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wild wales-第156章

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name the province of Hesse in which there was a mighty temple 
devoted to him; derived its appellation。  The Scandinavians 
worshipped him under the name of Odin and Gautr; the latter word a 
modification of Cadarn or mighty。  The wild Finns feared him as a 
wizard and honoured him as a musician under the name of 
Wainoemoinen; and it is very probable that he was the wondrous 
being whom the Greeks termed Odysses。  Till a late period the word 
Hu amongst the Cumry was frequently used to express God … Gwir Hu; 
God knows; being a common saying。  Many Welsh poets have called the 
Creator by the name of the creature; amongst others Iolo Goch in 
his ode to the ploughman:…


〃The mighty Hu who lives for ever;
Of mead and wine to men the giver;
The emperor of land and sea;
And of all things that living be
Did hold a plough with his good hand;
Soon as the deluge left the land;
To show to men both strong and weak;
The haughty…hearted and the meek;
Of all the arts the heaven below
The noblest is to guide the plough。〃


So much for Hu Gadarn or Hu the Mighty; whose name puts one 
strangely in mind of the Al Kader Hu or the Almighty He of the 
Arabians。

I went to see the church。  The inside was very rude and plain … a 
rough table covered with a faded cloth served for an altar … on the 
right…hand side was a venerable…looking chest。

〃What is there in that box?〃 said I to the old sexton who attended 
me。

〃The treasure of the church; sir;〃 he replied in a feeble quaking 
voice。

〃Dear me!〃 said I; 〃what does the treasure consist of?〃

〃You shall see; sir;〃 said he; and drawing a large key out of his 
pocket he unlocked the chest and taking out a cup of silver he put 
it into my hand saying:… 〃This is the treasure of the church; sir!〃

I looked at the cup。  It was tolerably large and of very chaste 
workmanship。  Graven upon it were the following words:…


〃Poculum Eclesie De LXXN Dewy Brefy 1574。〃


〃Do you always keep this cup in that chest?〃 said I。

〃Yes sir! we have kept it there since the cup was given to us by de 
godly Queen Elizabeth。〃

I said nothing; but I thought to myself:… 〃I wonder how long a cup 
like this would have been safe in a crazy chest in a country church 
in England。〃

I kissed the sacred relic of old times with reverence; and returned 
it to the old sexton。

〃What became of the horns of Hu Gadarn's bull?〃 said I; after he 
had locked the cup again in its dilapidated coffer。

〃They did dwindle away; sir; till they came to nothing。〃

〃Did you ever see any part of them?〃 said I。

〃Oh no; sir; I did never see any part of them; but one very old man 
who is buried here did tell me shortly before he died that he had 
seen one very old man who had seen of dem one little tip。〃

〃Who was the old man who said that to you?〃 said I。

〃I will show you his monument; sir;〃 then taking me into a dusky 
pew he pointed to a small rude tablet against the church wall and 
said:… 〃That is his monument; sir。〃

The tablet bore the following inscription; and below it a rude 
englyn on death not worth transcribing:…


Coffadwriaeth am
THOMAS JONES
Diweddar o'r Draws Llwyn yn y Plwyf hwn:
Bu farw Chwefror 6 fed 1830
Yn 92 oed。

To the memory of
THOMAS JONES
Of Traws Llwyn (across the Grove) in this
parish who died February the sixth; 1830。
Aged 92。


After copying the inscription I presented the old man with a trifle 
and went my way。



CHAPTER XCV



Lampeter … The Monk Austin … The Three Publicans … The Tombstone … 
Sudden Change … Trampers … A Catholic … The Bridge of Twrch。


THE country between Llan Ddewi and Lampeter presented nothing 
remarkable; and I met on the road nothing worthy of being recorded。  
On arriving at Lampeter I took a slight refreshment at the inn; and 
then went to see the college which stands a little way to the north 
of the town。  It was founded by Bishop Burgess in the year 1820; 
for the education of youths intended for the ministry of the Church 
of England。  It is a neat quadrate edifice with a courtyard in 
which stands a large stone basin。  From the courtyard you enter a 
spacious dining…hall; over the door of which hangs a well…executed 
portrait of the good bishop。  From the hall you ascend by a 
handsome staircase to the library; a large and lightsome room; well 
stored with books in various languages。  The grand curiosity is a 
manuscript Codex containing a Latin synopsis of Scripture which 
once belonged to the monks of Bangor Is Coed。  It bears marks of 
blood with which it was sprinkled when the monks were massacred by 
the heathen Saxons; at the instigation of Austin the Pope's 
missionary in Britain。  The number of students seldom exceeds 
forty。

It might be about half…past two in the afternoon when I left 
Lampeter。  I passed over a bridge; taking the road to Llandovery 
which; however; I had no intention of attempting to reach that 
night; as it was considerably upwards of twenty miles distant。  The 
road lay; seemingly; due east。  After walking very briskly for 
about an hour I came to a very small hamlet consisting of not more 
than six or seven houses; of these three seemed to be public…
houses; as they bore large flaming signs。  Seeing three rather 
shabby…looking fellows standing chatting with their hands in their 
pockets; I stopped and inquired in English the name of the place。

〃Pen… something;〃 said one of them; who had a red face and a large 
carbuncle on his nose; which served to distinguish him from his 
companions; who though they had both very rubicund faces had no 
carbuncles。

〃It seems rather a small place to maintain three public…houses;〃 
said I; 〃how do the publicans manage to live?〃

〃Oh; tolerably well; sir; we get bread and cheese and have a groat 
in our pockets。  No great reason to complain; have we; neighbours?〃

〃No! no great reason to complain;〃 said the other two。

〃Dear me!〃 said I; 〃are you the publicans?〃

〃We are; sir;〃 said the man with the carbuncle on his nose; 〃and 
shall be each of us glad to treat you to a pint in his own house in 
order to welcome you to Shire Car … shan't we; neighbours?〃

〃Yes; in truth we shall;〃 said the other two。

〃By Shire Car;〃 said I; 〃I suppose you mean Shire Cardigan?〃

〃Shire Cardigan!〃 said the man; 〃no indeed; by Shire Car is meant 
Carmarthenshire。  Your honour has left beggarly Cardigan some way 
behind you。  Come; your honour; come and have a pint; this is my 
house;〃 said he; pointing to one of the buildings。

〃But;〃 said I; 〃I suppose if I drink at your expense you expect to 
drink at mine?〃

〃Why; we can't say that we shall have any objection; your honour; I 
think we will arrange the matter in this way; we will go into my 
house; where we will each of us treat your honour with a pint; and 
for each pint we treat your honour with your honour shall treat us 
with one。〃

〃Do you mean each?〃 said I。

〃Why; yes! your honour; for a pint amongst three would be rather a 
short allowance。〃

〃Then it would come to this;〃 said I; 〃I should receive three pints 
from you three; and you three would receive nine from me。〃

〃Just so; your honour; I se
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