wild wales-第52章
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〃I suppose you are a commercial gent；〃 said Mrs Pritchard。
〃Why do you suppose me a commercial gent？〃 said I。 〃Do I look
one？〃
〃Can't say you do much；〃 said Mrs Pritchard； 〃you have no rings on
your fingers； nor a gilt chain at your waistcoat…pocket； but when
you said 'box Harry；' I naturally took you to be one of the
commercial gents； for when I was at Liverpool I was told that that
was a word of theirs。〃
〃I believe the word properly belongs to them；〃 said I。 〃I am not
one of them； but I learnt it from them； a great many years ago；
when I was much amongst them。 Those whose employers were in a
small way of business； or allowed them insufficient salaries；
frequently used to 'box Harry；' that is； have a beaf…steak； or
mutton…chop； or perhaps bacon and eggs； as I am going to have；
along with tea and ale； instead of the regular dinner of a
commercial gentleman； namely； fish； hot joint； and fowl； pint of
sherry； tart； ale and cheese； and bottle of old port； at the end of
all。〃
Having made arrangements for 〃boxing Harry〃 I went into the tap…
room； from which I had heard the voice of Mr Pritchard proceeding
during the whole of my conversation with his wife。 Here I found
the worthy landlord seated with a single customer； both were
smoking。 The customer instantly arrested my attention。 He was a
man； seemingly about forty years of age with a broad red face； with
certain somethings； looking very much like incipient carbuncles；
here and there； upon it。 His eyes were grey and looked rather as
if they squinted； his mouth was very wide； and when it opened
displayed a set of strong； white； uneven teeth。 He was dressed in
a pepper…and…salt coat of the Newmarket cut； breeches of corduroy
and brown top boots； and had on his head a broad； black； coarse；
low…crowned hat。 In his left hand he held a heavy whale…bone whip
with a brass head。 I sat down on a bench nearly opposite to him
and the landlord。
〃Well；〃 said Mr Pritchard； 〃did you find your way to Llanfair？〃
〃Yes；〃 said I。
〃And did you execute the business satisfactorily which led you
there？〃 said Mr Pritchard。
〃Perfectly；〃 said I。
〃Well； what did you give a stone for your live pork？〃 said his
companion glancing up at me； and speaking in a gruff voice。
〃I did not buy any live pork；〃 said I； 〃do you take me for a pig…
jobber？〃
〃Of course；〃 said the man； in pepper…and…salt； 〃who but a pig
jobber could have business at Llanfair？〃
〃Does Llanfair produce nothing but pigs？〃 said I。
〃Nothing at all；〃 said the man in the pepper…and…salt； 〃that is；
nothing worth mentioning。 You wouldn't go there for runts； that
is； if you were in your right senses； if you were in want of runts
you would have gone to my parish and have applied to me； Mr Bos；
that is if you were in your senses。 Wouldn't he； John Pritchard？〃
Mr Pritchard thus appealed to took the pipe out of his mouth； and
with some hesitations said that he believed the gentleman neither
went to Llanfair for pigs nor black cattle but upon some particular
business。
〃Well；〃 said Mr Bos； 〃it may be so； but I can't conceive how any
person； either gentle or simple； could have any business in
Anglesey save that business was pigs or cattle。〃
〃The truth is；〃 said I； 〃I went to Llanfair to see the birth…place
of a great man … the cleverest Anglesey ever produced。〃
〃Then you went wrong；〃 said Mr Bos； 〃you went to the wrong parish；
you should have gone to Penmynnydd； the clebber man of Anglesey was
born and buried at Penmynnydd； you may see his tomb in the church。〃
〃You are alluding to Black Robin；〃 said I； 〃who wrote the ode in
praise of Anglesey … yes； he was a very clever young fellow； but
excuse me； he was not half such a poet as Gronwy Owen。〃
〃Black Robin；〃 said Mr Bos； 〃and Gronow Owen； who the Devil were
they？ I never heard of either。 I wasn't talking of them； but of
the clebberest man the world ever saw。 Did you never hear of Owen
Tiddir？ If you didn't； where did you get your education？〃
〃I have heard of Owen Tudor；〃 said I； 〃but never understood that he
was particularly clever； handsome he undoubtedly was … but clever …
〃
〃How not clebber？〃 interrupted Mr Bos。 〃If he wasn't clebber； who
was clebber？ Didn't he marry a great queen； and was not Harry the
Eighth his great grandson？〃
〃Really；〃 said I； 〃you know a great deal of history。〃
〃I should hope I do；〃 said Mr Bos。 〃Oh； I wasn't at school at
Blewmaris for six months for nothing； and I haven't been in
Northampton； and in every town in England； without learning
something of history。 With regard to history I may say that few …
Won't you drink？〃 said he； patronizingly； as he pushed a jug of ale
which stood before him on a little table towards me。
Begging politely to be excused on the plea that I was just about to
take tea； I asked him in what capacity he had travelled all over
England。
〃As a drover to be sure；〃 said Mr Bos； 〃and I may say that there
are not many in Anglesey better known in England than myself … at
any rate I may say that there is not a public…house between here
and Worcester at which I am not known。〃
〃Pray excuse me；〃 said I； 〃but is not droving rather a low…lifed
occupation？〃
〃Not half so much as pig…jobbing；〃 said Bos； 〃and that that's your
trade I am certain； or you would never have gone to Llanfair。〃
〃I am no pig…jobber；〃 said I； 〃and when I asked you that question
about droving； I merely did so because one Ellis Wynn； in a book he
wrote； gives the drovers a very bad character； and puts them in
Hell for their mal…practices。〃
〃Oh； he does；〃 said Mr Bos； 〃well； the next time I meet him at
Corwen I'll crack his head for saying so。 Mal…practices … he had
better look at his own； for he is a pig…jobber too。 Written a book
has he？ then I suppose he has been left a legacy； and gone to
school after middle…age； for when I last saw him； which is four
years ago； he could neither read nor write。〃
I was about to tell Mr Bos that the Ellis Wynn that I meant was no
more a pig…jobber than myself； but a respectable clergyman； who had
been dead considerably upwards of a hundred years； and that also；
notwithstanding my respect for Mr Bos's knowledge of history； I did
not believe that Owen Tudor was buried at Penmynnydd； when I was
prevented by the entrance of Mrs Pritchard； who came to inform me
that my repast was ready in the other room； whereupon I got up and
went into the parlour to 〃box Harry。〃
Having dispatched my bacon and eggs； tea and ale； I fell into deep
meditation。 My mind reverted to a long past period of my life；
when I was to a certain extent fixed up with commercial travellers；
and had plenty of opportunities of observing their habits； and the
terms employed by them in conversation。 I called up several
individuals of the two classes into which they used to be divided；
for commercial travellers in my time were divided into two classes；
those who ate dinners and drank their bottle of port； and those who
〃boxed Harry。〃 What glorious fellows the first seemed！ What airs
they gave themselves！ What oaths they swore！ and what influence
they had with hostlers and chambermaids！ and what a sneaking…
looking set the others were！ shabby in their apparel； no fine
ferocity in their countenances； no oaths in their mouths； except
such a trumpery apology for an oath as an occasional 〃confounded
hard；〃 with little or no influence at inns； scowled at by hostlers；
and never smiled at by chambermaids … and then I remembered how
often I had bothered my head in vain to account for the origin of
the term 〃box Harry；〃 and how often I had in vain applied both to
those who did box and to those who did not 〃box Harry；〃 for a clear
and satisfactory elucidation of the expression … and at last found
myself again bothering my head as of old in a vain attempt to
account for the origin of the term 〃boxing Harry。〃
CHAPTER XXXIV
Northampton … Horse … Breaking … Snoring。
TIRED at length with my vain efforts to account for the term which
in my time was so much in vogue amongst commercial gentlemen I left
