wild wales-第60章

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distance　before　me。　　〃What　is　the　name　of　that　hill？〃　said　I　to　a　
woman　whom　I　met。

〃Pen　Caer　Gybi；〃　she　replied。

Soon　after　I　came　to　a　village　near　to　a　rocky　gully。　　On　inquiring　
the　name　of　the　village；　I　was　told　it　was　Llan　yr　Afon；　or　the　
church　of　the　river。　　I　passed　on；　the　country　was　neither　grand　
nor　pretty　…　it　exhibited　a　kind　of　wildness；　however；　which　did　
not　fail　to　interest　me　…　there　were　stones；　rocks　and　furze　in　
abundance。　　Turning　round　the　corner　of　a　hill；　I　observed　through　
the　mists　of　evening；　which　began　to　gather　about　me；　what　seemed　
to　be　rather　a　genteel　house　on　the　roadside；　on　my　left；　and　a　
little　way　behind　it　a　strange　kind　of　monticle；　on　which　I　thought　
I　observed　tall　upright　stones。　　Quickening　my　pace；　I　soon　came　
parallel　with　the　house；　which　as　I　drew　nigh；　ceased　to　look　like　
a　genteel　house；　and　exhibited　an　appearance　of　great　desolation。　　
It　was　a　white；　or　rather　grey　structure　of　some　antiquity。　　It　was　
evidently　used　as　a　farm…house；　for　there　was　a　yard　adjoining　to　
it；　in　which　were　stacks　and　agricultural　implements。　　Observing　
two　men　in　the　yard；　I　went　in。　　They　were　respectable；　farm…
looking　men；　between　forty　and　fifty；　one　had　on　a　coat　and　hat；　
the　other　a　cap　and　jacket。　　〃Good　evening；〃　I　said　in　Welsh。

〃Good　evening；〃　they　replied　in　the　same　language；　looking　
inquiringly　at　me。

〃What　is　the　name　of　this　place？〃　said　I。

〃It　is　called　Ty　gwyn；〃　said　the　man　of　the　hat。

〃On　account　of　its　colour；　I　suppose？〃　said　I。

〃Just　so；〃　said　the　man　of　the　hat。

〃It　looks　old；〃　said　I。

〃And　it　is　old；〃　he　replied。　　〃In　the　time　of　the　Papists　it　was　
one　of　their　chapels。〃

〃Does　it　belong　to　you？〃　I　demanded。

〃Oh　no；　it　belongs　to　one　Mr　Sparrow　from　Liverpool。　　I　am　his　
bailiff；　and　this　man　is　a　carpenter　who　is　here　doing　a　job　for　
him。〃

Here　ensued　a　pause；　which　was　broken　by　the　man　of　the　hat　saying　
in　English；　to　the　man　of　the　cap：

〃Who　can　this　strange　fellow　be？　he　has　not　a　word　of　English；　and　
though　he　speaks　Welsh　his　Welsh　sounds　very　different　from　ours。　　
Who　can　he　be？〃

〃I　am　sure　I　don't　know；〃　said　the　other。

〃I　know　who　he　is；〃　said　the　first；　〃he　comes　from　Llydaw；　or　
Armorica；　which　was　peopled　from　Britain　estalom；　and　where　I　am　
told　the　real　old　Welsh　language　is　still　spoken。〃

〃I　think　I　heard　you　mention　the　word　Llydaw？〃　said　I；　to　the　man　
of　the　hat。

〃Ah；〃　said　the　man　of　the　hat；　speaking　Welsh；　〃I　was　right　after　
all；　oh；　I　could　have　sworn　you　were　Llydaweg。　　Well；　how　are　the　
descendants　of　the　ancient　Britons　getting　on　in　Llydaw？〃

〃They　are　getting　on　tolerably　well；〃　said　I；　〃when　I　last　saw　
them；　though　all　things　do　not　go　exactly　as　they　could　wish。〃

〃Of　course　not；〃　said　he　of　the　hat。　　〃We　too　have　much　to　complain　
of　here；　the　lands　are　almost　entirely　taken　possession　of　by　
Saxons；　wherever　you　go　you　will　find　them　settled；　and　a　Saxon　
bird　of　the　roof　must　build　its　nest　in　Gwyn　dy。〃

〃You　call　a　sparrow　in　your　Welsh　a　bird　of　the　roof；　do　you　not？〃　
said　I。

〃We　do；〃　said　he　of　the　hat。　　〃You　speak　Welsh　very　well　
considering　you　were　not　born　in　Wales。　　It　is　really　surprising　
that　the　men　of　Llydaw　should　speak　the　iaith　so　pure　as　they　do。〃

〃The　Welsh　when　they　went　over　there；〃　said　I；　〃took　effectual　
means　that　their　descendants　should　speak　good　Welsh；　if　all　tales　
be　true。〃

〃What　means？〃　said　he　of　the　hat。

〃Why；〃　said　I；　〃after　conquering　the　country　they　put　all　the　men　
to　death；　and　married　the　women；　but　before　a　child　was　born　they　
cut　out　all　the　women's　tongues；　so　that　the　only　language　the　
children　heard　when　they　were　born　was　pure　Cumraeg。　　What　do　you　
think　of　that？〃

〃Why；　that　it　was　a　cute　trick；〃　said　he　of　the　hat。

〃A　more　clever　trick　I　never　heard；〃　said　the　man　of　the　cap。

〃Have　you　any　memorials　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　old　Welsh？〃　
said　I。

〃What　do　you　mean？〃　said　the　man　of　the　hat。

〃Any　altars　of　the　Druids？〃　said　I；　〃any　stone　tables？〃

〃None；〃　said　the　man　of　the　hat。

〃What　may　those　stones　be？〃　said　I；　pointing　to　the　stones　which　
had　struck　my　attention。

〃Mere　common　rocks；〃　said　the　man。

〃May　I　go　and　examine　them？〃　said　I。

〃Oh　yes！〃　said　he　of　the　hat；　〃and　we　will　go　with　you。〃

We　went　to　the　stones；　which　were　indeed　common　rocks；　and　which　
when　I　reached　them　presented　quite　a　different　appearance　from　
that　which　they　presented　to　my　eye　when　I　viewed　them　from　afar。

〃Are　there　many　altars　of　the　Druids　in　Llydaw？〃　said　the　man　of　
the　hat。

〃Plenty；〃　said　I；　〃but　those　altars　are　older　than　the　time　of　the　
Welsh　colonists；　and　were　erected　by　the　old　Gauls。〃

〃Well；〃　said　the　man　of　the　cap；　〃I　am　glad　I　have　seen　the　man　of　
Llydaw。〃

〃Whom　do　you　call　a　man　of　Llydaw？〃　said　I。

〃Whom　but　yourself？〃　said　he　of　the　hat。

〃I　am　not　a　man　of　Llydaw；〃　said　I　in　English；　〃but　Norfolk；　where　
the　people　eat　the　best　dumplings　in　the　world；　and　speak　the　
purest　English。　　Now　a　thousand　thanks　for　your　civility。　　I　would　
have　some　more　chat　with　you；　but　night　is　coming　on；　and　I　am　
bound　to　Holyhead。〃

Then　leaving　the　men　staring　after　me；　I　bent　my　steps　towards　
Holyhead。

I　passed　by　a　place　called　Llan　something；　standing　lonely　on　its　
hill。　　The　country　round　looked　sad　and　desolate。　　It　is　true　night　
had　come　on　when　I　saw　it。

On　I　hurried。　　The　voices　of　children　sounded　sweetly　at　a　distance　
across　the　wild　champaign　on　my　left。

It　grew　darker　and　darker。　　On　I　hurried　along　the　road；　at　last　I　
came　to　lone；　lordly　groves。　　On　my　right　was　an　open　gate　and　a　
lodge。　　I　went　up　to　the　lodge。　　The　door　was　open；　and　in　a　little　
room　I　beheld　a　nice…looking　old　lady　sitting　by　a　table；　on　which　
stood　a　lighted　candle；　with　her　eyes　fixed　on　a　large　book。

〃Excuse　me；〃　said　I；　〃but　who　owns　this　property？〃

The　old　lady　looked　up　from　her　book；　which　appeared　to　be　a　Bible；　
without　the　slightest　surprise；　though　I　certainly　came　upon　her　
unawares；　and　answered：

〃Mr　John　Wynn。〃

I　shortly　passed　through　a　large　village；　or　rather　town；　the　name　
of　which　I　did　not　learn。　　I　then　went　on　for　a　mile　or　two；　and　
saw　a　red　light　at　some　distance。　　The　road　led　nearly　up　to　it；　
and　then　diverged　towards　the　north。　　Leaving　the　road　I　made　
towards　the　light　by　a　lane；　and　soon　came　to　a　railroad　station。

〃You　won't　have　long　to　wait；　sir；〃　said　a　man；　〃the　train　to　
Holyhead　will　be　here　presently。〃

〃How　far　is　it　to　Holyhead？〃　said　I。

〃Two　miles；　sir；　and　the　fare　is　only　sixpence。〃

〃I　despise　railroads；〃　said　I；　〃and　those　who　travel　by　them；〃　and　
without　waiting　for　an　answer　returned　to　the　road。　　Presently　I　
heard　the　train　…　it　stopped　for　a　minute　at　the　station；　and　then　
continuing　its　course　passed　me　on　my　left　hand；　voiding　fierce　
sparks；　and　making　a　terrible　noise　…　the　road　was　a　melancholy　
one；　my　footsteps　sounded　hollow　upon　it。　　I　seemed　to　be　its　only　
traveller　…　a　wall　extended　for　a　long；　long　way　on　my　left。　　At　
length　I　came　to　a　turnpike。　　I　felt　desolate　and　wished　to　speak　
to　somebody。　　I　tapped　at　the　window；　at　which　there　was　a　light；　a　
woman　opened　it。　　〃How　far　to　Holyhead？〃　said　I　in　English。

〃Dim　Saesneg；〃　said　the　woman。

I　repeated　my　question　in　Welsh。

〃Two　miles；〃　said　she。

〃Still　two　miles　to　Holyhead　by　the　road；〃　thought　I。　　〃Nos　da；〃　
said　I　to　the　woman　and　sped　along。　　At　length　I　saw　water　on　my　
right；　seemingly　a　kind　of　bay；　and　presently　a　melancholy　ship。　　I　
doubled　my　pace；　which　was　before　tolerably　quick；　and　soon　saw　a　
noble…looking　edifice　on　my　left；　brilliantly　lighted　up。　　〃What　a　
capital　inn　that　would　make；〃　said　I；　looking　at　it　wistfully；　as　I　
passed　it。　　Presently　I　found　myself　in　the　midst　of　a　poor；　dull；　
ill…lighted　town。

〃Where　is　the　inn？〃　said　I　to　a　man。

〃The　inn；　sir；　you　have　passed　it。　　The　inn　is　yonder；〃　he　
continued；　pointing　towards　the　noble…looking　edifice。

〃What；　is　that　the　inn？〃　said　I。

〃Yes；　sir；　the　railroad　hotel　…　and　a　first…rate　hotel　it　is。〃

〃And　are　there　no　other　inns？〃

〃Yes；　but