wild wales-第120节

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into　Carmarthen　Bay。

I　did　not　fail　to　pay　a　visit　to　Tregaron　church。　　It　is　an　antique　
building　with　a　stone　tower。　　The　door　being　open；　as　the　door　of　a　
church　always　should　be；　I　entered；　and　was　kindly　shown　by　the　
clerk；　whom　I　met　in　the　aisle；　all　about　the　sacred　edifice。　　
There　was　not　much　to　be　seen。　　Amongst　the　monuments　was　a　stone　
tablet　to　John　Herbert；　who　died　1690。　　The　clerk　told　me　that　the　
name　of　the　clergyman　of　Tregaron　was　Hughes；　he　said　that　he　was　
an　excellent；　charitable　man；　who　preached　the　Gospel；　and　gave　
himself　great　trouble　in　educating　the　children　of　the　poor。　　He　
certainly　seemed　to　have　succeeded　in　teaching　them　good　manners：　　
as　I　was　leaving　the　church；　I　met　a　number　of　little　boys　
belonging　to　the　church　school：　　no　sooner　did　they　see　me　than　
they　drew　themselves　up　it；　a　rank　on　one　side；　and　as　I　passed　
took　off　their　caps　and　simultaneously　shouted；　〃Good…morning！〃

And　now　something　with　respect　to　the　celebrated　hero　of　Tregaron；　
Tom　Shone　Catti；　concerning　whom　I　picked　up　a　good　deal　during　my　
short　stay　there；　and　of　whom　I　subsequently　read　something　in　
printed　books。　（14）

According　to　the　tradition　of　the　country；　he　was　the　illegitimate　
son　of　Sir　John　Wynn　of　Gwedir；　by　one　Catherine　Jones　of　Tregaron；　
and　was　born　at　a　place　called　Fynnon　Lidiart；　close　by　Tregaron；　
towards　the　conclusion　of　the　sixteenth　century。　　He　was　baptised　
by　the　name　of　Thomas　Jones；　but　was　generally　called　Tom　Shone　
Catti；　that　is　Tom　Jones；　son　of　Catti　or　Catherine。　　His　mother；　
who　was　a　person　of　some　little　education；　brought　him　up；　and　
taught　him　to　read　and　write。　　His　life；　till　his　eighteenth　year；　
was　much　like　other　peasant　boys；　he　kept　crows；　drove　bullocks；　
and　learned　to　plough　and　harrow；　but　always　showed　a　disposition　
to　roguery　and　mischief。　　Between　eighteen　and　nineteen；　in　order　
to　free　himself　and　his　mother　from　poverty　which　they　had　long　
endured；　he　adopted　the　profession　of　a　thief；　and　soon　became　
celebrated　through　the　whole　of　Wales　for　the　cleverness　and　
adroitness　which　he　exercised　in　his　calling；　qualities　in　which　he　
appears　to　have　trusted　much　more　than　in　strength　and　daring；　
though　well　endowed　with　both。　　His　disguises　were　innumerable；　and　
all　impenetrable；　sometimes　he　would　appear　as　an　ancient　crone；　
sometimes　as　a　begging　cripple；　sometimes　as　a　broken　soldier。　　
Though　by　no　means　scrupulous　as　to　what　he　stole；　he　was　
particularly　addicted　to　horse　and　cattle　stealing；　and　was　no　less　
successful　in　altering　the　appearance　of　animals　than　his　own；　as　
he　would　frequently　sell　cattle　to　the　very　persons　from　whom　he　
had　stolen　them；　after　they　had　been　subjected　to　such　a　
metamorphosis；　by　means　of　dyes　and　the　scissors；　that　recognition　
was　quite　impossible。　　Various　attempts　were　made　to　apprehend　him；　
but　all　without　success；　he　was　never　at　home　to　people　who　
particularly　wanted　him；　or　if　at　home　he　looked　anything　but　the　
person　they　came　in　quest　of。　　Once　a　strong　and　resolute　man；　a　
farmer；　who　conceived；　and　very　justly；　that　Tom　had　abstracted　a　
bullock　from　his　stall；　came　to　Tregaron　well　armed　in　order　to　
seize　him。　　Riding　up　to　the　door　of　Tom's　mother；　he　saw　an　aged　
and　miserable…looking　object；　with　a　beggar's　staff　and　wallet；　
sitting　on　a　stone　bench　beside　the　door。　　Does　Tom　Shone　Catti　
live　here？〃　said　the　farmer。　　〃Oh　yes；　he　lives　here；〃　replied　the　
beggar。　　〃Is　he　at　home？〃　　〃Oh　yes；　he　is　at　home。〃　　〃Will　you　hold　
my　horse　whilst　I　go　in　and　speak　to　him？〃　　〃Oh　yes；　I　will　hold　
your　horse。〃　　Thereupon　the　man　dismounted；　took　a　brace　of　pistols　
out　of　his　holsters；　gave　the　cripple　his　horse's　bridle　and　
likewise　his　whip；　and　entered　the　house　boldly。　　No　sooner　was　he　
inside　than　the　beggar；　or　rather　Tom　Shone　Catti；　for　it　was　he；　
jumped　on　the　horse's　back；　and　rode　away　to　the　farmer's　house　
which　was　some　ten　miles　distant；　altering　his　dress　and　appearance　
as　he　rode　along；　having　various　articles　of　disguise　in　his　
wallet。　　Arriving　at　the　house　he　told　the　farmer's　wife　that　her　
husband　was　in　the　greatest　trouble；　and　wanted　fifty　pounds；　which　
she　was　to　send　by　him；　and　that　he　came　mounted　on　her　husband's　
horse；　and　brought　his　whip；　that　she　might　know　he　was　authorised　
to　receive　the　money。　　The　wife；　seeing　the　horse　and　the　whip；　
delivered　the　money　to　Tom　without　hesitation；　who　forthwith　made　
the　best　of　his　way　to　London；　where　he　sold　the　horse；　and　made　
himself　merry　with　the　price；　and　with　what　he　got　from　the　
farmer's　wife；　not　returning　to　Wales　for　several　months。　　Though　
Tom　was　known　by　everybody　to　be　a　thief；　he　appears　to　have　lived　
on　very　good　terms　with　the　generality　of　his　neighbours；　both　rich　
and　poor。　　The　poor　he　conciliated　by　being　very　free　of　the　money　
which　he　acquired　by　theft　and　robbery；　and　with　the　rich　he　
ingratiated　himself　by　humorous　jesting；　at　which　he　was　a　
proficient；　and　by　being　able　to　sing　a　good　song。　　At　length；　
being　an　extremely　good…looking　young　fellow；　he　induced　a　wealthy　
lady　to　promise　to　marry　him。　　This　lady　is　represented　by　some　as　
a　widow；　and　by　others　as　a　virgin　heiress。　　After　some　time；　
however；　she　refused　to　perform　her　promise　and　barred　her　doors　
against　him。　　Tom　retired　to　a　cave　on　the　side　of　a　steep　wild　
hill　near　the　lady's　house；　to　which　he　frequently　repaired；　and　at　
last；　having　induced　her　to　stretch　her　hand　to　him　through　the　
window　bars；　under　the　pretence　that　he　wished　to　imprint　a　parting　
kiss　upon　it；　he　won　her　by　seizing　her　hand　and　threatening　to　cut　
it　off　unless　she　performed　her　promise。　　Then；　as　everything　at　
the　time　at　which　he　lived　could　be　done　by　means　of　money；　he　soon　
obtained　for　himself　a　general　pardon；　and　likewise　a　commission　as　
justice　of　the　peace；　which　he　held　to　the　time　of　his　death；　to　
the　satisfaction　of　everybody　except　thieves　and　ill…doers；　against　
whom　he　waged　incessant　war；　and　with　whom　he　was　admirably　
qualified　to　cope；　from　the　knowledge　he　possessed　of　their　ways　
and　habits；　from　having　passed　so　many　years　of　his　life　in　the　
exercise　of　the　thieving　trade。　　In　his　youth　he　was　much　addicted　
to　poetry；　and　a　great　many　pennillion　of　his　composition；　chiefly　
on　his　own　thievish　exploits；　are　yet　recited　by　the　inhabitants　of　
certain　districts　of　the　shires　of　Brecon；　Carmarthen；　and　
Cardigan。

Such　is　the　history　or　rather　the　outline　of　the　history　of　Twm　
Shone　Catti。　　Concerning　the　actions　attributed　to　him；　it　is　
necessary　to　say　that　the　greater　part　consist　of　myths；　which　are　
told　of　particular　individuals　of　every　country；　from　the　Indian　
Ocean　to　the　Atlantic：　　for　example；　the　story　of　cutting　off　the　
bull's　tail　is　not　only　told　of　him　but　of　the　Irish　thief　Delany；　
and　is　to　be　found　in　the　〃Lives　of　Irish　Rogues　and　Rapparees；〃　
certain　tricks　related　of　him　in　the　printed　tale　bearing　his　name　
are　almost　identical　with　various　rogueries　related　in　the　story…
book　of　Klim　the　Russian　robber；　（15）　and　the　most　poetical　part　of　
Tom　Shone's　history；　namely；　that　in　which　he　threatens　to　cut　off　
the　hand　of　the　reluctant　bride　unless　she　performs　her　promise；　
is；　in　all　probability；　an　offshoot　of　the　grand　myth　of　〃the　
severed　hand；〃　which　in　various　ways　figures　in　the　stories　of　most　
nations；　and　which　is　turned　to　considerable　account　in　the　tale　of　
the　above…mentioned　Russian　worthy　Klim。



CHAPTER　XCIV



Llan　Ddewi　Brefi　…　Pelagian　Heresy　…　Hu　Gadarn　…　God　of　Agriculture　
…　The　Silver　Cup　…　Rude　Tablet。


IT　was　about　eleven　o'clock　in　the　morning　when　I　started　from　
Tregaron；　the　sky　was　still　cloudy　and　heavy。　　I　took　the　road　to　
Lampeter；　distant　about　eight　miles；　intending；　however；　to　go　much　
farther　ere　I　stopped　for　the　night。　　The　road　lay　nearly　south…
west。　　I　passed　by　Aber　Coed；　a　homestead　near　the　bottom　of　a　
dingle　down　which　runs　a　brook　into　the　Teivi；　which　flows　here　
close　by　the　road；　then　by　Aber　Carvan；　where　another　brook　
disembogues。　　Aber；　as　perhaps　the　reader　already　knows；　is　a　
disemboguement；　and　wherever　a　place　commences　with　Aber　there　to　a　
certainty　does　a　river　flow　into　the　sea；　or　a　brook　or　rivulet　
into　a　river。　　I　next　passed　through　Nant　Derven；　and　in　about　
three…quarters　of　an　hour　after　leaving　Tregaron　reached　a　place　of　
old　renown　called　Llan　Ddewi　Brefi。

Llan　Ddewi　Brefi　is　a　small　village　situated　at　the　entrance　of　a　
gorge　leading　up　to　some　lofty　hills　which　rise　to　the　east　and　
belong　to　the　same　mountain　range　as　those　near　Tregaron。　　A　brook　
flowing　from　the　hills　murmurs　through　it　and　at　length　finds　its　
way　into　the　Teivi。　　An　ancient　church　stands　on　a　little　rising　
ground　just　below　the　hills；　multitudes　of　rooks　inhabit　its　
steeple　and　fill　throughout　the　day　the　air　with　their　cawing。　　The　
place　wears　a　remarkable　air　of　solitude；　but　presents　nothing　of　
gloom　and　horror；　and　seems　just　the　kind　of　spot　in　which　some　
quiet　pensive　man；　fatigued　but　not　soured　by　the　turmoil　of　the　
world；　might　settle　down；　enjoy　a　few　innocent