him and carried him off to the lamps under the
gateway. In the tumult Mr. Dulberry's white hat fell off; and a kick
from one of the soldiers sent it to the very edge of the rocky platform
before the gate--where this pure badge of a pure faith unfortunately
rolled over the precipice and dropped into the sea. Closer examination
of Mr. Dulberry's features revealed to the dragoons a face already
pretty familiar to them as one which, whenever they passed through
Machynleth, they had seen popping out from an upper window of the
Walladmor Arms, and fulminating all sorts of maledictions upon them,
their officers, and their profession. Consideration for his age would
not allow them to think of any severe vengeance: but, as they had
caught the old nuisance, they determined to retort his civilities in
a pleasant practical way, and to have a little sport before they parted
with him. Placing themselves therefore in a ring they sent round this
shining light of politics from hand to hand like the Grecian torch-bearers
of old.[2] Bursts of laughter arose from the dragoons and their comrades;
piercing invocations of the Habeas Corpus act from Mr. Dulberry: and the
tumult became so great that at length the old warden Maxwell sallied forth
to learn the cause. Putting his head out from a window of a turret, he
summoned the parties to attention by a speaking trumpet; and demanded to
know the occasion of this uproar. Mr. Dulberry stated his grievances; the
loss of his white hat, his violent circumrotation or gyration which
threatened to derange all his political ideas, and (what vexed him still
more) the violation in his person of Magna Charta. From his personal
grievances he passed to those of his party in general; citing a statute
enacted by the second parliament of Queen Elizabeth in the behalf of those
who professed "the Reformed Faith," which statute he applied to the benefit
of the modern Radical reformers in Manchester and elsewhere; and
contended that Sir Morgan, as a discountenancer and oppressor of all
the reforming party in his neighbourhood, was clearly upon that statute
liable to the penalties of high treason.

All present were scandalized at such language applied to Sir Morgan
Walladmor at his own castle gates. The whole household of the baronet
had now flocked to the spot: and Mr. Dulberry, perceiving by their
gestures that he had a second course of circumrotation or some severer
discipline to anticipate, for this once resolved