formed one of the many communications between this outward world of ours and the inner or lower one of Annwn-the unknown world-the dominion of Gwyn ap Nudd, the mythic king of the fabled realm, peopled by those children of mystery, Plant Annwn; and the belief is still current amongst the inhabitants of our mountains in the occasional visitations of the Gwragedd Annwn, or dames of Elfin land, to this upper world of ours. A shrewd old hill farmer, (Thomas Abergraes by name,) well skilled in the folk-lore of the district, informed me that, in years gone by, though when, exactly, he was too young to remember, those dames were wont to make their appearance, arrayed in green, in the neighbourhood of Llyn Barfog, chiefly at eventide, accompanied by their kine and hounds, and that on quiet summer nights in particular, these ban-hounds were often to be heard in full cry pursuing their prey-the souls of doomed men dying without baptism and penance-along the upland township of Cefnrhosucha. Many a farmer had a sight of their comely milk-white kine; many a swain had his soul turned to romance and poesy by a sudden vision of themselves in the guise of damsels arrayed in green, and radiant in beauty and grace; and many a sportsman had his path crossed by their white hounds of supernatural fleetness and comeliness, the Cwn Annwn; but never had any one been favoured with more than a passing view of either, till an old farmer residing at Dyssyrnant, in the adjoining valley of Dyffryn Gwyn, became at last the lucky captor of one of their milk-white kine. The acquaintance which the Gwartheg y Llyn, the kine of the lake, had formed with the farmer's cattle, like the loves of the angels for the daughters of men, became the means of capture; and the farmer was thereby enabled to add the mystic cow to his own herd, an event in all cases believed to be most conducive to the worldly prosperity of him who should make so fortunate an acquisition. Never was there such a cow, never such calves, never such milk and butter, or cheese, and the fame of the Fuwch Gyfeiliorn, the stray cow, was soon spread abroad through that central part of Wales known as the district of Rhwng y ddwy Afon, from the banks of the Mawddach to those of the Dovwy,-from Aberdiswnwy to Abercorris. The farmer, from a small beginning, rapidly became, like Job, a man of substance, possessed of thriving herds of cattle-a very patriarch among the mountains. But, alas! wanting Job's restraining grace, his wealth made him proud, his pride made him forget his obligation to the Elfin cow, and fearing she might soon become too old to be profitable, he fattened her for the butcher, and then even she did not fail to distinguish herself, for a more monstrously fat beast was never before seen. At last the day of slaughter came—an eventful day in the annals of a mountain farm-the killing of a fat cow, and such a monster of obesity! No wonder all the neighbours were gathered together to see the sight. The old farmer looked upon the preparations in self-pleased importance-the butcher felt he was about no common feat of his craft, and, baring his arms, he struck the blow-not now fatal, for before even a hair had been injured, his arm was paralyzed-the knife dropped from his hand, and the whole company was electrified by a piercing cry that awakened echo in a dozen hills, and made the welkin ring again; and lo and behold! the whole assemblage saw a female figure clad in green, with uplifted arms, standing on one of the craigs overhanging Llyn Barfog, and heard her calling with a voice loud as thunder: "Dere di velen Einion, Cyrn Cyveiliorn—braith y Llyn, Codwch, dewch adre." Come yellow Anvil, stray horns, Speckled one of the lake, and of the hornless Dodin, And no sooner were these words of power uttered than the original lake cow, and all her progeny to the third and fourth generations, were in full flight towards the heights of Llyn Barfog, as if pursued by the evil one. Self-interest quickly roused the farmer, who followed in pursuit, till breathless and panting he gained an eminence overlooking the lake, but with no better success than to behold the green attired dame leisurely descending mid-lake, accompanied by the fugitive cows and their calves formed in a circle around her, they tossing their tails, she waving her hands in a scorn as much to say, "You may catch us, my friend, if you can," as they disappeared beneath the dark waters of the lake, leaving only the yellow water lily to mark the spot where they vanished, and to perpetuate the memory of this strange event. Meanwhile the farmer looked with rueful countenance upon the spot where the elfin herd disappeared, and had ample leisure to deplore the effects of his greediness, as with them also departed the prosperity which had hitherto attended him, and he became impoverished to a degree below his original circumstances; and, in his altered circumstances, few felt pity for one who in the noontide flow of prosperity had shown himself so far forgetful of favours received, as to purpose slaying his benefactor. Visitors to the lake may return to Aberdovey along the ridge of Cefnrhosucha and enjoy on the one hand the grand scenic panorama of the vale and estuary of the Dovey, and on the other, that of Dyffryn Gwyn. The latter, though small in extent and comparatively unknown, well deserves more than a transient view, as it has some fine rock and rural scenery, and is traversed by the rippling brook Dyssyrnant; the old turnpike road from Pennal and Machynlleth to Towyn also passes through it almost parallel with the brook, but as the travelling on that road is almost superseded by the new line through Aberdovey to the same points, the privacy of this retired vale is seldom intruded upon, and the inhabitants are left unmolested to pursue the noiseless tenor of their way; and as its name implies "the happy valley, or the of valley contentment," so does it seem a little world in itself, shut out from the big bad world around it. Here "The passions gently hush'd, Sink to divine repose; and love and joy Penhelig House, Aberdovey, JOHN PUGHE. CHARTER OF GWENWYNWYN PRINCE OF POWYS. A.D. 1201. THE following charter of Gwenwynwyn son of Owen Cyfeiliog, to the Abbey of Strata Marcella in Montgomeryshire, is printed from a transcript in the possession of Pryse Loveden, Esq., M.P., by whose permission it is printed. It does not occur among the muniments of the Abbey given in Dugdale's Monasticon, vi. p. 637. If genuine, it is of importance as fixing the boundaries of the lordship of Cyfeiliog in the thirteenth century, and as a proof that the limits of Powys and South Wales have varied at different epochs : Omnibus Sanctæ Matris Ecclesiæ filiis tam presentibus quam futuris Notum sit quod Ego Wenwynwyn filius Owen Kyfeiliog dedi Deo & gloriose Virgini Matri & Monachis de Strat mchell ... .... .... pro Salute Anime mee in liberam & quietam elemosinam Omnes pastu totius provinciæ quæ dicitur Kyfeiliog infra istos Terminos, scil. Avon maen melyn usq, ad Llwyn y groes & inde indirectum usq, ad blaen Nant hannang & inde a Nant hannang usq, ad ejus Aber, inde usque ad Aber nant garth branddu, & per longitudinem ipsius rivuli usq ad suum blaen..nde i...actum usque ad Carneddwen & inde usq, ad gobleiddie & a per gobleiddie blaen nant tyli-. ...d suum Aber, & inde Bache usq, ad Aber ..gwm, inde per Dyfngwm usq inde usq Hellig.... ad Rydiol & per Rydiol usq ad Kay & inde Rydiol flerum (?) usq, ad Aber camddwr Kyfeiliog & ab Aber.... dwr Cyfeiliog usq, ad ejus Ortum & inde indirectum usq, ad Blaen Einiawn, & inde per Einiawn usq, ad ejus Aber, & inde per Dyfi usq, ad Aber Duwlas, & inde per Dulas usq, ad ejus Ortum, & inde indirectum usq, ad Kefn y bwlch & inde usq, ad blaen llwydo & per Llwydo usq, ad ejus Aber, & inde Dyfi & inde usq, ad Aberllywenyth & sic p Llywenith usq, ad ejus Ortum & inde indirectum hyd y Pebyllfa Super Clawedog & inde p Clawedog usq, ad gwernach, & gwernach usq, ad ejus Ortum et inde sicut ducit Mons superior usq, ad Rhyd-derwen & sic per Derwen usq, ad y Vyrnwy & inde nant yr Eira ... ad ..... et a blaenlled wern indirectum usq ad bon (?) maen Melyn. Omnes itaq, pastur? dedi Ego predictus Wenwynwyn p' nominatis Monachis infra p'fatos terminos. Ann: It doth bear date (AD) 1201 per Mr. Edd Herbert of Monntgom'y had the originall Deed in Keeping. The copy is thus endorsed : THE NAMES OF THE TOWNS OF BRITAIN. [TRANSCRIBED FROM AN OLD MS. BY JOHN JONES, GELLY LYDVY.] New Troy, called Caer Ludd, is London; it was built by Brutus. Caer Membyr, Caer Boso, the same is Oxford; it was built by Membyr ab Madoc. Evrawg is York; it was built by Evrawg. The Castle of Edinburgh, which is called the Castle of Morwynion on the mount of lamentation. Caer Ben Hoilcoet is Exeter. Caer Alchut, Carlisle; it was built by Lleil ab Brutus of the blue shield. Caer Mynydd y Paladr, Shaftesbury, or Caer Septon. Caer Wynt is Winchester. Caer Caint is Canterbury; it was built by Rhun of the strong spear. Caer Baddon is Bath; Bleddyd built it. Caer Llyr is Leicester; built by Llyr ab Bleiddyt. Caer Oden Nant y Baedd is Bristol; Malvys Bri and Trevys Caer Llion Gawr, on the Dee; Llion ab Brutus built it. Caer Ewerydd is Doncaster. Caer Wrgant is Cambridge; Gwrgan Varvdrwch built it. Caer Vydde is Cicester; it was built by Coel Codebog. Caer Verddyn (Carmarthen); Maxen ab Llun built it. Edward the elder built them. Caer Wrangon; Constantine built it. Caer Ddigoll is Shrewsbury. Caer Cyffyw is Aberconwy. Caer Collwyn is Harlech. Caer Deganwy; Maelgwn built it. Caer Lwyt Coed is Lincoln. Caer Colden is Colchester; Coel Codebog built it. Caer Criadog is Salisbury; it was built by Cyhelin ab Bran. Caer Ddyvygawr is Cardiff. Caer Cleddyv is Tenby. Caer Hirvryn is Longiaster. |