wild wales-第122节

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which　stands　a　large　stone　basin。　　From　the　courtyard　you　enter　a　
spacious　dining…hall；　over　the　door　of　which　hangs　a　well…executed　
portrait　of　the　good　bishop。　　From　the　hall　you　ascend　by　a　
handsome　staircase　to　the　library；　a　large　and　lightsome　room；　well　
stored　with　books　in　various　languages。　　The　grand　curiosity　is　a　
manuscript　Codex　containing　a　Latin　synopsis　of　Scripture　which　
once　belonged　to　the　monks　of　Bangor　Is　Coed。　　It　bears　marks　of　
blood　with　which　it　was　sprinkled　when　the　monks　were　massacred　by　
the　heathen　Saxons；　at　the　instigation　of　Austin　the　Pope's　
missionary　in　Britain。　　The　number　of　students　seldom　exceeds　
forty。

It　might　be　about　half…past　two　in　the　afternoon　when　I　left　
Lampeter。　　I　passed　over　a　bridge；　taking　the　road　to　Llandovery　
which；　however；　I　had　no　intention　of　attempting　to　reach　that　
night；　as　it　was　considerably　upwards　of　twenty　miles　distant。　　The　
road　lay；　seemingly；　due　east。　　After　walking　very　briskly　for　
about　an　hour　I　came　to　a　very　small　hamlet　consisting　of　not　more　
than　six　or　seven　houses；　of　these　three　seemed　to　be　public…
houses；　as　they　bore　large　flaming　signs。　　Seeing　three　rather　
shabby…looking　fellows　standing　chatting　with　their　hands　in　their　
pockets；　I　stopped　and　inquired　in　English　the　name　of　the　place。

〃Pen…　something；〃　said　one　of　them；　who　had　a　red　face　and　a　large　
carbuncle　on　his　nose；　which　served　to　distinguish　him　from　his　
companions；　who　though　they　had　both　very　rubicund　faces　had　no　
carbuncles。

〃It　seems　rather　a　small　place　to　maintain　three　public…houses；〃　
said　I；　〃how　do　the　publicans　manage　to　live？〃

〃Oh；　tolerably　well；　sir；　we　get　bread　and　cheese　and　have　a　groat　
in　our　pockets。　　No　great　reason　to　complain；　have　we；　neighbours？〃

〃No！　no　great　reason　to　complain；〃　said　the　other　two。

〃Dear　me！〃　said　I；　〃are　you　the　publicans？〃

〃We　are；　sir；〃　said　the　man　with　the　carbuncle　on　his　nose；　〃and　
shall　be　each　of　us　glad　to　treat　you　to　a　pint　in　his　own　house　in　
order　to　welcome　you　to　Shire　Car　…　shan't　we；　neighbours？〃

〃Yes；　in　truth　we　shall；〃　said　the　other　two。

〃By　Shire　Car；〃　said　I；　〃I　suppose　you　mean　Shire　Cardigan？〃

〃Shire　Cardigan！〃　said　the　man；　〃no　indeed；　by　Shire　Car　is　meant　
Carmarthenshire。　　Your　honour　has　left　beggarly　Cardigan　some　way　
behind　you。　　Come；　your　honour；　come　and　have　a　pint；　this　is　my　
house；〃　said　he；　pointing　to　one　of　the　buildings。

〃But；〃　said　I；　〃I　suppose　if　I　drink　at　your　expense　you　expect　to　
drink　at　mine？〃

〃Why；　we　can't　say　that　we　shall　have　any　objection；　your　honour；　I　
think　we　will　arrange　the　matter　in　this　way；　we　will　go　into　my　
house；　where　we　will　each　of　us　treat　your　honour　with　a　pint；　and　
for　each　pint　we　treat　your　honour　with　your　honour　shall　treat　us　
with　one。〃

〃Do　you　mean　each？〃　said　I。

〃Why；　yes！　your　honour；　for　a　pint　amongst　three　would　be　rather　a　
short　allowance。〃

〃Then　it　would　come　to　this；〃　said　I；　〃I　should　receive　three　pints　
from　you　three；　and　you　three　would　receive　nine　from　me。〃

〃Just　so；　your　honour；　I　see　your　honour　is　a　ready　reckoner。〃

〃I　know　how　much　three　times　three　make；〃　said　I。　　〃Well；　thank　
you；　kindly；　but　I　must　decline　your　offer；　I　am　bound　on　a　
journey。〃

〃Where　are　you　bound　to；　master？〃

〃To　Llandovery；　but　if　I　can　find　an　inn　a　few　miles　farther　on　I　
shall　stop　there　for　the　night。〃

〃Then　you　will　put　up　at　the　'Pump　Saint；'　master；　well；　you　can　
have　your　three　pints　here　and　your　three　pipes　too；　and　yet　get　
easily　there　by　seven。　　Come　in；　master；　come　in！　　If　you　take　my　
advice　you　will　think　of　your　pint　and　your　pipe　and　let　all　the　
rest　go　to　the　devil。〃

〃Thank　you；〃　said　I；　〃but　I　can't　accept　your　invitation；　I　must　be　
off；〃　and　in　spite　of　yet　more　pressing　solicitations　I　went　on。

I　had　not　gone　far　when　I　came　to　a　point　where　the　road　parted　
into　two；　just　at　the　point　were　a　house　and　premises　belonging　
apparently　to　a　stonemason；　as　a　great　many　pieces　of　half…cut　
granite　were　standing　about；　and　not　a　few　tombstones。　　I　stopped　
and　looked　at　one　of　the　latter。　　It　was　to　the　memory　of　somebody　
who　died　at　the　age　of　sixty…six；　and　at　the　bottom　bore　the　
following　bit　of　poetry：…


〃Ti　ddaear　o　ddaear　ystyria　mewn　braw；
Mai　daear　i　ddaear　yn　fuan　a　ddaw；
A　ddaear　mewn　ddaear　raid　aros　bob　darn
Nes　daear　o　ddaear　gyfrodir　i　farn。〃

〃Thou　earth　from　earth　reflect　with　anxious　mind
That　earth　to　earth　must　quickly　be　consigned；
And　earth　in　earth　must　lie　entranced　enthralled
Till　earth　from　earth　to　judgment　shall　be　called。〃


〃What　conflicting　opinions　there　are　in　this　world；〃　said　I；　after　
I　had　copied　the　quatrain　and　translated　it。　　〃The　publican　yonder　
tells　me　to　think　of　my　pint　and　pipe　and　let　everything　else　go　to　
the　devil；　and　the　tombstone　here　tells　me　to　reflect　with　dread　…　
a　much　finer　expression　by…the…bye　than　reflect　with　anxious　mind；　
as　I　have　got　it　…　that　in　a　very　little　time　I　must　die；　and　lie　
in　the　ground　till　I　am　called　to　judgment。　　Now；　which　is　most　
right；　the　tombstone　or　the　publican？　　Why；　I　should　say　the　
tombstone　decidedly。　　The　publican　is　too　sweeping　when　he　tells　
you　to　think　of　your　pint　and　pipe　and　nothing　else。　　A　pint　and　
pipe　are　good　things。　　I　don't　smoke　myself；　but　I　daresay　a　pipe　
is　a　good　thing　for　them　who　like　it；　but　there　are　certainly　
things　worth　being　thought　of　in　this　world　besides　a　pint　and　pipe　
…　hills　and　dales；　woods　and　rivers；　for　example　…　death　and　
judgment　too　are　worthy　now　and　then　of　very　serious　thought。　　So　
it　won't　do　to　go　with　the　publican　the　whole　hog。　　But　with　
respect　to　the　tombstone；　it　is　quite　safe　and　right　to　go　with　it　
its　whole　length。　　It　tells　you　to　think　of　death　and　judgment　…　
and　assuredly　we　ought　to　of　them。　　It　does　not；　however；　tell　you　
to　think　of　nothing　but　death　and　judgment　and　to　eschew　every　
innocent　pleasure　within　your　reach。　　If　it　did　it　would　be　a　
tombstone　quite　as　sweeping　in　what　it　says　as　the　publican；　who　
tells　you　to　think　of　your　pint　and　pipe　and　let　everything　else　go　
to　the　devil。　　The　wisest　course　evidently　is　to　blend　the　whole　of　
the　philosophy　of　the　tombstone　with　a　portion　of　the　philosophy　of　
the　publican　and　something　more；　to　enjoy　one's　pint　and　pipe　and　
other　innocent　pleasures；　and　to　think　every　now　and　then　of　death　
and　judgment　…　that　is　what　I　intend　to　do；　and　indeed　is　what　I　
have　done　for　the　last　thirty　years。〃

I　went　on　…　desolate　hills　rose　in　the　east；　the　way　I　was　going；　
but　on　the　south　were　beautiful　hillocks　adorned　with　trees　and　
hedge…rows。　　I　was　soon　amongst　the　desolate　hills；　which　then　
looked　more　desolate　than　they　did　at　a　distance。　　They　were　of　a　
wretched　russet　colour；　and　exhibited　no　other　signs　of　life　and　
cultivation　than　here　and　there　a　miserable　field　and　vile…looking　
hovel；　and　if　there　was　here　nothing　to　cheer　the　eye　there　was　
also　nothing　to　cheer　the　ear。　　There　were　no　songs　of　birds；　no　
voices　of　rills；　the　only　sound　I　heard　was　the　lowing　of　a　
wretched　bullock　from　a　far…off　slope。

I　went　on　slowly　and　heavily；　at　length　I　got　to　the　top　of　this　
wretched　range　…　then　what　a　sudden　change！　　Beautiful　hills　in　the　
far　east；　a　fair　valley　below　me；　and　groves　and　woods　on　each　side　
of　the　road　which　led　down　to　it。　　The　sight　filled　my　veins　with　
fresh　life；　and　I　descended　this　side　of　the　hill　as　merrily　as　I　
had　come　up　the　other　side　despondingly。　　About　half…way　down　the　
hill　I　came　to　a　small　village。　　Seeing　a　public…house　I　went　up　to　
it；　and　inquired　in　English　of　some　people　within　the　name　of　the　
village。

〃Dolwen；〃　said　a　dark…faced　young　fellow　of　about　four…and…twenty。

〃And　what　is　the　name　of　the　valley？〃　said　I。

〃Dolwen；〃　was　the　answer；　〃the　valley　is　named　after　the　village。〃

〃You　mean　that　the　village　is　named　after　the　valley；〃　said　I；　〃for　
Dolwen　means　fair　valley。〃

〃It　may　be　so；〃　said　the　young　fellow；　〃we　don't　know　much　here。〃

Then　after　a　moment's　pause　he　said：

〃Are　you　going　much　farther？〃

〃Only　as　far　as　the　'Pump　Saint。'〃

〃Have　you　any　business　there？〃　said　he。

〃No；〃　I　replied；　〃I　am　travelling　the　country；　and　shall　only　put　
up　there　for　the　night〃

〃You　had　better　stay　here；〃　said　the　young　fellow。　　〃You　will　be　
better　accommodated　here　than　at　the　'Pump　Saint。'〃

〃Very　likely；〃　said　I；　〃but　I　have　resolved　to　go　there；　and　when　I　
once　make　a　resolution　I　never　alter　it。〃

Then　bidding　him　good　evening　I　departed。　　Had　I　formed　no　
resolution　at　all　about　stopping　at　the　'Pump　Saint；'　I　certainly　
should　not　have　stayed　in　this　house；　which　had　all　the　appearance　
of　a　trampers'　hostelry；　and　though　I　am　very　fond　of　the　
conversation　of　trampers；　who　are　the　only　people　from　whom　you　can　
learn　anything；　I　would　much　rather　have　the　benefit　of　it　abroad　
than　in　their　own　lairs。　　A　little　farther　down　I　met　a　woman　
coming　up　the　ascent。　　She　was　tolerably　respectably　dressed；　
seemed　about　five…and…thirty；　and　was　rather　good…looking。　　She　
walked　somewhat　slowly；　which　was　probably　more　owing　to　a　larg