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