In Our Time, King Henry II., In Reply To The Inquiries Of Emanuel,
Emperor Of Constantinople, Concerning The Situation, Nature, And
Striking Peculiarities Of The British Island, Among Other
Remarkable Circumstances Mentioned The Following:
"That in a
certain part of the island there was a people, called Welsh, so
bold and ferocious that,
When unarmed, they did not fear to
encounter an armed force; being ready to shed their blood in
defence of their country, and to sacrifice their lives for renown;
which is the more surprising, as the beasts of the field over the
whole face of the island became gentle, but these desperate men
could not be tamed. The wild animals, and particularly the stags
and hinds, are so abundant, owing to the little molestation they
receive, that in our time, in the northern parts of the island
towards the Peak, (17) when pursued by the hounds and hunters, they
contributed, by their numbers, to their own destruction."
CHAPTER IX
Of their sober supper and frugality
Not addicted to gluttony or drunkenness, this people who incur no
expense in food or dress, and whose minds are always bent upon the
defence of their country, and on the means of plunder, are wholly
employed in the care of their horses and furniture. Accustomed to
fast from morning till evening, and trusting to the care of
Providence, they dedicate the whole day to business, and in the
evening partake of a moderate meal; and even if they have none, or
only a very scanty one, they patiently wait till the next evening;
and, neither deterred by cold nor hunger, they employ the dark and
stormy nights in watching the hostile motions of their enemies.
CHAPTER X
Of their hospitality and liberality
No one of this nation ever begs, for the houses of all are common
to all; and they consider liberality and hospitality amongst the
first virtues. So much does hospitality here rejoice in
communication, that it is neither offered nor requested by
travellers, who, on entering any house, only deliver up their arms.
When water is offered to them, if they suffer their feet to be
washed, they are received as guests; for the offer of water to wash
the feet is with this nation an hospitable invitation. But if they
refuse the proffered service, they only wish for morning
refreshment, not lodging. The young men move about in troops and
families under the direction of a chosen leader. Attached only to
arms and ease, and ever ready to stand forth in defence of their
country, they have free admittance into every house as if it were
their own.
Those who arrive in the morning are entertained till evening with
the conversation of young women, and the music of the harp; for
each house has its young women and harps allotted to this purpose.
Two circumstances here deserve notice: that as no nation labours
more under the vice of jealousy than the Irish, so none is more
free from it than the Welsh:
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