In fifteen days the king finished the compaign. The rebellious Carnarvon, after a bloody battle, was killed, and the conqueror being on his march to the last of the earl's fortresses, his widow came forth clad in a long mourning robe, followed by her six orphans, and presented to him, on her knees, the keys of the citadel. He extended to her his royal pardon, and his triumph was thus rendered more illustrious by the clemency and generosity he displayed. He marched his army homewards, and as he approached the city, he frequently exclaimed "Yes! my ancient palace of Aberfraw, soon shall I again behold you, soon again embrace you, my queen, the delight of my soul!" But he did not add, "Dear Dinevar, I shall soon hear also the sound of thy celestial harp."

The soldiers, the courtiers, the chaplains, the vassals, the domestics, instantly perceived that Dinevar was forgotten. There are always about the person of a king, a set of officious beings, who eagerly watch his words and his motions, who interpret almost his silence, and observe him even in his sleep. Convinced that he was disgusted with his late favourite, they dispatched letters to the palace of Aberfraw, when within half a day's journey of it, to the most confidential persons of the household, telling them to hasten immediately to their master, and not to forget to shout forth the praises of Dinevar.

In an instant Aberfraw was deserted, the road from the palace to the camp was covered with chariots and horses, and on every side were villagers crying aloud "Long live our father Hoël the Good! long live Dinevar, his friend and ours!"

The grand chaplain, accompanied by his clergy, first presented himself to the prince, comparing him in his speech to all the kings of Judea, and Macedon; and Dinevar to Joseph and Aristotle. A young hard to whom the king had taken a particular liking during the campaign, examined the eyes of Hoël, to observe the impression made on him by this eulogium on his grand judge. He discovered the prince's humour, and resolved to supplant the noble Dinevar.

The grand falconer appeared with his attendants. He expected the king would give him, according to custom, the robe which he wore. But at the instant when Hoël the Good, had thrown off his arm one of the sleeves of

his purple robe trimmed with ermine, for this purpose, the bird which the grand falconer bore on his hand, and which he had taught to speak, pronounced distinctly three times, Dinevar, Dinevar, Dinevar. The king immediately required the young bard's assistance in replacing the robe on his arm, and turned his back on the falconer and his officers.

The constable, introduced in his turn, could not contain his joy, when the king said to him :—“ By right of your office, all the horses under two years old, young which are allotted to me out of the general booty, belong to you; constable, are you satisfied?-There are two hundred and fifty-three." "Sire," replied the master of the horse, "my great age would not permit me to accompany my master to the wars, and yet he rewards me as if I had fought by his side." "What hast thou done during my absence?" replied the king. "Sire, I relieved my melancholy in the company of Dinevar, and in hearing him sing your great and glorious actions." At these words the king frowned, and looked angry; and the young bard fancied himself at least either chamberlain or grand judge.

The principal bard of the palace put himself at the head of the petty bards, who lived in obscurity at a distance from the palace, and had not appeared at court for more than thirty years, by order of Dinevar, because their compositions being mean, and accompanied only by the flageolet, the grand judge did not think them worthy of participating in the honours of those bards who, by the sublimity of their poetry, and skill on the lyre, were worthy to celebrate the majesty of the gods, and the glory of their country's heroes. The grand bard ordered these poor creatures to sing some wretched stanzas on the return of the conqueror, in which the name of Dinevar was cunningly omitted. The king, who hardly attended to the words, laughed heartily at the flageolets, and ordered one made of gold to be given to the principal bard, and a silver one to each of the others. The new favourite extolled the king's judgment, and all the court were desirous of learning to play on the flageolet,

The corps diplomatique being next presented, the ambassador from Scotland thus addressed him:-" Sire, your days are marked by victories and acts of beneficence, and your illustrious reign will form one of the most glorious epochs in the history of your country.

Whilst you were employed in reducing a rebellious subject, and shewing favour to his widow and her children, we felt not your absence at Aberfraw, because you have been represented by a wise man, whom posterity will call Dinevar the great minister, as you are already distinguished by the title of Hoël the Good."

"From the speech of this orator," said the prince, turning to his attendants, "it would seem that I am only the phantom of a king; but I will shortly prove to these foreigners that it is Hoël, Hoël only, who governs." "Your Majesty will do right," said the young bard, "they only are truly kings who themselves govern their people."

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The grand chaplain caught the hand of the young bard; all goes on excellently," said he: "so many praises will tire the monarch's patience. He begins to believe all that has been said against his favourite."

The queen now arrived, followed by the most beautiful females of the court. The moment she saw her husband she ran to him, and, kneeling down on a velvet cushion, received the royal salute on her forehead. Her caprices having been often thwarted by the austere virtue of the grand judge, she did not mention his name, and having learned that the young bard who accompanied the king was his new favourite, she curtsied to him with all imaginable grace.

Is it not surprising that he also should not have made his appearance, who had saved the king's life and crown in a time of tumult and faction, which he contrived to repress; who, by an administration remarkable both for its prudence and vigour, had recalled the people to their allegiance, and strengthened the royal authority; and who had made the king the idol of all his subjects?

But Dinevar had been officially informed, on the approach of the king, that without an express order, he must not quit the palace of Aberfraw. "My sovereign," said he to an old servant, “ has fixed me here with these words:- DINEVAR IS MY SECOND SELF.' You are

afraid lest my enemies should choose this moment to injure me in the opinion of the best of masters. I should regard myself with horror if I thought as you do. Confident of his affection I will wait for the king in this hall, where for thirty years I have dispensed justice in his name; on this very spot, where, in the first year of his reign, I had the good fortune to preserve his life."

He had scarcely finished these words, when the sound of the horns, the rattling of the cars, and the acclamations of the people, announced the entrance of Hoël the Good into the inner court of the royal residence. He ascended the steps of his palace, reclining on the arms of the queen and the young bard. What was his surprize on seeing, as soon as he entered the great hall, Dinevar, alone, his eyes overflowing with tears of joy, which the abused monarch took for those of contrition. The new favourite hastened the king onward: but what being, however heavy his displeasure, can forget, in one moment, a friendship of thirty years!

"Ah! Dinevar," cried Hoël, in a broken voice, “ the king, in his anger, would have degraded you from all your honours, have sentenced you to death, and then commuted your punishment into eternal exile in the tempestuous isle of Mona. The friend, in his compassion has, in spite of the king, preserved to you all that you possess; my palace shall be thy prison; thy conscience the executioner, the sight of me thy punishment."

Dinevar, affected, but not subdued, would have endeavoured to justify his conduct: but the young bard, who feared him, and the queen, who was tired of him, conducted the king into the hall of festivity; the crowd of courtiers following them. On his entrance, the bards, before-mentioned, sung a few trifling airs to their silver flageolets. Hoël the Good, a stranger to these noisy pleasures, sighed, gently pronouncing, from time to time, the name of Dinevar, while the tears descended on his long white beard. The courtiers, not observing his melancholy, applauded the musicians, and exclaimed, this indeed is singing—at length we hear true melody.

In the palace of Aberfraw it was usual to retire to rest at nine o'clock, and to rise with the sun. The king's watchmen proclaimed that the hour of nine was arrived. The porter immediately approached, and shaking his bunch of silver keys, ordered every body, who was not of the household, to retire. The flambeaux-bearers, followed by twelve officers of the guard and a herald at arms, saluted the king, and preceded him. He gave 3 kiss to the queen, honoured the young bard with a gracious smile, whom he recommended to his steward; and, proceeding towards his chamber, he thus sighed aloud: "It is now twenty days since Dinevar performed for me the office of chamberlain! How much I loved thta man!"

"Ah! you love him still!" cried the grand judge, throwing himself at his feet

Hoël the Good felt himself agitated, but wishing to unburthen his heart, he communicated to his old servant every thing that had happened; and the virtuous Dinevar had no difficulty in explaining his conduct to the king's satisfaction.

"O my friend," said Hoël, still more softened by his fidelity and candour, "even in thy disgrace, wrought by the artifices of your enemies, I had preserved for you all the places you held, except one-Come and receive it in my arms-it is my heart-and never, never, shall you again lose it." The worthy minister bedewed the breast of his king with tears of affection and gratitude-" Shall I not be this night your chamberlain ?' -"To-night, to-morrow, and every day," replied Hoël, "henceforth we will be inseparable." Then, addressing himself to the herald, he said with a firm voice:

"Attend! the inmates of my palace are enjoying the most delightful dreams: they sleep in the belief that the grand judge is disgraced; let them for this night indulge a reverie which is so grateful to them; but, at the break of day, visit every gallery; strike at every door with thy staff, and cry aloud-Rejoice! This night Hoël the JUST has created the virtuous Dinevar grand master of the palace."

According to the custom of these times, the king and Dinevar shared the same bed: " Sleep, sleep, sire," said the grand judge-" I cannot," replied Hoël the Good; "do thou sleep, Dinevar; and let a gentle repose efface from thy heart the remembrance of my ingratitude."

Next day, the queen spoke affectionately to Dinevar. All the court came round him. The young bard, not daring to intrude himself, stood confounded in the crowd. The inferior bards returned to their obscure abode. The others again appeared in their hall, singing, and playing on their harps. The grand chaplain retired to his chapel, from which he never more went but by command of the king. The constable became one of the most distinguished nobles in the palace: and during the rest of the reign of Hoël the Good, king of Wales, No accents were heard in his court but those of truth, honour, true poetry, and good music.

It appears from this history, that over good kings the influence of intrigue is but of short duration. *