第 30 节
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The Roadside Chapel。
I WAS now about to leave Llangollen; for a short time; and to set
out on an expedition to Bangor; Snowdon; and one or two places in
Anglesea。 I had determined to make the journey on foot; in order
that I might have perfect liberty of action; and enjoy the best
opportunities of seeing the country。 My wife and daughter were to
meet me at Bangor; to which place they would repair by the
railroad; and from which; after seeing some of the mountain
districts; they would return to Llangollen by the way they came;
where I proposed to join them; returning; however; by a different
way from the one I went; that I might traverse new districts。
About eleven o'clock of a brilliant Sunday morning I left
Llangollen; after reading the morning…service of the Church to my
family。 I set out on a Sunday because I was anxious to observe the
general demeanour of the people; in the interior of the country; on
the Sabbath。
I directed my course towards the west; to the head of the valley。
My wife and daughter after walking with me about a mile bade me
farewell; and returned。 Quickening my pace I soon left Llangollen
valley behind me and entered another vale; along which the road
which I was following; and which led to Corwen and other places;
might be seen extending for miles。 Lumpy hills were close upon my
left; the Dee running noisily between steep banks; fringed with
trees; was on my right; beyond it rose hills which form part of the
wall of the Vale of Clwyd; their tops bare; but their sides
pleasantly coloured with yellow corn…fields and woods of dark
verdure。 About an hour's walking; from the time when I entered the
valley; brought me to a bridge over a gorge; down which water ran
to the Dee。 I stopped and looked over the side of the bridge
nearest to the hill。 A huge rock about forty feet long by twenty
broad; occupied the entire bed of the gorge; just above the bridge;
with the exception of a little gullet to the right; down which
between the rock and a high bank; on which stood a cottage; a run
of water purled and brawled。 The rock looked exactly like a huge
whale lying on its side; with its back turned towards the runnel。
Above it was a glen of trees。 After I had been gazing a little
time a man making his appearance at the door of the cottage just
beyond the bridge I passed on; and drawing nigh to him; after a
slight salutation; asked him in English the name of the bridge。
〃The name of the bridge; sir;〃 said the man; in very good English;
〃is Pont y Pandy。〃
〃Does not that mean the bridge of the fulling mill?〃
〃I believe it does; sir;〃 said the man。
〃Is there a fulling mill near?〃
〃No; sir; there was one some time ago; but it is now a sawing
mill。〃
Here a woman; coming out; looked at me steadfastly。
〃Is that gentlewoman your wife?〃
〃She is no gentlewoman; sir; but she is my wife。〃
〃Of what religion are you?〃
〃We are Calvinistic…Methodists; sir。〃
〃Have you been to chapel?〃
〃We are just returned; sir。〃
Here the woman said something to her husband; which I did not hear;
but the purport of which I guessed from the following question
which he immediately put。
〃Have you been to chapel; sir?〃
〃I do not go to chapel; I belong to the Church。〃
〃Have you been to church; sir?〃
〃I have not … I said my prayers at home; and then walked out。〃
〃It is not right to walk out on the Sabbath…day; except to go to
church or chapel。〃
〃Who told you so?〃
〃The law of God; which says you shall keep holy the Sabbath…day。〃
〃I am not keeping it unholy。〃
〃You are walking about; and in Wales when we see a person walking
idly about; on the Sabbath…day; we are in the habit of saying;
Sabbath…breaker; where are you going?〃
〃The Son of Man walked through the fields on the Sabbath…day; why
should I not walk along the roads?〃
〃He who called Himself the Son of Man was God and could do what He
pleased; but you are not God。〃
〃But He came in the shape of a man to set an example。 Had there
been anything wrong in walking about on the Sabbath…day; He would
not have done it。〃
Here the wife exclaimed; 〃How worldly…wise these English are!〃
〃You do not like the English;〃 said I。
〃We do not dislike them;〃 said the woman; 〃at present they do us no
harm; whatever they did of old。〃
〃But you still consider them;〃 said I; 〃the seed of Y Sarfes
cadwynog; the coiling serpent。〃
〃I should be loth to call any people the seed of the serpent;〃 said
the woman。
〃But one of your great bards did;〃 said I。
〃He must have belonged to the Church; and not to the chapel then;〃
said the woman。 〃No person who went to chapel would have used such
bad words。〃
〃He lived;〃 said I; 〃before people were separated into those of the
Church and the chapel; did you ever hear of Taliesin Ben Beirdd?〃
〃I never did;〃 said the woman。
〃But I have;〃 said the man; 〃and of Owain Glendower too。〃
〃Do people talk much of Owen Glendower in these parts?〃 said I。
〃Plenty;〃 said the man; 〃and no wonder; for when he was alive he
was much about here … some way farther on there is a mount; on the
bank of the Dee; called the mount of Owen Glendower; where it is
said he used to stand and look out after his enemies。〃
〃Is it easy to find?〃 said I。
〃Very easy;〃 said the man; 〃it stands right upon the Dee and is
covered with trees; there is no mistaking it。〃
I bade the man and his wife farewell; and proceeded on my way。
After walking about a mile; I perceived a kind of elevation which
answered to the description of Glendower's mount; which the man by
the bridge had given me。 It stood on the right hand; at some
distance from the road; across a field。 As I was standing looking
at it a man came up from the direction in which I myself had come。
He was a middle…aged man; plainly but decently dressed; and had
something of the appearance of a farmer。
〃What hill may that be?〃 said I in English; pointing to the
elevation。
〃Dim Saesneg; sir;〃 said the man; looking rather sheepish; 〃Dim
gair o Saesneg。〃
Rather surprised that a person of his appearance should not have a
word of English; I repeated my question in Welsh。
〃Ah; you speak Cumraeg; sir;〃 said the man evidently surprised that
a person of my English appearance should speak Welsh。 〃I am glad
of it! What hill is that; you ask … Dyna Mont Owain Glyndwr; sir。〃
〃Is it easy to get to?〃 said I。
〃Quite easy; sir;〃 said the man。 〃If you please I will go with
you。〃
I thanked him; and opening a gate he conducted me across the field
to the mount of the Welsh hero。
The mount of Owen Glendower stands close upon the southern bank of
the Dee; and is nearly covered with trees of various kinds。 It is
about thirty feet high from the plain; and about the same diameter
at the top。 A deep black pool of the river which here runs far
beneath the surface of the field; purls and twists under the
northern side; which is very steep; though several large oaks
spring out of it。 The hill is evidently the work of art; and
appeared to me to be some burying…place of old。
〃And this is the hill of Owain Glyndwr?〃 said I。
〃Dyma Mont Owain Glyndwr; sir; lle yr oedd yn sefyll i edrych am ei
elvnion yn dyfod o Gaer Lleon。 This is the hill of Owain
Glendower; sir; where he was in the habit of standing to look out
for his enemies coming from Chester。〃
〃I suppose it was not covered with trees then?〃 said I。
〃No; sir; it has not been long planted with trees。 They say;
however; that the oaks which hang over the river are very old。〃
〃Do they say who raised this hill?〃
〃Some say that God raised it; sir; others that Owain Glendower
raised it。 Who do you think raised it?〃
〃I believe that it was raised by man; but not by Owen Glendower。
He may have stood upon it; to watch for the coming of his enemies;
but I believe it was here long before his time; and that it was
raised over some old dead king by the people whom he had governed。〃
〃Do they bury kings by the side of rivers; sir?〃
〃In the old time they did; and on the tops of mountains; they burnt
their bodies to ashes; placed them in pots and raised heaps of
earth or stones over them。 Heaps like this have frequently been
opened; and found to contain pots with ashes and bones。〃
〃I wish all English could speak Welsh; sir。〃
〃Why?〃
〃Because then we poor Welsh who can speak no English could learn
much which we do not know。〃
Descending the monticle we walked along the road together。 After a
little time I asked my companion of what occupation he was and
where he lived。
〃I am a small farmer; sir;〃 said he; 〃and live at Llansanfraid Glyn
Dyfrdwy across the river。〃
〃How comes it;〃 said I; 〃that you do not know English?〃
〃When I was young;〃 said he; 〃and could have easily learnt it; I
cared nothing about it; and now that I am old and see its use; it
is too late to acquire it。〃
〃Of what religion are you?〃 said I。
〃I am of the Church;〃 he replied。
I was about to ask him if there were many people of his persuasion
in these parts; before; however; I could do so he turned down a
road to