wild wales-第22节

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pay　for　that　of　my　companion；　who　insisted　upon　paying　for　what　he　
had　ordered；　made　a　general　bow　and　departed　from　the　house；　
leaving　the　horse…dealer　and　the　rest　staring　at　each　other　and　
wondering　who　we　were；　or　at　least　who　I　was。　　We　were　about　to　
ascend　the　hill　when　John　Jones　asked　me　whether　I　should　not　like　
to　see　the　bridge　and　the　river。　　I　told　him　I　should。　　The　bridge　
and　the　river　presented　nothing　remarkable。　　The　former　was　of　a　
single　arch；　and　the　latter　anything　but　abundant　in　its　flow。

We　now　began　to　retrace　our　steps　over　the　mountain。　　At　first　the　
mist　appeared　to　be　nearly　cleared　away。　　As　we　proceeded；　however；　
large　sheets　began　to　roll　up　the　mountain　sides；　and　by　the　time　
we　reached　the　summit　were　completely　shrouded　in　vapour。　　The　
night；　however；　was　not　very　dark；　and　we　found　our　way　tolerably　
well；　though　once　in　descending　I　had　nearly　tumbled　into　the　nant　
or　dingle；　now　on　our　left　hand。　　The　bushes　and　trees；　seen　
indistinctly　through　the　mist；　had　something　the　look　of　goblins；　
and　brought　to　my　mind　the　elves；　which　Ab　Gwilym　of　old　saw；　or　
thought　he　saw；　in　a　somewhat　similar　situation：…


〃In　every　hollow　dingle　stood
Of　wry…mouth'd　elves　a　wrathful　brood。〃


Drenched　to　the　skin；　but　uninjured　in　body　and　limb；　we　at　length　
reached　Llangollen。



CHAPTER　XVIII



Venerable　Old　Gentleman　…　Surnames　in　Wales　…　Russia　and　Britain　…　
Church　of　England　…　Yriarte　…　The　Eagle　and　his　Young　…　Poets　of　
the　Gael　…　The　Oxonian　…　Master　Salisburie。


MY　wife　had　told　me　that　she　had　had　some　conversation　upon　the　
Welsh　language　and　literature　with　a　venerable　old　man；　who　kept　a　
shop　in　the　town；　that　she　had　informed　him　that　I　was　very　fond　of　
both；　and　that　he　had　expressed　a　great　desire　to　see　me。　　One　
afternoon　I　said：　　〃Let　us　go　and　pay　a　visit　to　your　old　friend　of　
the　shop。　　I　think　from　two　or　three　things　which　you　have　told　me　
about　him；　that　he　must　be　worth　knowing。〃　　We　set　out。　　She　
conducted　me　across　the　bridge　a　little　way；　then　presently　turning　
to　the　left　into　the　principal　street；　she　entered　the　door　of　a　
shop　on　the　left…hand　side；　over　the　top　of　which　was　written：　　
〃Jones；　Provision　Dealer　and　General　Merchant。〃　　The　shop　was　
small；　with　two　little　counters；　one　on　each　side。　　Behind　one　was　
a　young　woman；　and　behind　the　other　a　venerable…looking　old　man。

〃I　have　brought　my　husband　to　visit　you；〃　said　my　wife；　addressing　
herself　to　him。

〃I　am　most　happy　to　see　him；〃　said　the　old　gentleman；　making　me　a　
polite　bow。

He　then　begged　that　we　would　do　him　the　honour　to　walk　into　his　
parlour；　and　led　us　into　a　little　back　room；　the　window　of　which　
looked　out　upon　the　Dee　a　few　yards　below　the　bridge。　　On　the　left　
side　of　the　room　was　a　large　case；　well　stored　with　books。　　He　
offered　us　chairs；　and　we　all　sat　down。　　I　was　much　struck　with　the　
old　man。　　He　was　rather　tall；　and　somewhat　inclined　to　corpulency。　　
His　hair　was　grey；　his　forehead　high；　his　nose　aquiline；　his　eyes　
full　of　intelligence；　whilst　his　manners　were　those　of　a　perfect　
gentleman。

I　entered　into　conversation　by　saying　that　I　supposed　his　name　was　
Jones；　as　I　had　observed　that　name　over　the　door。

〃Jones　is　the　name　I　bear　at　your　service；　sir；〃　he　replied。

I　said　that　it　was　a　very　common　name　in　Wales；　as　I　knew　several　
people　who　bore　it；　and　observed　that　most　of　the　surnames　in　Wales　
appeared　to　be　modifications　of　Christian　names；　for　example　Jones；　
Roberts；　Edwards；　Humphreys；　and　likewise　Pugh；　Powel；　and　Probert；　
which　were　nothing　more　than　the　son　of　Hugh；　the　son　of　Howel；　and　
the　son　of　Robert。　　He　said　I　was　right；　that　there　were　very　few　
real　surnames　in　Wales；　that　the　three　great　families；　however；　had　
real　surnames；　for　that　Wynn；　Morgan　and　Bulkley　were　all　real　
surnames。　　I　asked　him　whether　the　Bulkleys　of　Anglesea　were　not　
originally　an　English　family。　　He　said　they　were；　and　that　they　
settled　down　in　Anglesea　in　the　time　of　Elizabeth。

After　some　minutes　my　wife　got　up　and　left　us。　　The　old　gentleman　
and　I　had　then　some　discourse　in　Welsh；　we　soon；　however；　resumed　
speaking　English。　　We　got　on　the　subject　of　Welsh　bards；　and　after　
a　good　deal　of　discourse　the　old　gentleman　said：

〃You　seem　to　know　something　about　Welsh　poetry；　can　you　tell　me　who　
wrote　the　following　line？


〃'There　will　be　great　doings　in　Britain；　and
I　shall　have　no　concern　in　them。'〃


〃I　will　not　be　positive；〃　said　I；　〃but　I　think　from　its　tone　and　
tenor　that　it　was　composed　by　Merddyn；　whom　my　countrymen　call　
Merlin。〃

〃I　believe　you　are　right；〃　said　the　old　gentleman；　〃I　see　you　know　
something　of　Welsh　poetry。　　I　met　the　line；　a　long　time　ago；　in　a　
Welsh　grammar。　　It　then　made　a　great　impression　upon　me；　and　of　
late　it　has　always　been　ringing　in　my　ears。　　I　love　Britain。　　
Britain　has　just　engaged　in　a　war　with　a　mighty　country；　and　I　am　
apprehensive　of　the　consequences。　　I　am　old；　upwards　of　four…score；　
and　shall　probably　not　live　to　see　the　evil；　if　evil　happens；　as　I　
fear　it　will　…　'There　will　be　strange　doings　in　Britain；　but　they　
will　not　concern　me。'　　I　cannot　get　the　line　out　of　my　head。〃

I　told　him　that　the　line　probably　related　to　the　progress　of　the　
Saxons　in　Britain；　but　that　I　did　not　wonder　that　it　made　an　
impression　upon　him　at　the　present　moment。　　I　said；　however；　that　
we　ran　no　risk　from　Russia；　that　the　only　power　at　all　dangerous　to　
Britain　was　France；　which　though　at　present　leagued　with　her　
against　Russia；　would　eventually　go　to　war　with　and　strive　to　
subdue　her；　and　then　of　course　Britain　could　expect　no　help　from　
Russia；　her　old　friend　and　ally；　who；　if　Britain　had　not　outraged　
her；　would　have　assisted　her；　in　any　quarrel　or　danger；　with　four　
or　five　hundred　thousand　men。　　I　said　that　I　hoped　neither　he　nor　I　
should　see　a　French　invasion；　but　I　had　no　doubt　one　would　
eventually　take　place；　and　that　then　Britain　must　fight　stoutly；　as　
she　had　no　one　to　expect　help　from　but　herself；　that　I　wished　she　
might　be　able　to　hold　her　own；　but　…

〃Strange　things　will　happen　in　Britain；　though　they　will　concern　me　
nothing；〃　said　the　old　gentleman　with　a　sigh。

On　my　expressing　a　desire　to　know　something　of　his　history；　he　told　
me　that　he　was　the　son　of　a　small　farmer；　who　resided　at　some　
distance　from　Llangollen；　that　he　lost　his　father　at　an　early　age；　
and　was　obliged　to　work　hard；　even　when　a　child；　in　order　to　assist　
his　mother　who　had　some　difficulty；　after　the　death　of　his　father；　
in　keeping　things　together；　that　though　he　was　obliged　to　work　hard　
he　had　been　fond　of　study；　and　used　to　pore　over　Welsh　and　English　
books　by　the　glimmering　light　of　the　turf　fire　at　night；　for　that　
his　mother　could　not　afford　to　allow　him　anything　in　the　shape　of　a　
candle　to　read　by；　that　at　his　mother's　death　he　left　rural　labour；　
and　coming　to　Llangollen；　commenced　business　in　the　little　shop　in　
which　he　was　at　present；　that　he　had　been　married；　and　had　
children；　but　that　his　wife　and　family　were　dead；　that　the　young　
woman　whom　I　had　seen　in　the　shop；　and　who　took　care　of　his　house；　
was　a　relation　of　his　wife；　that　though　he　had　always　been　
attentive　to　business；　he　had　never　abandoned　study；　that　he　had　
mastered　his　own　language；　of　which　he　was　passionately　fond；　and　
had　acquired　a　good　knowledge　of　English　and　of　some　other　
languages。　　That　his　fondness　for　literature　had　shortly　after　his　
arrival　at　Llangollen　attracted　the　notice　of　some　of　the　people；　
who　encouraged　him　in　his　studies；　and　assisted　him　by　giving　him　
books；　that　the　two　celebrated　ladies　of　Llangollen　had　
particularly　noticed　him；　that　he　held　the　situation　of　church　
clerk　for　upwards　of　forty　years；　and　that　it　was　chiefly　owing　to　
the　recommendation　of　the　〃great　ladies〃　that　he　had　obtained　it。　　
He　then　added　with　a　sigh；　that　about　ten　years　ago　he　was　obliged　
to　give　it　up；　owing　to　something　the　matter　with　his　eyesight；　
which　prevented　him　from　reading；　and；　that　his　being　obliged　to　
give　it　up　was　a　source　of　bitter　grief　to　him；　as　he　had　always　
considered　it　a　high　honour　to　be　permitted　to　assist　in　the　
service　of　the　Church　of　England；　in　the　principles　of　which　he　had　
been　bred；　and　in　whose　doctrines　he　firmly　believed。

Here　shaking　him　by　the　hand；　I　said　that　I　too　had　been　bred　up　in　
the　principles　of　the　Church　of　England；　that　I　too　firmly　believed　
in　its　doctrines；　and　would　maintain　with　my　blood；　if　necessary；　
that　there　was　not　such　another　church　in　the　world。

〃So　would　I；〃　said　the　old　gentleman；　〃where　is　there　a　church　in　
whose　liturgy　there　is　so　much　Scripture　as　in　that　of　the　Church　
of　England？〃

〃Pity；〃　said　I；　〃that　so　many　traitors　have　lately　sprung　up　in　its　
ministry。〃

〃If　it　be　so；〃　said　the　old　church　clerk；　〃they　have　not　yet　shown　
themselves　in　the　pulpit　at　Llangollen。　　All　the　clergymen　who　have　
held　the　living　in　my　time　have　been　excellent。　　The　present　
incumbent　is　a　model　of　a　Church…of…England　clergyman。　　Oh；　how　I　
regret　that　the　state　of　my　eyes　prevents　me　from　officiating　as　
clerk　beneath　him。〃