R. Rice Davies's The Cambrian Sketch-Book (1870s) presents itself as a collection of tales, scenes, and legends from Wales, but the excerpts reveal a work that mixes folklore with romantic fiction. The catalog subjects—Tales, Legends, Folklore—accurately describe the book's stated aims, yet the surviving passages show a narrative centered on a courtship plot, with the legendary material appearing as backdrop rather than main content.

The preface frames the Cambrian race as ancient and mysterious, claiming their origins are 'a matter of conjecture' and their migration to Britain 'one of the mysteries of this mysterious world.' This rhetorical stance, however, gives way to a story about a young man named Rhys Roberts visiting two women and touring picturesque sites like Bettws-y-Coed and Swallow Falls.

Folklore as Frame, Romance as Substance

The book's title promises legends of 'Wild Wales,' but the excerpted narrative is dominated by a social visit and sightseeing excursion. Mr. Rhys Roberts arrives at a home, introduces himself to an aunt and her niece Gwenfan Wynn, and arranges a tour of North Wales beauty spots. The list of visited places—Capel Curig, Pont Aberglaslyn, Rhayadr Ddû, Harlech—reads like a Victorian tourist itinerary. The legendary content is reduced to a single reference: the ladies promise to show 'the most romantic spots' and later the narrator notes that Roberts wrote in his diary about Gwenfan's 'attachment to and admiration of her native country.' The folklore catalog subject thus functions more as a marketing frame than a structural element in the excerpted portion.

Patriotic Sentiment and the Idealized Welsh Woman

Roberts's diary entry provides the most direct expression of national feeling: Gwenfan's 'attachment to and admiration of her native country and its people is as deep and as enthusiastic as was that of the glorious old patriots of olden times.' This passage ties the romantic interest to a patriotic ideal, aligning personal virtue with love of Wales. The phrasing echoes the preface's concern with Cambrian origins, but here the 'old patriots' remain unnamed and unspecified. The diary also praises Gwenfan's 'deepest reverence for truth, for virtue, and religion,' suggesting that the book's legendary material may serve to reinforce moral and nationalistic values rather than to document folklore independently.

Tourist Gaze and the Cataloging of Scenery

The excursion narrative functions as a guided tour, with place-names listed in rapid succession: 'Bettws-y-Coed, Capel Curig, the Swallow Falls, Pont Aberglaslyn, Llyngwynant, Tan y Bwlch, Maentwrog, Ffestiniog, Rhayadr Ddû, Tremadoc, Harlech, and Aberdovy.' This cataloging of sites mirrors the book's subtitle 'Scenes, and Legends of Wild Wales,' yet the excerpts provide no legendary content for these locations. The aunt's claim that 'the beauties of the surrounding scene are beyond the descriptive powers of the most eloquent pen' suggests a reliance on the reader's prior knowledge or on later sections not included here. The structure implies that the 'legends' may be appended to these places in subsequent chapters, but the excerpts do not confirm this.

Readers approaching The Cambrian Sketch-Book as a folklore collection should be aware that the excerpts show a romantic narrative with patriotic overtones, where legendary material is promised but not yet delivered. The book's catalog subjects accurately reflect its stated intent, but the surviving text suggests a hybrid work that may embed folklore within a fictional frame. Those interested in Welsh legends may need to read beyond the opening chapters to find the promised tales.