wild wales-第19章

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to　be　alone；　there　was　something　singular　about　her；　and　I　believe　
that　she　had　a　history　of　her　own。　　After　showing　us　the　ruins　she　
conducted　us　to　a　cottage　in　which　she　lived；　it　stood　behind　the　
ruins　by　a　fish…pond；　in　a　beautiful　and　romantic　place　enough；　she　
said　that　in　the　winter　she　went　away；　but　to　what　place　she　did　
not　say。　　She　asked　us　whether　we　came　walking；　and　on　our　telling　
her　that　we　did；　she　said　that　she　would　point　out　to　us　a　near　way　
home。　　She　then　pointed　to　a　path　up　a　hill；　telling　us　we　must　
follow　it。　　After　making　her　a　present　we　bade　her　farewell；　and　
passing　through　a　meadow　crossed　a　brook　by　a　rustic　bridge；　formed　
of　the　stem　of　a　tree；　and　ascending　the　hill　by　the　path　which　she　
had　pointed　out；　we　went　through　a　cornfield　or　two　on　its　top；　and　
at　last　found　ourselves　on　the　Llangollen　road；　after　a　most　
beautiful　walk。



CHAPTER　XIV



Expedition　to　Ruthyn　…　The　Column　…　Slate　Quarries　…　The　Gwyddelod　
…　Nocturnal　Adventure。


NOTHING　worthy　of　commemoration　took　place　during　the　two　following　
days；　save　that　myself　and　family　took　an　evening　walk　on　the　
Wednesday　up　the　side　of　the　Berwyn；　for　the　purpose　of　botanizing；　
in　which　we　were　attended　by　John　Jones。　　There；　amongst　other　
plants；　we　found　a　curious　moss　which　our　good　friend　said　was　
called　in　Welsh；　Corn　Carw；　or　deer's　horn；　and　which　he　said　the　
deer　were　very　fond　of。　　On　the　Thursday　he　and　I　started　on　an　
expedition　on　foot　to　Ruthyn；　distant　about　fourteen　miles；　
proposing　to　return　in　the　evening。

The　town　and　castle　of　Ruthyn　possessed　great　interest　for　me　from　
being　connected　with　the　affairs　of　Owen　Glendower。　　It　was　at　
Ruthyn　that　the　first　and　not　the　least　remarkable　scene　of　the　
Welsh　insurrection　took　place　by　Owen　making　his　appearance　at　the　
fair　held　there　in　fourteen　hundred；　plundering　the　English　who　had　
come　with　their　goods；　slaying　many　of　them；　sacking　the　town　and　
concluding　his　day's　work　by　firing　it；　and　it　was　at　the　castle　of　
Ruthyn　that　Lord　Grey　dwelt；　a　minion　of　Henry　the　Fourth　and　
Glendower's　deadliest　enemy；　and　who　was　the　principal　cause　of　the　
chieftain's　entering　into　rebellion；　having；　in　the　hope　of　
obtaining　his　estates　in　the　vale　of　Clwyd；　poisoned　the　mind　of　
Harry　against　him；　who　proclaimed　him　a　traitor；　before　he　had　
committed　any　act　of　treason；　and　confiscated　his　estates；　
bestowing　that　part　of　them　upon　his　favourite；　which　the　latter　
was　desirous　of　obtaining。

We　started　on　our　expedition　at　about　seven　o'clock　of　a　brilliant　
morning。　　We　passed　by　the　abbey　and　presently　came　to　a　small　
fountain　with　a　little　stone　edifice；　with　a　sharp　top　above　it。　　
〃That　is　the　holy　well；〃　said　my　guide：　　〃Llawer　iawn　o　barch　yn　yr　
amser　yr　Pabyddion　yr　oedd　i'r　fynnon　hwn　…　much　respect　in　the　
times　of　the　Papists　there　was　to　this　fountain。〃

〃I　heard　of　it；〃　said　I；　〃and　tasted　of　its　water　the　other　evening　
at　the　abbey；〃　shortly　after　we　saw　a　tall　stone　standing　in　a　
field　on　our　right　hand　at　about　a　hundred　yards'　distance　from　the　
road。　　〃That　is　the　pillar　of　Eliseg；　sir；〃　said　my　guide。　　〃Let　us　
go　and　see　it；〃　said　I。　　We　soon　reached　the　stone。　　It　is　a　fine　
upright　column　about　seven　feet　high；　and　stands　on　a　quadrate　
base。　　〃Sir；〃　said　my　guide；　〃a　dead　king　lies　buried　beneath　this　
stone。　　He　was　a　mighty　man　of　valour　and　founded　the　abbey。　　He　
was　called　Eliseg。〃　　〃Perhaps　Ellis；〃　said　I；　〃and　if　his　name　was　
Ellis　the　stone　was　very　properly　called　Colofn　Eliseg；　in　Saxon　
the　Ellisian　column。〃　　The　view　from　the　column　is　very　beautiful；　
below　on　the　south…east　is　the　venerable　abbey；　slumbering　in　its　
green　meadow。　　Beyond　it　runs　a　stream；　descending　from　the　top　of　
a　glen；　at　the　bottom　of　which　the　old　pile　is　situated；　beyond　the　
stream　is　a　lofty　hill。　　The　glen　on　the　north　is　bounded　by　a　
noble　mountain；　covered　with　wood。　　Struck　with　its　beauty　I　
inquired　its　name。　　〃Moel　Eglwysig；　sir；〃　said　my　guide。　　〃The　Moel　
of　the　Church；〃　said　I。　　〃That　is　hardly　a　good　name　for　it；　for　
the　hill　is　not　bald　（moel）。〃　　〃True；　sir；〃　said　John　Jones。　　〃At　
present　its　name　is　good　for　nothing；　but　estalom　（of　old）　before　
the　hill　was　planted　with　trees　its　name　was　good　enough。　　Our　
fathers　were　not　fools　when　they　named　their　hills。〃　　〃I　daresay　
not；〃　said　I；　〃nor　in　many　other　things　which　they　did；　for　which　
we　laugh　at　them；　because　we　do　not　know　the　reasons　they　had　for　
doing　them。〃　　We　regained　the　road；　the　road　tended　to　the　north　up　
a　steep　ascent。　　I　asked　John　Jones　the　name　of　a　beautiful　
village；　which　lay　far　away　on　our　right；　over　the　glen；　and　near　
its　top。　　〃Pentref　y　dwr；　sir〃　（the　village　of　the　water）。　　It　is　
called　the　village　of　the　water；　because　the　river　below　comes　down　
through　part　of　it。　　I　next　asked　the　name　of　the　hill　up　which　we　
were　going；　and　he　told　me　Allt　Bwlch；　that　is；　the　high　place　of　
the　hollow　road。

This　bwlch；　or　hollow　way；　was　a　regular　pass；　which　put　me　
wonderfully　in　mind　of　the　passes　of　Spain。　　It　took　us　a　long　time　
to　get　to　the　top。　　After　resting　a　minute　on　the　summit　we　began　
to　descend。　　My　guide　pointed　out　to　me　some　slate…works；　at　some　
distance　on　our　left。　　〃There　is　a　great　deal　of　work　going　on　
there；　sir；〃　said　he：　　〃all　the　slates　that　you　see　descending　the　
canal　at　Llangollen　came　from　there。〃　　The　next　moment　we　heard　a　
blast；　and　then　a　thundering　sound：　　〃Llais　craig　yn　syrthiaw；　the　
voice　of　the　rock　in　falling；　sir；〃　said　John　Jones；　〃blasting　is　
dangerous　and　awful　work。〃　　We　reached　the　bottom　of　the　descent；　
and　proceeded　for　two　or　three　miles　up　and　down　a　rough　and　narrow　
road；　I　then　turned　round　and　looked　at　the　hills　which　we　had　
passed　over。　　They　looked　bulky　and　huge。

We　continued　our　way；　and　presently　saw　marks　of　a　fire　in　some　
grass　by　the　side　of　the　road。　　〃Have　the　Gipsiaid　been　there？〃　
said　I　to　my　guide。

〃Hardly；　sir；　I　should　rather　think　that　the　Gwyddelaid　（Irish）　
have　been　camping　there　lately。〃

〃The　Gwyddeliad？〃

〃Yes；　sir；　the　vagabond　Gwyddeliad；　who　at　present　infest　these　
parts　much；　and　do　much　more　harm　than　the　Gipsiaid　ever　did。〃

〃What　do　you　mean　by　the　Gipsiaid？〃

〃Dark；　handsome　people；　sir；　who　occasionally　used　to　come　about　in　
vans　and　carts；　the　men　buying　and　selling　horses；　and　sometimes　
tinkering；　whilst　the　women　told　fortunes。〃

〃And　they　have　ceased　to　come　about？〃

〃Nearly　so；　sir；　I　believe　they　have　been　frightened　away　by　the　
Gwyddelod。〃

〃What　kind　of　people　are　these　Gwyddelod？

〃Savage；　brutish　people；　sir；　in　general　without　shoes　and　
stockings；　with　coarse　features　and　heads　of　hair　like　mops。〃

〃How　do　they　live？〃

〃The　men　tinker　a　little；　sir；　but　more　frequently　plunder。　　The　
women　tell　fortunes；　and　steal　whenever　they　can。〃

〃They　live　something　like　the　Gipsiaid。〃

〃Something；　sir；　but　the　hen　Gipsiaid　were　gentlefolks　in　
comparison。〃

〃You　think　the　Gipsiaid　have　been　frightened　away　by　the　
Gwyddelians？〃

〃I　do；　sir；　the　Gwyddelod　made　their　appearance　in　these　parts　
about　twenty　years　ago；　and　since　then　the　Gipsiaid　have　been　
rarely　seen。〃

〃Are　these　Gwyddelod　poor？〃

〃By　no　means；　sir；　they　make　large　sums　by　plundering　and　other　
means；　with　which；　'tis　said；　they　retire　at　last　to　their　own　
country　or　America；　where　they　buy　land　and　settle　down。〃

〃What　language　do　they　speak？〃

〃English；　sir；　they　pride　themselves　on　speaking　good　English；　that　
is　to　the　Welsh。　　Amongst　themselves　they　discourse　in　their　own　
Paddy　Gwyddel。〃

〃Have　they　no　Welsh？〃

〃Only　a　few　words；　sir；　I　never　heard　one　of　them　speaking　Welsh；　
save　a　young　girl　…　she　fell　sick　by　the　roadside　as　she　was　
wandering　by　herself　…　some　people　at　a　farmhouse　took　her　in；　and　
tended　her　till　she　was　well。　　During　her　sickness　she　took　a　fancy　
to　their　quiet　way　of　life；　and　when　she　was　recovered　she　begged　
to　stay　with　them　and　serve　them。　　They　consented；　she　became　a　
very　good　servant；　and　hearing　nothing　but　Welsh　spoken；　soon　
picked　up　the　tongue。〃

〃Do　you　know　what　beca