第 16 节
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good。
On the Monday evening; myself and family took a walk to the abbey。
My wife and daughter; who are fond of architecture and ruins; were
very anxious to see the old place。 I too was anxious enough to see
it; less from love of ruins and ancient architecture; than from
knowing that a certain illustrious bard was buried in its
precincts; of whom perhaps a short account will not be unacceptable
to the reader。
This man; whose poetical appellation was Iolo Goch; but whose real
name was Llwyd; was of a distinguished family; and Lord of
Llechryd。 He was born and generally resided at a place called Coed
y Pantwn; in the upper part of the Vale of Clwyd。 He was a warm
friend and partisan of Owen Glendower; with whom he lived; at
Sycharth; for some years before the great Welsh insurrection; and
whom he survived; dying at an extreme old age beneath his own roof…
tree at Coed y Pantwn。 He composed pieces of great excellence on
various subjects; but the most remarkable of his compositions are
decidedly certain ones connected with Owen Glendower。 Amongst
these is one in which he describes the Welsh chieftain's mansion at
Sycharth; and his hospitable way of living at that his favourite
residence; and another in which he hails the advent of the comet;
which made its appearance in the month of March; fourteen hundred
and two; as of good augury to his darling hero。
It was from knowing that this distinguished man lay buried in the
precincts of the old edifice; that I felt so anxious to see it。
After walking about two miles we perceived it on our right hand。
The abbey of the vale of the cross stands in a green meadow; in a
corner near the north…west end of the valley of Llangollen。 The
vale or glen; in which the abbey stands; takes its name from a
certain ancient pillar or cross; called the pillar of Eliseg; and
which is believed to have been raised over the body of an ancient
British chieftain of that name; who perished in battle against the
Saxons; about the middle of the tenth century。 In the Papist times
the abbey was a place of great pseudo…sanctity; wealth and
consequence。 The territory belonging to it was very extensive;
comprising; amongst other districts; the vale of Llangollen and the
mountain region to the north of it; called the Eglwysig Rocks;
which region derived its name Eglwysig; or ecclesiastical; from the
circumstance of its pertaining to the abbey of the vale of the
cross。
We first reached that part of the building which had once been the
church; having previously to pass through a farmyard; in which was
abundance of dirt and mire。
The church fronts the west and contains the remains of a noble
window; beneath which is a gate; which we found locked。 Passing on
we came to that part where the monks had lived; but which now
served as a farmhouse; an open doorway exhibited to us an ancient
gloomy hall; where was some curious old…fashioned furniture;
particularly an ancient rack; in which stood a goodly range of
pewter trenchers。 A respectable dame kindly welcomed us and
invited us to sit down。 We entered into conversation with her; and
asked her name; which she said was Evans。 I spoke some Welsh to
her; which pleased her。 She said that Welsh people at the present
day were so full of fine airs that they were above speaking the old
language … but that such was not the case formerly; and that she
had known a Mrs Price; who was housekeeper to the Countess of
Mornington; who lived in London upwards of forty years; and at the
end of that time prided herself upon speaking as good Welsh as she
did when a girl。 I spoke to her about the abbey; and asked if she
had ever heard of Iolo Goch。 She inquired who he was。 I told her
he was a great bard; and was buried in the abbey。 She said she had
never heard of him; but that she could show me the portrait of a
great poet; and going away; presently returned with a print in a
frame。
〃There;〃 said she; 〃is the portrait of Twm o'r Nant; generally
called the Welsh Shakespeare。〃
I looked at it。 The Welsh Shakespeare was represented sitting at a
table with a pen in his hand; a cottage…latticed window was behind
him; on his left hand; a shelf with plates; and trenchers behind
him; on his right。 His features were rude; but full of wild;
strange expression; below the picture was the following couplet:…
〃Llun Gwr yw llawn gwir Awen;
Y Byd a lanwodd o'i Ben。〃
〃Did you ever hear of Twm o'r Nant?〃 said the old dame。
〃I never heard of him by word of mouth;〃 said I; 〃but I know all
about him … I have read his life in Welsh; written by himself; and
a curious life it is。 His name was Thomas Edwards; but he
generally called himself Twm o'r Nant; or Tom of the Dingle;
because he was born in a dingle; at a place called Pen Porchell; in
the vale of Clwyd … which; by the bye; was on the estate which once
belonged to Iolo Goch; the poet I was speaking to you about just
now。 Tom was a carter by trade; but once kept a toll…bar in South
Wales; which; however; he was obliged to leave at the end of two
years; owing to the annoyance which he experienced from ghosts and
goblins; and unearthly things; particularly phantom hearses; which
used to pass through his gate at midnight without paying; when the
gate was shut。〃
〃Ah;〃 said the dame; 〃you know more about Tom o'r Nant than I do;
and was he not a great poet?〃
〃I daresay he was;〃 said I; 〃for the pieces which he wrote; and
which he called Interludes; had a great run; and he got a great
deal of money by them; but I should say the lines beneath the
portrait are more applicable to the real Shakespeare than to him。〃
〃What do the lines mean?〃 said the old lady; 〃they are Welsh; I
know; but they are far beyond my understanding。〃
〃They may be thus translated;〃 said I:
〃God in his head the Muse instill'd;
And from his head the world he fill'd。〃
〃Thank you; sir;〃 said the old lady。 〃I never found any one before
who could translate them。〃 She then said she would show me some
English lines written on the daughter of a friend of hers who was
lately dead; and put some printed lines in a frame into my hand。
They were an Elegy to Mary; and were very beautiful; I read them
aloud; and when I had finished she thanked me and said she had no
doubt that if I pleased I could put them into Welsh … she then
sighed and wiped her eyes。
On our enquiring whether we could see the interior of the abbey she
said we could; and that if we rang a bell at the gate a woman would
come to us; who was in the habit of showing the place。 We then got
up and bade her farewell … but she begged that we would stay and
taste the dwr santaidd of the holy well。
〃What holy well is that?〃 said I。
〃A well;〃 said she; 〃by the road's side; which in the time of the
popes was said to perform wonderful cures。〃
〃Let us taste it by all means;〃 said I; whereupon she went out; and
presently returned with a tray on which were a jug and tumbler; the
jug filled with the water of the holy well; we drank some of the
dwr santaidd; which tasted like any other water; and then after
shaking her by the hand; we went to the gate; and rang at the bell。
Presently a woman made her appearance at the gate … she was
genteelly drest; about the middle age; rather tall; and bearing in
her countenance the traces of beauty。 When we told her the object
of our coming she admitted us; and after locking the gate conducted
us into the church。 It was roofless; and had nothing remarkable
about it; save the western window; which we had seen from without。
Our attendant pointed out to us some tombs; and told us the names
of certain great people whose dust they contained。 〃Can you tell
us where Iolo Goch lies interred?〃 said I。
〃No;〃 said she; 〃indeed I never heard of such a person。〃
〃He was the bard of Owen Glendower;〃 said I; 〃and assisted his
cause wonderfully by the fiery odes; in which he incited the Welsh
to rise against the English。〃
〃Indeed!〃 said she; 〃well; I am sorry to say that I never heard of
him。〃
〃Are you Welsh?〃 said I。
〃I am;〃 she replied。
〃Did you ever hear of Thomas Edwards?〃
〃Oh; yes;〃 said she; 〃I have frequently heard of him。〃
〃How odd;〃 said I; 〃that the name of a great poet should be unknown
in the very place where he is buried; whilst that of one certainly
not his superior; should be well known in that same place; though
he is not buried there。〃
〃Perhaps;〃 said she; 〃the reason is that the poet; whom you
mentioned; wrote in the old measures and language which few people
now understand; whilst Thomas Edwards wrote in common verse and in
the language of the present day。〃
〃I daresay it is so;〃 said I。
From the church she led us to other parts of the ruin … at first
she had spoken to us rather cross and loftily; but she now became
kind and communicative。 She said that she resided near the ruins;
which she was permitted to show; that she lived alone; and wished
to be alone; there was something singular about her; and I believe
that she had a history of her own。 After showing us the ruins she