wild wales-第15部分

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Wales；　which；　however；　he　was　obliged　to　leave　at　the　end　of　two　
years；　owing　to　the　annoyance　which　he　experienced　from　ghosts　and　
goblins；　and　unearthly　things；　particularly　phantom　hearses；　which　
used　to　pass　through　his　gate　at　midnight　without　paying；　when　the　
gate　was　shut。〃

〃Ah；〃　said　the　dame；　〃you　know　more　about　Tom　o'r　Nant　than　I　do；　
and　was　he　not　a　great　poet？〃

〃I　daresay　he　was；〃　said　I；　〃for　the　pieces　which　he　wrote；　and　
which　he　called　Interludes；　had　a　great　run；　and　he　got　a　great　
deal　of　money　by　them；　but　I　should　say　the　lines　beneath　the　
portrait　are　more　applicable　to　the　real　Shakespeare　than　to　him。〃

〃What　do　the　lines　mean？〃　said　the　old　lady；　〃they　are　Welsh；　I　
know；　but　they　are　far　beyond　my　understanding。〃

〃They　may　be　thus　translated；〃　said　I：


〃God　in　his　head　the　Muse　instill'd；
And　from　his　head　the　world　he　fill'd。〃


〃Thank　you；　sir；〃　said　the　old　lady。　　〃I　never　found　any　one　before　
who　could　translate　them。〃　　She　then　said　she　would　show　me　some　
English　lines　written　on　the　daughter　of　a　friend　of　hers　who　was　
lately　dead；　and　put　some　printed　lines　in　a　frame　into　my　hand。　　
They　were　an　Elegy　to　Mary；　and　were　very　beautiful；　I　read　them　
aloud；　and　when　I　had　finished　she　thanked　me　and　said　she　had　no　
doubt　that　if　I　pleased　I　could　put　them　into　Welsh　…　she　then　
sighed　and　wiped　her　eyes。

On　our　enquiring　whether　we　could　see　the　interior　of　the　abbey　she　
said　we　could；　and　that　if　we　rang　a　bell　at　the　gate　a　woman　would　
come　to　us；　who　was　in　the　habit　of　showing　the　place。　　We　then　got　
up　and　bade　her　farewell　…　but　she　begged　that　we　would　stay　and　
taste　the　dwr　santaidd　of　the　holy　well。

〃What　holy　well　is　that？〃　said　I。

〃A　well；〃　said　she；　〃by　the　road's　side；　which　in　the　time　of　the　
popes　was　said　to　perform　wonderful　cures。〃

〃Let　us　taste　it　by　all　means；〃　said　I；　whereupon　she　went　out；　and　
presently　returned　with　a　tray　on　which　were　a　jug　and　tumbler；　the　
jug　filled　with　the　water　of　the　holy　well；　we　drank　some　of　the　
dwr　santaidd；　which　tasted　like　any　other　water；　and　then　after　
shaking　her　by　the　hand；　we　went　to　the　gate；　and　rang　at　the　bell。

Presently　a　woman　made　her　appearance　at　the　gate　…　she　was　
genteelly　drest；　about　the　middle　age；　rather　tall；　and　bearing　in　
her　countenance　the　traces　of　beauty。　　When　we　told　her　the　object　
of　our　coming　she　admitted　us；　and　after　locking　the　gate　conducted　
us　into　the　church。　　It　was　roofless；　and　had　nothing　remarkable　
about　it；　save　the　western　window；　which　we　had　seen　from　without。　　
Our　attendant　pointed　out　to　us　some　tombs；　and　told　us　the　names　
of　certain　great　people　whose　dust　they　contained。　　〃Can　you　tell　
us　where　Iolo　Goch　lies　interred？〃　said　I。

〃No；〃　said　she；　〃indeed　I　never　heard　of　such　a　person。〃

〃He　was　the　bard　of　Owen　Glendower；〃　said　I；　〃and　assisted　his　
cause　wonderfully　by　the　fiery　odes；　in　which　he　incited　the　Welsh　
to　rise　against　the　English。〃

〃Indeed！〃　said　she；　〃well；　I　am　sorry　to　say　that　I　never　heard　of　
him。〃

〃Are　you　Welsh？〃　said　I。

〃I　am；〃　she　replied。

〃Did　you　ever　hear　of　Thomas　Edwards？〃

〃Oh；　yes；〃　said　she；　〃I　have　frequently　heard　of　him。〃

〃How　odd；〃　said　I；　〃that　the　name　of　a　great　poet　should　be　unknown　
in　the　very　place　where　he　is　buried；　whilst　that　of　one　certainly　
not　his　superior；　should　be　well　known　in　that　same　place；　though　
he　is　not　buried　there。〃

〃Perhaps；〃　said　she；　〃the　reason　is　that　the　poet；　whom　you　
mentioned；　wrote　in　the　old　measures　and　language　which　few　people　
now　understand；　whilst　Thomas　Edwards　wrote　in　common　verse　and　in　
the　language　of　the　present　day。〃

〃I　daresay　it　is　so；〃　said　I。

From　the　church　she　led　us　to　other　parts　of　the　ruin　…　at　first　
she　had　spoken　to　us　rather　cross　and　loftily；　but　she　now　became　
kind　and　communicative。　　She　said　that　she　resided　near　the　ruins；　
which　she　was　permitted　to　show；　that　she　lived　alone；　and　wished　
to　be　alone；　there　was　something　singular　about　her；　and　I　believe　
that　she　had　a　history　of　her　own。　　After　showing　us　the　ruins　she　
conducted　us　to　a　cottage　in　which　she　lived；　it　stood　behind　the　
ruins　by　a　fish…pond；　in　a　beautiful　and　romantic　place　enough；　she　
said　that　in　the　winter　she　went　away；　but　to　what　place　she　did　
not　say。　　She　asked　us　whether　we　came　walking；　and　on　our　telling　
her　that　we　did；　she　said　that　she　would　point　out　to　us　a　near　way　
home。　　She　then　pointed　to　a　path　up　a　hill；　telling　us　we　must　
follow　it。　　After　making　her　a　present　we　bade　her　farewell；　and　
passing　through　a　meadow　crossed　a　brook　by　a　rustic　bridge；　formed　
of　the　stem　of　a　tree；　and　ascending　the　hill　by　the　path　which　she　
had　pointed　out；　we　went　through　a　cornfield　or　two　on　its　top；　and　
at　last　found　ourselves　on　the　Llangollen　road；　after　a　most　
beautiful　walk。



CHAPTER　XIV



Expedition　to　Ruthyn　…　The　Column　…　Slate　Quarries　…　The　Gwyddelod　
…　Nocturnal　Adventure。


NOTHING　worthy　of　commemoration　took　place　during　the　two　following　
days；　save　that　myself　and　family　took　an　evening　walk　on　the　
Wednesday　up　the　side　of　the　Berwyn；　for　the　purpose　of　botanizing；　
in　which　we　were　attended　by　John　Jones。　　There；　amongst　other　
plants；　we　found　a　curious　moss　which　our　good　friend　said　was　
called　in　Welsh；　Corn　Carw；　or　deer's　horn；　and　which　he　said　the　
deer　were　very　fond　of。　　On　the　Thursday　he　and　I　started　on　an　
expedition　on　foot　to　Ruthyn；　distant　about　fourteen　miles；　
proposing　to　return　in　the　evening。

The　town　and　castle　of　Ruthyn　possessed　great　interest　for　me　from　
being　connected　with　the　affairs　of　Owen　Glendower。　　It　was　at　
Ruthyn　that　the　first　and　not　the　least　remarkable　scene　of　the　
Welsh　insurrection　took　place　by　Owen　making　his　appearance　at　the　
fair　held　there　in　fourteen　hundred；　plundering　the　English　who　had　
come　with　their　goods；　slaying　many　of　them；　sacking　the　town　and　
concluding　his　day's　work　by　firing　it；　and　it　was　at　the　castle　of　
Ruthyn　that　Lord　Grey　dwelt；　a　minion　of　Henry　the　Fourth　and　
Glendower's　deadliest　enemy；　and　who　was　the　principal　cause　of　the　
chieftain's　entering　into　rebellion；　having；　in　the　hope　of　
obtaining　his　estates　in　the　vale　of　Clwyd；　poisoned　the　mind　of　
Harry　against　him；　who　proclaimed　him　a　traitor；　before　he　had　
committed　any　act　of　treason；　and　confiscated　his　estates；　
bestowing　that　part　of　them　upon　his　favourite；　which　the　latter　
was　desirous　of　obtaining。

We　started　on　our　expedition　at　about　seven　o'clock　of　a　brilliant　
morning。　　We　passed　by　the　abbey　and　presently　came　to　a　small　
fountain　with　a　little　stone　edifice；　with　a　sharp　top　above　it。　　
〃That　is　the　holy　well；〃　said　my　guide：　　〃Llawer　iawn　o　barch　yn　yr　
amser　yr　Pabyddion　yr　oedd　i'r　fynnon　hwn　…　much　respect　in　the　
times　of　the　Papists　there　was　to　this　fountain。〃

〃I　heard　of　it；〃　said　I；　〃and　tasted　of　its　water　the　other　evening　
at　the　abbey；〃　shortly　after　we　saw　a　tall　stone　standing　in　a　
field　on　our　right　hand　at　about　a　hundred　yards'　distance　from　the　
road。　　〃That　is　the　pillar　of　Eliseg；　sir；〃　said　my　guide。　　〃Let　us　
go　and　see　it；〃　said　I。　　We　soon　reached　the　stone。　　It　is　a　fine　
upright　column　about　seven　feet　high；　and　stands　on　a　quadrate　
base。　　〃Sir；〃　said　my　guide；　〃a　dead　king　lies　buried　beneath　this　
stone。　　He　was　a　mighty　man　of　valour　and　founded　the　abbey。　　He　
was　called　Eliseg。〃　　〃Perhaps　Ellis；〃　said　I；　〃and　if　his　name　was　
Ellis　the　stone　was　very　properly　called　Colofn　Eliseg；　in　Saxon　
the　Ellisian　column。〃　　The　view　from　the　column　is　very　beautiful；　
below　on　the　south…east　is　the　venerable　abbey；　slumbering　in　its　
green　meadow。　　Beyond　it　runs　a　stream；　descending　from　the　top　of　
a　glen；　at　the　bottom　of　which　the　old　pile　is　situated；　beyond　the　
stream　is　a　lofty　hill。　　The　glen　on　the　north　is　bounded　by　a　
noble　mountain；　covered　with　wood。　　Struck　with　its　beauty　I　
inquired　its　name。　　〃Moel　Eglwysig；　sir；〃　said　my　guide。　　〃The　Moel　
of　the　Church；〃　said　I。　　〃That　is　hardly　a　good　name　for　it；　for　
the　hill　is　not　bald　（moel）。〃　　〃True；　sir；〃　said　John　Jones。　　〃At　
present　its　name　is　good　for　nothing；　but　estalom　（of　old）　before　
the　hill　was　planted　with　trees　its　name　was　good　enough。　　Our　
fathers　were　not　fools　when　they　named　their　hills。〃　　〃I　daresay　
not；〃　said　I；　〃nor　in　many　other　things　which　they　did；　for　which　
we　laugh　at　them；　because　we　do　not　know　the　reasons　they　had　for　
doing　them。〃　　We　regained　the　road；　the　road　tended　to　the　north　up　
a　steep　ascent。　　I　asked　John　Jones　the　name　of　a　beautiful　
village；　which　lay　far　away　on　our　right；　over　the　glen；　and　near　
its　top。　　〃Pentref　y　dwr；　sir〃　（the　village　of　the　water）。　　It　is　
called　the　village　of　the　water；　because　the　river　below　comes　down　
through　part　of　it。　　I　next　asked　the　name　of　the　hill　up　which　we　
were　going；　and　he　told　me　Allt　Bwlch；　that　is；　the　high　place　of　
the　hollow　road。

This　bwlch；　or　hollow　way；　was　a　regular　pass；　which　put　me　
wonderfully　in　mind　of　the　passes　of　Spain。　　It　took　us　a　long　time　
to　get　to　the　top。　　After　resting　a　minute　on　the　summit　we　began　
to　descend。　　My　guide　pointed　out　to　me　some　slate…works；　at　some　
distance　on　our　left。　　〃There　is　a　great　deal　of　work　going　on　
there；　sir；〃　said　he：　　〃all　the　slates　that　you　see　descending　the　
canal　at　Llangollen　came　from　there。〃　　The　next　moment　we　heard　a　
blast；　and　then　a　thundering　sound：　　〃Llais　craig　yn　syrthiaw；　the　
voice　of　the　rock　in　falling；　sir；〃　said　John　Jones；　〃blasting　is　
dangerous　and　awful　work。〃　　We　reached　the　bottom　of　the　descent；　
and　proceeded　for　two　or　three　miles　up　and　down　a　rough　and　narrow　
road；　I　then　turned　round　and　looked　at　the　hills　which　we　had　
passed　over。　　They　looked　bulky　and　huge。

We　continued　our　way；　and　presently　saw　marks　of　a　fire　in　some　
grass　by　the　side　of　the　road。　　〃Have　the　Gipsiaid　been　there？〃　
said　I　to　my　guide。

〃Hardly；　sir；　I　should　rather　think　that　the　Gwyddelaid　（Irish）　
have　been　camping　there　lately。〃

〃The　Gwyddeliad？〃

〃Yes；　sir；　the　vagabond　Gwyddeliad；　who　at　present　infest　these　
parts　much；　and　do　much