wild wales-第158章

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river。〃

〃Oh　it　will　never　do　to　belong　to　the　Popish　religion；　a　religion　
which　upholds　idol…worship　and　persecutes　the　Bible　…　you　should　
belong　to　the　Church　of　England。〃

〃Well；　perhaps　we　should；　yere　hanner；　if　its　ministers　were　not　
such　proud　violent　men。　　Oh；　you　little　know　how　they　look　down　
upon　all　poor　people；　especially　on　us　tramps。　　Once　my　poor　aunt；　
Tourlough's　wife；　who　has　always　had　stronger　conviction　than　any　
of　us；　followed　one　of　them　home　after　he　had　been　preaching；　and　
begged　him　to　give　her　God；　and　was　told　by　him　that　she　was　a　
thief；　and　if　she　didn't　take　herself　out　of　the　house　he　would　
kick　her　out。〃

〃Perhaps；　after　all；〃　said　I；　〃you　had　better　join　the　Methodists　…　
I　should　say　that　their　ways　would　suit　you　better　than　those　of　
any　other　denomination　of　Christians。〃

Yere　hanner　knows　nothing　about　them；　otherwise　ye　wouldn't　talk　in　
that　manner。　　Their　ways　would　never　do　for　people　who　want　to　have　
done　with　lying　and　staring；　and　have　always　kept　themselves　clane　
from　striopachas。　　Their　word　is　not　worth　a　rotten　straw；　yere　
hanner；　and　in　every　transaction　which　they　have　with　people　they　
try　to　cheat　and　overreach　…　ask　my　uncle　Tourlough；　who　has　had　
many　dealings　with　them。　　But　what　is　far　worse；　they　do　that　which　
the　wildest　calleen　t'other　side　of　Ougteraarde　would　be　burnt　
rather　than　do。　　Who　can　tell　ye　more　on　that　point　than　I；　yere　
hanner？　　I　have　been　at　their　chapels　at　nights；　and　have　listened　
to　their　screaming　prayers；　and　have　seen　what's　been　going　on　
outside　the　chapels　after　their　services；　as　they　call　them；　were　
over　…　I　never　saw　the　like　going　on　outside　Father　Toban's　chapel；　
yere　hanner！　　Yere　hanner's　hanner　asked　me　if　I　ever　did　anything　
in　the　way　of　striopachas　…　now　I　tell　ye　that　I　was　never　asked　to　
do　anything　in　that　line　but　by　one　of　them　folks　…　a　great　man　
amongst　them　he　was；　both　in　the　way　of　business　and　prayer；　for　he　
was　a　commercial　traveller　during　six　days　of　the　week　and　a　
preacher　on　the　seventh　…　and　such　a　preacher。　　Well；　one　Sunday　
night　after　he　had　preached　a　sermon　an　hour…and…a…half　long；　which　
had　put　half　a　dozen　women　into　what　they　call　static　fits；　he　
overtook　me　in　a　dark　street　and　wanted　me　to　do　striopachas　with　
him　…　he　didn't　say　striopachas；　yer　hanner；　for　he　had　no　Irish　…　
but　he　said　something　in　English　which　was　the　same　thing。〃

〃And　what　did　you　do？〃

〃Why；　I　asked　him　what　he　meant　by　making　fun　of　a　poor　ugly　girl　…　
for　no　one　knows　better　than　myself；　yere　hanner；　that　I　am　very　
ugly　…　whereupon　he　told　me　that　he　was　not　making　fun　of　me；　for　
it　had　long　been　the　chief　wish　of　his　heart　to　commit　striopachas　
with　a　wild　Irish　Papist；　and　that　he　believed　if　he　searched　the　
world　he　should　find　none　wilder　than　myself。〃

〃And　what　did　you　reply？〃

〃Why；　I　said　to　him；　yere　hanner；　that　I　would　tell　the　
congregation；　at　which　he　laughed　and　said　that　he　wished　I　would；　
for　that　the　congregation　would　say　they　didn't　believe　me；　though　
at　heart　they　would；　and　would　like　him　all　the　better　for　it。〃

〃Well；　and　what　did　you　say　then？〃

〃Nothing；　at　all；　yere　hanner；　but　I　spat　in　his　face　and　went　home　
and　told　my　uncle　Tourlough；　who　forthwith　took　out　a　knife　and　
began　to　sharp　it　on　a　whetstone；　and　I　make　no　doubt　would　have　
gone　and　stuck　the　fellow　like　a　pig；　had　not　my　poor　aunt　begged　
him　not　on　her　knees。　　After　that　we　had　nothing　more　to　do　with　
the　Methodists　as　far　as　religion　went。〃

〃Did　this　affair　occur　in　England　or　Wales？〃

〃In　the　heart　of　England；　yere　hanner；　we　have　never　been　to　the　
Welsh　chapels；　for　we　know　little　of　the　language。〃

〃Well；　I　am　glad　it　didn't　happen　in　Wales：　　I　have　rather　a　high　
opinion　of　the　Welsh　Methodist。　　The　worthiest　creature　I　ever　knew　
was　a　Welsh　Methodist。　　And　now　I　must　leave　you　and　make　the　best　
of　my　way　to　Chepstow。〃

〃Can't　yere　hanner　give　me　God　before　ye　go？〃

〃I　can　give　you　half…a…crown　to　help　you　on　your　way　to　America。〃

〃I　want　no　half…crowns；　yere　hanner；　but　if　ye　would　give　me　God　
I'd　bless　ye。〃

〃What　do　you　mean　by　giving　you　God？〃

〃Putting　Him　in　my　heart　by　some　good　counsel　which　will　guide　me　
through　life。〃

〃The　only　good　counsel　I　can　give　you　is　to　keep　the　commandments；　
one　of　them　it　seems　you　have　always　kept。　　Follow　the　rest　and　you　
can't　go　very　wrong。〃

〃I　wish　I　knew　them　better　than　I　do；　yere　hanner。〃

〃Can't　you　read？〃

〃Oh　no；　yere　hanner；　I　can't　read；　neither　can　Tourlough　nor　his　
wife。〃

〃Well；　learn　to　read　as　soon　as　possible。　　When　you　have　got　to　
America　and　settled　down　you　will　have　time　enough　to　learn　to　
read。〃

〃Shall　we　be　better；　yere　hanner；　after　we　have　learnt　to　read？〃

〃Let's　hope　you　will。〃

〃One　of　the　things；　yere　hanner；　that　have　made　us　stumble　is　that　
some　of　the　holy　women；　who　have　come　to　our　tent　and　read　the　
Bible　to　us；　have　afterwards　asked　my　aunt　and　me　to　tell　them　
their　fortunes。〃

〃If　they　have；　the　more　shame　for　them；　for　they　can　have　no　
excuse。　　Well；　whether　you　learn　to　read　or　not；　still　eschew　
striopachas；　don't　steal；　don't　deceive；　and　worship　God　in　spirit；　
not　in　image。　　That's　the　best　counsel　I　can　give　you。〃

〃And　very　good　counsel　it　is；　yere　hanner；　and　I　will　try　to　follow　
it；　and　now；　yere　hanner；　let　us　go　our　two　ways。〃

We　placed　our　glasses　upon　the　bar　and　went　out。　　In　the　middle　of　
the　road　we　shook　hands　and　parted；　she　going　towards　Newport　and　I　
towards　Chepstow。　　After　walking　a　few　yards　I　turned　round　and　
looked　after　her。　　There　she　was　in　the　damp　lowering　afternoon　
wending　her　way　slowly　through　mud　and　puddle；　her　upper　form　
huddled　in　the　rough　frieze　mantle；　and　her　coarse　legs　bare　to　the　
top　of　the　calves。　　〃Surely；〃　said　I　to　myself；　〃there　never　was　an　
object　less　promising　in　appearance。　　Who　would　think　that　there　
could　be　all　the　good　sense　and　proper　feeling　in　that　uncouth　girl　
which　there　really　is？〃



CHAPTER　CIX



Arrival　at　Chepstow　…　Stirring　Lyric　…　Conclusion。


I　PASSED　through　Caer　Went；　once　an　important　Roman　station；　and　
for　a　long　time　after　the　departure　of　the　Romans　a　celebrated　
British　city；　now　a　poor　desolate　place　consisting　of　a　few　old…
fashioned　houses　and　a　strange…looking　dilapidated　church。　　No　
Welsh　is　spoken　at　Caer　Went；　nor　to　the　east　of　it；　nor　indeed　for　
two　or　three　miles　before　you　reach　it　from　the　west。

The　country　between　it　and　Chepstow；　from　which　it　is　distant　about　
four　miles；　is　delightfully　green；　but　somewhat　tame。

Chepstow　stands　on　the　lower　part　of　a　hill；　near　to　where　the　
beautiful　Wye　joins　the　noble　Severn。　　The　British　name　of　the　
place　is　Aber　Wye　or　the　disemboguement　of　the　Wye。　　The　Saxons　
gave　it　the　name　of　Chepstow；　which　in　their　language　signifies　a　
place　where　a　market　is　held；　because　even　in　the　time　of　the　
Britons　it　was　the　site　of　a　great　cheap　or　market。　　After　the　
Norman　Conquest　it　became　the　property　of　De　Clare；　one　of　
William's　followers；　who　built　near　it　an　enormous　castle；　which　
enjoyed　considerable　celebrity　during　several　centuries　from　having　
been　the　birthplace　of　Strongbow；　the　conqueror　of　Ireland；　but　
which　is　at　present　chiefly　illustrious　from　the　mention　which　is　
made　of　it　in　one　of　the　most　stirring　lyrics　of　modern　times；　a　
piece　by　Walter　Scott；　called　the　〃Norman　Horseshoe；〃　commemorative　
of　an　expedition　made　by　a　De　Clare；　of　Chepstow；　with　the　view　of　
insulting　with　the　print　of　his　courser's　shoe　the　green　meads　of　
Glamorgan；　and　which　commences　thus：…


〃Red　glows　the　forge〃　…


I　went　to　the　principal　inn；　where　I　engaged　a　private　room　and　
ordered　the　best　dinner　which　the　people　could　provide。　　Then　
leaving　my　satchel　behind　me　I　went　to　the　castle；　amongst　the　
ruins　of　which　I　groped　and　wandered　for　nearly　an　hour；　
occasionally　repeating　verses　of　the　Norman　Horseshoe。　　I　then　went　
to　the　Wye　and　drank　of　the　waters　at　its　mouth；　even　as　some　time　
before　I　had　drunk　of　the　waters　at　its　source。　　Then　returning　to　
my　inn　I　got　my　dinner；　after　which