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"Eighteen，sir，lastCandlemas，"saidthefreckledmaid。
"Areyourparentsalive？"
"Mymotheris，sir，butmyfatherisdead。"
"Whatwasyourfather？"
"HewasanIrishman，sir！andbootstothisinn。"
"IsyourmotherIrish？"
"No，sir，sheisofthisplace；myfathermarriedhershortlyafterhecamehere。"
"Ofwhatreligionareyou？"
"Church，sir，Church。"
"WasyourfatheroftheChurch？"
"Notalways，sir；hewasoncewhatiscalledaCatholic。HeturnedtotheChurchafterhecamehere。"
"A’n’tthereagreatmanyMethodistsinBala？"
"Plenty，sir，plenty。"
"HowcameyourfathernottogoovertotheMethodistsinsteadoftheChurch？"
"’Causehedidn’tlikethem，sir；heusedtosaytheywereatrumpery，cheatingset；thattheywouldn’tswear，butwouldliethroughathree—inchboard。"
"IsupposeyourmotherisaChurch—woman？"
"Sheisnow，sir；butbeforesheknewmyfathershewasaMethodist。"
"Ofwhatreligionisthemasterofthehouse？"
"Church，sir，Church；soisallthefamily。"
"Whoistheclergymanoftheplace？"
"MrPugh，sir！"
"Isheagoodpreacher？"
"Capital，sir！andsoiseachofhiscurates；heandtheyareconvertingtheMethodistsleftandright。"
"Ishouldliketohearhim。"
"Well，sir！thatyoucando。Mymaster，whoisgoingtochurchpresently，willbehappytoaccommodateyouinhispew。"
Iwenttochurchwiththelandlord，atallgentlemanlymanofthenameofJones—OhthateternalnameofJones！Rainwasfallingfast，andweweregladtoholdupourumbrellas。WedidnotgotothechurchatBala，atwhichtherewasnoservicethatmorning，buttothatofalittlevillagecloseby，onthesideofthelake，thelivingofwhichisincorporatedwiththatofBala。Thechurchstandslowdownbythelakeatthebottomofalittlenook。ItsnamewhichisLlanuwchLlyn，isdescriptiveofitsposition，signifyingtheChurchabovetheLake。Itisalong，low，ancientedifice，standingnorth—eastbysouth—west。Thevillageisjustaboveitonarisingground，behindwhichareloftyhillspleasantlydottedwithgroves，trees，andhouses。Theinterioroftheedificehasasomewhatdilapidatedappearance。TheservicewasinWelsh。Theclergymanwasaboutfortyyearsofage，andhadahighly—intelligentlook。Hisvoicewasremarkablyclearanddistinct。Hepreachedanexcellentpracticalsermon，text，14thchapter，22ndverseofLuke，aboutsendingoutservantstoinvitepeopletothesupper。Afterthesermontherewasagatheringforthepoor。
AsIreturnedtotheinnIhadagooddealofconversationwiththelandlordonreligioussubjects。HetoldmethattheChurchofEngland，whichforalongtimehadbeenadown—troddenChurchinWales，hadoflatebeguntoraiseitshead，andchieflyowingtothezealandactivityofitspresentministers；thattheformerministersoftheChurchweregoodmen，buthadnotenergyenoughtosuitthetimesinwhichtheylived；thatthepresentministersfoughttheMethodistpreacherswiththeirownweapons，namely，extemporarypreaching，andbeatthem，winningshoalsfromtheircongregations。HeseemedtothinkthatthetimewasnotfardistantwhentheAnglicanChurchwouldbethepopularaswellastheestablishedChurchofWales。
Findingmyselfratherdullintheinn，Iwentoutagain，notwithstandingthatitrained。IascendedthetomanormoundwhichIhadvisitedonaformeroccasion。Nothingcouldbemoredesolateanddrearythanthescenearound。Thewoodswerestrippedoftheirverdureandthehillswerehalfshroudedinmist。Howunlikewasthisscenetothesmiling，gloriousprospectwhichhadgreetedmyeyesafewmonthsbefore。Theraincomingdownwithredoubledviolence，Iwassoongladtodescendandregaintheinn。
ShortlybeforedinnerIwasvisitedbythelandlady，afinetallwomanofaboutfifty，withconsiderableremainsofbeautyinhercountenance。ShecametoaskmeifIwascomfortable。ItoldherthatitwasmyownfaultifIwasnot。Weweresooninveryfriendlydiscourse。Iaskedherhermaidenname。
"Owen，"saidshe，laughing，"which，aftermypresentnameofJones，isthemostcommonnameinWales。"
"Theywerebothoneandthesameoriginally，"saidI，"OwenandJonesbothmeanJohn。"
ShetoowasastaunchmemberoftheChurchofEngland，whichshesaidwastheonlytrueChurch。Shespokeintermsofhighrespectandadmirationofherminister，andsaidthatanewchurchwasbeingbuilt，theoldonenotbeinglargeenoughtoaccommodatethenumberswhothrongedtohearhim。
Ihadanoblegoosefordinner，towhichIdidamplejustice。
Aboutfouro’clock，theweatherhavingclearedup，Itookastroll。
Itwasabeautifulevening，thoughraincloudsstillhoveredabout。
IwanderedtothenorthernendofLlynTegid，whichIhadpassedintheprecedingevening。Thewindwasblowingfromthesouth，andtinywaveswerebeatingagainsttheshore，whichconsistedofsmallbrownpebbles。Thelakehascertainlynotitsname，whichsignifiesLakeofBeauty，fornothing。Itisabeautifulsheetofwater，andbeautifullysituated。Itisoblongandaboutsixmilesinlength。Onallsides，excepttothenorth，itisboundedbyhills。Thoseatthesouthernendareverylofty，thetallestofwhichisArran，whichliftsitsheadtothecloudslikeahugeloaf。AsIwanderedonthestrandIthoughtofacertainBritishprinceandpoet，whointheveryoldtimesoughtarefugeinthevicinityofthelakefromtherageoftheSaxons。HisnamewasLlewarchHen，ofwhomIwillnowsayafewwords。
LlewarchHen，orLlewarchtheAged，wasbornaboutthecommencementofthesixthanddiedaboutthemiddleoftheseventhcentury，havingattainedtotheprodigiousageofonehundredandfortyorfiftyyears，whichisperhapsthelotofaboutfortyindividualsinthecourseofamillennium。Ifhewasremarkableforhisyearshewasnolesssoforthenumberofhismisfortunes。HewasoneoftheprincesoftheCumbrianBritons；butCumbriawasinvadedbytheSaxons，andasceneofhorridwarensued。Llewarchandhissons，ofwhomhehadtwenty—four，putthemselvesattheheadoftheirforces，andinconjunctionwiththeotherCumbrianprincesmadeabravebutfruitlessoppositiontotheinvaders。Mostofhissonswereslain，andhehimselfwiththeremaindersoughtshelterinPowys，inthehallofCynddylan，itsprince。ButtheSaxonbillsandbowsfoundtheirwaytoPowystoo。Cynddylanwasslain，andwithhimthelastofthesonsofLlewarch，who，reftofhisprotector，retiredtoahutbythesideofthelakeofBala，wherehelivedthelifeofarecluse，andcomposedelegiesonhissonsandslaughteredfriends，andonhisoldage，allofwhichaboundwithsomuchsimplicityandpathosthattheheartofhimmustbehardindeedwhocanreadthemunmoved。Whilstaprincehewasreveredforhiswisdomandequity，andheissaidinoneofthehistoricaltriadstohavebeenoneofthethreeconsultingwarriorsofArthur。
IntheeveningIattendedserviceintheoldchurchatBala。Theinterioroftheedificewasremarkablyplain；noornamentofanykindwasdistinguishable；thecongregationwasoverflowing，amongstwhomIobservedtheinnkeeperandhiswife，thelittlefreckledmaidandtheboots。TheentireservicewasinWelsh。NexttothepewinwhichIsatwasonefilledwithyoungsingingwomen，allofwhomseemedtohavevoicesofwonderfulpower。Theprayerswerereadbyastrappingyoungcurateatleastsixfeethigh。Thesermonwaspreachedbytherector，andwasacontinuationo
