[Wild Wales by George Borrow]@TWC D-Link bookWild Wales CHAPTER XVII 7/18
We passed over the summit, and began to descend by a tolerably good, though steep road.
But for the darkness of evening and a drizzling mist, which, for some time past, had been coming on, we should have enjoyed a glorious prospect down into the valley, or perhaps I should say that I should have enjoyed a glorious prospect, for John Jones, like a true mountaineer, cared not a brass farthing for prospects.
Even as it was, noble glimpses of wood and rock were occasionally to be obtained. The mist soon wetted us to the skin notwithstanding that we put up our umbrellas.
It was a regular Welsh mist, a niwl, like that in which the great poet Ab Gwilym lost his way, whilst trying to keep an assignation with his beloved Morfydd, and which he abuses in the following manner:-- "O ho! thou villain mist, O ho! What plea hast thou to plague me so? I scarcely know a scurril name, But dearly thou deserv'st the same; Thou exhalation from the deep Unknown, where ugly spirits keep! Thou smoke from hellish stews uphurl'd To mock and mortify the world! Thou spider-web of giant race, Spun out and spread through airy space! Avaunt, thou filthy, clammy thing, Of sorry rain the source and spring! Moist blanket dripping misery down, Loathed alike by land and town! Thou watery monster, wan to see, Intruding 'twixt the sun and me, To rob me of my blessed right, To turn my day to dismal night. Parent of thieves and patron best, They brave pursuit within thy breast! Mostly from thee its merciless snow Grim January doth glean, I trow. Pass off with speed, thou prowler pale, Holding along o'er hill and dale, Spilling a noxious spittle round, Spoiling the fairies' sporting ground! Move off to hell, mysterious haze; Wherein deceitful meteors blaze; Thou wild of vapour, vast, o'ergrown, Huge as the ocean of unknown." As we descended, the path became more steep; it was particularly so at a part where it was overshadowed with trees on both sides.
Here, finding walking very uncomfortable, my knees suffering much, I determined to run. So shouting to John Jones, "Nis gallav gerdded rhaid rhedeg," I set off running down the pass.
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