CAPEL CERIG.
This village is said to have been called Capel Curig, in consequence of St. Curig being the patron of the chapel. From this place Snowdon and all the contiguous mountains burst at once full in view, marking this the finest approach to our boasted Alps. The scenery in the neighbourhood is full of variety and beauty.
BEDDGELERT.
This romantic village is said to derive its name from a singular occurrence. Tradition says, that Llewellyn the Great came to reside at Beddgelert during the hunting season, with his wife and children, and one day, the family being absent, a wolf had entered the house. On returning, his greyhound, called Cilihart, met him, wagging his tail, but covered with blood. The prince being alarmed, ran into the nursery, and found the cradle in which the child had lain overturned, and the ground covered with gore. Imagining the greyhound had killed the child, he immediately drew his sword and slew him; but, on turning up the cradle, he found under it the child alive, and the wolf dead. This so affected the prince, that he erected a tomb over his faithful dog’s grave, where, afterwards, the parish-church was built, and called from this accident, Bedd-Cilihart, or The Grave of Cilihart. This incident gave rise to the following pathetic verses:
THE GRAVE OF THE GREYHOUND.
The spearmen heard the bugle sound,
And cheer’ly smiled the morn,
And many a breach, and many a hound
Attend Llewellyn’s horn.
And still he blew a louder blast,
And gave a louder cheer,
“Come, Gelert, why art thou the last
Llewellyn’s horn to hear?
“O where does faithful Gelert roam!
The flow’r of all his race:
So true, so brave,—a lamb at home,
A lion in the chase!”
’Twas only at Llewellyn’s board
The faithful Gelert fed;
He watch’d, he serv’d, he cheer’d his lord,
And sentinel’d his bed.