wild wales-第73章

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flung　myself　on　its　bank　and　gazed　upon　it。

There　lay　the　lake　in　the　low　bottom；　surrounded　by　the　heathery　
hillocks；　there　it　lay　quite　still；　the　hot　sun　reflected　upon　its　
surface；　which　shone　like　a　polished　blue　shield。　　Near　the　shore　
it　was　shallow；　at　least　near　that　shore　upon　which　I　lay。　　But　
farther　on；　my　eye；　practised　in　deciding　upon　the　depths　of　
waters；　saw　reason　to　suppose　that　its　depth　was　very　great。　　As　I　
gazed　upon　it　my　mind　indulged　in　strange　musings。　　I　thought　of　
the　afanc；　a　creature　which　some　have　supposed　to　be　the　harmless　
and　industrious　beaver；　others　the　frightful　and　destructive　
crocodile。　　I　wondered　whether　the　afanc　was　the　crocodile　or　the　
beaver；　and　speedily　had　no　doubt　that　the　name　was　originally　
applied　to　the　crocodile。

〃Oh；　who　can　doubt；〃　thought　I；　〃that　the　word　was　originally　
intended　for　something　monstrous　and　horrible？　　Is　there　not　
something　horrible　in　the　look　and　sound　of　the　word　afanc；　
something　connected　with　the　opening　and　shutting　of　immense　jaws；　
and　the　swallowing　of　writhing　prey？　　Is　not　the　word　a　fitting　
brother　of　the　Arabic　timsah；　denoting　the　dread　horny　lizard　of　
the　waters？　　Moreover；　have　we　not　the　voice　of　tradition　that　the　
afanc　was　something　monstrous？　　Does　it　not　say　that　Hu　the　Mighty；　
the　inventor　of　husbandry；　who　brought　the　Cumry　from　the　summer…
country；　drew　the　old　afanc　out　of　the　lake　of　lakes　with　his　four　
gigantic　oxen？　　Would　he　have　had　recourse　to　them　to　draw　out　the　
little　harmless　beaver？　　Oh；　surely　not。　　Yet　have　I　no　doubt　that　
when　the　crocodile　had　disappeared　from　the　lands；　where　the　Cumric　
language　was　spoken；　the　name　afanc　was　applied　to　the　beaver；　
probably　his　successor　in　the　pool；　the　beaver　now　called　in　Cumric　
Llostlydan；　or　the　broad…tailed；　for　tradition's　voice　is　strong　
that　the　beaver　has　at　one　time　been　called　the　afanc。〃　　Then　I　
wondered　whether　the　pool　before　me　had　been　the　haunt　of　the　
afanc；　considered　both　as　crocodile　and　beaver。　　I　saw　no　reason　to　
suppose　that　it　had　not。　　〃If　crocodiles；〃　thought　I；　〃ever　existed　
in　Britain；　and　who　shall　say　that　they　have　not；　seeing　that　there　
remains　have　been　discovered；　why　should　they　not　have　haunted　this　
pool？　　If　beavers　ever　existed　in　Britain；　and　do　not　tradition　and　
Giraldus　say　that　they　have；　why　should　they　not　have　existed　in　
this　pool？

〃At　a　time　almost　inconceivably　remote；　when　the　hills　around　were　
covered　with　woods；　through　which　the　elk　and　the　bison　and　the　
wild　cow　strolled；　when　men　were　rare　throughout　the　lands　and　
unlike　in　most　things　to　the　present　race　…　at　such　a　period　…　and　
such　a　period　there　has　been　…　I　can　easily　conceive　that　the　
afanc…crocodile　haunted　this　pool；　and　that　when　the　elk　or　bison　
or　wild　cow　came　to　drink　of　its　waters　the　grim　beast　would　
occasionally　rush　forth；　and　seizing　his　bellowing　victim；　would　
return　with　it　to　the　deeps　before　me　to　luxuriate　at　his　ease　upon　
its　flesh。　　And　at　a　time　less　remote；　when　the　crocodile　was　no　
more；　and　though　the　woods　still　covered　the　hills；　and　wild　cattle　
strolled　about；　men　were　more　numerous　than　before；　and　less　unlike　
the　present　race；　I　can　easily　conceive　this　lake　to　have　been　the　
haunt　of　the　afanc…beaver；　that　he　here　built　cunningly　his　house　
of　trees　and　clay；　and　that　to　this　lake　the　native　would　come　with　
his　net　and　his　spear　to　hunt　the　animal　for　his　precious　fur。　　
Probably　if　the　depths　of　that　pool　were　searched　relics　of　the　
crocodile　and　the　beaver　might　be　found；　along　with　other　strange　
things　connected　with　the　periods　in　which　they　respectively　lived。　　
Happy　were　I　if　for　a　brief　space　I　could　become　a　Cingalese　that　I　
might　swim　out　far　into　that　pool；　dive　down　into　its　deepest　part　
and　endeavour　to　discover　any　strange　things　which　beneath　its　
surface　may　lie。〃　　Much　in　this　guise　rolled　my　thoughts　as　I　lay　
stretched　on　the　margin　of　the　lake。

Satiated　with　musing　I　at　last　got　up　and　endeavoured　to　regain　the　
road。　　I　found　it　at　last；　though　not　without　considerable　
difficulty。　　I　passed　over　moors；　black　and　barren；　along　a　dusty　
road　till　I　came　to　a　valley；　I　was　now　almost　choked　with　dust　and　
thirst；　and　longed　for　nothing　in　the　world　so　much　as　for　water；　
suddenly　I　heard　its　blessed　sound；　and　perceived　a　rivulet　on　my　
left　hand。　　It　was　crossed　by　two　bridges；　one　immensely　old　and　
terribly　dilapidated；　the　other　old　enough；　but　in　better　repair　…　
went　and　drank　under　the　oldest　bridge　of　the　two。　　The　water　
tasted　of　the　peat　of　the　moors；　nevertheless　I　drank　greedily　of　
it；　for　one　must　not　be　over…delicate　upon　the　moors。

Refreshed　with　my　draught　I　proceeded　briskly　on　my　way；　and　in　a　
little　time　saw　a　range　of　white　buildings；　diverging　from　the　road　
on　the　right　hand；　the　gable　of　the　first　abutting　upon　it。　　A　kind　
of　farm…yard　was　before　them。　　A　respectable…looking　woman　was　
standing　in　the　yard。　　I　went　up　to　her　and　inquired　the　name　of　
the　place。

〃These　houses；　sir；〃　said　she；　〃are　called　Tai　Hirion　Mignaint。　　
Look　over　that　door　and　you　will　see　T。　H。　which　letters　stand　for　
Tai　Hirion。　　Mignaint　is　the　name　of　the　place　where　they　stand。〃

I　looked；　and　upon　a　stone　which　formed　the　lintel　of　the　
middlemost　door　I　read　〃T。　H　1630。〃

The　words　Tai　Hirion　it　will　be　as　well　to　say　signify　the　long　
houses。

I　looked　long　and　steadfastly　at　the　inscription；　my　mind　full　of　
thoughts　of　the　past。

〃Many　a　year　has　rolled　by　since　these　houses　were　built；〃　said　I；　
as　I　sat　down　on　a　stepping…stone。

〃Many　indeed；　sir；〃　said　the　woman；　〃and　many　a　strange　thing　has　
happened。〃

〃Did　you　ever　hear　of　one　Oliver　Cromwell？〃　said　I。

〃Oh；　yes；　sir；　and　of　King　Charles　too。　　The　men　of　both　have　been　
in　this　yard　and　have　baited　their　horses；　aye；　and　have　mounted　
their　horses　from　the　stone　on　which　you　sit。〃

〃I　suppose　they　were　hardly　here　together？〃　said　I。

〃No；　no；　sir；〃　said　the　woman；　〃they　were　bloody　enemies；　and　could　
never　set　their　horses　together。〃

〃Are　these　long　houses；〃　said　I；　〃inhabited　by　different　families？〃

〃Only　by　one；　sir；　they　make　now　one　farm…house。〃

〃Are　you　the　mistress　of　it；〃　said　I。

〃I　am；　sir；　and　my　husband　is　the　master。　　Can　I　bring　you　
anything；　sir？〃

〃Some　water；〃　said　I；　〃for　I　am　thirsty；　though　I　drank　under　the　
old　bridge。〃

The　good　woman　brought　me　a　basin　of　delicious　milk　and　water。

〃What　are　the　names　of　the　two　bridges；〃　said　I；　〃a　little　way　from　
here？〃

〃They　are　called；　sir；　the　old　and　new　bridge　of　Tai　Hirion；　at　
least　we　call　them　so。〃

〃And　what　do　you　call　the　ffrwd　that　runs　beneath　them？〃

〃I　believe；　sir；　it　is　called　the　river　Twerin。〃

〃Do　you　know　a　lake　far　up　there　amidst　the　moors？〃

〃I　have　seen　it；　sir；　they　call　it　Llyn　Twerin。〃

〃Does　the　river　Twerin　flow　from　it？〃

〃I　believe　it　does；　sir；　but　I　do　not　know。〃

〃Is　the　lake　deep？〃

〃I　have　heard　that　it　is　very　deep；　sir；　so　much　so　that　nobody　
knows　it's　depth。〃

〃Are　there　fish　in　it？〃

〃Digon；　sir；　digon　iawn；　and　some　very　large。　　I　once　saw　a　Pen…
hwyad　from　that　lake　which　weighed　fifty　pounds。〃

After　a　little　farther　conversation　I　got　up；　and　thanking　the　kind　
woman　departed。　　I　soon　left　the　moors　behind　me　and　continued　
walking　till　I　came　to　a　few　houses　on　the　margin　of　a　meadow　or　
fen　in　a　valley　through　which　the　way　trended　to　the　east。　　They　
were　almost　overshadowed　by　an　enormous　mountain　which　rose　beyond　
the　fen　on　the　south。　　Seeing　a　house　which　bore　a　sign；　and　at　the　
door　of　which　a　horse　stood　tied；　I　went　in；　and　a　woman　coming　to　
meet　me　in　a　kind　of　passage；　I　asked　her　if　I　could　have　some　ale。

〃Of　the　best；　sir；〃　she　replied；　and　conducted　me　down　the　passage　
into　a　neat　room；　partly　kitchen；　partly　parlour；　the　window　of　
which　looked　out　upon　the　fen。　　A　rustic…looking　man　sat　smoking　at　
a　table　with　a　jug　of　ale　before　him。　　I　sat　down　near　him；　and　the　
good　woman　brought　me　a　similar　jug　of　ale；　which　on　tasting　I　
found　excellent。　　My　spirits　which　had　been　for　some　time　very　
flagging　pre