Wild Wales: Its People, Language and Scenery by George Henry Borrow
page 62 of 922 (06%)
page 62 of 922 (06%)
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Llangollen.
"No," said he, "there is not one of that family at Llangollen, but I believe there are some in Flintshire, at a place called Holywell, where there is a pool or fountain, the waters of which it is said they worship." "And so they do," said I, "true to the old Indian superstition, of which their religion is nothing but a modification. The Indians and sepoys worship stocks and stones, and the river Ganges, and our Papists worship stocks and stones, holy wells and fountains." He put some questions to me about the origin of nuns and friars. I told him they originated in India, and made him laugh heartily by showing him the original identity of nuns and nautch-girls, begging priests and begging Brahmins. We passed by a small house with an enormous yew-tree before it; I asked him who lived there. "No one," he replied, "it is to let. It was originally a cottage, but the proprietors have furbished it up a little, and call it Yew- tree Villa." "I suppose they would let it cheap," said I. "By no means," he replied, "they ask eighty pounds a year for it." "What could have induced them to set such a rent upon it?" I demanded. "The yew-tree, sir, which is said to be the largest in Wales. They |
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