’DidyouneverhearofthegreatWelshpreacher，PeterWilliams？’
’Never，’saidI。
’Well，’saidthegirl，’thisishe，andWinifredishiswife，andanicepersonsheis。Somepeoplesay，indeed，thatsheisasgoodapreacherasherhusband，thoughofthatmatterIcansaynothing，havingneverheardherpreach。SothesetwowanderoverallWalesandthegreaterpartofEngland，comfortingtheheartsofthepeoplewiththeirdoctrine，anddoingallthegoodtheycan。Theyfrequentlycomehere，forthemistressisaWelshwoman，andanoldfriendofboth，andthentheytakeuptheirabodeinthecartbeneaththeoldoaksdowntherebythestream。’
’Andwhatistheirreasonfordoingso？’saidI；’woulditnotbemorecomfortabletosleepbeneatharoof？’
’Iknownottheirreasons，’saidthegirl，’butsoitis；theyneversleepbeneatharoofunlesstheweatherisverysevere。I
onceheardthemistresssaythatPeterhadsomethingheavyuponhismind；perhapsthatisthecause。Ifheisunhappy，allIcansayis，thatIwishhimotherwise，forheisagoodmanandakind-’
’Thankyou，’saidI，’Iwillnowdepart。’
’Hem!’saidthegirl，’Iwaswishing-’
’What？toaskmeaquestion？’
’Notexactly；butyouseemtoknoweverything；youmentioned，I
think，fortune-telling。’
’Doyouwishmetotellyourfortune？’
’Bynomeans；butIhaveafriendatadistanceatsea，andI
shouldwishtoknow-’
’Whenhewillcomeback？IhavetoldyoualreadytherearetwoorthreethingswhichIdonotknow-thisisanotherofthem。
However，Ishouldnotbesurprisedifheweretocomebacksomeofthesedays；IwouldifIwereinhisplace。Inthemeantimebepatient，attendtothedairy，andreadtheDAIRYMAN’SDAUGHTERwhenyouhavenothingbettertodo。’
Itwaslateintheeveningwhenthepartyofthemorningreturned。
Thefarmerandhisfamilyrepairedatoncetotheirabode，andmytwofriendsjoinedmebeneaththetree。Petersatdownatthefootoftheoak，andsaidnothing。Supperwasbroughtbyaservant，notthedamseloftheporch。Wesatroundthetray，Petersaidgrace，butscarcelyanythingelse；heappearedsadanddejected，hiswifelookedanxiouslyuponhim。Iwasassilentasmyfriends；afteralittletimeweretiredtoourseparateplacesofrest。
AboutmidnightIwasawakenedbyanoise；Istartedupandlistened；itappearedtomethatIheardvoicesandgroans。InamomentIhadissuedfrommytent-allwassilent-butthenextmomentIagainheardgroansandvoices；theyproceededfromthetiltedcartwherePeterandhiswifelay；Idrewnear，againtherewasapause，andthenIheardthevoiceofPeter，inanaccentofextremeanguish，exclaim，’PechodYspryddGlan-OpechodYspryddGlan!’andthenheutteredadeepgroan。Anon，IheardthevoiceofWinifred，andnevershallIforgetthesweetnessandgentlenessofthetonesofhervoiceinthestillnessofthatnight。Ididnotunderstandallshesaid-shespokeinhernativelanguage，andIwassomewayapart；sheappearedtoendeavourtoconsoleherhusband，butheseemedtorefuseallcomfort，and，withmanygroans，repeated-’PechodYspryddGlan-OpechodYspryddGlan!’
IfeltIhadnorighttopryintotheirafflictions，andretired。
Now’pechodYspryddGlan，’interpreted，isthesinagainsttheHolyGhost。
CHAPTERLXXIV
Thefollowingday-Pride-Thrivingtrade-TylwythTeg-EllisWyn-Sleepinghard-Incalculablegood-Fearfulagony-Thetale。
PETERandhiswifedidnotproceedonanyexpeditionduringthefollowingday。Theformerstrolledgloomilyaboutthefields，andthelatterpassedmanyhoursinthefarmhouse。Towardsevening，withoutsayingawordtoeither，Idepartedwithmyvehicle，andfindingmywaytoasmalltownatsomedistance，Ilaidinastoreofvariousarticles，withwhichIreturned。Itwasnight，andmytwofriendswereseatedbeneaththeoak；theyhadjustcompletedtheirfrugalsupper。’Wewaitedfortheesometime，’saidWinifred，’but，findingthatthoudidstnotcome，webeganwithoutthee；butsitdown，Ipraythee，thereisstillenoughforthee。’
’Iwillsitdown，’saidI，’butIrequirenosupper，forIhaveeatenwhereIhavebeen’：nothingmoreparticularoccurredatthetime。Nextmorningthekindpairinvitedmetosharetheirbreakfast。’Iwillnotshareyourbreakfast，’saidI。’Whereforenot？’saidWinifred，anxiously。’Because，’saidI，’itisnotproperthatIbebeholdentoyouformeatanddrink。’’Butwearebeholdentootherpeople，’saidWinifred。’Yes，’saidI，’butyoupreachtothem，andgivethemghostlyadvice，whichconsiderablyaltersthematter；notthatIwouldreceiveanythingfromthem，ifIpreachedtothemsixtimesaday。’’Thouartnotfondofreceivingfavours，then，youngman，’saidWinifred。’Iamnot，’
saidI。’Andofconferringfavours？’’Nothingaffordsmegreaterpleasure，’saidI，’thantoconferfavours。’’Whatadisposition，’
saidWinifred，holdingupherhands；’andthisispride，genuinepride-thatfeelingwhichtheworldagreestocallsonoble。Oh，howmeanathingispride!neverbeforedidIseeallthemeannessofwhatiscalledpride!’
’Buthowwiltthoulive，friend，’saidPeter；’dostthounotintendtoeat？’’WhenIwentoutlastnight，’saidI，’Ilaidinaprovision。’’Thouhastlaidinaprovision!’saidPeter，’prayletusseeit。Really，friend，’saidhe，afterIhadproducedit，’thoumustdriveathrivingtrade；hereareprovisionsenoughtolastthreepeopleforseveraldays。Herearebutterandeggs，hereistea，hereissugar，andthereisaflitch。Ihopethouwiltletuspartakeofsomeofthyfare。’’Ishouldbeveryhappyifyouwould，’saidI。’Doubtnotbutweshall，’saidPeter；’Winifredshallhavesomeofthyflitchcookedfordinner。Inthemeantime，sitdown，youngman，andbreakfastatourexpense-wewilldineatthine。’
Ontheeveningofthatday，Peterandmyselfsatalonebeneaththeoak。Wefellintoconversation；Peterwasatfirstmelancholy，buthesoonbecamemorecheerful，fluent，andentertaining。Ispokebutlittle；butIobservedthatsometimeswhatIsaidsurprisedthegoodMethodist。Wehadbeensilentsometime。Atlength，liftingupmyeyestothebroadandleafycanopyofthetrees，Isaid，havingnothingbettertoremark，’Whatanobletree!Iwonderifthefairieseverdancebeneathit。’
’Fairies!’saidPeter，’fairies!howcameyou，youngman，toknowanythingaboutthefairfamily？’
’IamanEnglishman，’saidI，’andofcourseknowsomethingaboutfairies；Englandwasonceafamousplaceforthem。’
’Wasonce，Igrantyou，’saidPeter，’butissonolonger。IhavetravelledforyearsaboutEngland，andneverheardthemmentionedbefore；thebeliefinthemhasdiedaway，andeventheirnameseemstobeforgotten。IfyouhadsaidyouwereaWelshman，Ishouldnothavebeensurprised。TheWelshhavemuchtosayoftheTylwythTeg，orfairfamily，andmanybelieveinthem。’
’Anddoyoubelieveinthem？’saidI。
’Iscarcelyknowwhattosay。Wiseandgoodmenhavebeenofopinionthattheyarenothingbutdevils，who，undertheformofprettyandamiablespirits，wouldfainallurepoorhumanbeings；I
seenothingirrationalinthesupposition。’
’Doyoubelieveindevils，then？’
’DoIbelieveindevils，youngman？’saidPeter，andhisframewasshakenasifbyconvulsions。’IfIdonotbelieveindevils，whyamIhereatthepresentmoment？’
’Youknowbest，’saidI；’butIdon’tbelievethatfairiesaredevils，andIdon’twishtoheartheminsulted。Whatlearnedmenhavesaidtheyaredevils？’
’Manyhavesaidit，youngman，and，amongstothers，MasterEllisWyn，inthatwonderfulbookofhis，theBARDDCWSG。’
’TheBARDDCWSG，’saidI；’whatkindofbookisthat？Ihaveneverheardofthatbookbefore。’
’Heardofitbefore；Isupposenot；howshouldyouhaveheardofitbefore？Bythebye，canyouread？’
’Verytolerably，’saidI；’sotherearefairiesinthisbook。Whatdoyoucallit-theBARDDCWSG？’
’Yes，theBARDDCWSG。YoupronounceWelshveryfairly；haveyoueverbeeninWales？’
’Never，’saidI。
’NotbeeninWales；then，ofcourse，youdon’tunderstandWelsh；
butweweretalkingoftheBARDDCWSG-yes，therearefairiesintheBARDDCWSG，-theauthorofit，MasterEllisWyn，wascarriedawayinhissleepbythemovermountainsandvalleys，riversandgreatwaters，incurringmightyperilsattheirhands，tillhewasrescuedfromthembyanangeloftheMostHigh，whosubsequentlyshowedhimmanywonderfulthings。’
’Ibegyourpardon，’saidI，’butwhatwerethosewonderfulthings？’
’Isee，youngman，’saidPeter，smiling，’thatyouarenotwithoutcuriosity；butIcaneasilypardonanyoneforbeingcuriousaboutthewonderscontainedinthebookofMasterEllisWyn。Theangelshowedhimthecourseofthisworld，itspompsandvanities，itscrueltyanditspride，itscrimesanddeceits。Onanotheroccasion，theangelshowedhimDeathinhisnetherpalace，surroundedbyhisgrislyministers，andbythosewhoarecontinuallyfallingvictimstohispower。And，onathirdoccasion，thestateofthecondemnedintheirplaceofeverlastingtorment。’
’Butthiswasallinhissleep，’saidI，’wasitnot？’
’Yes，’saidPeter，’inhissleep；andonthataccountthebookiscalledGWELEDIGAETHAUYBARDDCWSG，or，VISIONSOFTHESLEEPING
BARD。’
’Idonotcareforwonderswhichoccurinsleep，’saidI。’I
preferrealones；andperhaps，notwithstandingwhathesays，themanhadnovisionsatall-theyareprobablyofhisowninvention。’
’Theyaresubstantiallytrue，youngman，’saidPeter；’likethedreamsofBunyan，theyarefoundedonthreetremendousfacts，Sin，Death，andHell；andlikehistheyhavedoneincalculablegood，atleastinmyowncountry，inthelanguageofwhichtheyarewritten。
ManyaguiltyconsciencehastheBARDDCWSGarousedwithitsdreadfulsights，itsstrongsighs，itspuffsofsmokefromthepit，anditsshowersofsparksfromthemouthoftheyetlowergulfof-
Unknown-wereitnotfortheBARDDCWSGperhapsImightnotbehere。’
’Iwouldsoonerhearyourowntale，’saidI，’thanallthevisionsoftheBARDDCWSG。’
Petershook，benthisformnearlydouble，andcoveredhisfacewithhishands。Isatstillandmotionless，withmyeyesfixeduponhim。PresentlyWinifreddescendedthehill，andjoinedus。’Whatisthematter？’saidshe，lookingatherhusband，whostillremainedinthepostureIhavedescribed。Hemadenoanswer；