wild wales-第9节

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a　large　perllan　or　orchard；　which　sloped　down　gently　to　the　banks　
of　the　Dee；　its　back　was　towards　the　road　leading　from　Wrexham；　
behind　which　was　a　high　bank；　on　the　top　of　which　was　a　canal　
called　in　Welsh　the　Camlas；　whose　commencement　was　up　the　valley　
about　two　miles　west。　　A　little　way　up　the　road；　towards　Wrexham；　
was　the　vicarage　and　a　little　way　down　was　a　flannel　factory；　
beyond　which　was　a　small　inn；　with　pleasure　grounds；　kept　by　an　
individual　who　had　once　been　a　gentleman's　servant。　　The　mistress　
of　the　house　was　a　highly　respectable　widow；　who；　with　a　servant　
maid　was　to　wait　upon　us。　　It　was　as　agreeable　a　place　in　all　
respects　as　people　like　ourselves　could　desire。

As　I　and　my　family　sat　at　tea　in　our　parlour；　an　hour　or　two　after　
we　had　taken　possession　of　our　lodgings；　the　door　of　the　room　and　
that　of　the　entrance　to　the　house　being　open；　on　account　of　the　
fineness　of　the　weather；　a　poor　black　cat　entered　hastily；　sat　down　
on　the　carpet　by　the　table；　looked　up　towards　us；　and　mewed　
piteously。　　I　never　had　seen　so　wretched　a　looking　creature。　　It　
was　dreadfully　attenuated；　being　little　more　than　skin　and　bone；　
and　was　sorely　afflicted　with　an　eruptive　malady。　　And　here　I　may　
as　well　relate　the　history　of　this　cat　previous　to　our　arrival　
which　I　subsequently　learned　by　bits　and　snatches。　　It　had　belonged　
to　a　previous　vicar　of　Llangollen；　and　had　been　left　behind　at　his　
departure。　　His　successor　brought　with　him　dogs　and　cats；　who；　
conceiving　that　the　late　vicar's　cat　had　no　business　at　the　
vicarage；　drove　it　forth　to　seek　another　home；　which；　however；　it　
could　not　find。　　Almost　all　the　people　of　the　suburb　were　
dissenters；　as　indeed　were　the　generality　of　the　people　of　
Llangollen；　and　knowing　the　cat　to　be　a　church　cat；　not　only　would　
not　harbour　it；　but　did　all　they　could　to　make　it　miserable；　whilst　
the　few　who　were　not　dissenters；　would　not　receive　it　into　their　
houses；　either　because　they　had　cats　of　their　own；　or　dogs；　or　did　
not　want　a　cat；　so　that　the　cat　had　no　home　and　was　dreadfully　
persecuted　by　nine…tenths　of　the　suburb。　　Oh；　there　never　was　a　cat　
so　persecuted　as　that　poor　Church　of　England　animal；　and　solely　on　
account　of　the　opinions　which　it　was　supposed　to　have　imbibed　in　
the　house　of　its　late　master；　for　I　never　could　learn　that　the　
dissenters　of　the　suburb；　nor　indeed　of　Llangollen　in　general；　were　
in　the　habit　of　persecuting　other　cats；　the　cat　was　a　Church　of　
England　cat；　and　that　was　enough：　　stone　it；　hang　it；　drown　it！　
were　the　cries　of　almost　everybody。　　If　the　workmen　of　the　flannel　
factory；　all　of　whom　were　Calvinistic…Methodists；　chanced　to　get　a　
glimpse　of　it　in　the　road　from　the　windows　of　the　building；　they　
would　sally　forth　in　a　body；　and　with　sticks；　stones；　or　for　want　
of　other　weapons；　with　clots　of　horse　dung；　of　which　there　was　
always　plenty　on　the　road；　would　chase　it　up　the　high　bank　or　
perhaps　over　the　Camlas；　the　inhabitants　of　a　small　street　between　
our　house　and　the　factory　leading　from　the　road　to　the　river；　all　
of　whom　were　dissenters；　if　they　saw　it　moving　about　the　perllan；　
into　which　their　back　windows　looked；　would　shriek　and　hoot　at　it；　
and　fling　anything　of　no　value；　which　came　easily　to　hand；　at　the　
head　or　body　of　the　ecclesiastical　cat。　　The　good　woman　of　the　
house；　who　though　a　very　excellent　person；　was　a　bitter　dissenter；　
whenever　she　saw　it　upon　her　ground　or　heard　it　was　there；　would　
make　after　it；　frequently　attended　by　her　maid　Margaret；　and　her　
young　son；　a　boy　about　nine　years　of　age；　both　of　whom　hated　the　
cat；　and　were　always　ready　to　attack　it；　either　alone　or　in　
company；　and　no　wonder；　the　maid　being　not　only　a　dissenter；　but　a　
class　teacher；　and　the　boy　not　only　a　dissenter；　but　intended　for　
the　dissenting　ministry。　　Where　it　got　its　food；　and　food　it　
sometimes　must　have　got；　for　even　a　cat；　an　animal　known　to　have　
nine　lives；　cannot　live　without　food；　was　only　known　to　itself；　as　
was　the　place　where　it　lay；　for　even　a　cat　must　lie　down　sometimes；　
though　a　labouring　man　who　occasionally　dug　in　the　garden　told　me　
he　believed　that　in　the　springtime　it　ate　freshets；　and　the　woman　
of　the　house　once　said　that　she　believed　it　sometimes　slept　in　the　
hedge；　which　hedge；　by…the…bye；　divided　our　perllan　from　the　
vicarage　grounds；　which　were　very　extensive。　　Well　might　the　cat　
after　having　led　this　kind　of　life　for　better　than　two　years　look　
mere　skin　and　bone　when　it　made　its　appearance　in　our　apartment；　
and　have　an　eruptive　malady；　and　also　a　bronchitic　cough；　for　I　
remember　it　had　both。　　How　it　came　to　make　its　appearance　there　is　
a　mystery；　for　it　had　never　entered　the　house　before；　even　when　
there　were　lodgers；　that　it　should　not　visit　the　woman；　who　was　its　
declared　enemy；　was　natural　enough；　but　why　if　it　did　not　visit　her　
other　lodgers；　did　it　visit　us？　　Did　instinct　keep　it　aloof　from　
them？　　Did　instinct　draw　it　towards　us？　　We　gave　it　some　bread…and…
butter；　and　a　little　tea　with　milk　and　sugar。　　It　ate　and　drank　and　
soon　began　to　purr。　　The　good　woman　of　the　house　was　horrified　when　
on　coming　in　to　remove　the　things　she　saw　the　church　cat　on　her　
carpet。　　〃What　impudence！〃　she　exclaimed；　and　made　towards　it；　but　
on　our　telling　her　that　we　did　not　expect　that　it　should　be　

disturbed；　she　let　it　alone。　　A　very　remarkable　circumstance　was；　
that　though　the　cat　had　hitherto　been　in　the　habit　of　flying；　not　
only　from　her　face；　but　the　very　echo　of　her　voice；　it　now　looked　
her　in　the　face　with　perfect　composure；　as　much　as　to　say；　〃I　don't　
fear　you；　for　I　know　that　I　am　now　safe　and　with　my　own　people。〃　　
It　stayed　with　us　two　hours　and　then　went　away。　　The　next　morning　
it　returned。　　To　be　short；　though　it　went　away　every　night；　it　
became　our　own　cat；　and　one　of　our　family。　　I　gave　it　something　
which　cured　it　of　its　eruption；　and　through　good　treatment　it　soon　
lost　its　other　ailments　and　began　to　look　sleek　and　bonny。



CHAPTER　VIII



The　Mowers　…　Deep　Welsh　…　Extensive　View　…　Old　Celtic　Hatred　…　Fish　
Preserving　…　Smollet's　Morgan。


NEXT　morning　I　set　out　to　ascend　Dinas　Bran；　a　number　of　children；　
almost　entirely　girls；　followed　me。　　I　asked　them　why　they　came　
after　me。　　〃In　the　hope　that　you　will　give　us　something；〃　said　one　
in　very　good　English。　　I　told　them　that　I　should　give　them　nothing；　
but　they　still　followed　me。　　A　little　way　up　the　hill　I　saw　some　
men　cutting　hay。　　I　made　an　observation　to　one　of　them　respecting　
the　fineness　of　the　weather；　he　answered　civilly；　and　rested　on　his　
scythe；　whilst　the　others　pursued　their　work。　　I　asked　him　whether　
he　was　a　farming　man；　he　told　me　that　he　was　not；　that　he　generally　
worked　at　the　flannel　manufactory；　but　that　for　some　days　past　he　
had　not　been　employed　there；　work　being　slack；　and　had　on　that　
account　joined　the　mowers　in　order　to　earn　a　few　shillings。　　I　
asked　him　how　it　was　he　knew　how　to　handle　a　scythe；　not　being　bred　
up　a　farming　man；　he　smiled；　and　said　that；　somehow　or　other；　he　
had　learnt　to　do　so。

〃You　speak　very　good　English；〃　said　I；　〃have　you　much　Welsh？〃

〃Plenty；〃　said　he；　〃I　am　a　real　Welshman。〃

〃Can　you　read　Welsh？〃　said　I。

〃Oh；　yes！〃　he　replied。

〃What　books　have　you　read？〃　said　I。

〃I　have　read　the　Bible；　sir；　and　one　or　two　other　books。〃

〃Did　you　ever　read　the　Bardd　Cwsg？〃　said　I。

He　looked　at　me　with　some　surprise。　　〃No；〃　said　he；　after　a　moment　
or　two；　〃I　have　never　read　it。　　I　have　seen　it；　but　it　was　far　too　
deep　Welsh　for　me。〃

〃I　have　read　it；〃　said　I。

〃Are　you　a　Welshman？〃　said　he。

〃No；〃　said　I；　〃I　am　an　Englishman。〃

〃And　how　is　it；〃　said　he；　〃that　you　can　read　Welsh　without　being　a　
Welshman？〃

〃I　learned　to　do　so；〃　said　I；　〃even　as　you　learned　to　mow；　without　
being　bred　up　to　farming　work。〃

〃Ah！　〃said　he；　〃but　it　is　easier　to　learn　to　mow　than　to　read　the　
Bardd　Cwsg。〃

〃I　don't　think　that；〃　said　I；　〃I　have　taken　up　a　scythe　a　hundred　
times　but　I　cannot　mow。〃

〃Will　your　honour　take　mine　now；　and　try　again？〃　said　he。

〃No；〃　said　I；　〃for　if　I　take　your　scythe　in　hand　I　must　give　you　a　
shilling；　you　know；　by　mowers'　law。〃

He　gave　a　broad　grin；　and　I　proceeded　up　the　hill。　　When　he　
rejoined　his　companions　he　said　something　to　them　in　Welsh；　at　
which　they　all　laughed。　　I　reached　the　top　of　the　hill；　the　
children　still　attending　me。

The　view　over　the　vale　is　very　beautiful；　but　on　no　side；　except　in　
the　direction　of　the　west；　is　it　very　extensive；　Dinas　Bran　being　
on　all　other　sides　overtopped　by　other　hills：　　in　that　direction；　
indeed；　the　view　is　extensive　enough；　reaching　on　a　fine　day　even　
to　the　Wyddfa　or　peak　of　Snowdon；　a　distance　of　sixty　miles；　at　
least　as　some　say；　who　perhaps　ought　to　add　to　very　good　eyes；　
which　mine　are　not。　　The　day　that　I　made　my　first　ascent　of　Dinas　
Bran　was　very　clear；　but　I　do　not　think　I　saw　the　Wyddfa　then　from　
the　top　of　Dinas　Bran。　　It　is　true　I　might　see　it　without　knowing　
it；　being　utterly　unacquainted　with　it；　except　by　name；　but　I　
repeat　I　do　not　think　I　saw　it；　and　I　am　quite　sure　that　I　did　not　
see　it　from　the　top　of　Dinas　Bran　on　a　s