wild wales-第16章

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〃Have　you　ever　heard　the　knockers；　or　the　supernatural　voice？〃

〃I　have　not；　sir；　but　my　father　and　mother；　who　are　now　dead；　heard　
once　a　supernatural　voice；　and　knocking。　　My　mother　had　a　sister　
who　was　married　like　herself；　and　expected　to　be　confined。　　Day　
after　day；　however；　passed　away；　without　her　confinement　taking　
place。　　My　mother　expected　every　moment　to　be　summoned　to　her　
assistance；　and　was　so　anxious　about　her　that　she　could　not　rest　at　
night。　　One　night；　as　she　lay　in　bed；　by　the　side　of　her　husband；　
between　sleeping　and　waking；　she　heard　of　a　sudden　a　horse　coming　
stump；　stump；　up　to　the　door。　　Then　there　was　a　pause　…　she　
expected　every　moment　to　hear　some　one　cry　out；　and　tell　her　to　
come　to　her　sister；　but　she　heard　no　farther　sound；　neither　voice　
nor　stump　of　horse。　　She　thought　she　had　been　deceived；　so；　without　
awakening　her　husband；　she　tried　to　go　to　sleep；　but　sleep　she　
could　not。　　The　next　night；　at　about　the　same　time；　she　again　heard　
a　horse's　feet　come　stump；　stump；　up　to　the　door。　　She　now　waked　
her　husband　and　told　him　to　listen。　　He　did　so；　and　both　heard　the　
stumping。　　Presently；　the　stumping　ceased；　and　then　there　was　a　
loud　〃Hey！〃　as　if　somebody　wished　to　wake　them。　　〃Hey！〃　said　my　
father；　and　they　both　lay　for　a　minute　expecting　to　hear　something　
more；　but　they　heard　nothing。　　My　father　then　sprang　out　of　bed；　
and　looked　out　of　the　window；　it　was　bright　moonlight；　but　he　saw　
nothing。　　The　next　night；　as　they　lay　in　bed　both　asleep；　they　were　
suddenly　aroused　by　a　loud　and　terrible　knocking。　　Out　sprang　my　
father　from　the　bed；　flung　open　the　window；　and　looked　out；　but　
there　was　no　one　at　the　door。　　The　next　morning；　however；　a　
messenger　arrived　with　the　intelligence　that　my　aunt　had　had　a　
dreadful　confinement　with　twins　in　the　night；　and　that　both　she　and　
the　babes　were　dead。〃

〃Thank　you；〃　said　I；　and　paying　for　my　ale；　I　returned　to　
Llangollen。



CHAPTER　XII



A　Calvinistic…Methodist　…　Turn　for　Saxon　…　Our　Congregation　…　Pont　
y　Cyssyltau　…　Catherine　Lingo。


I　HAD　inquired　of　the　good　woman　of　the　house；　in　which　we　lived；　
whether　she　could　not　procure　a　person　to　accompany　me　occasionally　
in　my　walks；　who　was　well　acquainted　with　the　strange　nooks　and　
corners　of　the　country；　and　who　could　speak　no　language　but　Welsh；　
as　I　wished　to　increase　my　knowledge　of　colloquial　Welsh　by　having　
a　companion　who　would　be　obliged；　in　all　he　had　to　say　to　me；　to　
address　me　in　Welsh；　and　to　whom　I　should　perforce　have　to　reply　in　
that　tongue。　　The　good　lady　had　told　me　that　there　was　a　tenant　of　
hers　who　lived　in　one　of　the　cottages；　which　looked　into　the　
perllan；　who；　she　believed；　would　be　glad　to　go　with　me；　and　was　
just　the　kind　of　man　I　was　in　quest　of。　　The　day　after　I　had　met　
with　the　adventures；　which　I　have　related　in　the　preceding　chapter；　
she　informed　me　that　the　person　in　question　was　awaiting　my　orders　
in　the　kitchen。　　I　told　her　to　let　me　see　him。　　He　presently　made　
his　appearance。　　He　was　about　forty…five　years　of　age；　of　middle　
stature；　and　had　a　good…natured　open　countenance。　　His　dress　was　
poor；　but　clean。

〃Well；〃　said　I　to　him　in　Welsh；　〃are　you　the　Cumro　who　can　speak　no　
Saxon？〃

〃In　truth；　sir；　I　am。〃

〃Are　you　sure　that　you　know　no　Saxon？〃

〃Sir！　　I　may　know　a　few　words；　but　I　cannot　converse　in　Saxon；　nor　
understand　a　conversation　in　that　tongue。〃

〃Can　you　read　Cumraeg？〃

〃In　truth；　sir；　I　can。〃

〃What　have　you　read　in　it？〃

〃I　have　read；　sir；　the　Ysgrythyr…lan；　till　I　have　it　nearly　at　the　
ends　of　my　fingers。〃

〃Have　you　read　anything　else　besides　the　holy　Scripture？〃

〃I　read　the　newspaper；　sir；　when　kind　friends　lend　it　to　me。〃

〃In　Cumraeg？〃

〃Yes；　sir；　in　Cumraeg。　　I　can　read　Saxon　a　little　but　not　
sufficient　to　understand　a　Saxon　newspaper。〃

〃What　newspaper　do　you　read？〃

〃I　read；　sir；　Yr　Amserau。〃

〃Is　that　a　good　newspaper？〃

〃Very　good；　sir；　it　is　written　by　good　men。〃

〃Who　are　they？〃

〃They　are　our　ministers；　sir。〃

〃Of　what　religion　are　you？〃

〃A　Calvinistic　Methodist；　sir。〃

〃Why　are　you　of　the　Methodist　religion？〃

〃Because　it　is　the　true　religion；　sir。〃

〃You　should　not　be　bigoted。　　If　I　had　more　Cumraeg　than　I　have；　I　
would　prove　to　you　that　the　only　true　religion　is　that　of　the　
Lloegrian　Church。〃

〃In　truth；　sir；　you　could　not　do　that；　had　you　all　the　Cumraeg　in　
Cumru　you　could　not　do　that。〃

〃What　are　you　by　trade？〃

〃I　am　a　gwehydd；　sir。〃

〃What　do　you　earn　by　weaving？〃

〃About　five　shillings　a　week；　sir。〃

〃Have　you　a　wife？

〃I　have；　sir。〃

〃Does　she　earn　anything？〃

〃Very　seldom；　sir；　she　is　a　good　wife；　but　is　generally　sick。〃

〃Have　you　children？〃

〃I　have　three；　sir。〃

〃Do　they　earn　anything？〃

〃My　eldest　son；　sir；　sometimes　earns　a　few　pence；　the　others　are　
very　small。〃

〃Will　you　sometimes　walk　with　me；　if　I　pay　you？〃

〃I　shall　be　always　glad　to　walk　with　you；　sir；　whether　you　pay　me　
or　not。〃

〃Do　you　think　it　lawful　to　walk　with　one　of　the　Lloegrian　Church？〃

〃Perhaps；　sir；　I　ought　to　ask　the　gentleman　of　the　Lloegrian　Church　
whether　he　thinks　it　lawful　to　walk　with　the　poor　Methodist　
weaver。〃

〃Well；　I　think　we　may　venture　to　walk　with　one　another。　　What　is　
your　name？〃

〃John　Jones；　sir。〃

〃Jones！　Jones！　　I　was　walking　with　a　man　of　that　name　the　other　
night。〃


〃The　man　with　whom　you　walked　the　other　night　is　my　brother；　sir；　
and　what　he　said　to　me　about　you　made　me　wish　to　walk　with　you　
also。〃

〃But　he　spoke　very　good　English。〃

〃My　brother　had　a　turn　for　Saxon；　sir；　I　had　not。　　Some　people　have　
a　turn　for　the　Saxon；　others　have　not。　　I　have　no　Saxon；　sir；　my　
wife　has　digon　iawn　…　my　two　youngest　children　speak　good　Saxon；　
sir；　my　eldest　son　not　a　word。〃

〃Well；　shall　we　set　out？〃

〃If　you　please；　sir。〃

〃To　what　place　shall　we　go？〃

〃Shall　we　go　to　the　Pont　y　Cyssylltau；　sir？〃

〃What　is　that？〃

〃A　mighty　bridge；　sir；　which　carries　the　Camlas　over　a　valley　on　
its　back。〃

〃Good！　let　us　go　and　see　the　bridge　of　the　junction；　for　that　I　
think　is　the　meaning　in　Saxon　of　Pont　y　Cyssylltau。〃

We　set　out；　my　guide　conducted　me　along　the　bank　of　the　Camlas　in　
the　direction　of　Rhiwabon；　that　is　towards　the　east。　　On　the　way　we　
discoursed　on　various　subjects；　and　understood　each　other　tolerably　
well。　　I　asked　if　he　had　been　anything　besides　a　weaver。　　He　told　
me　that　when　a　boy　he　kept　sheep　on　the　mountain。　　〃Why　did　you　not　
go　on　keeping　sheep？〃　said　〃I　would　rather　keep　sheep　than　weave。〃

〃My　parents　wanted　me　at　home；　sir；〃　said　he；　〃and　I　was　not　sorry　
to　go　home；　I　earned　little；　and　lived　badly。〃

〃A　shepherd；〃　said　I；　〃can　earn　more　than　five　shillings　a　week。〃

〃I　was　never　a　regular　shepherd；　sir；〃　said　he。　　〃But；　sir；　I　would　
rather　be　a　weaver　with　five　shillings　a　week　in　Llangollen；　than　a　
shepherd　with　fifteen　on　the　mountain。　　The　life　of　a　shepherd；　
sir；　is　perhaps　not　exactly　what　you　and　some　other　gentlefolks　
think。　　The　shepherd　bears　much　cold　and　wet；　sir；　and　he　is　very　
lonely；　no　society　save　his　sheep　and　dog。　　Then；　sir；　he　has　no　
privileges。　　I　mean　gospel　privileges。　　He　does　not　look　forward　to　
Dydd　Sul；　as　a　day　of　llawenydd；　of　joy　and　triumph；　as　the　weaver　
does；　that　is　if　he　is　religiously　disposed。　　The　shepherd　has　no　
chapel；　sir；　like　the　weaver。　　Oh；　sir；　I　say　again　that　I　would　
rather　be　a　weaver　in　Llangollen　with　five　shillings　a　week；　than　a　
shepherd　on　the　hill　with　fifteen。〃

〃Do　you　mean　to　say；〃　said　I；　〃that　you　live　with　your　family　on　
five　shillings　a　week？〃

〃No；　sir。　　I　frequently　do　little　commissions　by　which　I　earn　
something。　　Then；　sir；　I　have　friends；　very　good　friends。　　A　good　
lady　of　our　congregation　sent　me　this　morning　half…a…pound　of　
butter。　　The　people　of　our　congregation　are　very　kind　to　each　
other；　sir。〃

〃That　is　more；〃　thought　I　to　myself；　〃than　the　people　of　my　
congregation　are；　they　are　always　cutting　each　other's　throats。〃　　I　
next　asked　if　he　had　been　much　about　Wales。

〃Not　much；　sir。　　However；　I　have　been　to　Pen　Caer　Gybi；　which　you　
call　Holy　Head；　and　to　Beth　Gelert；　sir。〃

〃W