgwst Ledlwm, and Dynvarth +{105} his son. And he captured Penn the son of Nethawg, and Nwython, and +Kyledyr Wyllt his son. And they slew Nwython, and took out his heart, +and constrained Kyledyr to eat the heart of his father. And therefrom +Kyledyr became mad. When Arthur heard of this, he went to the North, and +summoned Gwyn ap Nudd before him, and set free the nobles whom he had put +in prison, and made peace between Gwyn ap Nudd and Gwythyr the son of +Greidawl. And this was the peace that was made: that the maiden should +remain in her father's house, without advantage to either of them, and +that Gwyn ap Nudd and Gwythyr the son of Greidawl should fight for her +every first of May, from thenceforth until the day of doom, and that +whichever of them should then be conqueror should have the maiden. + +And when Arthur had thus reconciled these chieftains, he obtained Mygdwn, +Gweddw's horse, and the leash of Cwrs Cant Ewin. + +And after that Arthur went into Armorica, and with him Mabon the son of +Mellt, and Gware Gwallt Euryn, to seek the two dogs of Glythmyr Ledewic. +And when he had got them, he went to the West of Ireland, in search of +Gwrgi Severi; and Odgar the son of Aedd, king of Ireland, went with him. +And thence went Arthur into the North, and captured Kyledyr Wyllt; and he +went after Yskithyrwyn Penbaedd. And Mabon the son of Mellt came with +the two dogs of Glythmyr Ledewic in his hand, and Drudwyn, the cub of +Greid the son of Eri. And Arthur went himself to the chase, leading his +own dog Cavall. And Kaw, of North Britain, mounted Arthur's mare +Llamrei, and was first in the attack. Then Kaw, of North Britain, +wielded a mighty axe, and absolutely daring he came valiantly up to the +Boar, and clave his head in twain. And Kaw took away the tusk. Now the +Boar was not slain by the dogs that Yspaddaden had mentioned, but by +Cavall, Arthur's own dog. + +And after Yskithyrwyn Penbaedd was killed, Arthur and his host departed +to Gelli Wic in Cornwall. And thence he sent Menw the son of Teirgwaedd +to see if the precious things were between the two ears of Twrch Trwyth, +since it were useless to encounter him if they were not there. Albeit it +was certain where he was, for he had laid waste the third part of +Ireland. And Menw went to seek for him, and he met with him in Ireland, +in Esgeir Oervel. And Menw took the form of a bird; and he descended +upon the top of his lair, and strove to snatch away one of the precious +things from him, but he carried away nothing but one of his bristles. And +the boar rose up angrily and shook himself so that some of his venom fell +upon Menw, and he was never well from that day forward. + +After this Arthur sent an embassy to Odgar, the son of Aedd, king of +Ireland, to ask for the Cauldron of Diwrnach Wyddel, his purveyor. And +Odgar commanded him to give it. But Diwrnach said, "Heaven is my +witness, if it would avail him anything even to look at it, he should not +do so." And the embassy of Arthur returned from Ireland with this +denial. And Arthur set forward with a small retinue, and entered into +Prydwen, his ship, and went over to Ireland. And they proceeded into the +house of Diwrnach Wyddel. And the hosts of Odgar saw their strength. +When they had eaten and drank as much as they desired, Arthur demanded to +have the cauldron. And he answered, "If I would have given it to any +one, I would have given it at the word of Odgar, king of Ireland." + +When he had given them this denial, Bedwyr arose and seized hold of the +cauldron, and placed it upon the back of Hygwyd, Arthur's servant, who +was brother, by the mother's side, to Arthur's servant, Cachamwri. His +office was always to carry Arthur's cauldron, and to place fire under it. +And Llenlleawg Wyddel seized Caledvwlch, and brandished it. And they +slew Diwrnach Wyddel and his company. Then came the Irish, {108a} and +fought with them. And when he had put them to flight, Arthur with his +men went forward to the ship, carrying away the cauldron full of Irish +money. {108b} And he disembarked at the house of Llwydden {108c} the son +of Kelcoed, at Forth Kerddin in Dyved. And there is the measure of the +cauldron. + +Then Arthur summoned unto him all the warriors that were in the three +Islands of Britain, and in the three Islands adjacent, and all that were +in France and in Armorica, in Normandy and in the Summer Country, and all +that were chosen footmen and valiant horsemen. And with all these, he +went into Ireland. And in Ireland there was great fear and terror +concerning him. And when Arthur had landed in the country, there came +unto him the saints of Ireland and besought his protection. And he +granted his protection unto them, and they gave him their blessing. Then +the men of Ireland came unto Arthur, and brought him provisions. And +Arthur went as far as Esgeir Oervel in Ireland, to the place where the +Boar Trwyth was with his seven young pigs. And the dogs were let loose +upon him from all sides. That day until evening, the Irish fought with +him, nevertheless he laid waste the fifth part of Ireland. And on the +day following the household of Arthur fought with him, and they were +worsted by him, and got no advantage. And the third day Arthur himself +encountered him, and he fought with him nine nights and nine days without +so much as killing even one little pig. {109} The warriors enquired of +Arthur, what was the origin of that swine; and he told them that he was +once a king, and that God had transformed him into a swine for his sins. + +Then Arthur sent Gwrhyr Gwalstawt Ieithoedd, to endeavour to speak with +him. And Gwrhyr assumed the form of a bird, and alighted upon the top of +the lair, where he was with the seven young pigs. And Gwrhyr Gwalstawt +Ieithoedd asked him, "By him who turned you into this form, if you can +speak, let some one of you, I beseech you, come and talk with Arthur." +Grugyn Gwrych Ereint made answer to him. (Now his bristles were like +silver wire, and whether he went through the wood or through the plain, +he was to be traced by the glittering of his bristles.) And this was the +answer that Grugyn made, "By him who turned us into this form we will not +do so, and we will not speak with Arthur. That we have been transformed +thus is enough for us to suffer, without your coming here to fight with +us." "I will tell you. Arthur comes but to fight for the comb, and the +razor, and the scissors, which are between the two ears of Twrch Trwyth." +Said Grugyn, "Except he first take his life, he will never have those +precious things. And to-morrow morning we will rise up hence, and we +will go into Arthur's country, and there will we do all the mischief that +we can." + +So they set forth through the sea towards Wales. And Arthur and his +hosts, and his horses and his dogs, entered Prydwen, that they might +encounter them without delay. Twrch Trwyth landed in Porth Cleis in +Dyved, and the {110} came to Mynyw. The next day it was told to Arthur, +that they had gone by, and he overtook them, as they were killing the +cattle of Kynnwas Kwrr y Vagyl, having slain all that were at Aber +Gleddyf, of man and beast, before the coming of Arthur. + +Now when Arthur approached, Twrch Trwyth went on as far as Preseleu, and +Arthur and his hosts followed him thither, and Arthur sent men to hunt +him; Eli and Trachmyr, leading Drutwyn the whelp of Greid, the son of +Eri, and Gwarthegyd the son of Kaw, in another quarter, with the two dogs +of Glythmyr Ledewig, and Bedwyr leading Cavall, Arthur's own dog. And +all the warriors ranged themselves around the Nyver. And there came +there the three sons of Cleddyf Divwlch, men who had gained much fame at +the slaying of Yskithyrwyn Penbaedd; and they went on from Glyn Nyver, +and came to Cwm Kerwyn. + +And there Twrch Trwyth made a stand, and slew four of Arthur's champions, +Gwarthegyd the son of Kaw, and Tarawc of Allt Clwyd, and Rheidwn the son +of Eli Atver, and Iscovan Hael. And after he had slain these men, he +made a second stand in the same place. And there he slew Gwydre the son +of Arthur, and Garselit Wyddel, and Glew the son of Ysgawd, and Iscawn +the son of Panon; and there he himself was wounded. + +And the next morning before it was day, some of the men came up with him. +And he slew Huandaw, and Gogigwr, and Penpingon, three attendants upon +Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr, so that Heaven knows he had not an attendant +remaining, excepting only Llaesgevyn, a man from whom no one ever derived +any good. And together with these, he slew many of the men of that +country, and Gwlydyn Saer, Arthur's chief Architect. + +Then Arthur overtook him at Pelumyawc, and there he slew Madawc the son +of Teithyon, and Gwyn the son of Tringad, the son of Neved, and Eiryawn +Penllorau. Thence he went to Aberteivi, {111a} where he made another +stand, and where he slew Kyflas {111b} the son of Kynan, and Gwilenhin +king of France. Then he went as far as Glyn Ystu, and there the men and +the dogs lost him. + +Then Arthur summoned unto him Gwyn ab Nudd, and he asked him if he knew +aught of Twrch Trwyth. And he said that he did not. + +And all the huntsmen went to hunt the swine as far as Dyffryn Llychwr. +And Grugyn Gwallt Ereint, and Llwydawg Govynnyad closed with them and +killed all the huntsmen, so that there escaped but one man only. And +Arthur and his hosts came to the place where Grugyn and Llwydawg were. +And there he let loose the whole of the dogs upon them, and with the +shout and barking that was set up, Twrch Trwyth came to their assistance. + +And from the time that they came across the Irish sea, Arthur had never +got sight of him until then. {111c} So he set men and dogs upon him, and +thereupon he started off and went to Mynydd Amanw. And there one of his +young pigs was killed. {112a} Then they set upon him life for life, and +Twrch Llawin was slain, and then there was slain another of the swine, +Gwys was his name. After that he went on to Dyffryn Amanw, and there +Banw and Bennwig were killed. {112b} Of all his pigs there went with him +alive from that place none save Grugyn Gwallt Ereint, and Llwydawg +Govynnyad. + +Thence he went on to Llwch Ewin, and Arthur overtook him there, and he +made a stand. And there he slew Echel Forddwytwll, and Garwyli the son +of Gwyddawg Gwyr, and many men and dogs likewise. And thence they went +to Llwch Tawy. Grugyn Gwrych Ereint parted from them there, and went to +Din Tywi. And thence he proceeded to Ceredigiawn, and Eli and Trachmyr +with him, and a multitude likewise. Then he came to Garth Gregyn, and +there Llwydawg Govynnyad fought in the midst of them, and slew Rhudvyw +Rhys and many others with him. Then Llwydawg went thence to Ystrad Yw, +and there the men of Armorica met him, and there he slew Hirpeissawg, the +king of Armorica, and Llygatrudd Emys, and Gwrbothu, Arthur's uncles, his +mother's brothers, and there was he himself slain. + +Twrch Trwyth went from there to between Tawy and Euyas, and Arthur +summoned all Cornwall and Devon unto him, to the estuary of the Severn, +and he said to the warriors of this Island, "Twrch Trwyth has slain many +of my men, but, by the valour of warriors, while I live he shall not go +into Cornwall. And I will not follow him any longer, but I will oppose +him life to life. Do ye as ye will." And he resolved that he would send +a body of knights, with the dogs of the Island, as far as Euyas, who +should return thence to the Severn, and that tried warriors should +traverse the Island, and force him into the Severn. And Mabon the son of +Modron came up with him at the Severn, upon Gwynn Mygddon, the horse of +Gweddw, and Goreu the son of Custennin, and Menw the son of Teirgwaedd; +this was betwixt Llyn Lliwan and Aber Gwy. And Arthur fell upon him +together with the champions of Britain. And Osla Kyllellvawr drew near, +and Manawyddan the son of Llyr, and Kacmwri the servant of Arthur, and +Gwyngelli, and they seized hold of him, catching him first by his feet, +and plunged him in the Severn, so that it overwhelmed him. On the one +side, Mabon the son of Modron spurred his steed and snatched his razor +from him, and Kyledyr Wyllt came up with him on the other side, upon +another steed, in the Severn, and took from him the scissors. But before +they could obtain the comb, he had regained the ground with his feet, and +from the moment that he reached the shore, neither dog, nor man, nor +horse could overtake him until he came to Cornwall. If they had had +trouble in getting the jewels from him, much more had they in seeking to +save the two men from being drowned. Kacmwri, as they drew him forth, +was dragged by two millstones into the deep. And as Osla Kyllellvawr was +running after the Boar his knife had dropped out of the sheath, and he +had lost it, and after that the sheath became full of water, and its +weight drew him down into the deep, as they were drawing him forth. + +Then Arthur and his hosts proceeded until they overtook the Boar in +Cornwall, and the trouble which they had met with before was mere play to +what they encountered in seeking the comb. But from one difficulty to +another, the comb was at length obtained. And then he was hunted from +Cornwall, and driven straight forward into the deep sea. And thenceforth +it was never known whither he went; and Aned and Aethlem with him. Then +went Arthur to Gelliwic, in Cornwall, to anoint himself, and to rest from +his fatigues. + +* * * * * + +Said Arthur, "Is there any one of the marvels yet unobtained?" Said one +of his men, "There is--the blood of the witch Orddu, the daughter of the +witch Orwen, of Penn Nant Govid, on the confines of Hell." Arthur set +forth towards the North, and came to the place where was the witch's +cave. And Gwyn ab Nudd, and Gwythyr the son of Greidawl, counselled him +to send Kacmwri, and Hygwyd his brother to fight with the witch. And as +they entered the cave, the witch seized upon them, and she caught Hygwyd +by the hair of his head, and threw him on the floor beneath her. And +Kacmwri caught her by the hair of her head, and dragged her to the earth +from off Hygwyd, but she turned again upon them both, {114} and drove +them both out with kicks and with cuffs. + +And Arthur was wroth at seeing his two attendants almost slain, and he +sought to enter the cave; but Gwyn and Gwythyr said unto him, "It would +not be fitting or seemly for us to see thee squabbling with a hag. Let +Hiramren, and Hireidil go to the cave." So they went. But if great was +the trouble of the two first that went, much greater was that of these +two. And Heaven knows that not one of the four could move from the spot, +until they placed them all upon Llamrei, Arthur's mare. And then Arthur +rushed to the door of the cave, and at the door, he struck at the witch, +with Carnwennan his dagger, and clove her in twain, so that she fell in +two parts. And Kaw, of North Britain, took the blood of the witch and +kept it. + +Then Kilhwch set forward, and Goreu, the son of Custennin, with him, and +as many as wished ill to Yspaddaden Penkawr. And they took the marvels +with them to his Court. And Kaw of North Britain came and shaved his +beard, skin and flesh, clean off to the very bone from ear to ear. "Art +thou shaved, man?" said Kilhwch. "I am shaved," answered he. "Is thy +daughter mine now?" "She is thine," said he, "but therefore needest thou +not thank me, but Arthur who hath accomplished this for thee. By my free +will thou shouldest never have had her, for with her I lose my life." +Then Goreu the son of Custennin, seized him by the hair of his head, and +dragged him after him to the keep, and cut off his head, and placed it on +a stake on the citadel. Then they took possession of his castle, and of +his treasures. + +{Picture: p115.jpg} + +And that night Olwen became Kilhwch's bride, and she continued to be his +wife as long as she lived. And the hosts of Arthur dispersed themselves, +each man to his own country. And thus did Kilhwch obtain Olwen the +daughter of Yspaddaden Penkawr. + + + + +THE DREAM OF MAXEN WLEDIG. + + +{Picture: p116.jpg} + +Maxen Wledig was emperor of Rome, and he was a comelier man, and a better +and a wiser than any emperor that had been before him. {116} And one day +he held a council of Kings, and he said to his friends, "I desire to go +to-morrow to hunt." And the next day in the morning he set forth with +his retinue, and came to the valley of the river that flowed towards +Rome. And he hunted through the valley until mid-day. And with him also +were two and thirty crowned kings, that were his vassals; not for the +delight of hunting went the emperor with them, but to put himself on +equal terms with those kings. {117} + +And the sun was high in the sky over their heads, and the heat was great. +And sleep came upon Maxen Wledig. And his attendants stood and set up +their shields around him upon the shafts of their spears to protect him +from the sun, and they placed a gold enamelled shield under his head, and +so Maxen slept. + +And he saw a dream. And this is the dream that he saw. He was +journeying along the valley of the river towards its source; and he came +to the highest mountain in the world. And he thought that the mountain +was as high as the sky; and when he came over the mountain, it seemed to +him that he went through the fairest and most level regions that man ever +yet beheld, on the other side of the mountain. And he saw large and +mighty rivers descending from the mountain to the sea, and towards the +mouths of the rivers he proceeded. And as he journeyed thus, he came to +the mouth of the largest river ever seen. And he beheld a great city at +the entrance of the river, and a vast castle in the city, and he saw many +high towers of various colours in the castle. And he saw a fleet at the +mouth of the river, the largest ever seen. And he saw one ship among the +fleet; larger was it by far, and fairer than all the others. Of such +part of the ship as he could see above the water, one plank was gilded +and the other silvered over. He saw a bridge of the bone of the whale +from the ship to the land, and he thought that he went along the bridge +and came into the ship. And a sail was hoisted on the ship, and along +the sea and the ocean was it borne. Then it seemed that he came to the +fairest island in the whole world, and he traversed the island from sea +to sea, even to the farthest shore of the island. Valleys he saw, and +steeps, and rocks of wondrous height, and rugged precipices. {118a} Never +yet saw he the like. And thence he beheld an island in the sea, facing +this rugged {118b} land. And between him and this island was a country +of which the plain was as large as the sea, the mountain as vast as the +wood. And from the mountain he saw a river that flowed through the land +and fell into the sea. And at the mouth of the river, he beheld a +castle, the fairest that man ever saw, and the gate of the castle was +open, and he went into the castle. And in the castle he saw a fair hall +of which the roof seemed to be all gold, the walls of the hall seemed to +be entirely of glittering precious gems, the doors all seemed to be of +gold. Golden seats he saw in the hall, and silver tables. And on a seat +opposite to him, he beheld two auburn-haired youths playing at chess. He +saw a silver board for the chess, and golden pieces thereon. The +garments of the youths were of jet black satin, and chaplets of ruddy +gold bound their hair, whereon were sparkling jewels of great price, +{119} rubies, and gems, alternately with imperial stones. Buskins of new +cordovan leather on their feet, fastened by slides of red gold. + +{Picture: p118.jpg} + +And beside a pillar in the hall he saw a hoary-headed man, in a chair of +ivory, with the figures of two eagles of ruddy gold thereon. Bracelets +of gold were upon his arms, and many rings upon his hands, and a golden +torquis about his neck; and his hair was bound with a golden diadem. He +was of powerful aspect. A chessboard of gold was before him, and a rod +of gold, and a steel file in his hand. And he was carving out chessmen. + +And he saw a maiden sitting before him in a chair of ruddy gold. Not +more easy than to gaze upon the sun when brightest, was it to look upon +her by reason of her beauty. A vest of white silk was upon the maiden, +with clasps of red gold at the breast; and a surcoat of gold tissue was +upon her, and a frontlet of red gold upon her head, and rubies and gems +were in the frontlet, alternating with pearls and imperial stones. And a +girdle of ruddy gold was around her. She was the fairest sight that man +ever beheld. + +The maiden arose from her chair before him, and he threw his arms about +the neck of the maiden, and they two sat down together in the chair of +gold: and the chair was not less roomy for them both, than for the maiden +alone. And as he had his arms about the maiden's neck, and his cheek by +her cheek, behold, through the chafing of the dogs at their leashing, and +the clashing of the shields as they struck against each other, and the +beating together of the shafts of the spears, and the neighing of the +horses and their prancing, the emperor awoke. + +And when he awoke, nor spirit nor existence was left him, because of the +maiden whom he had seen in his sleep, for the love of the maiden pervaded +his whole frame. {120} Then his household spake unto him. "Lord," said +they "is it not past the time for thee to take thy food?" Thereupon the +emperor mounted his palfrey, the saddest man that mortal ever saw, and +went forth towards Rome. + +And thus he was during the space of a week. When they of the household +went to drink wine and mead out of golden vessels, he went not with any +of them. When they went to listen to songs and tales, he went not with +them there; neither could he be persuaded to do anything but sleep. And +as often as he slept, he beheld in his dreams the maiden he loved best; +but except when he slept he saw nothing of her, for he knew not where in +the world she was. + +One day the page of the chamber spake unto him; now, although he was page +of the chamber, he was king of the Romans. "Lord," said he, "all thy +people revile thee." "Wherefore do they revile me?" asked the emperor. +"Because they can get neither message nor answer from thee, as men should +have from their lord. This is the cause why thou art spoken evil of." +"Youth," said the emperor, "do thou bring unto me the wise men of Rome, +and I will tell them wherefore I am sorrowful." + +Then the wise men of Rome were brought to the emperor, and he spake to +them. "Sages of Rome," said he, "I have seen a dream. And in the dream +I beheld a maiden, and because of the maiden is there neither life, nor +spirit, nor existence within me." "Lord," they answered, "since thou +judgest us worthy to counsel thee, we will give thee counsel. And this +is our counsel; that thou send messengers for three years to the three +parts of the world, to seek for thy dream. And as thou knowest not what +day or what night good news may come to thee, the hope thereof will +support thee." + +So the messengers journeyed for the space of a year wandering about the +world, and seeking tidings concerning his dream. But when they came back +at the end of the year they knew not one word more than they did the day +they set forth. And then was the emperor exceeding sorrowful, for he +thought that he should never have tidings of her whom best he loved. + +Then spoke the king of the Romans unto the emperor. "Lord," said he, "go +forth to hunt by the way that thou didst seem to go, whither it were to +the east or to the west." So the emperor went forth to hunt, and he came +to the bank of the river. "Behold," said he, "this is where I was when I +saw the dream, and I went towards the source of the river westward." + +And thereupon thirteen messengers of the emperor's set forth, and before +them they saw a high mountain, which seemed to them to touch the sky. Now +this was the guise in which the messengers journeyed; one sleeve was on +the cap of each of them in front; as a sign that they were messengers, in +order that through what hostile land soever they might pass no harm might +be done them. And when they were come over this mountain they beheld +vast plains, and large rivers flowing therethrough. "Behold," said they, +"the land which our master saw." + +And they went along the mouths of the rivers, until they came to the +mighty river which they saw flowing to the sea, and the vast city, and +the many-coloured high towers in the castle. They saw the largest fleet +in the world, in the harbour of the river, and one ship that was larger +than any of the others. "Behold again," said they, "the dream that our +master saw." And in the great ship they crossed the sea, and came to the +Island of Britain. And they traversed the island until they came to +Snowdon. "Behold," said they, "the rugged {122} land that our master +saw." And they went forward until they saw Anglesey before them, and +until they saw Arvon likewise. "Behold," said they, "the land our master +saw in his sleep." And they saw Aber Sain, and a castle at the mouth of +the river. The portal of the castle saw they open, and into the castle +they went, and they saw a hall in the castle. Then said they, "Behold +the hall which he saw in his sleep." + +They went into the hall, and they beheld two youths playing at chess on +the golden bench. And they beheld the hoary-headed man beside the +pillar, in the ivory chair, carving chessmen. And they beheld the maiden +sitting on a chair of ruddy gold. + +The messengers bent down upon their knees. "Empress of Rome, all hail!" +"Ha, gentles," said the maiden, "ye bear the seeming of honourable men, +and the badge of envoys, what mockery is this ye do to me?" "We mock +thee not, lady, but the emperor of Rome hath seen thee in his sleep, and +he has neither life nor spirit left because of thee. Thou shall have of +us therefore the choice, lady, whether thou wilt go with us and be made +empress of Rome, or that the emperor come hither and take thee for his +wife?" "Ha, lords," said the maiden, "I will not deny what you say, +neither will I believe it too well. If the emperor love me, let him come +here to seek me." + +And by day and night the messengers hied them back. And when their +horses failed, they bought other fresh ones. And when they came to Rome +they saluted the emperor, and asked their boon, which was given to them +according as they named it. "We will be thy guides, lord," said they, +"over sea and over land, to the place where is the woman whom best thou +lovest, for we know her name, and her kindred, and her race." + +{Picture: p123.jpg} + +And immediately the emperor set forth with his army. And these men were +his guides. Towards the Island of Britain they went over the sea and the +deep. And he conquered the Island from Beli the son of Manogan, and his +sons, and drove them to the sea, and went forward even unto Arvon. And +the emperor knew the land when he saw it. And when he beheld the castle +of Aber Sain, "Look yonder," said he, "there is the castle wherein I saw +the damsel whom I best love." And he went forward into the castle and +into the hall, and there he saw Kynan the son of Eudav, and Adeon the son +of Eudav, playing at chess. And he saw Eudav the son of Caradawc, +sitting on a chair of ivory carving chessmen. And the maiden whom he had +beheld in his sleep, he saw sitting on a chair of gold. "Empress of +Rome," said he, "all hail!" And the emperor threw his arms about her +neck; and that night she became his bride. + +And the next day in the morning, the damsel asked her maiden portion. And +he told her to name what she would, and she asked to have the Island of +Britain for her father, from the Channel to the Irish Sea, together with +the three adjacent islands to hold under the empress of Rome; and to have +three chief castles made for her, in whatever places she might choose in +the Island of Britain. And she chose to have the highest castle made at +Arvon. And they brought thither earth from Rome that it might be more +healthful for the emperor to sleep, and sit, and walk upon. After that +the two other castles were made for her, which were Caerlleon and +Caermarthen. + +And one day, the emperor went to hunt at Caermarthen, and he came so far +as the top of Brevi Vawr, and there the emperor pitched his tent. And +that encamping place is called Cadeir Maxen, even to this day. And +because that he built the castle with a myriad of men, he called it +Caervyrddin. Then Helen bethought her to make high roads from one castle +to another throughout the Island of Britain. And the roads were made. +And for this cause are they called the roads of Helen Luyddawc, {124} +that she was sprung from a native of this island, and the men of the +Island of Britain would not have made these great roads {125} for any +save for her. + +Seven years did the emperor tarry in this Island. Now, at that time, the +men of Rome had a custom that whatsoever emperor should remain in other +lands more than seven years, should remain to his own overthrow, and +should never return to Rome again. + +So they made a new emperor. And this one wrote a letter of threat to +Maxen. There was nought in the letter but only this, "If thou comest, +and if thou ever comest to Rome." And even unto Caerlleon came this +letter to Maxen, and these tidings. Then sent he a letter to the man who +styled himself emperor in Rome. There was nought in that letter also but +only this, "If I come to Rome, and if I come." + +And thereupon Maxen set forth towards Rome with his army, and vanquished +France and Burgundy, and every land on the way, and sat down before the +city of Rome. + +A year was the emperor before the city, and he was no nearer taking it +than the first day. And after him there came the brothers of Helen +Luyddawc from the Island of Britain, and a small host with them, and +better warriors were in that small host than twice as many Romans. And +the emperor was told that a host was seen, halting close to his army and +encamping, and no man ever saw a fairer or better appointed host for its +size, nor more handsome standards. + +And Helen went to see the hosts, and she knew the standards of her +brothers. Then came Kynan the son of Eudav, and Adeon the son of Eudav, +to meet the emperor. And the emperor was glad because of them, and +embraced them. + +Then they looked at the Romans as they attacked the city. Said Kynan to +his brother, "We will try to attack the city more expertly than this." So +they measured by night the height of the wall, and they sent their +carpenters to the wood, and a ladder was made for every four men of their +number. Now when these were ready, every day at mid-day the emperors +went to meat, and they ceased to fight on both sides till all had +finished eating. And in the morning the men of Britain took their food, +and they drank until they were invigorated. And while the two emperors +were at meat, the Britons came to the city, {126a} and placed their +ladders against it, and forthwith they came in through the city. + +The new emperor had not time to arm himself when they fell upon him, and +slew him and many others with him. And three nights and three days were +they subduing the men that were in the city and taking the castle. And +others of them kept the city, lest any of the host of Maxen should come +therein, until they had subjected all to their will. + +Then spake Maxen to Helen Luyddawc, "I marvel, lady," said he, "that thy +brothers have not conquered this city for me." {126b} "Lord, emperor," +she answered, "the wisest youths in the world are my brothers. Go thou +thither and ask the city of them, and if it be in their possession thou +shalt have it gladly." So the emperor and Helen went and demanded the +city. And they told the emperor that none had taken the city, and that +none could give it him, but the men of the Island of Britain. Then the +gates of the city of Rome were opened, and the emperor sat on the throne +and all the men of Rome submitted themselves unto him. + +The emperor then said unto Kynan and Adeon, "Lords," said he, "I have now +had possession of the whole of my empire. This host give I unto you to +vanquish whatever region ye may desire in the world." + +So they set forth and conquered lands, and castles and cities. And they +slew all the men, but the women they kept alive. And thus they continued +until the young men that had come with them were grown grey headed, from +the length of time they were upon this conquest. + +{Picture: p127.jpg} + +Then spoke Kynan unto Adeon his brother, "Whether wilt thou rather," said +he, "tarry in this land, or go back into the land whence thou didst come +forth?" Now he chose to go back to his own land and many with him. But +Kynan tarried there with the other part, and dwelt there. + +And they took counsel and cut out the tongues of the women, lest they +should corrupt their speech. And because of the silence of the women +from their own speech, the men of Armorica are called Britons. From that +time there came frequently, and still comes, that language from the +Island of Britain. + +And this tale is called the Dream of Maxen Wledig, emperor of Rome. And +here it ends. + + + + +Footnotes: + + +{7a} Add "successively." + +{7b} And he summoned to him. + +{10} Add "bespattered." + +{11} And it may be that I shall have as much entertainment on account of +the hunting as they. + +{15} Good Sir. + +{17} There. + +{19} And his words reached Geraint. + +{22} As thou art impartial concerning the question of right between us. + +{27} More probably "though." The ambiguity of the original would be +best expressed by "while." + +{36a} "Lest he should be overtaken by a piteous death." + +{36b} "Thine I do not consider a protection, nor thy warning a warning." + +{38} "Wilt thou not at last be silent? Thy protection do I not consider +such." + +{39} "I declare to Heaven," said he, "that thy protection I do not +regard as such. Hold thy peace, at last." + +{40} He spoke not a word, being angry. + +{47a} "Do thou not go to his land beyond the bridge." + +{47b} "I will go my way in spite of the one thou speakest of." + +{48a} In a very rough and bitter manner. + +{48b} Gereint took the road that he had meant to take; it was not the +road that led to the town from the bridge that he took, but the road that +led to the ground that was hard, and rugged, and high, and ridgy. + +{49} But it was unfair for Gereint to have to fight him, so small was +he, and so difficult to take aim at, and so hard were the blows he gave. +And they did not end that part of their fight until their horses fell +down on their knees. + +{53} "To complete thy death." + +{64} And what she did was to call her tutor to her, and she commanded +him to dress her grave every year in such a way that nothing would grow +on it. + +{66} And there were two silver spears, sharpened, in his hand. A +prince's glaive was in his hand, a cubit from hilt to edge, that would +draw blood from the wind; swifter was it than. + +{67} Yes. And as for thee, thy head is not under thy control; curt is +thy greeting. + +{70a} Carnwenhan. + +{70b} Dress. + +{71a} Galldovydd. + +{71b} Cnychwr. + +{71c} And Adwy. + +{71d} Annwas. + +{71e} Sinoit. + +{72a} Ysperin. + +{72b} Erinit. + +{74a} Llenuleawc. + +{74b} Gwrdival. + +{74c} Kai was said to be his son. + +{75a} Add, "And from him is Paris named." + +{75b} Gweir, son of Cadellin Talaryant (Cadellin of the silver brow). + +{76a} His flat breast was ruddy. + +{77a} Hwyrdyddwc, Drwgdyddwc, and Llwyrdyddwc. + +{77b} Cethtrwm. + +{78a} Gweirdathar Wenidawc. + +{78b} Canhwch. + +{78c} Arwy. + +{81a} "We all of us will come there," said Kai. + +{81b} This dialogue consists of a series of repartees, with a play upon +words which it is impossible to follow in the translation. + +{82} "Oh man, since the sea does not allow a beautiful dead man in it, +show me that dead body." "Oh woman, the one to whom the dead body +belongs thou wilt see here this evening." + +{84a} "I promise all this, and will obtain it," said he. + +{84b} "Where are my bad servants and my knaves?" + +{85a} Knee-pan. + +{87} The two oxen of Gwlwlwyd Wineu. + +{89} The harp of Teirtu to console me that night. + +{92} Garselit Wyddel. + +{93} Moro Oerveddawc. + +{98a} And what he and his companions with him did was this--they crossed +the three wards until he was within the fortress. + +{98b} Glini. + +{99a} Glini. + +{99b} Add "some of." + +{100} There was but one horn on each side of my head, and there were no +trees here except one oak sapling. + +{102} And they proceeded until they came to the wall opposite to where +the prisoner was, where they heard lamentations and groaning on the other +side of the wall. + +{103} And it was piteous to hear them. And he hastened to the place. + +{105} Dyvnarth. + +{108a} Hosts of Ireland. + +{108b} And when all the hosts had fled, Arthur and his men went to their +ship in their sight, carrying with them the cauldron full of Irish money. + +{108c} Llwyddeu. + +{109} And he only killed one of his young pigs. + +{110} Add "same night Arthur." + +{111a} Aber Tywi. + +{111b} Kynlas. + +{111c} And ever since they had crossed the Irish Sea, he had not +appeared to them until then. + +{112a} And there was killed a young boar from among his pigs. + +{112b} And there was killed a young boar and a young sow. + +{114} But she turned again upon Kacmwri; she beat both men soundly, +disarmed them, and drove them out. + +{116} Maxen Wledig was an emperor at Rome. And the comeliest man was +he, and the wisest, and the one that was most fit to be an emperor, of +all that had been before him. + +{117} Not for the delight of hunting went the emperor so far as that, +but to make himself such a man that he would be lord over those kings. + +{118a} Valleys he saw, and precipices, and wondrous high rocks, and a +rugged, waterless land. + +{118b} Barren. + +{119} Sparkling jewels laboriously wrought. + +{120} There was no joint of his bones, or cavity of his nails, not to +speak of anything larger than these, that was not full of the maiden's +love. + +{122} Waterless. + +{124} Helen of the Legions. + +{125} Legions. + +{126a} Over the wall into the city. + +{126b} That it was not for me that thy brothers conquered the city. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MABINOGION VOL. 2 (OF 3)*** + + +******* This file should be named 19973.txt or 19973.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/9/9/7/19973 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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