第 16 节
作者:随便看看      更新:2021-02-25 00:46      字数:9321
  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