wild wales-第59部分

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road。　　I　found　it　at　last；　though　not　without　considerable　
difficulty。　　I　passed　over　moors；　black　and　barren；　along　a　dusty　
road　till　I　came　to　a　valley；　I　was　now　almost　choked　with　dust　and　
thirst；　and　longed　for　nothing　in　the　world　so　much　as　for　water；　
suddenly　I　heard　its　blessed　sound；　and　perceived　a　rivulet　on　my　
left　hand。　　It　was　crossed　by　two　bridges；　one　immensely　old　and　
terribly　dilapidated；　the　other　old　enough；　but　in　better　repair　…　
went　and　drank　under　the　oldest　bridge　of　the　two。　　The　water　
tasted　of　the　peat　of　the　moors；　nevertheless　I　drank　greedily　of　
it；　for　one　must　not　be　over…delicate　upon　the　moors。

Refreshed　with　my　draught　I　proceeded　briskly　on　my　way；　and　in　a　
little　time　saw　a　range　of　white　buildings；　diverging　from　the　road　
on　the　right　hand；　the　gable　of　the　first　abutting　upon　it。　　A　kind　
of　farm…yard　was　before　them。　　A　respectable…looking　woman　was　
standing　in　the　yard。　　I　went　up　to　her　and　inquired　the　name　of　
the　place。

〃These　houses；　sir；〃　said　she；　〃are　called　Tai　Hirion　Mignaint。　　
Look　over　that　door　and　you　will　see　T。　H。　which　letters　stand　for　
Tai　Hirion。　　Mignaint　is　the　name　of　the　place　where　they　stand。〃

I　looked；　and　upon　a　stone　which　formed　the　lintel　of　the　
middlemost　door　I　read　〃T。　H　1630。〃

The　words　Tai　Hirion　it　will　be　as　well　to　say　signify　the　long　
houses。

I　looked　long　and　steadfastly　at　the　inscription；　my　mind　full　of　
thoughts　of　the　past。

〃Many　a　year　has　rolled　by　since　these　houses　were　built；〃　said　I；　
as　I　sat　down　on　a　stepping…stone。

〃Many　indeed；　sir；〃　said　the　woman；　〃and　many　a　strange　thing　has　
happened。〃

〃Did　you　ever　hear　of　one　Oliver　Cromwell？〃　said　I。

〃Oh；　yes；　sir；　and　of　King　Charles　too。　　The　men　of　both　have　been　
in　this　yard　and　have　baited　their　horses；　aye；　and　have　mounted　
their　horses　from　the　stone　on　which　you　sit。〃

〃I　suppose　they　were　hardly　here　together？〃　said　I。

〃No；　no；　sir；〃　said　the　woman；　〃they　were　bloody　enemies；　and　could　
never　set　their　horses　together。〃

〃Are　these　long　houses；〃　said　I；　〃inhabited　by　different　families？〃

〃Only　by　one；　sir；　they　make　now　one　farm…house。〃

〃Are　you　the　mistress　of　it；〃　said　I。

〃I　am；　sir；　and　my　husband　is　the　master。　　Can　I　bring　you　
anything；　sir？〃

〃Some　water；〃　said　I；　〃for　I　am　thirsty；　though　I　drank　under　the　
old　bridge。〃

The　good　woman　brought　me　a　basin　of　delicious　milk　and　water。

〃What　are　the　names　of　the　two　bridges；〃　said　I；　〃a　little　way　from　
here？〃

〃They　are　called；　sir；　the　old　and　new　bridge　of　Tai　Hirion；　at　
least　we　call　them　so。〃

〃And　what　do　you　call　the　ffrwd　that　runs　beneath　them？〃

〃I　believe；　sir；　it　is　called　the　river　Twerin。〃

〃Do　you　know　a　lake　far　up　there　amidst　the　moors？〃

〃I　have　seen　it；　sir；　they　call　it　Llyn　Twerin。〃

〃Does　the　river　Twerin　flow　from　it？〃

〃I　believe　it　does；　sir；　but　I　do　not　know。〃

〃Is　the　lake　deep？〃

〃I　have　heard　that　it　is　very　deep；　sir；　so　much　so　that　nobody　
knows　it's　depth。〃

〃Are　there　fish　in　it？〃

〃Digon；　sir；　digon　iawn；　and　some　very　large。　　I　once　saw　a　Pen…
hwyad　from　that　lake　which　weighed　fifty　pounds。〃

After　a　little　farther　conversation　I　got　up；　and　thanking　the　kind　
woman　departed。　　I　soon　left　the　moors　behind　me　and　continued　
walking　till　I　came　to　a　few　houses　on　the　margin　of　a　meadow　or　
fen　in　a　valley　through　which　the　way　trended　to　the　east。　　They　
were　almost　overshadowed　by　an　enormous　mountain　which　rose　beyond　
the　fen　on　the　south。　　Seeing　a　house　which　bore　a　sign；　and　at　the　
door　of　which　a　horse　stood　tied；　I　went　in；　and　a　woman　coming　to　
meet　me　in　a　kind　of　passage；　I　asked　her　if　I　could　have　some　ale。

〃Of　the　best；　sir；〃　she　replied；　and　conducted　me　down　the　passage　
into　a　neat　room；　partly　kitchen；　partly　parlour；　the　window　of　
which　looked　out　upon　the　fen。　　A　rustic…looking　man　sat　smoking　at　
a　table　with　a　jug　of　ale　before　him。　　I　sat　down　near　him；　and　the　
good　woman　brought　me　a　similar　jug　of　ale；　which　on　tasting　I　
found　excellent。　　My　spirits　which　had　been　for　some　time　very　
flagging　presently　revived；　and　I　entered　into　conversation　with　my　
companion　at　the　table。　　From　him　I　learned　that　he　was　a　farmer　of　
the　neighbourhood；　that　the　horse　tied　before　the　door　belonged　to　
him；　that　the　present　times　were　very　bad　for　the　producers　of　
grain；　with　very　slight　likelihood　of　improvement；　that　the　place　
at　which　we　were　was　called　Rhyd　y　fen；　or　the　ford　across　the　fen；　
that　it　was　just　half　way　between　Festiniog　and　Bala；　that　the　
clergyman　of　the　parish　was　called　Mr　Pughe；　a　good　kind　of　man；　
but　very　purblind　in　a　spiritual　sense；　and　finally　that　there　was　
no　safe　religion　in　the　world；　save　that　of　the　Calvinistic…
Methodists；　to　which　my　companion　belonged。

Having　finished　my　ale　I　paid　for　it；　and　leaving　the　Calvinistic　
farmer　still　smoking；　I　departed　from　Rhyd　y　fen。　　On　I　went　along　
the　valley；　the　enormous　hill　on　my　right；　a　moel　of　about　half　its　
height　on　my　left；　and　a　tall　hill　bounding　the　prospect　in　the　
east；　the　direction　in　which　I　was　going。　　After　a　little　time；　
meeting　two　women；　I　asked　them　the　name　of　the　mountain　to　the　
south。

〃Arenig　Vawr；〃　they　replied；　or　something　like　it。

Presently　meeting　four　men　I　put　the　same　question　to　the　foremost；　
a　stout；　burly；　intelligent…looking　fellow；　of　about　fifty。　　He　
gave　me　the　same　name　as　the　women。　　I　asked　if　anybody　lived　upon　
it。

〃No；〃　said　he；　〃too　cold　for　man。〃

〃Fox？〃　said　I。

〃No！　too　cold　for　fox。〃

〃Crow？〃　said　I。

〃No；　too　cold　for　crow；　crow　would　be　starved　upon　it。〃　　He　then　
looked　me　in　the　face；　expecting　probably　that　I　should　smile。

I；　however；　looked　at　him　with　all　the　gravity　of　a　judge；　
whereupon　he　also　observed　the　gravity　of　a　judge；　and　we　continued　
looking　at　each　other　with　all　the　gravity　of　judges　till　we　both　
simultaneously　turned　away；　he　followed　by　his　companions　going　his　
path；　and　I　going　mine。

I　subsequently　remembered　that　Arenig　is　mentioned　in　a　Welsh　poem；　
though　in　anything　but　a　flattering　and　advantageous　manner。　　The　
writer　calls　it　Arenig　ddiffaith　or　barren　Arenig；　and　says　that　it　
intercepts　from　him　the　view　of　his　native　land。　　Arenig　is　
certainly　barren　enough；　for　there　is　neither　tree　nor　shrub　upon　
it；　but　there　is　something　majestic　in　its　huge　bulk。　　Of　all　the　
hills　which　I　saw　in　Wales　none　made　a　greater　impression　upon　me。

Towards　evening　I　arrived　at　a　very　small　and　pretty　village　in　the　
middle　of　which　was　a　tollgate。　　Seeing　an　old　woman　seated　at　the　
door　of　the　gate…house　I　asked　her　the　name　of　the　village。　　〃I　
have　no　Saesneg！〃　she　screamed　out。

〃I　have　plenty　of　Cumraeg；〃　said　I；　and　repeated　my　question。　　
Whereupon　she　told　me　that　it　was　called　Tref　y　Talcot　…　the　
village　of　the　tollgate。　　That　it　was　a　very　nice　village；　and　that　
she　was　born　there。　　She　then　pointed　to　two　young　women　who　were　
walking　towards　the　gate　at　a　very　slow　pace　and　told　me　they　were　
English。　　〃I　do　not　know　them；〃　said　I。　　The　old　lady；　who　was　
somewhat　deaf；　thinking　that　I　said　I　did　not　know　English；　leered　
at　me　complacently；　and　said　that　in　that　case；　I　was　like　herself；　
for　she　did　not　speak　a　word　of　English；　adding　that　a　body　should　
not　be　considered　a　fool　for　not　speaking　English。　　She　then　said　
that　the　young　women　had　been　taking　a　walk　together；　and　that　they　
were　much　in　each　other's　company　for　the　sake　of　conversation；　and　
no　wonder；　as　the　poor　simpletons　could　not　speak　a　word　of　Welsh。　　
I　thought　of　the　beam　and　mote　mentioned　in　Scripture；　and　then　
cast　a　glance　of　compassion　on　the　two　poor　young　women。　　For　a　
moment　I　fancied　myself　in　the　times　of　Owen　Glendower；　and　that　I　
saw　two　females；　whom　his　marauders　had　carried　off　from　Cheshire　
or　Shropshire　to　toil　and　slave　in　the　Welshery；　walking　together　
after　the　labours　of　the　day　were　done；　and　bemoaning　their　
misfortunes　in　their　own　homely　English。

Shortly　after　leaving　the　village　of　the　tollgate　I　came　to　a　
beautiful　valley。　　On　my　right　hand　was　a　river　the　farther　bank　of　
which　was　fringed　with　trees；　on　my　left　was　a　gentle　ascent；　the　
lower　part　of　which　was　covered　with　rich　grass；　and　the　upper　with　
yellow　luxuriant　corn；　a　little　farther　on　was　a　green　grove；　
behind　which　rose　up　a　moel。　　A　more　bewitching　scene　I　never　
beheld。　　Ceres　and　Pan　seemed　in　this　place　to　have　met　to　hold　
their　bridal。　　The　sun　now　descending　shone　nobly　upon　the　whole。　　
After　staying　for　some　time　to　gaze；　I　proceeded；　and　soon　met　
several　carts；　from　the　driver　of　one　of　which　I　learned　that　I　was　
yet　three　miles　from　Bala。　　I　continued　my　way　and　came　to　a　
bridge；　a　little　way　beyond　which　I　overtook　two　men；　one　of　whom；　
an　old　fellow；　held　a　very　long　whip　in　his　hand；　and　the　other；　a　
much　younger　man　with　a　cap　on　his　head；　led　a　horse。　　When　I　came　
up　the　old　fellow　took　off　his　hat　to　me；　and　I　forthwith　entered　
into　conversation　with　him。　　I　soon　gathered　from　him　that　he　was　a　
horsedealer　from　Bala；　and　that　he　had　been　out　on　the　road　with　
his　servant　to　break　a　horse。　　I　astonished　the　old　man　with　my　
knowledge　of　Welsh　and　horses；　and　learned　from　him　…　for　
conceiving　I　was　one　of　the　right　sort；　he　was　very　communicative　…　
two　or　three　curious　particulars　connected　with　the　Welsh　mode　of　
breaking　horses。　　Discourse　shortened　the　way　to　both　of　us；　and　we　
were　soon　in　Bala。　　In　the　middle　of　the　town　he　pointed　to　a　large　
old…fashioned　house　on　the　right　hand；　at　the　bottom　of　a　little　
square；　and　said；　〃Your　honour　was　just　asking　me　about　an　inn。　　
That　is　the　best　inn　in　Wales；　and　if　your　honour　is　as　good　a　
judge　of　an　inn　as　of　a　horse；　I　think　you　will　say　so　when　you　
leave　it。　　Prydnawn　da　'chwi！〃



CHAPTER　XLIX



Tom　Jenkins　…　Ale　of　Bala　…　Sober　Moments　…　Local　Prejudices　…　The　
States　…　Unprejudiced　Man　…　Welsh　Pensilvanian　Settlers　…　Drapery　
Line　…　Evening　Saunter。


SCARCELY　had　I　entered　the　door　of　the　inn　when　a　man　presented　
himself　to　me　with　a　low　bow。　　He　was　about　fifty　years　of　age；　
somewhat　above　the　mi