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've　sigh'd　for　long：
  Abash'd　is　now　the　Saxon　throng；
  And　Britons　have　a　British　lord
  Whose　emblem　is　the　conquering　sword；
  There's　none　I　trow　but　knows　him　well；
  The　hero　of　the　watery　dell；
  Owain　of　bloody　spear　in　field；
  Owain　his　country's　strongest　shield；
  A　sovereign　bright　in　grandeur　drest；
  Whose　frown　affrights　the　bravest　breast。
  Let　from　the　world　upsoar　on　high
  A　voice　of　splendid　prophecy！
  All　praise　to　him　who　forth　doth　stand
  To　'venge　his　injured　native　land！
  Of　him　…　of　him　a　lay　I'll　frame
  Shall　bear　through　countless　years　his　name；
  In　him　are　blended　portents　three；
  Their　glories　blended　sung　shall　be：
  There's　Oswain；　meteor　of　the　glen；
  The　head　of　princely　generous　men；
  Owain　the　lord　of　trenchant　steel；
  Who　makes　the　hostile　squadrons　reel；
  Owain；　besides；　of　warlike　look；
  A　conqueror　who　no　stay　will　brook；
  Hail　to　the　lion　leader　gay！
  Marshaller　of　Griffith's　war　array；
  The　scourger　of　the　flattering　race；
  For　them　a　dagger　has　his　face；
  Each　traitor　false　he　loves　to　smite；
  A　lion　is　he　for　deeds　of　might；
  Soon　may　he　tear；　like　lion　grim；
  All　the　Lloegrians　limb　from　limb！
  May　God　and　Rome's　blest　father　high
  Deck　him　in　surest　panoply！
  Hail　to　the　valiant　carnager；
  Worthy　three　diadems　to　bear！
  Hail　to　the　valley's　belted　king！
  Hail　to　the　widely　conquering；
  The　liberal；　hospitable；　kind；
  Trusty　and　keen　as　steel　refined！
  Vigorous　of　form　he　nations　bows；
  Whilst　from　his　breast…plate　bounty　flows。
  Of　Horsa's　seed　on　hill　and　plain
  Four　hundred　thousand　he　has　slain。
  The　copestone　of　our　nation's　he；
  In　him　our　weal；　our　all　we　see；
  Though　calm　he　looks　his　plans　when　breeding；
  Yet　oaks　he'd　break　his　clans　when　leading。
  Hail　to　this　partisan　of　war；
  This　bursting　meteor　flaming　far！
  Where'er　he　wends；　Saint　Peter　guard　him；
  And　may　the　Lord　five　lives　award　him！〃
  To　Machynlleth　on　the　occasion　of　the　parliament　came　Dafydd　Gam；
  so　celebrated　in　after　time；　not；　however；　with　the　view　of
  entering　into　the　councils　of　Glendower；　or　of　doing　him　homage；
  but　of　assassinating　him。　　This　man；　whose　surname　Gam　signifies
  crooked；　was　a　petty　chieftain　of　Breconshire。　　He　was　small　of
  stature　and　deformed　in　person；　though　possessed　of　great　strength。
  He　was　very　sensitive　of　injury；　though　quite　as　alive　to　kindness；
  a　thorough…going　enemy　and　a　thorough…going　friend。　　In　the　earlier
  part　of　his　life　he　had　been　driven　from　his　own　country　for
  killing　a　man；　called　Big　Richard　of　Slwch；　in　the　High　Street　of
  Aber　Honddu　or　Brecon；　and　had　found　refuge　in　England　and　kind
  treatment　in　the　house　of　John　of　Gaunt；　for　whose　son　Henry；
  generally　called　Bolingbroke；　he　formed　one　of　his　violent
  friendships。　　Bolingbroke；　on　becoming　King　Henry　the　Fourth；　not
  only　restored　the　crooked　little　Welshman　to　his　possessions；　but
  gave　him　employments　of　great　trust　and　profit　in　Herefordshire。
  The　insurrection　of　Glendower　against　Henry　was　quite　sufficient　to
  kindle　against　him　the　deadly　hatred　of　Dafydd；　who　swore　〃by　the
  nails　of　God〃　that　he　would　stab　his　countryman　for　daring　to　rebel
  against　his　friend　King　Henry；　the　son　of　the　man　who　had　received
  him　in　his　house　and　comforted　him　when　his　own　countrymen　were
  threatening　his　destruction。　　He　therefore　went　to　Machynlleth　with
  the　full　intention　of　stabbing　Glendower；　perfectly　indifferent　as
  to　what　might　subsequently　be　his　own　fate。　　Glendower；　however；
  who　had　heard　of　his　threat；　caused　him　to　be　seized　and　conducted
  in　chains　to　a　prison　which　he　had　in　the　mountains　of　Sycharth。
  Shortly　afterwards；　passing　through　Breconshire　with　his　host；　he
  burnt　Dafydd's　house　…　a　fair　edifice　called　the　Cyrnigwen；
  situated　on　a　hillock　near　the　river　Honddu　…　to　the　ground；　and
  seeing　one　of　Gam's　dependents　gazing　mournfully　on　the　smouldering
  ruins　he　uttered　the　following　taunting　englyn：…
  〃Shouldst　thou　a　little　red　man　descry
  Asking　about　his　dwelling　fair；
  Tell　him　it　under　the　bank　doth　lie；
  And　its　brow　the　mark　of　the　coal　doth　bear。〃
  Dafydd　remai