wild wales-第44节

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〃A　strange　errand；〃　I　replied；　〃to　look　at　the　birth…place　of　a　man　
who　has　long　been　dead。〃

〃Do　you　come　to　seek　for　an　inheritance？〃　said　the　man。

〃No；〃　said　I。　　〃Besides　the　man　whose　birth…place　I　came　to　see；　
died　poor；　leaving　nothing　behind　him　but　immortality。〃

〃Who　was　he？〃　said　the　miller。

〃Did　you　ever　hear　a　sound　of　Gronwy　Owen？〃　said　I。

〃Frequently；〃　said　the　miller；　〃I　have　frequently　heard　a　sound　of　
him。　　He　was　born　close　by　in　a　house　yonder；〃　pointing　to　the　
south。

〃Oh　yes；　gentleman；〃　said　a　nice…looking　woman；　who　holding　a　
little　child　by　the　hand　was　come　to　the　house…door；　and　was　
eagerly　listening；　〃we　have　frequently　heard　speak　of　Gronwy　Owen；　
there　is　much　talk　of　him　in　these　parts。〃

〃I　am　glad　to　hear　it；〃　said　I；　〃for　I　have　feared　that　his　name　
would　not　be　known　here。〃

〃Pray；　gentleman；　walk　in！〃　said　the　miller；　〃we　are　going　to　have　
our　afternoon's　meal；　and　shall　be　rejoiced　if　you　will　join　us。〃

〃Yes；　do；　gentleman；〃　said　the　miller's　wife；　for　such　the　good　
woman　was；　〃and　many　a　welcome　shall　you　have。〃

I　hesitated；　and　was　about　to　excuse　myself。

〃Don't　refuse；　gentleman！〃　said　both；　〃surely　you　are　not　too　proud　
to　sit　down　with　us？〃

〃I　am　afraid　I　shall　only　cause　you　trouble；〃　said　I。

〃Dim　blinder；　no　trouble；〃　exclaimed　both　at　once；　〃pray　do　walk　
in！〃

I　entered　the　house；　and　the　kitchen；　parlour；　or　whatever　it　was；　
a　nice　little　room　with　a　slate　floor。　　They　made　me　sit　down　at　a　
table　by　the　window；　which　was　already　laid　for　a　meal。　　There　was　
a　clean　cloth　upon　it；　a　tea…pot；　cups　and　saucers；　a　large　plate　
of　bread…and…butter；　and　a　plate；　on　which　were　a　few　very　thin　
slices　of　brown；　watery　cheese。

My　good　friends　took　their　seats；　the　wife　poured　out　tea　for　the　
stranger　and　her　husband；　helped　us　both　to　bread…and…butter　and　
the　watery　cheese；　then　took　care　of　herself。　　Before；　however；　I　
could　taste　the　tea；　the　wife；　seeming　to　recollect　herself；　
started　up；　and　hurrying　to　a　cupboard；　produced　a　basin　full　of　
snow…white　lump　sugar；　and　taking　the　spoon　out　of　my　hand；　placed　
two　of　the　largest　lumps　in　my　cup；　though　she　helped　neither　her　
husband　nor　herself；　the　sugar…basin　being　probably　only　kept　for　
grand　occasions。

My　eyes　filled　with　tears；　for　in　the　whole　course　of　my　life　I　had　
never　experienced　so　much　genuine　hospitality。　　Honour　to　the　
miller　of　Mona　and　his　wife；　and　honour　to　the　kind　hospitable　
Celts　in　general！　　How　different　is　the　reception　of　this　despised　
race　of　the　wandering　stranger　from　that　of　…。　　However；　I　am　a　
Saxon　myself；　and　the　Saxons　have　no　doubt　their　virtues；　a　pity　
that　they　should　be　all　uncouth　and　ungracious　ones！

I　asked　my　kind　host　his　name。

〃John　Jones；〃　he　replied；　〃Melinydd　of　Llanfair。〃

〃Is　the　mill　which　you　work　your　own　property？〃　I　inquired。

〃No；〃　he　answered；　〃I　rent　it　of　a　person　who　lives　close　by。〃

〃And　how　happens　it；〃　said　I；　〃that　you　speak　no　English？〃

〃How　should　it　happen；〃　said　he；　〃that　I　should　speak　any？　　I　have　
never　been　far　from　here；　my　wife　who　has　lived　at　service　at　
Liverpool　can　speak　some。〃

〃Can　you　read　poetry？〃　said　I。

〃I　can　read　the　psalms　and　hymns　that　they　sing　at　our　chapel；〃　he　
replied。

〃Then　you　are　not　of　the　Church？〃　said　I。

〃I　am　not；〃　said　the　miller；　〃I　am　a　Methodist。〃

〃Can　you　read　the　poetry　of　Gronwy　Owen？〃　said　I。

〃I　cannot；〃　said　the　miller；　〃that　is　with　any　comfort；　his　poetry　
is　in　the　ancient　Welsh　measures；　which　make　poetry　so　difficult　
that　few　can　understand　it。〃

〃I　can　understand　poetry　in　those　measures；〃　said　I。

〃And　how　much　time　did　you　spend；〃　said　the　miller；　〃before　you　
could　understand　the　poetry　of　the　measures？〃

〃Three　years；〃　said　I。

The　miller　laughed。

〃I　could　not　have　afforded　all　that　time；〃　said　he；　〃to　study　the　
songs　of　Gronwy。　　However；　it　is　well　that　some　people　should　have　
time　to　study　them。　　He　was　a　great　poet　as　I　have　been　told；　and　
is　the　glory　of　our　land　…　but　he　was　unfortunate；　I　have　read　his　
life　in　Welsh　and　part　of　his　letters；　and　in　doing　so　have　shed　
tears。〃

〃Has　his　house　any　particular　name？〃　said　I。

〃It　is　called　sometimes　Ty　Gronwy；〃　said　the　miller；　〃but　more　
frequently　Tafarn　Goch。〃

〃The　Red　Tavern？〃　said　I。　　〃How　is　it　that　so　many　of　your　places　
are　called　Goch？　there　is　Pentraeth　Goch；　there　is　Saint　Pedair　
Goch；　and　here　at　Llanfair　is　Tafarn　Goch。〃

The　miller　laughed。

〃It　will　take　a　wiser　man　than　I；〃　said　he；　〃to　answer　that　
question。〃

The　repast　over　I　rose　up；　gave　my　host　thanks；　and　said；　〃I　will　
now　leave　you；　and　hunt　up　things　connected　with　Gronwy。〃

〃And　where　will　you　find　a　lletty　for　night；　gentleman？〃　said　the　
miller's　wife。　　〃This　is　a　poor　place；　but　if　you　will　make　use　of　
our　home　you　are　welcome。〃

〃I　need　not　trouble　you；〃　said　I；　〃I　return　this　night　to　Pentraeth　
Goch　where　I　shall　sleep。〃

〃Well；〃　said　the　miller；　〃whilst　you　are　at　Llanfair　I　will　
accompany　you　about。　　Where　shall　we　go　to　first？〃

〃Where　is　the　church？〃　said　I。　　〃I　should　like　to　see　the　church　
where　Gronwy　worshipped　God　as　a　boy。〃

〃The　church　is　at　some　distance；〃　said　the　man；　〃it　is　past　my　
mill；　and　as　I　want　to　go　to　the　mill　for　a　moment；　it　will　be　
perhaps　well　to　go　and　see　the　church；　before　we　go　to　the　house　of　
Gronwy。〃

I　shook　the　miller's　wife　by　the　hand；　patted　a　little　yellow…
haired　girl　of　about　two　years　old　on　the　head；　who　during　the　
whole　time　of　the　meal　had　sat　on　the　slate　floor　looking　up　into　
my　face；　and　left　the　house　with　honest　Jones。

We　directed　our　course　to　the　mill；　which　lay　some　way　down　a　
declivity；　towards　the　sea。　　Near　the　mill　was　a　comfortable…
looking　house；　which　my　friend　told　me　belonged　to　the　proprietor　
of　the　mill。　　A　rustic…looking　man　stood　in　the　mill…yard；　who　he　
said　was　the　proprietor。　　The　honest　miller　went　into　the　mill；　and　
the　rustic…looking　proprietor　greeted　me　in　Welsh；　and　asked　me　if　
I　was　come　to　buy　hogs。

〃No；〃　said　I；　〃I　am　come　to　see　the　birth…place　of　Gronwy　Owen；〃　he　
stared　at　me　for　a　moment；　then　seemed　to　muse；　and　at　last　walked　
away　saying；　〃Ah！　a　great　man。〃

The　miller　presently　joined　me；　and　we　proceeded　farther　down　the　
hill。　　Our　way　lay　between　stone　walls；　and　sometimes　over　them。　　

The　land　was　moory　and　rocky；　with　nothing　grand　about　it；　and　the　
miller　described　it　well　when　he　said　it　was　tir　gwael　…　mean　land。　　
In　about　a　quarter　of　an　hour　we　came　to　the　churchyard　into　which　
we　got；　the　gate　being　locked；　by　clambering　over　the　wall。

The　church　stands　low　down　the　descent；　not　far　distant　from　the　
sea。　　A　little　brook；　called　in　the　language　of　the　country　a　frwd；　
washes　its　yard…wall　on　the　south。　　It　is　a　small　edifice　with　no　
spire；　but　to　the　south…west　there　is　a　little　stone　erection　
rising　from　the　roof；　in　which　hangs　a　bell　…　there　is　a　small　
porch　looking　to　the　south。　　With　respect　to　its　interior　I　can　say　
nothing；　the　door　being　locked。　　It　is　probably　like　the　outside；　
simple　enough。　　It　seemed　to　be　about　two　hundred　and　fifty　years　
old；　and　to　be　kept　in　tolerable　repair。　　Simple　as　the　edifice　
was；　I　looked　with　great　emotion　upon　it；　and　could　I　do　else；　when　
I　reflected　that　the　greatest　British　poet　of　the　last　century　had　
worshipped　God　within　it；　with　his　poor　father　and　mother；　when　a　
boy？

I　asked　the　miller　whether　he　could　point　out　to　me　any　tombs　or　
grave…stones　of　Gronwy's　family；　but　he　told　me　that　he　was　not　
aware　of　any。　　On　looking　about　I　found　the　name　of　Owen　in　the　
inscription　on　the　slate　slab　of　a　respectable…looking　modern　tomb；　
on　the　north…east　side　of　the　church。　　The　inscription　was　as　
follows：


Er　cof　am　JANE　OWEN
Gwraig　Edward　Owen；
Monachlog　Llanfair　Mathafam　eithaf；
A　fu　farw　Chwefror　28　1842
Yn　51　Oed。


I。E。　　〃To　the　memory　of　JANE　OWEN　Wife　of　Edward　Owen；　of　the　
monastery　of　St　Mary　of　farther　Mathafarn；　who　died　February　28；　
1842；　aged　fifty…one。〃


Whether　the　Edward　Owen　mentioned　here　was　any　relation　to　the　
great　Gronwy；　I　had　no　opportunity　of　learning。　　I　asked　the　miller　
what　was　meant　by　the　monastery；　and　he　told　that　it　was　the　name　
of　a　building　to　the　north…east　near　the　sea；　which　had　once　been　a　
monastery　but　had　been　converted　into　a　farm…house；　though　it　still　
retained　its　original　name。　　〃May　all　monasteries　be　converted　into　
farm…houses；〃　said　I；　〃and　may　they　still　retain　their　original　
names　in　mockery　of　popery！〃

Having　seen　all　I　could　well　see　of　the　church　and　its　precincts　I　
departed　with　my　kind　guide。　　After　we　had　retraced　our　steps　some　
way；　we　came　to　some　stepping…stones　on　the　side　of　a　wall；　and　the　
miller　pointing　to　them　said：

〃The　nearest　way　to　the　house　of　Gronwy　will　be　over　the　llamfa。〃

I　was　now　become　ashamed　of　keeping　the　worthy　fellow　from　his　
business；　and　begged　him　to　return　to　his　mill。　　He　refused　to　
leave　me；　at　first；　but　on　my　pressing　him　to　do　so；　and　on　my　
telling　him　that　I　could　find　the　way　to　the　house　of　Gronwy　very　
well　by　myself；　he　consented。　　We　shook　hands