第39章

continuedsingletillmyEnglishfamilygrewupandleftme，when，feelingmyselfratherlonely，ImarriedadecentyoungWelshwoman，bywhomIhadoneson，theladJohnwhoisfollowingbehindwithhisdogJoe。AndnowyourhonourknowsthewholestoryofJohnGreaves，minerfromthecountyofDurham。"

"Andamostentertainingandinstructivehistoryitis，"saidI。

"Youhavenottoldme，however，howyoucontrivedtopickupWelsh：

Iheardyouspeakingitlastnightwiththepostman。"

"Why，throughmyWelshwife，yourhonour！WithoutherIdon’tthinkIshouldeverhavepickeduptheWelshmannerofdiscoursing—sheisagoodkindofwoman，myWelshwife，though—"

"ThelossofyourDurhamwifemusthavebeenagreatgrieftoyou，"

saidI。

"Itwasthebitterestgrief，yourhonour，asIsaidbefore，thatI

everhad；mynextworstIthinkwasthedeathofadearfriend。"

"Whowasthat？"saidI

"Whowasit，yourhonour？why，theDukeofNewcastle。"

"Dearme！"saidI，"howcameyoutoknowhim？"

"Why，yourhonour，helivedataplacenotfarfromhere，calledHafod，andso—"

"Hafod？"saidI；"IhaveoftenheardofHafodanditslibrary；butIthoughtitbelongedtoanoldWelshfamilycalledJohnes。"

"Well，soitdid，yourhonour，butthefamilydiedaway，andtheestatewasputupforsale，andpurchasedbytheDuke，whobuiltafinehouseuponit，whichhemadehischiefplaceofresidence—

theoldfamilyhouse，Imusttellyourhonour，inwhichthelibrarywas，hadbeendestroyedbyfire。Well，hehadn’tbeenlongsettledtherebeforehefoundmeoutandtookwonderfullytome，discoursingwithmeandconsultingmeabouthisfarmingandimprovements。ManyisthepleasantchatanddiscourseIhavehadwithhisGraceforhoursandhourstogether，forhisGracehadnotabitofpride，atleasthenevershowedanytome，thoughperhapsthereasonofthatwasthatwewerebothnorthcountrypeople。

Lord！IwouldhavelaiddownmylifeforhisGraceandhavedoneanythingbutonewhichheonceaskedmetodo。’Greaves，’saidtheDuketomeoneday，’Iwishyouwouldgiveupminingandbecomemysteward。’’SorryIcan’tobligeyourGrace，’saidI，’butgiveupminingIcannot。IwillatanytimegiveyourGracealltheadviceIcanaboutfarmingandsuchlike，butgiveupminingIcannot；

becausewhy？—Iconceiveminingtobethenoblestbusinessinthe’versalworld。’WhereuponhisGracelaughed，andsaidhedaresayIwasright，andnevermentionedthesubjectagain。"

"WashisGraceveryfondoffarmingandimproving？"

"Ohyes，yourhonour。Likeallthegreatgentry，especiallythenorthcountrygentry，hisGracewaswonderfullyfondoffarmingandimproving；andawonderfuldealofgoodhedid，reclaimingthousandsofacresoflandwhichwasbeforegoodfornothing，andbuildingcapitalfarm—housesandofficesforhistenants。Hisgrandfeat，however，wasbringingtheDurhambullintothiscountry，whichformedacapitalcrosswiththeWelshcows。Pitythathewasn’tequallyfortunatewiththenorthcountrysheep。"

"DidhetrytointroducethemintoWales？"

"Yes，buttheydidn’tanswer，asIknewtheywouldn’t。SaysItotheDuke：’Itwon’tdo，yourGrace，tobringthenorthcountrysheephere：becausewhy？thehillsaretoowetandcoldfortheirconstitutions’；buthisGrace，whohadsometimesawillofhisown，persistedandbroughtthenorthcountrysheeptotheseparts，anditturnedoutasIsaid—thesheepcaughtthedisease，andthewoolpartedand—"

"But，"saidI，"youshouldhavetoldhimaboutthesalvemadeofbran，butterandoil；youshouldhavedonethat。"

"Well，soIdid，yourhonour。Itoldhimaboutthesalve，andtheDukelistenedtome，andthesalvewasmadebytheseveryhands；

butwhenitwasmade，whatdoyouthink？thefoolishWelshwouldn’tputiton，sayingthatitwasagainsttheirlawsandstattiesandreligiontouseit，andtalkedaboutDevil’ssalvesandtheWitchofEndor，andthesinagainsttheHolyGhost，andsuchlikenonsense。Sotopreventaregularrebellion，theDukegaveupthesalve，andthepoorsheeppinedawayanddied，tillatlasttherewasnotoneleft。"

"Whoholdstheestateatpresent？"saidI。

"Why，agreatgentlemanfromLancashire，yourhonour，whoboughtitwhentheDukedied；buthedoesn’ttakethesamepleasureinitwhichtheDukedid，norspendsomuchmoneyaboutit，theconsequencebeingthateverythinglooksverydifferentfromwhatitlookedintheDuke’stime。TheinnattheDevil’sBridgeandthegroundslookverydifferentfromwhattheylookedintheDuke’stime，foryoumustknowthattheinnandthegroundsformpartoftheHafodestate，andarehiredfromtheproprietor。"

Bythistimewehadarrivedatasmallvillage，withatoll—barandasmallchurchorchapelatsomelittledistancefromtheroad，whichheremadeaturnnearlyfullsouth。Theroadwasverygood，butthecountrywaswildandrugged；therewasadeepvaleontheright，atthebottomofwhichrolledtheRheidolinitscleft，risingbeyondwhichweresteep，nakedhills。

"Thisvillage，"saidmycompanion，"iscalledYsbyttyCynfyn。Downontheright，pastthechurch，isastrangebridgeacrosstheRheidol，whichrunstherethroughahorridkindofaplace。ThebridgeiscalledPontyrOffeiriad，ortheParson’sBridge，becauseintheoldtimetheclergymanpassedoveriteverySundaytododutyinthechurchhere。"

"WhyisthisplacecalledYsbyttyCynfyn？"saidI，"whichmeansthehospitalofthefirstboundary；isthereahospitalofthesecondboundarynearhere？"

"Ican’tsayanythingaboutboundaries，yourhonour；allIknowis，thatthereisanotherSpyttyfartheronbeyondHafodcalledYsbyttyYstwyth，orthe’SpyttyupontheYstwyth。ButtoreturntothematteroftheMinister’sBridge：Iwouldcounselyourhonourtogoandseethatbridgebeforeyouleavetheseparts。Avastnumberofgentrygotoseeitinthesummertime。Itwasthebridgewhichthelandlordwasmentioninglastnight，thoughitscarcelybelongstohisdistrict，beingquiteasneartheDevil’sBridgeinnasitistohisown，yourhonour。"

Wewentondiscoursingforabouthalfamilefarther，when，stoppingbyaroadwhichbranchedofftothehillsontheleft，mycompanionsaid。"Imustnowwishyourhonourgoodday，beingobligedtogoalittlewayupheretoaminingworkonasmallbitofbusiness；myson，however，andhisdogJoewillshowyourhonourthewaytotheDevil’sBridge，astheyareboundtoaplacealittlewaypastit。Ihavenowbutonewordtosay，whichis，thatshouldeveryourhonourpleasetovisitmeatmymine，yourhonourshallreceiveeveryfacilityforinspectingtheworks，andmoreoverhaveabellyfulofdrinkandvictualsfromJockGreaves，minerfromthecountyofDurham。"

Ishookthehonestfellowbythehand，andwentonincompanywiththeladJohnandhisdogasfarastheDevil’sBridge。Johnwasahighly—intelligentlad，spokeWelshandEnglishfluently，couldread，ashetoldme，bothlanguages，andhadsomeacquaintancewiththewritingsofTwmo’rNant，asheshowedbyrepeatingthefollowinglinesofthecarterpoet，certainlynottheworstwhichheeverwrote：—

"TwmorNantmaecanta’mgalw，TomasEdwardsywfyenw，"

TomONantisanicknameI’vegot，Myname’sThomasEdwards，Iwot。"

CHAPTERLXXXIV

TheHospice—TheTwoRivers—TheDevil’sBridge—PleasantRecollections。

IARRIVEDattheDevil’sBridgeatabouteleveno’clockofafinebutcoldday，andtookupmyquartersattheinn，ofwhichIwasthesoleguestduringthewholetimethatIcontinuedthere；fortheinn，standinginalone，wilddistrict，hasveryfewguestsexceptinsummer，whenitisthrongedwithtourists，whoavailthemselvesofthatgenialseasontoviewthewondersofWales，ofwhichtheregionclosebyisconsideredamongsttheprincipal。

Theinn，orratherhospice—forthesoundingnameofhospiceismoreapplicabletoitthanthecommononeofinn—wasbuiltatagreatexpensebythelateDukeofNewcastle。Itisanimmenseloftycottagewithprojectingeaves，andhasafinewindowtotheeastwhichenlightensastatelystaircaseandanoblegallery。Itfrontsthenorth，andstandsinthemidstofoneofthemostremarkablelocalitiesintheworld，ofwhichitwouldrequireafarmorevigor