第 48 节
作者:随便看看      更新:2021-02-25 00:46      字数:9322
  before; and learned that the man of the horse had been thrown by
  the animal off its back; that the horse almost immediately after
  had slipped down; and both had been led home very much hurt。  We
  then talked about farming and the crops; and at length got into a
  discourse about Liverpool。  I asked him how he liked that mighty
  seaport; he said very well; but that he did not know much about it
  … for though he had a house there where his family had resided; he
  had not lived much at Liverpool himself; his absences from that
  place having been many and long。
  〃Have you travelled then much about England?〃 said I。
  〃No;〃 he replied。  〃When I have travelled it has chiefly been
  across the sea to foreign places。〃
  〃But what foreign places have you visited?〃 said I。
  〃I have visited;〃 said Pritchard; 〃Constantinople; Alexandria; and
  some other cities in the south latitudes。〃
  〃Dear me;〃 said I; 〃you have seen some of the most celebrated
  places in the world … and yet you were silent; and said nothing
  about your travels whilst that fellow Bos was pluming himself at
  having been at such places as Northampton and Worcester; the haunts
  of shoe…makers and pig…jobbers。〃
  〃Ah;〃 said Pritchard; 〃but Mr Bos has travelled with edification;
  it is a fine thing to have travelled when one has done so with
  edification; but I have not。  There is a vast deal of difference
  between me and him … he is considered the 'cutest man in these
  parts; and is much looked up to。〃
  〃You are really;〃 said I; 〃the most modest person I have ever known
  and the least addicted to envy。  Let me see whether you have
  travelled without edification。〃
  I then questioned him about the places which he had mentioned; and
  found he knew a great deal about them; amongst other things he
  described Cleopatra's needle; and the At Maidan at Constantinople
  with surprising exactness。
  〃You put me out;〃 said I; 〃you consider yourself inferior to that
  droving fellow Bos; and to have travelled without edification;
  whereas you know a thousand times more than he; and indeed much
  more than many a person who makes his five hundred a year by going
  about lecturing on foreign places; but as I am no flatterer I will
  tell you that you have a fault which will always prevent your
  rising in this world; you have modesty; those who have modesty
  shall have no advancement; whilst those who can blow their own horn
  lustily; shall be made governors。  But allow me to ask you in what
  capacity you went abroad?〃
  〃As engineer to various steamships;〃 said Pritchard。
  〃A director of the power of steam;〃 said I; 〃and an explorer of the
  wonders of Iscander's city willing to hold the candle to Mr Bos。  I
  will tell you what; you are too good for this world; let us hope
  you will have your reward in the next。〃
  I breakfasted and asked for my bill; the bill amounted to little or
  nothing … half…a…crown I think for tea…dinner; sundry jugs of ale;
  bed and breakfast。  I defrayed it; and then inquired whether it
  would be possible for me to see the inside of the church。
  〃Oh yes;〃 said Pritchard。  〃I can let you in; for I am churchwarden
  and have the key。〃
  The church was a little edifice of some antiquity; with a little
  wing and without a spire; it was situated amidst a grove of trees。
  As we stood with our hats off in the sacred edifice; I asked
  Pritchard if there were many Methodists in those parts。
  〃Not so many as there were;〃 said Pritchard; 〃they are rapidly
  decreasing; and indeed dissenters in general。  The cause of their
  decrease is that a good clergyman has lately come here; who visits
  the sick and preaches Christ; and in fact does his duty。  If all
  our clergymen were like him there would not be many dissenters in
  Ynis Fon。〃
  Outside the church; in the wall; I observed a tablet with the
  following inscription in English。
  Here lieth interred the body of Ann; wife of Robert Paston; who
  deceased the sixth day of October; Anno Domini。
  1671。
  P。
  R。  A。
  〃You seem struck with that writing?〃 said Pritchard; observing that
  I stood motionless; staring at the tablet。
  〃The name of Paston;〃 said I; 〃struck me; it is the name of a
  village in my own native district; from which an old family; now
  almost extinct; derived its name。  How came a Paston into Ynys Fon?
  Are there any people bearing that name at present in these parts?〃
  〃Not that I am aware;〃 said Pritchard;
  〃I wonder who his wife Ann was?〃 said I; 〃from the style of that
  tablet she must have been a considerable person。〃
  〃Perhaps she was the daughter of the Lewis family of Llan Dyfnant;〃
  said Pritchard; 〃that's an old family and a rich one。  Perhaps he
  came from a distance and saw and married a daughter of the Lewis of
  Dyfnant … more than one stranger has done so。  Lord Vivian came
  from a distance and saw and married a daughter of the rich Lewis of
  Dyfnant。〃
  I shook honest Pritchard by the hand; thanked him for his kindness
  and wished him farewell; whereupon he gave mine a hearty squeeze;
  thanking me for my custom。
  〃Which is my way;〃 said I; 〃to Pen Caer Gybi?〃
  〃You must go about a mile on the Bangor road; and then turning to
  the right pass through Penmynnydd; but what takes you to Holyhead?〃
  〃I wish to see;〃 said I; 〃the place where Cybi the tawny saint
  preached and worshipped。  He was called tawny because from his
  frequent walks in the blaze of the sun his face had become much
  sun…burnt。  This is a furiously hot day; and perhaps by the time I
  get to Holyhead; I may be so sun…burnt as to be able to pass for
  Cybi himself。〃
  CHAPTER XXXVI
  Moelfre … Owain Gwynedd … Church of Penmynnydd … The Rose of Mona。
  LEAVING Pentraeth Coch I retraced my way along the Bangor road till
  I came to the turning on the right。  Here I diverged from the
  aforesaid road; and proceeded along one which led nearly due west;
  after travelling about a mile I stopped; on the top of a little
  hill; cornfields were on either side; and in one an aged man was
  reaping close to the road; I looked south; west; north and east; to
  the south was the Snowdon range far away; with the Wyddfa just
  discernible; to the west and north was nothing very remarkable; but
  to the east or rather north…east; was mountain Lidiart and the tall
  hill confronting it across the bay。
  〃Can you tell me;〃 said I to the old reaper; 〃the name of that bald
  hill; which looks towards Lidiart?〃
  〃We call that hill Moelfre;〃 said the old man desisting from his
  labour; and touching his hat。
  〃Dear me;〃 said I; 〃Moelfre; Moelfre!〃
  〃Is there anything wonderful in the name; sir?〃 said the old man
  smiling。
  〃There is nothing wonderful in the name;〃 said I; 〃which merely
  means the bald hill; but it brings wonderful recollections to my
  mind。  I little thought when I was looking from the road near
  Pentraeth Coch yesterday on that hill; and the bay and strand below
  it; and admiring the tranquillity which reigned over all; that I
  was gazing upon the scene of one of the most tremendous conflicts
  recorded in history or poetry。〃
  〃Dear me;〃 said the old reaper; 〃and whom may it have been between?
  the French and English; I suppose。〃
  〃No;〃 said I; 〃it was fought between one of your Welsh kings; the
  great Owain Gwynedd; and certain northern and Irish enemies of
  his。〃
  〃Only think;〃 said the old man; 〃and it was a fierce battle; sir?〃
  〃It was; indeed;〃 said I; 〃according to the words of a poet; who
  described it; the Menai could not ebb on account of the torrent of
  blood which flowed into it; slaughter was heaped upon slaughter;
  shout followed shout; and around Moelfre a thousand war flags
  waved。〃
  〃Well; sir;〃 said the old man; 〃I never before heard anything about
  it; indeed I don't trouble my head with histories; unless they be
  Bible histories。〃
  〃Are you a Churchman?〃 said I。
  〃No;〃 said the old man; shortly; 〃I am a Methodist。〃
  〃I belong to the Church;〃 said I。
  〃So I should have guessed; sir; by your being so well acquainted
  with pennillion and histories。  Ah; the Church。 。 。 。 。〃
  〃This is dreadfully hot weather; said I; 〃and I should like to
  offer you sixpence for ale; but as I am a Churchman I suppose you
  would not accept it from my hands。〃
  〃The Lord forbid; sir;〃 said the old man; 〃that I should be so
  uncharitable!  If your honour chooses to give me sixpence; I will
  receive it willingly。  Thank your honour!  Well; I have often said
  there is a great deal of good in the Church of England。〃
  I once more looked at the hill which overlooked the scene of Owen
  Gwynedd's triumph over the united forces of the Irish Lochlanders
  and Normans; and then after inquiring of the old man whether I was
  in the right direction for Penmynnydd; and finding that I was; I
  set off at a great pace; singing occasionally snatches of Black
  Robin's ode in praise of Anglesey; amongst others the following
  stanza:…
  〃Bread of the wholesomest is found
  In my mother…land of Anglesey;
  Friendly bounteous men abound
  In Penmynnydd of Anglesey。〃
  I reached Penmynnydd; a small village consisting of a few white
  houses and a mill。  The meaning of Penmynnydd is literally the