wild wales-第26部分

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accession　of　Charles　the　Second　he　celebrated　the　event　by　a　most　
singular　piece　called　the　Lamentation　of　Oliver's　men；　in　which　he　
assails　the　Roundheads　with　the　most　bitter　irony。　　He　was　loyal　to　
James　the　Second；　till　that　monarch　attempted　to　overthrow　the　
Church　of　England；　when　Huw；　much　to　his　credit；　turned　against　
him；　and　wrote　songs　in　the　interest　of　the　glorious　Prince　of　
Orange。　　He　died　in　the　reign　of　good　Queen　Anne。　　In　his　youth　his　
conduct　was　rather　dissolute；　but　irreproachable　and　almost　holy　in　
his　latter　days　…　a　kind　of　halo　surrounded　his　old　brow。　　It　was　
the　custom　in　those　days　in　North　Wales　for　the　congregation　to　
leave　the　church　in　a　row　with　the　clergyman　at　their　head；　but　so　
great　was　the　estimation　in　which　old　Huw　was　universally　held；　for　
the　purity　of　his　life　and　his　poetical　gift；　that　the　clergyman　of　
the　parish　abandoning　his　claim　to　precedence；　always　insisted　on　
the　good　and　inspired　old　man's　leading　the　file；　himself　following　
immediately　in　his　rear。　　Huw　wrote　on　various　subjects；　mostly　in　
common　and　easily　understood　measures。　　He　was　great　in　satire；　
great　in　humour；　but　when　he　pleased　could　be　greater　in　pathos　
than　in　either；　for　his　best　piece　is　an　elegy　on　Barbara　
Middleton；　the　sweetest　song　of　the　kind　ever　written。　　From　his　
being　born　on　the　banks　of　the　brook　Ceiriog；　and　from　the　flowing　
melody　of　his　awen　or　muse；　his　countrymen　were　in　the　habit　of　
calling　him　Eos　Ceiriog；　or　the　Ceiriog　Nightingale。

So　John　Jones　and　myself　set　off　across　the　Berwyn　to　visit　the　
birthplace　of　the　great　poet　Huw　Morris。　　We　ascended　the　mountain　
by　Allt　Paddy。　　The　morning　was　lowering　and　before　we　had　half　got　
to　the　top　it　began　to　rain。　　John　Jones　was　in　his　usual　good　
spirits。　　Suddenly　taking　me　by　the　arm　he　told　me　to　look　to　the　
right　across　the　gorge　to　a　white　house；　which　he　pointed　out。

〃What　is　there　in　that　house？〃　said　I。

〃An　aunt　of　mine　lives　there；〃　said　he。

Having　frequently　heard　him　call　old　women　his　aunts；　I　said；　
〃Every　poor　old　woman　in　the　neighbourhood　seems　to　be　your　aunt。〃

〃This　is　no　poor　old　woman；〃　said　he；　〃she　is　cyfoethawg　iawn；　and　
only　last　week　she　sent　me　and　my　family　a　pound　of　bacon；　which　
would　have　cost　me　sixpence…halfpenny；　and　about　a　month　ago　a　
measure　of　wheat。〃

We　passed　over　the　top　of　the　mountain；　and　descending　the　other　
side　reached　Llansanfraid；　and　stopped　at　the　public…house　where　we　
had　been　before；　and　called　for　two　glasses　of　ale。　　Whilst　
drinking　our　ale　Jones　asked　some　questions　about　Huw　Morris　of　the　
woman　who　served　us；　she　said　that　he　was　a　famous　poet；　and　that　
people　of　his　blood　were　yet　living　upon　the　lands　which　had　
belonged　to　him　at　Pont　y　Meibion。　　Jones　told　her　that　his　
companion；　the　gwr　boneddig；　meaning　myself；　had　come　in　order　to　
see　the　birth…place　of　Huw　Morris；　and　that　I　was　well　acquainted　
with　his　works；　having　gotten　them　by　heart　in　Lloegr；　when　a　boy。　　
The　woman　said　that　nothing　would　give　her　greater　pleasure　than　to　
hear　a　Sais　recite　poetry　of　Huw　Morris；　whereupon　I　recited　a　
number　of　his　lines　addressed　to　the　Gof　Du；　or　blacksmith。　　The　
woman　held　up　her　hands；　and　a　carter　who　was　in　the　kitchen　
somewhat　the　worse　for　liquor；　shouted　applause。　　After　asking　a　
few　questions　as　to　the　road　we　were　to　take；　we　left　the　house；　
and　in　a　little　time　entered　the　valley　of　Ceiriog。　　The　valley　is　
very　narrow；　huge　hills　overhanging　it　on　both　sides；　those　on　the　
east　side　lumpy　and　bare；　those　on　the　west　precipitous；　and　
partially　clad　with　wood；　the　torrent　Ceiriog　runs　down　it；　
clinging　to　the　east　side；　the　road　is　tolerably　good；　and　is　to　
the　west　of　the　stream。　　Shortly　after　we　had　entered　the　gorge；　we　
passed　by　a　small　farm…house　on　our　right　hand；　with　a　hawthorn　
hedge　before　it；　upon　which　seems　to　stand　a　peacock；　curiously　cut　
out　of　thorn。　　Passing　on　we　came　to　a　place　called　Pandy　uchaf；　or　
the　higher　Fulling　mill。　　The　place　so　called　is　a　collection　of　
ruinous　houses；　which　put　me　in　mind　of　the　Fulling　mills　mentioned　
in　〃Don　Quixote。〃　　It　is　called　the　Pandy　because　there　was　
formerly　a　fulling　mill　here；　said　to　have　been　the　first　
established　in　Wales；　which　is　still　to　be　seen；　but　which　is　no　
longer　worked。　　Just　above　the　old　mill　there　is　a　meeting　of　
streams；　the　Tarw　from　the　west　rolls　down　a　dark　valley　into　the　
Ceiriog。

At　the　entrance　of　this　valley　and　just　before　you　reach　the　Pandy；　
which　it　nearly　overhangs；　is　an　enormous　crag。　　After　I　had　looked　
at　the　place　for　some　time　with　considerable　interest　we　proceeded　
towards　the　south；　and　in　about　twenty　minutes　reached　a　neat　kind　
of　house；　on　our　right　hand；　which　John　Jones　told　me　stood　on　the　
ground　of　Huw　Morris。　　Telling　me　to　wait；　he　went　to　the　house；　
and　asked　some　questions。　　After　a　little　time　I　followed　him　and　
found　him　discoursing　at　the　door　with　a　stout　dame　about　fifty…
five　years　of　age；　and　a　stout　buxom　damsel　of　about　seventeen；　
very　short　of　stature。

〃This　is　the　gentleman〃　said　he；　〃who　wishes　to　see　anything　there　
may　be　here　connected　with　Huw　Morris。〃

The　old　dame　made　me　a　curtsey；　and　said　in　very　distinct　Welsh；　
〃We　have　some　things　in　the　house　which　belonged　to　him；　and　we　
will　show　them　to　the　gentleman　willingly。〃

〃We　first　of　all　wish　to　see　his　chair；〃　said　John　Jones。

〃The　chair　is　in　a　wall　in　what　is　called　the　hen　ffordd　（old　
road）；〃　said　the　old　gentlewoman；　〃it　is　cut　out　of　the　stone　wall；　
you　will　have　maybe　some　difficulty　in　getting　to　it；　but　the　girl　
shall　show　it　to　you。〃　　The　girl　now　motioned　to　us　to　follow　her；　
and　conducted　us　across　the　road　to　some　stone　steps；　over　a　wall　
to　a　place　which　looked　like　a　plantation。

〃This　was　the　old　road；〃　said　Jones；　〃but　the　place　has　been　
enclosed。　　The　new　road　is　above　us　on　our　right　hand　beyond　the　
wall。〃

We　were　in　a　maze　of　tangled　shrubs；　the　boughs　of　which；　very　wet　
from　the　rain　which　was　still　falling；　struck　our　faces；　as　we　
attempted　to　make　our　way　between　them；　the　girl　led　the　way；　bare…
headed　and　bare…armed；　and　soon　brought　us　to　the　wall；　the　
boundary　of　the　new　road。　　Along　this　she　went　with　considerable　
difficulty；　owing　to　the　tangled　shrubs；　and　the　nature　of　the　
ground；　which　was　very　precipitous；　shelving　down　to　the　other　side　
of　the　enclosure。　　In　a　little　time　we　were　wet　to　the　skin；　and　
covered　with　the　dirt　of　birds；　which　they　had　left　while　roosting　
in　the　trees；　on　went　the　girl；　sometimes　creeping；　and　trying　to　
keep　herself　from　falling　by　holding　against　the　young　trees；　once　
or　twice　she　fell　and　we　after　her；　for　there　was　no　path；　and　the　
ground；　as　I　have　said　before　very　shelvy；　still　as　she　went　her　
eyes　were　directed　towards　the　wall；　which　was　not　always　very　easy　
to　be　seen；　for　thorns；　tall　nettles　and　shrubs；　were　growing　up　
against　it。　　Here　and　there　she　stopped；　and　said　something；　which　
I　could　not　always　make　out；　for　her　Welsh　was　anything　but　clear；　
at　length　I　heard　her　say　that　she　was　afraid　we　had　passed　the　
chair；　and　indeed　presently　we　came　to　a　place　where　the　enclosure　
terminated　in　a　sharp　corner。

〃Let　us　go　back；〃　said　I；　〃we　must　have　passed　it。〃

I　now　went　first；　breaking　down　with　my　weight　the　shrubs　nearest　
to　the　wall。

〃Is　not　this　the　place？〃　said　I；　pointing　to　a　kind　of　hollow　in　
the　wall；　which　looked　something　like　the　shape　of　a　chair。

〃Hardly；〃　said　the　girl；　〃for　there　should　be　a　slab　on　the　back；　
with　letters；　but　there's　neither　slab　nor　letters　here。〃

The　girl　now　again　went　forward；　and　we　retraced　our　way；　doing　the　
best　we　could　to　discover　the　chair；　but　all　to　no　purpose；　no　
chair　was　to　be　found。　　We　had　now　been；　as　I　imagined；　half…an…
hour　in　the　enclosure；　and　had　nearly　got　back　to　the　place　from　
which　we　had　set　out；　when　we　suddenly　heard　the　voice　of　the　old　
lady　exclaiming；　〃What　are　ye　doing　there；　the　chair　is　on　the　
other　side　of　the　field；　wait　a　bit；　and　I　will　come　and　show　it　
you；〃　getting　over　the　stone　stile；　which　led　into　the　wilderness；　
she　came　to　us；　and　we　now　went　along　the　wall　at　the　lower　end；　we　
had　quite　as　much　difficulty　here　as　on　the　other　side；　and　in　some　
places　more；　for　the　nettles　were　higher；　the　shrubs　more　tangled；　
and　the　thorns　more　terrible。　　The　ground；　however；　was　rather　more　
level。　　I　pitied　the　poor　girl　who　led　the　way；　and　whose　fat　naked　
arms　were　both　stung　and　torn。　　She　at　last　stopped　amidst　a　huge　
grove　of　nettles；　doing　the　best　she　could　to　shelter　her　arms　from　
the　stinging　leaves。

〃I　never　was　in　such　a　wilderness　in　my　life；〃　said　I　to　John　
Jones；　〃is　it　possible　that　the　chair　of　the　mighty　Huw　is　in　a　
place　like　this；　which　seems　never　to　have　been　trodden　by　human　
foot。　　Well　does　the　Scripture　say　'Dim　prophwyd　yw　yn　cael　barch　
yn　ei　dir　ei　hunan。'〃

This　last　sentence　tickled　the　fancy　of　my　worthy　friend；　the　
Calvinistic…Methodist；　he　laughed　aloud　and　repeated　it　over　and　
over　again　to　the　females；　with　amplifications。

〃Is　the　chair　really　here；〃