wild wales-第3部分

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But　though　I　had　lost　my　oral　instructor　I　had　still　my　silent　
ones；　namely；　the　Welsh　books；　and　of　these　I　made　such　use　that　
before　the　expiration　of　my　clerkship　I　was　able　to　read　not　only　
Welsh　prose；　but；　what　was　infinitely　more　difficult；　Welsh　poetry　
in　any　of　the　four…and…twenty　measures；　and　was　well　versed　in　the　
compositions　of　various　of　the　old　Welsh　bards；　especially　those　of　
Dafydd　ab　Gwilym；　whom；　since　the　time　when　I　first　became　
acquainted　with　his　works；　I　have　always　considered　as　the　greatest　
poetical　genius　that　has　appeared　in　Europe　since　the　revival　of　
literature。

After　this　exordium　I　think　I　may　proceed　to　narrate　the　journey　of　
myself　and　family　into　Wales。　　As　perhaps；　however；　it　will　be　
thought　that；　though　I　have　said　quite　enough　about　myself　and　a　
certain　groom；　I　have　not　said　quite　enough　about　my　wife　and　
daughter；　I　will　add　a　little　more　about　them。　　Of　my　wife　I　will　
merely　say　that　she　is　a　perfect　paragon　of　wives　…　can　make　
puddings　and　sweets　and　treacle　posset；　and　is　the　best　woman　of　
business　in　Eastern　Anglia　…　of　my　step…daughter　…　for　such　she　is；　
though　I　generally　call　her　daughter；　and　with　good　reason；　seeing　
that　she　has　always　shown　herself　a　daughter　to　me　…　that　she　has　
all　kinds　of　good　qualities；　and　several　accomplishments；　knowing　
something　of　conchology；　more　of　botany；　drawing　capitally　in　the　
Dutch　style；　and　playing　remarkably　well　on　the　guitar　…　not　the　
trumpery　German　thing　so…called　…　but　the　real　Spanish　guitar。



CHAPTER　II



The　Starting　…　Peterborough　Cathedral　…　Anglo…Saxon　Names　…　Kaempe　
Viser　…　Steam　…　Norman　Barons　…　Chester　Ale　…　Sion　Tudor　…　Pretty　
Welsh　Tongue。


SO　our　little　family；　consisting　of　myself；　my　wife　Mary；　and　my　
daughter　Henrietta；　for　daughter　I　shall　persist　in　calling　her；　
started　for　Wales　in　the　afternoon　of　the　27th　July；　1854。　　We　flew　
through　part　of　Norfolk　and　Cambridgeshire　in　a　train　which　we　left　
at　Ely；　and　getting　into　another；　which　did　not　fly　quite　so　fast　
as　the　one　we　had　quieted；　reached　the　Peterborough　station　at　
about　six　o'clock　of　a　delightful　evening。　　We　proceeded　no　farther　
on　our　journey　that　day；　in　order　that　we　might　have　an　opportunity　
of　seeing　the　cathedral。

Sallying　arm　in　arm　from　the　Station　Hotel；　where　we　had　determined　
to　take　up　our　quarters　for　the　night；　we　crossed　a　bridge　over　the　
deep　quiet　Nen；　on　the　southern　bank　of　which　stands　the　station；　
and　soon　arrived　at　the　cathedral　…　unfortunately　we　were　too　late　
to　procure　admission　into　the　interior；　and　had　to　content　
ourselves　with　walking　round　it　and　surveying　its　outside。

It　is　named　after；　and　occupies　the　site；　or　part　of　the　site　of　an　
immense　monastery；　founded　by　the　Mercian　King　Peda；　in　the　year　
665；　and　destroyed　by　fire　in　the　year　1116；　which　monastery；　
though　originally　termed　Medeshamsted；　or　the　homestead　on　the　
meads；　was　subsequently　termed　Peterborough；　from　the　circumstance　
of　its　having　been　reared　by　the　old　Saxon　monarch　for　the　love　of　
God　and　the　honour　of　Saint　Peter；　as　the　Saxon　Chronicle　says；　a　
book　which　I　went　through　carefully　in　my　younger　days；　when　I　
studied　Saxon；　for；　as　I　have　already　told　the　reader；　I　was　in　
those　days　a　bit　of　a　philologist。　　Like　the　first；　the　second　
edifice　was　originally　a　monastery；　and　continued　so　till　the　time　
of　the　Reformation；　both　were　abodes　of　learning；　for　if　the　Saxon　
Chronicle　was　commenced　in　the　monkish　cells　of　the　first；　it　was　
completed　in　those　of　the　second。　　What　is　at　present　called　
Peterborough　Cathedral　is　a　noble　venerable　pile；　equal　upon　the　
whole　in　external　appearance　to　the　cathedrals　of　Toledo；　Burgos　
and　Leon；　all　of　which　I　have　seen。　　Nothing　in　architecture　can　be　
conceived　more　beautiful　than　the　principal　entrance；　which　fronts　
the　west；　and　which；　at　the　time　we　saw　it；　was　gilded　with　the　
rays　of　the　setting　sun。

After　having　strolled　about　the　edifice　surveying　it　until　we　were　
weary；　we　returned　to　our　inn；　and　after　taking　an　excellent　supper　
retired　to　rest。

At　ten　o'clock　next　morning　we　left　the　capital　of　the　meads。　　With　
dragon　speed；　and　dragon　noise；　fire；　smoke；　and　fury；　the　train　
dashed　along　its　road　through　beautiful　meadows；　garnished　here　and　
there　with　pollard　sallows；　over　pretty　streams；　whose　waters　stole　
along　imperceptibly；　by　venerable　old　churches；　which　I　vowed　I　
would　take　the　first　opportunity　of　visiting：　　stopping　now　and　
then　to　recruit　its　energies　at　places；　whose　old　Anglo…Saxon　names　
stared　me　in　the　eyes　from　station　boards；　as　specimens　of　which；　
let　me　only　dot　down　Willy　Thorpe；　Ringsted；　and　Yrthling　Boro。　　
Quite　forgetting　everything　Welsh；　I　was　enthusiastically　Saxon　the　
whole　way　from　Medeshamsted　to　Blissworth；　so　thoroughly　Saxon　was　
the　country；　with　its　rich　meads；　its　old　churches　and　its　names。　　
After　leaving　Blissworth；　a　thoroughly　Saxon　place　by…the…bye；　as　
its　name　shows；　signifying　the　stronghold　or　possession　of　Bligh　or　
Blee；　I　became　less　Saxon；　the　country　was　rather　less　Saxon；　and　I　
caught　occasionally　the　word　〃by〃　on　a　board；　the　Danish　for　a　
town；　which　〃by〃　waked　in　me　a　considerable　portion　of　Danish　
enthusiasm；　of　which　I　have　plenty；　and　with　reason；　having　
translated　the　glorious　Kaempe　Viser　over　the　desk　of　my　ancient　
master；　the　gentleman　solicitor　of　East　Anglia。　　At　length　we　drew　
near　the　great　workshop　of　England；　called　by　some；　Brummagem　or　
Bromwicham；　by　others　Birmingham；　and　I　fell　into　a　philological　
reverie；　wondering　which　was　the　right　name。　　Before；　however；　we　
came　to　the　station；　I　decided　that　both　names　were　right　enough；　
but　that　Bromwicham　was　the　original　name；　signifying　the　home　on　
the　broomie　moor；　which　name　it　lost　in　polite　parlance　for　
Birmingham；　or　the　home　of　the　son　of　Biarmer；　when　a　certain　man　
of　Danish　blood；　called　Biarming；　or　the　son　of　Biarmer；　got　
possession　of　it；　whether　by　force；　fraud；　or　marriage　…　the　
latter；　by…the…bye；　is　by　far　the　best　way　of　getting　possession　of　
an　estate　…　this　deponent　neither　knoweth　nor　careth。　　At　
Birmingham　station　I　became　a　modern　Englishman；　enthusiastically　
proud　of　modern　England's　science　and　energy；　that　station　alone　is　
enough　to　make　one　proud　of　being　a　modern　Englishman。　　Oh；　what　an　
idea　does　that　station；　with　its　thousand　trains　dashing　off　in　all　
directions；　or　arriving　from　all　quarters；　give　of　modern　English　
science　and　energy。　　My　modern　English　pride　accompanied　me　all　the　
way　to　Tipton；　for　all　along　the　route　there　were　wonderful　
evidences　of　English　skill　and　enterprise；　in　chimneys　high　as　
cathedral　spires；　vomiting　forth　smoke；　furnaces　emitting　flame　and　
lava；　and　in　the　sound　of　gigantic　hammers；　wielded　by　steam；　the　
Englishman's　slave。　　After　passing　Tipton；　at　which　place　one　
leaves　the　great　working　district　behind；　I　became　for　a　
considerable　time　a　yawning；　listless　Englishman；　without　pride；　
enthusiasm；　or　feeling　of　any　kind；　from　which　state　I　was　suddenly　
roused　by　the　sight　of　ruined　edifices　on　the　tops　of　hills。　　They　
were　remains　of　castles　built　by　Norman　Barons。　　Here；　perhaps；　the　
reader　will　expect　from　me　a　burst　of　Norman　enthusiasm：　　if　so　he　
will　be　mistaken；　I　have　no　Norman　enthusiasm；　and　hate　and　
abominate　the　name　of　Norman；　for　I　have　always　associated　that　
name　with　the　deflowering　of　helpless　Englishwomen；　the　plundering　
of　English　homesteads；　and　the　tearing　out　of　poor　Englishmen's　
eyes。　　The　sight　of　those　edifices；　now　in　ruins；　but　which　were　
once　the　strongholds　of　plunder；　violence；　and　lust；　made　me　almost　
ashamed　of　being　an　Englishman；　for　they　brought　to　my　mind　the　
indignities　to　which　poor　English　blood　has　been　subjected。　　I　sat　
silent　and　melancholy；　till　looking　from　the　window　I　caught　sight　
of　a　long　line　of　hills；　which　I　guessed　to　be　the　Welsh　hills；　as　
indeed　they　proved；　which　sight　causing　me　to　remember　that　I　was　
bound　for　Wales；　the　land　of　the　bard；　made　me　cast　all　gloomy　
thoughts　aside　and　glow　with　all　the　Welsh　enthusiasm　with　which　I　
glowed　when　I　first　started　in　the　direction　of　Wales。

On　arriving　at　Chester；　at　which　place　we　intended　to　spend　two　or　
three　days；　we　put　up　at　an　old…fashioned　inn　in　Northgate　Street；　
to　which　we　had　been　recommended；　my　wife　and　daughter　ordered　tea　
and　its　accompaniments；　and　I　ordered　ale；　and　that　which　always　
should　accompany　it；　cheese。　　〃The　ale　I　shall　find　bad；〃　said　I；　
Chester　ale　had　a　villainous　character　in　the　time　of　old　Sion　
Tudor；　who　made　a　first…rate　englyn　upon　it；　and　it　has　scarcely　
improved　since；　〃but　I　shall　have　a　treat　in　the　cheese；　Cheshire　
cheese　has　always　been　reckoned　excellent；　and　now　that　I　am　in　the　
capital　of　the　cheese　country；　of　course　I　shall　have　some　of　the　
very　prime。〃　　Well；　the　tea；　loaf　and　butter　made　their　appearance；　
and　with　them　my　cheese　and　ale。　　To　my　horror　the　cheese　had　much　
the　appearance　of　soap　of　the　commonest　kind；　which　indeed　I　found　
it　much　resembled　in　taste；　on　putting　a　small　portion　into　my　
mouth。　　〃Ah；〃　said　I；　after　I　had　opened　the　window　and　ejected　the　
half…masticated　morsel　into　the　street；　〃those　who　wish　to　regale　
on　good　Cheshire　cheese　must　not　come　to　Chester；　no　more　than　
those　who　wish　to　drink　first…rate　coffee　must　go　to　Mocha。　　I'll　
now　see　whether　the　ale　is　drinkable；〃　so　I　took　a　little　of　the　
ale　into　my　mouth；　and　instantly　going　to　the　window；　spirted　it　
out　after　the　cheese。　　〃Of　a　surety；〃　said　I；　〃Chester　ale　must　be　
of　much　the　same　quality　as　it　was　in　the　time　of　Sion　Tudor；　who　
spoke　of　it　to　the　following　effect：…


〃Chester　ale；　Chester　ale！　　I　could　ne'er　get　it　down；
'Tis　made　of　ground…ivy；　of　dirt；　and　of　bran；
'Tis　as　thick　as　a　river　below　a　huge　town！
'Tis　not　lap　for　a　dog；　far　less　drink　for　a　man。'


Well！　if　I　have　been　deceived　in　the　cheese；　I　have　at　any　rate　not　
been　deceived　in　the　ale；　which　I　expected　to　find　execrable。　　
Patience！　I　shall　not　fall　into　a　passion；　more　especially　as　there　
are　things　I　can　fall　back　upon。　　Wife！　I　will　tro