The Misfortunes of Elphin Author:Thomas Love Peacock Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: 32 CHAP. III. THE OPPRESSION OF GWENHIDWY. Nid meddw y dyn a allo Cwnu ei hun a rhodio, Ac yved rhagor ddiawd : Nid yw hyny yn veddwdawd. Not drunk ... more »is he, who from the floor Can rise alone, and still drink more; But drunk is he, who prostrate lies, Without the power to drink or rise. Aside door, at the upper end of the hall, to the left of Seithenyn's chair, opened, and a beautiful young girl entered the hall, with her domestic bard, and her attendant maidens. It was Angharad, the daughter of Seithe- OPPRESSION OF GWENH1DWT. 33 nyn. The tumult had drawn her from the solitude of her chamber, apprehensive that some evil might befall her father in that incapability of self-protection to which he made a point of bringing himself by set of sun. She gracefully saluted Prince Elphin, and directed the cupbearers, (who were bound, by their office, to remain half sober till the rest of the company were finished off, after which they indemnified themselves at leisure,) she directed the cupbearers to lift up Prince Seithenyn, and bear him from the hall. The cupbearers reeled off with their lord, who had already fallen asleep, and who now began to play them a pleasant march with his nose, to inspirit their progression. Elphin gazed with delight on the beautiful apparition, whose gentle and serious loveliness contrasted so strikingly with the brokentrophies and fallen heroes of revelry that lay scattered at her feet. " Stranger," she said, " this seems an unfitting place for you : let me conduct you where you will be more agreeably lodged." " Still less should I deem it fitting for you, fair maiden," said Elphin. She answered, " The pleasure of her father is the duty of Angharad." Elphin was desirous to protract the conversation, and this very desire ...« less