wild wales-第77节

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and　Henrietta；　by　repeating　to　them　in　English　the　greater　part　of　
the　discourse　which　I　had　been　listening　to　in　Welsh。　　After　
supper；　in　which　I　did　not　join；　for　I　never　take　supper；　provided　
I　have　taken　dinner；　they　went　to　bed　whilst　I　remained　seated　
before　the　fire；　with　my　back　near　the　table　and　my　eyes　fixed　upon　
the　embers　which　were　rapidly　expiring；　and　in　this　posture　sleep　
surprised　me。　　Amongst　the　proverbial　sayings　of　the　Welsh；　which　
are　chiefly　preserved　in　the　shape　of　triads；　is　the　following　one：　　
〃Three　things　come　unawares　upon　a　man；　sleep；　sin；　and　old　age。〃　　
This　saying　holds　sometimes　good　with　respect　to　sleep　and　old　age；　
but　never　with　respect　to　sin。　　Sin　does　not　come　unawares　upon　a　
man：　　God　is　just；　and　would　never　punish　a　man；　as　He　always　does；　
for　being　overcome　by　sin　if　sin　were　able　to　take　him　unawares；　
and　neither　sleep　nor　old　age　always　come　unawares　upon　a　man。　　
People　frequently　feel　themselves　going　to　sleep　and　feel　old　age　
stealing　upon　them；　though　there　can　be　no　doubt　that　sleep　and　old　
age　sometimes　come　unawares　…　old　age　came　unawares　upon　me；　it　was　
only　the　other　day　that　I　was　aware　that　I　was　old；　though　I　had　
long　been　old；　and　sleep　came　unawares　upon　me　in　that　chair　in　
which　I　had　sat　down　without　the　slightest　thought　of　sleeping。　　
And　there　as　I　sat　I　had　a　dream　…　what　did　I　dream　about？　the　
sermon；　musing　upon　which　I　had　been　overcome　by　sleep？　not　a　bit！　　
I　dreamt　about　a　widely…different　matter。　　Methought　I　was　in　
Llangollen　fair　in　the　place　where　the　pigs　were　sold；　in　the　midst　
of　Welsh　drovers；　immense　hogs　and　immense　men　whom　I　took　to　be　
the　gents　of　Wolverhampton。　　What　huge　fellows　they　were！　almost　as　
huge　as　the　hogs　for　which　they　higgled；　the　generality　of　them　
dressed　in　brown　sporting　coats；　drab　breeches；　yellow…topped　
boots；　splashed　all　over　with　mud；　and　with　low…crowned　broad…
brimmed　hats。　　One　enormous　fellow　particularly　caught　my　notice。　　
I　guessed　he　must　have　weighed　eleven　score；　he　had　a　half…ruddy；　
half…tallowy　face；　brown　hair；　and　rather　thin　whiskers。　　He　was　
higgling　with　the　proprietor　of　an　immense　hog；　and　as　he　higgled　
he　wheezed　as　if　he　had　a　difficulty　of　respiration；　and　frequently　
wiped　off；　with　a　dirty…white　pocket…handkerchief；　drops　of　
perspiration　which　stood　upon　his　face。　　At　last　methought　he　
bought　the　hog　for　nine　pounds；　and　had　no　sooner　concluded　his　
bargain　than　turning　round　to　me；　who　was　standing　close　by　staring　
at　him；　he　slapped　me　on　the　shoulder　with　a　hand　of　immense　
weight；　crying　with　a　half…piping；　half…wheezing　voice；　〃Coom；　
neighbour；　coom；　I　and　thou　have　often　dealt；　gi'　me　noo　a　poond　
for　my　bargain；　and　it　shall　be　all　thy　own。〃　　I　felt　in　a　great　
rage　at　his　unceremonious　behaviour；　and；　owing　to　the　flutter　of　
my　spirits；　whilst　I　was　thinking　whether　or　not　I　should　try　and　
knock　him　down；　I　awoke　and　found　the　fire　nearly　out　and　the　
ecclesiastical　cat　seated　on　my　shoulders。　　The　creature　had　not　
been　turned　out；　as　it　ought　to　have　been；　before　my　wife　and　
daughter　retired；　and　feeling　cold　had　got　upon　the　table　and　
thence　had　sprung　upon　my　back　for　the　sake　of　the　warmth　which　it　
knew　was　to　be　found　there；　and　no　doubt　the　springing　on　my　
shoulders　by　the　ecclesiastical　cat　was　what　I　took　in　my　dream　to　
be　the　slap　on　my　shoulders　by　the　Wolverhampton　gent。

The　day　of　the　fair　was　dull　and　gloomy；　an　exact　counterpart　of　
the　previous　Saturday。　　Owing　to　some　cause　I　did　not　go　into　the　
fair　till　past　one　o'clock；　and　then　seeing　neither　immense　hogs　
nor　immense　men　I　concluded　that　the　gents　of　Wolverhampton　had　
been　there；　and　after　purchasing　the　larger　porkers　had　departed　
with　their　bargains　to　their　native　district。　　After　sauntering　
about　a　little　time　I　returned　home。　　After　dinner　I　went　again　
into　the　fair　along　with　my　wife；　the　stock　business　had　long　been　
over；　but　I　observed　more　stalls　than　in　the　morning；　and　a　far　
greater　throng；　for　the　country　people　for　miles　round　had　poured　
into　the　little　town。　　By　a　stall　on　which　were　some　poor　legs　and　
shoulders　of　mutton　I　perceived　the　English　butcher；　whom　the　Welsh　
one　had　attempted　to　slaughter。　　I　recognised　him　by　a　patch　which　
he　wore　on　his　cheek。　　My　wife　and　I　went　up　and　inquired　how　he　
was。　　He　said　that　he　still　felt　poorly；　but　that　he　hoped　he　
should　get　round。　　I　asked　him　if　he　remembered　me；　and　received　
for　answer　that　he　remembered　having　seen　me　when　the　examination　
took　place　into　〃his　matter。〃　　I　then　inquired　what　had　become　of　
his　antagonist　and　was　told　that　he　was　in　prison　awaiting　his　
trial。　　I　gathered　from　him　that　he　was　a　native　of　the　Southdown　
country　and　a　shepherd　by　profession；　that　he　had　been　engaged　by　
the　squire　of　Porkington　in　Shropshire　to　look　after　his　sheep；　and　
that　he　had　lived　there　a　year　or　two；　but　becoming　tired　of　his　
situation　he　had　come　to　Llangollen；　where　he　had　married　a　
Welshwoman　and　set　up　as　a　butcher。　　We　told　him　that　as　he　was　our　
countryman　we　should　be　happy　to　deal　with　him　sometimes；　he；　
however；　received　the　information　with　perfect　apathy；　never　so　
much　as　saying　〃thank　you。〃　　He　was　a　tall　lanikin　figure　with　a　
pair　of　large；　lack…lustre　staring　eyes；　and　upon　the　whole　
appeared　to　be　good　for　very　little。　　Leaving　him　we　went　some　way　
up　the　principal　street；　presently　my　wife　turned　into　a　shop；　and　
I　observing　a　little　bookstall　went　up　to　it　and　began　to　inspect　
the　books。　　They　were　chiefly　in　Welsh。　　Seeing　a　kind　of　chap　
book；　which　bore　on　its　title…page　the　name　of　Twm　O'r　Nant；　I　took　
it　up。　　It　was　called　Y　Llwyn　Celyn　or　the　Holy　Grove；　and　
contained　the　life　and　one　of　the　interludes　of　Tom　O'　the　Dingle　
or　Thomas　Edwards。　　It　purported　to　be　the　first　of　four　numbers；　
each　of　which　amongst　other　things　was　to　contain　one　of　his　
interludes。　　The　price；　of　the　number　was　one　shilling。　　I　
questioned　the　man　of　the　stall　about　the　other　numbers；　but　found　
that　this　was　the　only　one　which　he　possessed。　　Eager；　however；　to　
read　an　interlude　of　the　celebrated　Tom；　I　purchased　it　and　turned　
away　from　the　stall。　　Scarcely　had　I　done　so　when　I　saw　a　wild…
looking　woman　with　two　wild　children　looking　at　me。　　The　woman　
curtseyed　to　me；　and　I　thought　I　recognised　the　elder　of　the　two　
Irish　females　whom　I　had　seen　in　the　tent　on　the　green　meadow　near　
Chester。　　I　was　going　to　address　her；　but　just　then　my　wife　called　
to　me　from　the　shop　and　I　went　to　her；　and　when　I　returned　to　look　
for　the　woman　she　and　her　children　had　disappeared；　and　though　I　
searched　about　for　her　I　could　not　see　her；　for　which　I　was　sorry；　
as　I　wished　very　much　to　have　some　conversation　with　her　about　the　
ways　of　the　Irish　wanderers。　　I　was　thinking　of　going　to　look　for　
her　up　〃Paddy's　dingle；〃　but　my　wife　meeting　me；　begged　me　to　go　
home　with　her；　as　it　was　getting　late。　　So　I　went　home　with　my　
better　half；　bearing　my　late　literary　acquisition　in　my　hand。

That　night　I　sat　up　very　late　reading　the　life　of　Twm　O'r　Nant；　
written　by　himself　in　choice　Welsh；　and　his　interlude　which　was　
styled　〃Cyfoeth　a　Thylody；　or；　Riches　and　Poverty。〃　　The　life　I　had　
read　in　my　boyhood　in　an　old　Welsh　magazine；　and　I　now　read　it　
again　with　great　zest；　and　no　wonder；　as　it　is　probably　the　most　
remarkable　autobiography　ever　penned。　　The　interlude　I　had　never　
seen　before；　nor　indeed　any　of　the　dramatic　pieces　of　Twm　O'r　Nant；　
though　I　had　frequently　wished　to　procure　some　of　them　…　so　I　read　
the　present　one　with　great　eagerness。　　Of　the　life　I　shall　give　
some　account　and　also　some　extracts　from　it；　which　will　enable　the　
reader　to　judge　of　Tom's　personal　character；　and　also　an　extract　of　
the　interlude；　from　which　the　reader　may　form　a　tolerably　correct　
idea　of　the　poetical　powers　of　him　whom　his　countrymen　delight　to　
call　〃the　Welsh　Shakespear。〃



CHAPTER　LIX



History　of　Twm　O'r　Nant　…　Eagerness　for　Learning　…　The　First　
Interlude　…　The　Cruel　Fighter　…　Raising　Wood　…　The　Luckless　Hour　…　
Turnpike…Keeping　…　Death　in　the　Snow　…　Tom's　Great　Feat　…　The　Muse　
a　Friend　…　Strength　in　Old　Age　…　Resurrection　of　the　Dead。


〃I　AM　the　first…born　of　my　parents；〃　says　Thomas　Edwards。　　〃They　
were　poor　people　and　very　ignorant。　　I　was　brought　into　the　world　
in　a　place　called　Lower　Pen　Parchell；　on　land　which　once　belonged　
to　the　celebrated　Iolo　Goch。　　My　parents　afterwards　removed　to　the　
Nant　（or　dingle）　near　Nantglyn；　situated　in　a　place　called　Coom　
Pernant。　　The　Nant　was　the　middlemost　of　three　homesteads；　which　
are　in　the　Coom；　and　are　called　the　Upper；　Middle；　and　Lower　Nant；　
and　it　so　happened　that　in　the　Upper　Nant　there　were　people　who　had　
a　boy　of　about　the　same　age　as　myself；　and　forasmuch　as　they　were　
better　to　do　in　the　world　than　my　parents；　they　having　only　two　
children　whilst　mine　had　ten；　I　was　called　Tom　of　the　Dingle；　
whilst　he　was　denominated　Thomas　Williams。〃

After　giving　some　anecdotes　of　his　childhood　he　goes　on　thus：…　
〃Time　passed　on　till　I　was　about　eight　years　old；　and　then　in　the　
summer　I　was　lucky　enough　to