第 90 节
作者:
随便看看 更新:2021-02-25 00:47 字数:9322
was now to the east of me。 Its western front was very precipitous;
but on its northern side it was cultivated nearly to the summit。
As I stood looking at it from near the top of a gentle acclivity a
boy with a team; whom I had passed a little time before; came up。
He was whipping his horses; who were straining up the ascent; and
was swearing at them most frightfully in English。 I addressed him
in that language; inquiring the name of the crag; but he answered
Dim Saesneg; and then again fell to cursing; his horses in English。
I allowed him and his team to get to the top of the ascent; and
then overtaking him; I said in Welsh: 〃What do you mean by saying
you have no English? You were talking English just now to your
horses。〃
〃Yes;〃 said the lad; 〃I have English enough for my horses; and that
is all。〃
〃You seem to have plenty of Welsh;〃 said I; 〃why don't you speak
Welsh to your horses?〃
〃It's of no use speaking Welsh to them;〃 said the boy; 〃Welsh isn't
strong enough。〃
〃Isn't Myn Diawl tolerably strong?〃 said I。
〃Not strong enough for horses;〃 said the boy 〃if I were to say Myn
Diawl to my horses; or even Cas Andras; they would laugh at me。〃
〃Do the other carters;〃 said I; 〃use the same English to their
horses which you do to yours?〃
〃Yes〃 said the boy; 〃they'll all use the same English words; if
they didn't the horses wouldn't mind them。〃
〃What a triumph;〃 thought I; 〃for the English language that the
Welsh carters are obliged to have recourse to its oaths and
execrations to make their horses get on!〃
I said nothing more to the boy on the subject of language; but
again asked him the name of the crag。 〃It is called Craig y
Gorllewin;〃 said he。 I thanked him; and soon left him and his team
far behind。
Notwithstanding what the boy said about the milk…and…water
character of native Welsh oaths; the Welsh have some very pungent
execrations; quite as efficacious; I should say; to make a horse
get on as any in the English swearing vocabulary。 Some of their
oaths are curious; being connected with heathen times and Druidical
mythology; for example that Cas Andras; mentioned by the boy; which
means hateful enemy or horrible Andras。 Andras or Andraste was the
fury or Demigorgon of the Ancient Cumry; to whom they built temples
and offered sacrifices out of fear。 Curious that the same oath
should be used by the Christian Cumry of the present day; which was
in vogue amongst their pagan ancestors some three thousand years
ago。 However; the same thing is observable amongst us Christian
English: we say the Duse take you! even as our heathen Saxon
forefathers did; who worshipped a kind of Devil so called; and
named a day of the week after him; which name we still retain in
our hebdomadal calendar like those of several other Anglo…Saxon
devils。 We also say: Go to old Nick! and Nick or Nikkur was a
surname of Woden; and also the name of a spirit which haunted fords
and was in the habit of drowning passengers。
Night came quickly upon me after I had passed the swearing lad。
However; I was fortunate enough to reach Llan Rhyadr; without
having experienced any damage or impediment from Diawl; Andras;
Duse; or Nick。
CHAPTER LXIX
Church of Llan Rhyadr … The Clerk … The Tablet … Stone … First View
of the Cataract。
THE night was both windy and rainy like the preceding one; but the
morning which followed; unlike that of the day before; was dull and
gloomy。 After breakfast I walked out to take another view of the
little town。 As I stood looking at the church a middle…aged man of
a remarkably intelligent countenance came up and asked me if I
should like to see the inside。 I told him I should; whereupon he
said that he was the clerk and would admit me with pleasure。
Taking a key out of his pocket he unlocked the door of the church
and we went in。 The inside was sombre; not so much owing to the
gloominess of the day as the heaviness of the architecture。 It
presented something in the form of a cross。 I soon found the clerk
what his countenance represented him to be; a highly intelligent
person。 His answers to my questions were in general ready and
satisfactory。
〃This seems rather an ancient edifice;〃 said I; 〃when was it
built?〃
〃In the sixteenth century;〃 said the clerk; 〃in the days of Harry
Tudor。〃
〃Have any remarkable men been clergymen of this church?〃
〃Several; sir; amongst its vicars was Doctor William Morgan; the
great South Welshman; the author of the old Welsh version of the
Bible; who flourished in the time of Queen Elizabeth。 Then there
was Doctor Robert South; an eminent divine; who; though not a
Welshman; spoke and preached Welsh better than many of the native
clergy。 Then there was the last vicar; Walter D…; a great preacher
and writer; who styled himself in print Gwalter Mechain。〃
〃Are Morgan and South buried here?〃 said I。
〃They are not; sir;〃 said the clerk; 〃they had been transferred to
other benefices before they died。〃
I did not inquire whether Walter D… was buried there; for of him I
had never heard before; but demanded whether the church possessed
any ancient monuments。
〃This is the oldest which remains; sir;〃 said the clerk; and he
pointed with his finger to a tablet…stone over a little dark pew on
the right side of the oriel window。 There was an inscription upon
it; but owing to the darkness I could not make out a letter。 The
clerk; however; read as follows。
1694。 21 Octr。
Hic Sepultus Est
Sidneus Bynner。
〃Do you understand Latin?〃 said I to the clerk。
〃I do not; sir; I believe; however; that the stone is to the memory
of one Bynner。〃
〃That is not a Welsh name;〃 said I。
〃It is not; sir;〃 said the clerk。
〃It seems to be radically the same as Bonner;〃 said I; 〃the name of
the horrible Popish Bishop of London in Mary's time。 Do any people
of the name of Bynner reside in this neighbourhood at present?〃
〃None; sir;〃 said the clerk; 〃and if the Bynners are descendants of
Bonner; it is; perhaps; well that there are none。〃
I made the clerk; who appeared almost fit to be a clergyman; a
small present; and returned to the inn。 After paying my bill I
flung my satchel over my shoulder; took my umbrella by the middle
in my right hand; and set off for the Rhyadr。
I entered the narrow glen at the western extremity of the town and
proceeded briskly along。 The scenery was romantically beautiful;
on my left was the little brook; the waters of which run through
the town; beyond it a lofty hill; on my right was a hill covered
with wood from the top to the bottom。 I enjoyed the scene; and
should have enjoyed it more had there been a little sunshine to
gild it。
I passed through a small village; the name of which I think was
Cynmen; and presently overtook a man and boy。 The man saluted me
in English; and I entered into conversation with him in that
language。 He told me that he came from Llan Gedwin; and was going
to a place called Gwern something; in order to fetch home some
sheep。 After a time he asked me where I was going。
〃I am going to see the Pistyll Rhyadr;〃 said I
We had then just come to the top of a rising ground。
〃Yonder's the Pistyll!〃 said he; pointing to the west。
I looked in the direction of his finger; and saw something at a
great distance; which looked like a strip of grey linen hanging
over a crag。
〃That is the waterfall;〃 he continued; 〃which so many of the Saxons
come to see。 And now I must bid you good…bye; master; for my way
to the Gwern is on the right〃
Then followed by the boy he turned aside into a wild road at the
corner of a savage; precipitous rock。
CHAPTER LXX
Mountain Scenery … The Rhyadr … Wonderful Feat。
AFTER walking about a mile with the cataract always in sight; I
emerged from the glen into an oblong valley extending from south to
north; having lofty hills on all sides; especially on the west;
from which direction the cataract comes。 I advanced across the
vale till within a furlong of this object; when I was stopped by a
deep hollow or nether vale into which the waters of the cataract
tumble。 On the side of this hollow I sat down; and gazed down
before me and on either side。 The water comes spouting over a crag
of perhaps two hundred feet in altitude between two hills; one
south…east and the other nearly north。 The southern hill is wooded
from the top; nearly down to where the cataract bursts forth; and
so; but not so thickly; is the northern hill; which bears a
singular resemblance to a hog's back。 Groves of pine are on the
lower parts of both; in front of a grove low down on the northern
hill is a small white house of a picturesque appearance。 The water
of the cataract; after reaching the bottom of the precipice; rushes
in a narrow brook down the vale in the direction of Llan Rhyadr。
To the north…east; between the hog…backed hill and another strange…
looking mountain; is a wild glen; from which comes a brook to swell
the waters discharged by the Rhyadr。 The south…west side of the
vale is steep; and from a cleft of a hill i