wild wales-第90节

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was　now　to　the　east　of　me。　　Its　western　front　was　very　precipitous；　
but　on　its　northern　side　it　was　cultivated　nearly　to　the　summit。　　
As　I　stood　looking　at　it　from　near　the　top　of　a　gentle　acclivity　a　
boy　with　a　team；　whom　I　had　passed　a　little　time　before；　came　up。　　
He　was　whipping　his　horses；　who　were　straining　up　the　ascent；　and　
was　swearing　at　them　most　frightfully　in　English。　　I　addressed　him　
in　that　language；　inquiring　the　name　of　the　crag；　but　he　answered　
Dim　Saesneg；　and　then　again　fell　to　cursing；　his　horses　in　English。　　
I　allowed　him　and　his　team　to　get　to　the　top　of　the　ascent；　and　
then　overtaking　him；　I　said　in　Welsh：　　〃What　do　you　mean　by　saying　
you　have　no　English？　　You　were　talking　English　just　now　to　your　
horses。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　lad；　〃I　have　English　enough　for　my　horses；　and　that　
is　all。〃

〃You　seem　to　have　plenty　of　Welsh；〃　said　I；　〃why　don't　you　speak　
Welsh　to　your　horses？〃

〃It's　of　no　use　speaking　Welsh　to　them；〃　said　the　boy；　〃Welsh　isn't　
strong　enough。〃

〃Isn't　Myn　Diawl　tolerably　strong？〃　said　I。

〃Not　strong　enough　for　horses；〃　said　the　boy　〃if　I　were　to　say　Myn　
Diawl　to　my　horses；　or　even　Cas　Andras；　they　would　laugh　at　me。〃

〃Do　the　other　carters；〃　said　I；　〃use　the　same　English　to　their　
horses　which　you　do　to　yours？〃

〃Yes〃　said　the　boy；　〃they'll　all　use　the　same　English　words；　if　
they　didn't　the　horses　wouldn't　mind　them。〃

〃What　a　triumph；〃　thought　I；　〃for　the　English　language　that　the　
Welsh　carters　are　obliged　to　have　recourse　to　its　oaths　and　
execrations　to　make　their　horses　get　on！〃

I　said　nothing　more　to　the　boy　on　the　subject　of　language；　but　
again　asked　him　the　name　of　the　crag。　　〃It　is　called　Craig　y　
Gorllewin；〃　said　he。　　I　thanked　him；　and　soon　left　him　and　his　team　
far　behind。

Notwithstanding　what　the　boy　said　about　the　milk…and…water　
character　of　native　Welsh　oaths；　the　Welsh　have　some　very　pungent　
execrations；　quite　as　efficacious；　I　should　say；　to　make　a　horse　
get　on　as　any　in　the　English　swearing　vocabulary。　　Some　of　their　
oaths　are　curious；　being　connected　with　heathen　times　and　Druidical　
mythology；　for　example　that　Cas　Andras；　mentioned　by　the　boy；　which　
means　hateful　enemy　or　horrible　Andras。　　Andras　or　Andraste　was　the　
fury　or　Demigorgon　of　the　Ancient　Cumry；　to　whom　they　built　temples　
and　offered　sacrifices　out　of　fear。　　Curious　that　the　same　oath　
should　be　used　by　the　Christian　Cumry　of　the　present　day；　which　was　
in　vogue　amongst　their　pagan　ancestors　some　three　thousand　years　
ago。　　However；　the　same　thing　is　observable　amongst　us　Christian　
English：　　we　say　the　Duse　take　you！　even　as　our　heathen　Saxon　
forefathers　did；　who　worshipped　a　kind　of　Devil　so　called；　and　
named　a　day　of　the　week　after　him；　which　name　we　still　retain　in　
our　hebdomadal　calendar　like　those　of　several　other　Anglo…Saxon　
devils。　　We　also　say：　　Go　to　old　Nick！　and　Nick　or　Nikkur　was　a　
surname　of　Woden；　and　also　the　name　of　a　spirit　which　haunted　fords　
and　was　in　the　habit　of　drowning　passengers。

Night　came　quickly　upon　me　after　I　had　passed　the　swearing　lad。　　
However；　I　was　fortunate　enough　to　reach　Llan　Rhyadr；　without　
having　experienced　any　damage　or　impediment　from　Diawl；　Andras；　
Duse；　or　Nick。



CHAPTER　LXIX



Church　of　Llan　Rhyadr　…　The　Clerk　…　The　Tablet　…　Stone　…　First　View　
of　the　Cataract。


THE　night　was　both　windy　and　rainy　like　the　preceding　one；　but　the　
morning　which　followed；　unlike　that　of　the　day　before；　was　dull　and　
gloomy。　　After　breakfast　I　walked　out　to　take　another　view　of　the　
little　town。　　As　I　stood　looking　at　the　church　a　middle…aged　man　of　
a　remarkably　intelligent　countenance　came　up　and　asked　me　if　I　
should　like　to　see　the　inside。　　I　told　him　I　should；　whereupon　he　
said　that　he　was　the　clerk　and　would　admit　me　with　pleasure。　　
Taking　a　key　out　of　his　pocket　he　unlocked　the　door　of　the　church　
and　we　went　in。　　The　inside　was　sombre；　not　so　much　owing　to　the　
gloominess　of　the　day　as　the　heaviness　of　the　architecture。　　It　
presented　something　in　the　form　of　a　cross。　　I　soon　found　the　clerk　
what　his　countenance　represented　him　to　be；　a　highly　intelligent　
person。　　His　answers　to　my　questions　were　in　general　ready　and　
satisfactory。

〃This　seems　rather　an　ancient　edifice；〃　said　I；　〃when　was　it　
built？〃

〃In　the　sixteenth　century；〃　said　the　clerk；　〃in　the　days　of　Harry　
Tudor。〃

〃Have　any　remarkable　men　been　clergymen　of　this　church？〃

〃Several；　sir；　amongst　its　vicars　was　Doctor　William　Morgan；　the　
great　South　Welshman；　the　author　of　the　old　Welsh　version　of　the　
Bible；　who　flourished　in　the　time　of　Queen　Elizabeth。　　Then　there　
was　Doctor　Robert　South；　an　eminent　divine；　who；　though　not　a　
Welshman；　spoke　and　preached　Welsh　better　than　many　of　the　native　
clergy。　　Then　there　was　the　last　vicar；　Walter　D…；　a　great　preacher　
and　writer；　who　styled　himself　in　print　Gwalter　Mechain。〃

〃Are　Morgan　and　South　buried　here？〃　said　I。

〃They　are　not；　sir；〃　said　the　clerk；　〃they　had　been　transferred　to　
other　benefices　before　they　died。〃

I　did　not　inquire　whether　Walter　D…　was　buried　there；　for　of　him　I　
had　never　heard　before；　but　demanded　whether　the　church　possessed　
any　ancient　monuments。

〃This　is　the　oldest　which　remains；　sir；〃　said　the　clerk；　and　he　
pointed　with　his　finger　to　a　tablet…stone　over　a　little　dark　pew　on　
the　right　side　of　the　oriel　window。　　There　was　an　inscription　upon　
it；　but　owing　to　the　darkness　I　could　not　make　out　a　letter。　　The　
clerk；　however；　read　as　follows。


1694。　　21　Octr。
Hic　Sepultus　Est
Sidneus　Bynner。


〃Do　you　understand　Latin？〃　said　I　to　the　clerk。

〃I　do　not；　sir；　I　believe；　however；　that　the　stone　is　to　the　memory　
of　one　Bynner。〃

〃That　is　not　a　Welsh　name；〃　said　I。

〃It　is　not；　sir；〃　said　the　clerk。

〃It　seems　to　be　radically　the　same　as　Bonner；〃　said　I；　〃the　name　of　
the　horrible　Popish　Bishop　of　London　in　Mary's　time。　　Do　any　people　
of　the　name　of　Bynner　reside　in　this　neighbourhood　at　present？〃

〃None；　sir；〃　said　the　clerk；　〃and　if　the　Bynners　are　descendants　of　
Bonner；　it　is；　perhaps；　well　that　there　are　none。〃

I　made　the　clerk；　who　appeared　almost　fit　to　be　a　clergyman；　a　
small　present；　and　returned　to　the　inn。　　After　paying　my　bill　I　
flung　my　satchel　over　my　shoulder；　took　my　umbrella　by　the　middle　
in　my　right　hand；　and　set　off　for　the　Rhyadr。

I　entered　the　narrow　glen　at　the　western　extremity　of　the　town　and　
proceeded　briskly　along。　　The　scenery　was　romantically　beautiful；　
on　my　left　was　the　little　brook；　the　waters　of　which　run　through　
the　town；　beyond　it　a　lofty　hill；　on　my　right　was　a　hill　covered　
with　wood　from　the　top　to　the　bottom。　　I　enjoyed　the　scene；　and　
should　have　enjoyed　it　more　had　there　been　a　little　sunshine　to　
gild　it。

I　passed　through　a　small　village；　the　name　of　which　I　think　was　
Cynmen；　and　presently　overtook　a　man　and　boy。　　The　man　saluted　me　
in　English；　and　I　entered　into　conversation　with　him　in　that　
language。　　He　told　me　that　he　came　from　Llan　Gedwin；　and　was　going　
to　a　place　called　Gwern　something；　in　order　to　fetch　home　some　
sheep。　　After　a　time　he　asked　me　where　I　was　going。

〃I　am　going　to　see　the　Pistyll　Rhyadr；〃　said　I

We　had　then　just　come　to　the　top　of　a　rising　ground。

〃Yonder's　the　Pistyll！〃　said　he；　pointing　to　the　west。

I　looked　in　the　direction　of　his　finger；　and　saw　something　at　a　
great　distance；　which　looked　like　a　strip　of　grey　linen　hanging　
over　a　crag。

〃That　is　the　waterfall；〃　he　continued；　〃which　so　many　of　the　Saxons　
come　to　see。　　And　now　I　must　bid　you　good…bye；　master；　for　my　way　
to　the　Gwern　is　on　the　right〃

Then　followed　by　the　boy　he　turned　aside　into　a　wild　road　at　the　
corner　of　a　savage；　precipitous　rock。



CHAPTER　LXX



Mountain　Scenery　…　The　Rhyadr　…　Wonderful　Feat。


AFTER　walking　about　a　mile　with　the　cataract　always　in　sight；　I　
emerged　from　the　glen　into　an　oblong　valley　extending　from　south　to　
north；　having　lofty　hills　on　all　sides；　especially　on　the　west；　
from　which　direction　the　cataract　comes。　　I　advanced　across　the　
vale　till　within　a　furlong　of　this　object；　when　I　was　stopped　by　a　
deep　hollow　or　nether　vale　into　which　the　waters　of　the　cataract　
tumble。　　On　the　side　of　this　hollow　I　sat　down；　and　gazed　down　
before　me　and　on　either　side。　　The　water　comes　spouting　over　a　crag　
of　perhaps　two　hundred　feet　in　altitude　between　two　hills；　one　
south…east　and　the　other　nearly　north。　　The　southern　hill　is　wooded　
from　the　top；　nearly　down　to　where　the　cataract　bursts　forth；　and　
so；　but　not　so　thickly；　is　the　northern　hill；　which　bears　a　
singular　resemblance　to　a　hog's　back。　　Groves　of　pine　are　on　the　
lower　parts　of　both；　in　front　of　a　grove　low　down　on　the　northern　
hill　is　a　small　white　house　of　a　picturesque　appearance。　　The　water　
of　the　cataract；　after　reaching　the　bottom　of　the　precipice；　rushes　
in　a　narrow　brook　down　the　vale　in　the　direction　of　Llan　Rhyadr。　　
To　the　north…east；　between　the　hog…backed　hill　and　another　strange…
looking　mountain；　is　a　wild　glen；　from　which　comes　a　brook　to　swell　
the　waters　discharged　by　the　Rhyadr。　　The　south…west　side　of　the　
vale　is　steep；　and　from　a　cleft　of　a　hill　i