wild wales- 第69部分

〃But　the　pork　is　not　the　best；〃　said　I；　〃all　hog…flesh　raised　on　
oatmeal　is　bitter　and　wiry；　because　do　you　see　…　〃

〃I　see　you　are　in　the　trade；〃　said　the　man；　〃and　understand　a　thing　
or　two。〃

〃I　understand　a　thing　or　two；〃　said　I；　〃but　I　am　not　in　the　trade。　　
Do　you　come　from　far？〃

〃From　Llandeglo；〃　said　the　man。

〃Are　you　a　hog…merchant？〃　said　I。

〃Yes；〃　said　he；　〃and　a　horse…dealer；　and　a　farmer；　though　rather　a　
small　one。〃

〃I　suppose　as　you　are　a　horse…dealer；〃　said　I；　〃you　travel　much　
about？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　man；　〃I　have　travelled　a　good　deal　about　Wales　and　
England。〃

〃Have　you　been　in　Ynys　Fon？〃　said　I。

〃I　see　you　are　a　Welshman；〃　said　the　man。

〃No；〃　said　I；　〃but　I　know　a　little　Welsh。〃

〃Ynys　Fon！〃　said　the　man。　　〃Yes；　I　have　been　in　Anglesey　more　times　
than　I　can　tell。〃

〃Do　you　know　Hugh　Pritchard；〃　said　I；　〃who　lives　at　Pentraeth　
Coch？〃

〃I　know　him　well；〃　said　the　man；　〃and　an　honest　fellow　he　is。〃

〃And　Mr　Bos？〃　said　I。

〃What　Bos？〃　said　he。　　〃Do　you　mean　a　lusty；　red…faced　man　in　top…
boots　and　grey　coat？〃

〃That's　he；〃　said　I。

〃He's　a　clever　one；〃　said　the　man。　　〃I　suppose　by　your　knowing　
these　people　you　are　a　drover　or　a　horse…dealer。　　Yes；〃　said　he；　
turning　half…round　in　his　saddle　and　looking　at　me；　〃you　are　a　
horse…dealer。　　I　remember　you　well　now；　and　once　sold　a　horse　to　
you　at　Chelmsford。〃

〃I　am　no　horse…dealer；〃　said　I；　〃nor　did　I　ever　buy　a　horse　at　
Chelmsford。　　I　see　you　have　been　about　England。　　Have　you　ever　been　
in　Norfolk　or　Suffolk？〃

〃No；〃　said　the　man；　〃but　I　know　something　of　Suffolk。　　I　have　an　
uncle　there。〃

〃Whereabouts　in　Suffolk？〃　said　I。

〃At　a　place　called　…；〃　said　the　man。

〃In　what　line　of　business？〃　said　I。

〃In　none　at　all；　he　is　a　clergyman。〃

〃Shall　I　tell　you　his　name？〃　said　I。

〃It　is　not　likely　you　should　know　his　name；〃　said　the　man。

〃Nevertheless；〃　said　I；　〃I　will　tell　it　you　…　his　name　was　…　〃

〃Well；〃　said　the　man；　〃sure　enough　that　is　his　name。〃

〃It　was　his　name；〃　said　I；　〃but　I　am　sorry　to　tell　you　he　is　no　
more。　　To…day　is　Saturday。　　He　died　last　Tuesday　week　and　was　
probably　buried　last　Monday。　　An　excellent　man　was　Dr。　H。　O。　　A　
credit　to　his　country　and　to　his　order。〃

The　man　was　silent　for　some　time　and　then　said　with　a　softer　voice　
and　a　very　different　manner　from　that　he　had　used　before；　〃I　never　
saw　him　but　once；　and　that　was　more　than　twenty　years　ago　…　but　I　
have　heard　say　that　he　was　an　excellent　man　…　I　see；　sir；　that　you　
are　a　clergyman。〃

〃I　am　no　clergyman；〃　said　I；　〃but　I　knew　your　uncle　and　prized　him。　　
What　was　his　native　place？〃

〃Corwen；〃　said　the　man；　then　taking　out　his　handkerchief　he　wiped　
his　eyes；　and　said　with　a　faltering　voice：　　〃This　will　be　heavy　
news　there。〃

We　were　now　past　the　monastery；　and　bidding　him　farewell　I　
descended　to　the　canal；　and　returned　home　by　its　bank；　whilst　the　
Welsh　drover；　the　nephew　of　the　learned；　eloquent　and　exemplary　
Welsh　doctor；　pursued　with　his　servant　and　animals　his　way　by　the　
high　road　to　Llangollen。

Many　sons　of　Welsh　yeomen　brought　up　to　the　Church　have　become　
ornaments　of　it　in　distant　Saxon　land；　but　few；　very　few；　have　by　
learning；　eloquence　and　Christian　virtues　reflected　so　much　lustre　
upon　it　as　Hugh　O…　of　Corwen。



CHAPTER　LVIII



Sunday　Night　…　Sleep；　Sin；　and　Old　Age　…　The　Dream　…　Lanikin　Figure　
…　A　Literary　Purchase。


THE　Sunday　morning　was　a　gloomy　one。　　I　attended　service　at　church　
with　my　family。　　The　service　was　in　English；　and　the　younger　Mr　E…　
preached。　　The　text　I　have　forgotten；　but　I　remember　perfectly　well　
that　the　sermon　was　scriptural　and　elegant。　　When　we　came　out　the　
rain　was　falling　in　torrents。　　Neither　I　nor　my　family　went　to　
church　in　the　afternoon。　　I　however　attended　the　evening　service　
which　is　always　in　Welsh。　　The　elder　Mr　E…　preached。　　Text；　2　Cor。　
x。　5。　　The　sermon　was　an　admirable　one；　admonitory；　pathetic　and　
highly　eloquent；　I　went　home　very　much　edified；　and　edified　my　wife　
and　Henrietta；　by　repeating　to　them　in　English　the　greater　part　of　
the　discourse　which　I　had　been　listening　to　in　Welsh。　　After　
supper；　in　which　I　did　not　join；　for　I　never　take　supper；　provided　
I　have　taken　dinner；　they　went　to　bed　whilst　I　remained　seated　
before　the　fire；　with　my　back　near　the　table　and　my　eyes　fixed　upon　
the　embers　which　were　rapidly　expiring；　and　in　this　posture　sleep　
surprised　me。　　Amongst　the　proverbial　sayings　of　the　Welsh；　which　
are　chiefly　preserved　in　the　shape　of　triads；　is　the　following　one：　　
〃Three　things　come　unawares　upon　a　man；　sleep；　sin；　and　old　age。〃　　
This　saying　holds　sometimes　good　with　respect　to　sleep　and　old　age；　
but　never　with　respect　to　sin。　　Sin　does　not　come　unawares　upon　a　
man：　　God　is　just；　and　would　never　punish　a　man；　as　He　always　does；　
for　being　overcome　by　sin　if　sin　were　able　to　take　him　unawares；　
and　neither　sleep　nor　old　age　always　come　unawares　upon　a　man。　　
People　frequently　feel　themselves　going　to　sleep　and　feel　old　age　
stealing　upon　them；　though　there　can　be　no　doubt　that　sleep　and　old　
age　sometimes　come　unawares　…　old　age　came　unawares　upon　me；　it　was　
only　the　other　day　that　I　was　aware　that　I　was　old；　though　I　had　
long　been　old；　and　sleep　came　unawares　upon　me　in　that　chair　in　
which　I　had　sat　down　without　the　slightest　thought　of　sleeping。　　
And　there　as　I　sat　I　had　a　dream　…　what　did　I　dream　about？　the　
sermon；　musing　upon　which　I　had　been　overcome　by　sleep？　not　a　bit！　　
I　dreamt　about　a　widely…different　matter。　　Methought　I　was　in　
Llangollen　fair　in　the　place　where　the　pigs　were　sold；　in　the　midst　
of　Welsh　drovers；　immense　hogs　and　immense　men　whom　I　took　to　be　
the　gents　of　Wolverhampton。　　What　huge　fellows　they　were！　almost　as　
huge　as　the　hogs　for　which　they　higgled；　the　generality　of　them　
dressed　in　brown　sporting　coats；　drab　breeches；　yellow…topped　
boots；　splashed　all　over　with　mud；　and　with　low…crowned　broad…
brimmed　hats。　　One　enormous　fellow　particularly　caught　my　notice。　　
I　guessed　he　must　have　weighed　eleven　score；　he　had　a　half…ruddy；　
half…tallowy　face；　brown　hair；　and　rather　thin　whiskers。　　He　was　
higgling　with　the　proprietor　of　an　immense　hog；　and　as　he　higgled　
he　wheezed　as　if　he　had　a　difficulty　of　respiration；　and　frequently　
wiped　off；　with　a　dirty…white　pocket…handkerchief；　drops　of　
perspiration　which　stood　upon　his　face。　　At　last　methought　he　
bought　the　hog　for　nine　pounds；　and　had　no　sooner　concluded　his　
bargain　than　turning　round　to　me；　who　was　standing　close　by　staring　
at　him；　he　slapped　me　on　the　shoulder　with　a　hand　of　immense　
weight；　crying　with　a　half…piping；　half…wheezing　voice；　〃Coom；　
neighbour；　coom；　I　and　thou　have　often　dealt；　gi'　me　noo　a　poond　
for　my　bargain；　and　it　shall　be　all　thy　own。〃　　I　felt　in　a　great　
rage　at　his　unceremonious　behaviour；　and；　owing　to　the　flutter　of　
my　spirits；　whilst　I　was　thinking　whether　or　not　I　should　try　and　
knock　him　down；　I　awoke　and　found　the　fire　nearly　out　and　the　
ecclesiastical　cat　seated　on　my　shoulders。　　The　creature　had　not　
been　turned　out；　as　it　ought　to　have　been；　before　my　wife　and　
daughter　retired；　and　feeling　cold　had　got　upon　the　table　and　
thence　had　sprung　upon　my　back　for　the　sake　of　the　warmth　which　it　
knew　was　to　be　found　there；　and　no　doubt　the　springing　on　my　
shoulders　by　the　ecclesiastical　cat　was　what　I　took　in　my　dream　to　
be　the　slap　on　my　shoulders　by　the　Wolverhampton　gent。

The　day　of　the　fair　was　dull　and　gloomy；　an　exact　counterpart　of　
the　previous　Saturday。　　Owing　to　some　cause　I　did　not　go　into　the　
fair　till　past　one　o'clock；　and　then　seeing　neither　immense　hogs　
nor　immense　men　I　concluded　that　the　gents　of　Wolverhampton　had　
been　there；　and　after　purchasing　the　larger　porkers　had　departed　
with　their　bargains　to　their　native　district。　　After　sauntering　
about　a　little　time　I　returned　home。　　After　dinner　I　went　again　
into　the　fair　along　with　my　wife；　the　stock　business　had　long　been　
over；　but　I　observed　more　stalls　than　in　the　morning；　and　a　far　
greater　throng；　for　the　country　people　for　miles　round　had　poured　
into　the　little　town。　　By　a　stall　on　which　were　some　poor　legs　and　
shoulders　of　mutton　I　perceived　the　English　butcher；　whom　the　Welsh　
one　had　attempted　to　slaughter。　　I　recognised　him　by　a　patch　which　
he　wore　on　his　cheek。　　My　wife　and　I　went　up　and　inquired　how　he　
was。　　He　said　that　he　still　felt　poorly；　but　that　he　hoped　he　
should　get　round。　　I　asked　him　if　he　remembered　me；　and　received　
for　answer　that　he　remembered　having　seen　me　when　the　examination　
took　place　into　〃his　matter。〃　　I　then　inquired　what　had　become　of　
his　antagonist　and　was　told　that　he　was　in　prison　awaiting　his　
trial。　　I　gathered　from　him　that　he　was　a　native　of　the　Southdown　
country　and　a　shepherd　by　profession；　that　he　had　been　engaged　by　
the　squire　of　Porkington　in　Shropshire　to　look　after　his　sheep；　and　
that　he　had　lived　there　a　year　or　two；　but　becoming　tired　of　his　
situation　he　had　come　to　Llangollen；　where　he　had　married　a　
Welshwoman　and　set　up　as　a　butcher。　　We　told　him　that　as　he　was　our　
countryman　we　should　be　happy　to　deal　with　him　sometimes；　he；　
however；　received　the　information　with　perfect　apathy；　never　so　
much　as　saying　〃thank　you。〃　　He　was　a　tall　lanikin　figure　with　a　
pair　of　large；　lack…lustre　staring　eyes；　and　upon　the　whole　
appeared　to　be　good　for　very　little。　　Leaving　him　we　went　some　way　
up　the　principal　street；　presently　my　wife　turned　into　a　shop；　and　
I　observing　a　little　bookstall　went　up　to　it　and　began　to　inspect　
the　books。　　They　were　chiefly　in　Welsh。　　Seeing　a　kind　of　chap　
book；　which　bore　on　its　title…page　the　name　of　Twm　O'r　Nant；　I　took　
it　up。　　It　was　called　Y　Llwyn　Celyn　or　the　Holy　Grove；　and　
contained　the　life　and　one　of　the　interludes　of　Tom　O'　the　Dingle　
or　Thomas　Edwards。　　It　purported　to　be　the　first　of　four　numbers；　
each　of　which　amongst　other　things　was　to　contain　one　of　his　
interludes。　　The　price；　of　the　number　was　one　shilling。　　I　
questioned　the　man　of　the　stall　about　the　other　numbers；　but　found　
that　this　was　the　only　one　which　he　possessed。　　Eager；　however；　to　
read　an　interlude　of　the　celebrate