THE DREAM OF MACSEN WLEDIG.
(Translation
by Lady Charlotte Guest)
MACSEN WLEDIG was emperor of Rome, and he was a comelier
man, and a better and a wiser than any emperor that had
been before him. And one day he held a council of kings,
and he said to his friends, "I desire to go to-morrow to
hunt." And the next day in the morning he set forth with
his retinue, and came to the valley of the river that
flowed towards Rome. And he hunted through the valley until
mid-day. And with him also were two-and-thirty crowned
kings, that were his vassals; not for the delight of
hunting went the emperor with them, but to put himself on
equal terms with those kings.
And the sun was high in the sky over their heads, and the
heat was great. And sleep came upon Macsen Wledig. And his
attendants stood and set up their shields around him upon
the shafts of their spears to protect him from the sun, and
they placed a gold enamelled shield under his head; and so
Macsen slept.
And he saw a dream. And this is the dream that he saw. He
was journeying along the valley of the river towards its
source; and he came to the highest mountain in the world.
And he thought that the mountain was as high as the sky;
and when he came over the mountain, it seemed to him that
he went through the fairest and most level regions that man
ever yet beheld, on the other side of the mountain. And he
saw large and mighty rivers descending from the mountain to
the sea, and towards the mouths of the rivers he proceeded.
And as he journeyed thus, he came to the mouth of the
largest river ever seen. And he beheld a great city at the
entrance of the river, and a vast castle in the city, and
he saw many high towers of various colours in the castle.
And he saw a fleet at the mouth of the river, the largest
ever seen. And he saw one ship among the fleet; larger was
it by far, and fairer than all the others. Of such part of
the ship as he could see above the water, one plank was
gilded and the other silvered over. He saw a bridge of the
bone of the whale from the ship to the land, and. he
thought that he went along the bridge, and came into the
ship. And a sail was hoisted on the ship, and along the sea
and the ocean was it borne. Then it seemed that he came to
the fairest island in the whole world, and he traversed the
island from sea to sea, even to the furthest shore of the
island. Valleys he saw, and steeps and rocks of wondrous
height, and rugged precipices. Never yet saw he the like.
And thence he beheld an island in the sea, facing this
rugged land. And between him and this island was a country
of which the plain was as large as the sea, the mountain as
vast as the wood. And from the mountain he saw a river that
flowed through the land and fell into the sea. And at the
mouth of the river he beheld a castle, the fairest that man
ever saw, and the gate of the castle was open, and he went
into the castle. And in the castle he saw a fair hall, of
which the roof seemed to be all gold, the walls of the hall
seemed to be entirely of glittering precious gems, the
doors all seemed to be of gold. Golden seats he saw in the
hall, and silver tables. And on a seat opposite to him, he
beheld two auburn-haired youths playing at chess. He saw a
silver board for the chess, and golden pieces thereon. The
garments of the youths were of jet black satin, and
chaplets of ruddy gold bound their hair, whereon were
sparkling jewels of great price, rubies, and gems,
alternately with imperial stones. Buskins of new cordovan
leather on their feet, fastened by slides of red gold.
And beside a pillar in the hall, he saw a hoary-headed man,
in a chair of ivory, with the figures of two eagles of
ruddy gold thereon. Bracelets of gold were upon his arms,
and many rings were on his hands, and a golden torque about
his neck; and his hair was bound with a golden diadem. He
was of powerful aspect. A chess-board of gold was before
him, and a rod of gold, and a steel file in his hand. And
he was carving out chess-men.
And he saw a maiden sitting before him in a chair of ruddy
gold. Not more easy than to gaze upon the sun when
brightest, was it to look upon her by reason of her beauty.
A vest of white silk was upon the maiden, with clasps of
red gold at the breast; and a surcoat of gold tissue upon
her, and a frontlet of red gold upon her head, and rubies
and gems were in the frontlet, alternating with pearls and
imperial stones. And a girdle of ruddy gold was around her.
She was the fairest sight that man ever beheld.
The maiden arose from her chair before him, and he threw
his arms about the neck of the maiden, and they two sat
down together in the chair of gold: and the chair was not
less roomy for them both, than for the maiden alone. And as
he had his arms about the maiden's neck, and his cheek by
her cheek, behold, through the chafing of the dogs at their
leashing, and the clashing of the shields as they struck
against each other, and the beating together of the shafts
of the spears, and the neighing of the horses and their
prancing, the emperor awoke.
And when he awoke, nor spirit nor existence was left him,
because of the maiden whom he had seen in his sleep, for
the love of the maiden pervaded his whole frame. Then his
household spake unto him. "Lord," said they, "is it not
past the time for thee to take thy food?" Thereupon the
emperor mounted his palfrey, the saddest man that mortal
ever saw, and went forth towards Rome.
And thus he was during the space of a week. When they of
the household went to drink wine and mead out of golden
vessels, he went not with any of them. When they went to
listen to songs and tales, he went not with them there;
neither could he be persuaded to do any thing but sleep.
And as often as he slept, he beheld in his dreams the
maiden he loved best; but except when he slept he saw
nothing of her, for he knew not where in the world she was.
One day the page of the chamber spake unto him; now,
although he was page of the chamber, he was king of the
Romans. "Lord," said he, "all the people revile thee."
"Wherefore do they revile me?" asked the emperor. "Because
they can get neither message nor answer from thee as men
should have from their lord. This is the cause why thou art
spoken evil of." "Youth," said the emperor, "do thou bring
unto me the wise men of Rome, and I will tell them
wherefore I am sorrowful."
Then the wise men of Rome were brought to the emperor, and
he spake to them. "Sages of Rome," said he, "I have seen a
dream. And in the dream I beheld a maiden, and because of
the maiden is there neither life, nor spirit, nor existence
within me." "Lord," they answered, "since thou judgest us
worthy to counsel thee, we will give thee counsel. And this
is our counsel; that thou send messengers for three years
to the three parts of the world, to seek for thy dream. And
as thou knowest not what day or what night good news may
come to thee, the hope thereof will support thee."
So the messengers journeyed for the space of a year,
wandering about the world, and seeking tidings concerning
his dream. But when they came back at the end of the year,
they knew not one word more than they did the day they set
forth. And then was the emperor exceeding sorrowful, for he
thought that he should never have tidings of her whom best
he loved.
Then spoke the king of the Romans unto the emperor. "Lord,"
said he, "go forth to hunt by the way thou didst seem to
go, whether it were to the east, or to the west." So the
emperor went forth to the hunt, and he came to the bank of
the river. "Behold," said he, "this is where I was when I
saw the dream, and I went towards the source of the river
westward."
And thereupon thirteen messengers of the emperor's set
forth, and before them they saw a high mountain, which
seemed to them to touch the sky. Now this was the guise in
which the messengers journeyed; one sleeve was on the cap
of each of them in front, as a sign that they were
messengers, in order that through what hostile land soever
they might pass no harm might be done them. And when they
were come over this mountain, they beheld vast plains, and
large rivers flowing there through. "Behold," said they,
"the land which our master saw."
And they went along the mouths of the rivers, until they
came to the mighty river which they saw flowing to the sea,
and the vast city, and the many-coloured high towers in the
castle. They saw the largest fleet in the world, in the
harbour of the river, and one ship that was larger than any
of the others. "Behold again," said they, "the dream that
our master saw." And in the great ship they crossed the
sea, and came to the Island of Britain. And they traversed
the island until they came to Snowdon. "Behold," said they,
"the rugged land that our master saw." And they went
forward until they saw Anglesey before them, and until they
saw Arvon likewise. "Behold," said they, "the land our
master saw in his sleep." And they saw Aber Sain, and a
castle at the mouth of the river. The portal of the castle
saw they open, and into the castle they went, and they saw
a hall in the castle. Then said they, "Behold, the hall
which he saw in his sleep." They went into the hall, and
they behelcl two youths playing at chess on the golden
bench. And they beheld the hoary-headed man beside the
pillar, in the ivory chair, carving chessmen. And they
beheld the maiden sitting on a chair of ruddy gold.
The messengers bent down upon their knees. "Empress of
Rome, all hail! Ha, gentles," said the maiden, "ye bear the
seeming of honourable men, and the badge of envoys, what
mockery is this ye do to me?" "We mock thee not, lady; but
the Emperor of Rome hath seen thee in his sleep, and he has
neither life nor spirit left because of thee. Thou shalt
have of us therefore the choice, lady, whether thou wilt go
with us and be made empress of Rome, or that the emperor
come hither and take thee for his wife?" "Ha, lords," said
the maiden, "I will not deny what ye say, neither will I
believe it too well. If the emperor love me, let him come
here to seek me."
And by day and night the messengers hied them back. And
when their horses failed, they bought other fresh ones. And
when they came to Rome, they saluted the Emperor, and asked
their boon, which was given to them according as they named
it. "We will be thy guides, lord," said they, "over sea and
over land., to the place where is the woman whom best thou
lovest, for we know her name, and her kindred, and her
race.
And immediately the emperor set forth with his army. And
these men were his guides. Towards the Island of Britain
they went over the sea and the deep. And he conquered the
Island from Beli the son of Manogan, and his sons, and
drove them to the sea, and went forward even unto Arvon.
And the emperor knew the land when he saw it. And when he
beheld the castle of Aber Sain, "Look yonder," said he,
"there is the castle wherein I saw the damsel whom I best
love." And he went forward into the castle and into the
hall, and there he saw Kynan the son of Eudav, and Adeon
the son of Eudav, playing at chess. And he saw Eudav the
son of Caradawc, sitting on a chair of ivory carving
chessmen. And the maiden whom he had beheld in his sleep,
he saw sitting on a chair of gold. "Empress of Rome," said
he, "all hail!" And the emperor threw his arms about her
neck; and that night she became his bride.
And the next day in the morning, the damsel asked her
maiden portion. And he told her to name what she would. And
she asked to have the Island of Britain for her father,
from the Channel to the Irish Sea, together with the three
adjacent Islands, to hold under the empress of Rome; and to
have three chief castles made for her, in whatever places
she might choose in the Island of Britain. And she chose to
have the highest castle made at Arvon. And they brought
thither earth from Rome that it might be more healthful for
the emperor to sleep, and sit, and walk upon. After that
the two other castles were made for her, which were
Caerlleon and Caermarthen.
And one day the emperor went to hunt at Caermarthen, and he
came so far as the top of Brevi Vawr, and there the emperor
pitched his tent. And that encamping place is called Cadeir
Macsen, even to this day. And because that he built the
castle with a myriad of men, he called it Caervyrddin. Then
Helen bethought her to make high roads from one castle to
another throughout the Island of Britain. And the roads
were made. And for this cause are they called the roads of
Helen Luyddawc, that she was sprung from a native of this
island, and the men of the Island of Britain would not have
made these great roads for any save for her.
Seven years did the emperor tarry in this Island. Now, at
that time, the men of Rome had a custom, that whatsoever
emperor should remain in other lands more than seven years,
should remain to his own overthrow, and should never return
to Rome again.
So they made a new emperor. And this one wrote a letter of
threat to Macsen. There was nought in the letter but only
this. "If thou comest, and if thou ever comest to Rome."
And even unto Caerlleon came this letter to Macsen, and
these tidings. Then sent he a letter to the man who styled
himself emperor in Rome. There was nought in that letter
also but only this. "If I come to Rome, and if I come."
And thereupon Macsen set forth towards Rome with his army,
and vanquished France and Burgundy, and every land on the
way, and sat down before the city of Rome.
A year was the emperor before the city, and he was no
nearer taking it than the first day. And after him there
came the brothers of Helen Luyddawc from the Island of
Britain, and a small host with them, and better warriors
were in that small host than twice as many Romans. And the
emperor was told that a host was seen, halting close to his
army and encamping, and no man ever saw a fairer or better
appointed host for its size, nor more handsome standards.
And Helen went to see the hosts, and she knew the standards
of her brothers. Then came Kynan the son of Eudav, and
Adeon the son of Eudav, to meet the emperor. And the
emperor was glad because of them, and embraced them.
Then they looked at the Romans as they attacked the city.
Said Kynan to his brother, "We will try to attack the city
more expertly than this." So they measured by night the
height of the wall, and they sent their carpenters to the
wood, and a ladder was made for every four men of their
number. Now when these were ready, every day at mid-day the
emperors went to meat, and they ceased to fight on both
sides till all had finished eating. And in the morning the
men of Britain took their food, and they drank until they
were invigorated. And while the two emperors were at meat,
the Britons came to the city, and placed their ladders
against it, and forthwith they came in through the city.
The new emperor had no time to arm himself when they fell
upon him, and slew him, and many others with him. And three
nights and three days were they subduing the men that were
in the city and taking the castle. And others of them kept
the city, lest any of the host of Macsen should come
therein, until they had subjected all to their will.
Then spake Macsen to Helen Luyddawc. "I marvel, lady," said
he, "that thy brothers have not conquered this city for
me." "Lord, emperor," she answered, "the wisest youths in
the world are my brothers. Go thou thither and ask the city
of them, and if it be in their possession thou shalt have
it gladly." So the emperor and Helen went and demanded the
city. And they told the emperor that none had taken the
city, and that none could give it him, but the men of the
Island of Britain. Then the gates of the city of Rome were
opened, and the emperor sat on the throne, and all the men
of Rome submitted themselves unto him. The emperor then
said unto Kynan and Adeon, "Lords," said he, "I have now
had possession of the whole of my empire. This host give I
unto you to vanquish whatever region ye may desire in the
world."
So they set forth and conquered lands, and castles, and
cities. And they slew all the men, but the women they kept
alive. And thus they continued until the young men that had
come with them were grown grey-beaded, from the length of
time they were upon this conquest.
Then spoke Kynan unto Adeon his brother, "Whether wilt thou
rather," said he, "tarry in this land, or go back into the
land whence thou didst come forth?" Now he chose to go back
to his own land, and many with him. But Kynan tarried there
with the other part and dwelt there.
And they took counsel and cut out the tongues of the women,
lest they should corrupt their speech. And because of the
silence of the women from their own speech, the men of
Armorica are called Britons. From that time there came
frequently, and still comes, that language from the Island
of Britain.
And this dream is called the Dream of Macsen Wledig,
emperor of Rome.
And here it ends.