my　guide　said；　〃Now；　sir；　if　you　will　turn　a　little　way　to　the　left
  hand　I　will　show　you　a　house；　built　in　the　old　style；　such　a　house；
  sir；　as　I　daresay　the　original　turf　tavern　was。〃　　Then　leading　me　a
  little　way　from　the　road　he　showed　me；　under　a　hollow　bank；　a　small
  cottage　covered　with　flags。
  〃That　is　a　house；　sir；　built　yn　yr　hen　dull　in　the　old　fashion；　of
  earth；　flags　and　wattles　and　in　one　night。　　It　was　the　custom　of
  old　when　a　house　was　to　be　built；　for　the　people　to　assemble；　and
  to　build　it　in　one　night　of　common　materials；　close　at　hand。　　The
  custom　is　not　quite　dead。　　I　was　at　the　building　of　this　myself；
  and　a　merry　building　it　was。　　The　cwrw　da　passed　quickly　about
  among　the　builders；　I　assure　you。〃　　We　returned　to　the　road；　and
  when　we　had　ascended　a　hill；　my　companion　told　me　that　if　I　looked
  to　the　left　I　should　see　the　Vale　of　Clwyd。
  I　looked　and　perceived　an　extensive　valley　pleasantly　dotted　with
  trees　and　farm…houses；　and　bounded　on　the　west　by　a　range　of　hills。
  〃It　is　a　fine　valley；　sir；〃　said　my　guide；　〃four　miles　wide　and
  twenty　long；　and　contains　the　richest　land　in　all　Wales。　　Cheese
  made　in　that　valley；　sir；　fetches　a　penny　a　pound　more　than　cheese
  made　in　any　other　valley。〃
  〃And　who　owns　it？〃　said　I。
  〃Various　are　the　people　who　own　it；　sir；　but　Sir　Watkin　owns　the
  greater　part。〃
  We　went　on；　passed　by　a　village　called　Craig　Vychan；　where　we　saw　a
  number　of　women　washing　at　a　fountain；　and　by　a　gentle　descent　soon
  reached　the　Vale　of　Clwyd。
  After　walking　about　a　mile　we　left　the　road　and　proceeded　by　a
  footpath　across　some　meadows。　　The　meadows　were　green　and
  delightful　and　were　intersected　by　a　beautiful　stream。　　Trees　in
  abundance　were　growing　about；　some　of　which　were　oaks。　　We　passed
  by　a　little　white　chapel　with　a　small　graveyard　before　it；　which　my
  guide　told　me　belonged　to　the　Baptists；　and　shortly　afterwards
  reached　Ruthyn。
  We　went　to　an　inn　called　the　Crossed　Foxes；　where　we　refreshed
  ourselves　with　ale。　　We　then　sallied　forth　to　look　about；　after　I
  had　ordered　a　duck　to　be　got　ready　for　dinner；　at　three　o'clock。
  Ruthyn　stands　on　a　hill　above　the　Clwyd；　which　in　the　summer　is　a
  mere　brook；　but　in　the　winter　a　considerable　stream；　being　then　fed
  with　the　watery　tribute　of　a　hundred　hills。　　About　three　miles　to
  the　north　is　a　range　of　lofty　mountains；　dividing　the　shire　of
  Denbigh　from　that　of　Flint；　amongst　which；　almost　parallel　with　the
  town；　and　lifting　its　head　high　above　the　rest；　is　the　mighty　Moel
  Vamagh；　the　mother　heap；　which　I　had　seen　from　Chester。　　Ruthyn　is
  a　dull　town；　but　it　possessed　plenty　of　interest　to　me；　for　as　I
  strolled　with　my　guide　about　the　streets　I　remembered　that　I　was
  treading　the　ground　which　the　wild　bands　of　Glendower　had　trod；　and
  where　the　great　struggle　commenced；　which　for　fourteen　years
  convulsed　Wales；　and　for　some　time　shook　England　to　its　centre。
  After　I　had　satisfied　myself　with　wandering　about　the　town　we
  proceeded　to　the　castle。
  The　original　castle　suffered　terribly　in　the　civil　wars；　it　was
  held　for　wretched　Charles；　and　was　nearly　demolished　by　the　cannon
  of　Cromwell；　which　were　planted　on　a　hill　about　half　a　mile
  distant。　　The　present　castle　is　partly　modern　and　partly　ancient。
  It　belongs　to　a　family　of　the　name　of　W…　who　reside　in　the　modern
  part；　and　who　have　the　character　of　being　kind；　hospitable　and
  intellectual　people。　　We　only　visited　the　ancient　part；　over　which
  we　were　shown　by　a　woman；　who　hearing　us　speaking　Welsh；　spoke
  Welsh　herself　during　the　whole　time　she　was　showing　us　about。　　She
  showed　us　dark　passages；　a　gloomy　apartment　in　which　Welsh　kings
  and　great　people　had　been　occasionally　confined；　that　strange
  memorial　of　the　good　old　times；　a　drowning　pit；　and　a　large　prison
  room；　in　the　middle　of　which　stood　a　singular…looking　column；
  scrawled　with　odd　characters；　which　had　of　yore　been　used　for　a
  whipping…post；　another　memorial　of　the　good　old　baronial　times；　so
  dear　to　romance　readers　and　minds　of　sensibility。　　Amongst　other
  things　which　our　conductor　showed　us　was　an　immense　onen　or　ash；　it
  stood　in　one　of　the　courts　and　measured；　as　she　said；　pedwar　y
  haner　o　ladd　yn　ei　gwmpas；　or　four　yards　and　a　half　in　girth。　　As　I
  gazed　on　the　mighty　tree　I　thought　of　the　Ash　Yggdrasill　mentioned
  in　the　Voluspa；　or　prophecy　of　Vola；　that　venerable　poem　which
  contains　so　much　relating　to　the　mythology　of　the　ancient　Norse。
  We　returned　to　the　inn　and　dined。　　The　duck　was　capital；　and　I
  asked　John　Jones　if　he　had　ever　tasted　a　better。　　〃Never；　sir；〃
  said　he；　〃for　to　tell　you　the　truth；　I　never　tasted　a　duck　before。〃
  〃Rather　singular；〃　said　I。　　〃What；　that　I　should　not　have　tasted
  duck？　　Oh；　sir；　the　singularity　is；　that　I　should　now　be　tasting
  duck。　　Duck　in　Wales；　sir；　is　not　fare　for　poor　weavers。　　This　is
  the　first　duck　I　ever　tasted；　and　though　I　never　taste　another；　as
  I　probably　never　shall；　I　may　consider　myself　a　fortunate　weaver；
  for　I　can　now　say　I　have　tasted　duck　once　in　my　life。　　Few　weavers
  in　Wales　are　ever　able　to　say　as　much。〃
  CHAPTER　XVI
  Baptist　Tomb…Stone　…　The　Toll…Bar　…　Rebecca　…　The　Guitar。
  THE　sun　was　fast　declining　as　we　left　Ruthyn。　　We　retraced　our
  steps　across　the　fields。　　When　we　came　to　the　Baptist　Chapel　I　got
  over　the　wall　of　the　little　yard　to　look　at　the　grave…stones。
  There　were　only　three。　　The　inscriptions　upon　them　were　all　in
  Welsh。　　The　following　stanza　was　on　the　stone　of　Jane；　the　daughter
  of　Elizabeth　Williams；　who　died　on　the　second　of　May；　1843：
  〃Er　myn'd　i'r　oerllyd　annedd
  Dros　dymher　hir　i　orwedd；
  Cwyd　i'r　lan　o'r　gwely　bridd
  Ac　hyfryd　fydd　ei　hagwedd。〃
  which　is
  〃Though　thou　art　gone　to　dwelling　cold
  To　lie　in　mould　for　many　a　year；
  Thou　shalt；　at　length；　from　earthy　bed；
  Uplift　thy　head　to　blissful　sphere。〃
  As　we　went　along　I　stopped　to　gaze　at　a　singular…looking　hill
  forming　part　of　the　mountain　range　on　the　east。　　I　asked　John　Jones
  what　its　name　was；　but　he　did　not　know。　　As　we　were　standing
  talking　about　it；　a　lady　came　up　from　the　direction　in　which　our
  course　lay。　　John　Jones；　touching　his　hat　to　her；　said：
  〃Madam；　this　gwr　boneddig　wishes　to　know　the　name　of　that　moel；
  perhaps　you　can　tell　him。〃
  〃Its　name　is　Moel　Agrik；〃　said　the　lady；　addressing　me　in　English。
  〃Does　that　mean　Agricola's　hill？〃　said　I。
  〃It　does；〃　said　she；　〃and　there　is　a　tradition　that　the　Roman
  General　Agricola；　when　he　invaded　these　parts；　pitched　his　camp　on
  that　moel。　　The　hill　is　spoken　of　by　Pennant。〃
  〃Thank　you；　madam；〃　said　I；　〃perhaps　you　can　tell　me　the　name　of
  the　delightful　grounds　in　which　we　stand；　supposing　they　have　a
  name？〃
  〃They　are　called　Oaklands；〃　said　the　lady。
  〃A　very　proper　name；〃　said　I；　〃for　there　is　plenty　of　oaks　growing
  about。　　But　why　are　they　called　by　a　Saxon　name；　for　Oaklands　is
  Saxon？〃
  〃Because；〃　said　the　lady；　〃when　the　grounds　were　first　planted　with
  trees　they　belonged　to　an　English　family。〃
  〃Thank　you；〃　said　I；　and；　taking　off　my　hat；　I　departed　with　my
  guide。　　I　asked　him　her　name；　but　he　could　not　tell　me。　　Before　she
  was　out　of　sight；　however；　we　met　a　labourer　of　whom　John　Jones
  enquired　her　name。
  〃Her　name　is　W…s；〃　said　the　man；　〃and　a　good　lady　she　is。〃
  〃Is　she　Welsh？〃　said　I。
  〃Pure　Welsh；　master；〃　said　the　man。　　〃Purer　Welsh　flesh　and　blood
  need　not　be。〃
  Nothing　farther　worth　relating　occurred　till　we　reached　the　toll…
  bar　at　the　head　of　the　hen　ffordd；　by　which　time　the　sun　was　almost
  gone　down。　　We　found　the　master　of　the　gate；　his　wife　and　son
  seated　on　a　bench　before　the　door。　　The　woman　had　a　large　book　on
  her　lap；　in　which　she　was　reading　by　the　last　light　of　the
  departing　orb。　　I　gave　the　group　the　sele　of　the　evening　in
  English；　which　they　all　returned；　the　woman　looking　up　from　her
  book。
  〃Is　that　volume　the　Bible？〃　said　I。
  〃It　is；　sir；〃　said　the　woman。
  〃May　I　look　at　it？〃　said　I。
  〃Certainly；〃　said　the　woman；　and　placed　the　book　in　my　hand。　　It
  was　a　magnificent　Welsh　Bible；　but　without　the　title…page。
  〃That　book　must　be　a　great　comfort　to　you；〃　said　I　to　her。
  〃Very　great；〃　said　she。　　〃I　know　not　what　we　should　do　without　it
  in　the　long　winter　evenings。〃
  〃Of　what　faith　are　you？〃　said　I。
  〃We　are　Methodists；〃　she　replied。
  〃Then　you　are　of　the　same　faith　as　my　friend　here；〃　said　I。
  〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　she；　〃we　are　aware　of　that。　　We　all　know　honest
  John　Jones。〃
  After　we　had　left　the　gate　I　asked　John　Jones　whether　he　had　ever
  heard　of　Rebecca　of　the　toll…gates。
  〃Oh；　yes；〃　said　he；　〃I　have　heard　of　that　chieftainess。〃
  〃And　who　was　she？〃　said　I。
  〃I　cannot　say；　sir；　I　never　saw　her；　nor　any　one　who　had　seen　her。
  Some　say　that　there　were　a　hundred　Rebeccas；　and　all　of　them　men
  dressed　in　women's　clothes；　who　went　about　at　night；　at　the　head　of
  bands　to　break　the　gates。　　Ah；　sir；　something　of　the　kind　was
  almost　necessary　at　that　time。　　I　am　a　friend　of　peace；　sir；　no
  head…breaker；　house…breaker；　nor　gate…breaker；　but　I　can　hardly
  blame　what　was　done　at　that　time；　under　the　name　of　Rebecca。　　You
  have　no　idea　how　the　p