194- TRADITION OF GELERT. 



fish by one person in the course of an hour. The 

 general weight of salmon caught near- Pont Aber- 

 glaslyn in August and September, is from one 

 to eighteen pounds. About the month of October 

 they are taken much larger. The fishery belongs 

 to the Wynne family, who let it to the fishermen at 

 a comparatively small rent. In the reign of Henry 

 IV. this river was royal property, and it is by no 

 means improbable that anciently it might have 

 belonged to the princes of Wales ; salmon being 

 the most useful, and consequently the most valuable, 

 fish the Welsh possessed. It was even reckoned 

 among the game; being, perhaps, the only species 

 preserved by their laws. 



There is a priory of Black Canons of the order of 

 St. Gilbert at Beddgelert, founded about 1198 by 

 Llewelyn the Great. It was dedicated to St. Mary, 

 in gratitude for the preservation of his infant son 

 from the attack of a wolf which, during the absence 

 of the family on a hunting excursion, had entered 

 the house, where it was killed by his favourite 

 greyhound Gelert, while attempting to seize the 

 child in its cradle. 



The following are two interesting poetical versions 

 of this tradition : 



THE heavy clouds, which through the night 



Have hung on Snowdon's head, 

 Are changing now to fleecy white 



Now blushing rosy red ; 

 The streaming lake, the dusky sea, 

 Sleep on in morn's serenity. 



