awyddan, "we must not bide thus. Let us go into
England, and seek some craft whereby we may gain our support." So they
went into England, and came as far as Hereford. And they betook
themselves to making saddles. And Manawyddan began to make housings, and
he gilded and coloured them with blue enamel, in the manner that he had
seen it done by Llasar Llaesgywydd. And he made the blue enamel as it
was made by the other man. And therefore is it still called Calch
Lassar, [blue enamel,] because Llassar Llaesgywydd had wrought it.
{Picture: p65.jpg}
And as long as that workmanship could be had of Manawyddan, neither
saddle nor housing was bought of a saddler throughout all Hereford; till
at length every one of the saddlers perceived that they were losing much
of their gain, and that no man bought of them, but he who could not get
what he sought from Manawyddan. Then they assembled together, and agreed
to slay him and his companions.
Now they received warning of this, and took counsel whether they should
leave the city. "By Heaven," said Pryderi, "it is not my counsel that we
should quit the town, but that we should slay these boors." "Not so,"
said Manawyddan, "for if we fight with them, we shall have evil fame, and
shall be put in prison. It were better for us to go to another town to
maintain ourselves." So they four went to another city.
"What craft shall we take?" said Pryderi. "We will make shields," said
Manawyddan. "Do we know anything about that craft?" said Pryderi. "We
will try," answered he. There they began to make shields, and fashioned
them after the shape of the good shields they had seen; and they
enamelled them, as they had done the saddles. And they prospered in that
place, so that not a shield was asked for in the whole town, but such as
was had of them. Rapid therefore was their work, and numberless were the
shields they made. But at last they were marked by the craftsmen, who
came together in haste, and their fellow-townsmen with them, and agreed
that they should seek to slay them. But they received warning, and heard
how the men had resolved on their destruction. "Pryderi," said
Manawyddan, "these men desire to slay us." "Let us not endure this from
these boors, but let us rather fall upon them and slay them." "Not so,"
he answered, "Caswallawn and his men will hear of it, and we shall be
undone. Let us go to another town." So to another town they went.
"What craft shall
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