第23章

PresentlyIcametoabridgebestridingthestream，whichamantoldmewascalledPontAberGlasLyn，orthebridgeofthedebouchementofthegreylake。Isoonemergedfromthepass，andafterproceedingsomewaystoppedagaintoadmirethescenery。TothewestwastheWyddfa；fullnorthwasastupendousrangeofrocks；behindthemaconicalpeakseeminglyrivallingtheWyddfaitselfinaltitude；betweentherocksandtheroad，whereIstood，wasbeautifulforestscenery。Iagainwenton，goingroundthesideofahillbyagentleascent。AfteralittletimeIagainstoppedtolookaboutme。Therewastherichforestscenerytothenorth，behinditweretherocksandbehindtherocksrosethewonderfulconicalhillimpalingheaven；confrontingittothesouth—east，wasahugelumpishhill。AsIstoodlookingaboutmeI

sawamancomingacrossafieldwhichslopeddowntotheroadfromasmallhouse。Hepresentlyreachedme，stoppedandsmiled。A

moreopencountenancethanhisIneversawinallthedaysofmylife。

"Dydddachwi，sir，"saidthemanoftheopencountenance，"theweatherisveryshowy。"

"Veryshowy，indeed，"saidI；"Iwasjustnowwishingforsomebody，ofwhomImightaskaquestionortwo。"

"PerhapsIcananswerthosequestions，sir？"

"Perhapsyoucan。Whatisthenameofthatwonderfulpeakstickingupbehindtherockstothenorth？"

"Manypeoplehaveaskedthatquestion，sir，andIhavegiventhemtheanswerwhichInowgiveyou。Itiscalledthe’Knicht，’sir；

andawondroushillitis。"

"Andwhatisthenameofyonderhilloppositetoit，tothesouth，risinglikeonebiglump。"

"Idonotknowthenameofthathill，sir，fartherthanthatIhavehearditcalledtheGreatHill。"

"Andaverygoodnameforit，"saidI；"doyouliveinthathouse？"

"Ido，sir，whenIamathome。"

"Andwhatoccupationdoyoufollow？"

"Iamafarmer，thoughasmallone。"

"Isyourfarmyourown？"

"Itisnot，sir：Iamnotsofarrich。"

"Whoisyourlandlord？"

"MrBlicklin，sir。Heismylandlord。"

"Isheagoodlandlord？"

"Verygood，sir，noonecanwishforabetterlandlord。"

"Hasheawife？"

"Intruth，sir，hehas；andaverygoodwifesheis。"

"Hashechildren？"

"Plenty，sir；andveryfinechildrentheyare。"

"IsheWelsh？"

"Heis，sir！Cumropuriawn。"

"Farewell，"saidI；"Ishallneverforgetyou；youarethefirsttenantIeverheardspeakwellofhislandlord，oranyoneconnectedwithhim。"

"ThenyouhavenotspokentotheothertenantsofMrBlicklin，sir。

EverytenantofMrBlicklinwouldsaythesameofhimasIhavesaid，andofhiswifeandhischildrentoo。Good—day，sir！"

Iwendedonmyway；thesunwasverypowerful；sawcattleinapoolonmyright，maddenedwithheatandflies，splashingandfighting。

PresentlyIfoundmyselfwithextensivemeadowsonmyright，andawallofrocksonmyleft，onaloftybankbelowwhichIsawgoatsfeeding；beautifulcreaturestheywere，whiteandblack，withlongsilkyhair，andlonguprighthorns。Theywereoflargesize，andverydifferentinappearancefromthecommonrace。ThesewerethefirstgoatswhichIhadseeninWales；forWalesisnotatpresentthelandofgoats，whateveritmayhavebeen。

Ipassedunderacragexceedinglylofty，andofveryfrightfulappearance。Ithungmenacinglyovertheroad。Withthiscragthewallofrocksterminated；beyonditlayanextensivestrath，meadow，ormarshboundedonthecastbyaloftyhill。Theroadlayacrossthemarsh。Iwentforward，crossedabridgeoverabeautifulstreamlet，andsoonarrivedatthefootofthehill。Theroadnowtookaturntotheright，thatistothesouth，andseemedtoleadroundthehill。Justattheturnoftheroadstoodasmallneatcottage。Therewasaboardoverthedoorwithaninscription。

Idrewnighandlookedatit，expectingthatitwouldtellmethatgoodalewassoldwithin，andread："Teamadehere，thedraughtwhichcheersbutnotinebriates。"Iwasbeforewhatisgenerallytermedatemperancehouse。

"Thebilloffaredoesnottemptyou，sir，"saidawomanwhomadeherappearanceatthedoor，justasIwasabouttoturnawaywithanexceedinglywryface。

"Itdoesnot，"saidI，"andyououghttobeashamedofyourselftohavenothingbettertooffertoatravellerthanacupoftea。I

amfaint；andIwantgoodaletogivemeheart，notwishy—washyteatotakeawaythelittlestrengthIhave。"

"Whatwouldyouhavemedo，sir？GladshouldIbetohaveacupofaletoofferyou，butthemagistrates，whenIappliedtothemforalicence，refusedmeone；soIamcompelledtomakeacupoftea，inordertogetacrustofbread。Andifyouchoosetostepin，I

willmakeyouacupoftea，notwishy—washy，Iassureyou，butasgoodaseverwasbrewed。"

"IhadteaformybreakfastatBethGelert，"saidI，"andwantnomoretillto—morrowmorning。What’sthenameofthatstrange—

lookingcragacrossthevalley？"

"WecallitCraigyrhyllddrem，sir；whichmeans—Idon’tknowwhatitmeansinEnglish。"

"Doesitmeanthecragofthefrightfullook？"

"Itdoes，sir，"saidthewoman；"ah，IseeyouunderstandWelsh。

Sometimesit’scalledAlltTraeth。"

"Thehighplaceofthesandychannel，"saidI；"didtheseaevercomeuphere？"

"Ican’tsay，sir；perhapsitdid；whoknows？"

"Ishouldn’twonder，"saidI，"iftherewasonceanarmoftheseabetweenthatcragandthishill。Thankyou！Farewell。"

"Thenyouwon’twalkin，sir？

"Nottodrinktea，"saidI，"teaisagoodthingatapropertime，butwereItodrinkitnow，itwouldmakemeill。"

"Pray，sir，walkin，"saidthewoman，"andperhapsIcanaccommodateyou。"

"Thenyouhaveale？"saidI。

"No，sir；notadrop，butperhapsIcansetsomethingbeforeyouwhichyouwilllikeaswell。"

"ThatIquestion，"saidI，"however，Iwillwalkin。"

Thewomanconductedmeintoanicelittleparlour，and，leavingme，presentlyreturnedwithabottleandtumbleronatray。

"Here，sir，"saidshe，"issomething，whichthoughnotale，Ihopeyouwillbeabletodrink。"

"Whatisit？"saidI。

"Itis—，sir；andbetterneverwasdrunk。"

Itastedit；itwasterriblystrong。Thosewhowishforeitherwhiskyorbrandyfaraboveproof，shouldalwaysgotoatemperancehouse。

Itoldthewomantobringmesomewater，andshebroughtmeajugofwatercoldfromthespring。Withalittleofthecontentsofthebottle，andadealofthecontentsofthejug，Imademyselfabeveragetolerableenough；apoorsubstitute，however，toagenuineEnglishmanforhisproperdrink，theliquorwhich，accordingtotheEdda，iscalledbymenale，andbythegodsbeer。

Iaskedthewomanwhethershecouldread；shetoldmethatshecould，bothWelshandEnglish；shelikewiseinformedmethatshehadseveralbooksinbothlanguages。Ibeggedhertoshowmesome，whereuponshebroughtmesomehalfdozen，andplacingthemonthetableleftmetomyself。AmongstthebookswasavolumeofpoemsinWelsh，writtenbyRobertWilliamsofBetwsFawr，styledinpoeticlanguage，GwilymDuOEifion。Thepoemswerechieflyonreligioussubjects。ThefollowinglineswhichIcopiedfrom"PethauawnaedmewnGardd，"orthingswritteninagarden，appearedtomesingularlybeautiful：—

"Mewngarddycafodddyneidwyllo；

Mewngarddyrhoedoddewididdo；

MewngarddbradychwydIesuhawddgar；

Mewngarddamdowydefmewndaear。"

"Inagardenthefirstofourracewasdeceived；

Inagardenthepromiseofgracehereceived；

InagardenwasJesusbetrayedtoHisdoom；

InagardenHisbodywaslaidinthetomb。"

Havingfinishedmyglassof"summut"andmytranslation，IcalledtothewomanandaskedherwhatIhadtopay。

"Nothing，"saidshe，"ifyouhadhadacupofteaIshouldhavechargedsixpence。"

"Youmakenocharge，"saidI，"forwhatIhavehad？"

"Nothing，sir，nothing。"

"Butsuppose，"saidI，"Iweretogiveyousomethingbywayofpresentwouldyou—"andhereIstopped。Thewomansmiled。

"Wouldyouflingitinmyface？"saidI。

"Ohdear，no，sir，"saidthewoman，smilingmorethanbefore。

Igavehersomething—itwasnotasixpence—atwhichshenotonlysmiledbutcurtseyed；thenbiddingherfarewellIwentoutofthedoor。

Iwasabouttotakethebroadroad，whichledroundthehill，whensheinquiredofmewhereIwasgoing，andonmytellinghertoFestiniog，sheadvisedmetogobyaby—roadbehindthehousewhichledoverthehill。

"Ifyoudo，sir，"saidshe，"youwillseesomeofthefinestprospectsinWales，getintothehighroadagain，andsaveamileandahalfofway。"

ItoldthetemperancewomanIwouldfollowheradvice，whereuponsheledmebehindthehouse，pointedtoarugge