wild wales-第24部分

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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；〃　said　I；　〃or　has　it　been　destroyed？　if　
such　a　thing　has　been　done　it　is　a　disgrace　to　Wales。〃

〃The　chair　is　really　here；〃　said　the　old　lady；　〃and　though　Huw　
Morus　was　no　prophet；　we　love　and　reverence　everything　belonging　to　
him。　　Get　on　Llances；　the　chair　can't　be　far　off；〃　the　girl　moved　
on；　and　presently　the　old　lady　exclaimed；　〃There's　the　chair；　
Diolch　i　Duw！〃

I　was　the　last　of　the　file；　but　I　now　rushed　past　John　Jones；　who　
was　before　me；　and　next　to　the　old　lady；　and　sure　enough　there　was　
the　chair；　in　the　wall；　of　him　who　was　called　in　his　day；　and　still　
is　called　by　the　mountaineers　of　Wales；　though　his　body　has　been　
below　the　earth　in　the　quiet　church…yard　one　hundred　and　forty　
years；　Eos　Ceiriog；　the　Nightingale　of　Ceiriog；　the　sweet　caroller　
Huw　Morus；　the　enthusiastic　partizan　of　Charles　and　the　Church　of　
England；　and　the　never…tiring　lampooner　of　Oliver　and　the　
Independents。　　There　it　was；　a　kind　of　hollow　in　the　stone　wall；　in　
the　hen　ffordd；　fronting　to　the　west；　just　above　the　gorge　at　the　
bottom　of　which　murmurs　the　brook　Ceiriog；　there　it　was；　something　
like　a　half　barrel　chair　in　a　garden；　a　mouldering　stone　slab　
forming　the　seat；　and　a　large　slate　stone；　the　back；　on　which　were　
cut　these　letters　…

H。　M。　B。


signifying　Huw　Morus　Bard。

〃Sit　down　in　the　chair；　Gwr　Boneddig；〃　said　John　Jones；　〃you　have　
taken　trouble　enough　to　get　to　it。〃

〃Do；　gentleman；〃　said　the　old　lady；　〃but　first　let　me　wipe　it　with　
my　apron；　for　it　is　very　wet　and　dirty。〃

〃Let　it　be；〃　said　I；　then　taking　off　my　hat　I　stood　uncovered　
before　the　chair；　and　said　in　the　best　Welsh　I　could　command；　
〃Shade　of　Huw　Morus；　supposing　your　shade　haunts　the　place　which　
you　loved　so　well　when　alive　…　a　Saxon；　one　of　the　seed　of　the　
Coiling　Serpent；　has　come　to　this　place　to　pay　that　respect　to　true　
genius；　the　Dawn　Duw；　which　he　is　ever　ready　to　pay。　　He　read　the　
songs　of　the　Nightingale　of　Ceiriog　in　the　most　distant　part　of　
Lloegr；　when　he　was　a　brown…haired　boy；　and　now　that　he　is　a　grey…
haired　man　he　is　come　to　say　in　this　place　that　they　frequently　
made　his　eyes　overflow　with　tears　of　rapture。〃

I　then　sat　down　in　the　chair；　and　commenced　repeating　verses　of　Huw　
Morris。　　All　which　I　did　in　the　presence　of　the　stout　old　lady；　the　
short；　buxom　and　bare…armed　damsel；　and　of　John　Jones　the　
Calvinistic　weaver　of　Llangollen；　all　of　whom　listened　patiently　
and　approvingly；　though　the　rain　was　pouring　down　upon　them；　and　
the　branches　of　the　trees　and　the　tops　of　the　tall　nettles；　
agitated　by　the　gusts　from　the　mountain　hollows；　were　beating　in　
their　faces；　for　enthusiasm　is　never　scoffed　at　by　the　noble　
simple…minded；　genuine　Welsh；　whatever　treatment　it　may　receive　
from　the　coarse…hearted；　sensual；　selfish　Saxon。

After　some　time；　our　party　returned　to　the　house　…　which　put　me　
very　much　in　mind　of　the　farm…houses　of　the　substantial　yeomen　of　
Cornwall；　particularly　that　of　my　friends　at　Penquite；　a　
comfortable　fire　blazed　in　the　kitchen　grate；　the　floor　was　
composed　of　large　flags　of　slate。　　In　the　kitchen　the　old　lady　
pointed　to　me　the　ffon；　or　walking…stick；　of　Huw　Morris；　it　was　
supported　against　a　beam　by　three　hooks；　I　took　it　down　and　walked　
about　the　kitchen　with　it；　it　was　a　thin　polished　black　stick；　with　
a　crome　cut　in　the　shape　of　an　eagle's　head；　at　the　end　was　a　brass　
fence。　　The　kind　creature　then　produced　a　sword　without　a　scabbard；　
this　sword　was　found　by　Huw　Morris　on　the　mountain　…　it　belonged　to　
one　of　Oliver's　officers　who　was　killed　there。　　I　took　the　sword；　
which　was　a　thin　two…edged　one；　and　seemed　to　be　made　of　very　good　
steel；　it　put　me　in　mind　of　the　blades　which　I　had　seen　at　Toledo　…　
the　guard　was　very　slight　like　those　of　all　rapiers；　and　the　hilt　
the　common　old…fashioned　English　officer's　hilt　…　there　was　no　rust　
on　the　blade；　and　it　still　looked　a　dangerous　sword。　　A　man　like　
Thistlewood　would　have　whipped　it　through　his　adversary　in　a　
twinkling。　　I　asked　the　old　lady　if　Huw　Morris　was　born　in　this　
house；　she　said　no；　but　a　little　farther　on　at　Pont　y　Meibion；　she　
said；　however；　that　the　ground　had　belonged　to　him；　and　that　they　
had　some　of　his　blood　in　their　veins。　　I　shook　her　by　the　hand；　and　
gave　the　chubby　bare…armed　damsel　a　shilling；　pointing　to　the　marks　
of　the　nettle　stings　on　her　fat　bacon…like　arms。　　She　laughed；　made　
me　a　curtsey；　and　said：　　〃Llawer　iawn　o　diolch。〃

John　Jones　and　I　then　proceeded　to　the　house　at　Pont　y　Meibion；　
where　we　saw　two　men；　one　turning　a　grind…stone；　and　the　other　
holding　an　adze　to　it。　　We　asked　if　we　were　at　the　house　of　Huw　
Morris；　and　whether　they　could　tell　us　anything　about　him；　they　
made　us　no　answer　but　proceeded　with　their　occupation；　John　Jones　
then　said　that　the　Gwr　Boneddig　was　very　fond　of　the　verses　of　Huw　
Morris；　and　had　come　a　great　way　to　see　the　place　where　he　was　
born。　　The　wheel　now　ceased　turning；　and　the　man　with　the　adze　
turned　his　face　full　upon　me　…　he　was　a　stern…looking；　dark　man；　
with　black　hair；　of　about　forty；　after　a　moment　or　two　he　said　that　
if　I　chose　to　walk　into　the　house　I　should　be　welcome。　　He　then　
conducted　us　into　the　house；　a　common…looking　stone　tenement；　and　
bade　us　be　seated。　　I　asked　him　if　he　was　a　descendant　of　Huw　
Morus；　he　said　he　was；　I　asked　him　his　name；　which　he　said　was　Huw　
…　。　　〃Have　you　any　of　the　manuscripts　of　Huw　Morus？〃　said　I。

〃None；〃　said　he；　〃but　I　have　one　of　the　printed　copies　of　his　
works。〃

He　then　went　to　a　drawer；　and　taking　out　a　book；　put　it　into　my　
hand；　and　seated　himself　in　a　blunt；　careless　manner。　　The　book　was　
the　first　volume　of　the　common　Wrexham　edition　of　Huw's　works；　it　
was　much　thumbed　…　I　commenced　reading　aloud　a　piece　which　I　had　
much　admired　in　my　boyhood。　　I　went　on　for　some　time；　my　mind　quite　
occupied　with　my　reading；　at　last　lifting　my　eyes　I　saw　the　man　
standing　bolt　upright　before　me；　like　a　soldier　of　the　days　of　my　
childhood；　during　the　time　that　the　adjutant　read　prayers；　his　hat　
was　no　longer　upon　his　head；　but　on　the