wild wales-第35部分

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A　man　of　great　foresight；　but　nothing　more；　he　foretold　a　bridge　
over　the　Menai；　when　no　one　could　have　built　one；　a　bridge　over　
which　people　could　pass；　aye；　and　carts　and　horses；　we　will　allow　
him　the　credit　of　foretelling　such　a　bridge；　and　when　Telford's　
bridge　was　flung　over　the　Menai；　Lleiaf's　couplet　was　verified。　　
But　since　Telford's　another　bridge　has　been　built　over　the　Menai；　
which　enables　things　to　pass　which　the　bard　certainly　never　dreamt　
of。　　He　never　hinted　at　a　bridge　over　which　thundering　trains　would　
dash；　if　required；　at　the　rate　of　fifty　miles　an　hour；　he　never　
hinted　at　steam　travelling；　or　a　railroad　bridge；　and　the　second　
bridge　over　the　Menai　is　one。

That　Lleiaf　was　a　man　of　remarkable　foresight；　cannot　be　denied；　
but　there　are　no　grounds　which　entitle　him　to　be　considered　a　
possessor　of　the　second　sight。　　He　foretold　a　bridge；　but　not　a　
railroad　bridge；　had　he　foretold　a　railroad　bridge；　or　hinted　at　
the　marvels　of　steam；　his　claim　to　the　second　sight　would　have　been　
incontestable。

What　a　triumph　for　Wales；　what　a　triumph　for　bardism；　if　Lleiaf　had　
ever　written　an　englyn；　or　couplet；　in　which　not　a　bridge　for　
common　traffic；　but　a　railroad　bridge　over　the　Menai　was　hinted　at；　
and　steam　travelling　distinctly　foretold！　　Well；　though　Lleiaf　did　
not　write　it；　there　exists　in　the　Welsh　language　an　englyn；　almost　
as　old　as　Lleiaf's　time；　in　which　steam　travelling　in　Wales　and　
Anglesea　is　foretold；　and　in　which；　though　the　railroad　bridge　over　
the　Menai　is　not　exactly　mentioned；　it　may　be　considered　to　be　
included；　so　that　Wales　and　bardism　have　equal　reason　to　be　proud。　　
This　is　the　englyn　alluded　to：…


〃Codais；　ymolchais　yn　Mon；　cyn　naw　awr
Ciniewa'n　Nghaer　Lleon；
Pryd　gosber　yn　y　Werddon；
Prydnawn　wrth　dan　mawn　yn　Mon。〃


The　above　englyn　was　printed　in　the　Greal；　1792；　p。　316；　the　
language　shows　it　to　be　a　production　of　about　the　middle　of　the　
seventeenth　century。　　The　following　is　nearly　a　literal　
translation：…


〃I　got　up　in　Mona　as　soon　as　'twas　light；
At　nine　in　old　Chester　my　breakfast　I　took；
In　Ireland　I　dined；　and　in　Mona；　ere　night；
By　the　turf　fire　sat；　in　my　own　ingle　nook。〃


Now；　as　sure　as　the　couplet　by　Robert　Lleiaf　foretells　that　a　
bridge　would　eventually　be　built　over　the　strait；　by　which　people　
would　pass；　and　traffic　be　carried　on；　so　surely　does　the　above　
englyn　foreshadow　the　speed　by　which　people　would　travel　by　steam；　
a　speed　by　which　distance　is　already　all　but　annihilated。　　At　
present　it　is　easy　enough　to　get　up　at　dawn　at　Holyhead；　the　point　
of　Anglesey　the　most　distant　from　Chester；　and　to　breakfast　at　that　
old　town　by　nine；　and　though　the　feat　has　never　yet　been　
accomplished；　it　would　be　quite　possible；　provided　proper　
preparations　were　made；　to　start　from　Holyhead　at　daybreak；　
breakfast　at　Chester　at　nine；　or　before；　dine　in　Ireland　at　two；　
and　get　back　again　to　Holyhead　ere　the　sun　of　the　longest　day　has　
set。　　And　as　surely　as　the　couplet　about　the　bridge　argues　great　
foresight　in　the　man　that　wrote　it；　so　surely　does　the　englyn　prove　
that　its　author　must　have　been　possessed　of　the　faculty　of　second　
sight；　as　nobody　without　it　could；　in　the　middle　of　the　seventeenth　
century；　when　the　powers　of　steam　were　unknown；　have　written　
anything　in　which　travelling　by　steam　is　so　distinctly　alluded　to。

Truly　some　old　bard　of　the　seventeenth　century　must　in　a　vision　of　
the　second　sight　have　seen　the　railroad　bridge　across　the　Menai；　
the　Chester　train　dashing　across　it；　at　high　railroad　speed；　and　a　
figure　exactly　like　his　own　seated　comfortably　in　a　third…class　
carriage。

And　now　a　few　words　on　the　second　sight；　a　few　calm；　quiet　words；　
in　which　there　is　not　the　slightest　wish　to　display　either　
eccentricity　or　book…learning。

The　second　sight　is　the　power　of　seeing　events　before　they　happen；　
or　of　seeing　events　which　are　happening　far　beyond　the　reach　of　the　
common　sight；　or　between　which　and　the　common　sight　barriers　
intervene；　which　it　cannot　pierce。　　The　number　of　those　who　possess　
this　gift　or　power　is　limited；　and　perhaps　no　person　ever　possessed　
it　in　a　perfect　degree：　　some　more　frequently　see　coming　events；　or　
what　is　happening　at　a　distance；　than　others；　some　see　things　
dimly；　others　with　great　distinctness。　　The　events　seen　are　
sometimes　of　great　importance；　sometimes　highly　nonsensical　and　
trivial；　sometimes　they　relate　to　the　person　who　sees　them；　
sometimes　to　other　people。　　This　is　all　that　can　be　said　with　
anything　like　certainty　with　respect　to　the　nature　of　the　second　
sight；　a　faculty　for　which　there　is　no　accounting；　which；　were　it　
better　developed；　might　be　termed　the　sixth　sense。

The　second　sight　is　confined　to　no　particular　country；　and　has　at　
all　times　existed。　　Particular　nations　have　obtained　a　celebrity　
for　it　for　a　time；　which　they　have　afterwards　lost；　the　celebrity　
being　transferred　to　other　nations；　who　were　previously　not　noted　
for　the　faculty。　　The　Jews　were　at　one　time　particularly　celebrated　
for　the　possession　of　the　second　sight；　they　are　no　longer　so。　　The　
power　was　at　one　time　very　common　amongst　the　Icelanders　and　the　
inhabitants　of　the　Hebrides；　but　it　is　so　no　longer。　　Many　and　
extraordinary　instances　of　the　second　sight　have　lately　occurred　in　
that　part　of　England　generally　termed　East　Anglia；　where　in　former　
times　the　power　of　the　second　sight　seldom　manifested　itself。

There　are　various　books　in　existence　in　which　the　second　sight　is　
treated　of　or　mentioned。　　Amongst　others　there　is　one　called　
〃Martin's　Description　of　the　Western　Isles　of　Scotland；〃　published　
in　the　year　1703；　which　is　indeed　the　book　from　which　most　writers　
in　English；　who　have　treated　of　the　second　sight；　have　derived　
their　information。　　The　author　gives　various　anecdotes　of　the　
second　sight；　which　he　had　picked　up　during　his　visits　to　those　
remote　islands；　which　until　the　publication　of　his　tour　were　almost　
unknown　to　the　world。　　It　will　not　be　amiss　to　observe　here　that　
the　term　second　sight　is　of　Lowland　Scotch　origin；　and　first　made　
its　appearance　in　print　in　Martin's　book。　　The　Gaelic　term　for　the　
faculty　is　taibhsearachd；　the　literal　meaning　of　which　is　what　is　
connected　with　a　spectral　appearance；　the　root　of　the　word　being　
taibhse；　a　spectral　appearance　or　vision。

Then　there　is　the　History　of　Duncan　Campbell。　　The　father　of　this　
person　was　a　native　of　Shetland；　who；　being　shipwrecked　on　the　
coast　of　Swedish　Lapland；　and　hospitably　received　by　the　natives；　
married　a　woman　of　the　country；　by　whom　he　had　Duncan；　who　was　born　
deaf　and　dumb。　　On　the　death　of　his　mother　the　child　was　removed　by　
his　father　to　Scotland；　where　he　was　educated　and　taught　the　use　of　
the　finger　alphabet；　by　means　of　which　people　are　enabled　to　hold　
discourse　with　each　other；　without　moving　the　lips　or　tongue。　　This　
alphabet　was　originally　invented　in　Scotland；　and　at　the　present　
day　is　much　in　use　there；　not　only　amongst　dumb　people；　but　many　
others；　who　employ　it　as　a　silent　means　of　communication。　　Nothing　
is　more　usual　than　to　see　passengers　in　a　common　conveyance　in　
Scotland　discoursing　with　their　fingers。　　Duncan　at　an　early　period　
gave　indications　of　possessing　the　second　sight。　　After　various　
adventures　he　came　to　London；　where　for　many　years　he　practised　as　
a　fortune…teller；　pretending　to　answer　all　questions；　whether　
relating　to　the　past　or　the　future；　by　means　of　the　second　sight。　　
There　can　be　no　doubt　that　this　man　was　to　a　certain　extent　an　
impostor；　no　person　exists　having　a　thorough　knowledge　either　of　
the　past　or　future　by　means　of　the　second　sight；　which　only　visits　
particular　people　by　fits　and　starts；　and　which　is　quite　
independent　of　individual　will；　but　it　is　equally　certain　that　he　
disclosed　things　which　no　person　could　have　been　acquainted　with　
without　visitations　of　the　second　sight。　　His　papers　fell　into　the　
hands　of　Defoe；　who　wrought　them　up　in　his　own　peculiar　manner；　and　
gave　them　to　the　world　under　the　title　of　the　Life　of　Mr　Duncan　
Campbell；　the　Deaf　and　Dumb　Gentleman：　　with　an　appendix　containing　
many　anecdotes　of　the　second　sight　from　Martin's　tour。

But　by　far　the　most　remarkable　book　in　existence；　connected　with　
the　second　sight；　is　one　in　the　ancient　Norse　language　entitled　
〃Nial's　Saga。〃　（3）　　It　was　written　in　Iceland　about　the　year　1200；　
and　contains　the　history　of　a　certain　Nial　and　his　family；　and　
likewise　notices　of　various　other　people。　　This　Nial　was　what　was　
called　a　spamadr；　that　is；　a　spaeman　or　a　person　capable　of　
foretelling　events。　　He　was　originally　a　heathen　…　when；　however；　
Christianity　was　introduced　into　Iceland；　he　was　amongst　the　first　
to　embrace　it；　and　persuaded　his　family　and　various　people　of　his　
acquaintance　to　do　the　same；　declaring　that　a　new　faith　was　
necessary；　the　old　religion　of　Odin；　Thor；　and　Frey；　being　quite　
unsuited　to　the　times。　　The　book　is　no　romance；　but　a　domestic　
history　compiled　from　tradition　about　two　hundred　years　after　the　
events　which　it　narrates　had　taken　place。　　Of　its　style；　which　is　
wonderfully　terse；　the　following　translated　account　of　Nial　and　his　
family　will　perhaps　convey　some　idea：…

〃There　was　a　man　called　Nial；　who　was　the　son　of　Thorgeir　Gelling；　
the　son　of　Thorolf。　　The　mother　of　Nial　was　called　Asgerdr；　she　was　
the　daughter　of　Ar；　the　Silent；　the　Lord　of　a　district　in　Norway。　　
She　had　come　over　to　Iceland　and　settled　down　on　land　to　the　west　
of　Markarfliot；　between　Oldustein　and　Selialandsmul。　　Holtathorir　
was　her　son；　father　of　Thorlief　Krak；　from　whom　the　Skogverjars　are　
come；　and　likewise　of　Thorgrim　the　big　and　Skorargeir。　　Nial　dwelt　
at　Bergthorshval　in　Landey；　but　had　another　house　at　Thorolfell。　　
Nial　was　very　rich　in　property；　and　handsome　to　look　at；　but　had　no　
beard。　　He　was　so　great　a　lawyer；　that　it　was　impossible　to　find　
his　equal；　he　was　very　wise；　and　had　the　gift　of　foretelling　
events；　he　was　good　at　counsel；　and　of　a　good　disposition；　and　
whatever　counsel　he　gave　people　was　for　their　best；　he　was　gentle　
and　humane；　and　got　every　man　out　of　trouble　who　came　to　him　in　his　
need。