AND THEIR INHABITANTS. 173 



swell over the banks. The water-nymph of poetry 

 rivalled the fays of the mountains, and each praised 

 their own domain. The nymphs rose from their 

 sedgy bowers below, and rudely interrupted the 

 Merioneth mountains, which had been shouting their 

 praises with such vehemence that the sounds reached 

 to the Courts of Neptune far off in the depths of the 

 sea, and awoke him 



"Who, full of dread, 



Thrice threw his three-forked mace about his grizly head, 

 And thrice above the rocks his forehead raised to see 

 Amongst the high-topt hills what tumult it could be ; 

 So that with very sweat Cadoridric l did drop, 

 And mighty Rauran 2 shook his proud sky-kissing top." 



The Llyn water-nymphs could bear it no longer 



" With brows besmeared with ooze, their locks with dew 

 besprent," 



they came from their watery home uttering a " sud- 

 daine fearful noise," took the mountains by surprise, 

 and put them to silence. " Old Snowdon from the 

 neighbouring shire came to the rescue of his brother 

 hills of Merioneth, and before the sound of his 

 venerated voice even the proud and daring water- 

 nymphs gave way, and let the mountains speak." 

 But the most wonderful of all doings of great lake and 

 enchanted river is the fable that the Dee passes, or did 

 once pass, through the lake an undivided stream, and 

 issued the same pure unmixed water as it entered. 

 This fanciful idea concerning favourite rivers finds a 

 parallel in the notion that the Rhone passes through 



1 Cader Idris. 2 Arran. 



