that has been done unto
Branwen. And Matholwch shall be maintained wheresoever thou wilt, either
here or in the Island of the Mighty." Said Bendigeid Vran, "Shall not I
myself have the kingdom? {52b} Then peradventure I may take counsel
concerning your message. From this time until then no other answer will
you get from me." "Verily," said they, "the best message that we receive
for thee, we will convey it unto thee, and do thou await our message unto
him." "I will wait," answered he, "and do you return quickly."

The messengers set forth and came to Matholwch. "Lord," said they,
"prepare a better message for Bendigeid Vran. He would not listen at all
to the message that we bore him." "My friends," said Matholwch, "what
may be your counsel?" "Lord," said they, "there is no other counsel than
this alone. He was never known to be within a house, make therefore a
house that will contain him and the men of the Island of the Mighty on
the one side, and thyself and thy host on the other; and give over thy
kingdom to his will, and do him homage. So by reason of the honour thou
doest him in making him a house, whereas he never before had a house to
contain him, he will make peace with thee." So the messengers went back
to Bendigeid Vran, bearing him this message.

And he took counsel, and in the council it was resolved that he should
accept this, and this was all done by the advice of Branwen, and lest the
country should be destroyed. And this peace was made, and the house was
built both vast and strong. But the Irish planned a crafty device, and
the craft was that they should put brackets on each side of the hundred
pillars that were in the house, and should place a leathern bag on each
bracket, and an armed man in every one of them. Then Evnissyen came in
before the host of the Island of the Mighty, and scanned the house with
fierce and savage looks, and descried the leathern bags which were around
the pillars. "What is in this bag?" asked he of one of the Irish. "Meal,
good soul," said he. And Evnissyen felt about it until he came to the
man's head, and he squeezed the head until he felt his fingers meet
together in the brain through the bone. And he left that one and put his
hand upon another, and asked what was therein? "Meal," said the
Irishman. So he did the like unto every one of them, until he had not
left alive of all the two hundred men save one only; and when he came to
him, he asked what was