第 26 节
作者:随便看看      更新:2021-02-25 00:46      字数:9321
  accession of Charles the Second he celebrated the event by a most
  singular piece called the Lamentation of Oliver's men; in which he
  assails the Roundheads with the most bitter irony。  He was loyal to
  James the Second; till that monarch attempted to overthrow the
  Church of England; when Huw; much to his credit; turned against
  him; and wrote songs in the interest of the glorious Prince of
  Orange。  He died in the reign of good Queen Anne。  In his youth his
  conduct was rather dissolute; but irreproachable and almost holy in
  his latter days … a kind of halo surrounded his old brow。  It was
  the custom in those days in North Wales for the congregation to
  leave the church in a row with the clergyman at their head; but so
  great was the estimation in which old Huw was universally held; for
  the purity of his life and his poetical gift; that the clergyman of
  the parish abandoning his claim to precedence; always insisted on
  the good and inspired old man's leading the file; himself following
  immediately in his rear。  Huw wrote on various subjects; mostly in
  common and easily understood measures。  He was great in satire;
  great in humour; but when he pleased could be greater in pathos
  than in either; for his best piece is an elegy on Barbara
  Middleton; the sweetest song of the kind ever written。  From his
  being born on the banks of the brook Ceiriog; and from the flowing
  melody of his awen or muse; his countrymen were in the habit of
  calling him Eos Ceiriog; or the Ceiriog Nightingale。
  So John Jones and myself set off across the Berwyn to visit the
  birthplace of the great poet Huw Morris。  We ascended the mountain
  by Allt Paddy。  The morning was lowering and before we had half got
  to the top it began to rain。  John Jones was in his usual good
  spirits。  Suddenly taking me by the arm he told me to look to the
  right across the gorge to a white house; which he pointed out。
  〃What is there in that house?〃 said I。
  〃An aunt of mine lives there;〃 said he。
  Having frequently heard him call old women his aunts; I said;
  〃Every poor old woman in the neighbourhood seems to be your aunt。〃
  〃This is no poor old woman;〃 said he; 〃she is cyfoethawg iawn; and
  only last week she sent me and my family a pound of bacon; which
  would have cost me sixpence…halfpenny; and about a month ago a
  measure of wheat。〃
  We passed over the top of the mountain; and descending the other
  side reached Llansanfraid; and stopped at the public…house where we
  had been before; and called for two glasses of ale。  Whilst
  drinking our ale Jones asked some questions about Huw Morris of the
  woman who served us; she said that he was a famous poet; and that
  people of his blood were yet living upon the lands which had
  belonged to him at Pont y Meibion。  Jones told her that his
  companion; the gwr boneddig; meaning myself; had come in order to
  see the birth…place of Huw Morris; and that I was well acquainted
  with his works; having gotten them by heart in Lloegr; when a boy。
  The woman said that nothing would give her greater pleasure than to
  hear a Sais recite poetry of Huw Morris; whereupon I recited a
  number of his lines addressed to the Gof Du; or blacksmith。  The
  woman held up her hands; and a carter who was in the kitchen
  somewhat the worse for liquor; shouted applause。  After asking a
  few questions as to the road we were to take; we left the house;
  and in a little time entered the valley of Ceiriog。  The valley is
  very narrow; huge hills overhanging it on both sides; those on the
  east side lumpy and bare; those on the west precipitous; and
  partially clad with wood; the torrent Ceiriog runs down it;
  clinging to the east side; the road is tolerably good; and is to
  the west of the stream。  Shortly after we had entered the gorge; we
  passed by a small farm…house on our right hand; with a hawthorn
  hedge before it; upon which seems to stand a peacock; curiously cut
  out of thorn。  Passing on we came to a place called Pandy uchaf; or
  the higher Fulling mill。  The place so called is a collection of
  ruinous houses; which put me in mind of the Fulling mills mentioned
  in 〃Don Quixote。〃  It is called the Pandy because there was
  formerly a fulling mill here; said to have been the first
  established in Wales; which is still to be seen; but which is no
  longer worked。  Just above the old mill there is a meeting of
  streams; the Tarw from the west rolls down a dark valley into the
  Ceiriog。
  At the entrance of this valley and just before you reach the Pandy;
  which it nearly overhangs; is an enormous crag。  After I had looked
  at the place for some time with considerable interest we proceeded
  towards the south; and in about twenty minutes reached a neat kind
  of house; on our right hand; which John Jones told me stood on the
  ground of Huw Morris。  Telling me to wait; he went to the house;
  and asked some questions。  After a little time I followed him and
  found him discoursing at the door with a stout dame about fifty…
  five years of age; and a stout buxom damsel of about seventeen;
  very short of stature。
  〃This is the gentleman〃 said he; 〃who wishes to see anything there
  may be here connected with Huw Morris。〃
  The old dame made me a curtsey; and said in very distinct Welsh;
  〃We have some things in the house which belonged to him; and we
  will show them to the gentleman willingly。〃
  〃We first of all wish to see his chair;〃 said John Jones。
  〃The chair is in a wall in what is called the hen ffordd (old
  road);〃 said the old gentlewoman; 〃it is cut out of the stone wall;
  you will have maybe some difficulty in getting to it; but the girl
  shall show it to you。〃  The girl now motioned to us to follow her;
  and conducted us across the road to some stone steps; over a wall
  to a place which looked like a plantation。
  〃This was the old road;〃 said Jones; 〃but the place has been
  enclosed。  The new road is above us on our right hand beyond the
  wall。〃
  We were in a maze of tangled shrubs; the boughs of which; very wet
  from the rain which was still falling; struck our faces; as we
  attempted to make our way between them; the girl led the way; bare…
  headed and bare…armed; and soon brought us to the wall; the
  boundary of the new road。  Along this she went with considerable
  difficulty; owing to the tangled shrubs; and the nature of the
  ground; which was very precipitous; shelving down to the other side
  of the enclosure。  In a little time we were wet to the skin; and
  covered with the dirt of birds; which they had left while roosting
  in the trees; on went the girl; sometimes creeping; and trying to
  keep herself from falling by holding against the young trees; once
  or twice she fell and we after her; for there was no path; and the
  ground; as I have said before very shelvy; still as she went her
  eyes were directed towards the wall; which was not always very easy
  to be seen; for thorns; tall nettles and shrubs; were growing up
  against it。  Here and there she stopped; and said something; which
  I could not always make out; for her Welsh was anything but clear;
  at length I heard her say that she was afraid we had passed the
  chair; and indeed presently we came to a place where the enclosure
  terminated in a sharp corner。
  〃Let us go back;〃 said I; 〃we must have passed it。〃
  I now went first; breaking down with my weight the shrubs nearest
  to the wall。
  〃Is not this the place?〃 said I; pointing to a kind of hollow in
  the wall; which looked something like the shape of a chair。
  〃Hardly;〃 said the girl; 〃for there should be a slab on the back;
  with letters; but there's neither slab nor letters here。〃
  The girl now again went forward; and we retraced our way; doing the
  best we could to discover the chair; but all to no purpose; no
  chair was to be found。  We had now been; as I imagined; half…an…
  hour in the enclosure; and had nearly got back to the place from
  which we had set out; when we suddenly heard the voice of the old
  lady exclaiming; 〃What are ye doing there; the chair is on the
  other side of the field; wait a bit; and I will come and show it
  you;〃 getting over the stone stile; which led into the wilderness;
  she came to us; and we now went along the wall at the lower end; we
  had quite as much difficulty here as on the other side; and in some
  places more; for the nettles were higher; the shrubs more tangled;
  and the thorns more terrible。  The ground; however; was rather more
  level。  I pitied the poor girl who led the way; and whose fat naked
  arms were both stung and torn。  She at last stopped amidst a huge
  grove of nettles; doing the best she could to shelter her arms from
  the stinging leaves。
  〃I never was in such a wilderness in my life;〃 said I to John
  Jones; 〃is it possible that the chair of the mighty Huw is in a
  place like this; which seems never to have been trodden by human
  foot。  Well does the Scripture say 'Dim prophwyd yw yn cael barch
  yn ei dir ei hunan。'〃
  This last sentence tickled the fancy of my worthy friend; the
  Calvinistic…Methodist; he laughed aloud and repeated it over and
  over again to the females; with amplifications。
  〃Is the chair really here;〃