下载辰思小说免费APP
AfterastayofsometimewithIfor，hereturnedtohisnativecountyandlivedatBroGynnin。HerehefellinlovewithayoungladyofbirthcalledDyddgu，whodidnotfavourhisaddresses。Hedidnotbreakhisheart，however，onheraccount，butspeedilybestoweditonthefairMorfudd，whomhefirstsawatRhosyrinAnglesey，towhichplacebothhadgoneonareligiousaccount。Theladyaftersomedemurconsentedtobecomehiswife。Herparentsrefusingtosanctiontheunion，theirhandswerejoinedbeneaththegreenwoodtreebyoneMadawgBenfras，abard，andagreatfriendofAbGwilym。Thejoiningofpeople’shandsbybards，whichwasprobablyarelicofDruidism，hadlongbeenpractisedinWales，andmarriagesofthiskindweregenerallyconsideredvalid，andseldomsetaside。Theecclesiasticallaw，however，didnotrecognisethesepoeticalmarriages，andtheparentsofMorfuddbyappealingtothelawsoonseveredtheunion。Afterconfiningtheladyforashorttime，theybestowedherhandinlegalfashionuponachieftainoftheneighbourhood，veryrichbutratherold，andwithahumponhisback，onaccountwhichhewasnicknamedbow—back，orlittlehump—back。Morfudd，however，whopassedhertimeinratheradullmannerwiththisperson，whichwouldnothavebeenthecasehadshedoneherdutybyendeavouringtomakethepoormancomfortable，andbyvisitingthesickandneedyaroundher，wassooninducedbythebardtoelopewithhim。TheloversfledtoGlamorgan，whereIforHael，notmuchtohisowncredit，receivedthemwithopenarms，probablyforgettinghowhehadimmuredhisOWN
daughterinaconvent，ratherthanbestowheronAbGwilym。Havingahunting—lodgeinaforestonthebanksofthelovelyTaf，heallottedittothefugitivesasaresidence。Ecclesiasticallaw，however，asstronginWildWalesasinotherpartsofEurope，soonfollowedthemintoGlamorgan，and，veryproperly，separatedthem。
Theladywasrestoredtoherhusband，andAbGwilymfinedtoaveryhighamount。Notbeingabletopaythefine，hewascastintoprison；butthenthemenofGlamorganarosetoaman，swearingthattheirheadbardshouldnotremaininprison。"Thenpayhisfine！"
saidtheecclesiasticallaw，orrathertheecclesiasticallawyer。
"Sowewill！"saidthemenofGlamorgan，andsotheydid。Everymanputhishandintohispocket；theamountwassoonraised，thefinepaid，andthebardsetfree。
AbGwilymdidnotforgetthiskindnessofthemenofGlamorgan，and，torequiteit，wroteanaddresstothesun，inwhichherequeststhatluminarytovisitGlamorgan，toblessit，andtokeepitfromharm。Thepiececoncludeswithsomenoblelinessomewhattothiseffect"IfeverystrandoppressionstrongShouldarmagainstthesonofsong，Thewearywightwouldfind，Iween，AwelcomeinGlamorgangreen。"
SometimeafterhisreleasehemeditatedasecondelopementwithMorfudd，andeveninducedhertoconsenttogooffwithhim。A
friend，towhomhedisclosedwhathewasthinkingofdoing，askinghimwhetherhewouldventureasecondtimetotakesuchastep，"I
will，"saidthebard，"inthenameofGodandthemenofGlamorgan。"Nosecondelopement，however，tookplace，thebardprobablythinking，ashasbeenwellobserved，thatneitherGodnorthemenofGlamorganwouldhelphimasecondtimeoutofsuchanaffair。Hedidnotattaintoanyadvancedage，butdiedwhenaboutsixty，sometwentyyearsbeforetherisingofGlendower。Sometimebeforehisdeathhismindfortunatelytookadecidedlyreligiousturn。
Heissaidtohavebeeneminentlyhandsomeinhisyouth，tall，slender，withyellowhairfallinginringletsdownhisshoulders。
Heislikewisesaidtohavebeenagreatlibertine。Thefollowingstoryistoldofhim：—
"Inacertainneighbourhoodhehadagreatmanymistresses，somemarriedandothersnot。Onceuponatime，inthemonthofJunehemadeasecretappointmentwitheachofhislady—loves，theplaceandhourofmeetingbeingthesameforall；eachwastomeethimatthesamehourbeneathamightyoakwhichstoodinthemidstofaforestglade。Sometimebeforetheappointedhourhewent，andclimbinguptheoak，hidhimselfamidstthedensefoliageofitsboughs。Whenthehourarrivedheobservedallthenymphstrippingtotheplaceofappointment；allcame，tothenumberoftwenty—four—notonestayedaway。Forsometimetheyremainedbeneaththeoakstaringateachother。Atlengthanexplanationensued，anditappearedthattheyhadallcometomeetAbGwilym。
"’Oh，thetreacherousmonster！’criedtheywithoneaccord；’onlylethimshowhimselfandwewilltearhimtopieces。’
"’Willyou？’saidAbGwilymfromtheoak；’hereIam；letherwhohasbeenmostwantonwithmemakethefirstattackuponme！’
"Thefemalesremainedforsometimespeechless；allofasudden，however，theirangerkindled，notagainstthebard，butagainsteachother。Fromharshandtauntingwordstheysooncametoactions：hairwastornoff，faceswerescratched，bloodflowedfromcheekandnose。WhilstthetumultwasatitsfiercestAbGwilymslippedaway。"
Thewritermerelyrepeatsthisstory，andherepeatsitasconciselyaspossible，inordertohaveanopportunityofsayingthathedoesnotbelieveoneparticleofit。Ifhebelievedit，hewouldforthwithburnthemostcherishedvolumeofthesmallcollectionofbooksfromwhichhederivesdelightandrecreation，namely，thatwhichcontainsthesongsofAbGwilym，forhewouldhavenothinginhispossessionbelongingtosuchaheartlessscoundrelasAbGwilymmusthavebeenhadhegotupthesceneabovedescribed。Anycommonmanwhowouldexposetoeachotherandtheworldanumberofhapless，trustingfemaleswhohadfavouredhimwiththeiraffections，andfromthetopofatreewouldfeasthiseyesupontheiragoniesofshameandrage，woulddeservetobe—
emasculated。HadAbGwilymbeensodeadtoeveryfeelingofgratitudeandhonourastoplaythepartwhichthestorymakeshimplay，hewouldhavedeservednotonlytobeemasculated，buttobescourgedwithharp—stringsineverymarket—towninWales，andtobedismissedfromtheserviceoftheMuse。Butthewriterrepeatsthathedoesnotbelieveonetittleofthestory，thoughAbGwilym’sbiographer，thelearnedandcelebratedWilliamOwen，notonlyseemstobelieveit，butratherchucklesoverit。ItistheopinionofthewriterthatthestoryisofItalianorigin，andthatitformedpartofoneofthemanyrascallynovelsbroughtovertoEnglandafterthemarriageofLionel，DukeofClarence，thethirdsonofEdwardtheThird，withViolante，daughterofGaleazzo，DukeofMilan。
DafyddAbGwilymhasbeeningeneralconsideredasasongsterwhoneveremployedhismuseonanysubjectsavethatoflove，andtherecanbenodoubtthatbyfarthegreaternumberofhispiecesaredevotedmoreorlesstothesubjectoflove。Buttoconsiderhimmerelyinthelightofanamatorypoetwouldbewrong。Hehaswrittenpoemsofwonderfulpoweronalmosteveryconceivablesubject。AbGwilymhasbeenstyledtheWelshOvid，andwithgreatjustice，butnotmerelybecauseliketheRomanhewroteadmirablyonlove。TheRomanwasnotmerelyanamatorypoet：lettheshadeofPythagorassaywhetherthepoetwhoembodiedinimmortalversetheoldest，themostwonderful，andatthesametimethemosthumane，ofallphilosophywasamereamatorypoet。LettheshadeofblindHomerbecalleduptosaywhetherthebardwhocomposedthetremendousline—
"SurgitadhosclypeidominusseptemplicisAjax"—
equaltoanysaveONEofhisown，wasamereamatorysongster。
Yet，diversifiedasthegeniusoftheRomanwas，thereisnospeciesofpoetryinwhichheshoneinwhichtheWelshmanmaynotbesaidtodisplayequalmerit。AbGwilym，then，hasbeenfairlystyledtheWelshOvid。Buthewassomethingmore—andherelettherebenosneersaboutWelsh：theWelshareequalingenius，intellectandlearningtoanypeopleunderthesun，andspeakalanguageolderthanGreek，andwhichisoneoftheimmediateparentsoftheGreek。Hewassomethingmorethanth
