第 47 节
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more a pig…jobber than myself; but a respectable clergyman; who had
been dead considerably upwards of a hundred years; and that also;
notwithstanding my respect for Mr Bos's knowledge of history; I did
not believe that Owen Tudor was buried at Penmynnydd; when I was
prevented by the entrance of Mrs Pritchard; who came to inform me
that my repast was ready in the other room; whereupon I got up and
went into the parlour to 〃box Harry。〃
Having dispatched my bacon and eggs; tea and ale; I fell into deep
meditation。 My mind reverted to a long past period of my life;
when I was to a certain extent fixed up with commercial travellers;
and had plenty of opportunities of observing their habits; and the
terms employed by them in conversation。 I called up several
individuals of the two classes into which they used to be divided;
for commercial travellers in my time were divided into two classes;
those who ate dinners and drank their bottle of port; and those who
〃boxed Harry。〃 What glorious fellows the first seemed! What airs
they gave themselves! What oaths they swore! and what influence
they had with hostlers and chambermaids! and what a sneaking…
looking set the others were! shabby in their apparel; no fine
ferocity in their countenances; no oaths in their mouths; except
such a trumpery apology for an oath as an occasional 〃confounded
hard;〃 with little or no influence at inns; scowled at by hostlers;
and never smiled at by chambermaids … and then I remembered how
often I had bothered my head in vain to account for the origin of
the term 〃box Harry;〃 and how often I had in vain applied both to
those who did box and to those who did not 〃box Harry;〃 for a clear
and satisfactory elucidation of the expression … and at last found
myself again bothering my head as of old in a vain attempt to
account for the origin of the term 〃boxing Harry。〃
CHAPTER XXXIV
Northampton … Horse … Breaking … Snoring。
TIRED at length with my vain efforts to account for the term which
in my time was so much in vogue amongst commercial gentlemen I left
the little parlour; and repaired to the common room。 Mr Pritchard
and Mr Bos were still there smoking and drinking; but there was now
a candle on the table before them; for night was fast coming on。
Mr Bos was giving an account of his travels in England; sometimes
in Welsh; sometimes in English; to which Mr Pritchard was listening
with the greatest attention; occasionally putting in a 〃see there
now;〃 and 〃what a fine thing it is to have gone about。〃 After some
time Mr Bos exclaimed:
〃I think; upon the whole; of all the places I have seen in England
I like Northampton best。〃
〃I suppose;〃 said I; 〃you found the men of Northampton good…
tempered; jovial fellows?〃
〃Can't say I did;〃 said Mr Bos; 〃they are all shoe…makers; and of
course quarrelsome and contradictory; for where was there ever a
shoemaker who was not conceited and easily riled? No; I have
little to say in favour of Northampton as far as the men are
concerned。 It's not the men but the women that make me speak in
praise of Northampton。 The men all are ill…tempered; but the women
quite the contrary。 I never saw such a place for merched anladd as
Northampton。 I was a great favourite with them; and could tell you
such tales。〃
And then Mr Bos; putting his hat rather on one side of his head;
told us two or three tales of his adventures with the merched
anladd of Northampton; which brought powerfully to my mind part of
what Ellis Wynn had said with respect to the practices of drovers
in his day; detestation for which had induced him to put the whole
tribe into Hell。
All of a sudden I heard a galloping down the road; and presently a
mighty plunging; seemingly of a horse; before the door of the inn。
I rushed out followed by my companions; and lo; on the open space
before the inn was a young horse; rearing and kicking; with a young
man on his back。 The horse had neither bridle nor saddle; and the
young fellow merely rode him with a rope passed about his head …
presently the horse became tolerably quiet; and his rider jumping
off led him into the stable; where he made him fast to the rack and
then came and joined us; whereupon we all went into the room from
which I and the others had come on hearing the noise of the
struggle。
〃How came you on the colt's back; Jenkins?〃 said Mr Pritchard;
after we had all sat down and Jenkins had called for some cwrw。 〃I
did not know that he was broke in。〃
〃I am breaking him in myself;〃 said Jenkins speaking Welsh。 〃I
began with him to…night。〃
〃Do you mean to say;〃 said I; 〃that you have begun breaking him in
by mounting his back?〃
〃I do;〃 said the other。
〃Then depend upon it;〃 said I; 〃that it will not be long before he
will either break his neck or knees or he will break your neck or
crown。 You are not going the right way to work。〃
〃Oh; myn Diawl!〃 said Jenkins; 〃I know better。 In a day or two I
shall have made him quite tame; and have got him into excellent
paces and shall have saved the money I must have paid away; had I
put him into a jockey's hands。〃
Time passed; night came on; and other guests came in。 There was
much talking of first…rate Welsh and very indifferent English; Mr
Bos being the principal speaker in both languages; his discourse
was chiefly on the comparative merits of Anglesey runts and Scotch
bullocks; and those of the merched anladd of Northampton and the
lasses of Wrexham。 He preferred his own country runts to the
Scotch kine; but said upon the whole; though a Welshman; he must
give the preference to the merched of Northampton over those of
Wrexham; for free and easy demeanour; notwithstanding that in that
point which he said was the most desirable point in females; the
lasses of Wrexham were generally considered out…and…outers。
Fond as I am of listening to public…house conversation; from which
I generally contrive to extract both amusement and edification; I
became rather tired of this; and getting up; strolled about the
little village by moonlight till I felt disposed to retire to rest;
when returning to the inn; I begged to be shown the room in which I
was to sleep。 Mrs Pritchard forthwith taking a candle conducted me
to a small room upstairs。 There were two beds in it。 The good
lady pointing to one; next the window; in which there were nice
clean sheets; told me that was the one which I was to occupy; and
bidding me good…night; and leaving the candle; departed。 Putting
out the light I got into bed; but instantly found that the bed was
not long enough by at least a foot。 〃I shall pass an uncomfortable
night;〃 said I; 〃for I never yet could sleep comfortably in a bed
too short。 However; as I am on my travels; I must endeavour to
accommodate myself to circumstances。〃 So I endeavoured to compose
myself to sleep; before; however; I could succeed; I heard the
sound of stumping steps coming upstairs; and perceived a beam of
light through the crevices of the door; and in a moment more the
door opened and in came two loutish farming lads whom I had
observed below; one of them bearing a rushlight stuck into an old
blacking…bottle。 Without saying a word they flung off part of
their clothes; and one of them having blown out the rushlight; they
both tumbled into bed; and in a moment were snoring most
sonorously。 〃I am in a short bed;〃 said I; 〃and have snorers close
by me; I fear I shall have a sorry night of it。〃 I determined;
however; to adhere to my resolution of making the best of
circumstances; and lay perfectly quiet; listening to the snorings
as they rose and fell; at last they became more gentle and I fell
asleep; notwithstanding my feet were projecting some way from the
bed。 I might have lain ten minutes or a quarter of an hour when I
suddenly started up in the bed broad awake。 There was a great
noise below the window of plunging and struggling interspersed with
Welsh oaths。 Then there was a sound as if of a heavy fall; and
presently a groan。 〃I shouldn't wonder;〃 said I; 〃if that fellow
with the horse has verified my words; and has either broken his
horse's neck or his own。 However; if he has; he has no one to
blame but himself。 I gave him fair warning; and shall give myself
no further trouble about the matter; but go to sleep;〃 and so I
did。
CHAPTER XXXV
Brilliant Morning … Travelling with Edification … A Good Clergyman
… Gybi。
I AWOKE about six o'clock in the morning; having passed the night
much better than I anticipated。 The sun was shining bright and
gloriously into the apartment。 On looking into the other bed I
found that my chums; the young farm…labourers; had deserted it。
They were probably already in the field busy at labour。 After
lying a little time longer I arose; dressed myself and went down。
I found my friend honest Pritchard smoking his morning pipe at the
front door; and after giving him the sele of the day; I inquired of
him the cause of the disturbance beneath my window the night
before; and learned that the man of the horse had been t