wild wales-第23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！


regret　that　the　state　of　my　eyes　prevents　me　from　officiating　as　
clerk　beneath　him。〃

I　told　him　that　I　should　never　from　the　appearance　of　his　eyes　have　
imagined　that　they　were　not　excellent　ones。

〃I　can　see　to　walk　about　with　them；　and　to　distinguish　objects；〃　
said　the　old　gentleman；　〃but　see　to　read　with　them　I　cannot。　　Even　
with　the　help　of　the　most　powerful　glasses　I　cannot　distinguish　a　
letter。　　I　believe　I　strained　my　eyes　at　a　very　early　age；　when　
striving　to　read　at　night　by　the　glimmer　of　the　turf　fire　in　my　
poor　mother's　chimney　corner。　　Oh　what　an　affliction　is　this　state　
of　my　eyes！　　I　can't　turn　my　books　to　any　account；　nor　read　the　
newspapers；　but　I　repeat　that　I　chiefly　lament　it　because　it　
prevents　me　from　officiating　as　under…preacher。〃

He　showed　me　his　books。　　Seeing　amongst　them　〃The　Fables　of　
Yriarte〃　in　Spanish；　I　asked　how　they　came　into　his　possession。

〃They　were　presented　to　me；〃　said　he；　〃by　one　of　the　ladies　of　
Llangollen；　Lady　Eleanor　Butler。〃

〃Have　you　ever　read　them？〃　said　I。

〃No；〃　he　replied；　〃I　do　not　understand　a　word　of　Spanish；　but　I　
suppose　her　ladyship；　knowing　I　was　fond　of　languages；　thought　that　
I　might　one　day　set　about　learning　Spanish；　and　that　then　they　
might　be　useful　to　me。〃

He　then　asked　me　if　I　knew　Spanish；　and　on　my　telling　him　that　I　
had　some　knowledge　of　that　language；　he　asked　me　to　translate　some　
of　the　fables。　　I　translated　two　of　them；　which　pleased　him　much。

I　then　asked　if　he　had　ever　heard　of　a　collection　of　Welsh　fables　
compiled　about　the　year　thirteen　hundred。　　He　said　that　he　had　not；　
and　inquired　whether　they　had　ever　been　printed。　　I　told　him　that　
some　had　appeared　in　the　old　Welsh　magazine　called　〃The　Greal。〃

〃I　wish　you　would　repeat　one　of　them；〃　said　the　old　clerk。

〃Here　is　one；〃　said　I；　〃which　particularly　struck　me：…

〃It　is　the　custom　of　the　eagle；　when　his　young　are　sufficiently　
old；　to　raise　them　up　above　his　nest　in　the　direction　of　the　sun；　
and　the　bird　which　has　strength　enough　of　eye　to　look　right　in　the　
direction　of　the　sun；　he　keeps　and　nourishes；　but　the　one　which　has　
not；　he　casts　down　into　the　gulf　to　its　destruction。　　So　does　the　
Lord　deal　with　His　children　in　the　Catholic　Church　Militant：　　those　
whom　He　sees　worthy　to　serve　Him　in　godliness　and　spiritual　
goodness　He　keeps　with　Him　and　nourishes；　but　those　who　are　not　
worthy　from　being　addicted　to　earthly　things；　He　casts　out　into　
utter　darkness；　where　there　is　weeping　and　gnashing　of　teeth。〃

The　old　gentleman；　after　a　moment's　reflection；　said　it　was　a　
clever　fable；　but　an　unpleasant　one。　　It　was　hard　for　poor　birds　to　
be　flung　into　a　gulf；　for　not　having　power　of　eye　sufficient　to　
look　full　in　the　face　of　the　sun；　and　likewise　hard　that　poor　human　
creatures　should　be　lost　for　ever；　for　not　doing　that　which　they　
had　no　power　to　do。

〃Perhaps；〃　said　I；　〃the　eagle　does　not　deal　with　his　chicks；　or　the　
Lord　with　His　creatures　as　the　fable　represents。〃

〃Let　us　hope　at　any　rate；〃　said　the　old　gentleman；　〃that　the　Lord　
does　not。〃

〃Have　you　ever　seen　this　book？〃　said　he；　and　put　Smith's　〃Sean　
Dana〃　into　my　hand。

〃Oh；　yes；〃　said　I；　〃and　have　gone　through　it。　　It　contains　poems　in　
the　Gaelic　language　by　Oisin　and　others；　collected　in　the　
Highlands。　　I　went　through　it　a　long　time　ago　with　great　attention。　　
Some　of　the　poems　are　wonderfully　beautiful。〃

〃They　are　so；〃　said　the　old　clerk。　　〃I　too　have　gone　through　the　
book；　it　was　presented　to　me　a　great　many　years　ago　by　a　lady　to　
whom　I　gave　some　lessons　in　the　Welsh　language。　　I　went　through　it　
with　the　assistance　of　a　Gaelic　grammar　and　dictionary；　which　she　
also　presented　to　me；　and　I　was　struck　with　the　high　tone　of　the　
poetry。〃

〃This　collection　is　valuable　indeed；〃　said　I；　〃it　contains　poems；　
which　not　only　possess　the　highest　merit；　but　serve　to　confirm　the　
authenticity　of　the　poems　of　Ossian；　published　by　Macpherson；　so　
often　called　in　question。　　All　the　pieces　here　attributed　to　Ossian　
are　written　in　the　same　metre；　tone；　and　spirit；　as　those　
attributed　to　him　in　the　other　collection；　so　if　Macpherson's　
Ossianic　poems；　which　he　said　were　collected　by　him　in　the　
Highlands；　are　forgeries；　Smith's　Ossianic　poems；　which；　according　
to　his　account；　were　also　collected　in　the　Highlands；　must　be　also　
forged；　and　have　been　imitated　from　those　published　by　the　other。　　
Now　as　it　is　well　known　that　Smith　did　not　possess　sufficient　
poetic　power　to　produce　any　imitation　of　Macpherson's　Ossian；　with　
a　tenth　part　the　merit　which　the　〃Sean　Dana〃　possess；　and　that　even　
if　he　had　possessed　it；　his　principles　would　not　have　allowed　him　
to　attempt　to　deceive　the　world　by　imposing　forgeries　upon　it；　as　
the　authentic　poems　of　another；　he　being　a　highly　respectable　
clergyman；　the　necessary　conclusion　is　that　the　Ossianic　poems　
which　both　published　are　genuine；　and　collected　in　the　manner　in　
which　both　stated　they　were。〃

After　a　little　more　discourse　about　Ossian；　the　old　gentleman　asked　
me　if　there　was　any　good　modern　Gaelic　poetry。　　〃None　very　modern；〃　
said　I：　　〃the　last　great　poets　of　the　Gael　were　Macintyre　and　
Buchanan；　who　flourished　about　the　middle　of　the　last　century。　　The　
first　sang　of　love　and　of　Highland　scenery；　the　latter　was　a　
religious　poet。　　The　best　piece　of　Macintyre　is　an　ode　to　Ben　
Dourain；　or　the　Hill　of　the　Water…dogs　…　a　mountain　in　the　
Highlands。　　The　master…piece　of　Buchanan　is　his　La　Breitheanas　or　
Day　of　Judgment；　which　is　equal　in　merit；　or　nearly　so；　to　the　
Cywydd　y　Farn；　or　Judgment　Day　of　your　own　immortal　Gronwy　Owen。　　
Singular　that　the　two　best　pieces　on　the　Day　of　Judgment　should　
have　been　written　in　two　Celtic　dialects；　and　much　about　the　same　
time；　but　such　is　the　fact。〃

〃Really；〃　said　the　old　church　clerk；　〃you　seem　to　know　something　of　
Celtic　literature。〃

〃A　little；〃　said　I；　〃I　am　a　bit　of　a　philologist；　and　when　studying　
languages　dip　a　little　into　the　literature　which　they　contain。〃

As　I　had　heard　him　say　that　he　had　occasionally　given　lessons　in　
the　Welsh　language；　I　inquired　whether　any　of　his　pupils　had　made　
much　progress　in　it。　　〃The　generality；〃　said　he；　〃soon　became　tired　
of　its　difficulties；　and　gave　it　up　without　making　any　progress　at　
all。　　Two　or　three　got　on　tolerably　well。　　One；　however；　acquired　
it　in　a　time　so　short　that　it　might　be　deemed　marvellous。　　He　was　
an　Oxonian；　and　came　down　with　another　in　the　vacation　in　order　to　
study　hard　against　the　yearly　collegiate　examination。　　He　and　his　
friend　took　lodgings　at　Pengwern　Hall；　then　a　farm…house；　and　
studied　and　walked　about　for　some　time；　as　other　young　men　from　
college；　who　come　down　here；　are　in　the　habit　of　doing。　　One　day　he　
and　his　friend　came　to　me；　who　was　then　clerk；　and　desired　to　see　
the　interior　of　the　church。　　So　I　took　the　key　and　went　with　them　
into　the　church。　　When　he　came　to　the　altar　he　took　up　the　large　
Welsh　Common　Prayer…Book；　which　was　lying　there；　and　looked　into　
it。　　'A　curious　language　this　Welsh；'　said　he；　'I　should　like　to　
learn　it。'　　'Many　have　wished　to　learn　it；　without　being　able；'　
said　I；　'it　is　no　easy　language。'　　'I　should　like　to　try；'　he　
replied；　'I　wish　I　could　find　some　one　who　would　give　me　a　few　
lessons。'　　'I　have　occasionally　given　instructions　in　Welsh；'　said　
I；　'and　shall　be　happy　to　oblige　you。'　　Well；　it　was　agreed　that　he　
should　take　lessons　of　me；　and　to　my　house　he　came　every　evening；　
and　I　gave　him　what　instructions　I　could。　　I　was　astonished　at　his　
progress。　　He　acquired　the　pronunciation　in　a　lesson；　and　within　a　
week　was　able　to　construe　and　converse。　　By　the　time　he　left　
Llangollen；　and　he　was　not　here　in　all　more　than　two　months；　he　
understood　the　Welsh　Bible　as　well　as　I　did；　and　could　speak　Welsh　
so　well　that　the　Welsh；　who　did　not　know　him；　took　him　to　be　one　of　
themselves；　for　he　spoke　the　language　with　the　very　tone　and　manner　
of　a　native。　　Oh；　he　was　the　cleverest　man　for　language　that　I　ever　
knew；　not　a　word　that　he　heard　did　he　ever　forget。〃

〃Just　like　Mezzofanti；〃　said　I；　〃the　great　cardinal　philologist。　　
But　whilst　learning　Welsh；　did　he　not　neglect　his　collegiate　
studies？〃

〃Well；　I　was　rather　apprehensive　on　that　point；〃　said　the　old　
gentleman；　〃but　mark　the　event。　　At　the　examination　he　came　off　
most　brilliantly　in　Latin；　Greek；　mathematics；　and　other　things　
too；　in　fact；　a　double　first…class　man；　as　I　think　they　call　it。〃

〃I　have　never　heard　of　so　extraordinary　an　individual；〃　said　I。　　〃I　
could　no　more　have　done　what　you　say　he　did；　than　I　could　have　
taken　wings　and　flown。　　Pray；　what　was　his　name？〃

〃His　name；〃　said　the　old　gentleman；　〃was　Earl。〃

I　was　much　delighted　with　my　new　acquaintance；　and　paid　him　
frequent　visits；　the　more　I　saw　him　the　more　he　interested　me。　　He　
was　kind　and　benevolent；　a　good　old　Church　of　England　Christian；　
was　well　versed　in　several　dialects　of　the　Celtic；　and　possessed　an　
astonishing　deal　of　Welsh　heraldic　and　antiquarian　lore。　　Often　
whilst　discoursing　with　him　I　almost　fancied　that　I　was　with　Master　
Salisburie；　Vaughan　of　Hengwrt；　or　some　other　worthy　of　old；　deeply　
sk