wild wales-第6部分

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eased　me　of　my　sins；　and　given　me　God　upon　the　cross。　　Oh；　a　
powerful　and　comfortable　priest　is　Father　Toban。〃

〃And　what　would　he　say　if　he　were　to　know　that　you　asked　for　God　
from　a　minister？〃

〃I　do　not　know；　and　do　not　much　care；　if　I　get　God；　I　do　not　care　
whether　I　get　Him　from　a　minister　or　a　priest；　both　have　Him；　no　
doubt；　only　give　Him　in　different　ways。　　Oh　sir；　do　give　us　God；　we　
need　Him　sir；　for　we　are　sinful　people；　we　call　ourselves　tinkers；　
but　many　is　the　sinful　thing　…　〃

〃Bi…do…hosd；〃　said　the　man：　　Irish　words　tantamount　to　〃Be　silent！〃

〃I　will　not　be　hushed；〃　said　the　woman；　speaking　English。　　〃The　man　
is　a　good　man；　and　he　will　do　us　no　harm。　　We　are　tinkers；　sir；　but　
we　do　many　things　besides　tinkering；　many　sinful　things；　especially　
in　Wales；　whither　we　are　soon　going　again。　　Oh；　I　want　to　be　eased　
of　some　of　my　sins　before　I　go　into　Wales　again；　and　so　do　you；　
Tourlough；　for　you　know　how　you　are　sometimes　haunted　by　devils　at　
night　in　those　dreary　Welsh　hills。　　Oh　sir；　give　us　comfort　in　some　
shape　or　other；　either　as　priest　or　minister；　give　us　God！　　Give　us　
God！〃

〃I　am　neither　priest　nor　minister；〃　said；　I；　〃and　can　only　say：　　
Lord　have　mercy　upon　you！〃　　Then　getting　up　I　flung　the　children　
some　money　and　departed。

〃We　do　not　want　your　money；　sir；〃　screamed　the　woman　after　me；　〃we　
have　plenty　of　money。　　Give　us　God！　　Give　us　God！〃

〃Yes；　your　haner；〃　said　the　man；　〃give　us　God！　we　do　not　want　
money；〃　and　the　uncouth　girl　said　something；　which　sounded　much　
like　Give　us　God！　but　I　hastened　across　the　meadow；　which　was　now　
quite　dusky；　and　was　presently　in　the　inn　with　my　wife　and　
daughter。



CHAPTER　V



Welsh　Book　Stall　…　Wit　and　Poetry　…　Welsh　of　Chester　…　Beautiful　
Morning　…　Noble　Fellow　…　The　Coiling　Serpent　…　Wrexham　Church　…　
Welsh　or　English？　…　Codiad　yr　Ehedydd。


ON　the　afternoon　of　Monday　I　sent　my　family　off　by　the　train　to　
Llangollen；　which　place　we　had　determined　to　make　our　head…quarters　
during　our　stay　in　Wales。　　I　intended　to　follow　them　next　day；　not　
in　train；　but　on　foot；　as　by　walking　I　should　be　better　able　to　see　
the　country；　between　Chester　and　Llangollen；　than　by　making　the　
journey　by　the　flying　vehicle。　　As　I　returned　to　the　inn　from　the　
train　I　took　refuge　from　a　shower　in　one　of　the　rows　or　covered　
streets；　to　which；　as　I　have　already　said；　one　ascends　by　flights　
of　steps；　stopping　at　a　book…stall　I　took　up　a　book　which　chanced　
to　be　a　Welsh　one。　　The　proprietor；　a　short　red…faced　man；　
observing　me　reading　the　book；　asked　me　if　I　could　understand　it。　　
I　told　him　that　I　could。

〃If　so；〃　said　he；　〃let　me　hear　you　translate　the　two　lines　on　the　
title…page。〃

〃Are　you　a　Welshman？〃　said　I。

〃I　am！〃　he　replied。

〃Good！〃　said　I；　and　I　translated　into　English　the　two　lines　which　
were　a　couplet　by　Edmund　Price；　an　old　archdeacon　of　Merion；　
celebrated　in　his　day　for　wit　and　poetry。

The　man　then　asked　me　from　what　part　of　Wales　I　came；　and　when　I　
told　him　that　I　was　an　Englishman　was　evidently　offended；　either　
because　he　did　not　believe　me；　or；　as　I　more　incline　to　think；　did　
not　approve　of　an　Englishman's　understanding　Welsh。

The　book　was　the　life　of　the　Rev。　Richards；　and　was　published　at　
Caerlleon；　or　the　city　of　the　legion；　the　appropriate　ancient　
British　name　for　the　place　now　called　Chester；　a　legion　having　been　
kept　stationed　there　during　the　occupation　of　Britain　by　the　
Romans。

I　returned　to　the　inn　and　dined；　and　then　yearning　for　society；　
descended　into　the　kitchen　and　had　some　conversation　with　the　Welsh　
maid。　　She　told　me　that　there　were　a　great　many　Welsh　in　Chester　
from　all　parts　of　Wales；　but　chiefly　from　Denbighshire　and　
Flintshire；　which　latter　was　her　own　country。　　That　a　great　many　
children　were　born　in　Chester　of　Welsh　parents；　and　brought　up　in　
the　fear　of　God　and　love　of　the　Welsh　tongue。　　That　there　were　some　
who　had　never　been　in　Wales；　who　spoke　as　good　Welsh　as　herself；　or　
better。　　That　the　Welsh　of　Chester　were　of　various　religious　
persuasions；　that　some　were　Baptists；　some　Independents；　but　that　
the　greater　part　were　Calvinistic…Methodists；　that　she　herself　was　
a　Calvinistic…Methodist；　that　the　different　persuasions　had　their　
different　chapels；　in　which　God　was　prayed　to　in　Welsh；　that　there　
were　very　few　Welsh　in　Chester　who　belonged　to　the　Church　of　
England；　and　that　the　Welsh　in　general　do　not　like　Church　of　
England　worship；　as　I　should　soon　find　if　I　went　into　Wales。

Late　in　the　evening　I　directed　my　steps　across　the　bridge　to　the　
green；　where　I　had　discoursed　with　the　Irish　itinerants。　　I　wished　
to　have　some　more　conversation　with　them　respecting　their　way　of　
life；　and；　likewise；　as　they　had　so　strongly　desired　it；　to　give　
them　a　little　Christian　comfort；　for　my　conscience　reproached　me　
for　my　abrupt　departure　on　the　preceding　evening。　　On　arriving　at　
the　green；　however；　I　found　them　gone；　and　no　traces　of　them　but　
the　mark　of　their　fire　and　a　little　dirty　straw。　　I　returned；　
disappointed　and　vexed；　to　my　inn。

Early　the　next　morning　I　departed　from　Chester　for　Llangollen；　
distant　about　twenty　miles；　I　passed　over　the　noble　bridge　and　
proceeded　along　a　broad　and　excellent　road；　leading　in　a　direction　
almost　due　south　through　pleasant　meadows。　　I　felt　very　happy　…　and　
no　wonder；　the　morning　was　beautiful；　the　birds　sang　merrily；　and　a　
sweet　smell　proceeded　from　the　new…cut　hay　in　the　fields；　and　I　was　
bound　for　Wales。　　I　passed　over　the　river　Allan　and　through　two　
villages　called；　as　I　was　told；　Pulford　and　Marford；　and　ascended　a　
hill；　from　the　top　of　this　hill　the　view　is　very　fine。　　To　the　east　
are　the　high　lands　of　Cheshire；　to　the　west　the　bold　hills　of　
Wales；　and　below；　on　all　sides　a　fair　variety　of　wood　and　water；　
green　meads　and　arable　fields。

〃You　may　well　look　around；　Measter；〃　said　a　waggoner；　who；　coming　
from　the　direction　in　which　I　was　bound；　stopped　to　breathe　his　
team　on　the　top　of　the　hill；　〃you　may　well　look　around　…　there　
isn't　such　a　place　to　see　the　country　from；　far　and　near；　as　where　
we　stand。　　Many　come　to　this　place　to　look　about　them。〃

I　looked　at　the　man；　and　thought　I　had　never　seen　a　more　powerful…
looking　fellow；　he　was　about　six　feet　two　inches　high；　immensely　
broad　in　the　shoulders；　and　could　hardly　have　weighed　less　than　
sixteen　stone。　　I　gave　him　the　seal　of　the　morning；　and　asked　
whether　he　was　Welsh　or　English。

〃English；　Measter；　English；　born　t'other　side　of　Beeston；　pure　
Cheshire；　Measter。〃

〃I　suppose；〃　said　I；　〃there　are　few　Welshmen　such　big　fellows　as　
yourself。〃

〃No；　Measter；〃　said　the　fellow；　with　a　grin；　〃there　are　few　
Welshmen　so　big　as　I；　or　yourself　either；　they　are　small　men　
mostly；　Measter；　them　Welshers；　very　small　men　…　and　yet　the　
fellows　can　use　their　hands。　　I　am　a　bit　of　a　fighter；　Measter；　at　
least　I　was　before　my　wife　made　me　join　the　Methodist　connection；　
and　I　once　fit　with　a　Welshman　at　Wrexham；　he　came　from　the　hills；　
and　was　a　real　Welshman；　and　shorter　than　myself　by　a　whole　head　
and　shoulder；　but　he　stood　up　against　me；　and　gave　me　more　than　
play　for　my　money；　till　I　gripped　him；　flung　him　down　and　myself　
upon　him；　and　then　of　course　t'was　all　over　with　him。〃

〃You　are　a　noble　fellow；〃　said　I；　〃and　a　credit　to　Cheshire。　　Will　
you　have　sixpence　to　drink？〃

〃Thank　you；　Measter；　I　shall　stop　at　Pulford；　and　shall　be　glad　to　
drink　your　health　in　a　jug　of　ale。〃

I　gave　him　sixpence；　and　descended　the　hill　on　one　side；　while　he；　
with　his　team；　descended　it　on　the　other。

〃A　genuine　Saxon；〃　said　I；　〃I　daresay　just　like　many　of　those　who；　
under　Hengist；　subdued　the　plains　of　Lloegr　and　Britain。　　Taliesin　
called　the　Saxon　race　the　Coiling　Serpent。　　He　had　better　have　
called　it　the　Big　Bull。　　He　was　a　noble　poet；　however：　　what　
wonderful　lines；　upon　the　whole；　are　those　in　his　prophecy；　in　
which　he　speaks　of　the　Saxons　and　Britons；　and　of　the　result　of　
their　struggle　…


〃A　serpent　which　coils；
And　with　fury　boils；
From　Germany　coming　with　arm'd　wings　spread；
Shall　subdue　and　shall　enthrall
The　broad　Britain　all；
From　the　Lochlin　ocean　to　Severn's　bed。

〃And　British　men
Shall　be　captives　then
To　strangers　from　Saxonia's　strand；
They　shall　praise　their　God；　and　hold
Their　language　as　of　old；
But　except　wild　Wales　they　shall　lose　their　land。〃


I　arrived　at　Wrexham；　and　having　taken　a　very　hearty　breakfast　at　
the　principal　inn；　for　I　felt　rather　hungry　after　a　morning's　walk　
of　ten　miles；　I　walked　about　the　town。　　The　town　is　reckoned　a　
Welsh　town；　but　its　appearance　is　not　Welsh　…　its　inhabitants　have　
neither　the　look　nor　language　of　Welshmen；　and　its　name　shows　that　
it　was　founded　by　some　Saxon　adventurer；　Wrexham　being　a　Saxon　
compound；　signifying　the　home　or　habitation　of　Rex　or　Rag；　and　
identical；　or　nearly　so；　with　the　Wroxham　of　East　Anglia。　　It　is　a　
stirring　bustling　place；　of　much　traffic；　and　of　several　thousand　
inhabitants。　　Its　most　remarkable　object　is　its　church；　which　
stands　at　the　south…western　side。　　To　this　church；　after　wandering　
for　some　time　about　the　streets；　I　repaired。　　The　tower　is　
quadrangular；　and　is　at　least　one　hundred　feet　high；　it　has　on　its　
summit　four　little　turrets；　one　at　each　corner；　between　each　of　
which　are　three　spirelets；　the　middlemost　of　the　three　the　highest。　　
The　nave　of　the　church　is　to　the　east；　it　is　of　two　stories；　both　
crenulated　at　the　top。　　I　wished　to　see　the　interior　of　the　church；　
but　found　the　gate　locked。　　Observing　a　group　of　idlers　close　at　
hand　with　their　backs　against　a　wall；　I　went　up　to　them；　and；　
addressing　myself　to　one；　inquired　whether　I　could　see　the　church。　　
〃Oh　yes；　sir；〃　said　the　man；　〃the　clerk　who　has　the　key　lives　close　
at　hand；　one　of　us　shall　go　and　fetch　him　…　by…the…bye；　I　may　as　
well　go　myself。〃　　He　moved　slowly　away。　　He　was　a　large　bulky　man　
of　about　the　middle　age；　and　his　companions　were　about　the　same　age　
and　size　as　himself。　　I　asked　them　if　they　were　Welsh。　　〃Yes；　sir；〃　
said　one；　〃I　suppose　we　are；　for　they　call　us　Welsh。〃　　I　asked　if　
any　of　them　could　speak　Welsh。　　〃No；　sir；〃　said　the　man