第26章

Itwasgenerallysaidthattheprisonerwasdisorderedinhismind；

Iheldmytongue，butjudgingfromhislookandmannerIsawnoreasontosupposethathewasanymoreoutofhissensesthanI

myself，oranypersonpresent，andIhadnodoubtthatwhatinducedhimtocommittheactwasrageatbeinglookeddownuponbyaquondamacquaintance，whowasrisingalittleintheworld，exacerbatedbythereflectionthatthedisdainfulquondamacquaintancewasoneoftheSaxonrace，againstwhicheveryWelshmanentertainsagrudgemoreorlessvirulent，which，thoughofcourse，veryunchristianlike，isreally，brotherEnglishman，aftertheaffairofthelongknives，andtwoorthreeotheractionsofasomewhatsimilarcharacterofournobleAnglo—Saxonprogenitors，withwhichallWelshmenareperfectlywellacquainted，notverymuchtobewonderedat。

CHAPTERLIII

TheDylluan—TheOldestCreatures。

MUCHrainfellaboutthemiddleofthemonth；intheintervalsoftheshowersIoccasionallywalkedbythebanksoftheriverwhichspeedilybecamemuchswollen；itwasquiteterriblebothtothesightandearnearthe"Robber’sLeap；"therewerebreakersabovethehigherstonesatleastfivefeethighandaroararoundalmostsufficient"toscareahundredmen。"ThepoolofLingowasstrangelyaltered；itwasnolongerthequietpoolwhichitwasinsummer，verifyingthewordsoftheoldWelshpoetthatthedeepestpooloftheriverisalwaysthestillestinthesummerandofthesoftestsound，butahowlingturbidgulf，inwhichbranchesoftrees，deadanimalsandrubbishwerewhirlingaboutinthewildestconfusion。Thenightsweregenerallylessrainythanthedays，andsometimesbythepallidglimmerofthemoonIwouldtakeastrollalongsomefavouritepathorroad。OnenightasIwaswanderingslowlyalongthepathleadingthroughthegrovesofPenyCoedI

wasstartledbyanunearthlycry—itwastheshoutofthedylluanorowl，asitflittedoverthetopsofthetreesonitsnocturnalbusiness。

Oh，thatcryofthedylluan！whatastrangewildcryitis；howunlikeanyothersoundinnature！acrywhichnocombinationofletterscangivetheslightestideaof。WhatresemblancedoesShakespear’sto—whit—to—whoobeartothecryoftheowl？nonewhatever；thosewhohearitforthefirsttimeneverknowwhatitis，howeveraccustomedtotalkofthecryoftheowlandto—whit—

to—whoo。AmanmightbewanderingthroughawoodwithShakespear’sowl—chorusinhismouth，butwerehethentohearforthefirsttimetherealshoutoftheowlhewouldassuredlystopshortandwonderwhencethatunearthlycrycouldproceed。

Yetnodoubtthatstrangecryisafittingcryfortheowl，thestrangestinitshabitsandlookofallbirds，thebirdofwhombyallnationsthestrangesttalesaretold。Oh，whatstrangetalesaretoldoftheowl，especiallyinconnectionwithitslong—

lifedness；butofallthestrangewildtalesconnectedwiththeageoftheowl，strangestofallistheoldWelshtale。WhenIheardtheowl’scryinthegrovesofPenyCoedthattalerushedintomymind。IhadhearditfromthesingulargroomwhohadtaughtmetogabbleWelshinmyboyhood，andhadsubsequentlyreaditinanoldtatteredWelshstory—book，whichbychancefellintomyhands。Thereaderwillperhapsbeobligedbymyrelatingit。

"Theeagleofthealdergrove，afterbeinglongmarriedandhavinghadmanychildrenbyhismate，lostherbydeath，andbecameawidower。AftersometimehetookitintohisheadtomarrytheowloftheCowlydCoomb；butfearingheshouldhaveissuebyher，andbythatmeanssullyhislineage，hewentfirstofalltotheoldestcreaturesintheworldinordertoobtaininformationaboutherage。FirsthewenttothestagofFerny—sideBrae，whomhefoundsittingbytheoldstumpofanoak，andinquiredtheageoftheowl。Thestagsaid：’Ihaveseenthisoakanacornwhichisnowlyingonthegroundwithouteitherleavesorbark：nothingintheworldworeitupbutmyrubbingmyselfagainstitonceadaywhenI

gotup，soIhaveseenavastnumberofyears，butIassureyouthatIhaveneverseentheowlolderoryoungerthansheisto—day。

However，thereisoneolderthanmyself，andthatisthesalmon—

troutofGlynLlifon。’Tohimwenttheeagleandaskedhimtheageoftheowlandgotforanswer：’Ihaveayearovermyheadforeverygemonmyskinandforeveryegginmyroe，yethaveIalwaysseentheowllookthesame；butthereisoneolderthanmyself，andthatistheouselofCilgwry。’AwaywenttheeagletoCilgwry，andfoundtheouselstandinguponalittlerock，andaskedhimtheageoftheowl。Quoththeousel：’Youseethattherockbelowmeisnotlargerthanamancancarryinoneofhishands：Ihaveseenitsolargethatitwouldhavetakenahundredoxentodragit，andithasneverbeenwornsavebymydryingmybeakuponitonceeverynight，andbymystrikingthetipofmywingagainstitinrisinginthemorning，yetneverhaveIknowntheowlolderoryoungerthansheisto—day。However，thereisoneolderthanI，andthatisthetoadofCorsFochnod；andunlessheknowsheragenooneknowsit。’Tohimwenttheeagleandaskedtheageoftheowl，andthetoadreplied：’IhavenevereatenanythingsavewhatIhavesuckedfromtheearth，andhavenevereatenhalfmyfillinallthedaysofmylife；butdoyouseethosetwogreathillsbesidethecross？Ihaveseentheplacewheretheystandlevelground，andnothingproducedthoseheapssavewhatIdischargedfrommybody，whohaveevereatensoverylittle—yetneverhaveIknowntheowlanythingelsebutanoldhagwhocriedToo—hoo—hoo，andscaredchildrenwithhervoiceevenasshedoesatpresent。’SotheeagleofGwernabwy；thestagofFerny—sideBrae；thesalmontroutofGlynLlifon；theouselofCilgwry；thetoadofCorsFochnod，andtheowlofCoombCowlydaretheoldestcreaturesintheworld；theoldestofthemallbeingtheowl。"

CHAPTERLIV

Chirk—TheMiddletonFamily—CastellyWaen—ThePark—TheCourtYard—TheYoungHousekeeper—ThePortraits—MelinyCastell—HumbleMeal—FineChestsfortheDead—HalesandHercules。

THEweatherhavingbecomefine，myselfandfamilydeterminedtogoandseeChirkCastle，amansionancientandbeautiful，andaboundingwithallkindsofagreeableandromanticassociations。

ItwasfoundedaboutthebeginningofthefifteenthcenturybyaStJohn，LordofBletsa，fromadescendantofwhomitwaspurchasedintheyear1615bySirThomasMiddleton，thescionofanancientWelshfamilywho，followingcommerce，acquiredavastfortune，andwasLordMayorofLondon。Inthetimeofthegreatcivilwarithoistedthebanneroftheking，andunderSirThomas，thesonoftheLordMayor，madeabravedefenceagainstLambert，theParliamentaryGeneral，thougheventuallycompelledtosurrender。

ItwasheldsuccessivelybyfourSirThomasMiddletons，andifitacquiredawar—likecelebrityunderthesecond，itobtainedapeculiarlyhospitableoneunderthefourth，whosedaughter，thefruitofasecondmarriage，becameCountessofWarwickandeventuallythewifeofthepoetandmoralistAddison。InhistimethehospitalityofChirkbecamethethemeofmanyabard，particularlyofHuwMorris，who，inoneofhissongs，hasgonesofarastosaythatwerethehillCefnUchafturnedintobeefandbread，andtherillCeiriogintobeerorwine，theywouldbeconsumedinhalfayearbythehospitalityofChirk。ThoughnolongerinthehandsofoneofthenameofMiddleton，ChirkCastleisstillpossessedbyoneoftheblood，themotherofthepresentproprietorbeingtheeldestofthreesisters，linealdescendantsoftheLordMayor，betweenwhomindefaultofanheirmalethewidepossessionsoftheMiddletonfamilyweredivided。Thisgentleman，whobearsthenameofBiddulph，isLordLieutenantofthecountyofDenbigh，andnotwithstandinghiswar—breathingname，whichisGothic，andsignifiesWolfofBattle，isapersonofhighlyamiabledisposition，andonewhotakesgreatinterestinthepropagationoftheGospelofpeaceandlove。

Toviewthisplace，which，thoughinEnglishcalledChirkCastle，isstyledinWelshCastellyWaen，ortheCastleoftheMeadow，westartedonfootaboutteno’clockofafinebrightmorning，attendedbyJohnJones。TherearetworoadsfromLlangollentoChirk，onetheloworpostroad，andtheotherleadingovertheBerwyn。Wechosethelatter。WepassedbytheYewCottage，whichIhavedescribedonaformeroccasion，andbegantoascendthemountain，makingtowardsitsnorth—easterncorner。Theroadatfirstwaseasyenough，buthigherupbecameverysteep，andsomewhatappalling，beingcutoutofthesideofthehillwhichshelvesprecipitouslydowntowardsthevalleyoftheDee。Nearthetopofthemountainwerethreeloftybeech—treesgrowingontheveryvergeoftheprecipice。Heretheroadforabouttwentyyardsisfencedonitsdangeroussidebyawall，partsofwhicharebuiltbetweenthestemsofthetrees。Justbeyondthewallatrulynobleprospectpresenteditselftooureyes。Tothenorthwereboldhills，theirsidesandskirtsadornedwithnumerouswoodsandwhitefarm—houses；athousandfeetbelowuswastheDeeandi