368 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 



" hither brought to the king, flighted that 

 " pretended fkill of his magicians as pal- 

 " liated ignorance ; and with confidence 

 " of a more knowing fpirit, undertakes to 

 " (hew the true caufe of that amazing 

 " ruin of the ftone-work ; tells them, 

 " that in the earth was a great water 

 " which could endure continuance of no 

 " heavy fuperftruclion. The workmen 

 " Digged to difcover the truth, and found 

 " it fo. He then befeeched the king to 

 *' caufe further inquifition to be made, and 

 " affirmed, that in the bottom of it were 

 " two ileeping dragons, which proved fo 

 " likewife, the one white and the other 

 " red; the white he interpreted for the 

 " Saxons whom he had brought over, and 

 " the red for the oppreffed Britons -, and 



his being without a father, which was fwallowed 

 by the credulity of the times. Faery !j)ueen t lib. II. 

 cant. 3. Matt. Weft. p. 161. 



" upon 



