172 LAKES OF MERIONETHSHIRE. 



LLYN BODLYN, near Barmouth Trout and eels. 

 LLYN CWM HOWEL, near Corsy Gedol, contains 

 a deformed species of trout. 



a deep thunderclap broke from the mountains, that seemed to 

 join all their echoes in one terrific acclamation of assent. 



" The wilful prince laughed at the voice, and still went 

 on in his crimes, careless of God and man, plundering and 

 murdering the poor peasants around him ; and many a time 

 has he been heard to burst into a loud and frantic laugh- 

 ter, as the hymn from the distant church rose faintly upon 

 his ear. 



***** 



" An old harper from the neighbouring w mountains was one 

 night summoned to the palace. He heard on his way that 

 they were rejoicing at the birth of the first child born to the 

 prince's eldest son. When the harper arrived in the hall, 

 there was such feasting, and so great a number of lords and 

 ladies, that he had never seen any thing equal to it before ; 

 and when he began to strike upon his harp, it was a beautiful 

 sight to behold the dance of those proud-eyed gentlemen, and 

 those damsels, with necks as white as a morning cloud that 

 rises blanched from the ocean. And so it went on ; and the 

 old harper was not a whit less delighted to play to them, than 

 they to dance to his music. 



" It was now just midnight ; there was a pause in the dance, 

 and the old harper was left in his nook quite alone, when 

 suddenly he heard a little voice half whispering, half singing, 

 in his ear, ' Edivar, Edivar ! ' He turned round, and saw 

 a small bird hovering in the air, beckoning him to follow, and 

 he followed as fast as an infirm old man could. He did not 

 at all know the meaning of this j but still he thought he 

 must obey the summons. At last they got fairly out of the 

 different windings of the palace porticos, into the clear cold 

 moonshine j when the old man began to hesitate; still he 



