The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-04
LLEwELLEN PRINCE OF WALES.
A Chapter of History That Reads
Like Page of Romance.

pendent Prince OF Wales. is both ro-
nance and a tragedy. Associated with IL
is the fall of a brave people, and the ex-
tenguishment of a long line of gallant SOW
erelgns II also marks the decay and
death of a national literature marvellous
for It's brilliant ballads and It pathetic
songs. The harp of it's last bard ceased
It's music when Llewellyn ap Griffith fell
before the English conqueror.
There is a picture that shows Llewelyn
in his banqueting room, surrounded by his
bards and his chiefs. The room has lof-
ty arched roof and through a recess, from
which the curtains are drawn aside, are
seen other rooms stretching away in the
distance The Prince is sitting in a great
square backed chair, with heavy wooden
arms, on a dais over which Is a canopy.
On a wolk skin by his side are stretched
two of his wolf-hounds and young page
is kneehng before him. AT his left hand
are his barons and his officers in their
robes of state, and behind him are dozen
spearmen In coats OF mall.
Opposite to Llewellyn sit two or three of
his bards aged and Notwithstanding
men, who have their harps in their hands.
Not far from these sit the Princess and
her ladies', dressed in the quaint costume
of the twelfth century. Midway of the hall
is a heavy table laden with flagons and
drinking cups. The Prince has on an en-
broldered robe, and a torque of gold is
round his neck. He wears shoes Of
quaint pattern, and his hose are gartered
with bands of cloth that cross each other
sandal wise, as they are worn to this day
by the peasants of the Pyrenees and the
Apennines. His hair Is long and curling,
and gold coronet rests upon his forehead.
He looks 81 brave and gallant warrior.
This is probably a fair portrait or the
hero, and now for his story.
Llewellyn was the son of Griffith gov
ereign of North Wales. This is the Lew
ellyn with whom Is connected the touching
story of Gelert the hound. The story Is
probably a fiction but 1t is worth relating.
II Is said that he had noble mound named
Gelert which he priced above all things,
his wife and his child excepted. One day.
when he went to the chase, Gelert did not
accompany him. When he returned at
night the hound came to meet him with
his fangs streaming with blood.
A sudden uneasiness caused LAewellyn
to hasten to the hall where his infant
son had been left in his cradle. He found
the cradle overturned, blood all around
the floor, and the babe nowhere to be
seen. He at once came to the conclusion
that Gelert had killed his child, and he
drew his sword and stabbed the dog in
the throat. At that moment he heard tho
ifants cry beneath the cradle, and pull
ing the blanket aside he found 1t unharm-
ed BY it's side lay a gray wolf. which
the faithful Gelert had killed
This happened near Aber Gwyngregyn,
It is said. where Llewellyn has his favor
lite residence. The ruins Of the castle are
visible to-day, though more than COO years
have passed since II was demolished by
King Edwards soldiers. A rude cairn of
stones near by Is locally designated as
Gelert's grave.
1t is by no means right 10 regard Lew
ellyn in any sense, as barbarous prince.
The Welsh at that time were the equals
of the English IN refinement and culture.
Their traditional hero was the peerless
King Arthur" whom Spencer afterward
took as the model Of a knight, and whom
Tennyson regarded as his ideal of noble
Christian king England had then no lit
erature that could compare with that of
Wales and much of the grace and beauty
OF later English literature may be traced
to the Imagination and brilliant wit OF
the Cymric mind.
Contemporary with Llewellyn of Wales
was Edward l, the greatest of all the Eng
lish kings. His ambitious mind was intent
upon uniting into one empire the several
states of the british Isles. AS Wales was
the nearest and weakest, he made his first
advances in that direction. He did not
usually hesitate at any means to accom-
plish his ends; but in this instance he de-
termined to proceed as gently as possible.
So his first project was to induce Lew
ellyn to become his vassal, to take rank
with the greatest of the English barons.
But Llewellyn and his people were nor
ready to do homage TO the monarch who
had triumphed so brutally over the brave
Simon du Montfort. The Welsh prince had
been on the best Of terms with the great
earl. and had provided refuge at one time
for De Montfort and his friends in one
of the strongholds. This, together with
the natural unwillngness of the Welsh
barons to pay tribute to an English king,
made them refuse the terms offered by
King Edward.
Edward, however, was not to be rebuff
ed, and he showed his hand by an act of
gross injustice. Prince Llewellyn's be-
trothed bride, the Lady Eleanor, daugh-
ter to Simon de Montfort, was in Eng
land. The engagement had taken place
several years before, when the Princess
was in Wales with her father, and the
two were greatly attached to each other.
As Eleanor was about to start for Wales,
she was geized by Edwards euissaries ana
carried to London. This outrage made
the Welsh declare war against the Eng
Iish; Edward In turn, declared Lllewellyn
a traitor and hostlities we're begun.
The pulse of the Cymric warriors beat
high as they recalled the old prophecies,
which told that Prince OF Wales should
reign in London. All the old tales of King
Arthur and his Round Table Knights were
rehearscd and the bards sung stirring
songs that fired the hearts of the people.
In several minor engagements Llewellyn
was victorious, and the war seemed to be
going wen for him, when q traitor de-
stroyed all hopes of Welsh independence.
Llewellyn had a younger brother, David,
who was utulary Lord Of South Wales.
He was under the greatest obligations TO
Llewellyn, and had been his strongest sup
porter, but the bribes of Edward were too
much for his sordid soul, and he now
proved recreant to the cause
Weakened by his desertion the Welsh
were gradually driven into the mountains,
and al last Lleweliyn was forced TO sur
render. Edward had no wish to complete
ly crush the Welsh Prince, SO he left An
glesea and Snowdon In his possession. and
taking him 10 London gave him has bride,
Eleanor of lMontfort, the wedding being
celebrated with great splendor.
Prince Lewellyn went back after a while
to his moutain home, and no and his wife
lived very happily at Aber Gwyngregyn