第 58 节
作者:随便看看      更新:2021-02-25 00:47      字数:9321
  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