第 4 节
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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 trouble you for a
cup of tea。 Henrietta! have the kindness to cut me a slice of
bread and butter。〃
Upon the whole we found ourselves very comfortable in the old…
fashioned inn; which was kept by a nice old…fashioned gentlewoman;
with the assistance of three servants; namely; a 〃boots〃 and two
strapping chambermaids; one of which was a Welsh girl; with whom I
soon scraped acquaintance; not; I assure the reader; for the sake
of the pretty Welsh eyes which she carried in her head; but for the
sake of the pretty Welsh tongue which she carried in her mouth;
from which I confess occasionally proceeded sounds which; however
pretty; I was quite unable to understand。
CHAPTER III
Chester … The Rows … Lewis Glyn Cothi … Tragedy of Mold … Native of
Antigua … Slavery and the Americans … The Tents … Saturday Night。
ON the morning after our arrival we went out together; and walked
up and down several streets; my wife and daughter; however; soon
leaving me to go into a shop; I strolled about by myself。 Chester
is an ancient town with walls and gates; a prison called a castle;
built on the site of an ancient keep; an unpretending…looking red
sandstone cathedral; two or three handsome churches; several good
streets; and certain curious places called rows。 The Chester row
is a broad arched stone gallery running parallel with the street
within the facades of the houses; it is partly open on the side of
the street; and just one story above it。 Within the rows; of which
there are three or four; are shops; every shop being on that side
which is farthest from the street。 All the best shops in Chester
are to be found in the rows。 These rows; to which you ascend by
stairs up narrow passages; were originally built for the security
of the wares of the principal merchants against the Welsh。 Should
the mountaineers break into the town; as they frequently did; they
might rifle some of the common shops; where their booty would be
slight; but those which contained the more costly articles would be
beyond their reach; for at the first alarm the doors of the
passages; up which the stairs led; would be closed; and all access
to the upper streets cut off; from the open arches of which
missiles of all kinds; kept ready for such occasions; could be
discharged upon the intruders; who would be soon glad to beat a
retreat。 These rows and the walls are certainly the most
remarkable memorials of old times which Chester has to boast of。
Upon the walls it is possible to make the whole compass of the
city; there being a good but narrow walk upon them。 The northern
wall abuts upon a frightful ravine; at the bottom of which is a
canal。 From the western one there is a noble view of the Welsh
hills。
As I stood gazing upon the hills from the wall a ragged man came up
and asked for charity。
〃Can you tell me the name of that tall hill?〃 said I; pointing in
the direction of the south…west。 〃That hill; sir;〃 said the
beggar; 〃is called Moel Vamagh; I ought to know something about it
as I was born at its foot。〃 〃Moel;〃 said I; 〃a bald hill; Vamagh;
maternal or motherly。 Moel Vamagh; the Mother Moel。〃 〃Just so;
sir;〃 said the beggar; 〃I see you are a Welshman; like myself;
though I suppose you come from the South … Moel Vamagh is the
Mother Moel; and is called so because it is the highest of all the
Moels。〃 〃Did you ever hear of a place called Mold?〃 said I。 〃Oh;
yes; your honour;〃 said the beggar; 〃many a time; and many's the
time I have been there。〃 〃In which direction does it lie?〃 said I。
〃Towards Moel Vamagh; your honour;〃 said the beggar; 〃which is a
few miles beyond it; you can't see it from here; but look towards
Moel Vamagh and you will see over it。〃 〃Thank you;〃 said I; and
gave something to the beggar; who departed; after first taking off
his hat。 Long and fixedly did I gaze in the direction of Mold。
The reason which induced me to do so was the knowledge of an
appalling tragedy transacted there in the old time; in which there
is every reason to suppose a certain Welsh bard; called Lewis Glyn
Cothi; had a share。
This man; who was a native of South Wales; flourished during the
wars of the Roses。 Besides being a poetical he was something of a
military genius; and had a command of foot in the army of the
Lancastrian Jasper Earl of Pembroke; the son of Owen Tudor; and
half…brother of Henry the Sixth。 After the battle of Mortimer's
Cross; in which the Earl's forces were defeated; the warrior bard
found his way to Chester; where he married the widow of a citizen
and opened a shop; without asking the permission of the mayor; who
with the officers of justice came and seized all his goods; which;
according to his own account; filled nine sacks; and then drove him
out of the town。 The bard in a great fury indited an awdl; in
which he invites Reinallt ap Grufydd ap Bleddyn; a kind of
predatory chieftain; who resided a little way off in Flintshire; to
come and set the town on fire; and slaughter the inhabitants; in
revenge for the wrongs he had suffered; and then proceeds to vent
all kinds of imprecations against the mayor and people of Chester;
wishing; amongst other things; that they might soon hear that the
Dee had become too shallow to bear their ships … that a certain
cutaneous disorder might attack the wrists of great and small; old
and young; laity and clergy … that grass might grow in their
streets … that Ilar and Cyveilach; Welsh saints; might slay them …
that dogs might snarl at them … and that the king of heaven; with
the saints Brynach and Non; might afflict them with blindness …
which piece; however ineffectual in inducing God and the saints to
visit the Chester people with the curses with which the furious
bard wished them to be afflicted; seems to have produced somewhat
of its intended effect on the chieftain; who shortly afterwards; on
learning that the mayor and many of the Chester people were present
at the fair of Mold; near which place he resided; set upon them at
the head o