wild wales-第137节

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what　they　came　about；　though　I　was　a　bit　intoxicated　myself；　I　
escaped　by　the　back　of　the　house　out　into　the　bog；　where　I　hid　
myself　amidst　a　copse　of　hazels。　　The　people　coming　to　the　house；　
and　not　finding　me　there；　broke　and　destroyed　every　bit　of　
furniture；　and　would　have　pulled　the　house　down；　or　set　fire　to　it；　
had　not　an　individual　among　them　cried　out　that　doing　so　would　be　
of　no　use；　for　that　the　house　did　not　belong　to　me；　and　that　
destroying　it　would　merely　be　an　injury　to　the　next　tenant。　　So　the　
people；　after　breaking　my　furniture　and　ill…trating　two　or　three　
dumb　beasts；　which　happened　not　to　have　been　made　away　with；　went　
away；　and　in　the　dead　of　night　I　returned　to　the　house；　where　I　
found　my　son；　who　had　just　crawled　home　covered　wit　bruises。　　We　
hadn't；　however；　a　home　long；　for　the　agents　of　the　landlord　came　
to　seize　for　rent；　took　all　they　could　find；　and　turned　us　out　upon　
the　wide　world。　　Myself　and　son　wandered　together　for　an　hour　or　
two；　then；　having　a　quarrel　with　each　other；　we　parted；　he　going　
one　way　and　I　another。　　Some　little　time　after　I　heard　that　he　was　
transported。　　As　for　myself；　I　thought　I　might　as　well　take　a　leaf　
out　of　the　woman's　book　who　had　been　the　ruin　of　me。　　So　I　went　
about　bidding　people　give　me　alms　for　the　glory　of　God；　and　
threatening　those　who　gave　me　nothing　that　the　mass　should　never　
comfort　them。　　It's　a　dreadful　curse　that；　honey；　and　I　would　
advise　people　to　avoid　it　even　though　they　give　away　all　they　have。　　
If　you　have　no　comfort　in　the　mass；　you　will　have　comfort　in　
nothing　else。　　Look　at　me：　　I　have　no　comfort　in　the　mass；　for　as　
soon　as　the　priest's　bell　rings；　I　shouts　and　hoorahs；　and　performs　
tumblings　before　the　blessed　corpus；　getting　myself　kicked　out　of　
chapel；　and　as　little　comfort　as　I　have　in　the　mass　have　I　in　other　
things；　which　should　be　a　comfort　to　me。　　I　have　two　sons　who　ought　
to　be　the　greatest　comfort　to　me；　but　are　they　so？　　We'll　see　…　one　
is　transported；　and　of　course　is　no　comfort　to　me　at　all。　　The　
other　is　a　sodger。　　Is　he　a　comfort　to　me？　　Not　a　bit。　　A　month　ago　
when　I　was　travelling　through　the　black　north；　tumbling　and　
toppling　about；　and　threatening　people　with　my　prayer；　unless　they　
gave　me　alms；　a　woman；　who　knew　me；　told　me　that　he　was　with　his　
regiment　at　Cardiff；　here　in　Wales；　whereupon　I　determined　to　go　
and　see　him；　and　crossing　the　water　got　into　England；　from　whence　I　
walked　to　Cardiff　asking　alms　of　the　English　in　the　common　English　
way；　and　of　the　Irish；　and　ye　are　the　first　Irish　I　have　met；　in　
the　way　in　which　I　asked　them　of　you。　　But　when　I　got　to　Cardiff　
did　I　see　my　son？　　I　did　not；　for　the　day　before　he　had　sailed　with　
his　regiment　to　a　place　ten　thousand　miles　away；　so　I　shall　never　
see　his　face　again　nor　derive　comfort　from　him。　　Oh；　if　there's　no　
comfort　from　the　mass　there's　no　comfort　from　anything　else；　and　he　
who　has　the　evil　prayer　in　the　Shanna　Gailey　breathed　upon　him；　
will　have　no　comfort　from　the　mass。　　Now；　honey；　ye　have　heard　the　
story　of　Johanna　Colgan；　the　bedivilled　woman。　　Give　her　now　a　
dacent　alms　and　let　her　go！〃

〃Would　you　consider　sixpence　a　decent　alms？〃

〃I　would。　　If　you　give　me　sixpence；　I　will　not　say　my　prayer　over　
ye。〃

〃Would　you　give　me　a　blessing？〃

〃I　would　not。　　A　bedivilled　woman　has　no　blessing　to　give。〃

〃Surely　if　you　are　able　to　ask　people　to　give　you　alms　for　the　
glory　of　God；　you　are　able　to　give　a　blessing。〃

〃Bodderation！　are　ye　going　to　give　me　sixpence？〃

〃No！　here's　a　shilling　for　you！　　Take　it　and　go　in　peace。〃

〃There's　no　pace　for　me；〃　said　Johanna　Colgan；　taking　the　money。　　
〃What　did　the　monstrous　female　say　to　me？　　'Biaidh　an　taifrionn　gan　
sholas　duit　a　bhean　shalach。'　（23）　　This　is　my　pace　…　hoorah！　
hoorah！〃　then　giving　two　or　three　grotesque　topples　she　hurried　
away　in　the　direction　of　Merthyr　Tydvil。



CHAPTER　CVI



Pen　y　Glas　…　Salt　of　the　Earth　…　The　Quakers'　Yard　…　The　
Rhugylgroen。


AS　I　proceeded　on　my　way　the　scenery　to　the　south　on　the　farther　
side　of　the　river　became　surprisingly　beautiful。　　On　that　side　
noble　mountains　met　the　view；　green　fields　and　majestic　woods；　the　
latter　brown　it　is　true；　for　their　leaves　were　gone；　but　not　the　
less　majestic　for　being　brown。　　Here　and　there　were　white　farm…
houses：　　one　of　them；　which　I　was　told　was　called　Pen　y　Glas；　was　a　
truly　lovely　little　place。　　It　stood　on　the　side　of　a　green　hill　
with　a　noble　forest　above　it；　and　put　me　wonderfully　in　mind　of　the　
hunting　lodge；　which　Ifor　Hael　allotted　as　a　retreat　to　Ab　Gwilym　
and　Morfydd；　when　they　fled　to　him　from　Cardigan　to　avoid　the　rage　
of　the　Bow　Bach；　and　whose　charming　appearance　made　him　say　to　his　
love：…


〃More　bliss　for　us　our　fate　propounds
On　Taf's　green　banks　than　Teivy's　bounds。〃


On　I　wandered。　　After　some　time　the　valley　assumed　the　form　of　an　
immense　basin；　enormous　mountains　composed　its　sides。　　In　the　
middle　rose　hills　of　some　altitude；　but　completely　overcrowned　by　
the　mountains　around。　　These　hills　exhibited　pleasant　inclosures；　
and　were　beautifully　dotted　with　white　farm…houses。　　Down　below　
meandered　the　Taf；　its　reaches　shining　with　a　silver…like　
splendour。　　The　whole　together　formed　an　exquisite　picture；　in　
which　there　was　much　sublimity；　much　still　quiet　life；　and　not　a　
little　of　fantastic　fairy　loveliness。

The　sun　was　hastening　towards　the　west　as　I　passed　a　little　cascade　
on　the　left；　the　waters　of　which；　after　running　under　the　road；　
tumbled　down　a　gully　into　the　river。　　Shortly　afterwards　meeting　a　
man　I　asked　him　how　far　it　was　to　Caerfili。

〃When　you　come　to　the　Quakers'　Yard；　which　is　a　little　way　further　
on；　you　will　be　seven　miles　from　Caerfili。〃

〃What　is　the　Quakers'　Yard？〃

〃A　place　where　the　people　called　Quakers　bury　their　dead。〃

〃Is　there　a　village　near　it？

〃There　is；　and　the　village　is　called　by　the　same　name。〃

〃Are　there　any　Quakers　in　it？〃

〃Not　one；　nor　in　the　neighbourhood；　but　there　are　some；　I　believe；　
in　Cardiff。〃

〃Why　do　they　bury　their　dead　there？〃

〃You　should　ask　them；　not　me。　　I　know　nothing　about　them；　and　don't　
want；　they　are　a　bad　set　of　people。〃

〃Did　they　ever　do　you　any　harm？〃

〃Can't　say　they　did。　　Indeed　I　never　saw　one　in　the　whole　of　my　
life。〃

〃Then　why　do　you　call　them　bad？〃

〃Because　everybody　says　they　are。〃

〃Not　everybody。　　I　don't；　I　have　always　found　them　the　salt　of　the　
earth。〃

〃Then　it　is　salt　that　has　lost　its　savour。　　But　perhaps　you　are　one　
of　them？〃

〃No；　I　belong　to　the　Church　of　England。〃

〃Oh；　you　do。　　Then　good…night　to　you。　　I　am　a　Methodist。　　I　thought　
at　first　that　you　were　one　of　our　ministers；　and　had　hoped　to　hear　
from　you　something　profitable　and　conducive　to　salvation；　but　…　〃

〃Well；　so　you　shall。　　Never　speak　ill　of　people　of　whom　you　know　
nothing。　　If　that　isn't　a　saying　conducive　to　salvation；　I　know　not　
what　is。　　Good　evening　to　you。〃

I　soon　reached　the　village。　　Singular　enough；　the　people　of　the　
very　first　house；　at　which　I　inquired　about　the　Quakers'　Yard；　were　
entrusted　with　the　care　of　it。　　On　my　expressing　a　wish　to　see　it；　
a　young　woman　took　down　a　key；　and　said　that　if　I　would　follow　her　
she　would　show　it　me。　　The　Quakers'　burying…place　is　situated　on　a　
little　peninsula　or　tongue　of　land；　having　a　brook　on　its　eastern　
and　northern　sides；　and　on　its　western　the　Taf。　　It　is　a　little　
oblong　yard；　with　low　walls；　partly　overhung　with　ivy。　　The　
entrance　is　a　porch　to　the　south。　　The　Quakers　are　no　friends　to　
tombstones；　and　the　only　visible　evidence　that　this　was　a　place　of　
burial　was　a　single　flag…stone；　with　a　half…obliterated　
inscription；　which　with　some　difficulty　I　deciphered；　and　was　as　
follows：…


To　the　Memory　of　THOMAS　EDMUNDS
Who　died　April　the　ninth　1802　aged　60　years。
And　of　MARY　EDMUNDS
Who　died　January　the　fourth　1810　aged　70。


The　beams　of　the　descending　sun　gilded　the　Quakers'　burial…ground　
as　I　trod　its　precincts。　　A　lovely　resting…place　looked　that　little　
oblong　yard　on　the　peninsula；　by　the　confluence　of　the　waters；　and　
quite　in　keeping　with　the　character　of　the　quiet　Christian　people　
who　sleep　within　it。　　The　Quakers　have　for　some　time　past　been　a　
decaying　sect；　but　they　have　done　good　work　in　their　day；　and　when　
they　are　extinct　they　are　not　destined　to　be　soon　forgotten。　　Soon　
forgotten！　　How　should　a　sect　ever　be　forgotten；　to　which　have　
belonged　three　such　men　as　George　Fox；　William　Penn；　and　Joseph　
Gurney？

Shortly　after　I　left　the　Quakers'　Yard　the　sun　went　down　and　
twilight　settled　upon　the　earth。　　Pursuing　my　course　I　reached　some　
woodlands；　and　on　inquiring　of　a　man；　whom　I　saw　standing　at　the　
door　of　a　cottage；　the　name　of　the　district；　was　told　that　it　was　
called　Ystrad　Manach　…　the　Monks'　Strath　or　valley。　　This　name　it　
probably　acquired　from　having　belonged　in　times　of　old　to　some　
monkish　establishment。　　The　moon　now　arose　and　the　night　was　
delightful。　　As　I　was　wandering　along　I　heard　again　the　same　wild　
noise　which　I　had　heard　the　night　before；　on　the　other　side　of　
Merthyr　Tydvil。　　The　cry　of　the　owl　afar　off　in　the　woodlands。　　O