FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142  
143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   >>   >|  
the 'Bardd Cwsg.' You pronounce Welsh very fairly; have you ever been in Wales?" "Never," said I. "Not been in Wales; then, of course, you don't understand Welsh; but we were talking of the 'Bardd Cwsg,'--yes, there are fairies in the 'Bardd Cwsg,'--the author of it, Master Ellis Wyn, {201} was carried away in his sleep by them over mountains and valleys, rivers and great waters, incurring mighty perils at their hands, till he was rescued from them by an angel of the Most High, who subsequently showed him many wonderful things." "I beg your pardon," said I, "but what were those wonderful things?" "I see, young man," said Peter, smiling, "that you are not without curiosity; but I can easily pardon any one for being curious about the wonders contained in the book of Master Ellis Wyn. The angel showed him the course of this world, its pomps and vanities, its cruelty and its pride, its crimes and deceits. On another occasion, the angel showed him Death in his nether palace, surrounded by his grisly ministers, and by those who are continually falling victims to his power. And, on a third occasion, the state of the condemned in their place of everlasting torment." "But this was all in his sleep," said I, "was it not?" "Yes," said Peter, "in his sleep; and on that account the book is called 'Gweledigaethau y Bardd Cwsg,' or, Visions of the Sleeping Bard." "I do not care for wonders which occur in sleep," said I. "I prefer real ones; and perhaps, notwithstanding what he says, the man had no visions at all--they are probably of his own invention." "They are substantially true, young man," said Peter; "like the dreams of Bunyan, they are founded on three tremendous facts, Sin, Death, and Hell; and like his they have done incalculable good, at least in my own country, in the language of which they are written. Many a guilty conscience has the 'Bardd Cwsg' aroused with its dreadful sights, its strong sighs, its puffs of smoke from the pit, and its showers of sparks from the mouth of the yet lower gulf of--Unknown--were it not for the 'Bardd Cwsg' perhaps I might not be here." "I would sooner hear your own tale," said I, "than all the visions of the 'Bardd Cwsg.'" Peter shook, bent his form nearly double, and covered his face with his hands. I sat still and motionless, with my eyes fixed upon him. Presently Winifred descended the hill, and joined us. "What is the matter?" said she, looking at her husban
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142  
143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
showed
 

occasion

 

things

 

wonders

 

wonderful

 
pardon
 
Master
 

visions

 
language
 

written


tremendous

 

country

 
prefer
 

Bunyan

 
conscience
 

guilty

 
substantially
 
invention
 

incalculable

 

dreams


founded

 

notwithstanding

 

motionless

 

double

 

covered

 

Presently

 

Winifred

 

husban

 

matter

 

descended


joined

 
showers
 

sparks

 

dreadful

 

sights

 
strong
 

sooner

 
Unknown
 

aroused

 
grisly

perils
 

rescued

 
mighty
 
incurring
 

valleys

 

rivers

 
waters
 

curiosity

 
easily
 

smiling