wild wales-第29节

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chair　came　and　sat　down　by　me；　when　I　forthwith　called　for　a　quart　
of　cwrw　da。　　The　landlady　bustled　about　on　her　wooden　leg　and　
presently　brought　us　the　ale　with　two　glasses；　which　I　filled；　and　
taking　one　drank　to　the　health　of　the　company　who　returned　us　
thanks；　the　man　of　the　settle　in　English　rather　broken。　　Presently　
one　of　his　companions　getting　up　paid　his　reckoning　and　departed；　
the　other　remained；　a　stout　young　fellow　dressed　something　like　a　
stone…mason；　which　indeed　I　soon　discovered　that　he　was　…　he　was　
far　advanced　towards　a　state　of　intoxication　and　talked　very　
incoherently　about　the　war；　saying　that　he　hoped　it　would　soon　
terminate；　for　that　if　it　continued　he　was　afraid　he　might　stand　a　
chance　of　being　shot；　as　he　was　a　private　in　the　Denbighshire　
Militia。　　I　told　him　that　it　was　the　duty　of　every　gentleman　in　the　
militia　to　be　willing　at　all　times　to　lay　down　his　life　in　the　
service　of　the　Queen。　　The　answer　which　he　made　I　could　not　exactly　
understand；　his　utterance　being　very　indistinct　and　broken；　it　was；　
however；　made　with　some　degree　of　violence；　with　two　or　three　Myn　
Diawls；　and　a　blow　on　the　table　with　his　clenched　fist。　　He　then　
asked　me　whether　I　thought　the　militia　would　be　again　called　out。　　
〃Nothing　more　probable；〃　said　I。

〃And　where　would　they　be　sent　to？〃

〃Perhaps　to　Ireland；〃　was　my　answer；　whereupon　he　started　up　with　
another　Myn　Diawl；　expressing　the　greatest　dread　of　being　sent　to　
Iwerddon。

〃You　ought　to　rejoice　in　your　chance　of　going　there；〃　said　I；　
〃Iwerddon　is　a　beautiful　country；　and　abounds　with　whisky。〃

〃And　the　Irish？〃　said　he。

〃Hearty；　jolly　fellows；〃　said　I；　〃if　you　know　how　to　manage　them；　
and　all　gentlemen。〃

Here　he　became　very　violent；　saying　that　I　did　not　speak　truth；　for　
that　he　had　seen　plenty　of　Irish　camping　amidst　the　hills；　that　the　
men　were　half　naked　and　the　women　were　three　parts　so；　and　that　
they　carried　their　children　on　their　backs。　　He　then　said　that　he　
hoped　somebody　would　speedily　kill　Nicholas；　in　order　that　the　war　
might　be　at　an　end　and　himself　not　sent　to　Iwerddon。　　He　then　asked　
if　I　thought　Cronstadt　could　be　taken。　　I　said　I　believed　it　could；　
provided　the　hearts　of　those　who　were　sent　to　take　it　were　in　the　
right　place。

〃Where　do　you　think　the　hearts　of　those　are　who　are　gone　against　
it？〃　said　he　…　speaking　with　great　vehemence。

I　made　no　other　answer　than　by　taking　my　glass　and　drinking。

His　companion　now　looking　at　our　habiliments　which　were　in　rather　a　
dripping　condition　asked　John　Jones　if　we　had　come　from　far。

〃We　have　been　to　Pont　y　Meibion；〃　said　Jones；　〃to　see　the　chair　of　
Huw　Morris；〃　adding　that　the　Gwr　Boneddig　was　a　great　admirer　of　
the　songs　of　the　Eos　Ceiriog。

He　had　no　sooner　said　these　words　than　the　intoxicated　militiaman　
started　up；　and　striking　the　table　with　his　fist　said：　　〃I　am　a　
poor　stone…cutter　…　this　is　a　rainy　day　and　I　have　come　here　to　
pass　it　in　the　best　way　I　can。　　I　am　somewhat　drunk；　but　though　I　
am　a　poor　stone…mason；　a　private　in　the　militia；　and　not　so　sober　
as　I　should　be；　I　can　repeat　more　of　the　songs　of　the　Eos　than　any　
man　alive；　however　great　a　gentleman；　however　sober　…　more　than　Sir　
Watkin；　more　than　Colonel　Biddulph　himself。〃

He　then　began　to　repeat　what　appeared　to　be　poetry；　for　I　could　
distinguish　the　rhymes　occasionally；　though　owing　to　his　broken　
utterance　it　was　impossible　for　me　to　make　out　the　sense　of　the　
words。　　Feeling　a　great　desire　to　know　what　verses　of　Huw　Morris　
the　intoxicated　youth　would　repeat；　I　took　out　my　pocket…book　and　
requested　Jones；　who　was　much　better　acquainted　with　Welsh　
pronunciation；　under　any　circumstances；　than　myself；　to　endeavour　
to　write　down　from　the　mouth　of　the　young　fellow　any　verses　
uppermost　in　his　mind。　　Jones　took　the　pocket…book　and　pencil　and　
went　to　the　window；　followed　by　the　young　man　scarcely　able　to　
support　himself。　　Here　a　curious　scene　took　place；　the　drinker　
hiccuping　up　verses；　and　Jones　dotting　them　down；　in　the　best　
manner　he　could；　though　he　had　evidently　great　difficulty　to　
distinguish　what　was　said　to　him。　　At　last；　methought；　the　young　
man　said　…　〃There　they　are；　the　verses　of　the　Nightingale；　on　his　
death…bed。〃

I　took　the　book　and　read　aloud　the　following　lines　beautifully　
descriptive　of　the　eagerness　of　a　Christian　soul　to　leave　its　
perishing　tabernacle；　and　get　to　Paradise　and　its　Creator：…


〃Myn'd　i'r　wyl　ar　redeg；
I'r　byd　a　beryi　chwaneg；
I　Beradwys；　y　ber　wiw　deg；
Yn　Enw　Duw　yn　union　deg。〃


〃Do　you　understand　those　verses？〃　said　the　man　on　the　settle；　a　
dark　swarthy　fellow　with　an　oblique　kind　of　vision；　and　dressed　in　
a　pepper…and…salt　coat。

〃I　will　translate　them；〃　said　I；　and　forthwith　put　them　into　
English　…　first　into　prose　and　then　into　rhyme；　the　rhymed　version　
running　thus：…


〃Now　to　my　rest　I　hurry　away；
To　the　world　which　lasts　for　ever　and　aye；
To　Paradise；　the　beautiful　place；
Trusting　alone　in　the　Lord　of　Grace〃　…


〃Well；〃　said　he　of　the　pepper…and…salt；　〃if　that　isn't　capital　I　
don't　know　what　is。〃

A　scene　in　a　public…house；　yes！　but　in　a　Welsh　public…house。　　Only　
think　of　a　Suffolk　toper　repeating　the　death…bed　verses　of　a　poet；　
surely　there　is　a　considerable　difference　between　the　Celt　and　the　
Saxon。



CHAPTER　XXII




Llangollen　Fair　…　Buyers　and　Sellers　…　The　Jockey　…　The　Greek　Cap。


ON　the　twenty…first　was　held　Llangollen　Fair。　　The　day　was　dull　
with　occasional　showers。　　I　went　to　see　the　fair　about　noon。　　It　
was　held　in　and　near　a　little　square　in　the　south…east　quarter　of　
the　town；　of　which　square　the　police…station　is　the　principal　
feature　on　the　side　of　the　west；　and　an　inn；　bearing　the　sign　of　
the　Grapes；　on　the　east。　　The　fair　was　a　little　bustling　fair；　
attended　by　plenty　of　people　from　the　country；　and　from　the　English　
border；　and　by　some　who　appeared　to　come　from　a　greater　distance　
than　the　border。　　A　dense　row　of　carts　extended　from　the　police…
station　half　across　the　space；　these　carts　were　filled　with　pigs；　
and　had　stout　cord…nettings　drawn　over　them；　to　prevent　the　animals　
escaping。　　By　the　sides　of　these　carts　the　principal　business　of　
the　fair　appeared　to　be　going　on　…　there　stood　the　owners　male　and　
female；　higgling　with　Llangollen　men　and　women；　who　came　to　buy。　　
The　pigs　were　all　small；　and　the　price　given　seemed　to　vary　from　
eighteen　to　twenty…five　shillings。　　Those　who　bought　pigs　generally　
carried　them　away　in　their　arms；　and　then　there　was　no　little　
diversion；　dire　was　the　screaming　of　the　porkers；　yet　the　purchaser　
invariably　appeared　to　know　how　to　manage　his　bargain；　keeping　the　
left　arm　round　the　body　of　the　swine　and　with　the　right　hand　fast　
gripping　the　ear　…　some　few　were　led　away　by　strings。　　There　were　
some　Welsh　cattle；　small　of　course；　and　the　purchasers　of　these　
seemed　to　be　Englishmen；　tall　burly　fellows　in　general；　far　
exceeding　the　Welsh　in　height　and　size。

Much　business　in　the　cattle…line　did　not　seem；　however；　to　be　going　
on。　　Now　and　then　a　big　fellow　made　an　offer；　and　held　out　his　hand　
for　a　little　Pictish　grazier　to　give　it　a　slap　…　a　cattle　bargain　
being　concluded　by　a　slap　of　the　hand　…　but　the　Welshman　generally　
turned　away；　with　a　half　resentful　exclamation。　　There　were　a　few　
horses　and　ponies　in　the　street　leading　into　the　fair　from　the　
south。

I　saw　none　sold；　however。　　A　tall　athletic　figure　was　striding　
amongst　them；　evidently　a　jockey　and　a　stranger；　looking　at　them　
and　occasionally　asking　a　slight　question　of　one　or　another　of　
their　proprietors；　but　he　did　not　buy。　　He　might　in　age　be　about　
eight…and…twenty；　and　about　six　feet　and　three…quarters　of　an　inch　
in　height；　in　build　he　was　perfection　itself；　a　better　built　man　I　
never　saw。　　He　wore　a　cap　and　a　brown　jockey　coat；　trowsers；　
leggings　and　high…lows；　and　sported　a　single　spur。　　He　had　whiskers　
…　all　jockeys　should　have　whiskers　…　but　he　had　what　I　did　not　
like；　and　what　no　genuine　jockey　should　have；　a　moustache；　which　
looks　coxcombical　and　Frenchified　…　but　most　things　have　terribly　
changed　since　I　was　young。　　Three　or　four　hardy…looking　fellows；　
policemen；　were　gliding　about　in　their　blue　coats　and　leather　hats；　
holding　their　thin　walking…sticks　behind　them；　conspicuous　amongst　
whom　was　the　leader；　a　tall　lathy　North　Briton　with　a　keen　eye　and　
hard　features。　　Now　if　I　add　there　was　much　gabbling　of　Welsh　round　
about；　and　here　and　there　some　slight　sawing　of　English　…　that　in　
the　street　leading　from　the　north　there　were　some　stalls　of　
gingerbread　and　a　table　at　which　a　queer…looking　being　with　a　red　
Greek…looking　cap　on　his　head；　sold　rhubarb；　herbs；　and　phials　
containing　the　Lord　knows　what；　and　who　spoke　a　low　vulgar　English　
dialect　…　I　repeat；　if　I　add　this；　I　think　I　have　said　all　that　is　
necessary　about　Llangollen　Fair。



CHAPTER　XXIII



An　Expedition　…　Pont　y　Pandy　…　The　Sabbath　…　Glendower's　Mount　…　
Burial　Place　of　Old　…　Corwen　…　The　Deep　Glen　…　The　Grandmother　…　
The　Roadside　Chapel。


I　WAS　now　about　to　leave　Llangollen；　for　a　short　time；　and　to　set　
out　on　an　expedition　to　Bangor；　Snowdo