wild wales-第139节

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the　French。　　〃In　my　childhood；〃　said　I；　〃the　Russians　used　to　help　
us　against　the　French；　now　the　French　help　us　against　the　Russians。　　
Who　knows　but　before　I　die　I　may　see　the　Russians　helping　the　
French　against　us？〃



CHAPTER　CVIII



Town　of　Newport　…　The　Usk　…　Note　of　Recognition　…　An　Old　
Acquaintance　…　Connamara　Quean　…　The　Wake　…　The　Wild　Irish　…　The　
Tramping　Life　…　Business　and　Prayer　…　Methodists　…　Good　Counsel。


NEWPORT　is　a　large　town　in　Monmouthshire；　and　had　once　walls　and　a　
castle。　　It　is　called　in　Welsh　Cas　Newydd　ar　Wysg；　or　the　New　
Castle　upon　the　Usk。　　It　stands　some　miles　below　Caerlleon　ar　Wysg；　
and　was　probably　built　when　that　place；　at　one　time　one　of　the　most　
considerable　towns　in　Britain；　began　to　fall　into　decay。　　The　Wysg　
or　Usk　has　its　source　among　some　wild　hills　in　the　south…west　of　
Breconshire；　and；　after　absorbing　several　smaller　streams；　amongst　
which　is　the　Hondu；　at　the　mouth　of　which　Brecon　stands；　which　on　
that　account　is　called　in　Welsh　Aber　Hondu；　and　traversing　the　
whole　of　Monmouthshire；　enters　the　Bristol　Channel　near　Newport；　to　
which　place　vessels　of　considerable　burden　can　ascend。　　Wysg　or　Usk　
is　an　ancient　British　word；　signifying　water；　and　is　the　same　as　
the　Irish　word　uisge　or　whiskey；　for　whiskey；　though　generally　
serving　to　denote　a　spirituous　liquor；　in　great　vogue　amongst　the　
Irish；　means　simply　water。　　The　proper　term　for　the　spirit　is　
uisquebaugh；　literally　acqua　vitae；　but　the　compound　being　
abbreviated　by　the　English；　who　have　always　been　notorious　for　
their　habit　of　clipping　words；　one　of　the　strongest　of　spirits　is　
now　generally　denominated　by　a　word　which　is　properly　expressive　of　
the　simple　element　water。

Monmouthshire　is　at　present　considered　an　English　county；　though　
certainly　with　little　reason；　for　it　not　only　stands　on　the　western　
side　of　the　Wye；　but　the　names　of　almost　all　its　parishes　are　
Welsh；　and　many　thousands　of　its　population　still　speak　the　Welsh　
language。　　It　is　called　in　Welsh　Sir；　or　Shire；　Fynwy；　and　takes　
its　name　from　the　town　Mynwy　or　Monmouth；　which　receives　its　own　
appellation　from　the　river　Mynwy　or　Minno；　on　which　it　stands。　　
There　is　a　river　of　much　the　same　name；　not　in　Macedon　but　in　the　
Peninsula；　namely　the　Minho；　which　probably　got　its　denomination　
from　that　race　cognate　to　the　Cumry；　the　Gael；　who　were　the　first　
colonisers　of　the　Peninsula；　and　whose　generic　name　yet　stares　us　
in　the　face　and　salutes　our　ears　in　the　words　Galicia　and　Portugal。

I　left　Newport　at　about　ten　o'clock　on　the　16th；　the　roads　were　
very　wet；　there　having　been　a　deluge　of　rain　during　the　night。　　The　
morning　was　a　regular　November　one；　dull　and　gloomy。　　Desirous　of　
knowing　whereabouts　in　these　parts　the　Welsh　language　ceased；　I　
interrogated　several　people　whom　I　met。　　First　spoke　to　Esther　
Williams。　　She　told　me　she　came　from　Pennow；　some　miles　farther　on；　
that　she　could　speak　Welsh；　and　that　indeed　all　the　people　could　
for　at　least　eight　miles　to　the　east　of　Newport。　　This　latter　
assertion　of　hers　was；　however；　anything　but　corroborated　by　a　
young　woman；　with　a　pitcher　on　her　head；　whom　I　shortly　afterwards　
met；　for　she　informed　me　that　she　could　speak　no　Welsh；　and　that　
for　one　who　could　speak　it；　from　where　I　was　to　the　place　where　it　
ceased　altogether；　there　were　ten　who　could　not。　　I　believe　the　
real　fact　is　that　about　half　the　people　for　seven　or　eight　miles　to　
the　east　of　Newport　speak　Welsh；　more　or　less；　as　about　half　those　
whom　I　met　and　addressed　in　Welsh；　answered　me　in　that　tongue。

Passed　through　Pennow　or　Penhow；　a　small　village。　　The　scenery　in　
the　neighbourhood　of　this　place　is　highly　interesting。　　To　the　
north…west　at　some　distance　is　Mynydd　Turvey；　a　sharp　pointed　blue　
mountain。　　To　the　south…east；　on　the　right；　much　nearer；　are　two　
beautiful　green　hills；　the　lowest　prettily　wooded；　and　having　its　
top　a　fair　white　mansion　called　Penhow　Castle；　which　belongs　to　a　
family　of　the　name　of　Cave。　　Thence　to　Llanvaches；　a　pretty　little　
village。　　When　I　was　about　the　middle　of　this　place　I　heard　an　odd　
sound；　something　like　a　note　of　recognition；　which　attracted　my　
attention　to　an　object　very　near　to　me；　from　which　it　seemed　to　
proceed；　and　which　was　coming　from　the　direction　in　which　I　was　
going。　　It　was　the　figure　seemingly　of　a　female；　wrapped　in　a　
coarse　blue　cloak；　the　feet　bare　and　the　legs　bare　also　nearly　up　
to　the　knee；　both　terribly　splashed　with　the　slush　of　the　road。　　
The　head　was　surmounted　by　a　kind　of　hood；　which　just　permitted　me　
to　see　coarse　red　hair；　a　broad　face；　grey　eyes；　a　snubbed　nose；　
blubber　lips　and　great　white　teeth　…　the　eyes　were　staring　intently　
at　me。　　I　stopped　and　stared　too；　and　at　last　thought　I　recognised　
the　features　of　the　uncouth　girl　I　had　seen　on　the　green　near　
Chester　with　the　Irish　tinker　Tourlough　and　his　wife。

〃Dear　me！〃　said　I；　〃did　I　not　see　you　near　Chester　last　summer？〃

〃To　be　sure　ye　did；　and　ye　were　going　to　pass　me　without　a　word　of　
notice　or　kindness　had　I　not　given　ye　a　bit　of　a　hail。〃

〃Well；〃　said　I；　〃I　beg　your　pardon。　　How　is　it　all　wid　ye？〃

〃Quite　well。　　How　is　it　wid　yere　hanner？'

〃Tolerably。　　Where　do　you　come　from？〃

〃From　Chepstow；　yere　hanner。〃

〃And　where　are　you　going　to？〃

〃To　Newport；　yere　hanner。〃

〃And　I　come　from　Newport；　and　am　going　to　Chepstow。　　Where's　
Tourlough　and　his　wife？〃

〃At　Cardiff；　yere　hanner；　I　shall　join　them　again　to…morrow。〃

〃Have　you　been　long　away　from　them？〃

〃About　a　week；　yere　hanner。〃

〃And　what　have　you　been　doing？〃

〃Selling　my　needles；　yere　hanner。〃

〃Oh！　you　sell　needles。　　Well；　I　am　glad　to　have　met　you。　　Let　me　
see。　　There's　a　nice　little　inn　on　the　right：　　won't　you　come　in　
and　have　some　refreshment？〃

〃Thank　yere　hanner；　I　have　no　objection　to　take　a　glass　wid　an　old　
friend。〃

〃Well；　then；　come　in；　you　must　be　tired；　and　I　shall　be　glad　to　
have　some　conversation　with　you。〃

We　went　into　the　inn　…　a　little　tidy　place。　　On　my　calling；　a　
respectable…looking　old　man　made　his　appearance　behind　a　bar。　　
After　serving　my　companion　with　a　glass　of　peppermint；　which　she　
said　she　preferred　to　anything　else；　and　me　with　a　glass　of　ale；　
both　of　which　I　paid　for；　he　retired；　and　we　sat　down　on　two　old　
chairs　beneath　a　window　in　front　of　the　bar。

〃Well；〃　said　I；　〃I　suppose　you　have　Irish：　　here's　slainte　…　〃

〃Slainte　yuit　a　shaoi；〃　said　the　girl；　tasting　her　peppermint。

〃Well：　　how　do　you　like　it？'

〃It's　very　nice　indeed。〃

〃That's　more　than　I　can　say　of　the　ale；　which；　like　all　the　ale　in　
these　parts；　is　bitter。　　Well；　what　part　of　Ireland　do　you　come　
from？〃

〃From　no　part　at　all。　　I　never　was　in　Ireland　in　my　life。　　I　am　
from　Scotland　Road；　Manchester。〃

〃Why；　I　thought　you　were　Irish？〃

〃And　so　I　am；　and　all　the　more　from　being　born　where　I　was。　　
There's　not　such　a　place　for　Irish　in　all　the　world　as　Scotland　
Road。〃

〃Were　your　father　and　mother　from　Ireland？〃

〃My　mother　was　from　Ireland：　　my　father　was　Irish　of　Scotland　Road；　
where　they　met　and　married。〃

〃And　what　did　they　do　after　they　married？〃

〃Why；　they　worked　hard；　and　did　their　best　to　get　a　livelihood　for　
themselves　and　children；　of　which　they　had　several　besides　myself；　
who　was　the　eldest。　　My　father　was　a　bricklayer；　and　my　mother　sold　
apples　and　oranges　and　other　fruits；　according　to　the　season；　and　
also　whiskey；　which　she　made　herself；　as　she　well　knew　how；　for　my　
mother　was　not　only　a　Connacht　woman；　but　an　out…and…out　Connamara　
quean；　and　when　only　thirteen　had　wrought　with　the　lads　who　used　to　
make　the　raal　cratur　on　the　islands　between　Ochterard　and　Bally　na　
hinch。　　As　soon　as　I　was　able；　I　helped　my　mother　in　making　and　
disposing　of　the　whiskey　and　in　selling　the　fruit。　　As　for　the　
other　children；　they　all　died　when　young；　of　favers；　of　which　there　
is　always　plenty　in　Scotland　Road。　　About　four　years　ago　…　that　is；　
when　I　was　just　fifteen　…　there　was　a　great　quarrel　among　the　
workmen　about　wages。　　Some　wanted　more　than　their　masters　were　
willing　to　give；　others　were　willing　to　take　what　was　offered　them。　　
Those　who　were　dissatisfied　were　called　bricks；　those　who　were　not　
were　called　dungs。　　My　father　was　a　brick；　and；　being　a　good　man　
with　his　fists；　was　looked　upon　as　a　very　proper　person　to　fight　a　
principal　man　amongst　the　dungs。　　They　fought　in　the　fields　near　
Salford　for　a　pound　a　side。　　My　father　had　it　all　his　own　way　for　
the　first　three　rounds；　but　in　the　fourth；　receiving　a　blow　under　
the　ear　from　the　dung；　he　dropped；　and　never　got　up　again；　dying　
suddenly。　　A　grand　wake　my　father　had；　for　which　my　mother　
furnished　usquebaugh　galore；　and　comfortably　and　dacently　it　passed　
over　till　about　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　when；　a　dispute　
happening　to　arise　…　not　on　the　matter　of　wages；　for　there　was　not　
a　dung　amongst　the　Irish　of　Scotland　Road　…　but　as　to　whether　the　
O'Keefs　or　O'Kellys　were　kings　of　Ireland　a　thousand　years　ago；　a　
general　fight　took　place；　which　brought　in　the　police；　who；　being　
soon　dreadfully　baten；　as　we　all　turned　upon　them；　went　and　fetched　
the　military；　with　wh