wild wales-第57章

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seen　there　again。　　However；　when　October　came　round　he　made　his　
appearance　at　the　Vicarage；　where　he　had　always　been　in　the　habit　
of　taking　up　his　quarters；　and　called　on　and　dined　with　Miss　
Ponsonby　at　Plas　Newydd；　but　it　was　observed　that　he　was　not　so　gay　
as　he　had　formerly　been。　　In　the　evening；　on　his　taking　leave　of　
Miss　Ponsonby；　she　said　that　he　had　used　her　ill。　　Sir　Alured　
coloured；　and　asked　her　what　she　meant；　adding　that　he　had　not　to　
his　knowledge　used　any　person　ill　in　the　course　of　his　life。　　'But　
I　say　you　have　used　me　ill；　very　ill；'　said　Miss　Ponsonby；　raising　
her　voice；　and　the　words　'very　ill'　she　repeated　several　times。　　At　
last　the　old　soldier　waxing　rather　warm　demanded　an　explanation。　　
'I'll　give　it　you；'　said　Miss　Ponsonby；　'were　you　not　going　away　
after　having　only　kissed　my　hand？'　　'Oh；'　said　the　general；　'if　
that　is　my　offence；　I　will　soon　make　you　reparation；'　and　instantly　
gave　her　a　hearty　smack　on　the　lips；　which　ceremony　he　never　forgot　
to　repeat　after　dining　with　her　on　subsequent　occasions。〃

We　got　on　the　subject　of　bards；　and　I　mentioned　to　him　Gruffydd　
Hiraethog；　the　old　poet　buried　in　the　chancel　of　Llangollen　church。　　
The　old　clerk　was　not　aware　that　he　was　buried　there；　and　said　that　
though　he　had　heard　of　him　he　knew　little　or　nothing　about　him。

〃Where　was　he　born？〃　said　he。

〃In　Denbighshire；〃　I　replied；　〃near　the　mountain　Hiraethog；　from　
which　circumstance　he　called　himself　in　poetry　Gruffydd　Hiraethog。〃

〃When　did　he　flourish？〃

〃About　the　middle　of　the　sixteenth　century。〃

〃What　did　he　write？〃

〃A　great　many　didactic　pieces；〃　said　I　in　one　of　which　is　a　famous　
couplet　to　this　effect：


〃He　who　satire　loves　to　sing
On　himself　will　satire　bring。〃


〃Did　you　ever　hear　of　William　Lleyn？〃　said　the　old　gentleman。

〃Yes；〃　said　I；　〃he　was　a　pupil　of　Hiraethog；　and　wrote　an　elegy　on　
his　death；　in　which　he　alludes　to　Gruffydd's　skill　in　an　old　Welsh　
metre；　called　the　Cross　Consonancy；　in　the　following　manner：


'〃In　Eden's　grove　from　Adam's　mouth
Upsprang　a　muse　of　noble　growth；
So　from　thy　grave；　O　poet　wise；
Cross　Consonancy's　boughs　shall　rise。'〃


〃Really；〃　said　the　old　clerk；　〃you　seem　to　know　something　about　
Welsh　poetry。　　But　what　is　meant　by　a　muse　springing　up　from　Adam's　
mouth　in　Eden？〃

〃Why；　I　suppose；〃　said　I；　〃that　Adam　invented　poetry。〃

I　made　inquiries　of　him　about　the　eisteddfodau　or　sessions　of　
bards；　and　expressed　a　wish　to　be　present　at　one　of　them。　　He　said　
that　they　were　very　interesting；　that　bards　met　at　particular　
periods　and　recited　poems　on　various　subjects　which　had　been　given　
out　beforehand；　and　that　prizes　were　allotted　to　those　whose　
compositions　were　deemed　the　best　by　the　judges。　　He　said　that　he　
had　himself　won　the　prize　for　the　best　englyn　on　a　particular　
subject　at　an　eisteddfod　at　which　Sir　Watkin　Williams　Wynn　
presided；　and　at　which　Heber；　afterwards　Bishop　of　Calcutta；　was　
present；　who　appeared　to　understand　Welsh　well；　and　who　took　much　
interest　in　the　proceedings　of　the　meeting。

Our　discourse　turning　on　the　latter　Welsh　poets　I　asked　him　if　he　
had　been　acquainted　with　Jonathan　Hughes；　who　the　reader　will　
remember　was　the　person　whose　grandson　I　met　and　in　whose　arm…chair　
I　sat　at　Ty　yn　y　pistyll；　shortly　after　my　coming　to　Llangollen。　　
He　said　that　he　had　been　well　acquainted　with　him；　and　had　helped　
to　carry　him　to　the　grave；　adding；　that　he　was　something　of　a　poet；　
but　that　he　had　always　considered　his　forte　lay　in　strong　good　
sense　rather　than　poetry。　　I　mentioned　Thomas　Edwards；　whose　
picture　I　had　seen　in　Valle　Crucis　Abbey。　　He　said　that　he　knew　him　
tolerably　well；　and　that　the　last　time　he　saw　him　was　when　he；　
Edwards；　was　about　seventy　years　of　age；　when　he　sent　him　in　a　cart　
to　the　house　of　a　great　gentleman　near　the　aqueduct　where　he　was　
going　to　stay　on　a　visit。　　That　Tom　was　about　five　feet　eight　
inches　high；　lusty；　and　very　strongly　built；　that　he　had　something　
the　matter　with　his　right　eye；　that　he　was　very　satirical　and　very　
clever；　that　his　wife　was　a　very　clever　woman　and　satirical；　his　
two　daughters　both　clever　and　satirical；　and　his　servant…maid　
remarkably　satirical　and　clever；　and　that　it　was　impossible　to　live　
with　Twm　O'r　Nant　without　learning　to　be　clever　and　satirical；　that　
he　always　appeared　to　be　occupied　with　something；　and　that　he　had　
heard　him　say　there　was　something　in　him　that　would　never　let　him　
be　idle；　that　he　would　walk　fifteen　miles　to　a　place　where　he　was　
to　play　an　interlude；　and　that　as　soon　as　he　got　there　he　would　
begin　playing　it　at　once；　however　tired　he　might　be。　　The　old　
gentleman　concluded　by　saying　that　he　had　never　read　the　works　of　
Twm　O'r　Nant；　but　he　had　heard　that　his　best　piece　was　the　
interlude　called　〃Pleasure　and　Care。〃



CHAPTER　LII



The　Treachery　of　the　Long　Knives　…　The　North　Briton　…　The　Wounded　
Butcher　…　The　Prisoner。


ON　the　tenth　of　September　our　little　town　was　flung　into　some　
confusion　by　one　butcher　having　attempted　to　cut　the　throat　of　
another。　　The　delinquent　was　a　Welshman；　who　it　was　said　had　for　
some　time　past　been　somewhat　out　of　his　mind；　the　other　party　was　
an　Englishman；　who　escaped　without　further　injury　than　a　deep　gash　
in　the　cheek。　　The　Welshman　might　be　mad；　but　it　appeared　to　me　
that　there　was　some　method　in　his　madness。　　He　tried　to　cut　the　
throat　of　a　butcher：　　didn't　this　look　like　wishing　to　put　a　rival　
out　of　the　way？　and　that　butcher　an　Englishman：　　didn't　this　look　
like　wishing　to　pay　back　upon　the　Saxon　what　the　Welsh　call　
bradwriaeth　y　cyllyll　hirion；　the　treachery　of　the　long　knives？　　So　
reasoned　I　to　myself。　　But　here　perhaps　the　reader　will　ask　what　is　
meant　by　〃the　treachery　of　the　long　knives？〃　whether　he　does　or　not　
I　will　tell　him。

Hengist　wishing　to　become　paramount　in　Southern　Britain　thought　
that　the　easiest　way　to　accomplish　his　wish　would　be　by　destroying　
the　South　British　chieftains。　　Not　believing　that　he　should　be　able　
to　make　away　with　them　by　open　force　he　determined　to　see　what　he　
could　do　by　treachery。　　Accordingly　he　invited　the　chieftains　to　a　
banquet　to　be　held　near　Stonehenge；　or　the　Hanging　Stones；　on　
Salisbury　Plains。　　The　unsuspecting　chieftains　accepted　the　
invitation；　and　on　the　appointed　day　repaired　to　the　banquet；　which　
was　held　in　a　huge　tent。　　Hengist　received　them　with　a　smiling　
countenance　and　every　appearance　of　hospitality；　and　caused　them　to　
sit　down　to　table；　placing　by　the　side　of　every　Briton　one　of　his　
own　people。　　The　banquet　commenced；　and　all　seemingly　was　mirth　and　
hilarity。　　Now　Hengist　had　commanded　his　people　that　when　he　should　
get　up　and　cry　〃nemet　eoure　saxes；〃　that　is；　take　your　knives；　each　
Saxon　should　draw　his　long　sax；　or　knife；　which　he　wore　at　his　
side；　and　should　plunge　it　into　the　throat　of　his　neighbour。　　The　
banquet　went　on；　and　in　the　midst　of　it；　when　the　unsuspecting　
Britons　were　revelling　on　the　good　cheer　which　had　been　provided　
for　them；　and　half…drunken　with　the　mead　and　beer　which　flowed　in　
torrents；　uprose　Hengist；　and　with　a　voice　of　thunder　uttered　the　
fatal　words　〃nemet　eoure　saxes：〃　the　cry　was　obeyed；　each　Saxon　
grasped　his　knife　and　struck　with　it　at　the　throat　of　his　
defenceless　neighbour。　　Almost　every　blow　took　effect；　only　three　
British　chieftains　escaping　from　the　banquet　of　blood。　　This　
infernal　carnage　the　Welsh　have　appropriately　denominated　the　
treachery　of　the　long　knives。　　It　will　be　as　well　to　observe　that　
the　Saxons　derived　their　name　from　the　saxes；　or　long　knives；　which　
they　wore　at　their　sides；　and　at　the　use　of　which　they　were　
terribly　proficient。

Two　or　three　days　after　the　attempt　at　murder　at　Llangollen；　
hearing　that　the　Welsh　butcher　was　about　to　be　brought　before　the　
magistrates；　I　determined　to　make　an　effort　to　be　present　at　the　
examination。　　Accordingly　I　went　to　the　police　station　and　inquired　
of　the　superintendent　whether　I　could　be　permitted　to　attend。　　He　
was　a　North　Briton；　as　I　have　stated　somewhere　before；　and　I　had　
scraped　acquaintance　with　him；　and　had　got　somewhat　into　his　good　
graces　by　praising　Dumfries；　his　native　place；　and　descanting　to　
him　upon　the　beauties　of　the　poetry　of　his　celebrated　countryman；　
my　old　friend；　Allan　Cunningham；　some　of　whose　works　he　had　
perused；　and　with　whom　as　he　said；　he　had　once　the　honour　of　
shaking　hands。　　In　reply　to　my　question　he　told　me　that　it　was　
doubtful　whether　any　examination　would　take　place；　as　the　wounded　
man　was　in　a　very　weak　state；　but　that　if　I　would　return　in　half…
an…hour　he　would　let　me　know。　　I　went　away；　and　at　the　end　of　the　
half…hour　returned；　when　he　told　me　that　there　would　be　no　public　
examination；　owing　to　the　extreme　debility　of　the　wounded　man；　but　
that　one　of　the　magistrates　was　about　to　proceed　to　his　house　and　
take　his　deposition　in　the　presence　of　the　criminal　and　also　of　the　
witnesses　of　the　deed；　and　that　if　I　pleased　I　might　go　along　with　
him；　and　he　had　no　doubt　that　the　magistrate　would　have　no　
objection　to　my　being　present。　　We　set　out　together；　as　we　were　
going　along　I　questioned　him　about　the　state　of　the　country；　and　
gathered　from　him　that　there　was　occasionally　a　good　deal　of　crime　
in　Wales。

〃Are　the　Welsh　a　clannish　people？〃　I　demanded。

〃Very；〃　said　he。

〃As　clannish　as　the　Highlanders？〃　said　I。

〃Yes；〃　said　he；　〃and　a　good　deal　more。〃

We　came　to　the　house　of　the　wounded　butcher；　which　was　some　way　out　
of　the　town　in　the　north…western　suburb。　　The　magistrate　was　in　the　
lower　apartment　with　the　clerk；　one　or　two　officials；　and　the　
surgeon　of　the　town。　　He　was　a　gentleman　of　about　two　or　three　and　
forty；　with　a　military　air　and　large　moustaches；　for　besides　being　
a　justice　of　the　peace　and　a　landed　proprietor；　he　was　an　officer　
in　the　army。　　He　made　me　a　polite　bow　when　I　entered；　and　I　
requested　of　him　permission　to　be　present　at　the　examination。　　He　
hesitated　a　moment　and　then　asked　me　my　motive　for　wishing　to　be　
present　at　it。

〃Merely　curiosity；〃　said　I。

He　then　observed　that　as　the　examination　would　be　a　private　one；　my　
being　permitted　or　not　was　quite　optional。

〃I　am　aware　of　that；〃　said　I；　〃and　if　you　think　my　remaining　is　
objectionable　I　will　forthwith　retire。〃　　He　looked　at　the　clerk；　
who　said　there　could　be　no　objection　to　my　staying；　and　turning　
round　to　his　superior　said　something　to　him　which　I　did　not　hear；　
whereupon　the　magistrate　again　bowed　and　said　that　he　should　he　
very　happy　to　grant　my　request。

We　went　upstairs　and　found　the　wounded　man　in　bed　with　a　bandage　
round　his　forehead；　and　his　wife　sitting　by　his　bedside。　　The　
magistrate　and　his　officials　took　their　seats；　and　I　was　
accommodated　with　a　chair。　　Presently　the　prisoner　was　introduced　
under　the　charge　of　a　policeman。　　He　was　a　fellow　somewhat　above　
thirty；　of　the　middle　size；　and　wore　a　dirty　white　frock　coat；　his　
right　arm　was　partly　confined　by　a　manacle。　　A　young　girl　was　
sworn；　who　deposed　that　she　saw　the　prisoner　run　after　the　other　
with　something　in　his　hand。　　The　wounded　man　was　then　asked　whether　
he　thought　he　was　able　to　make　a　depo