第 58 节
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however; provided me a bed at a place which they called the
cottage; on the side of a hill in the outskirts of the town。 There
I passed the night comfortably enough。 At about eight in the
morning I arose; returned to the inn; breakfasted; and departed for
Beth Gelert by way of Caernarvon。
It was Sunday; and I had originally intended to pass the day at
Bangor; and to attend divine service twice at the Cathedral; but I
found myself so very uncomfortable; owing to the crowd of
interlopers; that I determined to proceed on my journey without
delay; making up my mind; however; to enter the first church I
should meet in which service was being performed; for it is really
not good to travel on the Sunday without going into a place of
worship。
The day was sunny and fiercely hot; as all the days had lately
been。 In about an hour I arrived at Port Dyn Norwig: it stood on
the right side of the road。 The name of this place; which I had
heard from the coachman who drove my family and me to Caernarvon
and Llanberis a few days before; had excited my curiosity with
respect to it; as it signifies the Port of the Norway man; so I now
turned aside to examine it。 〃No doubt;〃 said I to myself; 〃the
place derives its name from the piratical Danes and Norse having
resorted to it in the old time。〃 Port Dyn Norwig seems to consist
of a creek; a staithe; and about a hundred houses: a few small
vessels were lying at the staithe。 I stood about ten minutes upon
it staring about; and then feeling rather oppressed by the heat of
the sun; I bent my way to a small house which bore a sign; and from
which a loud noise of voices proceeded。 〃Have you good ale?〃 said
I in English to a good…looking buxom dame of about forty; whom I
saw in the passage。
She looked at me but returned no answer。
〃Oes genoch cwrw da?〃 said I。
〃Oes!〃 she replied with a smile; and opening the door of a room on
the left…hand bade me walk in。
I entered the room; six or seven men; seemingly sea…faring people;
were seated drinking and talking vociferously in Welsh。 Their
conversation was about the sea…serpent: some believed in the
existence of such a thing; others did not。 After a little time one
said; 〃Let us ask this gentleman for his opinion。〃
〃And what would be the use of asking him?〃 said another; 〃we have
only Cumraeg; and he has only Saesneg。〃
〃I have a little broken Cumraeg; at the service of this good
company;〃 said I。 〃With respect to the snake of the sea I beg
leave to say that I believe in the existence of such a creature;
and am surprised that any people in these parts should not believe
in it: why; the sea…serpent has been seen in these parts。〃
〃When was that; Gwr Boneddig?〃 said one of the company。
〃About fifty years ago;〃 said I。 〃Once in October; in the year
1805; as a small vessel of the Traeth was upon the Menai; sailing
very slowly; the weather being very calm; the people on board saw a
strange creature like an immense worm swimming after them。 It soon
overtook them; climbed on board through the tiller…hole; and coiled
itself on the deck under the mast … the people at first were
dreadfully frightened; but taking courage they attacked it with an
oar and drove it overboard; it followed the vessel for some time;
but a breeze springing up they lost sight of it。〃
〃And how did you learn this?〃 said the last who had addressed me。
〃I read the story;〃 said I; 〃in a pure Welsh book called the
Greal。〃
〃I now remember hearing the same thing;〃 said an old man; 〃when I
was a boy; it had slipt out of my memory; but now I remember all
about it。 The ship was called the ROBERT ELLIS。 Are you of these
parts; gentleman?〃
〃No;〃 said I; 〃I am not of these parts。〃
〃Then you are of South Wales … indeed your Welsh is very different
from ours。〃
〃I am not of South Wales;〃 said I; 〃I am the seed not of the sea…
snake but of the coiling serpent; for so one of the old Welsh poets
called the Saxons。〃
〃But how did you learn Welsh?〃 said the old man。
〃I learned it by the grammar;〃 said I; 〃a long time ago。〃
〃Ah; you learnt it by the grammar;〃 said the old man; 〃that
accounts for your Welsh being different from ours。 We did not
learn our Welsh by the grammar … your Welsh is different from ours;
and of course better; being the Welsh of the grammar。 Ah; it is a
fine thing to be a grammarian。〃
〃Yes; it is a fine thing to be a grammarian;〃 cried the rest of the
company; and I observed that everybody now regarded me with a kind
of respect。
A jug of ale which the hostess had brought me had been standing
before me some time。 I now tasted it and found it very good。
Whilst despatching it; I asked various questions about the old
Danes; the reason why the place was called the port of the
Norwegian; and about its trade。 The good folks knew nothing about
the old Danes; and as little as to the reason of its being called
the port of the Norwegian … but they said that besides that name it
bore that of Melin Heli; or the mill of the salt pool; and that
slates were exported from thence; which came from quarries close
by。
Having finished my ale; I bade the company adieu and quitted Port
Dyn Norwig; one of the most thoroughly Welsh places I had seen; for
during the whole time I was in it; I heard no words of English
uttered; except the two or three spoken by myself。 In about an
hour I reached Caernarvon。
The road from Bangor to Caernarvon is very good and the scenery
interesting … fine hills border it on the left; or south…east; and
on the right at some distance is the Menai with Anglesey beyond it。
Not far from Caernarvon a sandbank commences; extending for miles
up the Menai; towards Bangor; and dividing the strait into two。
I went to the Castle Inn which fronts the square or market…place;
and being shown into a room ordered some brandy…and…water; and sat
down。 Two young men were seated in the room。 I spoke to them and
received civil answers; at which I was rather astonished; as I
found by the tone of their voices that they were English。 The air
of one was far superior to that of the other; and with him I was
soon in conversation。 In the course of discourse he informed me
that being a martyr to ill…health he had come from London to Wales;
hoping that change of air; and exercise on the Welsh hills; would
afford him relief; and that his friend had been kind enough to
accompany him。 That he had been about three weeks in Wales; had
taken all the exercise that he could; but that he was still very
unwell; slept little and had no appetite。 I told him not to be
discouraged; but to proceed in the course which he had adopted till
the end of summer; by which time I thought it very probable that he
would be restored to his health; as he was still young。 At these
words of mine a beam of hope brightened his countenance; and he
said that he had no other wish than to regain his health; and that
if he did he should be the happiest of men。 The intense wish of
the poor young man for health caused me to think how insensible I
had hitherto been to the possession of the greatest of all
terrestrial blessings。 I had always had the health of an elephant;
but I never remembered to have been sensible to the magnitude of
the blessing or in the slightest degree grateful to God who gave
it。 I shuddered to think how I should feel if suddenly deprived of
my health。 Far worse; no doubt; than that poor invalid。 He was
young; and in youth there is hope … but I was no longer young。 At
last; however; I thought that if God took away my health He might
so far alter my mind that I might be happy even without health; or
the prospect of it; and that reflection made me quite comfortable。
CHAPTER XLIV
National School … The Young Preacher … Pont Bettws … Spanish Words
… Two Tongues; Two Faces … The Elephant's Snout … Llyn Cwellyn …
The Snowdon Ranger … My House … Castell y Cidwm … Descent to Beth
Gelert。
IT might be about three o'clock in the afternoon when I left
Caernarvon for Beth Gelert; distant about thirteen miles。 I
journeyed through a beautiful country of hill and dale; woods and
meadows; the whole gilded by abundance of sunshine。 After walking
about an hour without intermission I reached a village; and asked a
man the name of it。
〃Llan … something;〃 he replied。
As he was standing before a long building; through the open door of
which a sound proceeded like that of preaching; I asked him what
place it was; and what was going on in it; and received for answer
that it was the National School; and that there was a clergyman
preaching in it。 I then asked if the clergyman was of the Church;
and on learning that he was; I forthwith entered the building;
where in one end of a long room I saw a young man in a white
surplice preaching from a desk to about thirty or forty people; who
were seated on benches before him。 I sat down and listened。 The
young man preached with great zeal and fluency。 The sermon was a
very seasonable one; being about the harvest; and in it things
temporal and spiritual were very