wild wales-第39章

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never　gave　me　the　sovereign　which　he　promised　me。　　No；　your　hanner；　
though　I　played　Croppies　Get　Up；　till　my　fingers　ached；　as　I　
stumped　before　him　and　his　mobs　and　processions；　he　never　gave　me　
the　sovereign：　　unlike　your　hanner　who　gave　me　the　shilling　ye　
promised　me　for　playing　Croppies　Lie　Down；　Daniel　O'Connell　never　
gave　me　the　sovereign　he　promised　me　for　playing　Croppies　Get　Up。　　
Och；　your　hanner；　I　often　wished　the　ould　Orange　days　were　back　
again。　　However　as　I　could　do　no　better　I　continued　going　the　whole　
hog　with　the　emancipators　and　repalers　and　Dan　O'Connell；　I　went　
the　whole　animal　with　them　till　they　had　got　emancipation；　and　I　
went　the　whole　animal　with　them　till　they　had　nearly　got　repale　…　
when　all　of　a　sudden　they　let　the　whole　thing　drop　…　Dan　and　his　
party　having　frighted　the　Government　out　of　its　seven　senses；　and　
gotten　all　they　could　get；　in　money　and　places；　which　was　all　they　
wanted；　let　the　whole　hullabaloo　drop；　and　of　course　myself；　who　
formed　part　of　it。　　I　went　to　those　who　had　persuaded　me　to　give　up　
my　Orange　tunes；　and　to　play　Papist　ones；　begging　them　to　give　me　
work；　but　they　tould　me　very　civilly　that　they　had　no　further　
occasion　for　my　services。　　I　went　to　Daniel　O'Connell　reminding　him　
of　the　sovereign　he　had　promised　me；　and　offering　if　he　gave　it　me　
to　play　Croppies　Get　Up　under　the　nose　of　the　lord…lieutenant　
himself；　but　he　tould　me　that　he　had　not　time　to　attend　to　me；　and　
when　I　persisted；　bade　me　go　to　the　Divil　and　shake　myself。　　Well；　
your　hanner；　seeing　no　prospect　for　myself　in　my　own　country；　and　
having　incurred　some　little　debts；　for　which　I　feared　to　be　
arrested；　I　came　over　to　England　and　Wales；　where　with　little　
content　and　satisfaction　I　have　passed　seven　years。〃

〃Well；〃　said　I；　〃thank　you　for　your　history　…　farewell。〃

〃Stap；　your　hanner；　does　your　hanner　think　that　the　Orange　will　
ever　be　out　of　the　kennel；　and　that　the　Orange　boys　will　ever　walk　
round　the　brass　man　and　horse　in　College　Green　as　they　did　of　
ould？〃

〃Who　knows？〃　said　I。　　〃But　suppose　all　that　were　to　happen；　what　
would　it　signify　to　you？〃

〃Why　then　divil　be　in　my　patten　if　I　would　not　go　back　to　
Donnybrook　and　Dublin；　hoist　the　Orange　cockade；　and　become　as　good　
an　Orange　boy　as　ever。〃

〃What；〃　said　I；　〃and　give　up　Popery　for　the　second　time？〃

〃I　would；　your　hanner；　and　why　not？　for　in　spite　of　what　I　have　
heard　Father　Toban　say；　I　am　by　no　means　certain　that　all　
Protestants　will　be　damned。〃

〃Farewell；〃　said　I。

〃Farewell；　your　hanner；　and　long　life　and　prosperity　to　you！　　God　
bless　your　hanner　and　your　Orange　face。　　Ah；　the　Orange　boys　are　
the　boys　for　keeping　faith。　　They　never　served　me　as　Dan　O'Connell　
and　his　dirty　gang　of　repalers　and　emancipators　did。　　Farewell；　
your　hanner；　once　more；　and　here's　another　scratch　of　the　illigant　
tune　your　hanner　is　so　fond　of；　to　cheer　up　your　hanner's　ears　upon　
your　way。〃

And　long　after　I　had　left　him　I　could　hear　him　playing　on　his　
fiddle　in　first…rate　style　the　beautiful　tune　of　〃Down；　down；　
Croppies　Lie　Down。〃



CHAPTER　XXVI



Ceiniog　Mawr　…　Pentre　Voelas　…　The　Old　Conway　…　Stupendous　Pass　…　
The　Gwedir　Family　…　Capel　Curig　…　The　Two　Children　…　Bread　…　
Wonderful　Echo　…　Tremendous　Walker。


I　WALKED　on　briskly　over　a　flat　uninteresting　country；　and　in　about　
an　hour's　time　came　in　front　of　a　large　stone　house。　　It　stood　near　
the　road；　on　the　left…hand　side；　with　a　pond　and　pleasant　trees　
before　it；　and　a　number　of　corn…stacks　behind。　　It　had　something　
the　appearance　of　an　inn；　but　displayed　no　sign。　　As　I　was　standing　
looking　at　it；　a　man　with　the　look　of　a　labourer；　and　with　a　dog　by　
his　side；　came　out　of　the　house　and　advanced　towards　me。

〃What　is　the　name　of　this　place？〃　said　I　to　him　in　English　as　he　
drew　nigh。

〃Sir；〃　said　the　man；　〃the　name　of　the　house　is　Ceiniog　Mawr。〃

〃Is　it　an　inn？〃　said　I。

〃Not　now；　sir；　but　some　years　ago　it　was　an　inn；　and　a　very　large　
one；　at　which　coaches　used　to　stop；　at　present　it　is　occupied　by　an　
amaethwr　…　that　is　a　farmer；　sir。〃

〃Ceiniog　Mawr　means　a　great　penny；〃　said　I；　〃why　is　it　called　by　
that　name？〃

〃I　have　heard；　sir；　that　before　it　was　an　inn　it　was　a　very　
considerable　place；　namely　a　royal　mint；　at　which　pennies　were　
made；　and　on　that　account　it　was　called　Ceiniog　Mawr。〃

I　was　subsequently　told　that　the　name　of　this　place　was　Cernioge　
Mawr。　　If　such　be　the　real　name　the　legend　about　the　mint　falls　to　
the　ground；　Cernioge　having　nothing　to　do　with　pence。　　Cern　in　
Welsh　means　a　jaw。　　Perhaps　the　true　name　of　the　house　is　Corniawg；　
which　interpreted　is　a　place　with　plenty　of　turrets　or　chimneys。　　A　
mile　or　two　further　the　ground　began　to　rise；　and　I　came　to　a　small　
village　at　the　entrance　of　which　was　a　water…wheel　…　near　the　
village　was　a　gentleman's　seat　almost　surrounded　by　groves。　　After　
I　had　passed　through　the　village；　seeing　a　woman　seated　by　the　
roadside　knitting；　I　asked　her　in　English　its　name。　　Finding　she　
had　no　Saesneg　I　repeated　the　question　in　Welsh；　whereupon　she　told　
me　that　it　was　called　Pentre　Voelas。

〃And　whom　does　the　'Plas'　belong　to　yonder　amongst　the　groves？〃　
said　I。

〃It　belongs　to　Mr　Wynn；　sir；　and　so　does　the　village　and　a　great　
deal　of　the　land　about　here。　　A　very　good　gentleman　is　Mr　Wynn；　
sir；　he　is　very　kind　to　his　tenants　and　a　very　good　lady　is　Mrs　
Wynn；　sir；　in　the　winter　she　gives　much　soup　to　the　poor。〃

After　leaving　the　village　of　Pentre　Voelas　I　soon　found　myself　in　a　
wild　hilly　region。　　I　crossed　a　bridge　over　a　river；　which；　
brawling　and　tumbling　amidst　rocks；　shaped　its　course　to　the　north…
east。　　As　I　proceeded；　the　country　became　more　and　more　wild；　there　
were　dingles　and　hollows　in　abundance；　and　fantastic…looking　hills；　
some　of　which　were　bare；　and　others　clad　with　trees　of　various　
kinds。　　Came　to　a　little　well　in　a　cavity；　dug　in　a　high　bank　on　
the　left…hand　side　of　the　road；　and　fenced　by　rude　stone　work　on　
either　side；　the　well　was　about　ten　inches　in　diameter；　and　as　many　
deep。　　Water　oozing　from　the　bank　upon　a　slanting　tile　fastened　
into　the　earth　fell　into　it。　　After　damming　up　the　end　of　the　tile　
with　my　hand；　and　drinking　some　delicious　water；　I　passed　on　and　
presently　arrived　at　a　cottage；　just　inside　the　door　of　which　sat　a　
good…looking　middle…aged　woman　engaged　in　knitting；　the　general　
occupation　of　Welsh　females。

〃Good…day；〃　said　I　to　her　in　Welsh。　　〃Fine　weather。〃

〃In　truth；　sir；　it　is　fine　weather　for　the　harvest。〃

〃Are　you　alone　in　the　house？〃

〃I　am；　sir；　my　husband　has　gone　to　his　labour。〃

〃Have　you　any　children？〃

〃Two；　sir；　but　they　are　out　at　service。〃

〃What　is　the　name　of　this　place？〃

〃Pant　Paddock；　sir。〃

〃Do　you　get　your　water　from　the　little　well　yonder？〃

〃We　do；　sir；　and　good　water　it　is。〃

〃I　have　drunk　of　it。〃

〃Much　good　may　what　you　have　drunk　do　you；　sir！〃

〃What　is　the　name　of　the　river　near　here？〃

〃It　is　called　the　Conway；　sir。〃

〃Dear　me；　is　that　river　the　Conway？〃

〃You　have　heard　of　it；　sir？〃

〃Heard　of　it！　it　is　one　of　the　famous　rivers　of　the　world。　　The　
poets　are　very　fond　of　it　…　one　of　the　great　poets　of　my　country　
calls　it　the　old　Conway。〃

〃Is　one　river　older　than　another；　sir？〃

〃That's　a　shrewd　question。　　Can　you　read？〃

〃I　can；　sir。〃

〃Have　you　any　books？〃

〃I　have　the　Bible；　sir。〃

〃Will　you　show　it　me？〃

〃Willingly；　sir。〃

Then　getting　up　she　took　a　book　from　a　shelf　and　handed　it　to　me；　
at　the　same　time　begging　me　to　enter　the　house　and　sit　down。　　I　
declined；　and　she　again　took　her　seat　and　resumed　her　occupation。　　
On　opening　the　book　the　first　words　which　met　my　eye　were：　　〃Gad　i　
mi　fyned　trwy　dy　dir！　…　Let　me　go　through　your　country〃　（Numb。　XX。　
22）。

〃I　may　say　these　words；〃　said　I；　pointing　to　the　passage。　　〃Let　me　
go　through　your　country。〃

〃No　one　will　hinder　you；　sir；　for　you　seem　a　civil　gentleman。〃

〃No　one　has　hindered　me　hitherto。　　Wherever　I　have　been　in　Wales　I　
have　experienced　nothing　but　kindness　and　hospitality；　and　when　I　
return　to　my　own　country　I　will　say　so。〃

〃What　country　is　yours；　sir？〃

〃England。