Wales。〃　　I　repeated　the　question　in　Welsh。
  〃Cefn　Bach；〃　she　replied　…　which　signifies　the　little　ridge。
  〃Diolch　iti；〃　I　replied；　and　proceeded　on　my　way。
  I　was　now　in　a　wild　valley　…　enormous　hills　were　on　my　right。　　The
  road　was　good；　and　above　it；　in　the　side　of　a　steep　bank；　was　a
  causeway　intended　for　foot　passengers。　　It　was　overhung　with　hazel
  bushes。　　I　walked　along　it　to　its　termination　which　was　at
  Llangollen。　　I　found　my　wife　and　daughter　at　the　principal　inn。
  They　had　already　taken　a　house。　　We　dined　together　at　the　inn；
  during　the　dinner　we　had　music；　for　a　Welsh　harper　stationed　in　the
  passage　played　upon　his　instrument　〃Codiad　yr　ehedydd。〃　　〃Of　a
  surety；〃　said　I；　〃I　am　in　Wales！〃
  CHAPTER　VI
  Llangollen　…　Wyn　Ab　Nudd　…　The　Dee　…　Dinas　Bran。
  THE　northern　side　of　the　vale　of　Llangollen　is　formed　by　certain
  enormous　rocks　called　the　Eglwysig　rocks；　which　extend　from　east　to
  west；　a　distance　of　about　two　miles。　　The　southern　side　is　formed
  by　the　Berwyn　hills。　　The　valley　is　intersected　by　the　River　Dee；
  the　origin　of　which　is　a　deep　lake　near　Bala；　about　twenty　miles　to
  the　west。　　Between　the　Dee　and　the　Eglwysig　rises　a　lofty　hill；　on
  the　top　of　which　are　the　ruins　of　Dinas　Bran；　which　bear　no　slight
  resemblance　to　a　crown。　　The　upper　part　of　the　hill　is　bare　with
  the　exception　of　what　is　covered　by　the　ruins；　on　the　lower　part
  there　are　inclosures　and　trees；　with；　here　and　there；　a　grove　or
  farm…house。　　On　the　other　side　of　the　valley；　to　the　east　of
  Llangollen；　is　a　hill　called　Pen　y　Coed；　beautifully　covered　with
  trees　of　various　kinds；　it　stands　between　the　river　and　the　Berwyn；
  even　as　the　hill　of　Dinas　Bran　stands　between　the　river　and　the
  Eglwysig　rocks　…　it　does　not；　however；　confront　Dinas　Bran；　which
  stands　more　to　the　west。
  Llangollen　is　a　small　town　or　large　village　of　white　houses　with
  slate　roofs；　it　contains　about　two　thousand　inhabitants；　and　is
  situated　principally　on　the　southern　side　of　the　Dee。　　At　its
  western　end　it　has　an　ancient　bridge　and　a　modest　unpretending
  church　nearly　in　its　centre；　in　the　chancel　of　which　rest　the
  mortal　remains　of　an　old　bard　called　Gryffydd　Hiraethog。　　From　some
  of　the　houses　on　the　southern　side　there　is　a　noble　view　…　Dinas
  Bran　and　its　mighty　hill　forming　the　principal　objects。　　The　view
  from　the　northern　part　of　the　town；　which　is　indeed　little　more
  than　a　suburb；　is　not　quite　so　grand；　but　is　nevertheless　highly
  interesting。　　The　eastern　entrance　of　the　vale　of　Llangollen　is
  much　wider　than　the　western；　which　is　overhung　by　bulky　hills。
  There　are　many　pleasant　villas　on　both　sides　of　the　river；　some　of
  which　stand　a　considerable　way　up　the　hill；　of　the　villas　the　most
  noted　is　Plas　Newydd　at　the　foot　of　the　Berwyn；　built　by　two　Irish
  ladies　of　high　rank；　who　resided　in　it　for　nearly　half　a　century；
  and　were　celebrated　throughout　Europe　by　the　name　of　the　Ladies　of
  Llangollen。
  The　view　of　the　hill　of　Dinas　Bran；　from　the　southern　side　of
  Llangollen；　would　be　much　more　complete　were　it　not　for　a　bulky
  excrescence；　towards　its　base；　which　prevents　the　gazer　from
  obtaining　a　complete　view。　　The　name　of　Llangollen　signifies　the
  church　of　Collen；　and　the　vale　and　village　take　their　name　from　the
  church；　which　was　originally　dedicated　to　Saint　Collen；　though
  some；　especially　the　neighbouring　peasantry；　suppose　that
  Llangollen　is　a　compound　of　Llan；　a　church；　and　Collen；　a　hazel…
  wood；　and　that　the　church　was　called　the　church　of　the　hazel…wood
  from　the　number　of　hazels　in　the　neighbourhood。　　Collen；　according
  to　a　legendary　life；　which　exists　of　him　in　Welsh；　was　a　Briton　by
  birth；　and　of　illustrious　ancestry。　　He　served　for　some　time　abroad
  as　a　soldier　against　Julian　the　Apostate；　and　slew　a　Pagan　champion
  who　challenged　the　best　man　amongst　the　Christians。　　Returning　to
  his　own　country　he　devoted　himself　to　religion；　and　became　Abbot　of
  Glastonbury；　but　subsequently　retired　to　a　cave　on　the　side　of　a
  mountain；　where　he　lived　a　life　of　great　austerity。　　Once　as　he　was
  lying　in　his　cell　he　heard　two　men　out　abroad　discoursing　about　Wyn
  Ab　Nudd；　and　saying　that　he　was　king　of　the　Tylwyth　or　Teg　Fairies；
  and　lord　of　Unknown；　whereupon　Collen　thrusting　his　head　out　of　his
  cave　told　them　to　hold　their　tongues；　for　that　Wyn　Ab　Nudd　and　his
  host　were　merely　devils。　　At　dead　of　night　he　heard　a　knocking　at
  the　door；　and　on　his　asking　who　was　there；　a　voice　said：　　〃I　am　a
  messenger　from　Wyn　Ab　Nudd；　king　of　Unknown；　and　I　am　come　to
  summon　thee　to　appear　before　my　master　to…morrow；　at　mid…day；　on
  the　top　of　the　hill。〃
  Collen　did　not　go　…　the　next　night　there　was　the　same　knocking　and
  the　same　message。　　Still　Collen　did　not　go。　　The　third　night　the
  messenger　came　again　and　repeated　his　summons；　adding　that　if　he
  did　not　go　it　would　be　the　worse　for　him。　　The　next　day　Collen　made
  some　holy　water；　put　it　into　a　pitcher　and　repaired　to　the　top　of
  the　hill；　where　he　saw　a　wonderfully　fine　castle；　attendants　in
  magnificent　liveries；　youths　and　damsels　dancing　with　nimble　feet；
  and　a　man　of　honourable　presence　before　the　gate；　who　told　him　that
  the　king　was　expecting　him　to　dinner。　　Collen　followed　the　man　into
  the　castle；　and　beheld　the　king　on　a　throne　of　gold；　and　a　table
  magnificently　spread　before　him。　　The　king　welcomed　Collen；　and
  begged　him　to　taste　of　the　dainties　on　the　table；　adding　that　he
  hoped　that　in　future　he　would　reside　with　him。　　〃I　will　not　eat　of
  the　leaves　of　the　forest；〃　said　Collen。
  〃Did　you　ever　see　men　better　dressed？〃　said　the　king；　〃than　my
  attendants　here　in　red　and　blue？〃
  〃Their　dress　is　good　enough；〃　said　Collen；　〃considering　what　kind
  of　dress　it　is。〃
  〃What　kind　of　dress　is　it？〃　said　the　king。
  Collen　replied：　　〃The　red　on　the　one　side　denotes　burning；　and　the
  blue　on　the　other　side　denotes　freezing。〃　　Then　drawing　forth　his
  sprinkler；　he　flung　the　holy　water　in　the　faces　of　the　king　and　his
  people；　whereupon　the　whole　vision　disappeared；　so　that　there　was
  neither　castle　nor　attendants；　nor　youth　nor　damsel；　nor　musician
  with　his　music；　nor　banquet；　nor　anything　to　be　seen　save　the　green
  bushes。
  The　valley　of　the　Dee；　of　which　the　Llangollen　district　forms　part；
  is　called　in　the　British　tongue　Glyndyfrdwy　…　that　is；　the　valley
  of　the　Dwy　or　Dee。　　The　celebrated　Welsh　chieftain；　generally　known
  as　Owen　Glendower；　was　surnamed　after　this　valley；　the　whole　of
  which　belonged　to　him；　and　in　which　he　had　two　or　three　places　of
  strength；　though　his　general　abode　was　a　castle　in　Sycharth；　a
  valley　to　the　south…east　of　the　Berwyn；　and　distant　about　twelve
  miles　from　Llangollen。
  Connected　with　the　Dee　there　is　a　wonderful　Druidical　legend　to　the
  following　effect。　　The　Dee　springs　from　two　fountains；　high　up　in
  Merionethshire；　called　Dwy　Fawr　and　Dwy　Fach；　or　the　great　and
  little　Dwy；　whose　waters　pass　through　those　of　the　lake　of　Bala
  without　mingling　with　them；　and　come　out　at　its　northern　extremity。
  These　fountains　had　their　names　from　two　individuals；　Dwy　Fawr　and
  Dwy　Fach；　who　escaped　from　the　Deluge；　when　all　the　rest　of　the
  human　race　were　drowned；　and　the　passing　of　the　waters　of　the　two
  fountains　through　the　lake；　without　being　confounded　with　its
  flood；　is　emblematic　of　the　salvation　of　the　two　individuals　from
  the　Deluge；　of　which　the　lake　is　a　type。
  Dinas　Bran；　which　crowns　the　top　of　the　mighty　hill　on　the　northern
  side　of　the　valley；　is　a　ruined　stronghold　of　unknown　antiquity。
  The　name　is　generally　supposed　to　signify　Crow　Castle；　bran　being
  the　British　word　for　crow；　and　flocks　of　crows　being　frequently
  seen　hovering　over　it。　　It　may；　however；　mean　the　castle　of　Bran　or
  Brennus；　or　the　castle　above　the　Bran；　a　brook　which　flows　at　its
  foot。
  Dinas　Bran　was　a　place　quite　impregnable　in　the　old　time；　and
  served　as　a　retreat　to　Gruffydd；　son　of　Madawg　from　the　rage　of　his
  countrymen；　who　were　incensed　against　him　because；　having　married
  Emma；　the　daughter　of　James　Lord　Audley；　he　had；　at　the　instigation
  of　his　wife　and　father…in…law；　sided　with　Edward　the　First　against
  his　own　native　sovereign。　　But　though　it　could　shield　him　from　his
  foes；　it　could　not　preserve　him　from　remorse　and　the　stings　of
  conscience；　of　which　he　speedily　died。
  At　present　the　place　consists　only　of　a　few　ruined　walls；　and
  probably　consisted　of　little　more　two　or　three　hundred　years　ago：
  Roger　Cyffyn　a　Welsh　bard；　who　flourished　at　the　beginning　of　the
  seventeenth　century；　wrote　an　englyn　upon　it；　of　which　the
  following　is　a　translation：…
  〃Gone；　gone　are　thy　gates；　Dinas　Bran　on　the　height！
  Thy　warders　are　blood…crows　and　ravens；　I　trow；
  Now　no　one　will　wend　from　the　field　of　the　fight
  To　the　fortress　on　high；　save　the　raven　and　crow。〃
  CHAPTER　VII
  Poor　Black　Cat　…　Dissenters　…　Persecution　…　What　Impudence！
  THE　house　or　cottage；　for　it　was　called　a　cottage　though　it
  consisted　of　two　stories；　in　which　my　wife　had　procured　lodgings
  for　us；　was　situated　in　the　Northern　suburb。　　Its　front　was　towards
  a　large　perllan　or　orchard；　which　sloped　down　gently　to　the　ba