第29章

"ItoldhimthatIcouldtakeittotheriver，providedIcouldbutgetthreeorfourmentohelpme；whereuponhesaidthatifIcouldbutgetthevesseltothewaterhewouldgivemeanythingIasked，andearnestlybeggedmetocomethenextmorning，ifpossible。I

didcomewiththeladandfourhorses。Iwentbeforetheteam，andsetthementoworktobreakaholethroughagreatoldwall，whichstoodasitwerebeforetheship。Wethenlaidapieceoftimberacrosstheholefromwhichwasachain，towhichthetackle，thatistheropeandpulleys，washooked。Wethenhookedoneendoftheropetotheship，andsetthehorsestopullattheother。Theshipcameoutoftheholeprosperouslyenough，andthenwehadtohookthetackletoatree，whichwasgrowingnear，andbythismeanswegottheshipforward；butwhenwecametosoftgroundwewereobligedtoputplanksunderthewheelstopreventtheirsinkingundertheimmenseweight；whenwecametotheendoftheforemostplanksweputthehinderonesbefore，andsoon；whentherewasnotreeathandtowhichwecouldhookthetackle，wewereobligedtodriveapostdowntohookitto。Sofromtreetopostitgotdowntotheriverinafewdays。Iwaspromisednoblewagesbythemerchant，butInevergotanythingfromhimbutpromisesandpraises。Somepeoplecametolookatus，andgaveusmoneytogetale，andthatwasall。"

Themerchantsubsequentlyturnedoutaverygreatknave，cheatingTomonvariousoccasions，andfinallybrokeverymuchinhisdebt。

Tomwasobligedtoselloffeverything，andleftSouthWaleswithouthorsesorwaggon；hisoldfriendtheMuse，however，stoodhimingoodstead。

"BeforeIleft，"sayshe，"IwenttoBrecon，andprintedthe’InterludeoftheKing，theJustice，theBishop，andtheHusbandman，’andgotanoldacquaintanceofminetoplayitwithme，andhelpmetosellthebooks。Ilikewisebusiedmyselfingettingsubscriberstoabookofsongscalledthe’GardenofMinstrelsy。’ItwasprintedatTrefecca。Theexpenseattendingtheprintingamountedtofifty—twopounds，butIwasfortunateenoughtodisposeoftwothousandcopies。Isubsequentlycomposedaninterludecalled’PleasureandCare，’andprintedit；andafterthatImadeaninterludecalledthe’ThreePowerfulOnesoftheWorld：Poverty，Love，andDeath。’"

Thepoet’sdaughterswerenotsuccessfulinthetavernspeculationatLlandeilo，andfollowedtheirfatherintoNorthWales。Thesecondheapprenticedtoamilliner，theothertwolivedwithhimtillthedayofhisdeath。HesettledatDenbighinasmallhousewhichhewasenabledtofurnishbymeansoftwoorthreesmallsumswhichherecoveredforworkdonealongtimebefore。Shortlyafterhisreturn，hisfatherdied，andthelawyerseizedthelittleproperty"fortheoldcurse，"andturnedTom’smotherout。

AfterhisreturnfromtheSouthTomwentaboutforsometimeplayinginterludes，andthenturnedhishandtomanythings。Helearntthetradeofstonemason，tookjobs，andkeptworkmen。Hethenwentamongstcertainbricklayers，andinducedthemtoteachhimtheircraft；"andshortly，"ashesays，"becameaverylionatbricklaying。Forthelastfourorfiveyears，"sayshe，towardstheconclusionofhishistory，"myworkhasbeentoputupironovensandlikewisefurnacesofallkinds，alsogrates，stovesandboilers，andnotunfrequentlyIhavepractisedasasmokedoctor。"

ThefollowingfeatsofstrengthheperformedafterhisreturnfromSouthWales，whenhewasprobablyaboutsixtyyearsofage：—

"AboutayearaftermyreturnfromtheSouth，"sayshe，"Imetwithanoldcarrierofwood，whohadmanyatimeworkedalongwithme。

HeandIwereattheHandatRuthynalongwithvariousothers，andinthecourseofdiscoursemyfriendsaidtome：’Tom，thouartmuchweakerthanthouwastwhenwecartedwoodtogether。’I

answeredthatinmyopinionIwasnotabitweakerthanIwasthen。

NowithappenedthatatthemomentweweretalkingthereweresomesacksofwheatinthehallwhichweregoingtoChesterbythecarrier’swaggon。Theymightholdaboutthreebushelseach，andI

saidthatifIcouldgetthreeofthesacksuponthetable，andhadthemtiedtogether，Iwouldcarrythemintothestreetandbackagain；andsoIdid；manywhowerepresenttriedtodothesamething，butallfailed。

"AnothertimewhenIwasatChesterIliftedabarrelofporterfromthestreettothehinderpartofthewaggonsolelybystrengthofbackandarms。"

Hewasoncerunoverbyaloadedwaggon，butstrangetosayescapedwithouttheslightestinjury。

Towardsthecloseofhislifehehadstrongreligiousconvictions，andfeltaloathingforthesinswhichhehadcommitted。"Ontheiraccount，"saysheintheconcludingpageofhisbiography，"thereisastrongnecessityformetoconsidermywaysandtoinquireaboutaSaviour，sinceitisutterlyimpossibleformetosavemyselfwithoutobtainingknowledgeofthemeritsoftheMediator，inwhichIhopeIshallterminatemyshorttimeonearthinthepeaceofGodenduringuntoalleternity。"

Hediedintheyear1810，attheageof71，shortlyafterthedeathofhiswife，whoseemstohavebeenafaithful，lovingpartner。ByhersidehewasburiedintheearthofthegraveyardoftheWhiteChurch，nearDenbigh。Therecanbelittledoubtthatthesoulsofbothwillbeacceptedonthegreatdaywhen，asGronwyOwensays：—

"Likecornfromthebellyoftheploughedfield，inathickcrop，thoseburiedintheearthshallarise，andtheseashallcastforthathousandmyriadsofdeadabovethedeepbillowyway。"

CHAPTERLX

MysteryPlays—TheTwoPrimeOpponents—AnalysisofInterlude—

RichesandPoverty—Tom’sGrandQualities。

INtheprecedingchapterIhavegivenanabstractofthelifeofTomO’theDingle；Iwillnowgiveananalysisofhisinterlude；

first，however，afewwordsoninterludesingeneral。Itisdifficulttosaywithanythinglikecertaintywhatisthemeaningofthewordinterlude。Itmaymean，asWartonsupposesinhishistoryofEnglishPoetry，ashortplayperformedbetweenthecoursesofabanquetorfestival；oritmaymeantheplayingofsomethingbytwoormoreparties，theinterchangeofplayingoractingwhichoccurswhentwoormorepeopleact。ItwasaboutthemiddleofthefifteenthcenturythatdramaticpiecesbeganinEnglandtobecalledInterludes；forsometimeprevioustheyhadbeenstyledMoralities；buttheearliestnamebywhichtheywereknownwasMysteries。ThefirstMysteriescomposedinEnglandwerebyoneRanald，orRanulf，amonkofChester，whoflourishedabout1322，whoseversesarementionedratherirreverentlyinoneofthevisionsofPiersPlowman，whoputstheminthesamerankastheballadsaboutRobinHoodandMaidMarion，makingSlothsay：

"IcannonperfitlymyPaternosterasthepriestitsingeth，ButIcanrhymesofRobinHoodandRanaldofChester。"

Long，however，beforethetimeofthisRanaldMysterieshadbeencomposedandrepresentedbothinItalyandFrance。TheMysterieswereveryrudecompositions，littlemore，asWartonsays，thanliteralrepresentationsofportionsofScripture。TheyderivedtheirnameofMysteriesfrombeinggenerallyfoundedonthemoremysteriouspartsofHolyWrit，forexampletheIncarnation，theAtonement，andtheResurrection。TheMoralitiesdisplayedsomethingmoreofartandinventionthantheMysteries；inthemvirtues，vicesandqualitieswerepersonified，andsomethinglikeaplotwasfrequentlytobediscovered。TheyweretermedMoralitiesbecauseeachhaditsmoral，whichwasspokenattheendofthepiecebyapersoncalledtheDoctor。（7）Muchthathasbeensaidaboutthemoralitiesholdsgoodwithrespecttotheinterludes。

Indeed，forsometimedramaticpieceswerecalledmoralitiesandinterludesindifferently。Inboththereisamixtureofallegoryandreality。The