Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-09-04

PRINCE OF WALES.
A Chapter Of History That Reads Like a
Page OF Romance.

The story of Llewellyn, the first in
dependent Prince of Wales. is both a
romance and a tragedy. Associated
with it is the fall of D. brave people,
and the extinguishment of a long line
OF gallant. ,soVereigns. 1t also marks
the decay and death of a national lit
erature marvellous for its brilliant bal
lads and its pathetic songs. The harp
OF its last bard ceased its music when
Llewellyn at Griffith fell before his
English conqueror.
There is picture that shows Lew
elIyn IN his banQueting room, surround
ed (0y mis- bardsp and his chiefs. The
ryom has lofty ached roof, and
through a recess, from which the cur
talns are drawn aside, are keen other
rooms stretching away in the distance.
The prince is Sitting in a great square
backed chair, with heavytwooden arms,
to dais over which is a canopy. On
wolf-skin By his side are stretched
two Of his wglf-hounds and a young
page is kneeling before him. At his
left hand are ibis barons and his officers
in their robes Of state, and behind him
are dozen .spearmen in coats of mail.
Opposite tor Llewellyn sit two or three
of his bards, aged and venerabe-look-
ing men, who have their harps in their
hands. Not far from these sit the prin-
cess and her ladies, dressed in the
quaint costume Of the twelfth century.
Midway of the hall is a heavy table
laden with fiagons and advantageous
The prince has on an embrOid cred
robe, and torque of gold is round his
neck. He wears shoes of quaint pat
tern, and his hose are gathered with
bands of cloth that cross each iother
Sandal-wise, as they are worn to this
day by the peasants of the PyIenees
and the ADennines. His hair is long
and curling, and a gold coronet rests
upon his forehead. He looks a brave
ad gallant warrior. This is probably
a fair portrait OF the nero. and now
Tor his story.
I.lewellyn was the son of Griffith,
sovereign of North Wales. This is the
Llewellyn with whom is connected the
touching story of Gelert the hound.
The story is probably fiction, but it
is worth relating 1t is said that he had
a noble hound 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 ac-
company him. When he returned at
night, the hound came to meet him
with his fangs streaming with blood
A sudden uneasineSs caused Level
Ign to hasten to the hall where his in
FAINT son had been left in his cradle
! He found the cradle overturned, blood
all around the floor, and the babe no
where to be seen. He at once came
to the conclusion that Gelert had kill
ed his child, and he drew his sword
and stabbed the dog in the throat. At
that moment he heard the infants cry
beneath the cradle, and pulling the
blanket aside he found it unframed
| By its side lay a gray wolf, which the
| faithful Gelert had killed.
This happened near Aber Gwyn-
gregyn, it is said, where Llewellyn had
| his favorite residence. The ruins of
| the castle are visible to-day, though
more than six hundred years have
passed since it 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 to regard
| Llewellyn, in any sense, as a barbar-
| Gus prince. The Welsh at that time
were the equals of the English in re-
| finement and Culture. Their tradi-
| tional hero was the peerless King
| Arthur" whom Spenser afterwards
| took as the model of knight, and
whom Tennyson regarded as his ideal
! eff noble Christian king. England
| had then no literature that could COM
| pare with that of Wales, and much of
| the grace and beauty of later English
literature may be traced to the mag
ination and brilliant with of the Gym
rio mind.
| Contemporary with Llewellyn of
| Wales was Edward l., the greatest df
| all the English kings. His ambitious
mind was intent upon uniting into onA
| empire the several states of the Brit
ish 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 accomplish
his ends; but IN this instance he deter
PINNED to PROCEED as gently as possible
Bo his first pr6ect was to induce
I1ewellyn to becdQ re his vassal. to take