Page:Celtic Stories by Edward Thomas.djvu/95

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BRAN AND BRONWEN
91

head of Bran in the White Mount with its face towards France; and Manawythan was sad, and gazing upon the town of London he sighed and exclaimed: 'There is none save myself without a resting-place this night.'

This was called the first goodly concealment, when Bran's head was buried. While the head was concealed no invader could enter the Island of the Mighty. The second concealment was that of the bones of Gwrthevyr, which were hid in the chief harbour of the Island: the third was when Lud the son of Beli buried the dragons in the City of Pharaon among the rocks of Snowdon. There were three unhappy uncoverings of these hidden things. Vortigern uncovered the dragons and the bones of Gwrthevyr. King Arthur uncovered the buried head of Bran because he was proud and was unwilling to keep out invaders save by his own strength. After these three uncoverings followed the chief invasions of the Island of the Mighty.