256 THE ROLL OF THE SEASONS 



that dispossessed the " French " of a hundred castles 

 down to Tre Faldwin on the Severn, and brought 

 Rufus himself to Snowdon, whence he returned 

 " empty without having gained anything." Let us 

 hope, at any rate, that he or his lieutenants enjoyed, 

 as we do, a good drink at this crystal fountain. 



From the top of Snowdon what a view ! A dozen 

 well-named peaks, each with abundant satellites, a 

 score of lakes, like blue gems set in quartz-veined 

 felspar, and green and purple walls. Mountains of 

 England, Ireland, and Scotland, with the sea rolling 

 over the lost province of Gwaelod ; rivers taking back 

 to Atlantis the mud with which other rivers con- 

 structed Wales. From here we can trace the route 

 by which Hugh the Fat of Chester and Hugh the 

 Proud of Shrewsbury came into Anglesey, where 

 " they did not simply slay, but blinded and ferociously 

 mutilated those of the native enemy on whom they 

 could lay their hands." We rejoice to see Magnus, 

 son of Olaf, standing off at sea, slay Hugh the Proud 

 with a chance arrow, the instrument of vengeance of 

 a "vindictive" Welsh saint whose shrine he had 

 violated. There is Bangor, captured by John from 

 his son-in-law, Llewelyn ab lorwerth, " one of the 

 most brilliant and capable of all rulers of the Cymry." 

 Then comes the slow and paralysingly thorough 

 Edward I., who, by capturing " Mona, the Mother of 

 Wales," starved out another Llewelyn, and definitely 

 brought Wales into the kingdom. Nevertheless, the 

 most brilliant page of Snowdon's history comes later, 

 when Owain Glendower, aided by the comet, after- 

 wards to be called Halley's, and by the inspiring 

 songs of lolo Goch, gave Henry IV. the trouble of 



