t he should be hindered from his purpose and be
overcome by sleep, he went often into the water. And at last, behold, a
man of vast size, clad in strong, heavy armour, came in, bearing a
hamper. And, as he was wont, he put all the food and provisions of meat
and drink into the hamper, and proceeded to go with it forth. And
nothing was ever more wonderful to Lludd, than that the hamper should
hold so much.

And thereupon King Lludd went after him and spoke unto him thus. "Stop,
stop," said he, "though thou hast done many insults and much spoil
erewhile, thou shalt not do so any more, unless thy skill in arms and thy
prowess be greater than mine."

{Picture: p115.jpg}

Then he instantly put down the hamper on the floor, and awaited him. And
a fierce encounter was between them, so that the glittering fire flew out
from their arms. And at the last Lludd grappled with him, and fate
bestowed the victory on Lludd. And he threw the plague to the earth. And
after he had overcome him by strength and might, he besought his mercy.
"How can I grant thee mercy," said the king, "after all the many injuries
and wrongs that thou hast done me?" "All the losses that ever I have
caused thee," said he, "I will make thee atonement for, equal to what I
have taken. And I will never do the like from this time forth. But thy
faithful vassal will I be." And the king accepted this from him.

And thus Lludd freed the Island of Britain from the three plagues. And
from thenceforth until the end of his life, in prosperous peace did Lludd
the son of Beli rule the Island of Britain. And this Tale is called the
Story of Lludd and Llevelys. And thus it ends.

{Picture: p116.jpg}

TALIESIN.

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In times past there lived in Penllyn a man of gentle lineage, named Tegid
Voel, and his dwelling was in the midst of the Lake Tegid, and his wife
was called Caridwen. And there was born to him of his wife a son named
Morvran ab Tegid, and also a daughter named Creirwy, the fairest maiden
in the world was she; and they had a brother the most ill-favoured man in
the world, Avagddu. Now Caridwen his mother thought that he was not
likely to be admitted among men of noble birth, by reason of his
ugliness, unless he had some exalted merits or knowledge. For it was in
the beginning of Arthur's time and of the Round Table.

So she resolved, according to the arts of the books of the Fferyllt,
{118a} to boil a cauldron of