wild wales-第34章

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〃We　are　just　returned；　sir。〃

Here　the　woman　said　something　to　her　husband；　which　I　did　not　hear；　
but　the　purport　of　which　I　guessed　from　the　following　question　
which　he　immediately　put。

〃Have　you　been　to　chapel；　sir？〃

〃I　do　not　go　to　chapel；　I　belong　to　the　Church。〃

〃Have　you　been　to　church；　sir？〃

〃I　have　not　…　I　said　my　prayers　at　home；　and　then　walked　out。〃

〃It　is　not　right　to　walk　out　on　the　Sabbath…day；　except　to　go　to　
church　or　chapel。〃

〃Who　told　you　so？〃

〃The　law　of　God；　which　says　you　shall　keep　holy　the　Sabbath…day。〃

〃I　am　not　keeping　it　unholy。〃

〃You　are　walking　about；　and　in　Wales　when　we　see　a　person　walking　
idly　about；　on　the　Sabbath…day；　we　are　in　the　habit　of　saying；　
Sabbath…breaker；　where　are　you　going？〃

〃The　Son　of　Man　walked　through　the　fields　on　the　Sabbath…day；　why　
should　I　not　walk　along　the　roads？〃

〃He　who　called　Himself　the　Son　of　Man　was　God　and　could　do　what　He　
pleased；　but　you　are　not　God。〃

〃But　He　came　in　the　shape　of　a　man　to　set　an　example。　　Had　there　
been　anything　wrong　in　walking　about　on　the　Sabbath…day；　He　would　
not　have　done　it。〃

Here　the　wife　exclaimed；　〃How　worldly…wise　these　English　are！〃

〃You　do　not　like　the　English；〃　said　I。

〃We　do　not　dislike　them；〃　said　the　woman；　〃at　present　they　do　us　no　
harm；　whatever　they　did　of　old。〃

〃But　you　still　consider　them；〃　said　I；　〃the　seed　of　Y　Sarfes　
cadwynog；　the　coiling　serpent。〃

〃I　should　be　loth　to　call　any　people　the　seed　of　the　serpent；〃　said　
the　woman。

〃But　one　of　your　great　bards　did；〃　said　I。

〃He　must　have　belonged　to　the　Church；　and　not　to　the　chapel　then；〃　
said　the　woman。　　〃No　person　who　went　to　chapel　would　have　used　such　
bad　words。〃

〃He　lived；〃　said　I；　〃before　people　were　separated　into　those　of　the　
Church　and　the　chapel；　did　you　ever　hear　of　Taliesin　Ben　Beirdd？〃

〃I　never　did；〃　said　the　woman。

〃But　I　have；〃　said　the　man；　〃and　of　Owain　Glendower　too。〃

〃Do　people　talk　much　of　Owen　Glendower　in　these　parts？〃　said　I。

〃Plenty；〃　said　the　man；　〃and　no　wonder；　for　when　he　was　alive　he　
was　much　about　here　…　some　way　farther　on　there　is　a　mount；　on　the　
bank　of　the　Dee；　called　the　mount　of　Owen　Glendower；　where　it　is　
said　he　used　to　stand　and　look　out　after　his　enemies。〃

〃Is　it　easy　to　find？〃　said　I。

〃Very　easy；〃　said　the　man；　〃it　stands　right　upon　the　Dee　and　is　
covered　with　trees；　there　is　no　mistaking　it。〃

I　bade　the　man　and　his　wife　farewell；　and　proceeded　on　my　way。　　
After　walking　about　a　mile；　I　perceived　a　kind　of　elevation　which　
answered　to　the　description　of　Glendower's　mount；　which　the　man　by　
the　bridge　had　given　me。　　It　stood　on　the　right　hand；　at　some　
distance　from　the　road；　across　a　field。　　As　I　was　standing　looking　
at　it　a　man　came　up　from　the　direction　in　which　I　myself　had　come。　　
He　was　a　middle…aged　man；　plainly　but　decently　dressed；　and　had　
something　of　the　appearance　of　a　farmer。

〃What　hill　may　that　be？〃　said　I　in　English；　pointing　to　the　
elevation。

〃Dim　Saesneg；　sir；〃　said　the　man；　looking　rather　sheepish；　〃Dim　
gair　o　Saesneg。〃

Rather　surprised　that　a　person　of　his　appearance　should　not　have　a　
word　of　English；　I　repeated　my　question　in　Welsh。

〃Ah；　you　speak　Cumraeg；　sir；〃　said　the　man　evidently　surprised　that　
a　person　of　my　English　appearance　should　speak　Welsh。　　〃I　am　glad　
of　it！　　What　hill　is　that；　you　ask　…　Dyna　Mont　Owain　Glyndwr；　sir。〃

〃Is　it　easy　to　get　to？〃　said　I。

〃Quite　easy；　sir；〃　said　the　man。　　〃If　you　please　I　will　go　with　
you。〃

I　thanked　him；　and　opening　a　gate　he　conducted　me　across　the　field　
to　the　mount　of　the　Welsh　hero。

The　mount　of　Owen　Glendower　stands　close　upon　the　southern　bank　of　
the　Dee；　and　is　nearly　covered　with　trees　of　various　kinds。　　It　is　
about　thirty　feet　high　from　the　plain；　and　about　the　same　diameter　
at　the　top。　　A　deep　black　pool　of　the　river　which　here　runs　far　
beneath　the　surface　of　the　field；　purls　and　twists　under　the　
northern　side；　which　is　very　steep；　though　several　large　oaks　
spring　out　of　it。　　The　hill　is　evidently　the　work　of　art；　and　
appeared　to　me　to　be　some　burying…place　of　old。

〃And　this　is　the　hill　of　Owain　Glyndwr？〃　said　I。

〃Dyma　Mont　Owain　Glyndwr；　sir；　lle　yr　oedd　yn　sefyll　i　edrych　am　ei　
elvnion　yn　dyfod　o　Gaer　Lleon。　　This　is　the　hill　of　Owain　
Glendower；　sir；　where　he　was　in　the　habit　of　standing　to　look　out　
for　his　enemies　coming　from　Chester。〃

〃I　suppose　it　was　not　covered　with　trees　then？〃　said　I。

〃No；　sir；　it　has　not　been　long　planted　with　trees。　　They　say；　
however；　that　the　oaks　which　hang　over　the　river　are　very　old。〃

〃Do　they　say　who　raised　this　hill？〃

〃Some　say　that　God　raised　it；　sir；　others　that　Owain　Glendower　
raised　it。　　Who　do　you　think　raised　it？〃

〃I　believe　that　it　was　raised　by　man；　but　not　by　Owen　Glendower。　　
He　may　have　stood　upon　it；　to　watch　for　the　coming　of　his　enemies；　
but　I　believe　it　was　here　long　before　his　time；　and　that　it　was　
raised　over　some　old　dead　king　by　the　people　whom　he　had　governed。〃

〃Do　they　bury　kings　by　the　side　of　rivers；　sir？〃

〃In　the　old　time　they　did；　and　on　the　tops　of　mountains；　they　burnt　
their　bodies　to　ashes；　placed　them　in　pots　and　raised　heaps　of　
earth　or　stones　over　them。　　Heaps　like　this　have　frequently　been　
opened；　and　found　to　contain　pots　with　ashes　and　bones。〃

〃I　wish　all　English　could　speak　Welsh；　sir。〃

〃Why？〃

〃Because　then　we　poor　Welsh　who　can　speak　no　English　could　learn　
much　which　we　do　not　know。〃

Descending　the　monticle　we　walked　along　the　road　together。　　After　a　
little　time　I　asked　my　companion　of　what　occupation　he　was　and　
where　he　lived。

〃I　am　a　small　farmer；　sir；〃　said　he；　〃and　live　at　Llansanfraid　Glyn　
Dyfrdwy　across　the　river。〃

〃How　comes　it；〃　said　I；　〃that　you　do　not　know　English？〃

〃When　I　was　young；〃　said　he；　〃and　could　have　easily　learnt　it；　I　
cared　nothing　about　it；　and　now　that　I　am　old　and　see　its　use；　it　
is　too　late　to　acquire　it。〃

〃Of　what　religion　are　you？〃　said　I。

〃I　am　of　the　Church；〃　he　replied。

I　was　about　to　ask　him　if　there　were　many　people　of　his　persuasion　
in　these　parts；　before；　however；　I　could　do　so　he　turned　down　a　
road　to　the　right　which　led　towards　a　small　bridge；　and　saying　that　
was　his　way　home；　bade　me　farewell　and　departed。

I　arrived　at　Corwen　which　is　just　ten　miles　from　Llangollen　and　
which　stands　beneath　a　vast　range　of　rocks　at　the　head　of　the　
valley　up　which　I　had　been　coming；　and　which　is　called　Glyndyfrdwy；　
or　the　valley　of　the　Dee　water。　　It　was　now　about　two　o'clock；　and　
feeling　rather　thirsty　I　went　to　an　inn　very　appropriately　called　
the　Owen　Glendower；　being　the　principal　inn　in　the　principal　town　
of　what　was　once　the　domain　of　the　great　Owen。　　Here　I　stopped　for　
about　an　hour　refreshing　myself　and　occasionally　looking　into　a　
newspaper　in　which　was　an　excellent　article　on　the　case　of　poor　
Lieutenant　P。　　I　then　started　for　Cerrig…y…Drudion；　distant　about　
ten　miles；　where　I　proposed　to　pass　the　night。　　Directing　my　course　
to　the　north…west；　I　crossed　a　bridge　over　the　Dee　water　and　then　
proceeded　rapidly　along　the　road；　which　for　some　way　lay　between　
corn…fields；　in　many　of　which　sheaves　were　piled　up；　showing　that　
the　Welsh　harvest　was　begun。　　I　soon　passed　over　a　little　stream；　
the　name　of　which　I　was　told　was　Alowan。　　〃Oh；　what　a　blessing　it　
is　to　be　able　to　speak　Welsh！〃　said　I；　finding　that　not　a　person　to　
whom　I　addressed　myself　had　a　word　of　English　to　bestow　upon　me。　　
After　walking　for　about　five　miles　I　came　to　a　beautiful　but　wild　
country　of　mountain　and　wood　with　here　and　there　a　few　cottages。　　
The　road　at　length　making　an　abrupt　turn　to　the　north；　I　found　
myself　with　a　low　stone　wall　on　my　left；　on　the　verge　of　a　profound　
ravine；　and　a　high　bank　covered　with　trees　on　my　right。　　Projecting　
out　over　the　ravine　was　a　kind　of　looking　place；　protected　by　a　
wall；　forming　a　half…circle；　doubtless　made　by　the　proprietor　of　
the　domain　for　the　use　of　the　admirers　of　scenery。　　There　I　
stationed　myself；　and　for　some　time　enjoyed　one　of　the　wildest　and　
most　beautiful　scenes　imaginable。　　Below　me　was　the　deep　narrow　
glen　or　ravine；　down　which　a