〃Just　as　badly；　your　hanner；　divil　a　bit　better。〃
  〃I　suppose　you　never　beg？〃
  〃Your　hanner　may　say　that；　I　was　always　too　proud　to　beg。　　It　is
  begging　I　laves　to　the　wife　I　have。〃
  〃Then　you　have　a　wife？〃
  〃I　have；　your　hanner；　and　a　daughter；　too；　and　a　good　wife　and
  daughter　they　are。　　What　would　become　of　me　without　them　I　do　not
  know。〃
  〃Have　you　been　long　in　Wales？〃
  〃Not　very　long；　your　hanner；　only　about　twenty　years。〃
  〃Do　you　travel　much　about？〃
  〃All　over　North　Wales；　your　hanner；　to　say　nothing　of　the　southern
  country。〃
  〃I　suppose　you　speak　Welsh？〃
  〃Not　a　word；　your　hanner。　　The　Welsh　speak　their　language　so　fast；
  that　divil　a　word　could　I　ever　contrive　to　pick　up。〃
  〃Do　you　speak　Irish？〃
  〃I　do；　yer　hanner；　that　is　when　people　spake　to　me　in　it。〃
  I　spoke　to　him　in　Irish；　after　a　little　discourse　he　said　in
  English：
  〃I　see　your　hanner　is　a　Munster　man。　　Ah！　all　the　learned　men　comes
  from　Munster。　　Father　Toban　comes　from　Munster。〃
  〃I　have　heard　of　him　once　or　twice　before；〃　said　I。
  〃I　daresay　your　hanner　has。　　Every　one　has　heard　of　Father　Toban；
  the　greatest　scholar　in　the　world；　who　they；　say　stands　a　better
  chance　of　being　made　Pope；　some　day　or　other；　than　any　saggart　in
  Ireland。〃
  〃Will　you　take　sixpence？〃
  〃I　will；　your　hanner；　if　your　hanner　offers　it；　but　I　never　beg；　I
  leave　that　kind　of　work　to　my　wife　and　daughter　as　I　said　before。〃
  After　giving　him　the　sixpence；　which　he　received　with　a　lazy　〃thank
  your　hanner；〃　I　got　up；　and　followed　by　my　daughter　returned　to　the
  town。
  Henrietta　went　to　the　inn；　and　I　again　strolled　about　the　town。　　As
  I　was　standing　in　the　middle　of　one　of　the　business　streets　I
  suddenly　heard　a　loud　and　dissonant　gabbling；　and　glancing　around
  beheld　a　number　of　wild…looking　people；　male　and　female。　　Wild
  looked　the　men；　yet　wilder　the　women。　　The　men　were　very　lightly
  clad；　and　were　all　barefooted　and　bareheaded；　they　carried　stout
  sticks　in　their　hands。　　The　women　were　barefooted　too；　but　had　for
  the　most　part　head…dresses；　their　garments　consisted　of　blue　cloaks
  and　striped　gingham　gowns。　　All　the　females　had　common　tin　articles
  in　their　hands　which　they　offered　for　sale　with　violent　gestures　to
  the　people　in　the　streets；　as　they　walked　along；　occasionally
  darting　into　the　shops；　from　which；　however；　they　were　almost
  invariably　speedily　ejected　by　the　startled　proprietors；　with　looks
  of　disgust　and　almost　horror。　　Two　ragged；　red…haired　lads　led　a
  gaunt　pony；　drawing　a　creaking　cart；　stored　with　the　same　kind　of
  articles　of　tin；　which　the　women　bore。　　Poorly　clad；　dusty　and
  soiled　as　they　were；　they　all　walked　with　a　free；　independent；　and
  almost　graceful　carriage。
  〃Are　those　people　from　Ireland？〃　said　I　to　a　decent…looking　man；
  seemingly　a　mechanic；　who　stood　near　me；　and　was　also　looking　at
  them；　but　with　anything　but　admiration。
  〃I　am　sorry　to　say　they　are；　sir；〃　said　the　man；　who　from　his
  accent　was　evidently　an　Irishman；　〃for　they　are　a　disgrace　to　their
  country。〃
  I　did　not　exactly　think　so。　　I　thought　that　in　many　respects　they
  were　fine　specimens　of　humanity。
  〃Every　one　of　those　wild　fellows；〃　said　I　to　myself；　〃is　worth　a
  dozen　of　the　poor　mean…spirited　book…tramper　I　have　lately　been
  discoursing　with。〃
  In　the　afternoon　I　again　passed　over　into　Anglesey；　but　this　time
  not　by　the　bridge　but　by　the　ferry　on　the　north…east　of　Bangor；
  intending　to　go　to　Beaumaris；　about　two　or　three　miles　distant：　　an
  excellent　road；　on　the　left　side　of　which　is　a　high　bank　fringed
  with　dwarf　oaks；　and　on　the　right　the　Menai　strait；　leads　to　it。
  Beaumaris　is　at　present　a　watering…place。　　On　one　side　of　it；　close
  upon　the　sea；　stand　the　ruins　of　an　immense　castle；　once　a　Norman
  stronghold；　but　built　on　the　site　of　a　palace　belonging　to　the
  ancient　kings　of　North　Wales；　and　a　favourite　residence　of　the
  celebrated　Owain　Gwynedd；　the　father　of　the　yet　more　celebrated
  Madoc；　the　original　discoverer　of　America。　　I　proceeded　at　once　to
  the　castle；　and　clambering　to　the　top　of　one　of　the　turrets；　looked
  upon　Beaumaris　Bay；　and　the　noble　rocky　coast　of　the　mainland　to
  the　south…east　beyond　it；　the　most　remarkable　object　of　which　is
  the　gigantic　Penman　Mawr；　which　interpreted　is　〃the　great　head…
  stone；〃　the　termination　of　a　range　of　craggy　hills　descending　from
  the　Snowdon　mountains。
  〃What　a　bay！〃　said　I；　〃for　beauty　it　is　superior　to　the　far…famed
  one　of　Naples。　　A　proper　place　for　the　keels　to　start　from；　which；
  unguided　by　the　compass；　found　their　way　over　the　mighty　and
  mysterious　Western　Ocean。〃
  I　repeated　all　the　Bardic　lines　I　could　remember　connected　with
  Madoc's　expedition；　and　likewise　many　from　the　Madoc　of　Southey；
  not　the　least　of　Britain's　four　great　latter　poets；　decidedly　her
  best　prose　writer；　and　probably　the　purest　and　most　noble　character
  to　which　she　has　ever　given　birth；　and　then；　after　a　long；
  lingering　look；　descended　from　my　altitude；　and　returned；　not　by
  the　ferry；　but　by　the　suspension　bridge　to　the　mainland。
  CHAPTER　XXVIII
  Robert　Lleiaf　…　Prophetic　Englyn　…　The　Second　Sight　…　Duncan
  Campbell　…　Nial's　Saga　…　Family　of　Nial　…　Gunnar　…　The　Avenger。
  〃AV　i　dir　Mon；　cr　dwr　Menai；
  Tros　y　traeth；　ond　aros　trai。〃
  〃I　will　go　to　the　land　of　Mona；　notwithstanding　the　water　of　the
  Menai；　across　the　sand；　without　waiting　for　the　ebb。〃
  SO　sang　a　bard　about　two　hundred　and　forty　years　ago；　who　styled
  himself　Robert　Lleiaf；　or　the　least　of　the　Roberts。　　The　meaning　of
  the　couplet　has　always　been　considered　to　be；　and　doubtless　is；
  that　a　time　would　come　when　a　bridge　would　be　built　across　the
  Menai；　over　which　one　might　pass　with　safety　and　comfort；　without
  waiting　till　the　ebb　was　sufficiently　low　to　permit　people　to　pass
  over　the　traeth；　or　sand；　which；　from　ages　the　most　remote；　had
  been　used　as　the　means　of　communication　between　the　mainland　and
  the　Isle　of　Mona　or　Anglesey。　　Grounding　their　hopes　upon　that
  couplet；　people　were　continually　expecting　to　see　a　bridge　across
  the　Menai：　　more　than　two　hundred　years；　however；　elapsed　before
  the　expectation　was　fulfilled　by　the　mighty　Telford　flinging　over
  the　strait　an　iron　suspension　bridge；　which；　for　grace　and　beauty；
  has　perhaps　no　rival　in　Europe。
  The　couplet　is　a　remarkable　one。　　In　the　time　of　its　author　there
  was　nobody　in　Britain　capable　of　building　a　bridge；　which　could
  have　stood　against　the　tremendous　surges　which　occasionally　vex　the
  Menai；　yet　the　couplet　gives　intimation　that　a　bridge　over　the
  Menai　there　would　be；　which　clearly　argues　a　remarkable　foresight
  in　the　author；　a　feeling　that　a　time　would　at　length　arrive　when
  the　power　of　science　would　be　so　far　advanced；　that　men　would　be
  able　to　bridge　over　the　terrible　strait。　　The　length　of　time　which
  intervened　between　the　composition　of　the　couplet　and　the
  fulfilment　of　the　promise；　shows　that　a　bridge　over　the　Menai　was
  no　pont　y　meibion；　no　children's　bridge；　nor　a　work　for　common　men。
  Oh；　surely　Lleiaf　was　a　man　of　great　foresight！
  A　man　of　great　foresight；　but　nothing　more；　he　foretold　a　bridge
  over　the　Menai；　when　no　one　could　have　built　one；　a　bridge　over
  which　people　could　pass；　aye；　and　carts　and　horses；　we　will　allow
  him　the　credit　of　foretelling　such　a　bridge；　and　when　Telford's
  bridge　was　flung　over　the　Menai；　Lleiaf's　couplet　was　verified。
  But　since　Telford's　another　bridge　has　been　built　over　the　Menai；
  which　enables　things　to　pass　which　the　bard　certainly　never　dreamt
  of。　　He　never　hinted　at　a　bridge　over　which　thundering　trains　would
  dash；　if　required；　at　the　rate　of　fifty　miles　an　hour；　he　never
  hinted　at　steam　travelling；　or　a　railroad　bridge；　and　the　second
  bridge　over　the　Menai　is　one。
  That　Lleiaf　was　a　man　of　remarkable　foresight；　cannot　be　denied；
  but　there　are　no　grounds　which　entitle　him　to　be　considered　a
  possessor　of　the　second　sight。　　He　foretold　a　bridge；　but　not　a
  railroad　bridge；　had　he　foretold　a　railroad　bridge；　or　hinted　at
  the　marvels　of　steam；　his　claim　to　the　second　sight　would　have　been
  incontestable。
  What　a　triumph　for　Wales；　what　a　triumph　for　bardism；　if　Lleiaf　had
  ever　written　an　englyn；　or　couplet；　in　which　not　a　bridge　for
  common　traffic；　but　a　railroad　bridge　over　the　Menai　was　hinted　at；
  and　steam　travelling　distinctly　foretold！　　Well；　though　Lleiaf　did
  not　write　it；　there　exists　in　the　Welsh　language　an　englyn；　almost
  as　old　as　Lleiaf's　time；　in　which　steam　travelling　in　Wales　and
  Anglesea　is　foretold；　and　in　which；　though　the　railroad　bridge　over
  the　Menai　is　not　exactly　mentioned；　it　may　be　considered　to　be
  included；　so　that　Wales　and　bardism　have　equal　reason　to　be　proud。
  This　is　the　englyn　alluded　to：…
  〃Codais；　ymolchais　yn　Mon；　cyn　naw　awr
  Ciniewa'n　Nghaer　Lleon；
  Pryd　gosber　yn　y　Werddon；
  Prydnawn　wrth　dan　mawn　yn　Mon。〃
  The　above　englyn　was　printed　in　the　Greal；　1792；　p。　316；　the
  language　shows　it　to　be　a　production　of　about　the　middle　of　the
  seventeenth　century。　　The　following　is　nearly　a　literal
  translation：…
  〃I　got　up　in　Mona　as　soon　as　'twas　light；
  At　nine　in　old　Chester　my　breakfa