learnt　Welsh　pronunciation　from　him；　and　to　discourse　a　little　in
  the　Welsh　tongue。　　〃Had　you　much　difficulty　in　acquiring　the　sound
  of　the　ll？〃　I　think　I　hear　the　reader　inquire。　　None　whatever：　　the
  double　l　of　the　Welsh　is　by　no　means　the　terrible　guttural　which
  English　people　generally　suppose　it　to　be；　being　in　reality　a
  pretty　liquid；　exactly　resembling　in　sound　the　Spanish　ll；　the
  sound　of　which　I　had　mastered　before　commencing　Welsh；　and　which　is
  equivalent　to　the　English　lh；　so　being　able　to　pronounce　llano　I
  had　of　course　no　difficulty　in　pronouncing　Lluyd；　which　by…the…bye
  was　the　name　of　the　groom。
  I　remember　that　I　found　the　pronunciation　of　the　Welsh　far　less
  difficult　than　I　had　found　the　grammar；　the　most　remarkable　feature
  of　which　is　the　mutation；　under　certain　circumstances；　of
  particular　consonants；　when　forming　the　initials　of　words。　　This
  feature　I　had　observed　in　the　Irish；　which　I　had　then　only　learnt
  by　ear。
  But　to　return　to　the　groom。　　He　was　really　a　remarkable　character；
  and　taught　me　two　or　three　things　besides　Welsh　pronunciation；　and
  to　discourse　a　little　in　Cumraeg。　　He　had　been　a　soldier　in　his
  youth；　and　had　served　under　Moore　and　Wellington　in　the　Peninsular
  campaigns；　and　from　him　I　learnt　the　details　of　many　a　bloody　field
  and　bloodier　storm；　of　the　sufferings　of　poor　British　soldiers；　and
  the　tyranny　of　haughty　British　officers；　more　especially　of　the　two
  commanders　just　mentioned；　the　first　of　whom　he　swore　was　shot　by
  his　own　soldiers；　and　the　second　more　frequently　shot　at　by　British
  than　French。　　But　it　is　not　deemed　a　matter　of　good　taste　to　write
  about　such　low　people　as　grooms；　I　shall　therefore　dismiss　him　with
  no　observation　further　than　that　after　he　had　visited　me　on　Sunday
  afternoons　for　about　a　year　he　departed　for　his　own　country　with
  his　wife；　who　was　an　Englishwoman；　and　his　children；　in　consequence
  of　having　been　left　a　small　freehold　there　by　a　distant　relation；
  and　that　I　neither　saw　nor　heard　of　him　again。
  But　though　I　had　lost　my　oral　instructor　I　had　still　my　silent
  ones；　namely；　the　Welsh　books；　and　of　these　I　made　such　use　that
  before　the　expiration　of　my　clerkship　I　was　able　to　read　not　only
  Welsh　prose；　but；　what　was　infinitely　more　difficult；　Welsh　poetry
  in　any　of　the　four…and…twenty　measures；　and　was　well　versed　in　the
  compositions　of　various　of　the　old　Welsh　bards；　especially　those　of
  Dafydd　ab　Gwilym；　whom；　since　the　time　when　I　first　became
  acquainted　with　his　works；　I　have　always　considered　as　the　greatest
  poetical　genius　that　has　appeared　in　Europe　since　the　revival　of
  literature。
  After　this　exordium　I　think　I　may　proceed　to　narrate　the　journey　of
  myself　and　family　into　Wales。　　As　perhaps；　however；　it　will　be
  thought　that；　though　I　have　said　quite　enough　about　myself　and　a
  certain　groom；　I　have　not　said　quite　enough　about　my　wife　and
  daughter；　I　will　add　a　little　more　about　them。　　Of　my　wife　I　will
  merely　say　that　she　is　a　perfect　paragon　of　wives　…　can　make
  puddings　and　sweets　and　treacle　posset；　and　is　the　best　woman　of
  business　in　Eastern　Anglia　…　of　my　step…daughter　…　for　such　she　is；
  though　I　generally　call　her　daughter；　and　with　good　reason；　seeing
  that　she　has　always　shown　herself　a　daughter　to　me　…　that　she　has
  all　kinds　of　good　qualities；　and　several　accomplishments；　knowing
  something　of　conchology；　more　of　botany；　drawing　capitally　in　the
  Dutch　style；　and　playing　remarkably　well　on　the　guitar　…　not　the
  trumpery　German　thing　so…called　…　but　the　real　Spanish　guitar。
  CHAPTER　II
  The　Starting　…　Peterborough　Cathedral　…　Anglo…Saxon　Names　…　Kaempe
  Viser　…　Steam　…　Norman　Barons　…　Chester　Ale　…　Sion　Tudor　…　Pretty
  Welsh　Tongue。
  SO　our　little　family；　consisting　of　myself；　my　wife　Mary；　and　my
  daughter　Henrietta；　for　daughter　I　shall　persist　in　calling　her；
  started　for　Wales　in　the　afternoon　of　the　27th　July；　1854。　　We　flew
  through　part　of　Norfolk　and　Cambridgeshire　in　a　train　which　we　left
  at　Ely；　and　getting　into　another；　which　did　not　fly　quite　so　fast
  as　the　one　we　had　quieted；　reached　the　Peterborough　station　at
  about　six　o'clock　of　a　delightful　evening。　　We　proceeded　no　farther
  on　our　journey　that　day；　in　order　that　we　might　have　an　opportunity
  of　seeing　the　cathedral。
  Sallying　arm　in　arm　from　the　Station　Hotel；　where　we　had　determined
  to　take　up　our　quarters　for　the　night；　we　crossed　a　bridge　over　the
  deep　quiet　Nen；　on　the　southern　bank　of　which　stands　the　station；
  and　soon　arrived　at　the　cathedral　…　unfortunately　we　were　too　late
  to　procure　admission　into　the　interior；　and　had　to　content
  ourselves　with　walking　round　it　and　surveying　its　outside。
  It　is　named　after；　and　occupies　the　site；　or　part　of　the　site　of　an
  immense　monastery；　founded　by　the　Mercian　King　Peda；　in　the　year
  665；　and　destroyed　by　fire　in　the　year　1116；　which　monastery；
  though　originally　termed　Medeshamsted；　or　the　homestead　on　the
  meads；　was　subsequently　termed　Peterborough；　from　the　circumstance
  of　its　having　been　reared　by　the　old　Saxon　monarch　for　the　love　of
  God　and　the　honour　of　Saint　Peter；　as　the　Saxon　Chronicle　says；　a
  book　which　I　went　through　carefully　in　my　younger　days；　when　I
  studied　Saxon；　for；　as　I　have　already　told　the　reader；　I　was　in
  those　days　a　bit　of　a　philologist。　　Like　the　first；　the　second
  edifice　was　originally　a　monastery；　and　continued　so　till　the　time
  of　the　Reformation；　both　were　abodes　of　learning；　for　if　the　Saxon
  Chronicle　was　commenced　in　the　monkish　cells　of　the　first；　it　was
  completed　in　those　of　the　second。　　What　is　at　present　called
  Peterborough　Cathedral　is　a　noble　venerable　pile；　equal　upon　the
  whole　in　external　appearance　to　the　cathedrals　of　Toledo；　Burgos
  and　Leon；　all　of　which　I　have　seen。　　Nothing　in　architecture　can　be
  conceived　more　beautiful　than　the　principal　entrance；　which　fronts
  the　west；　and　which；　at　the　time　we　saw　it；　was　gilded　with　the
  rays　of　the　setting　sun。
  After　having　strolled　about　the　edifice　surveying　it　until　we　were
  weary；　we　returned　to　our　inn；　and　after　taking　an　excellent　supper
  retired　to　rest。
  At　ten　o'clock　next　morning　we　left　the　capital　of　the　meads。　　With
  dragon　speed；　and　dragon　noise；　fire；　smoke；　and　fury；　the　train
  dashed　along　its　road　through　beautiful　meadows；　garnished　here　and
  there　with　pollard　sallows；　over　pretty　streams；　whose　waters　stole
  along　imperceptibly；　by　venerable　old　churches；　which　I　vowed　I
  would　take　the　first　opportunity　of　visiting：　　stopping　now　and
  then　to　recruit　its　energies　at　places；　whose　old　Anglo…Saxon　names
  stared　me　in　the　eyes　from　station　boards；　as　specimens　of　which；
  let　me　only　dot　down　Willy　Thorpe；　Ringsted；　and　Yrthling　Boro。
  Quite　forgetting　everything　Welsh；　I　was　enthusiastically　Saxon　the
  whole　way　from　Medeshamsted　to　Blissworth；　so　thoroughly　Saxon　was
  the　country；　with　its　rich　meads；　its　old　churches　and　its　names。
  After　leaving　Blissworth；　a　thoroughly　Saxon　place　by…the…bye；　as
  its　name　shows；　signifying　the　stronghold　or　possession　of　Bligh　or
  Blee；　I　became　less　Saxon；　the　country　was　rather　less　Saxon；　and　I
  caught　occasionally　the　word　〃by〃　on　a　board；　the　Danish　for　a
  town；　which　〃by〃　waked　in　me　a　considerable　portion　of　Danish
  enthusiasm；　of　which　I　have　plenty；　and　with　reason；　having
  translated　the　glorious　Kaempe　Viser　over　the　desk　of　my　ancient
  master；　the　gentleman　solicitor　of　East　Anglia。　　At　length　we　drew
  near　the　great　workshop　of　England；　called　by　some；　Brummagem　or
  Bromwicham；　by　others　Birmingham；　and　I　fell　into　a　philological
  reverie；　wondering　which　was　the　right　name。　　Before；　however；　we
  came　to　the　station；　I　decided　that　both　names　were　right　enough；
  but　that　Bromwicham　was　the　original　name；　signifying　the　home　on
  the　broomie　moor；　which　name　it　lost　in　polite　parlance　for
  Birmingham；　or　the　home　of　the　son　of　Biarmer；　when　a　certain　man
  of　Danish　blood；　called　Biarming；　or　the　son　of　Biarmer；　got
  possession　of　it；　whether　by　force；　fraud；　or　marriage　…　the
  latter；　by…the…bye；　is　by　far　the　best　way　of　getting　possession　of
  an　estate　…　this　deponent　neither　knoweth　nor　careth。　　At
  Birmingham　station　I　became　a　modern　Englishman；　enthusiastically
  proud　of　modern　England's　science　and　energy；　that　station　alone　is
  enough　to　make　one　proud　of　being　a　modern　Englishman。　　Oh；　what　an
  idea　does　that　station；　with　its　thousand　trains　dashing　off　in　all
  directions；　or　arriving　from　all　quarters；　give　of　modern　English
  science　and　energy。　　My　modern　English　pride　accompanied　me　all　the
  way　to　Tipton；　for　all　along　the　route　there　were　wonderful
  evidences　of　English　skill　and　enterprise；　in　chimneys　high　as
  cathedral　spires；　vomiting　forth　smoke；　furnaces　emitting　flame　and
  lava；　and　in　the　sound　of　gigantic　hammers；　wielded　by　steam；　the
  Englishman's　slave。　　After　passing　Tipton；　at　which　place　one
  leaves　the　great　working　district　behind；　I　became　for　a
  considerable　time　a　yawning；　listless　Englishman；　without　pride；
  enthusiasm；　or　feeling　of　any　kind；　from　which　state　I　was　suddenly
  roused　by　the　sight　of　ruined　edifices　on　the　tops　o