wild wales-第16节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


good。

On　the　Monday　evening；　myself　and　family　took　a　walk　to　the　abbey。　　
My　wife　and　daughter；　who　are　fond　of　architecture　and　ruins；　were　
very　anxious　to　see　the　old　place。　　I　too　was　anxious　enough　to　see　
it；　less　from　love　of　ruins　and　ancient　architecture；　than　from　
knowing　that　a　certain　illustrious　bard　was　buried　in　its　
precincts；　of　whom　perhaps　a　short　account　will　not　be　unacceptable　
to　the　reader。

This　man；　whose　poetical　appellation　was　Iolo　Goch；　but　whose　real　
name　was　Llwyd；　was　of　a　distinguished　family；　and　Lord　of　
Llechryd。　　He　was　born　and　generally　resided　at　a　place　called　Coed　
y　Pantwn；　in　the　upper　part　of　the　Vale　of　Clwyd。　　He　was　a　warm　
friend　and　partisan　of　Owen　Glendower；　with　whom　he　lived；　at　
Sycharth；　for　some　years　before　the　great　Welsh　insurrection；　and　
whom　he　survived；　dying　at　an　extreme　old　age　beneath　his　own　roof…
tree　at　Coed　y　Pantwn。　　He　composed　pieces　of　great　excellence　on　
various　subjects；　but　the　most　remarkable　of　his　compositions　are　
decidedly　certain　ones　connected　with　Owen　Glendower。　　Amongst　
these　is　one　in　which　he　describes　the　Welsh　chieftain's　mansion　at　
Sycharth；　and　his　hospitable　way　of　living　at　that　his　favourite　
residence；　and　another　in　which　he　hails　the　advent　of　the　comet；　
which　made　its　appearance　in　the　month　of　March；　fourteen　hundred　
and　two；　as　of　good　augury　to　his　darling　hero。

It　was　from　knowing　that　this　distinguished　man　lay　buried　in　the　
precincts　of　the　old　edifice；　that　I　felt　so　anxious　to　see　it。　　
After　walking　about　two　miles　we　perceived　it　on　our　right　hand。

The　abbey　of　the　vale　of　the　cross　stands　in　a　green　meadow；　in　a　
corner　near　the　north…west　end　of　the　valley　of　Llangollen。　　The　
vale　or　glen；　in　which　the　abbey　stands；　takes　its　name　from　a　
certain　ancient　pillar　or　cross；　called　the　pillar　of　Eliseg；　and　
which　is　believed　to　have　been　raised　over　the　body　of　an　ancient　
British　chieftain　of　that　name；　who　perished　in　battle　against　the　
Saxons；　about　the　middle　of　the　tenth　century。　　In　the　Papist　times　
the　abbey　was　a　place　of　great　pseudo…sanctity；　wealth　and　
consequence。　　The　territory　belonging　to　it　was　very　extensive；　
comprising；　amongst　other　districts；　the　vale　of　Llangollen　and　the　
mountain　region　to　the　north　of　it；　called　the　Eglwysig　Rocks；　
which　region　derived　its　name　Eglwysig；　or　ecclesiastical；　from　the　
circumstance　of　its　pertaining　to　the　abbey　of　the　vale　of　the　
cross。

We　first　reached　that　part　of　the　building　which　had　once　been　the　
church；　having　previously　to　pass　through　a　farmyard；　in　which　was　
abundance　of　dirt　and　mire。

The　church　fronts　the　west　and　contains　the　remains　of　a　noble　
window；　beneath　which　is　a　gate；　which　we　found　locked。　　Passing　on　
we　came　to　that　part　where　the　monks　had　lived；　but　which　now　
served　as　a　farmhouse；　an　open　doorway　exhibited　to　us　an　ancient　
gloomy　hall；　where　was　some　curious　old…fashioned　furniture；　
particularly　an　ancient　rack；　in　which　stood　a　goodly　range　of　
pewter　trenchers。　　A　respectable　dame　kindly　welcomed　us　and　
invited　us　to　sit　down。　　We　entered　into　conversation　with　her；　and　
asked　her　name；　which　she　said　was　Evans。　　I　spoke　some　Welsh　to　
her；　which　pleased　her。　　She　said　that　Welsh　people　at　the　present　
day　were　so　full　of　fine　airs　that　they　were　above　speaking　the　old　
language　…　but　that　such　was　not　the　case　formerly；　and　that　she　
had　known　a　Mrs　Price；　who　was　housekeeper　to　the　Countess　of　
Mornington；　who　lived　in　London　upwards　of　forty　years；　and　at　the　
end　of　that　time　prided　herself　upon　speaking　as　good　Welsh　as　she　
did　when　a　girl。　　I　spoke　to　her　about　the　abbey；　and　asked　if　she　
had　ever　heard　of　Iolo　Goch。　　She　inquired　who　he　was。　　I　told　her　
he　was　a　great　bard；　and　was　buried　in　the　abbey。　　She　said　she　had　
never　heard　of　him；　but　that　she　could　show　me　the　portrait　of　a　
great　poet；　and　going　away；　presently　returned　with　a　print　in　a　
frame。

〃There；〃　said　she；　〃is　the　portrait　of　Twm　o'r　Nant；　generally　
called　the　Welsh　Shakespeare。〃

I　looked　at　it。　　The　Welsh　Shakespeare　was　represented　sitting　at　a　
table　with　a　pen　in　his　hand；　a　cottage…latticed　window　was　behind　
him；　on　his　left　hand；　a　shelf　with　plates；　and　trenchers　behind　
him；　on　his　right。　　His　features　were　rude；　but　full　of　wild；　
strange　expression；　below　the　picture　was　the　following　couplet：…


〃Llun　Gwr　yw　llawn　gwir　Awen；
Y　Byd　a　lanwodd　o'i　Ben。〃


〃Did　you　ever　hear　of　Twm　o'r　Nant？〃　said　the　old　dame。

〃I　never　heard　of　him　by　word　of　mouth；〃　said　I；　〃but　I　know　all　
about　him　…　I　have　read　his　life　in　Welsh；　written　by　himself；　and　
a　curious　life　it　is。　　His　name　was　Thomas　Edwards；　but　he　
generally　called　himself　Twm　o'r　Nant；　or　Tom　of　the　Dingle；　
because　he　was　born　in　a　dingle；　at　a　place　called　Pen　Porchell；　in　
the　vale　of　Clwyd　…　which；　by　the　bye；　was　on　the　estate　which　once　
belonged　to　Iolo　Goch；　the　poet　I　was　speaking　to　you　about　just　
now。　　Tom　was　a　carter　by　trade；　but　once　kept　a　toll…bar　in　South　
Wales；　which；　however；　he　was　obliged　to　leave　at　the　end　of　two　
years；　owing　to　the　annoyance　which　he　experienced　from　ghosts　and　
goblins；　and　unearthly　things；　particularly　phantom　hearses；　which　
used　to　pass　through　his　gate　at　midnight　without　paying；　when　the　
gate　was　shut。〃

〃Ah；〃　said　the　dame；　〃you　know　more　about　Tom　o'r　Nant　than　I　do；　
and　was　he　not　a　great　poet？〃

〃I　daresay　he　was；〃　said　I；　〃for　the　pieces　which　he　wrote；　and　
which　he　called　Interludes；　had　a　great　run；　and　he　got　a　great　
deal　of　money　by　them；　but　I　should　say　the　lines　beneath　the　
portrait　are　more　applicable　to　the　real　Shakespeare　than　to　him。〃

〃What　do　the　lines　mean？〃　said　the　old　lady；　〃they　are　Welsh；　I　
know；　but　they　are　far　beyond　my　understanding。〃

〃They　may　be　thus　translated；〃　said　I：


〃God　in　his　head　the　Muse　instill'd；
And　from　his　head　the　world　he　fill'd。〃


〃Thank　you；　sir；〃　said　the　old　lady。　　〃I　never　found　any　one　before　
who　could　translate　them。〃　　She　then　said　she　would　show　me　some　
English　lines　written　on　the　daughter　of　a　friend　of　hers　who　was　
lately　dead；　and　put　some　printed　lines　in　a　frame　into　my　hand。　　
They　were　an　Elegy　to　Mary；　and　were　very　beautiful；　I　read　them　
aloud；　and　when　I　had　finished　she　thanked　me　and　said　she　had　no　
doubt　that　if　I　pleased　I　could　put　them　into　Welsh　…　she　then　
sighed　and　wiped　her　eyes。

On　our　enquiring　whether　we　could　see　the　interior　of　the　abbey　she　
said　we　could；　and　that　if　we　rang　a　bell　at　the　gate　a　woman　would　
come　to　us；　who　was　in　the　habit　of　showing　the　place。　　We　then　got　
up　and　bade　her　farewell　…　but　she　begged　that　we　would　stay　and　
taste　the　dwr　santaidd　of　the　holy　well。

〃What　holy　well　is　that？〃　said　I。

〃A　well；〃　said　she；　〃by　the　road's　side；　which　in　the　time　of　the　
popes　was　said　to　perform　wonderful　cures。〃

〃Let　us　taste　it　by　all　means；〃　said　I；　whereupon　she　went　out；　and　
presently　returned　with　a　tray　on　which　were　a　jug　and　tumbler；　the　
jug　filled　with　the　water　of　the　holy　well；　we　drank　some　of　the　
dwr　santaidd；　which　tasted　like　any　other　water；　and　then　after　
shaking　her　by　the　hand；　we　went　to　the　gate；　and　rang　at　the　bell。

Presently　a　woman　made　her　appearance　at　the　gate　…　she　was　
genteelly　drest；　about　the　middle　age；　rather　tall；　and　bearing　in　
her　countenance　the　traces　of　beauty。　　When　we　told　her　the　object　
of　our　coming　she　admitted　us；　and　after　locking　the　gate　conducted　
us　into　the　church。　　It　was　roofless；　and　had　nothing　remarkable　
about　it；　save　the　western　window；　which　we　had　seen　from　without。　　
Our　attendant　pointed　out　to　us　some　tombs；　and　told　us　the　names　
of　certain　great　people　whose　dust　they　contained。　　〃Can　you　tell　
us　where　Iolo　Goch　lies　interred？〃　said　I。

〃No；〃　said　she；　〃indeed　I　never　heard　of　such　a　person。〃

〃He　was　the　bard　of　Owen　Glendower；〃　said　I；　〃and　assisted　his　
cause　wonderfully　by　the　fiery　odes；　in　which　he　incited　the　Welsh　
to　rise　against　the　English。〃

〃Indeed！〃　said　she；　〃well；　I　am　sorry　to　say　that　I　never　heard　of　
him。〃

〃Are　you　Welsh？〃　said　I。

〃I　am；〃　she　replied。

〃Did　you　ever　hear　of　Thomas　Edwards？〃

〃Oh；　yes；〃　said　she；　〃I　have　frequently　heard　of　him。〃

〃How　odd；〃　said　I；　〃that　the　name　of　a　great　poet　should　be　unknown　
in　the　very　place　where　he　is　buried；　whilst　that　of　one　certainly　
not　his　superior；　should　be　well　known　in　that　same　place；　though　
he　is　not　buried　there。〃

〃Perhaps；〃　said　she；　〃the　reason　is　that　the　poet；　whom　you　
mentioned；　wrote　in　the　old　measures　and　language　which　few　people　
now　understand；　whilst　Thomas　Edwards　wrote　in　common　verse　and　in　
the　language　of　the　present　day。〃

〃I　daresay　it　is　so；〃　said　I。

From　the　church　she　led　us　to　other　parts　of　the　ruin　…　at　first　
she　had　spoken　to　us　rather　cross　and　loftily；　but　she　now　became　
kind　and　communicative。　　She　said　that　she　resided　near　the　ruins；　
which　she　was　permitted　to　show；　that　she　lived　alone；　and　wished　
to　be　alone；　there　was　something　singular　about　her；　and　I　believe　
that　she　had　a　history　of　her　own。　　After　showing　us　the　ruins　she