th him, as a justice of the peace, against
two armed men on horseback, who had stopped five farmers on the king's
highway, put them in fear and danger of their lives, and even assaulted,
maimed, and wounded divers persons, contrary to the king's peace, and in
violation of the statute; that, by the description, he supposed the
knight and his companion to be the persons against whom the complaint had
been lodged; and, understanding his quality from Mr. Clarke, whom he had
known in London, he was come to wait upon him, and, if possible, effect
an accommodation.

Our adventurer having thanked him for the polite and obliging manner in
which he proceeded, frankly told him the whole story, as it had been just
related by the captain; and Mr. Elmy had no reason to doubt the truth of
the narrative, as it confirmed every circumstance which Clarke had before
reported. Indeed, Tom had been very communicative to this gentleman, and
made him acquainted with the whole history of Sir Launcelot Greaves, as
well as with the whimsical resolution of his uncle, Captain Crowe. Mr.
Elmy now told the knight, that the persons whom the captain had stopped
were farmers, returning from a neighbouring market, a set of people
naturally boorish, and at that time elevated with ale to an uncommon
pitch of insolence; that one of them, in particular, called Prickle, was
the most quarrelsome fellow in the whole county; and so litigious, that
he had maintained above thirty lawsuits, in eight-and-twenty of which he
had been condemned in costs. He said the others might be easily
influenced in the way of admonition; but there was no way of dealing with
Prickle, except by the form and authority of the law. He therefore
proposed to hear evidence in a judicial capacity, and his clerk being in
attendance, the court was immediately opened in the knight's apartment.

By this time Mr. Clarke had made such good use of his time in explaining
the law to his audience, and displaying the great wealth and unbounded
liberality of Sir Launcelot Greaves, that he had actually brought over to
his sentiments the constable and the commonalty, tag-rag, and bob-tail,
and even staggered the majority of the farmers, who, at first, had
breathed nothing but defiance and revenge. Farmer Stake being first
called to the bar, and sworn touching the identity of Sir Launcelot
Greaves and Captain Crowe, declared, that the said Crowe had stopped him
on the king's highway, and put him in b