wild wales-第97章

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tiles。

I　arose　about　eight。　　Notwithstanding　the　night　had　been　so　
tempestuous　the　morning　was　sunshiny　and　beautiful。　　Having　ordered　
breakfast　I　walked　out　in　order　to　look　at　the　town。　　Llan　Rhyadr　
is　a　small　place；　having　nothing　remarkable　in　it　save　an　ancient　
church　and　a　strange　little　antique　market…house；　standing　on　
pillars。　　It　is　situated　at　the　western　end　of　an　extensive　valley　
and　at　the　entrance　of　a　glen。　　A　brook　or　rivulet　runs　through　it；　
which　comes　down　the　glen　from　the　celebrated　cataract；　which　is　
about　four　miles　distant　to　the　west。　　Two　lofty　mountains　form　the　
entrance　of　the　glen；　and　tower　above　the　town；　one　on　the　south　
and　the　other　on　the　north。　　Their　names；　if　they　have　any；　I　did　
not　learn。

After　strolling　about　the　little　place　for　about　a　quarter　of　an　
hour；　staring　at　the　things　and　the　people；　and　being　stared　at　by　
the　latter；　I　returned　to　my　inn；　a　structure　built　in　the　modern　
Gothic　style；　and　which　stands　nearly　opposite　to　the　churchyard。　　
Whilst　breakfasting　I　asked　the　landlady；　who　was　bustling　about　
the　room；　whether　she　had　ever　heard　of　Owen　Glendower。

〃In　truth；　sir；　I　have。　　He　was　a　great　gentleman　who　lived　a　long　
time　ago；　and；　and　…　〃

〃Gave　the　English　a　great　deal　of　trouble；〃　said　I。

〃Just　so；　sir；　at　least　I　daresay　it　is　so；　as　you　say　it。〃

〃And　do　you　know　where　he　lived？〃

〃I　do　not；　sir；　I　suppose　a　great　way　off；　somewhere　in　the　south。〃

〃Do　you　mean　South　Wales？〃

〃In　truth；　sir；　I　do。〃

〃There　you　are　mistaken；〃　said　I；　〃and　also　in　supposing　he　lived　a　
great　way　off。　　He　lived　in　North　Wales；　and　not　far　from　this　
place。〃

〃In　truth；　sir；　you　know　more　about　him　than　I。〃

〃Did　you　ever　hear　of　a　place　called　Sycharth？

〃Sycharth！　Sycharth！　　I　never　did；　sir。〃

〃It　is　the　place　where　Glendower　lived；　and　it　is　not　far　off。　　I　
want　to　go　there；　but　do　not　know　the　way。〃

〃Sycharth！　Sycharth！〃　said　the　landlady　musingly：　　〃I　wonder　if　it　
is　the　place　we　call　Sychnant。〃

〃Is　there　such　a　place？〃

〃Yes；　sure；　about　six　miles　from　here；　near　Langedwin。〃

〃What　kind　of　place　is　it？〃

〃In　truth；　sir；　I　do　not　know；　for　I　was　never　there。　　My　cook；　
however；　in　the　kitchen；　knows　all　about　it；　for　she　comes　from　
there。〃

〃Can　I　see　her？〃

〃Yes；　sure；　I　will　go　at　once　and　fetch　her。〃

She　then　left　the　room　and　presently　returned　with　the　cook；　a　
short；　thick　girl　with　blue　staring　eyes。

〃Here　she　is；　sir；〃　said　the　landlady；　〃but　she　has　no　English。〃

〃All　the　better；〃　said　I。　　〃So　you　come　from　a　place　called　
Sychnant？〃　said　I　to　the　cook　in　Welsh。

〃In　truth；　sir；　I　do；〃　said　the　cook。

〃Did　you　ever　hear　of　a　gwr　boneddig　called　Owen　Glendower？〃

〃Often；　sir；　often；　he　lived　in　our　place。〃

〃He　lived　in　a　place　called　Sycharth？〃　said　I。

〃Well；　sir；　and　we　of　the　place　call　it　Sycharth　as　often　as　
Sychnant；　nay；　oftener。〃

〃Is　his　house　standing？〃

〃It　is　not；　but　the　hill　on　which　it　stood　is　still　standing。〃

〃Is　it　a　high　hill？〃

〃It　is　not；　it　is　a　small；　light　hill。〃

〃A　light　hill！〃　said　I　to　myself。　　〃Old　Iolo　Goch；　Owen　Glendower's　
bard；　said　the　chieftain　dwelt　in　a　house　on　a　light　hill。


〃'There　dwells　the　chief　we　all　extol
In　timber　house　on　lightsome　knoll。'


〃Is　there　a　little　river　near　it；〃　said　I　to　the　cook；　〃a　ffrwd？〃

〃There　is；　it　runs　just　under　the　hill。〃

〃Is　there　a　mill　upon　the　ffrwd？〃

〃There　is　not；　that　is；　now　…　but　there　was　in　the　old　time；　a　
factory　of　woollen　stands　now　where　the　mill　once　stood。〃


〃'A　mill　a　rushing　brook　upon
And　pigeon　tower　fram'd　of　stone。'


〃So　says　Iolo　Goch；〃　said　I　to　myself；　〃in　his　description　of　
Sycharth；　I　am　on　the　right　road。〃

I　asked　the　cook　to　whom　the　property　of　Sycharth　belonged　and　was　
told　of　course　to　Sir　Watkin；　who　appears　to　be　the　Marquis　of　
Denbighshire。　　After　a　few　more　questions　I　thanked　her　and　told　
her　she　might　go。　　I　then　finished　my　breakfast；　paid　my　bill；　and　
after　telling　the　landlady　that　I　should　return　at　night；　started　
for　Llangedwin　and　Sycharth。

A　broad　and　excellent　road　led　along　the　valley　in　the　direction　in　
which　I　was　proceeding。

The　valley　was　beautiful　and　dotted　with　various　farm…houses；　and　
the　land　appeared　to　be　in　as　high　a　state　of　cultivation　as　the　
soil　of　my　own　Norfolk；　that　county　so　deservedly　celebrated　for　
its　agriculture。　　The　eastern　side　is　bounded　by　lofty　hills；　and　
towards　the　north　the　vale　is　crossed　by　three　rugged　elevations；　
the　middlemost　of　which；　called；　as　an　old　man　told　me；　Bryn　Dinas；　
terminates　to　the　west　in　an　exceedingly　high　and　picturesque　crag。

After　an　hour's　walking　I　overtook　two　people；　a　man　and　a　woman　
laden　with　baskets　which　hung　around　them　on　every　side。　　The　man　
was　a　young　fellow　of　about　eight…and…twenty；　with　a　round　face；　
fair　flaxen　hair；　and　rings　in　his　ears；　the　female　was　a　blooming　
buxom　lass　of　about　eighteen。　　After　giving　them　the　sele　of　the　
day　I　asked　them　if　they　were　English。

〃Aye；　aye；　master；〃　said　the　man；　〃we　are　English。〃

〃Where　do　you　come　from？〃　said　I。

〃From　Wrexham；〃　said　the　man。

〃I　thought　Wrexham　was　in　Wales；〃　said

〃If　it　be；〃　said　the　man；　〃the　people　are　not　Welsh；　a　man　is　not　a　
horse　because　he　happens　to　be　born　in　a　stable。〃

〃Is　that　young　woman　your　wife？〃　said　I。

〃Yes；〃　said　he；　〃after　a　fashion〃　…　and　then　he　leered　at　the　lass；　
and　she　leered　at　him。

〃Do　you　attend　any　place　of　worship？〃　said　I。

〃A　great　many；　master！〃

〃What　place　do　you　chiefly　attend？〃　said　I。

〃The　Chequers；　master！〃

〃Do　they　preach　the　best　sermons　there？〃　said　I。

〃No；　master！　but　they　sell　the　best　ale　there。〃

〃Do　you　worship　ale？〃　said　I。

〃Yes；　master；　I　worships　ale。〃

〃Anything　else？〃　said　I。

〃Yes；　master！　　I　and　my　mort　worships　something　besides　good　ale；　
don't　we；　Sue？〃　and　then　he　leered　at　the　mort；　who　leered　at　him；　
and　both　made　odd　motions　backwards　and　forwards；　causing　the　
baskets　which　hung　round　them　to　creak　and　rustle；　and　uttering　
loud　shouts　of　laughter；　which　roused　the　echoes　of　the　
neighbouring　hills。

〃Genuine　descendants；　no　doubt；〃　said　I　to　myself　as　I　walked　
briskly　on；　〃of　certain　of　the　old　heathen　Saxons　who　followed　Rag　
into　Wales　and　settled　down　about　the　house　which　he　built。　　
Really；　if　these　two　are　a　fair　specimen　of　the　Wrexham　population；　
my　friend　the　Scotch　policeman　was　not　much　out　when　he　said　that　
the　people　of　Wrexham　were　the　worst　people　in　Wales。〃



CHAPTER　LXVI



Sycharth　…　The　Kindly　Welcome　…　Happy　Couple　…　Sycharth　…　Recalling　
the　Dead　…　Ode　to　Sycharth。


I　WAS　now　at　the　northern　extremity　of　the　valley　near　a　great　
house　past　which　the　road　led　in　the　direction　of　the　north…east。　　
Seeing　a　man　employed　in　breaking　stones　I　inquired　the　way　to　
Sychnant。

〃You　must　turn　to　the　left；〃　said　he；　〃before　you　come　to　yon　great　
house；　follow　the　path　which　you　will　find　behind　it；　and　you　will　
soon　be　in　Sychnant。〃

〃And　to　whom　does　the　great　house　belong？〃

〃To　whom？　why；　to　Sir　Watkin。〃

〃Does　he　reside　there？〃

〃Not　often。　　He　has　plenty　of　other　houses；　but　he　sometimes　comes　
there　to　hunt。〃

〃What　is　the　place's　name？〃

〃Llan　Gedwin。〃

I　turned　to　the　left；　as　the　labourer　had　directed　me。　　The　path　
led　upward　behind　the　great　house　round　a　hill　thickly　planted　with　
trees。　　Following　it　I　at　length　found　myself　on　a　broad　road　on　
the　top　extending　east　and　west；　and　having　on　the　north　and　south　
beautiful　wooded　hills。　　I　followed　the　road　which　presently　began　
to　descend。　　On　reaching　level　ground　I　overtook　a　man　in　a　
waggoner's　frock；　of　whom　I　inquired　the　way　to　Sycharth。　　He　
pointed　westward　down　the　vale　to　what　appeared　to　be　a　collection　
of　houses；　near　a　singular…looking　monticle；　and　said；　〃That　is　
Sycharth。〃

We　walked　together　till　we　came　to　a　road　which　branched　off　on　the　
right　to　a　little　bridge。

〃That　is　your　way；〃　said　he；　and　pointing　to　a　large　building　
beyond　the　bridge；　towering　up　above　a　number　of　cottages；　he　said；　
〃that　is　the　factory　of　Sycharth；〃　he　then　left　me；　following　th