wild wales-第97节

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me。　　Mallwyd　is　to　the　south　of　Dinas　…　the　way　to　it　is　by　a　
romantic　gorge　down　which　flows　the　Royal　Dyfi。　　As　I　proceeded　
along　this　gorge　the　moon　rising　above　Moel　Vrith　illumined　my　
path。　　In　about　half…an…hour　I　found　myself　before　the　inn　at　
Mallwyd。



CHAPTER　LXXV



Inn　at　Mallwyd　…　A　Dialogue　…　The　Cumro。


I　ENTERED　the　inn；　and　seeing　a　comely…looking　damsel　at　the　bar；　I　
told　her　that　I　was　in　need　of　supper　and　a　bed。　　She　conducted　me　
into　a　neat　sanded　parlour；　where　a　good　fire　was　blazing；　and　
asked　me　what　I　would　have　for　supper。　　〃Whatever　you　can　most　
readily　provide；〃　said　I；　〃I　am　not　particular。〃　　The　maid　retired；　
and　taking　off　my　hat；　and　disencumbering　myself　of　my　satchel；　I　
sat　down　before　the　fire　and　fell　into　a　doze；　in　which　I　dreamed　
of　some　of　the　wild　scenes　through　which　I　had　lately　passed。

I　dozed　and　dozed　till　I　was　roused　by　the　maid　touching　me　on　the　
shoulder　and　telling　me　that　supper　was　ready。　　I　got　up　and　
perceived　that　during　my　doze　she　had　laid　the　cloth　and　put　supper　
upon　the　table。　　It　consisted　of　bacon　and　eggs。　　During　supper　I　
had　some　conversation　with　the　maid。

MYSELF。　…　Are　you　a　native　of　this　place？

MAID。　…　I　am　not；　sir；　I　come　from　Dinas。

MYSELF。　…　Are　your　parents　alive？

MAID。　…　My　mother　is　alive；　sir；　but　my　father　is　dead。

MYSELF。　…　Where　does　your　mother　live？

MAID。　…　At　Dinas；　sir。

MYSELF。　…　How　does　she　support　herself？

MAID。　…　By　letting　lodgings　to　miners；　sir。

MYSELF。　…　Are　the　miners　quiet　lodgers？

MAID。　…　Not　always；　sir；　sometimes　they　get　up　at　night　and　fight　
with　each　other。

MYSELF。　…　What　does　your　mother　do　on　those　occasions？

MAID。　…　She　draws　the　quilt　over　her　head；　and　says　her　prayers；　
sir。

MYSELF。　…　Why　doesn't　she　get　up　and　part　them？

MAID。　…　Lest　she　should　get　a　punch　or　a　thwack　for　her　trouble；　
sir。

MYSELF。　…　Of　what　religion　are　the　miners？

MAID。　…　They　are　Methodists；　if　they　are　anything；　but　they　don't　
trouble　their　heads　much　about　religion。

MYSELF。　…　Of　what　religion　are　you？

MAID。　…　I　am　of　the　Church；　sir。

MYSELF。　…　Did　you　always　belong　to　the　Church？

MAID。　…　Not　always。　　When　I　was　at　Dinas　I　used　to　hear　the　
preacher；　but　since　I　have　been　here　I　have　listened　to　the　
clergyman。

MYSELF。　…　Is　the　clergyman　here　a　good　man？

MAID。　…　A　very　good　man　indeed；　sir。　　He　lives　close　by。　　Shall　I　
go　and　tell　him　you　want　to　speak　to　him？

MYSELF。　…　Oh　dear　me；　no！　　He　can　employ　his　time　much　more　
usefully　than　in　waiting　upon　me。

After　supper　I　sat　quiet　for　about　an　hour。　　Then　ringing　the　bell；　
I　inquired　of　the　maid　whether　there　was　a　newspaper　in　the　house。　　
She　told　me　there　was　not；　but　that　she　thought　she　could　procure　
me　one。　　In　a　little　time　she　brought　me　a　newspaper；　which　she　
said　she　had　borrowed　at　the　parsonage。　　It　was　the　CUMRO；　an　
excellent　Welsh　journal　written　in　the　interest　of　the　Church。　　In　
perusing　its　columns　I　passed　a　couple　of　hours　very　agreeably；　and　
then　went　to　bed。



CHAPTER　LXXVI



Mallwyd　and　its　Church　…　Sons　of　Shoemakers　…　Village　Inn　…　
Dottings。


THE　next　day　was　the　thirty…first　of　October；　and　was　rather　fine　
for　the　season。　　As　I　did　not　intend　to　journey　farther　this　day　
than　Machynlleth；　a　principal　town　in　Montgomeryshire；　distant　only　
twelve　miles；　I　did　not　start　from　Mallwyd　till　just　before　noon。

Mallwyd　is　a　small　but　pretty　village。　　The　church　is　a　long　
edifice　standing　on　a　slight　elevation　on　the　left　of　the　road。　　
Its　pulpit　is　illustrious　from　having　for　many　years　been　occupied　
by　one　of　the　very　celebrated　men　of　Wales；　namely　Doctor　John　
Davies；　author　of　the　great　Welsh　and　Latin　dictionary；　an　
imperishable　work。　　An　immense　yew　tree　grows　in　the　churchyard；　
and　partly　overshadows　the　road　with　its　branches。　　The　parsonage　
stands　about　a　hundred　yards　to　the　south　of　the　church；　near　a　
grove　of　firs。　　The　village　is　overhung　on　the　north　by　the　
mountains　of　the　Arran　range；　from　which　it　is　separated　by　the　
murmuring　Dyfi。　　To　the　south　for　many　miles　the　country　is　not　
mountainous；　but　presents　a　pleasant　variety　of　hill　and　dale。

After　leaving　the　village　a　little　way　behind　me　I　turned　round　to　
take　a　last　view　of　the　wonderful　region　from　which　I　had　emerged　
on　the　previous　evening。　　Forming　the　two　sides　of　the　pass　down　
which　comes　〃the　royal　river〃　stood　the　Dinas　mountain　and　Cefn　
Coch；　the　first　on　the　left；　and　the　other　on　the　right。　　Behind；　
forming　the　background　of　the　pass；　appearing；　though　now　some　
miles　distant；　almost　in　my　proximity；　stood　Pen　Dyn。　　This　hill　
has　various　names；　but　the　one　which　I　have　noted　here；　and　which　
signifies　the　head　of　a　man；　perhaps　describes　it　best。　　From　where　
I　looked　at　it　on　that　last　day　of　October　it　certainly　looked　like　
an　enormous　head；　and　put　me　in　mind　of　the　head　of　Mambrino；　
mentioned　in　the　master　work　which　commemorates　the　achievements　of　
the　Manchegan　knight。　　This　mighty　mountain　is　the　birthplace　of　
more　than　one　river。　　If　the　Gerres　issues　from　its　eastern　side；　
from　its　western　springs　the　Maw；　that　singularly　picturesque　
stream；　which　enters　the　ocean　at　the　place　which　the　Saxons　
corruptly　call　Barmouth　and　the　Cumry　with　great　propriety　Aber　
Maw；　or　the　disemboguement　of　the　Maw。

Just　as　I　was　about　to　pursue　my　journey　two　boys　came　up；　bound　in　
the　same　direction　as　myself。　　One　was　a　large　boy　dressed　in　a　
waggoner's　frock；　the　other　was　a　little　fellow　in　a　brown　coat　and　
yellowish　trowsers。　　As　we　walked　along　together　I　entered　into　
conversation　with　them。　　They　came　from　Dinas　Mawddwy。　　The　large　
boy　told　me　that　he　was　the　son　of　a　man　who　carted　mwyn　or　lead　
ore；　and　the　little　fellow　that　he　was　the　son　of　a　shoemaker。　　The　
latter　was　by　far　the　cleverest；　and　no　wonder；　for　the　son　of　
shoemakers　are　always　clever；　which　assertion　should　anybody　doubt　
I　beg　him　to　attend　the　examinations　at　Cambridge；　at　which　he　will　
find　that　in　three　cases　out　of　four　the　senior　wranglers　are　the　
sons　of　shoemakers。　　From　this　little　chap　I　got　a　great　deal　of　
information　about　Pen　Dyn；　every　part　of　which　he　appeared　to　have　
traversed。　　He　told　me　amongst　other　things　that　there　was　a　castle　
upon　it。　　Like　a　true　son　of　a　shoemaker；　however；　he　was　an　arch　
rogue。　　Coming　to　a　small　house　with　a　garden　attached　to　it　in　
which　there　were　apple…trees；　he　stopped；　whilst　I　went　on　with　the　
other　boy；　and　after　a　minute　or　two　came　up　running　with　a　couple　
of　apples　in　his　hand。

〃Where　did　you　get　those　apples？〃　said　I；　〃I　hope　you　did　not　steal　
them。〃

He　made　no　reply；　but　bit　one；　then　making　a　wry　face　he　flung　it　
away；　and　so　he　served　the　other。　　Presently　afterwards；　coming　to　
a　side　lane；　the　future　senior　wrangler；　for　a　senior　wrangler　he　
is　destined　to　be；　always　provided　he　finds　his　way　to　Cambridge；　
darted　down　it　like　an　arrow；　and　disappeared。

I　continued　my　way　with　the　other　lad；　occasionally　asking　him　
questions　about　the　mines　of　Mawddwy。　　The　information；　however；　
which　I　obtained　from　him　was　next　to　nothing；　for　he　appeared　to　
be　as　heavy　as　the　stuff　which　his　father　carted。　　At　length　we　
reached　a　village　forming　a　kind　of　semicircle　on　a　green　which　
looked　something　like　a　small　English　common。　　To　the　east　were　
beautiful　green　hills；　to　the　west　the　valley　with　the　river　
running　through　it；　beyond　which　rose　other　green　hills　yet　more　
beautiful　than　the　eastern　ones。　　I　asked　the　lad　the　name　of　the　
place；　but　I　could　not　catch　what　he　said；　for　his　answer　was　
merely　an　indistinct　mumble；　and　before　I　could　question　him　again　
he　left　me；　without　a　word　of　salutation；　and　trudged　away　across　
the　green。

Descending　a　hill　I　came　to　a　bridge；　under　which　ran　a　beautiful　
river；　which　came　foaming　down　from　a　gulley　between　two　of　the　
eastern　hills。　　From　a　man　whom　I　met　I　learned　that　the　bridge　was　
called　Pont　Coomb　Linau；　and　that　the　name　of　the　village　I　had　
passed　was　Linau。　　The　river　carries　an　important　tribute　to　the　
Dyfi；　at　least　it　did　when　I　saw　it；　though　perhaps　in　summer　it　is　
little　more　than　a　dry　water…course。

Half…an…hour's　walking　brought　me　from　this　place　to　a　small　town　
or　large　village；　with　a　church　at　the　entrance　and　the　usual　yew　
tree　in　the　churchyard。　　Seeing　a　kind　of　inn　I　entered　it；　and　was　
shown　by　a　lad…waiter　into　a　large　kitchen；　in　which　were　several　
people。　　I　had　told　him　in　Welsh　that　I　wanted　some　ale；　and　as　he　
opened　the　door　he　cried　with　a　loud　voice；　〃Cumro！〃　as　much　as　to　
say；　Mind　what　you　say　before　this　chap；　for　he　understands　Cumraeg　
…　that　word　was　enough。　　The　people；　who　were　talking　fast　and　
eagerly　as　I　made　my　appearance；　instantly　became　silent　and　stared　
at　me　with　most　suspicious　looks。　　I　sat　down；　and　when　my　ale　was　
brought　I　took　a　hearty　draught；　and　observing　that　the　company　
were　still　watching　me　suspiciously　and　maintaining　the　same　
suspicious　silence；　I　determined　to　comport　myself　in　a　manner　
which　should　to　a　certain　extent　afford　them　ground　for　suspicion。　　
I　th