The Mabinogion Vol. 2 by Sir Owen Morgan Edwards and Lady Charlotte Schreiber (early readers .txt) 📗

a hoary-headed man, in a chair of ivory, with the figures of two eagles of ruddy gold thereon.  Bracelets of gold were upon his arms, and many rings upon his hands, and a golden torquis about his neck; and his hair was bound with a golden diadem.  He was of powerful aspect.  A chessboard of gold was before him, and a rod of gold, and a steel file in his hand.  And he was carving out chessmen.

And he saw a maiden sitting before him in a chair of ruddy gold.  Not more easy than to gaze upon the sun when brightest, was it to look upon her by reason of her beauty.  A vest of white silk was upon the maiden, with clasps of red gold at the breast; and a surcoat of gold tissue was upon her, and a frontlet of red gold upon her head, and rubies and gems were in the frontlet, alternating with pearls and imperial stones.  And a girdle of ruddy gold was around her.  She was the fairest sight that man ever beheld.

The maiden arose from her chair before him, and he threw his arms about the neck of the maiden, and they two sat down together in the chair of gold: and the chair was not less roomy for them both, than for the maiden alone.  And as he had his arms about the maiden’s neck, and his cheek by her cheek, behold, through the chafing of the dogs at their leashing, and the clashing of the shields as they struck against each p. 120other, and the beating together of the shafts of the spears, and the neighing of the horses and their prancing, the emperor awoke.

And when he awoke, nor spirit nor existence was left him, because of the maiden whom he had seen in his sleep, for the love of the maiden pervaded his whole frame. [120]  Then his household spake unto him.  “Lord,” said they “is it not past the time for thee to take thy food?”  Thereupon the emperor mounted his palfrey, the saddest man that mortal ever saw, and went forth towards Rome.

And thus he was during the space of a week.  When they of the household went to drink wine and mead out of golden vessels, he went not with any of them.  When they went to listen to songs and tales, he went not with them there; neither could he be persuaded to do anything but sleep.  And as often as he slept, he beheld in his dreams the maiden he loved best; but except when he slept he saw nothing of her, for he knew not where in the world she was.

One day the page of the chamber spake unto him; now, although he was page of the chamber, he was king of the Romans.  “Lord,” said he, “all thy people revile thee.”  “Wherefore do they revile me?” asked the emperor.  “Because they can get neither message nor answer from thee, as men should have from their lord.  This is the cause why thou art spoken evil of.”  “Youth,” said the emperor, “do thou bring unto me the wise men of Rome, and I will tell them wherefore I am sorrowful.”

Then the wise men of Rome were brought to the emperor, and he spake to them.  “Sages of Rome,” said he, “I have seen a dream.  And in the dream I p. 121beheld a maiden, and because of the maiden is there neither life, nor spirit, nor existence within me.”  “Lord,” they answered, “since thou judgest us worthy to counsel thee, we will give thee counsel.  And this is our counsel; that thou send messengers for three years to the three parts of the world, to seek for thy dream.  And as thou knowest not what day or what night good news may come to thee, the hope thereof will support thee.”

So the messengers journeyed for the space of a year wandering about the world, and seeking tidings concerning his dream.  But when they came back at the end of the year they knew not one word more than they did the day they set forth.  And then was the emperor exceeding sorrowful, for he thought that he should never have tidings of her whom best he loved.

Then spoke the king of the Romans unto the emperor.  “Lord,” said he, “go forth to hunt by the way that thou didst seem to go, whither it were to the east or to the west.”  So the emperor went forth to hunt, and he came to the bank of the river.  “Behold,” said he, “this is where I was when I saw the dream, and I went towards the source of the river westward.”

And thereupon thirteen messengers of the emperor’s set forth, and before them they saw a high mountain, which seemed to them to touch the sky.  Now this was the guise in which the messengers journeyed; one sleeve was on the cap of each of them in front; as a sign that they were messengers, in order that through what hostile land soever they might pass no harm might be done them.  And when they were come over this mountain they beheld vast plains, and large rivers flowing therethrough.  “Behold,” said they, “the land which our master saw.”

p. 122And they went along the mouths of the rivers, until they came to the mighty river which they saw flowing to the sea, and the vast city, and the many-coloured high towers in the castle.  They saw the largest fleet in the world, in the harbour of the river, and one ship that was larger than any of the others.  “Behold again,” said they, “the dream that our master saw.”  And in the great ship they crossed the sea, and came to the Island of Britain.  And they traversed the island until they came to Snowdon.  “Behold,” said they, “the rugged [122] land that our master saw.”  And they went forward until they saw Anglesey before them, and until they saw Arvon likewise.  “Behold,” said they, “the land our master saw in his sleep.”  And they saw Aber Sain, and a castle at the mouth of the river.  The portal of the castle saw they open, and into the castle they went, and they saw a hall in the castle.  Then said they, “Behold the hall which he saw in his sleep.”

They went into the hall, and they beheld two youths playing at chess on the golden bench.  And they beheld the hoary-headed man beside the pillar, in the ivory chair, carving chessmen.  And they beheld the maiden sitting on a chair of ruddy gold.

The messengers bent down upon their knees.  “Empress of Rome, all hail!”  “Ha, gentles,” said the maiden, “ye bear the seeming of honourable men, and the badge of envoys, what mockery is this ye do to me?”  “We mock thee not, lady, but the emperor of Rome hath seen thee in his sleep, and he has neither life nor spirit left because of thee.  Thou shall have of us therefore the choice, lady, whether thou wilt go with us and be made empress of Rome, or that the emperor come hither and take thee for his wife?”  “Ha, lords,” said the maiden, “I will not deny what p. 123you say, neither will I believe it too well.  If the emperor love me, let him come here to seek me.”

And by day and night the messengers hied them back.  And when their horses failed, they bought other fresh ones.  And when they came to Rome they saluted the emperor, and asked their boon, which was given to them according as they named it.  “We will be thy guides, lord,” said they, “over sea and over land, to the place where is the woman whom best thou lovest, for we know her name, and her kindred, and her race.”

And immediately the emperor set forth with his army.  And these men were his guides.  Towards the Island of Britain they went over the sea and the deep.  And he conquered the Island from Beli the son of Manogan, and his sons, and drove them to the sea, and went forward even unto Arvon.  And the p. 124emperor knew the land when he saw it.  And when he beheld the castle of Aber Sain, “Look yonder,” said he, “there is the castle wherein I saw the damsel whom I best love.”  And he went forward into the castle and into the hall, and there he saw Kynan the son of Eudav, and Adeon the son of Eudav, playing at chess.  And he saw Eudav the son of Caradawc, sitting on a chair of ivory carving chessmen.  And the maiden whom he had beheld in his sleep, he saw sitting on a chair of gold.  “Empress of Rome,” said he, “all hail!”  And the emperor threw his arms about her neck; and that night she became his bride.

And the next day in the morning, the damsel asked her maiden portion.  And he told her to name what she would, and she asked to have the Island of Britain for her father, from the Channel to the Irish Sea, together with the three adjacent islands to hold under the empress of Rome; and to have three chief castles made for her, in whatever places she might choose in the Island of Britain.  And she chose to have the highest castle made at Arvon.  And they brought thither earth from Rome that it might be more healthful for the emperor to sleep, and sit, and walk upon.  After that the two other castles were made for her, which were Caerlleon and Caermarthen.

And one day, the emperor went to hunt at Caermarthen, and he came so far as the top of Brevi Vawr, and there the emperor pitched his tent.  And that encamping place is called Cadeir Maxen, even to this day.  And because that he built the castle with a myriad of men, he called it Caervyrddin.  Then Helen bethought her to make high roads from one castle to another throughout the Island of Britain.  And the roads were made.  And for this cause are they called the roads of Helen Luyddawc, [124] that she p. 125was sprung from a native of this island, and the men of the Island of Britain would not have made these great roads [125] for any save for her.

Seven years did the emperor tarry in this Island.  Now, at that time, the men of Rome had a custom that whatsoever emperor should remain in other lands more than seven years, should remain to his own overthrow, and should never return to Rome again.

So they made a new emperor.  And this one wrote a letter of threat to Maxen.  There was nought in the letter but only this, “If thou comest, and if thou ever comest to Rome.”  And even unto Caerlleon came this letter to Maxen, and these tidings.  Then sent he a letter to the man who styled himself emperor in Rome.  There was nought in that letter also but only this, “If I come to Rome, and if I come.”

And thereupon Maxen set forth towards Rome with his army, and vanquished France and Burgundy, and every land on the way, and sat down before the city of Rome.

A year was the emperor before the city, and he was no nearer taking it than the first day.  And after him there came the brothers of Helen Luyddawc from the Island of Britain, and a small host with them, and better warriors were in that small host than twice as many Romans.  And the emperor was told that a host was seen, halting close to his army and encamping, and no man ever saw a fairer or better appointed host for its size, nor more handsome standards.

And Helen went to see the hosts, and she knew the standards of her brothers.  Then came Kynan the son of Eudav, and Adeon the