wild wales-第112章

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room　and　made　some　dottings　in　my　note…book；　and　then　went　down　
again　to　the　parlour；　which　I　found　unoccupied。　　After　sitting　some　
time　before　the　fire　I　got　up；　and　strolling　out；　presently　came　to　
a　kind　of　marketplace；　in　the　middle　of　which　stood　an　old…
fashioned…looking　edifice　supported　on　pillars。　　Seeing　a　crowd　
standing　round　it　I　asked　what　was　the　matter；　and　was　told　that　
the　magistrates　were　sitting　in　the　town…hall　above；　and　that　a　
grand　poaching　case　was　about　to　be　tried。　　〃I　may　as　well　go　and　
hear　it；〃　said　I。

Ascending　a　flight　of　steps　I　found　myself　in　the　hall　of　justice；　
in　the　presence　of　the　magistrates　and　amidst　a　great　many　people；　
amongst　whom　I　observed　my　friend　the　attorney　and　his　client。　　The　
magistrates；　upon　the　whole；　were　rather　a　fine　body　of　men。　　Lord　
V…　was　in　the　chair；　a　highly　intelligent…looking　person；　with　
fresh　complexion；　hooked　nose；　and　dark　hair。　　A　policeman　very　
civilly　procured　me　a　commodious　seat。　　I　had　scarcely　taken　
possession　of　it　when　the　poaching　case　was　brought　forward。　　The　
first　witness　against　the　accused　was　a　fellow　dressed　in　a　dirty　
snuff…coloured　suit；　with　a　debauched　look；　and　having　much　the　
appearance　of　a　town　shack。　　He　deposed　that　he　was　a　hired　keeper；　
and　went　with　another　to　watch　the　river　at　about　four　o'clock　in　
the　morning；　that　they　placed　themselves　behind　a　bush；　and　that　a　
little　before　day…light　they　saw　the　farmer　drive　some　cattle　
across　the　river。　　He　was　attended　by　a　dog。　　Suddenly　they　saw　him　
put　a　spear　upon　a　stick　which　he　had　in　his　hand；　run　back　to　the　
river；　and　plunging　the　spear　in；　after　a　struggle；　pull　out　a　
salmon；　that　they　then　ran　forward；　and　he　himself　asked　the　farmer　
what　he　was　doing；　whereupon　the　farmer　flung　the　salmon　and　spear　
into　the　river　and　said　that　if　he　did　not　take　himself　off　he　
would　fling　him　in　too。　　The　attorney　then　got　up　and　began　to　
cross…question　him。　　〃How　long　have　you　been　a　keeper？〃

〃About　a　fortnight。〃

〃What　do　you　get　a　week？〃

〃Ten　shillings。〃

〃Have　you　not　lately　been　in　London？〃

〃I　have。〃

〃What　induced　you　to　go　to　London？〃

〃The　hope　of　bettering　my　condition。〃

〃Were　you　not　driven　out　of　Machynlleth？〃

〃I　was　not。〃

〃Why　did　you　leave　London？〃

〃Because　I　could　get　no　work；　and　my　wife　did　not　like　the　place。〃

〃Did　you　obtain　possession　of　the　salmon　and　the　spear？〃

〃I　did　not。〃

〃Why　didn't　you？〃

〃The　pool　was　deep　where　the　salmon　was　struck；　and　I　was　not　going　
to　lose　my　life　by　going　into　it。〃

〃How　deep　was　it？〃

〃Over　the　tops　of　the　houses；〃　said　the　fellow；　lifting　up　his　
hands。

The　other　keeper　then　came　forward；　he　was　brother　to　the　former；　
but　had　much　more　the　appearance　of　a　keeper；　being　rather　a　fine　
fellow；　and　dressed　in　a　wholesome；　well…worn　suit　of　velveteen。　　
He　had　no　English；　and　what　he　said　was　translated　by　a　sworn　
interpreter。　　He　gave　the　same　evidence　as　his　brother　about　
watching　behind　the　bush；　and　seeing　the　farmer　strike　a　salmon。　　
When　cross…questioned；　however；　he　said　that　no　words　passed　
between　the　farmer　and　his　brother；　at　least；　that　he　heard。　　The　
evidence　for　the　prosecution　being　given；　my　friend　the　attorney　
entered　upon　the　defence。　　He　said　that　he　hoped　the　court　were　not　
going　to　convict　his　client；　one　of　the　most　respectable　farmers　in　
the　county；　on　the　evidence　of　two　such　fellows　as　the　keepers；　one　
of　whom　was　a　well…known　bad　one；　who　for　his　evil　deeds　had　been　
driven　from　Machynlleth　to　London；　and　from　London　back　again　to　
Machynlleth；　and　the　other；　who　was　his　brother；　a　fellow　not　much　
better；　and　who；　moreover；　could　not　speak　a　word　of　English　…　the　
honest　lawyer　forgetting　no　doubt　that　his　own　client　had　just　as　
little　English　as　the　keeper。　　He　repeated　that　he　hoped　the　court　
would　not　convict　his　respectable　client　on　the　evidence　of　these　
fellows；　more　especially　as　they　flatly　contradicted　each　other　in　
one　material　point；　one　saying　that　words　had　passed　between　the　
farmer　and　himself；　and　the　other　that　no　words　at　all　had　passed；　
and　were　unable　to　corroborate　their　testimony　by　anything　visible　
or　tangible。　　If　his　client　speared　the　salmon　and　then　flung　the　
salmon　with　the　spear　sticking　in　its　body　into　the　pool；　why　
didn't　they　go　into　the　pool　and　recover　the　spear　and　salmon？　　
They　might　have　done　so　with　perfect　safety；　there　being　an　old　
proverb　…　he　need　not　repeat　it　…　which　would　have　secured　them　
from　drowning　had　the　pool　been　not　merely　over　the　tops　of　the　
houses　but　over　the　tops　of　the　steeples。　　But　he　would　waive　all　
the　advantage　which　his　client　derived　from　the　evil　character　of　
the　witnesses；　the　discrepancy　of　their　evidence；　and　their　not　
producing　the　spear　and　salmon　in　court。　　He　would　rest　the　issue　
of　the　affair　with　confidence；　on　one　argument；　on　one　question；　it　
was　this。　　Would　any　man　in　his　senses　…　and　it　was　well　known　that　
his　client　was　a　very　sensible　man　…　spear　a　salmon　not　his　own　
when　he　saw　two　keepers　close　at　hand　watching　him　…　staring　at　
him？　　Here　the　chairman　observed　that　there　was　no　proof　that　he　
saw　them　…　that　they　were　behind　a　bush。　　But　my　friend　the　
attorney　very　properly；　having　the　interest　of　his　client　and　his　
own　character　for　consistency　in　view；　stuck　to　what　he　had　said；　
and　insisted　that　the　farmer　must　have　seen　them；　and　he　went　on　
reiterating　that　he　must　have　seen　them；　notwithstanding　that　
several　magistrates　shook　their　heads。

Just　as　he　was　about　to　sit　down　I　moved　up　behind　him　and　
whispered：　　〃Why　don't　you　mention　the　dog？　　Wouldn't　the　dog　have　
been　likely　to　have　scented　the　fellows　out　even　if　they　had　been　
behind　the　bush？〃

He　looked　at　me　for　a　moment　and　then　said　with　a　kind　of　sigh：　　
〃No；　no！　twenty　dogs　would　be　of　no　use　here。　　It's　no　go　…　I　shall　
leave　the　case　as　it　is。〃

The　court　was　cleared　for　a　time；　and　when　the　audience　were　again　
admitted　Lord　V…　said　that　the　Bench　found　the　prisoner　guilty；　
that　they　had　taken　into　consideration　what　his　counsel　had　said　in　
his　defence；　but　that　they　could　come　to　no　other　conclusion；　more　
especially　as　the　accused　was　known　to　have　been　frequently　guilty　
of　similar　offences。　　They　fined　him　four　pounds；　including　costs。

As　the　people　were　going　out　I　said　to　the　farmer　in　Welsh：　　〃A　bad　
affair　this。〃

〃Drwg　iawn〃　…　very　bad　indeed；　he　replied。

〃Did　these　fellows　speak　truth？〃　said　I。

〃Nage　…　Dim　ond　celwydd〃　…　not　they！　nothing　but　lies。

〃Dear　me！〃　said　I　to　myself；　〃what　an　ill…treated　individual！〃



CHAPTER　LXXIX



Machynlleth　…　Remarkable　Events　…　Ode　to　Glendower　…　Dafydd　Gam　…　
Lawdden's　Hatchet。


MACHYNLLETH；　pronounced　Machuncleth；　is　one　of　the　principal　towns　
of　the　district　which　the　English　call　Montgomeryshire；　and　the　
Welsh　Shire　Trefaldwyn　or　the　Shire　of　Baldwin's　town；　Trefaldwyn　
or　the　town　of　Baldwin　being　the　Welsh　name　for　the　town　which　is　
generally　termed　Montgomery。　　It　is　situated　in　nearly　the　centre　
of　the　valley　of　the　Dyfi；　amidst　pleasant　green　meadows；　having　to　
the　north　the　river；　from　which；　however；　it　is　separated　by　a　
gentle　hill。　　It　possesses　a　stately　church；　parts　of　which　are　of　
considerable　antiquity；　and　one　or　two　good　streets。　　It　is　a　
thoroughly　Welsh　town；　and　the　inhabitants；　who　amount　in　number　to　
about　four　thousand；　speak　the　ancient　British　language　with　
considerable　purity。

Machynlleth　has　been　the　scene　of　remarkable　events；　and　is　
connected　with　remarkable　names；　some　of　which　have　rung　through　
the　world。　　At　Machynlleth；　in　1402；　Owen　Glendower；　after　several　
brilliant　victories　over　the　English；　held　a　parliament　in　a　house　
which　is　yet　to　be　seen　in　the　Eastern　Street；　and　was　formally　
crowned　King　of　Wales；　in　his　retinue　was　the　venerable　bard　Iolo　
Goch；　who；　imagining　that　he　now　saw　the　old　prophecy　fulfilled；　
namely；　that　a　prince　of　the　race　of　Cadwaladr　should　rule　the　
Britons；　after　emancipating　them　from　the　Saxon　yoke；　greeted　the　
chieftain　with　an　ode；　to　the　following　effect：…


〃Here's　the　life　I'v