wild wales-第108节

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I　can　about　farming　and　such　like；　but　give　up　mining　I　cannot；　
because　why？　…　I　conceive　mining　to　be　the　noblest　business　in　the　
'versal　world。'　　Whereupon　his　Grace　laughed；　and　said　he　dare　say　
I　was　right；　and　never　mentioned　the　subject　again。〃

〃Was　his　Grace　very　fond　of　farming　and　improving？〃

〃Oh　yes；　your　honour。　　Like　all　the　great　gentry；　especially　the　
north　country　gentry；　his　Grace　was　wonderfully　fond　of　farming　and　
improving；　and　a　wonderful　deal　of　good　he　did；　reclaiming　
thousands　of　acres　of　land　which　was　before　good　for　nothing；　and　
building　capital　farm…houses　and　offices　for　his　tenants。　　His　
grand　feat；　however；　was　bringing　the　Durham　bull　into　this　
country；　which　formed　a　capital　cross　with　the　Welsh　cows。　　Pity　
that　he　wasn't　equally　fortunate　with　the　north　country　sheep。〃

〃Did　he　try　to　introduce　them　into　Wales？〃

〃Yes；　but　they　didn't　answer；　as　I　knew　they　wouldn't。　　Says　I　to　
the　Duke：　　'It　won't　do；　your　Grace；　to　bring　the　north　country　
sheep　here：　　because　why？　the　hills　are　too　wet　and　cold　for　their　
constitutions'；　but　his　Grace；　who　had　sometimes　a　will　of　his　own；　
persisted　and　brought　the　north　country　sheep　to　these　parts；　and　
it　turned　out　as　I　said　…　the　sheep　caught　the　disease；　and　the　
wool　parted　and　…　〃

〃But；〃　said　I；　〃you　should　have　told　him　about　the　salve　made　of　
bran；　butter　and　oil；　you　should　have　done　that。〃

〃Well；　so　I　did；　your　honour。　　I　told　him　about　the　salve；　and　the　
Duke　listened　to　me；　and　the　salve　was　made　by　these　very　hands；　
but　when　it　was　made；　what　do　you　think？　the　foolish　Welsh　wouldn't　
put　it　on；　saying　that　it　was　against　their　laws　and　statties　and　
religion　to　use　it；　and　talked　about　Devil's　salves　and　the　Witch　
of　Endor；　and　the　sin　against　the　Holy　Ghost；　and　such　like　
nonsense。　　So　to　prevent　a　regular　rebellion；　the　Duke　gave　up　the　
salve；　and　the　poor　sheep　pined　away　and　died；　till　at　last　there　
was　not　one　left。〃

〃Who　holds　the　estate　at　present？〃　said　I。

〃Why；　a　great　gentleman　from　Lancashire；　your　honour；　who　bought　it　
when　the　Duke　died；　but　he　doesn't　take　the　same　pleasure　in　it　
which　the　Duke　did；　nor　spend　so　much　money　about　it；　the　
consequence　being　that　everything　looks　very　different　from　what　it　
looked　in　the　Duke's　time。　　The　inn　at　the　Devil's　Bridge　and　the　
grounds　look　very　different　from　what　they　looked　in　the　Duke's　
time；　for　you　must　know　that　the　inn　and　the　grounds　form　part　of　
the　Hafod　estate；　and　are　hired　from　the　proprietor。〃

By　this　time　we　had　arrived　at　a　small　village；　with　a　toll…bar　and　
a　small　church　or　chapel　at　some　little　distance　from　the　road；　
which　here　made　a　turn　nearly　full　south。　　The　road　was　very　good；　
but　the　country　was　wild　and　rugged；　there　was　a　deep　vale　on　the　
right；　at　the　bottom　of　which　rolled　the　Rheidol　in　its　cleft；　
rising　beyond　which　were　steep；　naked　hills。

〃This　village；〃　said　my　companion；　〃is　called　Ysbytty　Cynfyn。　　Down　
on　the　right；　past　the　church；　is　a　strange　bridge　across　the　
Rheidol；　which　runs　there　through　a　horrid　kind　of　a　place。　　The　
bridge　is　called　Pont　yr　Offeiriad；　or　the　Parson's　Bridge；　because　
in　the　old　time　the　clergyman　passed　over　it　every　Sunday　to　do　
duty　in　the　church　here。〃

〃Why　is　this　place　called　Ysbytty　Cynfyn？〃　said　I；　〃which　means　the　
hospital　of　the　first　boundary；　is　there　a　hospital　of　the　second　
boundary　near　here？〃

〃I　can't　say　anything　about　boundaries；　your　honour；　all　I　know　is；　
that　there　is　another　Spytty　farther　on　beyond　Hafod　called　Ysbytty　
Ystwyth；　or　the　'Spytty　upon　the　Ystwyth。　　But　to　return　to　the　
matter　of　the　Minister's　Bridge：　　I　would　counsel　your　honour　to　go　
and　see　that　bridge　before　you　leave　these　parts。　　A　vast　number　of　
gentry　go　to　see　it　in　the　summer　time。　　It　was　the　bridge　which　
the　landlord　was　mentioning　last　night；　though　it　scarcely　belongs　
to　his　district；　being　quite　as　near　the　Devil's　Bridge　inn　as　it　
is　to　his　own；　your　honour。〃

We　went　on　discoursing　for　about　half　a　mile　farther；　when；　
stopping　by　a　road　which　branched　off　to　the　hills　on　the　left；　my　
companion　said。　　〃I　must　now　wish　your　honour　good　day；　being　
obliged　to　go　a　little　way　up　here　to　a　mining　work　on　a　small　bit　
of　business；　my　son；　however；　and　his　dog　Joe　will　show　your　honour　
the　way　to　the　Devil's　Bridge；　as　they　are　bound　to　a　place　a　
little　way　past　it。　　I　have　now　but　one　word　to　say；　which　is；　that　
should　ever　your　honour　please　to　visit　me　at　my　mine；　your　honour　
shall　receive　every　facility　for　inspecting　the　works；　and　moreover　
have　a　bellyful　of　drink　and　victuals　from　Jock　Greaves；　miner　from　
the　county　of　Durham。〃

I　shook　the　honest　fellow　by　the　hand；　and　went　on　in　company　with　
the　lad　John　and　his　dog　as　far　as　the　Devil's　Bridge。　　John　was　a　
highly…intelligent　lad；　spoke　Welsh　and　English　fluently；　could　
read；　as　he　told　me；　both　languages；　and　had　some　acquaintance　with　
the　writings　of　Twm　o'r　Nant；　as　he　showed　by　repeating　the　
following　lines　of　the　carter　poet；　certainly　not　the　worst　which　
he　ever　wrote：…


〃Twm　or　Nant　mae　cant　a'm　galw；
Tomas　Edwards　yw　fy　enw；〃

Tom　O　Nant　is　a　nickname　I've　got；
My　name's　Thomas　Edwards；　I　wot。〃



CHAPTER　LXXXIV



The　Hospice　…　The　Two　Rivers　…　The　Devil's　Bridge　…　Pleasant　
Recollections。


I　ARRIVED　at　the　Devil's　Bridge　at　about　eleven　o'clock　of　a　fine　
but　cold　day；　and　took　up　my　quarters　at　the　inn；　of　which　I　was　
the　sole　guest　during　the　whole　time　that　I　continued　there；　for　
the　inn；　standing　in　a　lone；　wild　district；　has　very　few　guests　
except　in　summer；　when　it　is　thronged　with　tourists；　who　avail　
themselves　of　that　genial　season　to　view　the　wonders　of　Wales；　of　
which　the　region　close　by　is　considered　amongst　the　principal。

The　inn；　or　rather　hospice　…　for　the　sounding　name　of　hospice　is　
more　applicable　to　it　than　the　common　one　of　inn　…　was　built　at　a　
great　expense　by　the　late　Duke　of　Newcastle。　　It　is　an　immense　
lofty　cottage　with　projecting　eaves；　and　has　a　fine　window　to　the　
east　which　enlightens　a　stately　staircase　and　a　noble　gallery。　　It　
fronts　the　north；　and　stands　in　the　midst　of　one　of　the　most　
remarkable　localities　in　the　world；　of　which　it　would　require　a　far　
more　vigorous　pen　than　mine　to　convey　an　adequate　idea。

Far　to　the　west　is　a　tall；　strange…looking　hill；　the　top　of　which　
bears　no　slight　resemblance　to　that　of　a　battlemented　castle。　　This　
hill；　which　is　believed　to　have　been　in　ancient　times　a　stronghold　
of　the　Britons；　bears　the　name　of　Bryn　y　Castell；　or　the　hill　of　
the　castle。　　To　the　north…west　are　russet　hills；　to　the　east　two　
brown　paps；　whilst　to　the　south　is　a　high；　swelling　mountain。　　To　
the　north；　and　just　below　the　hospice；　is　a　profound　hollow　with　
all　the　appearance　of　the　crater　of　an　extinct　volcano；　at　the　
bottom　of　this　hollow　the　waters　of　two　rivers　unite；　those　of　the　
Rheidol　from　the　north；　and　those　of　the　Afon　y　Mynach；　or　the　
Monks'　River；　from　the　south…east。　　The　Rheidol；　falling　over　a　
rocky　precipice　at　the　northern　side　of　the　hollow；　forms　a　
cataract　very　pleasant　to　look　upon　from　the　middle　upper　window　of　
the　inn。　　Those　of　the　Mynach　which　pass　under　the　celebrated　
Devil's　Bridge　are　not　visible；　though　they　generally　make　
themselves　heard。　　The　waters　of　both；　after　uniting；　flow　away　
through　a　romantic　glen　towards　the　west。　　The　sides　of　the　hollow；　
and　indeed　of　most　of　the　ravines　in　the　neighbourhood；　which　are　
numerous；　are　beautifully　clad　with　wood。

Penetrate　now　into　the　hollow　above　which　the　hospice　stands。　　You　
descend　by　successive　flights　of　steps；　some　of　which　are　very　
slippery　and　insecure。　　On　your　right　is　the　Monks'　River；　roaring　
down　its　dingle　in　five　successive　falls；　to　join　its　brother　the　
Rheidol。　　Each　of　the　falls　has　its　own　peculiar　basin；　one　or　two　
of　which　are　said　to　be　of　awful　depth。　　The　length　which　these　
falls　with　their　basins　occupy　is　about　five　hundred　feet。　　On　the　
side　of　the　basin　of　the　last　but　one　is　the　cave；　or　the　site　of　
the　cave；　said　to　have　been　occupied　in　old　times　by　the　Wicked　
Children　…　the　mysterious　Plant　de　Bat　…　two　brothers　and　a　sister；　
robbers　and　murderers。　　At　present　it　is　nearly　open　on　every　side；　
having；　it　is　said；　been　destroyed　to　prevent　its　being　the　haunt　
of　other　evil　people。　　There　is　a　tradition　in　the　country　that　the　
fall　at　one　time　tumbled　over　its　mouth。　　This　tradition；　however；　
is　evidently　without　foundation；　as　from　the　nature　of　the　ground　
the　river　could　never　have　run　but　in　its　present　channel。　　Of　all　
the　falls；　the　fifth　or　last　is　the　most　considerable：　　you　view　it　
from　a　kind　of　den；　to　which　the　last　flight　of　steps；　the　
ruggedest　and　most　dangerous　of　all；　has　brought　you。　　Your　
position　here　is　a　wild　one。　　The　fall；　which　is　split　into　two；　is　
thundering　beside　you；　foam；　foam；　foam　is　flying　all　about　you；　
the　basin　or　cauldron　is　boiling　frightfully　below　you；　hirsute　
rocks　are　frowning　terribly　above　you；　and　above　them　forest　trees；　
dank　and　wet　with　spray　and　mist；　are　distilling　drops　in　showers　
from　t