第28章

"Iamnoclergyman，"saidI，"butIknewyouruncleandprizedhim。

Whatwashisnativeplace？"

"Corwen，"saidtheman，thentakingouthishandkerchiefhewipedhiseyes，andsaidwithafalteringvoice："Thiswillbeheavynewsthere。"

Wewerenowpastthemonastery，andbiddinghimfarewellI

descendedtothecanal，andreturnedhomebyitsbank，whilsttheWelshdrover，thenephewofthelearned，eloquentandexemplaryWelshdoctor，pursuedwithhisservantandanimalshiswaybythehighroadtoLlangollen。

ManysonsofWelshyeomenbroughtuptotheChurchhavebecomeornamentsofitindistantSaxonland，butfew，veryfew，havebylearning，eloquenceandChristianvirtuesreflectedsomuchlustreuponitasHughO—ofCorwen。

CHAPTERLVIII

SundayNight—Sleep，Sin，andOldAge—TheDream—LanikinFigure—ALiteraryPurchase。

THESundaymorningwasagloomyone。Iattendedserviceatchurchwithmyfamily。TheservicewasinEnglish，andtheyoungerMrE—

preached。ThetextIhaveforgotten，butIrememberperfectlywellthatthesermonwasscripturalandelegant。Whenwecameouttherainwasfallingintorrents。NeitherInormyfamilywenttochurchintheafternoon。IhoweverattendedtheeveningservicewhichisalwaysinWelsh。TheelderMrE—preached。Text，2Cor。

x。5。Thesermonwasanadmirableone，admonitory，patheticandhighlyeloquent；Iwenthomeverymuchedified，andedifiedmywifeandHenrietta，byrepeatingtotheminEnglishthegreaterpartofthediscoursewhichIhadbeenlisteningtoinWelsh。Aftersupper，inwhichIdidnotjoin，forInevertakesupper，providedIhavetakendinner，theywenttobedwhilstIremainedseatedbeforethefire，withmybacknearthetableandmyeyesfixedupontheemberswhichwererapidlyexpiring，andinthisposturesleepsurprisedme。AmongsttheproverbialsayingsoftheWelsh，whicharechieflypreservedintheshapeoftriads，isthefollowingone：

"Threethingscomeunawaresuponaman，sleep，sin，andoldage。"

Thissayingholdssometimesgoodwithrespecttosleepandoldage，butneverwithrespecttosin。Sindoesnotcomeunawaresuponaman：Godisjust，andwouldneverpunishaman，asHealwaysdoes，forbeingovercomebysinifsinwereabletotakehimunawares；

andneithersleepnoroldagealwayscomeunawaresuponaman。

Peoplefrequentlyfeelthemselvesgoingtosleepandfeeloldagestealinguponthem；thoughtherecanbenodoubtthatsleepandoldagesometimescomeunawares—oldagecameunawaresuponme；itwasonlytheotherdaythatIwasawarethatIwasold，thoughIhadlongbeenold，andsleepcameunawaresuponmeinthatchairinwhichIhadsatdownwithouttheslightestthoughtofsleeping。

AndthereasIsatIhadadream—whatdidIdreamabout？thesermon，musinguponwhichIhadbeenovercomebysleep？notabit！

Idreamtaboutawidely—differentmatter。MethoughtIwasinLlangollenfairintheplacewherethepigsweresold，inthemidstofWelshdrovers，immensehogsandimmensemenwhomItooktobethegentsofWolverhampton。Whathugefellowstheywere！almostashugeasthehogsforwhichtheyhiggled；thegeneralityofthemdressedinbrownsportingcoats，drabbreeches，yellow—toppedboots，splashedalloverwithmud，andwithlow—crownedbroad—

brimmedhats。Oneenormousfellowparticularlycaughtmynotice。

Iguessedhemusthaveweighedelevenscore，hehadahalf—ruddy，half—tallowyface，brownhair，andratherthinwhiskers。Hewashigglingwiththeproprietorofanimmensehog，andashehiggledhewheezedasifhehadadifficultyofrespiration，andfrequentlywipedoff，withadirty—whitepocket—handkerchief，dropsofperspirationwhichstooduponhisface。Atlastmethoughtheboughtthehogforninepounds，andhadnosoonerconcludedhisbargainthanturningroundtome，whowasstandingclosebystaringathim，heslappedmeontheshoulderwithahandofimmenseweight，cryingwithahalf—piping，half—wheezingvoice，"Coom，neighbour，coom，Iandthouhaveoftendealt；gi’menooapoondformybargain，anditshallbeallthyown。"Ifeltinagreatrageathisunceremoniousbehaviour，and，owingtotheflutterofmyspirits，whilstIwasthinkingwhetherornotIshouldtryandknockhimdown，Iawokeandfoundthefirenearlyoutandtheecclesiasticalcatseatedonmyshoulders。Thecreaturehadnotbeenturnedout，asitoughttohavebeen，beforemywifeanddaughterretired，andfeelingcoldhadgotuponthetableandthencehadsprunguponmybackforthesakeofthewarmthwhichitknewwastobefoundthere；andnodoubtthespringingonmyshouldersbytheecclesiasticalcatwaswhatItookinmydreamtobetheslaponmyshouldersbytheWolverhamptongent。

Thedayofthefairwasdullandgloomy，anexactcounterpartofthepreviousSaturday。OwingtosomecauseIdidnotgointothefairtillpastoneo’clock，andthenseeingneitherimmensehogsnorimmensemenIconcludedthatthegentsofWolverhamptonhadbeenthere，andafterpurchasingthelargerporkershaddepartedwiththeirbargainstotheirnativedistrict。AftersaunteringaboutalittletimeIreturnedhome。AfterdinnerIwentagainintothefairalongwithmywife；thestockbusinesshadlongbeenover，butIobservedmorestallsthaninthemorning，andafargreaterthrong，forthecountrypeopleformilesroundhadpouredintothelittletown。ByastallonwhichweresomepoorlegsandshouldersofmuttonIperceivedtheEnglishbutcher，whomtheWelshonehadattemptedtoslaughter。Irecognisedhimbyapatchwhichheworeonhischeek。MywifeandIwentupandinquiredhowhewas。Hesaidthathestillfeltpoorly，butthathehopedheshouldgetround。Iaskedhimifherememberedme；andreceivedforanswerthatherememberedhavingseenmewhentheexaminationtookplaceinto"hismatter。"Itheninquiredwhathadbecomeofhisantagonistandwastoldthathewasinprisonawaitinghistrial。IgatheredfromhimthathewasanativeoftheSouthdowncountryandashepherdbyprofession；thathehadbeenengagedbythesquireofPorkingtoninShropshiretolookafterhissheep，andthathehadlivedthereayearortwo，butbecomingtiredofhissituationhehadcometoLlangollen，wherehehadmarriedaWelshwomanandsetupasabutcher。Wetoldhimthatashewasourcountrymanweshouldbehappytodealwithhimsometimes；he，however，receivedtheinformationwithperfectapathy，neversomuchassaying"thankyou。"Hewasatalllanikinfigurewithapairoflarge，lack—lustrestaringeyes，anduponthewholeappearedtobegoodforverylittle。Leavinghimwewentsomewayuptheprincipalstreet；presentlymywifeturnedintoashop，andIobservingalittlebookstallwentuptoitandbegantoinspectthebooks。TheywerechieflyinWelsh。Seeingakindofchapbook，whichboreonitstitle—pagethenameofTwmO’rNant，Itookitup。ItwascalledYLlwynCelynortheHolyGrove，andcontainedthelifeandoneoftheinterludesofTomO’theDingleorThomasEdwards。Itpurportedtobethefirstoffournumbers，eachofwhichamongstotherthingswastocontainoneofhisinterludes。Theprice，ofthenumberwasoneshilling。I

questionedthemanofthestallabouttheothernumbers，butfoundthatthiswastheonlyonewhichhepossessed。Eager，however，toreadaninterludeofthecelebratedTom，Ipurchaseditandturnedawayfromthestall。ScarcelyhadIdonesowhenIsawawild—

lookingwomanwithtwowildchildrenlookingatme。Thewomancurtseyedtome，andIthoughtIrecognisedtheelderofthetwoIrishfemaleswhomIhadseeninthetentonthegreenmeadownearChester。Iwasgoingtoaddressher，butjustthenmywifecalledtomefromtheshopandIwenttoher，andwhenIreturnedtolookforthewomansheandherchildrenhaddisappeared，andthoughI

searchedaboutforherIcouldnotseeher，forwhichIwassorry，asIwishedverymuchtohavesomeconversationwithheraboutthewaysoftheIrishwanderers。Iwasthinkingofgoingtolookforherup"Paddy’sdingle，"butmywifemeetingme，beggedmetogohomewithher，asitwasgettinglate。SoIwenthomewithmybetterhalf，bearingmylateliteraryacquisitioninmyhand。

ThatnightIsatupverylatereadingthelifeofTwmO’rNant，writtenbyhimselfinchoiceWelsh，andhisinterludewhichwasstyled"CyfoethaThylody；or，RichesandPoverty。"ThelifeIhadreadinmyboyhoodinanoldWelshmagazine，andInowreaditagainwithgreatzest，andnowonder，asitisprobablythemostremarkableautobiographyeverpenned。TheinterludeIhadneverseenbefore，norindeedanyofthedramaticpiecesofTwmO’rNant，thoughIhadfrequentlywishedtoprocuresomeofthem—so