wild wales-第80节

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Tom　on　various　occasions；　and　finally　broke　very　much　in　his　debt。　　
Tom　was　obliged　to　sell　off　everything；　and　left　South　Wales　
without　horses　or　waggon；　his　old　friend　the　Muse；　however；　stood　
him　in　good　stead。

〃Before　I　left；〃　says　he；　〃I　went　to　Brecon；　and　printed　the　
'Interlude　of　the　King；　the　Justice；　the　Bishop；　and　the　
Husbandman；'　and　got　an　old　acquaintance　of　mine　to　play　it　with　
me；　and　help　me　to　sell　the　books。　　I　likewise　busied　myself　in　
getting　subscribers　to　a　book　of　songs　called　the　'Garden　of　
Minstrelsy。'　　It　was　printed　at　Trefecca。　　The　expense　attending　
the　printing　amounted　to　fifty…two　pounds；　but　I　was　fortunate　
enough　to　dispose　of　two　thousand　copies。　　I　subsequently　composed　
an　interlude　called　'Pleasure　and　Care；'　and　printed　it；　and　after　
that　I　made　an　interlude　called　the　'Three　Powerful　Ones　of　the　
World：　　Poverty；　Love；　and　Death。'〃

The　poet's　daughters　were　not　successful　in　the　tavern　speculation　
at　Llandeilo；　and　followed　their　father　into　North　Wales。　　The　
second　he　apprenticed　to　a　milliner；　the　other　two　lived　with　him　
till　the　day　of　his　death。　　He　settled　at　Denbigh　in　a　small　house　
which　he　was　enabled　to　furnish　by　means　of　two　or　three　small　sums　
which　he　recovered　for　work　done　a　long　time　before。　　Shortly　after　
his　return；　his　father　died；　and　the　lawyer　seized　the　little　
property　〃for　the　old　curse；〃　and　turned　Tom's　mother　out。

After　his　return　from　the　South　Tom　went　about　for　some　time　
playing　interludes；　and　then　turned　his　hand　to　many　things。　　He　
learnt　the　trade　of　stonemason；　took　jobs；　and　kept　workmen。　　He　
then　went　amongst　certain　bricklayers；　and　induced　them　to　teach　
him　their　craft；　〃and　shortly；〃　as　he　says；　〃became　a　very　lion　at　
bricklaying。　　For　the　last　four　or　five　years；〃　says　he；　towards　
the　conclusion　of　his　history；　〃my　work　has　been　to　put　up　iron　
ovens　and　likewise　furnaces　of　all　kinds；　also　grates；　stoves　and　
boilers；　and　not　unfrequently　I　have　practised　as　a　smoke　doctor。〃

The　following　feats　of　strength　he　performed　after　his　return　from　
South　Wales；　when　he　was　probably　about　sixty　years　of　age：…

〃About　a　year　after　my　return　from　the　South；〃　says　he；　〃I　met　with　
an　old　carrier　of　wood；　who　had　many　a　time　worked　along　with　me。　　
He　and　I　were　at　the　Hand　at　Ruthyn　along　with　various　others；　and　
in　the　course　of　discourse　my　friend　said　to　me：　　'Tom；　thou　art　
much　weaker　than　thou　wast　when　we　carted　wood　together。'　　I　
answered　that　in　my　opinion　I　was　not　a　bit　weaker　than　I　was　then。　　
Now　it　happened　that　at　the　moment　we　were　talking　there　were　some　
sacks　of　wheat　in　the　hall　which　were　going　to　Chester　by　the　
carrier's　waggon。　　They　might　hold　about　three　bushels　each；　and　I　
said　that　if　I　could　get　three　of　the　sacks　upon　the　table；　and　had　
them　tied　together；　I　would　carry　them　into　the　street　and　back　
again；　and　so　I　did；　many　who　were　present　tried　to　do　the　same　
thing；　but　all　failed。

〃Another　time　when　I　was　at　Chester　I　lifted　a　barrel　of　porter　
from　the　street　to　the　hinder　part　of　the　waggon　solely　by　strength　
of　back　and　arms。〃

He　was　once　run　over　by　a　loaded　waggon；　but　strange　to　say　escaped　
without　the　slightest　injury。

Towards　the　close　of　his　life　he　had　strong　religious　convictions；　
and　felt　a　loathing　for　the　sins　which　he　had　committed。　　〃On　their　
account；〃　says　he　in　the　concluding　page　of　his　biography；　〃there　
is　a　strong　necessity　for　me　to　consider　my　ways　and　to　inquire　
about　a　Saviour；　since　it　is　utterly　impossible　for　me　to　save　
myself　without　obtaining　knowledge　of　the　merits　of　the　Mediator；　
in　which　I　hope　I　shall　terminate　my　short　time　on　earth　in　the　
peace　of　God　enduring　unto　all　eternity。〃

He　died　in　the　year　1810；　at　the　age　of　71；　shortly　after　the　death　
of　his　wife；　who　seems　to　have　been　a　faithful；　loving　partner。　　By　
her　side　he　was　buried　in　the　earth　of　the　graveyard　of　the　White　
Church；　near　Denbigh。　　There　can　be　little　doubt　that　the　souls　of　
both　will　be　accepted　on　the　great　day　when；　as　Gronwy　Owen　says：…


〃Like　corn　from　the　belly　of　the　ploughed　field；　in　a　thick　crop；　
those　buried　in　the　earth　shall　arise；　and　the　sea　shall　cast　forth　
a　thousand　myriads　of　dead　above　the　deep　billowy　way。〃



CHAPTER　LX



Mystery　Plays　…　The　Two　Prime　Opponents　…　Analysis　of　Interlude　…　
Riches　and　Poverty　…　Tom's　Grand　Qualities。


IN　the　preceding　chapter　I　have　given　an　abstract　of　the　life　of　
Tom　O'　the　Dingle；　I　will　now　give　an　analysis　of　his　interlude；　
first；　however；　a　few　words　on　interludes　in　general。　　It　is　
difficult　to　say　with　anything　like　certainty　what　is　the　meaning　
of　the　word　interlude。　　It　may　mean；　as　Warton　supposes　in　his　
history　of　English　Poetry；　a　short　play　performed　between　the　
courses　of　a　banquet　or　festival；　or　it　may　mean　the　playing　of　
something　by　two　or　more　parties；　the　interchange　of　playing　or　
acting　which　occurs　when　two　or　more　people　act。　　It　was　about　the　
middle　of　the　fifteenth　century　that　dramatic　pieces　began　in　
England　to　be　called　Interludes；　for　some　time　previous　they　had　
been　styled　Moralities；　but　the　earliest　name　by　which　they　were　
known　was　Mysteries。　　The　first　Mysteries　composed　in　England　were　
by　one　Ranald；　or　Ranulf；　a　monk　of　Chester；　who　flourished　about　
1322；　whose　verses　are　mentioned　rather　irreverently　in　one　of　the　
visions　of　Piers　Plowman；　who　puts　them　in　the　same　rank　as　the　
ballads　about　Robin　Hood　and　Maid　Marion；　making　Sloth　say：


〃I　cannon　perfitly　my　Paternoster　as　the　priest　it　singeth；
But　I　can　rhymes　of　Robin　Hood　and　Ranald　of　Chester。〃


Long；　however；　before　the　time　of　this　Ranald　Mysteries　had　been　
composed　and　represented　both　in　Italy　and　France。　　The　Mysteries　
were　very　rude　compositions；　little　more；　as　Warton　says；　than　
literal　representations　of　portions　of　Scripture。　　They　derived　
their　name　of　Mysteries　from　being　generally　founded　on　the　more　
mysterious　parts　of　Holy　Writ；　for　example　the　Incarnation；　the　
Atonement；　and　the　Resurrection。　　The　Moralities　displayed　
something　more　of　art　and　invention　than　the　Mysteries；　in　them　
virtues；　vices　and　qualities　were　personified；　and　something　like　a　
plot　was　frequently　to　be　discovered。　　They　were　termed　Moralities　
because　each　had　its　moral；　which　was　spoken　at　the　end　of　the　
piece　by　a　person　called　the　Doctor。　（7）　　Much　that　has　been　said　
about　the　moralities　holds　good　with　respect　to　the　interludes。　　
Indeed；　for　some　time　dramatic　pieces　were　called　moralities　and　
interludes　indifferently。　　In　both　there　is　a　mixture　of　allegory　
and　reality。　　The　latter　interludes；　however；　display　more　of　
every…day　life　than　was　ever　observable　in　the　moralities；　and　more　
closely　approximate　to　modern　plays。　　Several　writers　of　genius　
have　written　interludes；　amongst　whom　are　the　English　Skelton　and　
the　Scottish　Lindsay；　the　latter　of　whom　wrote　eight　pieces　of　that　
kind；　the　most　celebrated　of　which　is　called　〃The　Puir　Man　and　the　
Pardoner。〃　　Both　of　these　writers　flourished　about　the　same　period；　
and　made　use　of　the　interlude　as　a　means　of　satirizing　the　vices　of　
the　popish　clergy。　　In　the　time　of　Charles　the　First　the　interlude　
went　much　out　of　fashion　in　England；　in　fact；　the　play　or　regular　
drama　had　superseded　it。　　In　Wales；　however；　it　continued　to　the　
beginning　of　the　present　century；　when　it　yielded　to　the　influence　
of　Methodism。　　Of　all　Welsh　interlude　composers　Twm　O'r　Nant　or　Tom　
of　the　Dingle　was　the　most　famous。　　Here　follows　the　promised　
analysis　of　his　〃Riches　and　Poverty。〃

The　entire　title　of　the　interlude　is　to　this　effect。　　The　two　prime　
opponents　Riches　and　Poverty。　　A　brief　exposition　of　their　contrary　
effects　on　the　world；　with　short　and　appropriate　explanations　of　
their　quality　and　substance　according　to　the　rule　of　the　four　
elements；　Water；　Fire；　Earth；　and　Air。

First　of　all　enter　Fool；　Sir　Jemant　Wamal；　who　in　rather　a　foolish　
speech　tells　the　audience　that　they　are　about　to　hear　a　piece　
composed　by　Tom　the　poet。　　Then　appears　Captain　Riches；　who　makes　a　
long　speech　about　his　influence　in　the　world　and　the　general　
contempt　in　which　Poverty　is　held；　he　is；　however；　presently　
checked　by　the　Fool；　who　tells　him　some　home　truths；　and　asks　him；　
among　other　questions；　whether　Solomon　did　not　say　that　it　is　not　
meet　to　despise　a　poor　man；　who　conducts　himself　rationally。　　Then　
appears　Howel　Tightbelly；　the　miser；　who　in　capital　verse；　with　
very　considerable　glee　and　exultation；　gives　an　account　of　his　
manifold　rascalities。　　Then　comes　his　wife；　Esther　Steady；　home　
from　the　market；　between　whom　and　her　husband　there　is　a　pithy　
dialogue。　　Captain　Riches　and　Captain　Poverty　then　meet；　without　
rancour；　however；　and　have　a　long　discourse　about　the　providence　of　
God；　whose　agents　they　own　themselves　to　be。　　Enter　then　an　old　
worthless　scoundrel　called　Diogyn　Trwstan；　or　Luckless　Lazybones；　
who　is　upon　the　parish；　and　who；　in　a　very　entertaining　account　of　
his　life；　confesses　that　he　was　never　good　for　anything；　but　was　a　
liar　and　an　idler　from　his　infancy。　　Enter　again　the　Miser