ht hand, at some distance from the road,
across a field. As I was standing looking at it a man came up from the
direction in which I myself had come. He was a middle-aged man, plainly
but decently dressed, and had something of the appearance of a farmer.
"What hill may that be?" said I in English, pointing to the elevation.
"Dim Saesneg, sir," said the man, looking rather sheepish, "Dim gair o
Saesneg."
Rather surprised that a person of his appearance should not have a word
of English, I repeated my question in Welsh.
"Ah, you speak Cumraeg, sir;" said the man evidently surprised that a
person of my English appearance should speak Welsh. "I am glad of it!
What hill is that, you ask--Dyna Mont Owain Glyndwr, sir."
"Is it easy to get to?" said I.
"Quite easy, sir," said the man. "If you please I will go with you."
I thanked him, and opening a gate he conducted me across the field to the
mount of the Welsh hero.
The mount of Owen Glendower stands close upon the southern bank of the
Dee, and is nearly covered with trees of various kinds. It is about
thirty feet high from the plain, and about the same diameter at the top.
A deep black pool of the river which here runs far beneath the surface of
the field, purls and twists under the northern side, which is very steep,
though several large oaks spring out of it. The hill is evidently the
work of art, and appeared to me to be some burying-place of old.
"And this is the hill of Owain Glyndwr?" said I.
"Dyma Mont Owain Glyndwr, sir, lle yr oedd yn sefyll i edrych am ei
elvnion yn dyfod o Gaer Lleon. This is the hill of Owain Glendower, sir,
where he was in the habit of standing to look out for his enemies coming
from Chester."
"I suppose it was not covered with trees then?" said I.
"No, sir; it has not been long planted with trees. They say, however,
that the oaks which hang over the river are very old."
"Do they say who raised this hill?"
"Some say that God raised it, sir; others that Owain Glendower raised it.
Who do you think raised it?"
"I believe that it was raised by man, but not by Owen Glendower. He may
have stood upon it, to watch for the coming of his enemies, but I believe
it was here long before his time, and that it was raised over some old
dead king by the people whom he had governed."
"Do they bury kings by the side of rivers, sir?"
"In the old time they did, and on the tops of mountains; they burnt their
bodies to ashe
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