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　deposition；　he　replied　in　a　very
  feeble　tone　that　he　thought　he　was；　and　after　being　sworn　deposed
  that　on　the　preceding　Saturday；　as　he　was　going　to　his　stall；　the
  prisoner　came　up　to　him　and　asked　whether　he　had　ever　done　him　any
  injury？　he　said　no。　　〃I　then；〃　said　he；　〃observed　the　prisoner's
  countenance　undergo　a　change；　and　saw　him　put　his　hand　to　his
  waistcoat…pocket　and　pull　out　a　knife。　　I　straight　became
  frightened；　and　ran　away　as　fast　as　I　could；　the　prisoner　followed；
  and　overtaking　me；　stabbed　me　in　the　face。　　I　ran　into　the　yard　of
  a　public…house　and　into　the　shop　of　an　acquaintance；　where　I　fell
  down；　the　blood　spouting　out　of　my　wound。〃　　Such　was　the　deposition
  of　the　wounded　butcher。　　He　was　then　asked　whether　there　had　been
  any　quarrel　between　him　and　the　prisoner？　　He　said　there　had　been
  no　quarrel；　but　that　he　had　refused　to　drink　with　the　prisoner　when
  he　requested　him；　which　he　had　done　very　frequently；　and　had　more
  than　once　told　him　that　he　did　not　wish　for　his　acquaintance。　　The
  prisoner；　on　being　asked；　after　the　usual　caution；　whether　he　had
  anything　to　say；　said　that　he　merely　wished　to　mark　the　man　but　not
  to　kill　him。　　The　surgeon　of　the　place　deposed　to　the　nature　of　the
  wound；　and　on　being　asked　his　opinion　with　respect　to　the　state　of
  the　prisoner's　mind；　said　that　he　believed　that　he　might　be
  labouring　under　a　delusion。　　After　the　prisoner's　bloody　weapon　and
  coat　had　been　produced　he　was　committed。
  It　was　generally　said　that　the　prisoner　was　disordered　in　his　mind；
  I　held　my　tongue；　but　judging　from　his　look　and　manner　I　saw　no
  reason　to　suppose　that　he　was　any　more　out　of　his　senses　than　I
  myself；　or　any　person　present；　and　I　had　no　doubt　that　what　induced
  him　to　commit　the　act　was　rage　at　being　looked　down　upon　by　a
  quondam　acquaintance；　who　was　rising　a　little　in　the　world；
  exacerbated　by　the　reflection　that　the　disdainful　quondam
  acquaintance　was　one　of　the　Saxon　race；　against　which　every
  Welshman　entertains　a　grudge　more　or　less　virulent；　which；　though
  of　course；　very　unchristianlike；　is　really；　brother　Englishman；
  after　the　affair　of　the　long　knives；　and　two　or　three　other　actions
  of　a　somewhat　similar　character　of　our　noble　Anglo…Saxon
  progenitors；　with　which　all　Welshmen　are　perfectly　well　acquainted；
  not　very　much　to　be　wondered　at。
  CHAPTER　LIII
  The　Dylluan　…　The　Oldest　Creatures。
  MUCH　rain　fell　about　the　middle　of　the　month；　in　the　intervals　of
  the　showers　I　occasionally　walked　by　the　banks　of　the　river　which
  speedily　became　much　swollen；　it　was　quite　terrible　both　to　the
  sight　and　ear　near　the　〃Robber's　Leap；〃　there　were　breakers　above
  the　higher　stones　at　least　five　feet　high　and　a　roar　around　almost
  sufficient　〃to　scare　a　hundred　men。〃　　The　pool　of　Lingo　was
  strangely　altered；　it　was　no　longer　the　quiet　pool　which　it　was　in
  summer；　verifying　the　words　of　the　old　Welsh　poet　that　the　deepest
  pool　of　the　river　is　always　the　stillest　in　the