Page:My people stories of the peasantry of West Wales.djvu/133

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VII

THE WOMAN WHO SOWED INIQUITY

This is the chronicle of Betti Lancoch, who was the daughter of Essec, the Essec of whom is written on his gravestone that he was possessed of two farms named Lancoch and Llanwen, that he had a name among the religious men of the Big Seat in Capel Sion. On Essec’s death Betti’s inheritance was Lancoch, which is the smaller of the farms; and the inheritance of her brother Joshua was Llanwen.

Until her thirtieth year Betti was a princess in Sion. Her wealth was a prize for which many intrigued and prayed; and although much gravel was thrown

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