MEMORIES OF SNOWDON 255 



our new world, and on the left our tiny Llanberis 

 lake far under our feet. The path, in fact, prefers 

 that we should still look back on our starting-place, 

 though the sea-breeze still curls over the shoulder to 

 encourage us to reach its full stream. Thus up 

 and up to the sheep-fold, where our sandwiches 

 await us by the side of a miraculous spring in this 

 world of rock. There is just a pool like a small 

 hand-basin. But it is full of pellucid water, and, like 

 a Fortunatus purse, as often as you empty it, and 

 no matter how quickly, it is full again from the 

 perennial reservoir of the rock. If the mountain 

 has been here twenty million years, surely the spring 

 has been ten, and that leaves ample margin for sup- 

 posing that its waters have refreshed and heartened 

 all the heroes that ever trod Snovvdon. Cunedda the 

 Gwledig probably drank not here, for he was not like 

 his grandson, Maelgwn, full lord of Gwynedd. If 

 Athelfrith of Deira did not come here, his victory 

 at Chester was barren. Cadwallon and Cadwaladr 

 had dominion over this perpetual basin of water, 

 while Offa, for lack of it, had to build his dyke from 

 Dee to Wye. Gruffydd ab Llewelyn could survey 

 from Snowdon a great part of his kingdom and his 

 battle-fields in Herefordshire, Cheshire, Shropshire, 

 and Gloucestershire ; but, alas ! the Saesneg Harold 

 came here in turn, having learnt to fight Welsh 

 fashion, and having almost the might of England 

 behind him. Here sat kings and penkenedls, still 

 legal lords of the lands the Normans had stolen from 

 them, but only potent to harry their cattle and bring 

 them here, whence the Normans were impotent to 

 recover them. Cadwgan launched from here the war 



