"Never mind their laughing at you," said I, "provided you learn to
read; let them laugh who win!"
"You give good advice, mester," said he, "I think I shall follow
it."
"Let me look at the paper," said I.
He handed it to me. It was a Welsh paper, and full of dismal
accounts from the seat of war.
"What news, mester?" said the waggoner.
"Nothing but bad," said I; "the Russians are beating us and the
French too."
"If the Rusiaid beat us," said the waggoner, "it is because the
Francod are with us. We should have gone alone."
"Perhaps you are right," said I; "at any rate we could not have
fared worse than we are faring now."
I presently paid for what I had had, inquired the way to Llan
Rhyadr, and departed.
The village of Llanarmon takes its name from its church, which is
dedicated to Garmon, an Armorican bishop, who with another called
Lupus came over into Britain in order to preach against the heresy
of Pelagius. He and his colleague resided for some time in
Flintshire, and whilst there enabled in a remarkable manner the
Britons to achieve a victory over those mysterious people the
Picts, who were ravaging the country far and wide. Hearing that
the enemy were advancing towards Mold, the two bishops gathered
together a number of the Britons, and placed them in ambush in a
dark valley through which it was necessary for the Picts to pass in
order to reach Mold, strictly enjoining them to remain quiet till
all their enemies should have entered the valley and then do
whatever they should see them, the two bishops, do. The Picts
arrived, and when they were about half-way through the valley the
two bishops stepped forward from a thicket and began crying aloud,
"Alleluia!" The Britons followed their example, and the wooded
valley resounded with cries of "Alleluia! Alleluia!" The shouts
and the unexpected appearance of thousands of men caused such
terror to the Picts that they took to flight in the greatest
confusion; hundreds were trampled to death by their companions, and
not a few were drowned in the river Alan (8) which runs through the
valley.
There are several churches dedicated to Garmon in Wales, but
whether there are any dedicated to Lupus I am unable to say. After
leaving Llanarmon I found myself amongst lumpy hills through which
the road led in the direction of the south. Arriving where several
roads met I followed one and became bewildered amidst hills and
ravines. At last I saw a small house close by a nant or dingle,
and turned towards it for the purpose of inquiring my way. On my
knocking at the door a woman made her appearance, of whom I asked
in Welsh whether I was in the road to Llan Rhyadr. She said that I
was out of it, but that if I went towards the south I should see a
path on my left which would bring me to it. I asked her how far it
was to Llan Rhyadr.
"Four long miles," she replied.
"And what is the name of the place where we are now?" said I.
"Cae Hir" (the long inclosure), said she.
"Are you alone in the house?" said I.
"Quite alone," said she; "but my husband and people will soon be
home from the field, for it is getting dusk."
"Have you any Saxon?" said I.
"Not a word," said she, "have I of the iaith dieithr, nor has my
husband, nor any one of my people."
I bade her farewell, and soon reached the road, which led south and
north. As I was bound for the south I strode forward briskly in
that direction. The road was between romantic hills; heard Welsh
songs proceeding from the hill fields on my right, and the murmur
of a brook rushing down a deep nant on my left. I went on till I
came to a collection of houses which an old woman, with a cracked
voice and a small tin milk-pail, whom I assisted in getting over a
stile into the road, told me was called Pen Strit - probably the
head of the street. She spoke English, and on my asking her how
she had learnt the English tongue, she told me that she had learnt
it of her mother who was an English woman. She said that I was two
miles from Llan Rhyadr, and that I must go straight forward. I did
so till I reached a place where the road branched into two, one
bearing somewhat to the left, and the other to the right. After
standing a minute in perplexity I took the right-hand road, but
soon guessed that I had taken the wrong one, as the road dwindled
into a mere footpath. Hearing some one walking on the other side
of the hedge I inquired in Welsh whether I was going right for Llan
Rhyadr, and was answered by a voice in English, apparently that of
a woman, that I was not, and that I must go back. I did so, and
presently a woman came through a gate to me.
"Are you the person," said I, "who just now answered me in English
after I had spoken in Welsh?"
"In truth I am," said she, with a half laugh.
"And how came you to answer me in English after I had spoken to you
in Welsh?"
"Because," said she, "it was easy enough to know by your voice that
you were an Englishman."
"You speak English remarkably well," said I.
"And so do you Welsh," said the woman; "I had no idea that it was
possible for any Englishman to speak Welsh half so well."
"I wonder," thought I to myself, "what you would have answered if I
had said that you speak English execrably." By her own account she
could read both Welsh and English.
