n him that would never let him be idle; that he would walk
fifteen miles to a place where he was to play an interlude, and that as
soon as he got there he would begin playing it at once, however tired he
might be. The old gentleman concluded by saying that he had never read
the works of Twm O'r Nant, but he had heard that his best piece was the
interlude called "Pleasure and Care."

CHAPTER LII

The Treachery of the Long Knives--The North Briton--The Wounded
Butcher--The Prisoner.

On the tenth of September our little town was flung into some 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 th