wild wales- 第1部分

Wild　Wales

by　George　Borrow



Its　People；　Language　and　Scenery




INTRODUCTORY




WALES　is　a　country　interesting　in　many　respects；　and　deserving　of　
more　attention　than　it　has　hitherto　met　with。　　Though　not　very　
extensive；　it　is　one　of　the　most　picturesque　countries　in　the　
world；　a　country　in　which　Nature　displays　herself　in　her　wildest；　
boldest；　and　occasionally　loveliest　forms。　　The　inhabitants；　who　
speak　an　ancient　and　peculiar　language；　do　not　call　this　region　
Wales；　nor　themselves　Welsh。　　They　call　themselves　Cymry　or　Cumry；　
and　their　country　Cymru；　or　the　land　of　the　Cumry。　　Wales　or　
Wallia；　however；　is　the　true；　proper；　and　without　doubt　original　
name；　as　it　relates　not　to　any　particular　race；　which　at　present　
inhabits　it；　or　may　have　sojourned　in　it　at　any　long　bygone　period；　
but　to　the　country　itself。　　Wales　signifies　a　land　of　mountains；　of　
vales；　of　dingles；　chasms；　and　springs。　　It　is　connected　with　the　
Cumbric　bal；　a　protuberance；　a　springing　forth；　with　the　Celtic　
beul　or　beal；　a　mouth；　with　the　old　English　welle；　a　fountain；　with　
the　original　name　of　Italy；　still　called　by　the　Germans　Welschland；　
with　Balkan　and　Vulcan；　both　of　which　signify　a　casting　out；　an　
eruption；　with　Welint　or　Wayland；　the　name　of　the　Anglo…Saxon　god　
of　the　forge；　with　the　Chaldee　val；　a　forest；　and　the　German　wald；　
with　the　English　bluff；　and　the　Sanscrit　palava　…　startling　
assertions；　no　doubt；　at　least　to　some；　which　are；　however；　quite　
true；　and　which　at　some　future　time　will　be　universally　
acknowledged　so　to　be。

But　it　is　not　for　its　scenery　alone　that　Wales　is　deserving　of　
being　visited；　scenery　soon　palls　unless　it　is　associated　with　
remarkable　events；　and　the　names　of　remarkable　men。　　Perhaps　there　
is　no　country　in　the　whole　world　which　has　been　the　scene　of　events　
more　stirring　and　remarkable　than　those　recorded　in　the　history　of　
Wales。　　What　other　country　has　been　the　scene　of　a　struggle　so　
deadly；　so　embittered；　and　protracted　as　that　between　the　Cumro　and　
the　Saxon？　…　A　struggle　which　did　not　terminate　at　Caernarvon；　when　
Edward　Longshanks　foisted　his　young　son　upon　the　Welsh　chieftains　
as　Prince　of　Wales；　but　was　kept　up　till　the　battle　of　Bosworth　
Field；　when　a　prince　of　Cumric　blood　won　the　crown　of　fair　Britain；　
verifying　the　olden　word　which　had　cheered　the　hearts　of　the　
Ancient　Britons　for　at　least　a　thousand　years；　even　in　times　of　the　
darkest　distress　and　gloom：…


〃But　after　long　pain
Repose　we　shall　obtain；
When　sway　barbaric　has　purg'd　us　clean；
And　Britons　shall　regain
Their　crown　and　their　domain；
And　the　foreign　oppressor　be　no　more　seen。〃


Of　remarkable　men　Wales　has　assuredly　produced　its　full　share。　　
First；　to　speak　of　men　of　action：…　there　was　Madoc；　the　son　of　
Owain　Gwynedd；　who　discovered　America；　centuries　before　Columbus　
was　born；　then　there　was　〃the　irregular　and　wild　Glendower；〃　who　
turned　rebel　at　the　age　of　sixty；　was　crowned　King　of　Wales　at　
Machynlleth；　and　for　fourteen　years　contrived　to　hold　his　own　
against　the　whole　power　of　England；　then　there　was　Ryce　Ap　Thomas；　
the　best　soldier　of　his　time；　whose　hands　placed　the　British　crown　
on　the　brow　of　Henry　the　Seventh；　and　whom　bluff　Henry　the　Eighth　
delighted　to　call　Father　Preece；　then　there　was　…　who？　…　why　Harry　
Morgan；　who　led　those　tremendous　fellows　the　Buccaneers　across　the　
Isthmus　of　Darien　to　the　sack　and　burning　of　Panama。

What；　a　buccaneer　in　the　list？　　Ay！　and　why　not？　　Morgan　was　a　
scourge；　it　is　true；　but　he　was　a　scourge　of　God　on　the　cruel　
Spaniards　of　the　New　World；　the　merciless　task…masters　and　butchers　
of　the　Indian　race：　　on　which　account　God　favoured　and　prospered　
him；　permitting　him　to　attain　the　noble　age　of　ninety；　and　to　die　
peacefully　and　tranquilly　at　Jamaica；　whilst　smoking　his　pipe　in　
his　shady　arbour；　with　his　smiling　plantation　of　sugar…canes　full　
in　view。　　How　unlike　the　fate　of　Harry　Morgan　to　that　of　Lolonois；　
a　being　as　daring　and　enterprising　as　the　Welshman；　but　a　monster　
without　ruth　or　discrimination；　terrible　to　friend　and　foe；　who　
perished　by　the　hands；　not　of　the　Spaniards；　but　of　the　Indians；　
who　tore　him　limb　from　limb；　burning　his　members；　yet　quivering；　in　
the　fire　…　which　very　Indians　Morgan　contrived　to　make　his　own　firm　
friends；　and　whose　difficult　language　he　spoke　with　the　same　
facility　as　English；　Spanish；　and　his　own　South　Welsh。

For　men　of　genius　Wales　during　a　long　period　was　particularly　
celebrated。　…　Who　has　not　heard　of　the　Welsh　Bards？　though　it　is　
true　that；　beyond　the　borders　of　Wales；　only　a　very　few　are　
acquainted　with　their　songs；　owing　to　the　language；　by　no　means　an　
easy　one；　in　which　they　were　composed。　　Honour　to　them　all！　
everlasting　glory　to　the　three　greatest　…　Taliesin；　Ab　Gwilym　and　
Gronwy　Owen：　　the　first　a　professed　Christian；　but　in　reality　a　
Druid；　whose　poems　fling　great　light　on　the　doctrines　of　the　
primitive　priesthood　of　Europe；　which　correspond　remarkably　with　
the　philosophy　of　the　Hindus；　before　the　time　of　Brahma：　　the　
second　the　grand　poet　of　Nature；　the　contemporary　of　Chaucer；　but　
worth　half　a　dozen　of　the　accomplished　word…master；　the　ingenious　
versifier　of　Norman　and　Italian　tales：　　the　third　a　learned　and　
irreproachable　minister　of　the　Church　of　England；　and　one　of　the　
greatest　poets　of　the　last　century；　who　after　several　narrow　
escapes　from　starvation　both　in　England　and　Wales；　died　master　of　a　
paltry　school　at　New　Brunswick；　in　North　America；　sometime　about　
the　year　1780。

But　Wales　has　something　besides　its　wonderful　scenery；　its　eventful　
history；　and　its　illustrious　men　of　yore　to　interest　the　visitor。　　
Wales　has　a　population；　and　a　remarkable　one。　　There　are　countries；　
besides　Wales；　abounding　with　noble　scenery；　rich　in　eventful　
histories；　and　which　are　not　sparingly　dotted　with　the　birthplaces　
of　heroes　and　poets；　in　which　at　the　present　day　there　is　either　no　
population　at　all；　or　one　of　a　character　which　is　anything　but　
attractive。　　Of　a　country　in　the　first　predicament；　the　Scottish　
Highlands　afford　an　example：　　What　a　country　is　that　Highland　
region！　　What　scenery！　and　what　associations！　　If　Wales　has　its　
Snowdon　and　Cader　Idris；　the　Highlands　have　their　Hill　of　the　Water　
Dogs；　and　that　of　the　Swarthy　Swine：　　If　Wales　has　a　history；　so　
have　the　Highlands　…　not　indeed　so　remarkable　as　that　of　Wales；　but　
eventful　enough：　　If　Wales　has　had　its　heroes；　its　Glendower　and　
Father　Pryce；　the　Highlands　have　had　their　Evan　Cameron　and　Ranald　
of　Moydart；　If　Wales　has　had　its　romantic　characters；　its　Griffith　
Ap　Nicholas　and　Harry　Morgan；　the　Highlands　have　had　Rob　Roy　and　
that　strange　fellow　Donald　Macleod；　the　man　of　the　broadsword；　the　
leader　of　the　Freacadan　Dhu；　who　at　Fontenoy　caused；　the　Lord　only　
knows；　how　many　Frenchmen's　heads　to　fly　off　their　shoulders；　who　
lived　to　the　age　of　one　hundred　and　seven；　and　at　seventy…one　
performed　gallant　service　on　the　Heights　of　Abraham：　　wrapped　in　
whose　plaid　the　dying　Wolfe　was　carried　from　the　hill　of　victory。　…　
If　Wales　has　been　a　land　of　song；　have　not　the　Highlands　also？　…　If　
Wales　can　boast　of　Ab　Gwilym　and　Gronwy；　the　Highlands　can　boast　of　
Ossian　and　MacIntyre。　　In　many　respects　the　two　regions　are　equals　
or　nearly　so；　…　In　one　respect；　however；　a　matter　of　the　present　
day；　and　a　very　important　matter　too；　they　are　anything　but　equals：　　
Wales　has　a　population　…　but　where　is　that　of　the　Highlands？　…　
Plenty　of　noble　scene；　Plenty　of　delightful　associations；　
historical；　poetical；　and　romantic　…　but；　but；　where　is　the　
population？

The　population　of　Wales　has　not　departed　across　the　Atlantic；　like　
that　of　the　Highlands；　it　remains　at　home；　and　a　remarkable　
population　it　is　…　very　different　from　the　present　inhabitants　of　
several　beautiful　lands　of　olden　fame；　who　have　strangely　
degenerated　from　their　forefathers。　　Wales　has　not　only　a　
population；　but　a　highly　interesting　one　…　hardy　and　frugal；　yet　
kind　and　hospitable　…　a　bit　crazed；　it　is　true；　on　the　subject　of　
religion；　but　still　retaining　plenty　of　old　Celtic　peculiarities；　
and　still　speaking　Diolch　i　Duw！　…　the　language　of　Glendower　and　
the　Bards。

The　present　is　a　book　about　Wales　and　Welsh　matters。　　He　who　does　
me　the　honour　of　perusing　it　will　be　conducted　to　many　a　spot　not　
only　remarkable　for　picturesqueness；　but　for　having　been　the　scene　
of　some　extraordinary　event；　or　the　birth…place　or　residence　of　a　
hero　or　a　man　of　genius；　he　will　likewise　be　not　unfrequently　
introduced　to　the　genuine　Welsh；　and　made　acquainted　with　what　they　
have　to　say　about　Cumro　and　Saxon；　buying　and　selling；　fattening　
hogs　and　poultry；　Methodism　and　baptism；　and　the　poor；　persecuted　
Church　of　England。

An　account　of　the　language　of　Wales　will　be　found　in　the　last　
chapter。　　It　has　many　features　and　words　in　common　with　the　
Sanscrit；　and　many　which　seem　peculiar　to　itself；　or　rather　to　the　
family　of　languages；　generally　called　the　Celtic；　to　which　it　
belongs。　　Though　not　an　original　tongue；　for　indeed　no　original　
tongue；　or　anything　approximating　to　one；　at　present　exists；　it　is　
certainly　of　immense　antiquity；　indeed　almost　entitled　in　that　
respect　to　dispute　the　palm　with　the　grand　tongue　of　India；　on　
which　in　some　respects　it　flings　nearly　as　much　elucidation　as　it　
itself　receives　in　others。　　Amongst　the　words　quoted　in　the　chapter　
alluded　to　I　wish　particularly　to　direct　the　reader's　attention　to　
gwr；　a　man；　and　gwres；　heat；　to　which　may　be　added　gwreichionen；　a　
spark。　　Does　not　the　striking　similarity　between　these　words　
warrant　the　supposition　that　the　ancient　Cumry　entertained　the　idea　
that　man　and　fire　were　one　and　the　same；　even　like　the　ancient　
Hindus；　who　believed　that　man　sprang　from　fire；　and　whose　word　
vira；　（1）　which　signifies　a　strong　man；　a　hero；　signifies　also　
fire？

There　are　of　course　faults　and　inaccuracies　in　the　work；　but　I　have　
reason　to　believe　that　they　are　neither　numerous　nor　important：　　I　
may　have　occasionally　given　a　wrong　name　to　a　hill　or　a　brook；　or　
may　have　overstated　or　understated；　by　a　furlong；　the　distance　
between　one