itinerary of archibishop-第16章

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　by　the　lower　way　near　the　sea；　although　in　the　midst　of　many　others；　was　the　only　one　which　sunk　down　into　the　abyss；　but　he　was　at　last；　with　great　difficulty；　extricated；　and　not　without　some　damage　done　to　the　baggage　and　books。　　Yet；　although　we　had　Morgan；　the　prince　of　that　country；　as　our　conductor；　we　did　not　reach　the　river　without　great　peril；　and　some　severe　falls；　for　the　alarm　occasioned　by　this　unusual　kind　of　road；　made　us　hasten　our　steps　over　the　quicksands；　in　opposition　to　the　advice　of　our　guide；　and　fear　quickened　our　pace；　whereas；　through　these　difficult　passages；　as　we　there　learned；　the　mode　of　proceeding　should　be　with　moderate　speed。　　But　as　the　fords　of　that　river　experience　a　change　by　every　monthly　tide；　and　cannot　be　found　after　violent　rains　and　floods；　we　did　not　attempt　the　ford；　but　passed　the　river　in　a　boat；　leaving　the　monastery　of　Neth　｛90｝　on　our　right　hand；　approaching　again　to　the　district　of　St。　David's；　and　leaving　the　diocese　of　Landaf　（which　we　had　entered　at　Abergevenny）　behind　us。

It　happened　in　our　days　that　David　II。；　bishop　of　St。　David's；　passing　this　way；　and　finding　the　ford　agitated　by　a　recent　storm；　a　chaplain　of　those　parts；　named　Rotherch　Falcus；　being　conversant　in　the　proper　method　of　crossing　these　rivers；　undertook；　at　the　desire　of　the　bishop；　the　dangerous　task　of　trying　the　ford。　　Having　mounted　a　large　and　powerful　horse；　which　had　been　selected　from　the　whole　train　for　this　purpose；　he　immediately　crossed　the　ford；　and　fled　with　great　rapidity　to　the　neighbouring　woods；　nor　could　he　be　induced　to　return　until　the　suspension　which　he　had　lately　incurred　was　removed；　and　a　full　promise　of　security　and　indemnity　obtained；　the　horse　was　then　restored　to　one　party；　and　his　service　to　the　other。

Entering　the　province　called　Goer；　｛91｝　we　spent　the　night　at　the　castle　of　Sweynsei；　｛92｝　which　in　Welsh　is　called　Abertawe；　or　the　fall　of　the　river　Tawe　into　the　sea。　　The　next　morning；　the　people　being　assembled　after　mass；　and　many　having　been　induced　to　take　the　cross；　an　aged　man　of　that　district；　named　Cador；　thus　addressed　the　archbishop：　　〃My　lord；　if　I　now　enjoyed　my　former　strength；　and　the　vigour　of　youth；　no　alms　should　ransom　me；　no　desire　of　inactivity　restrain　me；　from　engaging　in　the　laudable　undertaking　you　preach；　but　since　my　weak　age　and　the　injuries　of　time　deprive　me　of　this　desirable　benefit　（for　approaching　years　bring　with　them　many　comforts；　which　those　that　are　passed　take　away）；　if　I　cannot；　owing　to　the　infirmity　of　my　body；　attain　a　full　merit；　yet　suffer　me；　by　giving　a　tenth　of　all　I　possess；　to　attain　a　half。〃　　Then　falling　down　at　the　feet　of　the　archbishop；　he　deposited　in　his　hands；　for　the　service　of　the　cross；　the　tenth　of　his　estate；　weeping　bitterly；　and　intreating　from　him　the　remission　of　one　half　of　the　enjoined　penance。　　After　a　short　time　he　returned；　and　thus　continued：　　〃My　lord；　if　the　will　directs　the　action；　and　is　itself；　for　the　most　part；　considered　as　the　act；　and　as　I　have　a　full　and　firm　inclination　to　undertake　this　journey；　I　request　a　remission　of　the　remaining　part　of　the　penance；　and　in　addition　to　my　former　gift；　I　will　equal　the　sum　from　the　residue　of　my　tenths。〃　　The　archbishop；　smiling　at　his　devout　ingenuity；　embraced　him　with　admiration。

On　the　same　night；　two　monks；　who　waited　in　the　archbishop's　chamber；　conversing　about　the　occurrences　of　their　journey；　and　the　dangers　of　the　road；　one　of　them　said　（alluding　to　the　wildness　of　the　country）；　〃This　is　a　hard　province；〃　the　other　（alluding　to　the　quicksands）；　wittily　replied；　〃Yet　yesterday　it　was　found　too　soft。〃

A　short　time　before　our　days；　a　circumstance　worthy　of　note　occurred　in　these　parts；　which　Elidorus；　a　priest；　most　strenuously　affirmed　had　befallen　himself。　　When　a　youth　of　twelve　years；　and　learning　his　letters；　since；　as　Solomon　says；　〃The　root　of　learning　is　bitter；　although　the　fruit　is　sweet；〃　in　order　to　avoid　the　discipline　and　frequent　stripes　inflicted　on　him　by　his　preceptor；　he　ran　away；　and　concealed　himself　under　the　hollow　bank　of　a　river。　After　fasting　in　that　situation　for　two　days；　two　little　men　of　pigmy　stature　appeared　to　him；　saying；　〃If　you　will　come　with　us；　we　will　lead　you　into　a　country　full　of　delights　and　sports。〃　Assenting　and　rising　up；　he　followed　his　guides　through　a　path；　at　first　subterraneous　and　dark；　into　a　most　beautiful　country；　adorned　with　rivers　and　meadows；　woods　and　plains；　but　obscure；　and　not　illuminated　with　the　full　light　of　the　sun。　　All　the　days　were　cloudy；　and　the　nights　extremely　dark；　on　account　of　the　absence　of　the　moon　and　stars。　　The　boy　was　brought　before　the　king；　and　introduced　to　him　in　the　presence　of　the　court；　who；　having　examined　him　for　a　long　time；　delivered　him　to　his　son；　who　was　then　a　boy。　These　men　were　of　the　smallest　stature；　but　very　well　proportioned　in　their　make；　they　were　all　of　a　fair　complexion；　with　luxuriant　hair　falling　over　their　shoulders　like　that　of　women。　　They　had　horses　and　greyhounds　adapted　to　their　size。　　They　neither　ate　flesh　nor　fish；　but　lived　on　milk　diet；　made　up　into　messes　with　saffron。　They　never　took　an　oath；　for　they　detested　nothing　so　much　as　lies。　As　often　as　they　returned　from　our　upper　hemisphere；　they　reprobated　our　ambition；　infidelities；　and　inconstancies；　they　had　no　form　of　public　worship；　being　strict　lovers　and　reverers；　as　it　seemed；　of　truth。

The　boy　frequently　returned　to　our　hemisphere；　sometimes　by　the　way　he　had　first　gone；　sometimes　by　another：　　at　first　in　company　with　other　persons；　and　afterwards　alone；　and　made　himself　known　only　to　his　mother；　declaring　to　her　the　manners；　nature；　and　state　of　that　people。　　Being　desired　by　her　to　bring　a　present　of　gold；　with　which　that　region　abounded；　he　stole；　while　at　play　with　the　king's　son；　the　golden　ball　with　which　he　used　to　divert　himself；　and　brought　it　to　his　mother　in　great　haste；　and　when　he　reached　the　door　of　his　father's　house；　but　not　unpursued；　and　was　entering　it　in　a　great　hurry；　his　foot　stumbled　on　the　threshold；　and　falling　down　into　the　room　where　his　mother　was　sitting；　the　two　pigmies　seized　the　ball　which　had　dropped　from　his　hand；　and　departed；　shewing　the　boy　every　mark　of　contempt　and　derision。　　On　recovering　from　his　fall；　confounded　with　shame；　and　execrating　the　evil　counsel　of　his　mother；　he　returned　by　the　usual　track　to　the　subterraneous　road；　but　found　no　appearance　of　any　passage；　though　he　searched　for　it　on　the　banks　of　the　river　for　nearly　the　space　of　a　year。　　But　since　those　calamities　are　often　alleviated　by　time；　which　reason　cannot　mitigate；　and　length　of　time　alone　blunts　the　edge　of　our　afflictions；　and　puts　an　end　to　many　evils；　the　youth　having　been　brought　back　by　his　friends　and　mother；　and　restored　to　his　right　way　of　thinking；　and　to　his　learning；　in　process　of　time　attained　the　rank　of　priesthood。　　Whenever　David　II。；　bishop　of　St。　David's；　talked　to　him　in　his　advanced　state　of　life　concerning　this　event；　he　could　never　relate　the　particulars　without　shedding　tears。　　He　had　made　himself　acquainted　with　the　language　of　that　nation；　the　words　of　which；　in　his　younger　days；　he　used　to　recite；　which；　as　the　bishop　often　had　informed　me；　were　very　conformable　to　the　Greek　idiom。　　When　they　asked　for　water；　they　said　Ydor　ydorum；　which　meant　bring　water；　for　Ydor　in　their　language；　as　well　as　in　the　Greek；　signifies　water；　from　whence　vessels　for　water　are　called　｛Greek　text　which　cannot　be　reproduced｝；　and　Dur　also；　in　the　British　language；　signifies　water。　　When　they　wanted　salt　they　said；　Halgein　ydorum；　bring　salt：　　salt　is　called　｛Greek　text｝　in　Greek；　and　Halen　in　British；　for　that　language；　from　the　length　of　time　which　the　Britons　（then　called　Trojans；　and　afterwards　Britons；　from　Brito；　their　leader）　remained　in　Greece　after　the　destruction　of　Troy；　became；　in　many　instances；　similar　to　the　Greek。

It　is　remarkable　that　so　many　languages　should　correspond　in　one　word；　｛Greek｝　in　Greek；　Halen　in　British；　and　Halgein　in　the　Irish　tongue；　the　g　being　inserted；　Sal　in　Latin；　because；　as　Priscian　says；　〃the　s　is　placed　in　some　words　instead　of　an　aspirate；〃　as　｛Greek｝　in　Greek　is　called　Sal　in　Latin；　｛Greek｝　…　semi　…