wild wales- 第49部分

〃Yes；　sir；　the　railroad　hotel　…　and　a　first…rate　hotel　it　is。〃

〃And　are　there　no　other　inns？〃

〃Yes；　but　they　are　all　poor　places。　　No　gent　puts　up　at　them　…　all　
the　gents　by　the　railroad　put　up　at　the　railroad　hotel。〃

What　was　I　to　do？　after　turning　up　my　nose　at　the　railroad；　was　I　
to　put　up　at　its　hotel？　　Surely　to　do　so　would　be　hardly　acting　
with　consistency。　　〃Ought　I　not　rather　to　go　to　some　public…house；　
frequented　by　captains　of　fishing　smacks；　and　be　put　in　a　bed　a　
foot　too　short　for　me；〃　said　I；　as　I　reflected　on　my　last　night's　
couch　at　Mr　Pritchard's。　　〃No；　that　won't　do　…　I　shall　go　to　the　
hotel；　I　have　money　in　my　pocket；　and　a　person　with　money　in　his　
pocket　has　surely　a　right　to　be　inconsistent　if　he　pleases。〃

So　I　turned　back　and　entered　the　railroad　hotel　with　lofty　port　and　
with　sounding　step；　for　I　had　twelve　sovereigns　in　my　pocket；　
besides　a　half　one；　and　some　loose　silver；　and　feared　not　to　
encounter　the　gaze　of　any　waiter　or　landlord　in　the　land。　　〃Send　
boots！〃　I　roared　to　the　waiter；　as　I　flung　myself　down　in　an　arm…
chair　in　a　magnificent　coffee…room。　　〃What　the　deuce　are　you　
staring　at？　send　boots　can't　you；　and　ask　what　I　can　have　for　
dinner。〃

〃Yes；　sir；〃　said　the　waiter；　and　with　a　low　bow　departed。

〃These　boots　are　rather　dusty；〃　said　the　boots；　a　grey…haired；　
venerable…looking　man；　after　he　had　taken　off　my　thick；　solid；　
square…toed　boots。　　〃I　suppose　you　came　walking　from　the　railroad？〃

〃Confound　the　railroad！〃　said　I。　　〃I　came　walking　from　Bangor。　　I　
would　have　you　know　that　I　have　money　in　my　pocket；　and　can　afford　
to　walk。　　I　am　fond　of　the　beauties　of　nature；　now　it　is　impossible　
to　see　much　of　the　beauties　of　nature　unless　you　walk。　　I　am　
likewise　fond　of　poetry；　and　take　especial　delight　in　inspecting　
the　birth…places　and　haunts　of　poets。　　It　is　because　I　am　fond　of　
poetry；　poets　and　their　haunts；　that　I　am　come　to　Anglesey。　　
Anglesey　does　not　abound　in　the　beauties　of　nature；　but　there　never　
was　such　a　place　for　poets；　you　meet　a　poet；　or　the　birth…place　of　
a　poet；　everywhere。〃

〃Did　your　honour　ever　hear　of　Gronwy　Owen？〃　said　the　old　man。

〃I　have；〃　I　replied；　〃and　yesterday　I　visited　his　birth…place；　so　
you　have　heard　of　Gronwy　Owen？〃

〃Heard　of　him；　your　honour；　yes；　and　read　his　works。　　That　'Cowydd　
y　Farn'　of　his　is　a　wonderful　poem。〃

〃You　say　right；〃　said　I；　〃the　'Cowydd　of　Judgment'　contains　some　of　
the　finest　things　ever　written　…　that　description　of　the　toppling　
down　of　the　top　crag　of　Snowdon；　at　the　day　of　Judgment；　beats　
anything　in　Homer。〃

〃Then　there　was　Lewis　Morris；　your　honour；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃who　
gave　Gronwy　his　education　and　wrote　'The　Lasses　of　Meirion'　…　and　…　
〃

〃And　'The　Cowydd　to　the　Snail；'〃　said　I；　interrupting　him　…　〃a　
wonderful　man　he　was。〃

〃I　am　rejoiced　to　see　your　honour　in　our　house；〃　said　boots；　〃I　
never　saw　an　English　gentleman　before　who　knew　so　much　about　Welsh　
poetry；　nor　a　Welsh　one　either。　　Ah；　if　your　honour　is　fond　of　
poets　and　their　places　you　did　right　to　come　to　Anglesey　…　and　your　
honour　was　right　in　saying　that　you　can't　stir　a　step　without　
meeting　one；　you　have　an　example　of　the　truth　of　that　in　me　…　for　
to　tell　your　honour　the　truth；　I　am　a　poet　myself；　and　no　bad　one　
either。〃

Then　tucking　the　dusty　boots　under　his　arm；　the　old　man　with　a　low　
congee；　and　a　〃Good…night；　your　honour！〃　shuffled　out　of　the　room。



CHAPTER　XL



Caer　Gyby　…　Lewis　Morris　…　Noble　Character。


I　DINED　or　rather　supped　well　at　the　Railroad　Inn　…　I　beg　its　
pardon；　Hotel；　for　the　word　Inn　at　the　present　day　is　decidedly　
vulgar。　　I　likewise　slept　well；　how　could　I　do　otherwise；　passing　
the　night；　as　I　did；　in　an　excellent　bed　in　a　large；　cool；　quiet　
room？　　I　arose　rather　late；　went　down　to　the　coffee…room　and　took　
my　breakfast　leisurely；　after　which　I　paid　my　bill　and　strolled　
forth　to　observe　the　wonders　of　the　place。

Caer　Gybi　or　Cybi's　town　is　situated　on　the　southern　side　of　a　bay　
on　the　north…western　side　of　Anglesey。　　Close　to　it　on　the　south…
west　is　a　very　high　headland　called　in　Welsh　Pen　Caer　Gybi；　or　the　
head　of　Cybi's　city；　and　in　English　Holy　Head。　　On　the　north；　
across　the　bay；　is　another　mountain　of　equal　altitude；　which　if　I　
am　not　mistaken　bears　in　Welsh　the　name　of　Mynydd　Llanfair；　or　
Saint　Mary's　Mount。　　It　is　called　Cybi's　town　from　one　Cybi；　who　
about　the　year　500　built　a　college　here　to　which　youths　noble　and　
ignoble　resorted　from　far　and　near。　　He　was　a　native　of　Dyfed　or　
Pembrokeshire；　and　was　a　friend　and　for　a　long　time　a　fellow…
labourer　of　Saint　David。　　Besides　being　learned；　according　to　the　
standard　of　the　time；　he　was　a　great　walker；　and　from　bronzing　his　
countenance　by　frequent　walking　in　the　sun　was　generally　called　
Cybi　Velin；　which　means　tawny　or　yellow　Cybi。

So　much　for　Cybi；　and　his　town！　　And　now　something　about　one　whose　
memory　haunted　me　much　more　than　that　of　Cybi　during　my　stay　at　
Holyhead。

Lewis　Morris　was　born　at　a　place　called　Tref　y　Beirdd；　in　Anglesey；　
in　the　year　1700。　　Anglesey；　or　Mona；　has　given　birth　to　many　
illustrious　men；　but　few；　upon　the　whole；　entitled　to　more　
honourable　mention　than　himself。　　From　a　humble　situation　in　life；　
for　he　served　an　apprenticeship　to　a　cooper　at　Holyhead；　he　raised　
himself　by　his　industry　and　talents　to　affluence　and　distinction；　
became　a　landed　proprietor　in　the　county　of　Cardigan；　and　inspector　
of　the　royal　domains　and　mines　in　Wales。　　Perhaps　a　man　more　
generally　accomplished　never　existed；　he　was　a　first…rate　mechanic；　
an　expert　navigator；　a　great　musician；　both　in　theory　and　practice；　
and　a　poet　of　singular　excellence。　　Of　him　it　was　said；　and　with　
truth；　that　he　could　build　a　ship　and　sail　it；　frame　a　harp　and　
make　it　speak；　write　an　ode　and　set　it　to　music。　　Yet　that　saying；　
eulogistic　as　it　is；　is　far　from　expressing　all　the　vast　powers　and　
acquirements　of　Lewis　Morris。　　Though　self…taught；　he　was　
confessedly　the　best　Welsh　scholar　of　his　age；　and　was　well…versed　
in　those　cognate　dialects　of　the　Welsh　…　the　Cornish；　Armoric；　
Highland　Gaelic　and　Irish。　　He　was　likewise　well　acquainted　with　
Hebrew；　Greek　and　Latin；　had　studied　Anglo…Saxon　with　some　success；　
and　was　a　writer　of　bold　and　vigorous　English。　　He　was　besides　a　
good　general　antiquary；　and　for　knowledge　of　ancient　Welsh　customs；　
traditions；　and　superstitions；　had　no　equal。　　Yet　all　has　not　been　
said　which　can　be　uttered　in　his　praise；　he　had　qualities　of　mind　
which　entitled　him　to　higher　esteem　than　any　accomplishment　
connected　with　intellect　or　skill。　　Amongst　these　were　his　noble　
generosity　and　sacrifice　of　self　for　the　benefit　of　others。　　Weeks　
and　months　he　was　in　the　habit　of　devoting　to　the　superintendence　
of　the　affairs　of　the　widow　and　fatherless：　　one　of　his　principal　
delights　was　to　assist　merit；　to　bring　it　before　the　world　and　to　
procure　for　it　its　proper　estimation：　　it　was　he　who　first　
discovered　the　tuneful　genius　of　blind　Parry；　it　was　he　who　first　
put　the　harp　into　his　hand；　it　was　he　who　first　gave　him　scientific　
instruction；　it　was　he　who　cheered　him　with　encouragement　and　
assisted　him　with　gold。　　It　was　he　who　instructed　the　celebrated　
Evan　Evans　in　the　ancient　language　of　Wales；　enabling　that　talented　
but　eccentric　individual　to　read　the　pages　of　the　Red　Book　of　
Hergest　as　easily　as　those　of　the　Welsh　Bible；　it　was　he　who　
corrected　his　verses　with　matchless　skill；　refining　and　polishing　
them　till　they　became　well　worthy　of　being　read　by　posterity；　it　
was　he　who　gave　him　advice；　which；　had　it　been　followed；　would　have　
made　the　Prydydd　Hir；　as　he　called　himself；　one　of　the　most　
illustrious　Welshmen　of　the　last　century；　and　it　was　he　who　first　
told　his　countrymen　that　there　was　a　youth　of　Anglesey　whose　
genius；　if　properly　encouraged；　promised　fair　to　rival　that　of　
Milton：　　one　of　the　most　eloquent　letters　ever　written　is　one　by　
him；　in　which　he　descants　upon　the　beauties　of　certain　poems　of　
Gronwy　Owen；　the　latent　genius　of　whose　early　boyhood　he　had　
observed；　whom　he　had　clothed；　educated　and　assisted　up　to　the　
period　when　he　was　ordained　a　minister　of　the　Church；　and　whom　he　
finally　rescued　from　a　state　bordering　on　starvation　in　London；　
procuring　for　him　an　honourable　appointment　in　the　New　World。　　
Immortality　to　Lewis　Morris！　　But　immortality　he　has　won；　even　as　
his　illustrious　pupil　has　said；　who　in　his　elegy　upon　his　
benefactor；　written　in　America；　in　the　four…and…twenty　measures；　at　
a　time　when　Gronwy　had　not　heard　the　Welsh　language　spoken　for　more　
than　twenty　years；　has　words　to　the　following　effect：…


〃As　long　as　Bardic　lore　shall　last；　science　and　learning　be　
cherished；　the　language　and　blood　of　the　Britons　undefiled；　song　be　
heard　on　Parnassus；　heaven　and　earth　be　in　existence；　foam　be　on　
the　surge；　and　water　in　the　river；　the　name　of　Lewis　of　Mon　shall　
be　held　in　grateful　remembrance。〃



CHAPTER　XLI



The　Pier　…　Irish　Reapers　…　Wild　Irish　Face　…　Father　Toban　…　The　
Herd　of　Swine　…　Latin　Blessing。


THE　day　was　as　hot　as　the　preceding　one。　　I　walked　slowly　towards　
the　west；　and　presently　found　myself　upon　a　pier；　or　breakwater；　at　
the　mouth　of　the　harbour。　　A　large　steamer　lay　at　a　little　distance　
within　the　pier。　　There　were　fishing…boats　on　both　sides；　the　
greater　number　on　the　outer　side；　which　lies　towards　the　hill　of　
Holy　Head。　　On　the　shady　side　of　the　breakwater　under　the　wall　were　
two　or　three　dozen　of　Irish　reapers；　some　were　lying　asleep；　others　
in　parties　of　two　or　three　were　seated　with　their　backs　against　the　
wall；　and　were　talking　Irish；　these　last　all　appeared　to　be　well…
made　middle…sized　young　fellows；　with　rather　a　ruffianly　look；　they　
stared　at　me　as　I　passed。　　The　whole　party　had　shillealahs　either　
in　their　hands　or　by　their　sides。　　I　went　to　the　extremity　of　the　
pier；　where　was　a　little　lighthouse；　and　then　turned　back。　　As　I　
again　drew　near　the　Irish；　I　heard　a　hubbub　and　observed　a　great　
commotion　amongst　them。　　All；　whether　those　whom　I　had　seen　
sitting；　or　those　whom　I　had　seen　reclining；　had　got；　or　were　
getting　on　their　legs。　　As