The Fair Maid of Perth

may draw bloo

IV.

rs of the city; and there were bailies and deacons in the honoured number. There was an ireful and offended air of importance upon every brow as they conversed together, rather in whisper than aloud or in detail. Busiest among the busy, the little important assistant of the previous night, Oliver Proudfute by

standing on tiptoe, and supporting himself by the cloak collars of tall men, that he might dole out to them also the same share of information. He felt himself one of the heroes of the affair, being conscious of the dignity of superior information on th

y had broken into Simon Glover's house, cut his throat, and carried his daughter off to the mountains. It is too evil usage-not to be suffered, neighbour Crookshank; not to be endured, n

to the present place and hour, a big, burly, good looking man, shook the deacon from his cloak with pretty much the grace with which a large horse shrugs off the importunate fly t

t in deadly feud with any one upon his account. It was, he dared to say, a masking or revel on the part of the young gallants about court

f the Wind, did far wrong to cut off a gentleman's hand for such a harmless pleasantry, and

owing iron. But, since you will needs put your fingers in the fire, truth must be spoken. And come what will, I must say, that th

o not profess to be utterly so good a swordsman as our neighbour Hen

d of it, neighbour," an

r house while the blows were going, and

" said Craigdallie, who was obviously tired o

a peaceful man, and one that will rather sit down with wrong than put a friend, or say a neighbourhood, in danger to seek

ready related; and the meddling maker of bonnets added as bef

wered Henry; "but you are a little man

who laughed for company, but added doggedly, "I w

you not, and I would have given the worth of the best suit of armour

n blows as if on an anvil, I was parrying those that the rest of the villai

said Henry; "I have two, but they are both set in my for

e I was, and I will give Master Bailie my account of the

uld be done. Here are all our burgher rights broken through and insulted, and you may well fancy that it is by some man of power, since no less dared have attempted such an outrage. My masters, it is hard on flesh and blood to s

ured!" answered the

ere not brought into jeopardy for me. I beseech you to consider who are to be our judges that are to hear the case, and give or refuse redress. I speak among neighbours and friends, and therefore I speak openly. The King, God bless him! is so broken in mind and body,

judge!" answered the meeting w

of it; and the wild young prince will regard the outrage as something

oo gay to be our judge," ag

at, yet pronouncing the dreaded name with a half whisper, nex

They looked on each other with fal

give words to: "The Black Douglas to judge betwixt a burgher and a gentleman, nay, a nobleman, for all I kn

ailie Craigdallie, who, looking very significantly to the speaker, replied, "You a

bailie," answered the undaunted Henry; "and though I speak but li

ilie in the same significant tone. "There are Border men in the town who wear

ith. "Let us to our provost, and dem

een saying for this half hour, and not one of ye would listen to me. 'Let us go to our provost,' sa

med still more reduced in size, and more assimilated to a shadow, by his efforts to assume an extreme degree of humi

pursue harsh courses here, since his family honour is so nearly concerned? And since he blenches away from the charge against these same revellers, consider if he may not have some good reason more than he cares to utter for letting the matter sleep. It is not for me to put my finger on the sore; but, alack! we all know that young maidens are what I call fugitive essences. Suppose now

nk into something less than his natural tenuity when he saw the blood rise in the old c

ofession! if I thought that the puff of vile breath thou hast left could blight for the tenth part of a minute the fair fame of Catharine Glover, I would pound thee, qua

nce such is the construction that is put upon my patience, I am willing to pursue this riot to the uttermost; and though the issue may prove that we

, and not to quarrel. As one of the fathers of the Fair City, I command thee to

, "for me to harbour feud with-I that could destroy

as in that of our Blessed Lady." Here he crossed himself devoutly. "But touching our appeal to our provost, are you a

his terror by the intervention of the bailie. "God knows, I speak not to the disparagement o

said the smith, interrupting the speaker wi

rick Charteris is a nobleman, and hawks will not pick hawks' eyes out. He may well bear us out in a feud with the Highlandmen, and do the part of our provost and leader against them; but whether he that himself wears silk will take our part against broidered cloak and

d the little impo

lous paths which lead to it. "I say, neighbours, since they have left a hand as a pledge they will never come in Couvrefew Street again, why, in my simple mind,

dvocate of acquiescence, with whom, notwithstanding the offence so lately given, Simon Glover seemed also to agree in op

r town, if man's tongue and man's hand could right it. Neither will I sit down with this outrage, if I can help it. I will go to the provost myself, if no one will go with me; he is a knight, it is true, and a gentleman of free and true born blood, as we all know, since Wallace's time, who settled his great gra

your provost, you borrel loons.' So, neighbours and townsmen, if you will stand by my side, I and our pottingar Dwining will repair presently to Kinfauns, w

, "leave me behind, I pray you: I lack a

han he makes with his hammer and our neighbour Proudfute, who, take his own word, is at the beginning and end of every fray in Perth, is of course a man of action. We must have at least one advocate amongst us for peace and quiet

he citizens. "If the provost take our part, as the Fair Town hat

ve little doubt," looking around the company, "that, as so many of them who are in this place have resolved to consult with our provost, the rest will be compliant

ersed, the deputation to prepare for the journey, and the rest to tell their impatient wives and daughters of the mea

embers of their body had already adopted, it may be necessary, for the information of some readers,

was expected to stand their friend at court in such matters as concerned their common weal, and to lead their civil militia to fight, whether in general battle or in private feud, reinforcing them with his own feudal retainers. This protection was not always gratuitous. The provosts sometimes availed themselves of their situation to an unjustifiable degree, and obtained grants of lands and tenements belonging to the common good, or public property of the burgh, and thus made the citizens pay dear for the countenance

the time of Robert III) since the first of this distinguished family had settled in the strong castle which now belonged to them, with the picturesque and fertile scenes adjoining to it. But the history of the first settler, chivalrous and romantic in itself, was calculated t

is said to have undertaken a voyage to France, with a small band of trusty friends, to try what his presence (for he was respected through all countries for his p

se of boarding that which he commanded, was the ship of a celebrated rover, equally famed for his courage, strength of body, and successful piracies. It was commanded by a gentleman named Thomas de Longueville, a Frenchman by birth, but by practice one of those pirates who called themselves friends to the sea and enemies to all who sailed upon that element. He attacked and plundered

n his eyes, described to him the certainty of their being captured by the Red Rover, a name giv

arrow seas of this

e Champion, and the Red Rover, casting out grappling irons to make sure of his prize, jumped on the deck in complete armour, followed by his men, who gave a terrible shout, as if victory had been already secured. But the armed Scots started up at once, and the rover found himself unexpectedly engaged with men accustomed to consider victory as secure when they were only opposed as one to two or three. Wallace himself rushed on the pirate captain, and a dreadful strife began betwixt them with such fury that the others suspended their own battle to look on, and seemed by common consent to refer the issue of the strife to the fate of the combat between the two chiefs. The pirate fought as well as man could do; but Wallace's strength was beyond that of ord

of knighthood on Sir Thomas de Longueville, and offered to take him into his service. But the rover had contracted such a friendship for his generous victor, that he insisted on uniting his fortunes with those of Wallace, with whom he returned to Scotland, and fought by his side in many a bloody battle, where the prowess of Sir Thomas de Longueville was remarked as inferior to that of none, save of his heroic conqueror. His fate also was more fortunate than that of his patron. Being distinguished by the beauty as well as strength of his person, he rendered himself so acceptable to a young lady, heiress of the ancient family of Charteris, t

emies, foreign and domestic. True it is, he used sometimes to be weary of the slight and frivolous complaints unnecessarily brought before him, and in which he was requested to interest himself. Hence he had sometimes incurred the charge of being too proud as a nobleman, or too indolent as a man of wealth, and one who was too much addicted to the pleasures of the f