The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Cambrian Sketch-Book, by R. Rice Davies This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: The Cambrian Sketch-Book Tales, Scenes, and Legends of Wild Wales Author: R. Rice Davies Release Date: April 26, 2012 [eBook #39539] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) ***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CAMBRIAN SKETCH-BOOK*** This ebook was transcribed by Les Bowler THE CAMBRIAN SKETCH-BOOK. TALES, SCENES, AND LEGENDS OF WILD WALES. BY R. RICE DAVIES. Author of “The Handy Book on Tax Laws,” “Havelock,” “Essay on Recreation Grounds for Swansea,” etc. London: SIMPKIN, MARSHALL & CO. Swansea: THE CAMBRIAN WELSH AND ENGLISH BOOK PUBLISHING COMPANY To the Right Honourable THE LADY LLANOVER. Madam, Among the illustrious men and women of Cambria it would be difficult to select one to whom this book could be so appropriately inscribed as your ladyship. You are, and ever have been, the warm and sincere friend of my country; you are profoundly versed in her historic, poetic, literary, and legendary annals; you are a liberal and munificent contributor p. v to almost every great movement designed to promote the social and intellectual, the moral and religious, welfare of the people of our ancient Principality; and you have attained a high and imperishable fame as a graceful and eloquent writer. In these pages your ladyship will find depicted scenes connected with the past history of the land; tales of years that are gone, which roll before us with their dark or splendid deeds, and specimens of the wild but graceful legends which have shed a poetic charm upon almost every nook and corner of Wales. I cherish the hope that their perusal will afford your ladyship delight and pleasure, while their contents, possibly, may help to increase your ladyship’s interest in and attachment to the land you so much love. I am, Madam, Very respectfully, Your ladyship’s obedient Servant, R. RICE DAVIES. PREFACE. The history of the Cambrian race is interesting not only to the antiquarian, but also to all real lovers of traditional and legendary lore. It is a race which had its origin in the mythical age, in the far back and remote past, in that period of the world’s history when intellectual and moral darkness covered the earth, and when gross darkness, like a black pall, enveloped the minds of the people. The country which this race originally occupied is simply a matter of conjecture— an unascertained fact; while the period when the Cambrian people first left their own native soil, the land of their love and their fondest affection, and wandered over hill and plain, over mountain and dismal swamp, through woods and primeval forests, wading through mighty fordable rivers, and crossing stormy seas, until they reached the pebbled strand of this our sea-girt isle, is still a matter of uncertainty—one of the mysteries of this mysterious world. That they occupied this island, and were in undisturbed possession of it many hundred years before the appearance in our world of Him who is the true Light of humanity, there exists abundance of evidence; and it is not unlikely, but on the contrary highly probable, that sections of this ancient people were then engaged, as now, in developing the mineral wealth of the country. Coming down to a later date, a less remote period, we have actual descriptive accounts of the Welsh people, of their manners and customs, their habits and mode of life, their religious rites and form of worship; and considering the then state of the world, we are astonished at the comparative high state of civilization to which this ancient race had at that time attained. But to trace the history of their civilization down through the ages is foreign to my present purpose, however tempting the theme. The object I had in view in preparing this work for the press, was not to place before the reader a consecutive narrative, but to select topics with a view to illustrate some of the traits of character of this ancient, singular, and extremely interesting people—a people who, in spite of oppression, injustice, and isolation, have nobly clung to the old faith; who have ever as citizens been loyal, patriotic, and virtuous; and who, moreover, in the face of very serious disadvantages, have obtained a position of intellectual and moral manhood, which cannot fail to inspire us with admiration and wonder. Let me say here, that if this work deepens the Welshman’s love of country, and induces the English reader to regard us in a more favourable light than that adopted by a class of Saxon critics, I shall consider I have not laboured in vain. As regards the tales and sketches of this volume, they are not ideal pictures of Cambrian life and character, but are for the most part founded on fact. For example, the ascent of Snowdon was undertaken alone, some ten years ago, and by the most difficult, tedious, and hazardous route. I often wonder at my want of prudence in ascending from Capel Curig, that glorious old Alpine height, on a cold, dank, and misty autumnal morning, without a guide or a friendly hand to point the way. Alone I accomplished the journey, without experiencing much difficulty, or meeting a single mishap. The story of Dunraven Castle is founded on a historical fact. It is one of the most painful of the many painful incidents of those terrible times. Parson Jones is not an ideal but a real character painted from life. His fame as a charmer, a conjuror, and magician, was celebrated far and wide. I well remember farmers’ wives and others visiting him in order to secure his assistance in driving away evil spirits from their dwellings. A wonderful man was Parson Jones! An able divine, a true preacher of the cross, a lovable and childlike man was he. When his body was consigned to the tomb, the people felt that they had lost one of their best earthly friends. As to the legends of Lake Savathan and Elidorus, they have been handed down in written history. The tale of Cadwgan is a real picture of Cambrian life. The story of Saint Winifred is founded on an old Welsh legend. A marvellous work has recently been written by one of England’s greatest novelists; it is not impossible that the idea of the “Coming Race” had its origin in the tale of Elidorus. In this work I have avoided the literary paths trodden by previous Cambrian authors: writers who, in their own sphere of literature, have left behind them imperishable names. I believe that the mine of wealth I have endeavoured to explore is new, while virgin is the soil. Deeply interesting are the legends which have been handed down from a people, who, alas! alas! no longer tread the sacred ground of wild Wales. In the selection of topics, I have only discovered for the theme of my pen a few precious gems, having culled here and there a few fair and fragrant flowers, thus leaving for future literary labours, many others of tints equally beautiful and sweets equally delicious. Almost every dell and hamlet, every sylvan glade and mountain side of wild Wales abounds with legends and tales, stories of real life which are too p. vi p. vii p. viii p. ix p. x p. xi p. xii interesting to be lost, and too important in the lessons they afford to remain hid in the bosom of members of our ancient race. It is possible that exception will be taken to the ideal pictures—creations of the author’s fancy—of the fairies and fairy land, which form rather a prominent feature of this work. For introducing to the reader the people of the fairy kingdom beneath the bay of Swansea, I have no apology to make. In the thoughts they breathe and in the opinions they express they are very human, while the land in which they dwell bears witness to the presence of the energizing power and infinite benevolence of the Supreme. From our childhood we have been accustomed to listen to the wonderful tales relating to Lilliputian races, in which the narrators described their sayings and doings, their gambols and frolics, their pranks and merry-making, their sweet music and dulcet notes; and in our wanderings, we have often gazed on the green rings wherein they danced on mead and meadow. And are we not ready to confess that those fairy stories possessed a special charm—an interest which even reality itself hardly awakens? I am aware that belief in the existence of those aërial forms, those ghostly, impalpable, and ambiguous beings, has been regarded as an evidence of mental blindness, and the absence of high culture and civilization. This charge cannot be maintained. The peoples of all European nations believe in the existence of those wonderful people, and, personally, I should regret to see their faith undermined. Fairies are associated with the spiritual and super-human; with virtue and purity; thus they help us to look upward to the spirit- world, where flesh and blood, where materialism and its unhallowed fruits have not, and can never have, even a temporary lodgment. Should this work meet with the approval of my fellow-countrymen, I shall in the early part of next spring issue a second volume of the Cambrian Sketch-Book. I shall include in that volume: Sir Rice ap Thomas, a historical romance, already written; and The Lost Son Found, a tale of the Lowland Hundred. A beautiful country was Cantref-y-Gwaelod, where now roll the waters of the Atlantic—a magnificent plain with fortified cities, and co-extensive with Cardigan Bay. Several other legends and tales of North and South Wales will also appear in the intended volume. It now only remains for me to express my hearty thanks to Charles Bath, Esq., of Fynone, for his kindness in placing at my service a very old view of Swansea, a faithful transcript of which has been made by the artist for the present volume. I make this public acknowledgment to our townsman for the reason that he is always ready to aid all efforts having in view the publication and circulation of works relating to dear old Cambria. R. RICE DAVIES. Swansea, July, 1875. CONTENTS. PAGE Ascent of Snowdon 3 A Story of Dunraven Castle in the Olden Times 21 Parson Jones 79 Cadwgan Wynn 121 Traditions of Llyn Savathan 227 Treffynon; or, Legends of Saint Winifred 243 The Visit of Elidorus to the Fairy Kingdom beneath the Bay 269 Cefn-y-Bedd 319 ASCENT OF SNOWDON. “How high and swift flits the thin rack along, Skirted with rainbow dyes; now deep below— While the fierce sun strikes the illumined top, Slow sails the gloomy storm, and all beneath, By vaporous exhalation hid, is lost In darkness: save at once where drifted mists, Cut by strong gusts of eddying winds, expose The transitory scene. Now swift on either side the gathered clouds, p. xiii p. xiv p. xv p. xvi p. 3 As by a sudden touch of magic, wide Recede, and the fair face of heaven and earth Appears. Amid the vast horizon’s stretch, In restless gaze the eye of wonder darts O’er the expanse,—mountains on mountains piled, And winding bays and promontories huge, And lakes and wandering rivers from their source Traced to the distant ocean.” Bingley’s Tour. It was a bright and glorious August morning, in the year 18—, when, having a few weeks’ freedom from the busy toils of official labour, I resolved to have an “out,” as they call it in the north of England, where I then resided—a brief tour of pleasure. Never in these northern latitudes had I witnessed a more lovely morning. The sun shone brightly, and with a dazzling splendour only surpassed by the gorgeous brilliancy of an Eastern clime. When we looked upwards, not a cloud could be seen in the concave hemisphere above. Far, far away, the most distant objects could be plainly and distinctly seen. In the forest not a spray moved, nor was there a sweet kiss of the leaves on that breezeless morn. Neither on river nor lake could there be discerned a single ripple. Everywhere, except in the adjacent grove, did quietude and stillness reign. There, however, the birds sent forth their merry and joyous notes, and the tone of their voices, and the songs they sung, told of joys, and proclaimed the existence of happy feelings, which but few among the sons of men are permitted to realize. Oh, how calm and how still was the scene around! Indeed, all nature, except the winged songsters of the grove, appeared to repose quietly and peacefully on the bosom of its God. A grand morning this, said I, for starting on an “out;” but the pressing question was, whither should I go. During my brief preparation, I fancied I heard the voice of the eagle, and the voice said, “Come to me. Come and behold the high mountain whereon I dwell, and the great rocks in which I build my nest. Come and see, from my high elevation and Alpine heights, the magnificent lochs whose waters spread far and wide in the broad and expansive valleys. Oh, come, and behold the land of the brave and heroic Wallace.” A moment before deciding whether or not I should accept the invitation of the king of birds, there was wafted on the gentle breeze that had just sprung up, the voice of a little bird which inhabits the far west; and the little bird said, “Come and visit the land in which I dwell. In this land you will behold some of the greatest wonders of the world. Were you to visit the North or the South, the East or the West, the sunny fountains of Africa, the coral strands of India, or the icy regions of the frigid zone, yet in no part of the wide world could you discover objects so grand and majestic as our Giant’s Causeway; while Killarney is unrivalled for sublime and beautiful scenery.” Well, little bird, said I, I love your nation; your people have warm hearts and generous sympathies. Just, however, as I was about saying “aye” to the invitation of the little bird of the Green Isle, there came from the south—o’er moorland valley, o’er mighty rivers and hills, o’er cities, towns, and villages, the charming and enchanting voice of the lark, and its tones were so winning and so sweet, that I was almost moved to shed tears of joy. But what was the purport of her song? The burden of her song was Cambria! the beautiful and the blest; the land of Poetry and the Ideal. “Come,” carolled the lark, “and behold some of the beauties of Wild Wales. In no land are glades so verdant, are rocks so rugged and bold, are cwms and dells so exquisitely beautiful and lovely as are to be seen here. Nowhere but here can you behold hill after hill, and mountain after mountain, rise above each other, presenting a picture so awfully wild, so grand, and so majestically sublime. Besides,” said the lark, “this is your own land. It is the place of your birth. It is the home of your father’s sepulchre. Oh! come here, for here are generous hearts, ready to bid you welcome. In the border land is many an old friend who will rejoice and kill the fatted calf when he sees you approach his dwelling.” I could no longer resist the irresistible voice, and replied to her, Oh, sweet songster of the moorland, thither will I go, and to-morrow I will listen to your heavenly strains among your own hills. I need not describe the journey from the North to Conway, as it is familiar to most travellers. Nor shall I refer to the beautiful Menai, or the magnificent ruins and historic renown of the good old town of Carnarvon. Nor shall I refer, with a view to depict the scene, to many other deeply-interesting spots, some of which I could not but gaze upon with feelings of profound reverence, the rather as they told the tales of other times, which rolled before me with their deeds. As I looked upon and contemplated these scenes, I was deeply affected, while my vision was dimmed by the tears that welled up from my heart. Moreover, as I still gazed upon the historic fields of blood and battle, I thought I saw the shadow of my country’s martyrs and heroes passing before my eyes—the shadows of the great and heroic men who, strong in the righteousness of their cause, fought for the liberty of our brave, courageous, and lion-hearted ancestors, and for the independence and the freedom of the land of my love and my sympathies. Since the days of that long and sanguinary struggle, time and the disposition of men and nations have immeasurably changed for the better. Happily for us, we have now a ruler who loves her subjects, whose sway is the very opposite of that despotic tyrant’s rule, who loved to imbrue his hands in the blood of contemporary princes. Edward, however, has gone to his place. Oh that his memory and his deeds of blood had perished with him! As I looked upon the scene around Conway, and viewed it in relation to and in connection with the dark deeds of Edward, the following lines of the poet Gray came to my remembrance:— “Hark how each giant oak and desert cave Sighs to the torrent’s awful voice beneath! p. 4 p. 5 p. 6 p. 7 p. 8 p. 9 O’er thee, O King, their hundred arms they wave, Revenge on thee in hoarser murmurs breathe, Vocal no more.” From Conway I proceeded to Llanrwst, thence to Bettws-y-Coed, which is situated in a lovely verdant cwm, and is the most charming and the most exquisitely beautiful spot I have ever beheld. I have seen many an enchanting scene, but Bettws-y-Coed is incomparably finer, and surpasses, both in magnificent boldness and soft and quiet grandeur, any other landscape upon which I have been permitted to gaze. As night was rapidly approaching, and as I had arranged to ascend Snowdon the following morning, I had to tear myself away from so enchanting a scene. From there I proceeded to the Swallow Falls, thence to Capel Curig, a village which affords some of the most picturesque landscapes which can be met with in Wales. Of this prospect it might be truly said:— “Here hills and vales, the woodland and the plain, Here earth and water seem to strive again; Not, chaos-like, together crushed and bruised, But, as the world, harmoniously confused.” However, I lingered not to contemplate the scene, but proceeded on my journey towards Penygwryd, which I reached just as the great king of day disappeared behind the Cambrian Alps. The next morning, after partaking of an early breakfast of ham and eggs and coffee, I proceeded to the hotel lawn to see whether the day was favourable for an ascent of Yr Wyddfa, the “uwch y mynydd uchaf” of England and Wales. Since the previous day I regretted to find that the weather had undergone a complete change; the summit of Eryri was now enveloped in dark clouds, the morning was cold, and the air was dank and chilly. The moaning of the wind in the great mountain gullies and cwms rendered the scene both awful and sublime. Meeting mine host on the lawn, I inquired if I might venture to ascend Snowdon without the service of a guide. He strongly dissuaded me from attempting an ascent alone, as it would necessarily be attended with great risk. However, after debating the matter some time, I resolved to carry out my original design of going unattended. When I reached the summit I was delighted beyond measure at having accomplished the ascent, by the longest and most difficult route, without the aid of a guide. Having wished Mr. Owen a hearty farewell, I commenced the ascent of Snowdon. Proceeding up the road towards the Pass of Llanberis so far as Pen-y-Pass, I branched off to the left, and soon came to Llyn Teyrn, thence taking the trackless mountain above Cwm Dyli, direct towards Llyn Glaslyn; and thence by a circuitous and difficult route, which a kind mountain miner showed me, to the highest point of the Mother of Hills. Although I found this route laborious, I was amply recompensed by beholding “scenes of extraordinary wildness and grandeur, over which solitude seemed to brood with undisturbed silence, scarcely ever broken by the wing of bird or the voice of melody.” In every direction prospects the most magnificent opened to view, and every crag and rock which I surmounted was furnished with objects of picturesque effect or deep and absorbing interest. From many a crag I looked down upon the cwms and deep dells beneath, and I fancied I could pick out here and there the very dingles to which our heroic ancestors were compelled to resort for protection, when pursued by numberless hosts of the enemy after they had sustained defeat. In these cwms they were, however, safe. Even proud and haughty Edward dared not follow the Britons to their mountain fastnesses. To them Snowdon had ever proved a kind and guardian angel: hence the reason why they fled thither in the hour of their defeat. No wonder, therefore, that they loved the old mountain deeply and passionately; and no wonder, too, that they composed songs to her honour and renown. When I attained the summit of the mountain, the sight presented to my view was awfully and majestically wild and grand. The whole circuit of the Snowdonian range was enveloped in a thick and dark mist, which was so dense that I fancied I could cut it with the finest edged tool. The howling of the winds in the cwms and dingles which run down the mountain on every side was really appalling. Indeed, the prospect was horrible to contemplate. It gave an idea, says a writer on the subject, of numbers of abysses concealed by a thick smoke furiously circulating around us. Now and then, however, a strong gust of wind created an opening in the mist, which, for a moment, gave me a magnificent prospect of sea and lake, of deep chasms, and high and lofty mountains, of almost fathomless dingles and ravines; while towns and hamlets appeared in the distance like small specks on the surface of the earth. But the prospect was only momentary. The clouds of mist which were rent asunder by the strong current of wind would, in the twinkling of an eye, again form and unite, and thus present a compact and complete whole, leaving me involved in a darkness that might be felt. In a minute it would again separate into a thousand parts, and fly in wild eddies up the gullies and dingles, thus affording me another opportunity of seeing the Isle of Mona, the mountain of Plynlimmon, Hell’s Mouth, the Iraeth Bach, and that magnificent bay which once formed the rich and fertile plain of Cantref-y-Gwaelod, with its sixteen fortified cities and towns, whose inhabitants met with a watery grave through the drunkenness of Seithenyn, who is styled in the “Triads” as one of the three notorious drunkards of the isle of Britain. Contemplating the scene so strange, yet so grand, the following lines of the poet Rogers struck me as extremely applicable to my then situation:— “The morning air Plays on my cheek, how gently, flinging round A silvery gleam; and now the purple mists Rise like a curtain; now the sun looks out, Filling, o’erflowing with his glorious light, p. 10 p. 11 p. 12 p. 13 p. 14 This noble amphitheatre of hills.” After spending nearly two hours on the summit in gazing upon the wild, yet the grand and majestic scene presented to my view, I felt, as I had to walk to Pont Aberglaslyn, and back to Penygwryd, a distance of nearly twenty miles, that I dare not delay my departure longer; hence I made instant preparation to descend. I, however, left this Alpine top, and bade farewell to old Snowdon, with feelings of deep sorrow and poignant grief. On leaving this most prominent historic spot in the past history of my country, I could not but enter into the deep feeling of reverence with which my forefathers regarded this mountain and its adjacent hills, valleys, and plains. Thought I to myself, was it a wonder that they almost worshipped Yr Wyddfa? Indeed they had every reason for paying honour and homage to it. To them it had ever been a never-failing friend—a sure and safe retreat when they suffered and sustained defeat in battle. To them it afforded a rich and never-failing refuge, in which they lodged the young and the feeble and the non-combatants when they went forth to fight the common foe—the implacable enemies of their dear fatherland—foes and enemies, too, who were strangers to generosity, but who loved conquest for the sake of conquest, and who were alike indifferent to the sacrifice of human blood as they were to English treasures. When they followed our brave and heroic countrymen into the mountain fastnesses of Snowdon, they generally suffered terrible slaughter, and repented having left those fortresses and plains where they so much loved to dwell. Considering the many and the terrible disasters which befell their marches in its fastnesses, no wonder they preferred residing at some distance removed from so impregnable a refuge. To the Welsh warriors it had been a natural guardian angel: hence the reason why they loved it so deeply, so ardently, and with the whole passion of the soul. After I had descended some distance towards Beddgelert, I turned in order to take a parting farewell-look of this the mother of Cambrian mountains; and in viewing its high and lofty summit, now almost wholly enveloped in mist, I was forcibly struck with the wild, dreary, and boundless scene. From the point on which I stood this ancient hill appeared to be untrodden by human foot, and tenanted only by wandering sheep and goats, except the hoarse-croaking ravens. It was, indeed, sublime to stand, as I stood then, on that spot, and commune with solitude around—to gaze upon Snowdon and her manifold adjacent hills, slumbering calmly beneath me. With me there was no form, no human being, no living thing; but I rejoiced that there, amid this stupendous scene, I could commune freely and uninterruptedly with nature and nature’s God, and with the spirits of my brave and heroic forefathers, whose bones lie buried in that wild and dreary scene; and, as I finally parted from the scene, I sang the following well-known lines, and so my voice re-echoed through the dales and caverns:— “Rest, ye brave dead, ’midst the hills of your sires. Oh, who would not slumber when Freedom expires? Lonely and voiceless your halls must remain, The children of song may not breathe in the chain.” A STORY OF DUNRAVEN CASTLE IN THE OLDEN TIMES; OR, GOD’S JUDGMENT AGAINST WRECKERS. THE PROEM. On the southern coast of the county of Glamorgan, and situate at the back of a high rocky promontory commanding a magnificent view of the Bristol Channel, and just opposite the little sea-bathing village of Southerndown, which appears desolate amid its desolation, stands the modern Castle of Dunraven, which was built by the late Mr. Thomas Wyndham. This castle is erected on the site of a very ancient structure, which, in the olden times, was called Dindryfan. The old castle is in some respects the most interesting in the Principality. It was there one of Cambria’s greatest warriors and one of her purest patriots lived and reigned. Dunraven was the centre of those wonderful military movements which gained for their author wide-spread fame and imperishable renown. It was there that the great commander and war-tactician delivered those eloquent harangues, which not only inspired confidence in so great and skilful a leader, but also nerved the patriot’s arm, enabling his trusty followers to go forth to meet the foe fearlessly, courageously, and with a resolute resolve to conquer or to die for their country’s welfare and the independence of their fatherland. Caractacus, or as he is generally called by Cambrian writers, Caraddwg, was a great man and an illustrious warrior, celebrated no less for his heroism than for his many other virtues. Hence, when one visits Dunraven, the scenes of his childhood and riper years, one seems to imbibe his spirit, to be inspired with the highest admiration for his genius, and to feel the profoundest reverence for the man who, though vanquished in his encounter with the well-disciplined forces of Octavius yet was not ashamed—rather in it did he glory—after many years of exile from the land of his birth, of his love, and of his deepest and fondest affection, to return to the very scenes of his childhood and princely rule, in order to proclaim the good news of the gospel, the truths and glories of which he had learned and realized during his residence in the far-famed city of Rome. Subsequent to the death of Caraddwg, Dunraven continued to be the seat of the Reguli of Glamorgan until the Norman p. 15 p. 16 p. 17 p. 21 p. 22 p. 23 Conquest. When Robert Fitz-Hamon divided the country he and his armies had conquered, he assigned this castle and manor to William de Londres, who, in consequence of their worthless value, gave them to his butler, afterwards Sir Arnold Butler. When the male issue of the Butler family became extinct, the castle and manor fell to Walter Vaughan, who was a descendant of the female branch of the Butlers. It is to this person our story relates. Oh that his crimes had never been recorded by the pen of the historian! Oh that his life and its deeds of horror and loathing, which, when we contemplate, makes one’s blood run cold, had remained unwritten! As, however, these have been handed down to this distant age, I will endeavour to depict the scene, though I can form but a very dim and hazy conception of the barbarities and cruelties practised by that evil man in those distant times. CHAPTER I. THE LOVERS. It was a lovely autumn evening, when a young man and young woman might have been seen walking hand in hand along the carriage drive which led from the village of St. Bride’s to Dunraven Castle. The young man was in his usual buoyant and cheerful mood, happy and joyous, but his companion was pensive and sad. From childhood John ap William and Myfanwy Gwenllian had been companions. In childhood they had pledged themselves to be true to each other. In childhood they had walked together, day after day, either on the rocky headland below the village of Southerndown, or on the sands of Dunraven Bay, picking off the rocks flowers of various tints and hues, or gathering in the little haven or bay beautiful stones or pebbles, or seaweeds and shells. Besides, during those childish excursions they were often seen gazing on the ocean surges, or on the bright blue waves, now almost quiet and still, now dashing up in awful and appalling fury against the high and stupendous rocks surrounding the bay. Often, too, might they have been seen watching the ships as they sailed up and down the channel. John especially, loved the sea and its pebbly shore. He was never so happy as when, with his beloved Myfanwy, he was watching the tidal eddies, or viewing the frail barques as they rode so majestically o’er the briny waves, carrying in their laps, as it were, the merchandise and the wealth of the world—the products of the earth’s richest blessings from shore to shore and from clime to clime. John contemplated this scene as a Christian philosopher. He looked upon commerce between nation and nation and between peoples and peoples as one of the greatest agents in advancing the world’s civilization, as it necessarily carried to distant lands those products of industry which so much contribute towards the comfort and the material happiness and the general welfare of the race. But while he looked upon commercial enterprise as a channel through which material blessings might be conveyed, he moreover regarded it as tending directly to unite nation with nation, to realize and cement in the bonds of a holy brotherhood different races and separate nations and kingdoms; thus rendering war almost impossible. Happy would it be if the statesmen of the world would act up to these high principles! Besides, though John had never been from home—Bridgend being the furthest extent within the range of his geographical knowledge—nevertheless, from his reflection on the beneficial results flowing from commercial enterprise, and his strong passion for a roving life, and being, moreover, desirous to follow his father’s profession, who was commander of a merchant vessel, he had resolved, in his early years, to go to sea when he grew old enough, if a favourable opportunity offered itself. Myfanwy, however, used all her powers of argument and suasion with a view to prevent him from following so hazardous a calling; but without success. Upon a seafaring life he was resolved. To visit distant lands, and to behold strange peoples and countries, was the all-prevailing and the constant desire of his heart’s deepest emotion. Hence on attaining his thirteenth year, he was apprenticed to his father. When, however, the day arrived for leaving home, and for bidding adieu to his beloved mother and his darling Myfanwy, the grief he felt on parting with those he so deeply and tenderly loved, almost broke his heart. At last he tore himself from their embraces and fond caresses, and on the following day he joined his father’s ship at Bristol, which was even then a city of considerable commercial importance. As young ap William was a joyous and spirited boy, always full of fun and joviality, and was never so well pleased as when he collected around him a number of the sailors, and told them tales of other times, especially tales connected with the lives of the great warriors and heroes of his country he, in consequence, became a great favourite with his father’s crew, who loved him for his own and his father’s sake. During this time he did not, however, neglect his studies; nor was he lacking in acquiring a thorough knowledge of his profession. He studied navigation, paid great attention to charts; while in a short time he gained such an intimate acquaintance with the management of the vessel, that before two years elapsed the chief mate pronounced him to be the best and ablest sailor on board. Before he attained his eighteenth year he could steer and manage a vessel with any captain in the mercantile marine; and as the first mate then retired from the service, John was appointed, by the owners of the ship, as his successor, with a promise that on the first vacancy he should have the command of one of their largest vessels. During those years John had saved several hundred pounds. This sum his father invested in the purchase of a small freehold estate in his native parish, to which John intended to retire after he had saved enough to secure a sufficient competency for himself and his beloved Myfanwy. To that day he looked forward with feelings of longing anticipation. On that day he had often said he would forget the past, would recall to his mind neither sorrow nor human woes; but would for once live a day wholly devoted to pleasure and to joy, looking on from then to a still more bright and happy future. Alas! alas! how different often are results from our expectations. Weeping cometh in the morning as well as at night. When we are most bent on pleasure, when we fancy we are about to realize, according to our anticipations, its fullest fruition, a dark cloud, charged with mournful tidings, bursts on our head. The day on which he led Myfanwy to the altar was the day on which he himself became an orphan. Indeed, he had not left the churchyard before being apprised of the sad intelligence that a p. 24 p. 25 p. 26 p. 27 p. 28 p. 29 p. 30 father whom he loved so much was now a mangled corpse. He went home to weep and to grieve, though he did not sorrow as one who had no hope. CHAPTER II. A NOBLE RESOLVE NOBLY CARRIED OUT. It was morning. Walter Vaughan and his heir were partaking of an early meal before going to the chase. Just previous to their departure, “faithful Evan,” as he was called by the neighbours, entered the hall, and handed his master a letter, which he received with a trembling hand. Mr. Vaughan hastily broke the seal, and commenced perusing its contents, but before he had concluded its perusal, he became as pale as death, he shook like an aspen leaf, and his hand trembled violently. The young lord, seeing his father’s distress and mental agony, became seriously alarmed, and, in a paroxysm of anguish and grief, exclaimed in weeping tones:— “Oh, father, my dear and fond parent! what is the matter? Are you ill?” “My boy,” replied the lord, “I am a ruined man!” “Ruined, did you say?” “Yes, completely and, I fear, irretrievably ruined.” “How, and by what means has so great a calamity befallen you?” “This I will explain in a few words. Some time ago I placed my affairs in the hands of an attorney, whom I then believed to be an honest man. He has, however, proved himself to be a faithless friend and an arrant rogue. This is his letter, in which he informs me that the lawsuit has been decided in favour of my opponent, who is my bitterest foe. This vagabond lawyer further tells me, that the costs are so enormous that I shall be compelled to sell my estates in order to meet the liability. He even doubts whether the castle and manor of Dunraven will realize sufficient, over and above the present encumbrance, to meet the debt.” “But you need not, dear father, dispose of the estate to satisfy the claims of these lawyers. There is the twenty thousand pounds my uncle left me in the bank. I will send an authority to the manager to pay you that sum. Surely, that will be sufficient to meet all claims.” “My dear and noble-hearted boy, it almost breaks my heart to be obliged to tell you that your money, even to the last shilling, has already been spent.” “Surely, you have not raised the whole of that sum?” “Yes, every penny has gone; and now, dear Walter, your patrimony in a few weeks will, I fear, become the possession of others.” “This is sad news, my father,” replied Walter junior. “It is, indeed, a terrible disaster. But don’t grieve. What’s done can’t be undone. I am resolved yet to redeem it, if time be granted me. I am now penniless; but I will make my own fortune. I will yet gain for myself a name and a rank which shall be equal to, if it does not surpass, that of my illustrious ancestors. Now being bereft of all, the poorest of the poor, and dependent upon my own powers and will, I will repair the ruin.” “By what means will you accomplish this, Walter?” inquired the father. “Oh, father, by means which are honourable; and by pursuits which lead to fortune. By work, by labour, by industry, by indomitable plodding, and by engaging in the calling of men who have thereby accumulated untold wealth, and are possessed of unbounded riches.” “I do not, my son, understand you. To what pursuit do you refer?” “To be plain, then, this is my resolve: to engage at once in commercial undertakings, thus following in the footsteps of my late lamented uncle.” “But, considering the position we occupy in society as the lords of Dunraven, for you to enter upon such an undertaking would be a degradation.” “But, father, is it not a greater degradation to be poor—to see our lands in the possession of others, to be provided with bread by the toil and labour of others—in short, to see men work, while we refuse to lift up a hand to help them, when we are dependent upon their industry?” “It is hard to do this, my noble boy; but to me it is still more painful to part with you.” “You, dear father, have ever been kind and indulgent to me. Believe me, for I speak from my heart of hearts, that to leave you, though it be but for a season, is to me a matter of deep sorrow. It is, however, a stern necessity that compels my departure. I shall, nevertheless, leave you, though with sadness, yet with a buoyant hope, destined, I doubt not to be realised, to return to the home of my fathers laden with gold. The prospect of that day will cheer me in my p. 31 p. 32 p. 33 p. 34 p. 35 labour, will nerve my arm, and help me to surmount any difficulties which may pass athwart my path.” “God grant you success, my son, for which I will pray fervently during your forced absence. But whither will you go?” “I think, dear father, that I can secure immediate employment—an employment, too, which will in no way be degrading to me as your heir. Yesterday I received a letter from my old friend and companion, Mr. Jones, of Marseilles, who is one of the greatest merchants of that famous city, in which he has asked me to look out for a gentleman to act as confidential clerk. He further says, that if the right man secures the appointment, and proves to be one who can be trusted, with business habits, tact, and energy, he holds out the prospect of an advantageous partnership. As he is in immediate want of a young man possessing those qualities, which I fancy I possess, I will write him offering my services, which, considering my altered circumstances, I think he will only feel too proud to accept.” Young Walter was indeed just the kind of youth Mr. Jones wanted. He had received the best education which the Oxford of those times afforded. He had the bump of order largely developed. He was persevering, painstaking, energetic, and an indomitable plodder; whatever his hand found to do, he did it with all his might. Anything he undertook he would not give up until he had thoroughly mastered it. Moreover, he was thoroughly conscientious. In this virtue he followed his mother’s rather than his father’s family. Indeed, the old lord was regarded, and was justly considered, as an unprincipled, grasping, and unscrupulous man; and it was his greedy love of gold, and his insatiable thirst for larger possessions, which he sought to secure by unjust means and foul play, that had, in consequence of non- success, brought about his ruin. He had set up a claim to the heirship of another gentleman’s estate, though its owner’s ancestors were in its possession and enjoyment when Vaughan’s forefathers were menials. The court, happily, decided the suit in favour of the rightful owner, and to mark their sense of the wrong the lord of Dunraven intended doing, ordered him to pay the costs of ten years’ litigation. It was this final decision of which his lawyer had apprised him in the letter previously alluded to. His son, on the other hand, was an upright and an honourable man, who would rather suffer wrong than do an unjust act. Mr. Jones was well aware of these noble qualities with which young Walter was endowed; hence, on the receipt of the letter offering his services, he wrote him a note full of kindly feeling and sympathy, and further pressing his old friend and correspondent to join him in London the following week, as he should be over in England for a few days on important matters connected with his business. On the receipt of this communication from Mr. Jones, young Walter commenced preparing for leaving home. At last the day arrived for his departure, and bidding his father an affectionate adieu, he went forth into the broad world, either to be carried on the tide which leads to fortune, or to sink beneath its devouring crests. On Walter’s arrival in London, his old friend and earliest companion was waiting at his hotel ready to receive him. His reception was most cordial on the part of Mr. Jones. After spending a few days in town, they took ship for Marseilles. On arriving at their destination, the heir of Dunraven was at once installed in office; and before a week had elapsed, his employer saw that he had secured a valuable acquisition to his establishment. After Mr. Vaughan had been in the establishment about six months, Mr. Jones came to the office one morning earlier than usual. Though none of the hands had arrived, he found to his surprise and joy his new clerk at the desk. “I am glad,” addressing Walter, “you are here, for I want to consult you on a matter of great importance. I have been debating with my junior partner,” continued Mr. Jones, “as to the wisdom or unwisdom of sending to the London market a new kind of silk, which a manufacturer has just introduced. He strongly opposes its purchase, while I, on the other hand, am convinced it is just the thing that will take. You are a good judge of quality and beauty, so give me your candid opinion as to whether it is wise or not to make a large or any purchase of this class of goods.” “I presume you will not require an immediate answer,” replied Walter. “If you will kindly give me an hour to think over it, I will then offer my opinion.” During that hour the young clerk was busily engaged in carefully examining the material with the aid of a powerful magnifying glass, and was struck with both the fineness of the texture and the beauty of its design. On the return of his principal, he said that, in his opinion, the silk was just the kind of goods which would command a ready sale in the London market, and strongly recommended that the whole stock should be bought up, and immediately shipped. Mr. Jones acted on the opinion, which turned out to be the most fortunate speculation in which he had ever engaged. The sum actually realized was £20,000, of this sum he presented the young clerk with £5000, and in addition offered—an offer which was gladly and gratefully accepted—a partnership in the business. After this, the house of Jones & Company rose higher and higher in the commercial world, and the annual profits of the business were so great, that at the expiration of the seven years of partnership the young lord of Dunraven had at his command a sufficient sum to pay off the incumbrance of the estate. To that effect he wrote his father, and on the receipt of the money, he called his creditors together and paid them their demands. The lord of Dunraven thus became once more a free and independent man; but, alas! he did not give up his calling, but, with new life and renewed energy pursued the mission of the Evil One: being constantly at the post of mischief, and with eager eyes and a longing heart, looking out on the stormy wavy channel for treasures which, by foul play, he was resolved to bring into his meshes. Prosper thou, lord of Dunraven, but in thy prosperity remember that the sword of justice is hovering over thy head, and in the midst of thy prosperity it will strike thee down. The day of vengeance tarries; but it will come, and when it arrives, oh, how terrible will be thy doom! CHAPTER III. THE ALLIANCE OF THE LORD OF DUNRAVEN WITH MAC THE DEVIL, AND p. 36 p. 37 p. 38 p. 39 p. 40 p. 41 p. 42 SOME OFITS RESULTS. It was about three years subsequent to the departure of the son and heir of Dunraven, that the old lord resolved to take into his service MacLean, alias Mac the Devil. He knew that this man was a desperate character and a thorough daredevil, who neither feared God nor regarded man; in short, that for money and Scotch whisky, he would do the devil’s work according to his satanic majesty’s own special plan. There was no crime of which Mac was not guilty, but, by reason of the stealthy way in which he carried out his doings of iniquity, he always succeeded in avoiding detection. Though blood was on his hands, though he had robbed the fatherless, and murdered, for the sake of pelf, the innocent, yet he walked the earth with head erect as a guiltless person, little dreaming of the terrible doom awaiting him. However, his cup of iniquity was not yet full, though daily it was nearing the brim. He was in the act of planning some new crime when he received a message from the lord of Dunraven to attend him at the castle. Mac, with trembling hands and a sinking heart, at once attended to the commands of Mr. Vaughan, though, on his way there, he had many misgivings as to the prudence of the step he was taking. He, however, soon convinced himself that were he to disobey the summons he must quit for ever the neighbourhood, as he dare not confront the lord of Dunraven if guilty of disobedience to his lordship’s commands. To the castle, therefore, he repaired, and on his arrival he was ushered by the faithful Evan into the library, where Mr. Vaughan was awaiting him. On Mac’s entering he was requested to take a seat, when Mr. Vaughan, with a degree of sternness he seldom manifested, reproached him for leading a life so fraught with danger. “I do not, my lord,” said Mac, touching his head, “understand your meaning.” “Oh, you don’t, don’t you? If then I say you are deeply steeped in crime, that you are a murderer, a thief, a rogue, and a villain, should I not speak the truth, and would you not understand my charge?” “Saying so, and proving its truth, are, I ken, two very different things, my lord. You can’t prove that I am otherwise than an innocent man.” “Don’t you be too sure of that, Mac. Indeed, I already possess evidence, which, if necessary, can at any moment be produced, completely substantiating my charge; and, Mac, I have a great mind to produce that evidence to the authorities.” “You dare not do that, my lord,” replied Mac. “You scoundrel! dare you threaten me in my own castle? If you say another word, and use that language to me, I’ll send for the bum-bailiff at once, and, as a magistrate, order you into his custody.” “I say again, my lord, that you daren’t carry out your threat.” “Why daren’t I, I should be glad to know?” “Because if you were to do so I’d peach.” “You would do what, Mac?” “I’d peach; that is, I’d tell all about your lordship’s doings.” “Be d—d, you would?” “Yes.” “But who would believe you, you scoundrel?” “Me they may not, my lord of Dunraven; but they’d believe the evidence of others.” “But can you or your friends, you vagabond, bear any evil testimony against me? I live in my own castle, and never mix with the world. It is well known to all around, that my life and my time is devoted to study, to the practice of virtue, an...