men of invention and industry-第75节

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Makes　dalliance　in　the　night。



〃It　sweeps　with　eagle　glances　

The　sky；　its　myriad　throng；　

That　myriad　throng　to　marshal　

And　bring　to　us　their　song。



〃Orb　upon　orb　it　follows　

As　oft　they　intertwine；　

And　worlds　in　vast　processions　

As　if　in　battle　line。



〃It　loves　all　things　created；　

To　follow　and　to　trace；　

And　never　fears　to　penetrate　

The　dark　abyss　of　space。〃



The　next　is　to　'The　Comet'：…



〃A　maiden　fair；　with　light　of　stars　bedecked；　

Starts　out　of　space　at　Jove's　command；　

With　visage　wild；　and　long　dishevelled　hair；　

Speeds　she　along　her　starry　course；　

The　hosts　of　heaven　regards　she　not；　

Fain　would　she　scorn　them　all　except　her　father　Sol；　

Whose　mighty　influence　her　headlong　course　doth　all　control。〃



The　following　translation　may　also　be　given：　it　shows　that　the

bard　is　not　without　a　spice　of　wit。　　A　fellow…workman　teased　him

to　write　some　lines；　when　John　Jones；　in　a　seemingly　innocent

manner；　put　some　questions；　and　ascertained　that　he　had　once　been

a　tailor。　　Accordingly　this　epigram　was　written；　and　appeared　in

the　local　paper　the　week　after：　〃To　a　quondam　Tailor；　now　a

Slate…teller〃：



〃To　thread　and　needle　now　good…bye；　

With　slates　I　aim　at　riches；　

The　scissors　will　I　ne'er　more　ply；　

Nor　make；　but　order；　breeches。〃＇12＇



The　bi…lingual　speech　is　the　great　educational　difficulty　of

Wales。　　To　get　an　entrance　into　literature　and　science　requires　a

knowledge　of　English；　or；　if　not　of　English；　then　of　French　or

German。　　But　the　Welsh　language　stands　in　the　way。　　Few　literary

or　scientific　works　are　translated　into　Welsh。　　Hence　the　great

educational　difficulty　continues；　and　is　maintained　from　year　to

year　by　patriotism　and　Eisteddfods。



Possibly　the　difficulties　to　be　encountered　may　occasionally

evoke　unusual　powers　of　study；　but　this　can　only　occur　in

exceptional　cases。　　While　at　Bangor　Mr。　Cadwalladr　Davies　read　to

me　the　letter　of　a　student　and　professor；　whose　passion　for

knowledge　is　of　an　extraordinary　character。　　While　examined

before　the　Parliamentary　Committee　appointed　to　inquire　into　the

condition　of　intermediate　and　higher　education　in　Wales　and

Monmouthshire；　Mr。　Davies　gave　evidence　relating　to　this　and

other　remarkable　cases；　of　which　the　following　is　an　abstract；

condensed　by　himself：



〃The　night　schools　in　the　quarry　districts　have　been　doing　a　very

great　work；　and；　if　the　Committee　will　allow　me；　I　will　read　an

extract　from　a　letter　which　I　received　from　Mr。　Bradley　Jones；

master　of　the　Board　Schools　at　Llanarmon；　near　Mold；　Flintshire；

who　some　years　ago　kept　a　very　flourishing　night　school　in　the

neighbourhood。　　He　says：　'During　the　whole　of　the　time　（fourteen

years）　that　I　was　at　Carneddi；　I　carried　on　these　schools；　and　I

believe　I　have　had　more　experience　of　such　institutions　than　any

teacher　in　North　Wales。　　For　several　years　about　120　scholars

used　to　attend　the　Carneddi　night　school　in　the　winter　months；

four　evenings　a　week。　　Nearly　all　were　quarrymen；　from　fourteen

to　twenty…one　years　of　age；　and　engaged　at　work　from　7　A。M。　to

5。30　P。M。　　So　intense　was　their　desire　for　education　that　some　of

them　had　to　walk　a　distance　of　two　or　even　three　miles　to　school。



These；　besides　working　hard　all　day；　had　to　walk　six　miles　in　the

one　case　and　nine　in　the　other　before　school…time；　in　addition　to

the　walk　home　afterwards。　　Several　of　them　used　to　attend　all　the

year　round；　even　coming　to　me　for　lessons　in　summer　before　going

to　work；　as　well　as　in　the　evening。　　Indeed；　so　anxious　were　some

of　them；　that　they　would　often　come　for　lessons　as　early　as　five

o'clock　in　the　morning。　　This　may　appear　almost　incredible；　but

any　of　the　managers　of　the　Carneddi　School　could　corroborate　the

statement。'



〃I　have　now　in　my　mind's　eye；〃　continues　Mr。　Bradley；　〃several　of

these　young　men；　who；　by　dint　of　indefatigable　labour　and

self…denial；　ultimately　qualified　themselves　for　posts　in　which　a

good　education　is　a　sine　qua　non。　　Some　of　them　are　to…day　quarry

managers；　professional　men；　certificated　teachers；　and　ministers

of　the　Gospel。　　Five　of　them　are　at　the　present　time　students　at

Bala　College。　　One　got　a　situation　in　the　Glasgow　Post　Office　as

letter…carrier。　　During　his　leisure　hours　he　attended　the

lectures　at　one　of　the　medical　schools　of　that　city；　and　in

course　of　time　gained　his　diploma。　　He　is　now　practising　as　a

surgeon；　and　I　understand　with　signal　success。　　This　gentleman

worked　in　the　Penrhyn　Quarry　until　he　was　twenty　years　old。　　I

could　give　many　more　instances　of　the　resolute　and　self…denying

spirit　with　which　the　young　quarrymen　of　Bethesda　sought　to

educate　themselves。　　The　teachers　of　the　other　schools　in　that

neighbourhood　could　give　similar　examples；　for　during　the　winter

months　there　used　to　be　no　less　than　300　evening　scholars　under

instruction　in　the　different　schools。　　The　Bethesda　booksellers

could　tell　a　tale　that　would　surprise　our　English　friends。　　I

have　been　informed　by　one　of　them　that　he　has　sold　to　young

quarrymen　an　immense　number　of　such　works　as　Lord　Macaulay's；

Stuart　Mill's；　and　Professor　Fawcett's；　and　it　is　no　uncommon

sight　to　find　these　and　similar　works　read　and　studied　by　the

young　quarrymen　during　the　dinner　hour。〃



〃I　can　give；〃　proceeds　Mr。　Cadwalladr　Davies；　〃one　remarkable

instance　to　show　the　struggles　which　young　Welshmen　have　to

undertake　in　order　to　get　education。　　The　boy　in　question；　the

son　of　'poor　but　honest　parents；'　left　the　small　national　school

of　his　native　village　when　he　was　12　1/2　years　of　age；　and　then

followed　his　father's　occupation　of　shoemaking　until　he　was　16

1/2　years　of　age。　　After　working　hard　at　his　trade　for　four

years；　he；　his　brother；　and　two　fellow　apprentices；　formed

themselves　into　a　sort　of　club　to　learn　shorthand；　the　whole

matter　being　kept　a　profound　secret。　　They　had　no　teachers；　and

they　met　at　the　gas…works；　sitting　opposite　the　retorts　on　a

bench　supported　at　each　end　with　bricks。　　They　did　not　penetrate

far　into　the　mysteries　of　Welsh　shorthand；　they　soon　abandoned

the　attempt；　and　induced　the　village　schoolmaster　to　open　a　night

school。



This；　however；　did　not　last　long。　　The　young　Crispin　was

returning　late　one　night　from　Llanrwst　in　company　with　a　lad　of

the　same　age；　and　both　having　heard　much　of　the　blessings　of

education　from　a　Scotch　lady　who　took　a　kindly　interest　in　them；

their　ambition　was　inflamed；　and　they　entered　into　a　solemn

compact　that　they　would　thenceforward　devote　themselves　body　and

soul　to　the　attainment　of　an　academical　degree。　　Yet　they　were

both　poor。　　One　was　but　a　shoemaker's　apprentice；　while　the　other

was　a　pupil　teacher　earning　but　a　miserable　weekly　pittance。　　One

could　do　the　parts　of　speech；　the　other　could　not。　　One　had

struggled　with　the　pans　asinorum；　the　other　had　never　seen　it。　　I

may　mention　that　the　young　pupil　teacher　is　now　a　curate　in　the

Church　of　England。　　He　is　a　graduate　of　Cambridge　University　and

a　prizeman　of　Clare　College。　　But　to　return　to　the　little

shoemaker。



〃After　returning　home　from　Llanrwst；　he　disburthened　his　heart　to

his　mother；　and　told　her　that　shoemaking；　which　until　now　he　had

pursued　with　extraordinary　zest；　could　no　longer　interest　him。　

His　mother；　who　was　equal　to　the　emergency；　sent　the　boy　to　a

teacher　of　the　old　school；　who　had　himself　worked　his　way　from

the　plough。　　After　the　exercise　of　considerable　diplomacy；　an

arrangement　was　arrived　at　whereby　the　youth　was　to　go　to　school

on　Mondays；　Wednesdays；　and　Fridays；　and　make　shoes　during　the

remaining　days　of　the　week。　　This　suited　him　admirably。　　That

very　night　he　seized　upon　a　geography；　and　began　to　learn　the

counties　of　England　and　Wales。　　The　fear　of　failure　never　left

him　for　two　hours　together；　except　when　he　slept。　　The　plan　of

work　was　faithfully　kept；　though　by　this　time　shoemaking　had　lost

its　charms。　　He　shortened　his　sleeping　hours；　and　rose　at　any

moment　that　he　awokeat　two；　three；　or　four　in　the　morning。　　He

got　his　brother；　who　had　been　plodding　with　him　over　shorthand；

to　study　horticulture；　and　fruit　and　vegetable　culture；　and　that

brother　shortly　after　took　a　high　place　in　an　examination　held　by

the　Royal　Horticultural　Society。　　For　a　time；　however；　they

worked　together；　and　often　did　their　mother　get　up　at　four

o'clock　in　the　depth　of　winter；　light　their　fire；　and　return　to

bed　after　calling　them　up　to　the　work　of　self…culture。　　Even　this

did　not　satisfy　their　devouring　ambition。　　There　was　a　bed　in　the

workshop；　and　they　obtained　permission　to　sleep　there。　　Then　they

followed　their　own　plans。　　The　young　gardener　would　sit　up　till

one　or　two　in　the　morning；　and　wake　his　brother；　who　had　gone　to

bed　as　soon　as　he　had　given　up　work　the　night　before。



Now　he　got　up　and　studied　through　the　small　hours　of　the　morning

until　the　time　came　when　he　had　to　transfer　his　industry　to

sho