lavengro- 第92部分

oak。　　We　fell　into　conversation；　Peter　was　at　first　melancholy；　but　

he　soon　became　more　cheerful；　fluent；　and　entertaining。　　I　spoke　

but　little；　but　I　observed　that　sometimes　what　I　said　surprised　the　

good　Methodist。　　We　had　been　silent　some　time。　　At　length；　lifting　

up　my　eyes　to　the　broad　and　leafy　canopy　of　the　trees；　I　said；　

having　nothing　better　to　remark；　'What　a　noble　tree！　　I　wonder　if　

the　fairies　ever　dance　beneath　it。'



'Fairies！'　said　Peter；　'fairies！　how　came　you；　young　man；　to　know　

anything　about　the　fair　family？'



'I　am　an　Englishman；'　said　I；　'and　of　course　know　something　about　

fairies；　England　was　once　a　famous　place　for　them。'



'Was　once；　I　grant　you；'　said　Peter；　'but　is　so　no　longer。　　I　have　

travelled　for　years　about　England；　and　never　heard　them　mentioned　

before；　the　belief　in　them　has　died　away；　and　even　their　name　seems　

to　be　forgotten。　　If　you　had　said　you　were　a　Welshman；　I　should　not　

have　been　surprised。　　The　Welsh　have　much　to　say　of　the　Tylwyth　

Teg；　or　fair　family；　and　many　believe　in　them。'



'And　do　you　believe　in　them？'　said　I。



'I　scarcely　know　what　to　say。　　Wise　and　good　men　have　been　of　

opinion　that　they　are　nothing　but　devils；　who；　under　the　form　of　

pretty　and　amiable　spirits；　would　fain　allure　poor　human　beings；　I　

see　nothing　irrational　in　the　supposition。'



'Do　you　believe　in　devils；　then？'



'Do　I　believe　in　devils；　young　man？'　said　Peter；　and　his　frame　was　

shaken　as　if　by　convulsions。　　'If　I　do　not　believe　in　devils；　why　

am　I　here　at　the　present　moment？'



'You　know　best；'　said　I；　'but　I　don't　believe　that　fairies　are　

devils；　and　I　don't　wish　to　hear　them　insulted。　　What　learned　men　

have　said　they　are　devils？'



'Many　have　said　it；　young　man；　and；　amongst　others；　Master　Ellis　

Wyn；　in　that　wonderful　book　of　his；　the　BARDD　CWSG。'



'The　BARDD　CWSG；'　said　I；　'what　kind　of　book　is　that？　　I　have　never　

heard　of　that　book　before。'



'Heard　of　it　before；　I　suppose　not；　how　should　you　have　heard　of　it　

before？　　By　the　bye；　can　you　read？'



'Very　tolerably；'　said　I；　'so　there　are　fairies　in　this　book。　　What　

do　you　call　it　…　the　BARDD　CWSG？'



'Yes；　the　BARDD　CWSG。　　You　pronounce　Welsh　very　fairly；　have　you　

ever　been　in　Wales？'



'Never；'　said　I。



'Not　been　in　Wales；　then；　of　course；　you　don't　understand　Welsh；　

but　we　were　talking　of　the　BARDD　CWSG　…　yes；　there　are　fairies　in　

the　BARDD　CWSG；　…　the　author　of　it；　Master　Ellis　Wyn；　was　carried　

away　in　his　sleep　by　them　over　mountains　and　valleys；　rivers　and　

great　waters；　incurring　mighty　perils　at　their　hands；　till　he　was　

rescued　from　them　by　an　angel　of　the　Most　High；　who　subsequently　

showed　him　many　wonderful　things。'



'I　beg　your　pardon；'　said　I；　'but　what　were　those　wonderful　

things？'



'I　see；　young　man；'　said　Peter；　smiling；　'that　you　are　not　without　

curiosity；　but　I　can　easily　pardon　any　one　for　being　curious　about　

the　wonders　contained　in　the　book　of　Master　Ellis　Wyn。　　The　angel　

showed　him　the　course　of　this　world；　its　pomps　and　vanities；　its　

cruelty　and　its　pride；　its　crimes　and　deceits。　　On　another　

occasion；　the　angel　showed　him　Death　in　his　nether　palace；　

surrounded　by　his　grisly　ministers；　and　by　those　who　are　

continually　falling　victims　to　his　power。　　And；　on　a　third　

occasion；　the　state　of　the　condemned　in　their　place　of　everlasting　

torment。'



'But　this　was　all　in　his　sleep；'　said　I；　'was　it　not？'



'Yes；'　said　Peter；　'in　his　sleep；　and　on　that　account　the　book　is　

called　GWELEDIGAETHAU　Y　BARDD　CWSG；　or；　VISIONS　OF　THE　SLEEPING　

BARD。'



'I　do　not　care　for　wonders　which　occur　in　sleep；'　said　I。　　'I　

prefer　real　ones；　and　perhaps；　notwithstanding　what　he　says；　the　

man　had　no　visions　at　all　…　they　are　probably　of　his　own　

invention。'



'They　are　substantially　true；　young　man；'　said　Peter；　'like　the　

dreams　of　Bunyan；　they　are　founded　on　three　tremendous　facts；　Sin；　

Death；　and　Hell；　and　like　his　they　have　done　incalculable　good；　at　

least　in　my　own　country；　in　the　language　of　which　they　are　written。　　

Many　a　guilty　conscience　has　the　BARDD　CWSG　aroused　with　its　

dreadful　sights；　its　strong　sighs；　its　puffs　of　smoke　from　the　pit；　

and　its　showers　of　sparks　from　the　mouth　of　the　yet　lower　gulf　of　…　

Unknown　…　were　it　not　for　the　BARDD　CWSG　perhaps　I　might　not　be　

here。'



'I　would　sooner　hear　your　own　tale；'　said　I；　'than　all　the　visions　

of　the　BARDD　CWSG。'



Peter　shook；　bent　his　form　nearly　double；　and　covered　his　face　with　

his　hands。　　I　sat　still　and　motionless；　with　my　eyes　fixed　upon　

him。　　Presently　Winifred　descended　the　hill；　and　joined　us。　　'What　

is　the　matter？'　said　she；　looking　at　her　husband；　who　still　

remained　in　the　posture　I　have　described。　　He　made　no　answer；　

whereupon；　laying　her　hand　gently　on　his　shoulder；　she　said；　in　the　

peculiar　soft　and　tender　tone　which　I　had　heard　her　use　on　a　former　

occasion；　'Take　comfort；　Peter；　what　has　happened　now　to　afflict　

thee？'　　Peter　removed　his　hand　from　his　face。　　'The　old　pain；　the　

old　pain；'　said　he；　'I　was　talking　with　this　young　man；　and　he　

would　fain　know　what　brought　me　here；　he　would　fain　hear　my　tale；　

Winifred　…　my　sin：　　O　pechod　Ysprydd　Glan！　　O　pechod　Ysprydd　Glan！'　

and　the　poor　man　fell　into　a　more　fearful　agony　than　before。　　Tears　

trickled　down　Winifred's　face；　I　saw　them　trickling　by　the　

moonlight；　as　she　gazed　upon　the　writhing　form　of　her　afflicted　

husband。　　I　arose　from　my　seat。　　'I　am　the　cause　of　all　this；'　said　

I；　'by　my　folly　and　imprudence；　and　it　is　thus　I　have　returned　your　

kindness　and　hospitality；　I　will　depart　from　you　and　wander　my　

way。'　　I　was　retiring；　but　Peter　sprang　up　and　detained　me。　　'Go　

not；'　said　he；　'you　were　not　in　fault；　if　there　be　any　fault　in　the　

case　it　was　mine；　if　I　suffer；　I　am　but　paying　the　penalty　of　my　

own　iniquity'；　he　then　paused；　and　appeared　to　be　considering：　　at　

length　he　said；　'Many　things　which　thou　hast　seen　and　heard　

connected　with　me　require　explanation；　thou　wishest　to　know　my　

tale；　I　will　tell　it　thee；　but　not　now；　not　to…night；　I　am　too　much　

shaken。'



Two　evenings　later；　when　we　were　again　seated　beneath　the　oak；　

Peter　took　the　hand　of　his　wife　in　his　own；　and　then；　in　tones　

broken　and　almost　inarticulate；　commenced　telling　me　his　tale　…　the　

tale　of　the　Pechod　Ysprydd　Glan。







CHAPTER　LXXV







Taking　a　cup　…　Getting　to　heaven　…　After　breakfast　…　　Wooden　

gallery　…　Mechanical　habit　…　Reserved　and　gloomy　…　Last　words　…　A　

long　time　…　From　the　clouds　…　Ray　of　hope　…　Momentary　chill　…　

Pleasing　anticipation。



'I　WAS　born　in　the　heart　of　North　Wales；　the　son　of　a　respectable　

farmer；　and　am　the　youngest　of　seven　brothers。



'My　father　was　a　member　of　the　Church　of　England；　and　was　what　is　

generally　called　a　serious　man。　　He　went　to　church　regularly；　and　

read　the　Bible　every　Sunday　evening；　in　his　moments　of　leisure　he　

was　fond　of　holding　religious　discourse　both　with　his　family　and　

his　neighbours。



'One　autumn　afternoon；　on　a　week　day；　my　father　sat　with　one　of　his　

neighbours　taking　a　cup　of　ale　by　the　oak　table　in　our　stone　

kitchen。　　I　sat　near　them；　and　listened　to　their　discourse。　　I　was　

at　that　time　seven　years　of　age。　　They　were　talking　of　religious　

matters。　　〃It　is　a　hard　matter　to　get　to　heaven；〃　said　my　father。　　

〃Exceedingly　so；〃　said　the　other。　　〃However；　I　don't　despond；　none　

need　despair　of　getting　to　heaven；　save　those　who　have　committed　

the　sin　against　the　Holy　Ghost。〃



'〃Ah！〃　said　my　father；　〃thank　God　I　never　committed　that　…　how　

awful　must　be　the　state　of　a　person　who　has　committed　the　sin　

against　the　Holy　Ghost。　　I　can　scarcely　think　of　it　without　my　hair　

standing　on　end〃；　and　then　my　father　and　his　friend　began　talking　

of　the　nature　of　the　sin　against　the　Holy　Ghost；　and　I　heard　them　

say　what　it　was；　as　I　sat　with　greedy　ears　listening　to　their　

discourse。



'I　lay　awake　the　greater　part　of　the　night　musing　upon　what　I　had　

heard。　　I　kept　wondering　to　myself　what　must　be　the　state　of　a　

person　who　had　committed　the　sin　against　the　Holy　Ghost；　and　how　he　

must　feel。　　Once　or　twice　I　felt　a　strong　inclination　to　commit　it；　

a　strange　kind　of　fear；　however；　prevented　me；　at　last　I　determined　

not　to　commit　it；　and；　having　said　my　prayers；　I　fell　asleep。



'When　I　awoke　in　the　morning　the　first　thing　I　thought　of　was　the　

mysterious　sin；　and　a　voice　within　me　seemed　to　say；　〃Commit　it〃；　

and　I　felt　a　strong　temptation　to　do　so；　even　stronger　than　in　the　

night。　　I　was　just　about　to　yield；　when　the　same　dread；　of　which　I　

have　already　spoken；　came　over　me；　and；　springing　out　of　bed；　I　

went　down　on　my　knees。　　I　slept　in　a　small　room　alone；　to　which　I　

ascended　by　a　wooden　stair；　open　to　the　sky。　　I　have　often　thought　

since　that　it　is　not　a　good　thing　for　children　to　sleep　alone。



'After　breakfast　I　went　to　school；　and　endeavoured　to　employ　myself　

upon　my　tasks；　but　all　in　vain；　I　could　think　of　nothing　but　the　

sin　against　the　Holy　Ghost；　my　eyes；　instead　of　being　fixed　upon　my　

book；　wandered　in　vacancy。　　My　master　observed　my　inattention；　and　

chid　me。　　The　time　came　for　saying　my　task；　and　I　had　not　acquired　

it。　　My　master　reproached　me；　and；　yet　more；　he　beat　me；　I　felt　

shame　and　anger；　and　I　went　home　with　a　full　determination　to　

commit　the　sin　against　the　Holy　Ghost。



'But　when　I　got　home　my　father　ordered　me　to　do　something　connected　

with　the　farm；　so　that　I　was　compelled　to　exert　myself；　I　was　

occupied　till　night；　and　was　so　busy　that　I　almost　forgot　the　sin　

and　my　late　resolution。　　My　work　completed；　I　took　my　supper；　and　

went　to　my　room；　I　began　my　prayers；　and；　when　they　were　ended；　I　

thought　of　the　sin；　but　the　temptation　was　slight；　I　felt　very　

tired；　and　was　presently　asleep。



'Thus；　you　see；　I　had　plenty　of　time　allotted　me　by　a　gracious　and