wild wales-第2节

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tongue；　or　anything　approximating　to　one；　at　present　exists；　it　is　
certainly　of　immense　antiquity；　indeed　almost　entitled　in　that　
respect　to　dispute　the　palm　with　the　grand　tongue　of　India；　on　
which　in　some　respects　it　flings　nearly　as　much　elucidation　as　it　
itself　receives　in　others。　　Amongst　the　words　quoted　in　the　chapter　
alluded　to　I　wish　particularly　to　direct　the　reader's　attention　to　
gwr；　a　man；　and　gwres；　heat；　to　which　may　be　added　gwreichionen；　a　
spark。　　Does　not　the　striking　similarity　between　these　words　
warrant　the　supposition　that　the　ancient　Cumry　entertained　the　idea　
that　man　and　fire　were　one　and　the　same；　even　like　the　ancient　
Hindus；　who　believed　that　man　sprang　from　fire；　and　whose　word　
vira；　（1）　which　signifies　a　strong　man；　a　hero；　signifies　also　
fire？

There　are　of　course　faults　and　inaccuracies　in　the　work；　but　I　have　
reason　to　believe　that　they　are　neither　numerous　nor　important：　　I　
may　have　occasionally　given　a　wrong　name　to　a　hill　or　a　brook；　or　
may　have　overstated　or　understated；　by　a　furlong；　the　distance　
between　one　hamlet　and　another；　or　even　committed　the　blunder　of　
saying　that　Mr　Jones　Ap　Jenkins　lived　in　this　or　that　homestead；　
whereas　in　reality　Mr　Jenkins　Ap　Jones　honoured　it　with　his　
residence：　　I　may　be　chargeable　with　such　inaccuracies；　in　which　
case　I　beg　to　express　due　sorrow　for　them；　and　at　the　same　time　a　
hope　that　I　have　afforded　information　about　matters　relating　to　
Wales　which　more　than　atones　for　them。　　It　would　be　as　well　if　
those　who　exhibit　eagerness　to　expose　the　faults　of　a　book　would　
occasionally　have　the　candour　to　say　a　word　or　two　about　its　
merits；　such　a　wish；　however；　is　not　likely　to　be　gratified；　unless　
indeed　they　wisely　take　a　hint　from　the　following　lines；　translated　
from　a　cywydd　of　the　last　of　the　great　poets　of　Wales：


〃All　can　perceive　a　fault；　where　there　is　one　…
A　dirty　scamp　will　find　one；　where　there's　none。〃　（2）




WILD　WALES：　　ITS　PEOPLE；　LANGUAGE；　AND　SCENERY




CHAPTER　I



Proposed　Excursion　…　Knowledge　of　Welsh　…　Singular　Groom　…　
Harmonious　Distich　…　Welsh　Pronunciation　…　Dafydd　Ab　Gwilym。


IN　the　summer　of　the　year　1854　myself；　wife；　and　daughter　
determined　upon　going　into　Wales；　to　pass　a　few　months　there。　　We　
are　country　people　of　a　corner　of　East　Anglia；　and；　at　the　time　of　
which　I　am　speaking；　had　been　residing　so　long　on　our　own　little　
estate；　that　we　had　become　tired　of　the　objects　around　us；　and　
conceived　that　we　should　be　all　the　better　for　changing　the　scene　
for　a　short　period。　　We　were　undetermined　for　some　time　with　
respect　to　where　we　should　go。　　I　proposed　Wales　from　the　first；　
but　my　wife　and　daughter；　who　have　always　had　rather　a　hankering　
after　what　is　fashionable；　said　they　thought　it　would　be　more　
advisable　to　go　to　Harrowgate；　or　Leamington。　　On　my　observing　that　
those　were　terrible　places　for　expense；　they　replied　that；　though　
the　price　of　corn　had　of　late　been　shamefully　low；　we　had　a　spare　
hundred　pounds　or　two　in　our　pockets；　and　could　afford　to　pay　for　a　
little　insight　into　fashionable　life。　　I　told　them　that　there　was　
nothing　I　so　much　hated　as　fashionable　life；　but　that；　as　I　was　
anything　but　a　selfish　person；　I　would　endeavour　to　stifle　my　
abhorrence　of　it　for　a　time；　and　attend　them　either　to　Leamington　
or　Harrowgate。　　By　this　speech　I　obtained　my　wish；　even　as　I　knew　I　
should；　for　my　wife　and　daughter　instantly　observed；　that；　after　
all；　they　thought　we　had　better　go　into　Wales；　which；　though　not　so　
fashionable　as　either　Leamington　or　Harrowgate；　was　a　very　nice　
picturesque　country；　where；　they　had　no　doubt；　they　should　get　on　
very　well；　more　especially　as　I　was　acquainted　with　the　Welsh　
language。

It　was　my　knowledge　of　Welsh；　such　as　it　was；　that　made　me　desirous　
that　we　should　go　to　Wales；　where　there　was　a　chance　that　I　might　
turn　it　to　some　little　account。　　In　my　boyhood　I　had　been　something　
of　a　philologist；　had　picked　up　some　Latin　and　Greek　at　school；　
some　Irish　in　Ireland；　where　I　had　been　with　my　father；　who　was　in　
the　army；　and　subsequently　whilst　an　articled　clerk　to　the　first　
solicitor　in　East　Anglia　…　indeed　I　may　say　the　prince　of　all　
English　solicitors　…　for　he　was　a　gentleman；　had　learnt　some　Welsh；　
partly　from　books　and　partly　from　a　Welsh　groom；　whose　acquaintance　
I　made。　　A　queer　groom　he　was；　and　well　deserving　of　having　his　
portrait　drawn。　　He　might　be　about　forty…seven　years　of　age；　and　
about　five　feet　eight　inches　in　height；　his　body　was　spare　and　
wiry；　his　chest　rather　broad；　and　his　arms　remarkably　long；　his　
legs　were　of　the　kind　generally　known　as　spindle…shanks；　but　
vigorous　withal；　for　they　carried　his　body　with　great　agility；　neck　
he　had　none；　at　least　that　I　ever　observed；　and　his　head　was　
anything　but　high；　not　measuring；　I　should　think；　more　than　four　
inches　from　the　bottom　of　the　chin　to　the　top　of　the　forehead；　his　
cheek…bones　were　high；　his　eyes　grey　and　deeply　sunken　in　his　face；　
with　an　expression　in　them；　partly　sullen；　and　partly　irascible；　
his　complexion　was　indescribable；　the　little　hair　which　he　had；　
which　was　almost　entirely　on　the　sides　and　the　back　part　of　his　
head；　was　of　an　iron…grey　hue。　　He　wore　a　leather　hat　on　ordinary　
days；　low　at　the　crown；　and　with　the　side　eaves　turned　up。　　A　dirty　
pepper　and　salt　coat；　a　waistcoat　which　had　once　been　red；　but　
which　had　lost　its　pristine　colour；　and　looked　brown；　dirty　yellow　
leather　breeches；　grey　worsted　stockings；　and　high…lows。　　Surely　I　
was　right　when　I　said　he　was　a　very　different　groom　to　those　of　the　
present　day；　whether　Welsh　or　English？　　What　say　you；　Sir　Watkin？　　
What　say　you；　my　Lord　of　Exeter？　　He　looked　after　the　horses；　and　
occasionally　assisted　in　the　house　of　a　person　who　lived　at　the　end　
of　an　alley；　in　which　the　office　of　the　gentleman　to　whom　I　was　
articled　was　situated；　and　having　to　pass　by　the　door　of　the　office　
half…a…dozen　times　in　the　day；　he　did　not　fail　to　attract　the　
notice　of　the　clerks；　who；　sometimes　individually；　sometimes　by　
twos；　sometimes　by　threes；　or　even　more；　not　unfrequently　stood　at　
the　door；　bareheaded　…　mis…spending　the　time　which　was　not　legally　
their　own。　　Sundry　observations；　none　of　them　very　flattering；　did　
the　clerks　and；　amongst　them；　myself；　make　upon　the　groom；　as　he　
passed　and　repassed；　some　of　them　direct；　others　somewhat　oblique。　　
To　these　he　made　no　reply　save　by　looks；　which　had　in　them　
something　dangerous　and　menacing；　and　clenching　without　raising　his　
fists；　which　looked　singularly　hard　and　horny。　　At　length　a　whisper　
ran　about　the　alley　that　the　groom　was　a　Welshman；　this　whisper　
much　increased　the　malice　of　my　brother　clerks　against　him；　who　
were　now　whenever　he　passed　the　door；　and　they　happened　to　be　there　
by　twos　or　threes；　in　the　habit　of　saying　something；　as　if　by　
accident；　against　Wales　and　Welshmen；　and；　individually　or　
together；　were　in　the　habit　of　shouting　out　〃Taffy；〃　when　he　was　at　
some　distance　from　them；　and　his　back　was　turned；　or　regaling　his　
ears　with　the　harmonious　and　well…known　distich　of　〃Taffy　was　a　
Welshman；　Taffy　was　a　thief：　　Taffy　came　to　my　house　and　stole　a　
piece　of　beef。〃　　It　had；　however；　a　very　different　effect　upon　me。　　
I　was　trying　to　learn　Welsh；　and　the　idea　occurring　to　me　that　the　
groom　might　be　able　to　assist　me　in　my　pursuit；　I　instantly　lost　
all　desire　to　torment　him；　and　determined　to　do　my　best　to　scrape　
acquaintance　with　him；　and　persuade　him　to　give　me　what　assistance　
he　could　in　Welsh。　　I　succeeded；　how　I　will　not　trouble　the　reader　
with　describing：　　he　and　I　became　great　friends；　and　he　taught　me　
what　Welsh　he　could。　　In　return　for　his　instructions　I　persuaded　my　
brother　clerks　to　leave　off　holloing　after　him；　and　to　do　nothing　
further　to　hurt　his　feelings；　which　had　been　very　deeply　wounded；　
so　much　so；　that　after　the　first　two　or　three　lessons　he　told　me　in　
confidence　that　on　the　morning　of　the　very　day　I　first　began　to　
conciliate　him　he　had　come　to　the　resolution　of　doing　one　of　two　
things；　namely；　either　to　hang　himself　from　the　balk　of　the　
hayloft；　or　to　give　his　master　warning；　both　of　which　things　he　
told　me　he　should　have　been　very　unwilling　to　do；　more　particularly　
as　he　had　a　wife　and　family。　　He　gave　me　lessons　on　Sunday　
afternoons；　at　my　father's　house；　where　he　made　his　appearance　very　
respectably　dressed；　in　a　beaver　hat；　blue　surtout；　whitish　
waistcoat；　black　trowsers　and　Wellingtons；　all　with　a　somewhat　
ancient　look　…　the　Wellingtons　I　remember　were　slightly　pieced　at　
the　sides　…　but　all　upon　the　whole　very　respectable。　　I　wished　at　
first　to　persuade　him　to　give　me　lessons　in　the　office；　but　could　
not　succeed：　　〃No；　no；　lad；〃　said　he；　〃catch　me　going　in　there：　　I　
would　just　as　soon　venture　into　a　nest　of　porcupines。〃　　To　
translate　from　books　I　had　already；　to　a　certain　degree；　taught　
myself；　and　at　his　first　visit　I　discovered；　and　he　himself　
acknowledged；　that　at　book　Welsh　I　was　stronger　than　himself；　but　I　
learnt　Welsh　pronunciation　from　him；　and　to　discourse　a　little　in　
the　Welsh　tongue。　　〃Had　you　much　difficulty　in　acquiring　th