willing hands to work as I require, but I want wise heads, full of years
and experience, which may aid me in council and guard me from the
blunders of youth and inexperience. Besides, man was not, it seems to
me, put into this world merely to enjoy himself. If he was, then are
the brutes his superiors, for they have no cares, no anxieties about
food or raiment, or housing, and they enjoy themselves to the full as
long as their little day lasts. There is surely some nobler end for
man, and as you have given much study to the works and ways and reputed
words of the All-seeing One, I want you to aid me in helping men to look
upward--to soar like the eagle above the things of earth, as well as to
consider the interests of others, and so, as far as may be, unlearn
selfishness. Will you join me for this end?"
"That will I, with joy," answered the Hebrew with kindling eye; "but
your ambition soars high, prince. Have you spoken to Branwen on these
subjects?"
"Of course I have, and she, like a true woman, enters heartily into my
plans. Like myself, she does not think that being wedded and happy is
the great end of life, but only the beginning of it. When the wedding
is over, our minds will then be set free to devote ourselves to the
great work before us."
"And what duties in the work will fall to the lot of Branwen?" asked
Beniah, with an amused look.
"The duties of a wife, of course," returned the prince. "She will lend
a sympathetic ear to all plans and proposals; her ingenious imagination
will suggest ideas that might escape my grosser mind; her brilliant
fancy will produce combinations that my duller brain would never think
of; her hopeful spirit will encourage me to perseverance where accident
or disaster has a tendency to demoralise, and her loving spirit will
comfort me should failure, great or small, be permitted to overtake me.
All this, I admit, sounds very selfish, but you asked me what part
Branwen should play in regard to _my_ schemes. If you had asked me what
part I am to play in her life and work, the picture might be inverted to
some extent--for our lives will be mutual--though, of course, I can
never be to her what she will be to me."
With this exalted idea of the married state, Prince Bladud looked
forward to his wedding. Whether Dromas was imbued with similar ideas we
cannot tell; but of this we are sure, that he was equally devoted to the
princess--as far as outward appearance went--and he entered with keenest
zest and appreciation into the plans and aspirations of his friend, with
regard to the welfare of mankind in general, and the men of Albion in
particular.
Not many days after that there was a double wedding at Hudibras town,
which created a tremendous sensation throughout all the land. For,
although news travelled slowly in those days, the fame of Bladud and his
wonderful cure, and his great size and athletic powers, coupled with his
Eastern learning, and warlike attainments and peaceful proclivities, not
to mention the beauty and romantic adventures of his bride, had made
such an impression on what may be styled the whole nation, that noted
chiefs came from all parts far and near, to his wedding, bringing as
many of their distinguished followers with them as they deemed necessary
to safe travelling in an unsettled country. Some even came from the
great western island called Erin, and others from the remote isle of the
north which lay beyond Gadarn's country, and was at a later period named
Ultima Thule.
"I wonder when they're going to stop coming," remarked Gadarn to King
Hudibras, as the self-invited guests came pouring in.
"Let them come," replied the jovial king, with the air of a man of
unlimited means. "The more the merrier. There's room for all, and the
forests are big."
"Some of them, I see," rejoined Gadarn, "are my mortal foes. We shall
now have a chance of becoming mortal friends."
It might be supposed that the assemblage of such a host from all points
of the compass would, as it is sometimes expressed, eat King Hudibras
out of house and home; but this was not so, for it was the custom at
that time for visitors at royal courts to hunt for their victuals--to go
in, as it were, for a grand picnic on a continuous basis, so that the
palace of our king, instead of being depleted, became surfeited with
food. As his preserves were extensive, and game of all kinds abundant,
the expense attendant on this kind of hospitality was _nil_.
It would have been very much the reverse had it been necessary to supply
drink, but the art of producing liquids which fuddle, stupefy, and
madden, had not yet been learnt in this country. Consequently there was
no fighting or bloodshed at those jovial festivities, though there was a
certain amount of quarrelling--as might be expected amongst independent
men who held different opinions on many subjects, although politics and
theology had not yet been invented.
Great were the rejoicings when it was discovered, by each band as it
arrived, that there was to be a double wedding; that the Princess
Hafrydda was to be one of the brides, and that the fortunate man who had
won her was a famous warrior of the mysterious East, and one of the
victors at the great games of that part of the world.
How the ceremony of marriage was performed we have not, after the most
painstaking research, been able to ascertain; but that it was performed
somehow, and to the satisfaction of all concerned, we are absolutely
certain, from the fact that Bladud and Branwen, Dromas and Hafrydda,
lived happily together as man and wife for many years afterwards, and
brought up large families of stalwart sons and daughters to strengthen
the power and increase the prestige of Old Albion.
This, however, by the way. Of course the chief amusement of the guests
was games, followed by songs and dancing in the evenings. And one of
the favourite amusements at the games was scientific boxing, for that
was an entirely new art to the warriors, alike of Albion, Erin, and
Ultima Thule.
It first burst upon their senses as a new and grand idea when Bladud and
Dromas, at the urgent request of their friends, stepped into the arena
and gave a specimen of the manner in which the art was practised in
Hellas. Of course they did not use what we call knuckle-dusters, nor
did they even double their fists, except when moving round each other,
and as "gloves" were unknown, they struck out with the hands half open,
for they had no wish to bleed each other's noses or black each other's
eyes for mere amusement.
At the beginning it was thought that Dromas was no match at all for the
gigantic Bladud, but when the wonderful agility of the former was seen--
the ease with which he ducked and turned aside his head to evade blows,
and the lightning speed with which he countered, giving a touch on the
forehead or a dig in the ribs, smiling all the time as if to say, "How
d'ye like it?" men's minds changed with shouts of surprise and
satisfaction. And they highly approved of the way in which the
champions smilingly shook hands after the bout was over--as they had
done before it began.
They did not, however, perceive the full value of the art until an
ambitious young chief from Ultima Thule--a man of immense size and
rugged mould with red hair--insisted on Dromas giving him a lesson. The
man from Hellas declined at first, but the man from Thule was urgent,
and there seemed to be a feeling among the warriors that the young
Hellene was afraid.
"It is so difficult," he explained, "to hit lightly and swiftly that
sometimes an unintentionally hard blow is given, and men are apt to lose
their tempers."
This was received with a loud laugh by the Thuler.
"What! _I_ lose my temper on account of a friendly buffet! Besides, I
shall take care not to hit hard--you need not fear."
"As you will," returned Dromas, with a good-humoured smile.
The Thuler stood up and allowed his instructor to put him in the correct
attitude. Then the latter faced him and said, "Now, guard yourself."
Next moment his left hand shot out and gently touched his opponent's
nose. The Thuler received the touch with what he deemed an orthodox
smile and tried to guard it after it had been delivered.
Then he struck out with his left--being an apt pupil--but Dromas drew
back and the blow did not reach him. Then he struck out smartly with
his right, but the Hellene put his head to one side and let it pass.
Again he struck out rapidly, one hand after the other, without much care
whether the blows were light or heavy. Dromas evaded both without
guarding, and, in reply, gave the Thuler a smartish touch on his
unfortunate nose.
This was received by the assemblage with a wild shout of surprise and
delight, and the Thuler became grave; collected himself as if for real
business, and suddenly let out a shower of blows which, had they taken
effect, would soon have ended the match, but his blows only fell on air,
for Dromas evaded them with ease, returning every now and then a tap on
the old spot or a touch on the forehead. At last, seeing that the man
was losing temper, he gave him a sharp dig in the wind which caused him
to gasp, and a sounding buffet on the cheek which caused him to howl
with rage and feel for the hilt of his sword. That dangerous weapon,
however, had been judiciously removed by his friends. He therefore
rushed at his antagonist, resolved to annihilate him, but was received
with two genuine blows--one in the wind, the other on the forehead,
which stretched him on the sward.
The Thuler rose therefrom with a dazed look, and accepted the Hellene's
friendly shake of the hand with an unmeaning smile.
After the sports had continued for several days King Hudibras proposed
an excursion--a sort of gigantic picnic--to the Hot Swamp, where Bladud
and his friend had made up their mind to spend their honeymoon.
Arrived there, they found that immense progress had been made with the
new city--insomuch that Dromas assured Hafrydda that it brought to his
mind some very ancient fables of great cities rising spontaneously from
the ground to the sound of pipes played by the gods.
The baths, too, were in such an advanced stage that they were able to
fill them on the arrival of the host and allow the interested and
impatient chiefs to bathe.
"Don't let them go in till you give the signal that the baths are
ready," said Gadarn to the king in that grave, suppressed manner which
indicated that the northern chief was inclined to mischief.
"Why?" asked the king.
"Because, as I understand, you love fair play and no favour. It would
not be fair to let some begin before others. They might feel it, you
know, and quarrel."
"Very well, so be it," returned the king, and gave orders that no one
was to go near the baths until they were quite full, when he would give
the signal.
The chiefs and warriors entering into the spirit of the thing, took
quite a boyish delight in stripping themselves and preparing for a rush.
"Now, are you ready?" said the king.
"Ay, all ready."
"Away, then!"
The warlike host rushed to the brink of the largest bath and plunged
in--some head, others feet, first. But they came out almost as fast as
they went in--yelling and spluttering--for the water was much too hot!
"Ah! I see now," growled the king, turning to Gadarn--but Gadarn was
gone. He found him, a minute later, behind a bush, in fits!
Pacifying the warriors with some difficulty--for they were a hot-headed
generation--the king, being directed by Bladud, ordered the water from
the cold lake to be turned on until the bath became bearable. Then the
warriors re-entered it again more sedately. The warm water soon
restored their equanimity, and ere long the unusual sight was to be seen
of bearded men and smooth chins, rugged men and striplings, rolling
about like porpoises, shouting, laughing, and indulging in horse-play
like veritable boys.
Truly warmth has much to do with the felicity of mankind!
Towards afternoon the warriors were ordered to turn out, and, after the
water had been allowed to run till it was clear, King Hudibras descended
into it with much gravity and a good deal of what was in those ages
considered to be ceremonial effect. This was done by way of taking
formal possession of the Hot Springs. He was greatly cheered during the
process by the admiring visitors, as well as physically by the hot
water, and it is said that while his son Bladud was dutifully rubbing
him down in the neighbouring booth, he remarked that it was the best
bath he ever had in his life, that he would visit the place periodically
as long as he lived, and that a palace must be built there for his
accommodation.
From that day the bath was named the "King's Bath," and it is so named
at the present day.
Soon after that the queen visited the Swamp and, with her ladies, made
use of the bath which had been specially prepared for women; and this
one went by the name of the "Queen's Bath" thereafter. Its site,
however, is not now certainly known, and it is not to be confounded with
the "Queen's Bath" of the present day, which was named after Queen Anne.
Prince Bladud lived to carry out most of his plans. He built a palace
for his father in Swamptown. He built a palace for himself and Branwen,
with a wing to it for Dromas and Hafrydda, and took up his permanent
abode there when he afterwards became king. At the death of his father
he added another wing for the queen-mother--with internal doors opening
from each wing to the other, in order that they might live, so to speak,
as one family. This arrangement worked admirably until the families
became large, and the younger members obstreperous, when the internal
doors were occasionally, even frequently, shut. He also built a snug
house for Konar, and made him Hunter-General to the Royal Household. It
is said that, owing to the genial influence of Bladud's kind nature,
Konar recovered his reason, and, forgetting the false fair-one who had
jilted him, took to himself a helpmate who more than made up for her
loss.
Captain Arkal soon found that his passion for hot water cooled. As it
did so, his love for salt water revived. He returned to Hellas, and,
after paying his respects to his pretty Greek wife, and dandling the
solid, square, bluff, and resolute baby, he reloaded his ship and
returned to Albion. Thus he went and came for many years.
Little Maikar, however, did not follow his example. True, he
accompanied his old captain on his first trip to Hellas, but that was
for the purpose of getting possession of a dark-eyed maiden who awaited
him there; with whom he returned to Swamptown, and, in that lovely
region, spent the remainder of his life.
Even Addedomar was weaned from outlawry to honesty by the irresistible
solicitations of Bladud, and as, in modern times, many an incorrigible
poacher makes a first-rate gamekeeper, so the robber-chief became an
able head-huntsman under the Hunter-General. The irony of Fate decreed,
however, that the man who had once contemplated three wives was not to
marry at all. He dwelt with his mother Ortrud to the end of her days in
a small house not far from the residence of Konar. Gunrig's mother also
dwelt with them--not that she had any particular regard for them
personally, but in order that she might be near to the beautiful girl
who had been beloved by her son.
Gadarn, the great northern chief, ever afterwards paid an annual visit
to Swamptown. While that visit lasted there was a general feeling in
the palace--especially among the young people--that a jovial hurricane
was blowing. During the daytime the gale made itself felt in loud
hilarious laughter, song, and story. At night it blew steadily through
his nose. After his departure an unaccountable calm seemed to settle
down upon the whole region!
Beniah performed with powerful effect the task allotted to him, for,
both by precept and example, he so set forth and obeyed the laws of God
that the tone of society was imperceptibly elevated. Men came to know,
and to act upon the knowledge, that this world was not their rest; that
there is a better life beyond, and, in the contemplation of that life,
they, somehow, made this life more agreeable to themselves and to each
other.
Time, which never intermits the beating of his fateful wings, flew by;
the centuries rolled on; the Roman invaders came; the Norsemen and
Saxons came, the Norman conquerors came, and each left their mark, deep
and lasting, on the people and on the land--but they could not check by
one hair's-breadth the perennial flow of the springs in the Hot Swamp,
or obliterate the legend on which is founded this Romance of Old Albion.
THE END.