the life of charlotte bronte-1-第23章

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prominent　place；　and　these　things　sank　deep　into　the　mind　of　one；　at　least；　among　her　hearers。

Mr。　Cartwright　was　the　owner　of　a　factory　called　Rawfolds；　in　Liversedge；　not　beyond　the　distance　of　a　walk　from　Roe　Head。　　He　had　dared　to　employ　machinery　for　the　dressing　of　woollen　cloth；　which　was　an　unpopular　measure　in　1812；　when　many　other　circumstances　conspired　to　make　the　condition　of　the　mill…hands　unbearable　from　the　pressure　of　starvation　and　misery。　　Mr。　Cartwright　was　a　very　remarkable　man；　having；　as　I　have　been　told；　some　foreign　blood　in　him；　the　traces　of　which　were　very　apparent　in　his　tall　figure；　dark　eyes　and　complexion；　and　singular；　though　gentlemanly　bearing。　　At　any　rate　he　had　been　much　abroad；　and　spoke　French　well；　of　itself　a　suspicious　circumstance　to　the　bigoted　nationality　of　those　days。　　Altogether　he　was　an　unpopular　man；　even　before　he　took　the　last　step　of　employing　shears；　instead　of　hands；　to　dress　his　wool。　　He　was　quite　aware　of　his　unpopularity；　and　of　the　probable　consequences。　　He　had　his　mill　prepared　for　an　assault。　　He　took　up　his　lodgings　in　it；　and　the　doors　were　strongly　barricaded　at　night。　　On　every　step　of　the　stairs　there　was　placed　a　roller；　spiked　with　barbed　points　all　round；　so　as　to　impede　the　ascent　of　the　rioters；　if　they　succeeded　in　forcing　the　doors。

On　the　night　of　Saturday　the　11th　of　April；　1812；　the　assault　was　made。　　Some　hundreds　of　starving　cloth…dressers　assembled　in　the　very　field　near　Kirklees　that　sloped　down　from　the　house　which　Miss　W…　afterwards　inhabited；　and　were　armed　by　their　leaders　with　pistols；　hatchets；　and　bludgeons；　many　of　which　had　been　extorted　by　the　nightly　bands　that　prowled　about　the　country；　from　such　inhabitants　of　lonely　houses　as　had　provided　themselves　with　these　means　of　self…defence。　　The　silent　sullen　multitude　marched　in　the　dead　of　that　spring…night　to　Rawfolds；　and　giving　tongue　with　a　great　shout；　roused　Mr。　Cartwright　up　to　the　knowledge　that　the　long…expected　attack　was　come。　　He　was　within　walls；　it　is　true；　but　against　the　fury　of　hundreds　he　had　only　four　of　his　own　workmen　and　five　soldiers　to　assist　him。　　These　ten　men；　however；　managed　to　keep　up　such　a　vigorous　and　well…directed　fire　of　musketry　that　they　defeated　all　the　desperate　attempts　of　the　multitude　outside　to　break　down　the　doors；　and　force　a　way　into　the　mill；　and；　after　a　conflict　of　twenty　minutes；　during　which　two　of　the　assailants　were　killed　and　several　wounded；　they　withdrew　in　confusion；　leaving　Mr。　Cartwright　master　of　the　field；　but　so　dizzy　and　exhausted；　now　the　peril　was　past；　that　he　forgot　the　nature　of　his　defences；　and　injured　his　leg　rather　seriously　by　one　of　the　spiked　rollers；　in　attempting　to　go　up　his　own　staircase。　　His　dwelling　was　near　the　factory。　　Some　of　the　rioters　vowed　that；　if　he　did　not　give　in；　they　would　leave　this；　and　go　to　his　house；　and　murder　his　wife　and　children。　　This　was　a　terrible　threat；　for　he　had　been　obliged　to　leave　his　family　with　only　one　or　two　soldiers　to　defend　them。　　Mrs。　Cartwright　knew　what　they　had　threatened；　and　on　that　dreadful　night；　hearing；　as　she　thought；　steps　approaching；　she　snatched　up　her　two　infant　children；　and　put　them　in　a　basket　up　the　great　chimney；　common　in　old…fashioned　Yorkshire　houses。　　One　of　the　two　children　who　had　been　thus　stowed　away　used　to　point　out　with　pride；　after　she　had　grown　up　to　woman's　estate；　the　marks　of　musket　shot；　and　the　traces　of　gunpowder　on　the　walls　of　her　father's　mill。　　He　was　the　first　that　had　offered　any　resistance　to　the　progress　of　the　〃Luddites；〃　who　had　become　by　this　time　so　numerous　as　almost　to　assume　the　character　of　an　insurrectionary　army。　　Mr。　Cartwright's　conduct　was　so　much　admired　by　the　neighbouring　mill…owners　that　they　entered　into　a　subscription　for　his　benefit　which　amounted　in　the　end　to　3；000L。

Not　much　more　than　a　fortnight　after　this　attack　on　Rawfolds；　another　manufacturer　who　employed　the　obnoxious　machinery　was　shot　down　in　broad　daylight；　as　he　was　passing　over　Crossland　Moor；　which　was　skirted　by　a　small　plantation　in　which　the　murderers　lay　hidden。　　The　readers　of　〃Shirley〃　will　recognise　these　circumstances；　which　were　related　to　Miss　Bronte　years　after　they　occurred；　but　on　the　very　spots　where　they　took　place；　and　by　persons　who　remembered　full　well　those　terrible　times　of　insecurity　to　life　and　property　on　the　one　hand；　and　of　bitter　starvation　and　blind　ignorant　despair　on　the　other。

Mr。　Bronte　himself　had　been　living　amongst　these　very　people　in　1812；　as　he　was　then　clergyman　at　Hartshead；　not　three　miles　from　Rawfolds；　and；　as　I　have　mentioned；　it　was　in　these　perilous　times　that　he　began　his　custom　of　carrying　a　loaded　pistol　continually　about　with　him。　　For　not　only　his　Tory　politics；　but　his　love　and　regard　for　the　authority　of　the　law；　made　him　despise　the　cowardice　of　the　surrounding　magistrates；　who；　in　their　dread　of　the　Luddites；　refused　to　interfere　so　as　to　prevent　the　destruction　of　property。　　The　clergy　of　the　district　were　the　bravest　men　by　far。

There　was　a　Mr。　Roberson　of　Heald's　Hall；　a　friend　of　Mr。　Bronte's　who　has　left　a　deep　impression　of　himself　on　the　public　mind。　　He　lived　near　Heckmondwike；　a　large；　straggling；　dirty　village；　not　two　miles　from　Roe　Head。　　It　was　principally　inhabited　by　blanket　weavers；　who　worked　in　their　own　cottages；　and　Heald's　Hall　is　the　largest　house　in　the　village；　of　which　Mr。　Roberson　was　the　vicar。　At　his　own　cost；　he　built　a　handsome　church　at　Liversedge；　on　a　hill　opposite　the　one　on　which　his　house　stood；　which　was　the　first　attempt　in　the　West　Riding　to　meet　the　wants　of　the　overgrown　population；　and　made　many　personal　sacrifices　for　his　opinions；　both　religious　and　political；　which　were　of　the　true　old…fashioned　Tory　stamp。　　He　hated　everything　which　he　fancied　had　a　tendency　towards　anarchy。　　He　was　loyal　in　every　fibre　to　Church　and　King；　and　would　have　proudly　laid　down　his　life；　any　day；　for　what　he　believed　to　be　right　and　true。　　But　he　was　a　man　of　an　imperial　will；　and　by　it　he　bore　down　opposition；　till　tradition　represents　him　as　having　something　grimly　demoniac　about　him。　　He　was　intimate　with　Cartwright；　and　aware　of　the　attack　likely　to　be　made　on　his　mill；　accordingly；　it　is　said；　he　armed　himself　and　his　household；　and　was　prepared　to　come　to　the　rescue；　in　the　event　of　a　signal　being　given　that　aid　was　needed。　　Thus　far　is　likely　enough。　　Mr。　Roberson　had　plenty　of　war…like　spirit　in　him；　man　of　peace　though　he　was。

But；　in　consequence　of　his　having　taken　the　unpopular　side；　exaggerations　of　his　character　linger　as　truth　in　the　minds　of　the　people；　and　a　fabulous　story　is　told　of　his　forbidding　any　one　to　give　water　to　the　wounded　Luddites；　left　in　the　mill…yard；　when　he　rode　in　the　next　morning　to　congratulate　his　friend　Cartwright　on　his　successful　defence。　　Moreover；　this　stern；　fearless　clergyman　had　the　soldiers　that　were　sent　to　defend　the　neighbourhood　billeted　at　his　house；　and　this　deeply　displeased　the　work…people；　who　were　to　be　intimidated　by　the　red…coats。　　Although　not　a　magistrate；　he　spared　no　pains　to　track　out　the　Luddites　concerned　in　the　assassination　I　have　mentioned；　and　was　so　successful　in　his　acute　unflinching　energy；　that　it　was　believed　he　had　been　supernaturally　aided；　and　the　country　people；　stealing　into　the　fields　surrounding　Heald's　Hall　on　dusky　winter　evenings；　years　after　this　time；　declared　that　through　the　windows　they　saw　Parson　Roberson　dancing；　in　a　strange　red　light；　with　black　demons　all　whirling　and　eddying　round　him。　　He　kept　a　large　boys'　school；　and　made　himself　both　respected　and　dreaded　by　his　pupils。　　He　added　a　grim　kind　of　humour　to　his　strength　of　will；　and　the　former　quality　suggested　to　his　fancy　strange　out…of…the…way　kinds　of　punishment　for　any　refractory　pupils：　　for　instance；　he　made　them　stand　on　one　leg　in　a　corner　of　the　schoolroom；　holding　a　heavy　book　in　each　hand；　and　once；　when　a　boy　had　run　away　home；　he　followed　him　on　horseback；　reclaimed　him　from　his　parents；　and；　tying　him　by　a　rope　to　the　stirrup　of　his　saddle；　made　him　run　alongside　of　his　horse　for　the　many　miles　they　had　to　traverse　before　reaching　Heald's　Hall。

One　other　illustration　of　his　character　may