nant's feelings when he said it was "the fittest place in the world to inspire religious meditation." Charles Kingsley speaks of the "flat meadows, mountain cradled, and the grave of the mystic greyhound, and the fair old church, shrouded in tall trees." Only fifty years ago all transportation between Beddgelert and its nearest market towns, Carnarvon and Llanrwst, had to be by means of man or beast; carts had not been introduced, and the first small vehicle which was brought to town created quite an excitement. In the Visitor's Book at the Royal Goat some one has inscribed these lines: "Beddgelert! Gelert's bed and grave, Great guardian mountains stand around Crude as is the verse, it has in it so much actual statement of fact that it somehow lingers in the memory. In old times hotel accommodation in Beddgelert was most inadequate. It was very primitive when Nicholas Owen wrote in 1792: "The village ale-house of Beddgelert, the place of rest nearest the bridge, affords no variety of accommodation; the catalogue of negatives is abundant. No butcher's meat, no wheaten bread, no spirits; oat and barley bread, ale, porter and eggs commonly make the improvident stranger's repast." To my taste, this sounds attractive, but the English always demand meat with every meal! The tiny inn, Ty Isaf, which purports to be the palace of Llewellyn, once owned a celebrated tankard, known as "the large Pint of Beddgelert." The mug held two quarts, and was of pewter. Any man who could drain it at a single draught was not obliged to pay for his drink! No doubt such capacity was so rare that the generosity of the hotel was seldom taxed, whereas frequent attempts and failures must have been a constant source of revenue! It was engraved with a goat climbing up a rock, with a verse on the other side which may be thus translated: " "My fill of beer which makes content My owner will to thee present, If with one hand and single draught The name of the Goat was given to the larger hotel at the suggestion and request of two travellers, distinguished men, both of them, who, happening to see a goat silhouetted against the sky on the top of one of the craggy mountains in the immediate vicinity, asked the proprietor to christen the hotel "The Goat." After the visit of the Duke of Connaught, the name was changed to "The Royal Goat." (History does not relate whether his Royal Highness was pleased or not.) Among the minor legends in Beddgelert is one which refers to a certain old doctor who was fond of the chase, but who, by reason of his profession, had no time to indulge his sporting proclivities. As this gentleman, however, was endowed with supernatural powers, so often met in Wales, he had the ability to raise spirits. So, in the evenings, what should our worthy doctor do but settle himself with a pipe under a tree near his house (for which purpose he brought out his easy chair), and then, for his own entertainment and the pastime of the vil lage, he would summon up from the spirit world" witch ham," a sort of goblin in animal form, with a pack of "hell hounds" to follow, and the hunt would proceed merrily evening after evening! A CHAPTER XIII MERIONETH AND THE DEE GRAND climax in Wales was reached in Harlech. This historic fortress, grey and grim, stately and hoary, is reminiscent of the dreams and memories of childhood through its popular association with the well-known March of the Men of Harlech." When the Yorkists captured the castle in 1468, this march was written in honour of the noble men who, though not victorious, had filed out bravely to their defeat. It has ever since been one of the most stirring and inspiring of the Welsh national airs. Harlech was strongly Lancastrian in the Wars of the Roses. They held out during a long siege against the Yorkists. The constable of the castle is said to have exclaimed, "I held a castle in France until every old woman in Wales heard about it; and now I will hold this castle in Wales until every old woman in France shall hear of it!" Indeed the constable deserved the reputation which he won. Verily: |