wild wales-第48节

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before；　and　learned　that　the　man　of　the　horse　had　been　thrown　by　
the　animal　off　its　back；　that　the　horse　almost　immediately　after　
had　slipped　down；　and　both　had　been　led　home　very　much　hurt。　　We　
then　talked　about　farming　and　the　crops；　and　at　length　got　into　a　
discourse　about　Liverpool。　　I　asked　him　how　he　liked　that　mighty　
seaport；　he　said　very　well；　but　that　he　did　not　know　much　about　it　
…　for　though　he　had　a　house　there　where　his　family　had　resided；　he　
had　not　lived　much　at　Liverpool　himself；　his　absences　from　that　
place　having　been　many　and　long。

〃Have　you　travelled　then　much　about　England？〃　said　I。

〃No；〃　he　replied。　　〃When　I　have　travelled　it　has　chiefly　been　
across　the　sea　to　foreign　places。〃

〃But　what　foreign　places　have　you　visited？〃　said　I。

〃I　have　visited；〃　said　Pritchard；　〃Constantinople；　Alexandria；　and　
some　other　cities　in　the　south　latitudes。〃

〃Dear　me；〃　said　I；　〃you　have　seen　some　of　the　most　celebrated　
places　in　the　world　…　and　yet　you　were　silent；　and　said　nothing　
about　your　travels　whilst　that　fellow　Bos　was　pluming　himself　at　
having　been　at　such　places　as　Northampton　and　Worcester；　the　haunts　
of　shoe…makers　and　pig…jobbers。〃

〃Ah；〃　said　Pritchard；　〃but　Mr　Bos　has　travelled　with　edification；　
it　is　a　fine　thing　to　have　travelled　when　one　has　done　so　with　
edification；　but　I　have　not。　　There　is　a　vast　deal　of　difference　
between　me　and　him　…　he　is　considered　the　'cutest　man　in　these　
parts；　and　is　much　looked　up　to。〃

〃You　are　really；〃　said　I；　〃the　most　modest　person　I　have　ever　known　
and　the　least　addicted　to　envy。　　Let　me　see　whether　you　have　
travelled　without　edification。〃

I　then　questioned　him　about　the　places　which　he　had　mentioned；　and　
found　he　knew　a　great　deal　about　them；　amongst　other　things　he　
described　Cleopatra's　needle；　and　the　At　Maidan　at　Constantinople　
with　surprising　exactness。

〃You　put　me　out；〃　said　I；　〃you　consider　yourself　inferior　to　that　
droving　fellow　Bos；　and　to　have　travelled　without　edification；　
whereas　you　know　a　thousand　times　more　than　he；　and　indeed　much　
more　than　many　a　person　who　makes　his　five　hundred　a　year　by　going　
about　lecturing　on　foreign　places；　but　as　I　am　no　flatterer　I　will　
tell　you　that　you　have　a　fault　which　will　always　prevent　your　
rising　in　this　world；　you　have　modesty；　those　who　have　modesty　
shall　have　no　advancement；　whilst　those　who　can　blow　their　own　horn　
lustily；　shall　be　made　governors。　　But　allow　me　to　ask　you　in　what　
capacity　you　went　abroad？〃

〃As　engineer　to　various　steamships；〃　said　Pritchard。

〃A　director　of　the　power　of　steam；〃　said　I；　〃and　an　explorer　of　the　
wonders　of　Iscander's　city　willing　to　hold　the　candle　to　Mr　Bos。　　I　
will　tell　you　what；　you　are　too　good　for　this　world；　let　us　hope　
you　will　have　your　reward　in　the　next。〃

I　breakfasted　and　asked　for　my　bill；　the　bill　amounted　to　little　or　
nothing　…　half…a…crown　I　think　for　tea…dinner；　sundry　jugs　of　ale；　
bed　and　breakfast。　　I　defrayed　it；　and　then　inquired　whether　it　
would　be　possible　for　me　to　see　the　inside　of　the　church。

〃Oh　yes；〃　said　Pritchard。　　〃I　can　let　you　in；　for　I　am　churchwarden　
and　have　the　key。〃

The　church　was　a　little　edifice　of　some　antiquity；　with　a　little　
wing　and　without　a　spire；　it　was　situated　amidst　a　grove　of　trees。　　
As　we　stood　with　our　hats　off　in　the　sacred　edifice；　I　asked　
Pritchard　if　there　were　many　Methodists　in　those　parts。

〃Not　so　many　as　there　were；〃　said　Pritchard；　〃they　are　rapidly　
decreasing；　and　indeed　dissenters　in　general。　　The　cause　of　their　
decrease　is　that　a　good　clergyman　has　lately　come　here；　who　visits　
the　sick　and　preaches　Christ；　and　in　fact　does　his　duty。　　If　all　
our　clergymen　were　like　him　there　would　not　be　many　dissenters　in　
Ynis　Fon。〃

Outside　the　church；　in　the　wall；　I　observed　a　tablet　with　the　
following　inscription　in　English。


Here　lieth　interred　the　body　of　Ann；　wife　of　Robert　Paston；　who　
deceased　the　sixth　day　of　October；　Anno　Domini。

　1671。
　　P。
R。　　A。


〃You　seem　struck　with　that　writing？〃　said　Pritchard；　observing　that　
I　stood　motionless；　staring　at　the　tablet。

〃The　name　of　Paston；〃　said　I；　〃struck　me；　it　is　the　name　of　a　
village　in　my　own　native　district；　from　which　an　old　family；　now　
almost　extinct；　derived　its　name。　　How　came　a　Paston　into　Ynys　Fon？　　
Are　there　any　people　bearing　that　name　at　present　in　these　parts？〃

〃Not　that　I　am　aware；〃　said　Pritchard；

〃I　wonder　who　his　wife　Ann　was？〃　said　I；　〃from　the　style　of　that　
tablet　she　must　have　been　a　considerable　person。〃

〃Perhaps　she　was　the　daughter　of　the　Lewis　family　of　Llan　Dyfnant；〃　
said　Pritchard；　〃that's　an　old　family　and　a　rich　one。　　Perhaps　he　
came　from　a　distance　and　saw　and　married　a　daughter　of　the　Lewis　of　
Dyfnant　…　more　than　one　stranger　has　done　so。　　Lord　Vivian　came　
from　a　distance　and　saw　and　married　a　daughter　of　the　rich　Lewis　of　
Dyfnant。〃

I　shook　honest　Pritchard　by　the　hand；　thanked　him　for　his　kindness　
and　wished　him　farewell；　whereupon　he　gave　mine　a　hearty　squeeze；　
thanking　me　for　my　custom。

〃Which　is　my　way；〃　said　I；　〃to　Pen　Caer　Gybi？〃

〃You　must　go　about　a　mile　on　the　Bangor　road；　and　then　turning　to　
the　right　pass　through　Penmynnydd；　but　what　takes　you　to　Holyhead？〃

〃I　wish　to　see；〃　said　I；　〃the　place　where　Cybi　the　tawny　saint　
preached　and　worshipped。　　He　was　called　tawny　because　from　his　
frequent　walks　in　the　blaze　of　the　sun　his　face　had　become　much　
sun…burnt。　　This　is　a　furiously　hot　day；　and　perhaps　by　the　time　I　
get　to　Holyhead；　I　may　be　so　sun…burnt　as　to　be　able　to　pass　for　
Cybi　himself。〃



CHAPTER　XXXVI



Moelfre　…　Owain　Gwynedd　…　Church　of　Penmynnydd　…　The　Rose　of　Mona。


LEAVING　Pentraeth　Coch　I　retraced　my　way　along　the　Bangor　road　till　
I　came　to　the　turning　on　the　right。　　Here　I　diverged　from　the　
aforesaid　road；　and　proceeded　along　one　which　led　nearly　due　west；　
after　travelling　about　a　mile　I　stopped；　on　the　top　of　a　little　
hill；　cornfields　were　on　either　side；　and　in　one　an　aged　man　was　
reaping　close　to　the　road；　I　looked　south；　west；　north　and　east；　to　
the　south　was　the　Snowdon　range　far　away；　with　the　Wyddfa　just　
discernible；　to　the　west　and　north　was　nothing　very　remarkable；　but　
to　the　east　or　rather　north…east；　was　mountain　Lidiart　and　the　tall　
hill　confronting　it　across　the　bay。

〃Can　you　tell　me；〃　said　I　to　the　old　reaper；　〃the　name　of　that　bald　
hill；　which　looks　towards　Lidiart？〃

〃We　call　that　hill　Moelfre；〃　said　the　old　man　desisting　from　his　
labour；　and　touching　his　hat。

〃Dear　me；〃　said　I；　〃Moelfre；　Moelfre！〃

〃Is　there　anything　wonderful　in　the　name；　sir？〃　said　the　old　man　
smiling。

〃There　is　nothing　wonderful　in　the　name；〃　said　I；　〃which　merely　
means　the　bald　hill；　but　it　brings　wonderful　recollections　to　my　
mind。　　I　little　thought　when　I　was　looking　from　the　road　near　
Pentraeth　Coch　yesterday　on　that　hill；　and　the　bay　and　strand　below　
it；　and　admiring　the　tranquillity　which　reigned　over　all；　that　I　
was　gazing　upon　the　scene　of　one　of　the　most　tremendous　conflicts　
recorded　in　history　or　poetry。〃

〃Dear　me；〃　said　the　old　reaper；　〃and　whom　may　it　have　been　between？　
the　French　and　English；　I　suppose。〃

〃No；〃　said　I；　〃it　was　fought　between　one　of　your　Welsh　kings；　the　
great　Owain　Gwynedd；　and　certain　northern　and　Irish　enemies　of　
his。〃

〃Only　think；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃and　it　was　a　fierce　battle；　sir？〃

〃It　was；　indeed；〃　said　I；　〃according　to　the　words　of　a　poet；　who　
described　it；　the　Menai　could　not　ebb　on　account　of　the　torrent　of　
blood　which　flowed　into　it；　slaughter　was　heaped　upon　slaughter；　
shout　followed　shout；　and　around　Moelfre　a　thousand　war　flags　
waved。〃

〃Well；　sir；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃I　never　before　heard　anything　about　
it；　indeed　I　don't　trouble　my　head　with　histories；　unless　they　be　
Bible　histories。〃

〃Are　you　a　Churchman？〃　said　I。

〃No；〃　said　the　old　man；　shortly；　〃I　am　a　Methodist。〃

〃I　belong　to　the　Church；〃　said　I。

〃So　I　should　have　guessed；　sir；　by　your　being　so　well　acquainted　
with　pennillion　and　histories。　　Ah；　the　Church。　。　。　。　。〃

〃This　is　dreadfully　hot　weather；　said　I；　〃and　I　should　like　to　
offer　you　sixpence　for　ale；　but　as　I　am　a　Churchman　I　suppose　you　
would　not　accept　it　from　my　hands。〃

〃The　Lord　forbid；　sir；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃that　I　should　be　so　
uncharitable！　　If　your　honour　chooses　to　give　me　sixpence；　I　will　
receive　it　willingly。　　Thank　your　honour！　　Well；　I　have　often　said　
there　is　a　great　deal　of　good　in　the　Church　of　England。〃

I　once　more　looked　at　the　hill　which　overlooked　the　scene　of　Owen　
Gwynedd's　triumph　over　the　united　forces　of　the　Irish　Lochlanders　
and　Normans；　and　then　after　inquiring　of　the　old　man　whether　I　was　
in　the　right　direction　for　Penmynnydd；　and　finding　that　I　was；　I　
set　off　at　a　great　pace；　singing　occasionally　snatches　of　Black　
Robin's　ode　in　praise　of　Anglesey；　amongst　others　the　following　
stanza：…


〃Bread　of　the　wholesomest　is　found
In　my　mother…land　of　Anglesey；
Friendly　bounteous　men　abound
In　Penmynnydd　of　Anglesey。〃


I　reached　Penmynnydd；　a　small　village　consisting　of　a　few　white　
houses　and　a　mill。　　The　meaning　of　Penmynnydd　is　literally　the