wild wales-第75节

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gentleman。　　〃The　accounts　are　most　positive。　　Come　in；　and　I　will　
tell　you　all　the　circumstances。〃　　I　followed　him　into　his　little　
back　parlour；　where　we　both　sat　down。

〃Now；〃　said　the　old　church　clerk；　〃I　will　tell　you　all　about　it。　　
The　allies　landed　about　twenty　miles　from　Sebastopol　and　proceeded　
to　march　against　it。　　When　nearly　half　way　they　found　the　Russians　
posted　on　a　hill。　　Their　position　was　naturally　very　strong；　and　
they　had　made　it　more　so　by　means　of　redoubts　and　trenches。　　
However；　the　allies　undismayed；　attacked　the　enemy；　and　after　a　
desperate　resistance；　drove　them　over　the　hill；　and　following　fast　
at　their　heels　entered　the　town　pell…mell　with　them；　taking　it　and　
all　that　remained　alive　of　the　Russian　army。　　And　what　do　you　
think？　　The　Welsh　highly　distinguished　themselves。　　The　Welsh　
fusileers　were　the　first　to　mount　the　hill。　　They　suffered　horribly　
…　indeed　almost　the　whole　regiment　was　cut　to　pieces；　but　what　of　
that？　they　showed　that　the　courage　of　the　Ancient　Britons　still　
survives　in　their　descendants。　　And　now　I　intend　to　stand　beverage。　　
I　assure　you　I　do。　　No　words！　　I　insist　upon　it。　　I　have　heard　you　
say　you　are　fond　of　good　ale；　and　I　intend　to　fetch　you　a　pint　of　
such　ale　as　I　am　sure　you　never　drank　in　your　life。〃　　Thereupon　he　
hurried　out　of　the　room；　and　through　the　shop　into　the　street。

〃Well；〃　said　I；　when　I　was　by　myself；　〃if　this　news　does　not　
regularly　surprise　me！　　I　can　easily　conceive　that　the　Russians　
would　be　beaten　in　a　pitched　battle　by　the　English　and　French　…　but　
that　they　should　have　been　so　quickly　followed　up　by　the　allies；　as　
not　to　be　able　to　shut　their　gates　and　man　their　walls；　is　to　me　
inconceivable。　　Why；　the　Russians　retreat　like　the　wind；　and　have　a　
thousand　ruses　at　command；　in　order　to　retard　an　enemy。　　So　at　
least　I　thought；　but　it　is　plain　that　I　know　nothing　about　them；　
nor　indeed　much　of　my　own　countrymen；　I　should　never　have　thought　
that　English　soldiers　could　have　marched　fast　enough　to　overtake　
Russians；　more　especially　with　such　a　being　to　command　them；　as　…；　
whom　I；　and　indeed　almost　every　one　else　have　always　considered　a　
dead　weight　on　the　English　service。　　I　suppose；　however；　that　both　
they　and　their　commander　were　spurred　on　by　the　active　French。〃

Presently　the　old　church　clerk　made　his　appearance　with　a　glass　in　
one　hand；　and　a　brown　jug　of　ale　in　the　other。

〃Here；〃　said　he；　filling　the　glass；　〃is　some　of　the　real　Llangollen　
ale。　　I　got　it　from　the　little　inn；　the　Eagle；　over　the　way；　which　
was　always　celebrated　for　its　ale。　　They　stared　at　me　when　I　went　
in　and　asked　for　a　pint　of　ale；　as　they　knew　that　for　twenty　years　
I　have　drunk　no　liquor　whatever；　owing　to　the　state　of　my　stomach；　
which　will　not　allow　me　to　drink　anything　stronger　than　water　and　
tea。　　I　told　them；　however；　it　was　for　a　gentleman；　a　friend　of　
mine；　whom　I　wished　to　treat　in　honour　of　the　fall　of　Sebastopol。〃

I　would　fain　have　excused　myself；　but　the　old　gentleman　insisted　on　
my　drinking。

〃Well；〃　said　I；　taking　the　glass；　〃thank　God　that　our　gloomy　
forebodings　are　not　likely　to　be　realised。　　Oes　y　byd　i'r　glod　
Frythoneg！　　May　Britain's　glory　last　as　long　as　the　world！〃

Then；　looking　for　a　moment　at　the　ale；　which　was　of　a　dark…brown　
colour；　I　put　the　glass　to　my　lips　and　drank。

〃Ah！〃　said　the　old　church　clerk；　〃I　see　you　like　it；　for　you　have　
emptied　the　glass　at　a　draught。〃

〃It　is　good　ale；〃　said　I。

〃Good；〃　said　the　old　gentleman　rather　hastily；　〃good；　did　you　ever　
taste　any　so　good　in　your　life？〃

〃Why；　as　to　that；〃　said　I；　〃I　hardly　know　what　to　say；　I　have　drunk　
some　very　good　ale　in　my　day。　　However；　I'll　trouble　you　for　
another　glass。〃

〃Oh　ho；　you　will；〃　said　the　old　gentleman；　〃that's　enough；　if　you　
did　not　think　it　first…rate；　you　would　not　ask　for　more。　　This；〃　
said　he；　as　he　filled　the　glass　again；　〃is　genuine　malt　and　hop　
liquor；　brewed　in　a　way　only　known；　they　say；　to　some　few　people　in　
this　place。　　You　must；　however；　take　care　how　much　you　take　of　it。　　
Only　a　few　glasses　will　make　you　dispute　with　your　friends；　and　a　
few　more　quarrel　with　them。　　Strange　things　are　said　of　what　
Llangollen　ale　made　people　do　of　yore；　and　I　remember　that　when　I　
was　young　and　could　drink　ale；　two　or　three　glasses　of　the　
Llangollen　juice　of　the　barleycorn　would　make　me　…　however；　those　
times　are　gone　by。〃

〃Has　Llangollen　ale；〃　said　I；　after　tasting　the　second　glass；　〃ever　
been　sung　in　Welsh？　is　there　no　englyn　upon　it？〃

〃No；〃　said　the　old　church　clerk；　〃at　any　rate；　that　I　am　aware。〃

〃Well；〃　said　I；　〃I　can't　sing　its　praises　in　a　Welsh　englyn；　but　I　
think　I　can　contrive　to　do　so　in　an　English　quatrain；　with　the　help　
of　what　you　have　told　me。　　What　do　you　think　of　this？　…


〃Llangollen's　brown　ale　is　with　malt　and　hop　rife；
'Tis　good；　but　don't　quaff　it　from　evening　till　dawn；
For　too　much　of　that　ale　will　incline　you　to　strife；
Too　much　of　that　ale　has　caused　knives　to　be　drawn。〃


〃That's　not　so　bad；〃　said　the　old　church　clerk；　〃but　I　think　some　
of　our　bards　could　have　produced　something　better　…　that　is；　in　
Welsh；　for　example　old　…　What's　the　name　of　the　old　bard　who　wrote　
so　many　englynion　on　ale？〃

〃Sion　Tudor；〃　said　I；　〃O　yes；　but　he　was　a　great　poet。　　Ah；　he　has　
written　some　wonderful　englynion　on　ale；　but　you　will　please　to　
bear　in　mind　that　all　his　englynion　are　upon　bad　ale；　and　it　is　
easier　to　turn　to　ridicule　what　is　bad；　than　to　do　anything　like　
justice　to　what　is　good。〃

O；　great　was　the　rejoicing　for　a　few　days　at　Llangollen　for　the　
reported　triumph；　and　the　share　of　the　Welsh　in　that　triumph　
reconciled　for　a　time　the　descendants　of　the　Ancient　Britons　to　the　
seed　of　the　coiling　serpent。　　〃Welsh　and　Saxons　together　will　
conquer　the　world！〃　shouted　brats；　as　they　stood　barefooted　in　the　
kennel。　　In　a　little　time；　however；　news　not　quite　so　cheering　
arrived。　　There　had　been　a　battle　fought；　it　is　true；　in　which　the　
Russians　had　been　beaten；　and　the　little　Welsh　had　very　much　
distinguished　themselves；　but　no　Sebastopol　had　been　taken。　　The　
Russians　had　retreated　to　their　town；　which；　till　then　almost　
defenceless　on　the　land　side；　they　had；　following　their　old　maxim　
of　〃never　despair；〃　rendered　almost　impregnable　in　a　few　days；　
whilst　the　allies；　chiefly　owing　to　the　supineness　of　the　British　
commander；　were　loitering　on　the　field　of　battle。　　In　a　word；　all　
had　happened　which　the　writer；　from　his　knowledge　of　the　Russians　
and　his　own　countrymen；　had　conceived　likely　to　happen　from　the　
beginning。　　Then　came　the　news　of　the　commencement　of　a　seemingly　
interminable　siege；　and　of　disasters　and　disgraces　on　the　part　of　
the　British；　there　was　no　more　shouting　at　Llangollen　in　connection　
with　the　Crimean　expedition。　　But　the　subject　is　a　disagreeable　
one；　and　the　writer　will　dismiss　it　after　a　few　brief　words。

It　was　quite　right　and　consistent　with　the　justice　of　God　that　the　
British　arms　should　be　subjected　to　disaster　and　ignominy　about　
that　period。　　A　deed　of　infamous　injustice　and　cruelty　had　been　
perpetrated；　and　the　perpetrators；　instead　of　being　punished；　had　
received　applause　and　promotion；　so　if　the　British　expedition　to　
Sebastopol　was　a　disastrous　and　ignominious　one；　who　can　wonder？　　
Was　it　likely　that　the　groans　of　poor　Parry　would　be　unheard　from　
the　corner　to　which　he　had　retired　to　hide　his　head　by　〃the　Ancient　
of　days；〃　who　sits　above　the　cloud；　and　from　thence　sends　
judgments？



CHAPTER　LVII



The　Newspaper　…　A　New　Walk　…　Pentre　y　Dwr　…　Oatmeal　and　Barley…Meal　
…　The　Man　on　Horseback　…　Heavy　News。

〃DEAR　me；〃　said　I　to　my　wife；　as　I　sat　by　the　fire　one　Saturday　
morning；　looking　at　a　newspaper　which　had　been　sent　to　us　from　our　
own　district；　〃what　is　this？　　Why；　the　death　of　our　old　friend　Dr　…
。　　He　died　last　Tuesday　week　after　a　short　illness；　for　he　preached　
in　his　church　at　…　the　previous　Sunday。〃

〃Poor　man！〃　said　my　wife。　　〃How　sorry　I　am　to　hear　of　his　death！　　
However；　he　died　in　the　fulness　of　years；　after　a　long　and　
exemplary　life。　　He　was　an　excellent　man　and　good　Christian　
shepherd。　　I　knew　him　well；　you　I　think　only　saw　him　once。〃

〃But　I　shall　never　forget　him；〃　said　I；　〃nor　how　animated　his　
features　became　when　I　talked　to　him　about　Wales；　for　he；　you　know；　
was　a　Welshman。　　I　forgot　to　ask　what　part　of　Wales　he　came　from。　　
I　suppose　I　shall　never　know　now。〃

Feeling　indisposed　either　for　writing　or　reading；　I　determined　to　
take　a　walk　to　Pentre　y　Dwr；　a　village　in　the　north…west　part　of　
the　valley　which　I　had　not　yet　visited。　　I　purposed　going　by　a　path　
under　the　Eglwysig　crags　which　I　had　heard　led　thither；　and　to　
return　by　the　monastery。　　I　set　out。　　The　day　was　dull　and　gloomy。　　
Crossing　the　canal　I　pursued　my　course　by　romantic　lanes　till　I　
found　myself　under　the　crags。　　The　rocky　ridge　here　turns　away　to　
the　north；　having　previously　run　from　the　east　to　the　west。

After　proceeding　nearly　a　mile　amidst　very　beautiful　scenery；　I　
came　to　a　farm…yard　where　I　saw　several　men　engaged　in　repairing　a　
building。　　This　farm…yard　was　in　a　very　sequestered　situation；