第54章

oreventransportation，ratherthanseehiswifeandchildrencryforbread。

JohnSarney，theother，wasfifty-sixyearsoldandhadawifeandsixchildren：

hekeptasmallbeer-shopandhischaracterwasirreproachable。Petitions

onbehalfofthetwomenweresignedextensively，andthesentencewascommuted

totransportationforlife。TheAylesburysentencesseemlenientincomparison

withthosegivenatSalisburyandWinchester，buttheydidnotseemlenient

tothepeopleinthedistrict。’Pencannotdescribe，’wroteaTimescorrespondent，’theheart-rendingsceneofdespair，miseryandwant，prevailing

atFlackwell-Heath，theresidenceofthefamiliesofthemajorpartofthe

misguidedmennowincarceratedatAylesbury。’Thesamecorrespondenttells

ofabenevolentQuaker，whohadbecomerichasamakerofpaper，helping

thesefamiliesbystealth。

TheworkoftheSpecialCommissionswasnowover。Melbournehadexplained

inParliamentthattheyhadbeensetup’toexpoundthelaw’andtobring

hometotheignorantthegravityoftheircrimesagainstsocialorder。In

spiteofthedailyimpositionofferociouspunishmentsonpoachersandthieves，

thepoorapparentlydidnotknowinwhatlettersofbloodthecodeagainst

riotinganddiscontentwascomposed。Thesethreeweekshadbroughtalurid

enlightenmentintotheirdarkhomes。Intheriots，aswehaveseen，theonly

manwhohadbeenkilledwasarioter，killedaccordingtothereportsof

thetimebyayeomanrysoldier，accordingtolocaltraditionbyafarmer，

andforthatoffencehehadbeenrefusedChristianburial。Ontheotherside，

notasinglepersonhadbeenkilledorseriouslywounded。Fortheseriots，

apartfromthecasesofarson，forwhichsixmenorboyswerehung，aristocratic

justiceexactedthreelives，andthetransportationoffourhundredandfifty-seven

menandboys，(32*)inadditiontotheimprisonmentofaboutfourhundred

athome。Theshadowofthisvengeancestilldarkensthemindsofoldmen

andwomeninthevillagesofWiltshire，andeightyyearshavebeentooshort

atimetoblotoutitstrainofdesolatingmemories。(33*)Nobodywhodoes

notrealisewhatMr。Hudsonhasdescribedwithhisintimatetouch，theeffect

ontheimaginationandthecharacterof’alifeofsimpleunchangingaction

andofhabitsthatarelikeinstincts，ofhardlabourinsunandrainand

windfromdaytoday，’caneverunderstandwhatthebreakingofalltheties

oflifeandhomeandmemorymeanttotheexilesandtothosefromwhosecompanionship

theywerethentornforever。

Wehavesaidthatonefeatureoftherisingwasthefiringofstacksand

ricksandbarns。Thispracticewaswidespread，andfiresbrokeoutevenin

countieswheretheorganisedrisingmadelittleprogress。Associationsfor

thedetectionofincendiarieswereformedatanearlystage，andimmense

rewardswereoffered。Yetnotasinglecaseofarsonwastriedbeforethe

SpecialCommissions，andthelabourerskepttheirsecretwell。Manyofthe

governingclassintheearlydayspersuadedthemselvesthatthelabourers

hadnosecrettokeep，andthatthefireswereduetoanyoneexceptthe

labourers，andtoanycauseexceptdistress。Perhapsthewishwasfather

tothethought，forastheTimesobserved，personsresponsiblefor

grindingthefacesoftheirlabourerspreferredtothinktheoutragesthe

workofstrangers。Sometimesitwassmugglers，sufferingfromthedepression

intheirtrade：sometimesitwasforeigners：sometimesitwasmysterious

gentlemeningigs，drivingfuriouslyaboutthecountry，ledbyCaptainSwing，

scatteringfireballsanddevastation。Thesewerethefashionabletheories

intheHouseofLords，althoughRichmondremindedhisbrotherpeersthat

therehadbeenafloodofpetitionsrepresentingthesufferingsofthelabourers

fromtheverybeginningoftheyear，andthattheHouseofLordshadnot

thoughtitnecessarytogivethemtheslightestattention。LordCamdenascribed

theoutragestotheFrenchspirit，andarguedthatthecountrywasenjoying

’whatwasundeniablyagenialautumn。’TheDukeofWellingtontookthesame

view，denyingthatthetroubleswereduetodistress：themostinfluential

causeofdisturbanceswastheexample，’andIwillunhesitatinglysaythe

badandthemischievousexample，affordedbytheneighbouringStates。’Eldon

remarkedthatmanyoftheprisonerstakenintheriotswereforeigners，a

pointonwhichMelbourneundeceivedhim。Thespeakerswhoreg

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