Old Mortality, Complete, Illustrated

or any thing else he

fth

n addressing Morton. Indeed, he had previously stipulated with his mother that he was to manage matters his own way; for though he readily allowed his general inferiority of understanding, and filially submitted to the guidance of his mo

ng Morton: "A braw night this for the rye, your honou

ther-this is your mother, is it not?" (Cuddie nodded.) "What

auld wives trot-neshessity, sti

and at this time of th

whiggery, they'll no daur open a door to us through the haill country!" Then aloud and addressing Morton, "My mother's auld, stir, and she has rather forgotten hersell in speaking to my leddy, that canna weel bide to be contradickit, (as I ken nae-body likes it if they could help themsells,) especia

between joy and surprise, read these words: "If you can

composure enough to ask, "And what is your ob

t o' a cart to bring it down-and milk and meal, and greens enow, for I'm gay gleg at meal-time, and sae is my mither, lang may it be sae

g, Cuddie, I think I can promise something; but

candidate for service, "rather than gang d

tchen, Cuddie, and I'll

e old Milnwood to accept of a servant, whose wages were to be in his own option. An outhouse was, therefore, assigned to Mause and her son for their habitation, and it was settled that they were for the time to be admitted to eat of the frugal fare provided for th

and comfortable as we were up yonder, yet life's life ony gate, and we're wi' decent ki

y of that blinded man, Peter Poundtext, ance a precious teacher of the Word, but now a backsliding pastor, that has, for the sake of stipend and family maintenance, forsaken the strict path, and gane astray after the black Indulgence. O, my son, had ye but profited by the gosp

ping-but if I hear ony mair din afore folk, as I was saying, about Poundtexts and Rumbleberries, and doctrines and malignants, I'se e'en turn a single sodger mysell, or maybe a sergeant or a captain, if ye plague me the mair, and let Rumbleberry and you gang to the deil thegither. I ne'er

st of superior acuteness, he used on certain occasions, when driven to extremity, to be seized with fits of obstinacy, which neither remonstrance, flattery, nor threats, were capable of overpowering. Trembling, therefore, at the very possibility of Cuddie's fulfilling his threat, she put a guard over her tongue, and even when Poundtext was commended in her presence, as an able and fructifying pre

le an immense charger of broth, thickened with oatmeal and colewort, in which ocean of liquid was indistinctly discovered, by close observers, two or three short ribs of lean mutton sailing to and fro. Two huge baskets, one of bread made of barley and pease, and one of oat-cakes, flanked this standing dish. A large boiled salmon would now-a-days have indicated more liberal house-keeping; but at that period salmon was caught in such plenty in the considerable rivers in Scotland, that instead of being accounted a delicacy, it was generally applied to feed the servants, who are said sometimes to have

hite-headed cow-herd boy, with Cuddie the new ploughman and his mother, completed the party. The other labourers belonging to the property resided in their own houses, happy at least in this, that if their cheer was not more delicate than that which we have described, they could eat their fill, unwatched by the sharp, envious grey eyes of Milnwood, which seemed to measure the quantity that each of his dependents swallowed, as closely as if their glances attended each mouthful in its p

imself,-"Thou wilt eat in a week the value o

when the family was at dinner, the outer-gate of the courtyard, if there was one, and if not, the door of the house itself, was a

or during Dinner. The

hateau locked during

e family being ancient

le to surprise. But it

f high etiquette, of w

am

ed proprietor in Du

relations, and determ

o visit his two neare

ir, according to the d

eived. Like a good cla

et in rank, descendant

ilies in Scotland. Un

r of the castle had b

in vain announced h

hief adhered to the a

uffer the doors to be

he old Laird rode on t

Duke of Queensberry,

well he had a will t

s flew open-the table

ntestate kinsman was r

; and it is scarcely

ars after, the visitor

gment the domains o

appened about the e

tur

gate was now assailed. Mrs Wilson ran in person to the door, and, having reconnoitred those who were so clamorous for admittance, through some secret aperture wit

pping into his pocket the two or three silver spoons with which the upper end of the table was garnished, those beneath the salt be

to, Cuddie took the opportunity to whisper to his mother, "Now, ye daft auld carline, mak yoursell deaf-ye hae made us a' de

e "but bethink ye, my dear, them that deny the Word, the Word will deny"-Her admonition was cu

osed with more special cause, for he remembered that he stood answerable to the laws for having harboured Burley. The widow Mause Headrigg, between fear for her son's life and an overstrained and enthusiastic zeal, which reproached her for consenting even tacitly to belie her religious sentiments, was in a strange quandary. The other servants quaked for they knew not

emen?" said Milnwood, humbling him

ered Bothwell; "why the devil did you

r a farm house, though solitary, is called the town. A landward town is a dwelling situated in the country.] in this country. I am sure, gentlemen, if I had kend ony servants of our gude king had stood at the door-But

me," said

nother, "provided it is rig

d; "I can hardly say sae muckle for the

w; "a glass of brandy to three glasses of w

othwell, "and stick to that which is best. There's good sen

muscles, Milnwood lugged out two ponderous

to follow her to the gauntrees, and devil a one here is there worth sending in her place.-What's this?-meat?" (searching with a fork a

ptoms of disapprobation-"No, no," said Bothwell, "it's not worth while, I must procee

to slide in a con

to the establishment of a moderate episcopacy, but only that I am a country-bred man, and the ministers are a hamelier kind

for my part, if I were to give the law, never a crop-ear'd cur of the whole pack should bark in a S

bottle of claret into a wooden quaigh

t's better than your brandy, though that's good

-but I never drink claret, and keep only

n, pushing the bottle to Henry, he said, "He

nts and pushes of his uncle, which seemed to indicate that he

"-"If your honour pleases," said Cuddie, with great stolidity of aspect, "this is my mither, stir; and she's as deaf as Corra-linn; we canna mak he

elp the maid to a comfortable cup, though she's but a dirty jilt neither. Fill round once more-Here's to our noble commander, Colonel Graham of Clav

Is it the Covenant of Works, or the Cove

nts that ever were hatche

s to a deaf person, "the gentleman wants to

ause, "and pray that my feet may be

, and then we'll proceed to business.-You have all heard, I suppose, of the horrid and barbarous

wood himself answered, "They had heard of some such

hed by government, old gentle

the council please to thin

more explicitly, my friend," sa

strongest expressions of censure with which it abounded, in glea

rricide-devised by hellish and implacable cruelt

You owe me a cup of thanks for having taught you them; nay, thou shalt pledge me in thine own sack-sour

swer you," said Henry, "if I knew wha

ke o' that at a trooper, when a' folk ken they do whatever they

Hold your peace, sir, or answer the gentleman discreetly. Do you mean to af

word are my commission, and a better one than ever Old Nol gave to his roundheads; and if you want to know more about it, you may look at the act of council empowering his majesty's officers and soldiers

ore read the narrative over, and replied, composedly, "I have no hesitation to say, that the perpetrators of this assassination have committed, in my opinion, a rash and wicked

ell, who bent his eyes keenly upon him, s

, I think I have seen you before

ed Henry, "in the public

, youngster?-Was it not with John Balfour of B

scorn to deny it; but, so far from knowing him to be a murderer of the prim

claimed Milnwood. "That callant's tongue will rin the head aff his

that, as a loyal subject, you were prohibited to reset, supply, or intercommune with this attainted traitor, to correspond with him by word, writ, or message, or to supply him with meat, drink, house, harbour, or victu

"he dared not for his neck bring

hat he did so?"

aid Henry, "you will excuse my saying

en in the name of Morton twa hundred years!" exclaimed his uncle; "t

lodging, as to an old military comrade of my father. But it was not only without my uncle's knowledge, but contrary to his express g

, for he gives us wine and drinks his own thin ale-tell me all you know about this Burley, what he said when you parted from him, where he went, and where he is likely now to be found; and, d-n it, I'l

ns which induced me to afford him hospitality at considerable risk to myself and my fr

give me an answe

to give," r

, by tying a piece of lighted match be

her master, "gie them siller-it's siller they're s

ld make up this unhappy matter"-"My master," insinuated Alison to the sergeant, "would gie twenty punds sterling"-"Punds Scotch, ye b-h!" inter

e lad's misconduct; he's that dour ye might tear him to pieces, and ye wad ne'er get a

will stand to your offer, and enter into a bond to produce his nephew, and if all in the house will take the test-oath, I do not know but"-"O ay, ay, sir," crie

prisoned angels in this dire emergency. Meanwhile, Sergeant Bothwell began to put the test-oath with such a degree of sole

s your nam

Wilson

ext of reformation, or any other pretext whatsoever, to enter into Leagues and Covenants"-Here the ceremony wa

re upon a communing-Oh! whisht, an

e and spare not-I will confound the man of sin, even the scarlet man, a

dragoon on her way to the Tolbooth-I find my ain legs tied below a horse's belly-Ay-she has just m

by the very mention of the test, from the restraints of her own prudence, and Cuddie's admonition-"Div ye think to come here, wi' your soul-killing, saint-seducing

wife has got both her ears and tongue, and we are like to be driven deaf in o

ye are. Malignant adherents ye are to the prelates, foul props to a fe

should a hen-partridge fly at him in defence of her young, "this is

Edomites-leopards are ye, and foxes-evening wolves, that gnaw not the bones till the morrow-wicked dogs, that compass about the chosen-thrusting kine, and pushin

apparently much more from l

of the dragoons, "gag her, a

l of Bashan and Red Dragon will not be so civil as I am, or be contented to leave you to the charge of the constable and ducking-stool. In the meantime I must neces

here's the Philistines, as ye ca' them, are gaun to whir

owless gluttons, that are sitting staring like cows bursting on clover, wad testify wi' your hands a

of indifference, weighed it in his hand, chucked it up into the air, and caught it as it fell, then shook his head, and said, "There's many a merry night in this nest of yellow boys, but d-n me if I dare venture for them-that old woman has spoken too loud, and before all the men too.-Hark ye, old gentleman," to Milnwood, "I must take your nephew to head-qu

gerly exten

s household, and that these fellows of mine are not obliged to be silent on the subject of the fine sermon we have had from that old pu

ified miser, "I am sure there is no person in my ho

ls it, herself.-You fellow," (to Cuddie,) "stand back, and let your mother s

but a feckless matter to mak sic a fash about. Neither

I think you are slyer than you would like to be supposed.-Come, good dame, yo

quire this spur to set

econd Kings, feifteen chapter, nineteen verse. It is the evil deed of Ahab, when he sent money to Tiglath-Peleser; see the saame Second Kings, saxteen and aught. And if it was accounted a backsliding even in godly Hezekiah, that he complied with Sennacherib, giving him money, and offering to bear that which was put upon him, (see the saame Second Kings, aughteen chapter, fourteen and feifteen verses,) even so it is with them that in this contuma

hink the Council will like it? I think we can carry the greatest part of it in our heads without a kylevi

e it was a sin to give a trooper a pot of

's your own affair;" and he proffered back the purse wi

e accumulation of his misfortunes, extend

them to keep it;-they will keep it either by fair mean

the bitterness of his heart. "I canna part wi' the sil

pit up the siller, and be as kind to his nephew as ye can, and be favourable in reporting our dispositions to government, and let us tak nae wrang for the daft speeches of an auld jaud," (here she turned fiercely upon Mause, to indulge herself

ad be put to our travels again whene'er ye suld get three words

ittle o' the Creator-sae muckle o' warld's gear and sae little o' a broken covenant-sae muckle about thae wheen pieces o' yellow muck, and sae little about the pure gold o' the Scripture-sae muckle about their ain friend and kinsman, and sae little about the elect, that are tried wi' hornings, harassings, hun

rgeant, shall we not have her

n of Milnwood, who has the means of atoning her trespasses? Let the old mother fly to raise another brood, she's too tough to be made any thing of herself-Here," he cri

oney. Bothwell and his troopers, in other respects, kept their promise, and were civil. They did not bind their prisoner, but contented themselves with leading his horse between a file of men. They then mounted, and marched off with much mirth and laughter among themselves, leaving the Milnwood family in great confusion. The old Laird himsel

y relieved by the torrent of invectives with which she

prettiest lad in Clydesdale this day maun be a

the cause of Him that gave ye a' ye hae-I promise I hae dune as muckle for Mr Harry as I wad do for my ain; for if Cuddie was fou

nful compliances, I wad persevere, natheless, in lifting my testimony against popery, prelacy, antinomianism, erastianism, lapsarianism, sublapsarianism, and the sins and

gude kale-yard, and out o' this new city o' refuge afore our hinder end was weel hafted in it; and ye hae preached Mr Harry awa to the prison; and ye hae preached twenty punds out o' the Laird's pocket that he

ignants-indulgence," still thrilling upon her tongue, to make prep

sae muckle better than ither folk, the auld besom, and to bring sae muckle distress on a douce quiet family! If it had