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difficulty in question; and informed him that I was determined to
follow his advice。 He hurried away; and presently returned with
his nephew; to whom I offered half…a…crown provided he would show
me all about Pen Caer Gyby。 He accepted my offer with evident
satisfaction; and we lost no time in setting out upon our
expedition。
We had to pass over a great deal of broken ground; sometimes
ascending; sometimes descending; before we found ourselves upon the
side of what may actually be called the headland。 Shaping our
course westward we came to the vicinity of a lighthouse standing on
the verge of a precipice; the foot of which was washed by the sea。
Leaving the lighthouse on our right we followed a steep winding
path which at last brought us to the top of the pen or summit;
rising; according to the judgment which I formed; about six hundred
feet from the surface of the sea。 Here was a level spot some
twenty yards across; in the middle of which stood a heap of stones
or cairn。 I asked the lad whether this cairn bore a name; and
received for answer that it was generally called Bar…cluder y Cawr
Glas; words which seem to signify the top heap of the Grey Giant。
〃Some king; giant; or man of old renown lies buried beneath this
cairn;〃 said I。 〃Whoever he may be; I trust he will excuse me for
mounting it; seeing that I do so with no disrespectful spirit。〃 I
then mounted the cairn; exclaiming:…
〃Who lies 'neath the cairn on the headland hoar;
His hand yet holding his broad claymore;
Is it Beli; the son of Benlli Gawr?〃
There stood I on the cairn of the Grey Giant; looking around me。
The prospect; on every side; was noble: the blue interminable sea
to the west and north; the whole stretch of Mona to the east; and
far away to the south the mountainous region of Eryri; comprising
some of the most romantic hills in the world。 In some respects
this Pen Santaidd; this holy headland; reminded me of Finisterrae;
the Gallegan promontory which I had ascended some seventeen years
before; whilst engaged in battling the Pope with the sword of the
gospel in his favourite territory。 Both are bold; bluff headlands
looking to the west; both have huge rocks in their vicinity; rising
from the bosom of the brine。 For a time; as I stood on the cairn;
I almost imagined myself on the Gallegan hill; much the same
scenery presented itself as there; and a sun equally fierce struck
upon my head as that which assailed it on the Gallegan hill。 For a
time all my thoughts were of Spain。 It was not long; however;
before I bethought me that my lot was now in a different region;
that I had done with Spain for ever; after doing for her all that
lay in the power of a lone man; who had never in this world
anything to depend upon; but God and his own slight strength。 Yes;
I had done with Spain; and was now in Wales; and; after a slight
sigh; my thoughts became all intensely Welsh。 I thought on the old
times when Mona was the grand seat of Druidical superstition; when
adoration was paid to Dwy Fawr; and Dwy Fach; the sole survivors of
the apocryphal Deluge; to Hu the Mighty and his plough; to Ceridwen
and her cauldron; to Andras the Horrible; to Wyn ab Nudd; Lord of
Unknown; and to Beli; Emperor of the Sun。 I thought on the times
when the Beal fire blazed on this height; on the neighbouring
promontory; on the cope…stone of Eryri; and on every high hill
throughout Britain on the eve of the first of May。 I thought on
the day when the bands of Suetonius crossed the Menai strait in
their broad…bottomed boats; fell upon the Druids and their
followers; who with wild looks and brandished torches lined the
shore; slew hundreds with merciless butchery upon the plains; and
pursued the remainder to the remotest fastnesses of the isle。 I
figured to myself long…bearded men with white vestments toiling up
the rocks; followed by fierce warriors with glittering helms and
short broad two…edged swords; I thought I heard groans; cries of
rage; and the dull; awful sound of bodies precipitated down rocks。
Then as I looked towards the sea I thought I saw the fleet of
Gryffith Ab Cynan steering from Ireland to Aber Menai; Gryffith;
the son of a fugitive king; born in Ireland; in the Commot of
Columbcille; Gryffith the frequently baffled; the often victorious;
once a manacled prisoner sweating in the sun; in the market…place
of Chester; eventually king of North Wales; Gryffith; who 〃though
he loved well the trumpet's clang loved the sound of the harp
better〃; who led on his warriors to twenty…four battles; and
presided over the composition of the twenty…four measures of
Cambrian song。 Then I thought …。 But I should tire the reader
were I to detail all the intensely Welsh thoughts which crowded
into my head as I stood on the Cairn of the Grey Giant。
Satiated with looking about and thinking; I sprang from the cairn
and rejoined my guide。 We now descended the eastern side of the
hill till we came to a singular looking stone; which had much the
appearance of a Druid's stone。 I inquired of my guide whether
there was any tale connected with this stone。
〃None;〃 he replied; 〃but I have heard people say that it was a
strange stone; and on that account I brought you to look at it。〃
A little farther down he showed me part of a ruined wall。
〃What name does this bear?〃 said I。
〃Clawdd yr Afalon;〃 he replied。 〃The dyke of the orchard。〃
〃A strange place for an orchard;〃 I replied。 〃If there was ever an
orchard on this bleak hill; the apples must have been very sour。〃
Over rocks and stones we descended till we found ourselves on a
road; not very far from the shore; on the south…east side of the
hill。
〃I am very thirsty;〃 said I; as I wiped the perspiration from my
face; 〃how I should like now to drink my fill of cool spring
water。〃
〃If your honour is inclined for water;〃 said my guide; 〃I can take
you to the finest spring in all Wales。〃
〃Pray do so;〃 said I; 〃for I really am dying of thirst。〃
〃It is on our way to the town;〃 said the lad; 〃and is scarcely a
hundred yards off。〃
He then led me to the fountain。 It was a little well under a stone
wall; on the left side of the way。 It might be about two feet
deep; was fenced with rude stones; and had a bottom of sand。
〃There;〃 said the lad; 〃is the fountain。 It is called the Fairies'
Well; and contains the best water in Wales。〃
I lay down and drank。 Oh; what water was that of the Fairies'
Well! I drank and drank; and thought I could never drink enough of
that delicious water; the lad all the time saying that I need not
be afraid to drink; as the water of the Fairies' Well had never
done harm to anybody。 At length I got up; and standing by the
fountain repeated the lines of a bard on a spring; not of a Welsh
but a Gaelic bard; which are perhaps the finest lines ever composed
on the theme。 Yet MacIntyre; for such was his name; was like
myself an admirer of good ale; to say nothing of whiskey; and loved
to indulge in it at a proper time and place。 But there is a time
and place for everything; and some