第 30 节
作者:随便看看      更新:2021-02-25 00:46      字数:9321
  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