Waverley; Or 'Tis Sixty Years Since — Complete

by Walter Scott

  CHAPTER VI

  THE ADIEUS OF WAVERLEY

  It was upon the evening of this memorable Sunday that Sir Everardentered the library, where he narrowly missed surprising our young heroas he went through the guards of the broadsword with the ancient weaponof old Sir Hildebrand, which, being preserved as an heirloom, usuallyhung over the chimney in the library, beneath a picture of the knightand his horse, where the features were almost entirely hidden by theknight's profusion of curled hair, and the Bucephalus which he bestrodeconcealed by the voluminous robes of the Bath with which he wasdecorated. Sir Everard entered, and after a glance at the picture andanother at his nephew, began a little speech, which, however, soondropt into the natural simplicity of his common manner, agitated uponthe present occasion by no common feeling. 'Nephew,' he said; and then,as mending his phrase, 'My dear Edward, it is God's will, and also thewill of your father, whom, under God, it is your duty to obey, that youshould leave us to take up the profession of arms, in which so many ofyour ancestors have been distinguished. I have made such arrangementsas will enable you to take the field as their descendant, and as theprobable heir of the house of Waverley; and, sir, in the field ofbattle you will remember what name you bear. And, Edward, my dear boy,remember also that you are the last of that race, and the only hope ofits revival depends upon you; therefore, as far as duty and honour willpermit, avoid danger--I mean unnecessary danger--and keep no companywith rakes, gamblers, and Whigs, of whom, it is to be feared, there arebut too many in the service into which you are going. Your colonel, asI am informed, is an excellent man--for a Presbyterian; but you willremember your duty to God, the Church of England, and the--' (thisbreach ought to have been supplied, according to the rubric, with theword KING; but as, unfortunately, that word conveyed a double andembarrassing sense, one meaning de facto and the other de jure, theknight filled up the blank otherwise)--'the Church of England, and allconstituted authorities.' Then, not trusting himself with any furtheroratory, he carried his nephew to his stables to see the horsesdestined for his campaign. Two were black (the regimental colour),superb chargers both; the other three were stout active hacks, designedfor the road, or for his domestics, of whom two were to attend him fromthe Hall; an additional groom, if necessary, might be picked up inScotland.

  'You will depart with but a small retinue,' quoth the Baronet,'compared to Sir Hildebrand, when he mustered before the gate of theHall a larger body of horse than your whole regiment consists of. Icould have wished that these twenty young fellows from my estate, whohave enlisted in your troop, had been to march with you on your journeyto Scotland. It would have been something, at least; but I am toldtheir attendance would be thought unusual in these days, when every newand foolish fashion is introduced to break the natural dependence ofthe people upon their landlords.'

  Sir Everard had done his best to correct this unnatural disposition ofthe times; for he had brightened the chain of attachment between therecruits and their young captain, not only by a copious repast of beefand ale, by way of parting feast, but by such a pecuniary donation toeach individual as tended rather to improve the conviviality than thediscipline of their march. After inspecting the cavalry, Sir Everardagain conducted his nephew to the library, where he produced a letter,carefully folded, surrounded by a little stripe of flox-silk, accordingto ancient form, and sealed with an accurate impression of the Waverleycoat-of-arms. It was addressed, with great formality, 'To Cosmo ComyneBradwardine, Esq., of Bradwardine, at his principal mansion ofTully-Veolan, in Perthshire, North Britain. These--By the hands ofCaptain Edward Waverley, nephew of Sir Everard Waverley, ofWaverley-Honour, Bart.'

  The gentleman to whom this enormous greeting was addressed, of whom weshall have more to say in the sequel, had been in arms for the exiledfamily of Stuart in the year 1715, and was made prisoner at Preston inLancashire. He was of a very ancient family, and somewhat embarrassedfortune; a scholar, according to the scholarship of Scotchmen, that is,his learning was more diffuse than accurate, and he was rather a readerthan a grammarian. Of his zeal for the classic authors he is said tohave given an uncommon instance. On the road between Preston andLondon, he made his escape from his guards; but being afterwards foundloitering near the place where they had lodged the former night, he wasrecognised, and again arrested. His companions, and even his escort,were surprised at his infatuation, and could not help inquiring, why,being once at liberty, he had not made the best of his way to a placeof safety; to which he replied, that he had intended to do so, but, ingood faith, he had returned to seek his Titus Livius, which he hadforgot in the hurry of his escape. [Footnote: See Note 3.] Thesimplicity of this anecdote struck the gentleman, who, as we beforeobserved, had managed the defence of some of those unfortunate persons,at the expense of Sir Everard, and perhaps some others of the party. Hewas, besides, himself a special admirer of the old Patavinian, andthough probably his own zeal might not have carried him suchextravagant lengths, even to recover the edition of Sweynheim andPannartz (supposed to be the princeps), he did not the less estimatethe devotion of the North Briton, and in consequence exerted himself toso much purpose to remove and soften evidence, detect legal flaws, etcetera, that he accomplished the final discharge and deliverance ofCosmo Comyne Bradwardine from certain very awkward consequences of aplea before our sovereign lord the king in Westminster.

  The Baron of Bradwardine, for he was generally so called in Scotland(although his intimates, from his place of residence, used todenominate him Tully-Veolan, or more familiarly, Tully), no soonerstood rectus in curia than he posted down to pay his respects and makehis acknowledgments at Waverley-Honour. A congenial passion forfield-sports, and a general coincidence in political opinions, cementedhis friendship with Sir Everard, notwithstanding the difference oftheir habits and studies in other particulars; and, having spentseveral weeks at Waverley-Honour, the Baron departed with manyexpressions of regard, warmly pressing the Baronet to return his visit,and partake of the diversion of grouse-shooting, upon his moors inPerthshire next season. Shortly after, Mr. Bradwardine remitted fromScotland a sum in reimbursement of expenses incurred in the King's HighCourt of Westminster, which, although not quite so formidable whenreduced to the English denomination, had, in its original form ofScotch pounds, shillings, and pence, such a formidable effect upon theframe of Duncan Macwheeble, the laird's confidential factor,baron-bailie, and man of resource, that he had a fit of the cholic,which lasted for five days, occasioned, he said, solely and utterly bybecoming the unhappy instrument of conveying such a serious sum ofmoney out of his native country into the hands of the false English.But patriotism, as it is the fairest, so it is often the mostsuspicious mask of other feelings; and many who knew Bailie Macwheebleconcluded that his professions of regret were not altogetherdisinterested, and that he would have grudged the moneys paid to theLOONS at Westminster much less had they not come from Bradwardineestate, a fund which he considered as more particularly his own. Butthe Bailie protested he was absolutely disinterested--

  'Woe, woe, for Scotland, not a whit for me!'

  The laird was only rejoiced that his worthy friend, Sir EverardWaverley of Waverley-Honour, was reimbursed of the expenditure which hehad outlaid on account of the house of Bradwardine. It concerned, hesaid, the credit of his own family, and of the kingdom of Scotland atlarge, that these disbursements should be repaid forthwith, and, ifdelayed, it would be a matter of national reproach. Sir Everard,accustomed to treat much larger sums with indifference, received theremittance of L294, 13S. 6D. without being aware that the payment wasan international concern, and, indeed, would probably have forgot thecircumstance altogether, if Bailie Macwheeble had thought of comfortinghis cholic by intercepting the subsidy. A yearly intercourse tookplace, of a short letter and a hamper or a cask or two, betweenWaverley-Honour and Tully-Veolan, the English exports consisting ofmighty cheeses and mightier ale, pheasants, and venison, and theScottish returns being vested in grouse, white hares, pickled salmon,and usquebaugh; all which were meant,
sent, and received as pledges ofconstant friendship and amity between two important houses. It followedas a matter of course, that the heir-apparent of Waverley-Honour couldnot with propriety visit Scotland without being furnished withcredentials to the Baron of Bradwardine.

  When this matter was explained and settled, Mr. Pembroke expressed hiswish to take a private and particular leave of his dear pupil. The goodman's ex hortations to Edward to preserve an unblemished life andmorals, to hold fast the principles of the Christian religion, and toeschew the profane company of scoffers and latitudinarians, too muchabounding in the army, were not unmingled with his politicalprejudices. It had pleased Heaven, he said, to place Scotland(doubtless for the sins of their ancestors in 1642) in a moredeplorable state of darkness than even this unhappy kingdom of England.Here, at least, although the candlestick of the Church of England hadbeen in some degree removed from its place, it yet afforded aglimmering light; there was a hierarchy, though schismatical, andfallen from the principles maintained by those great fathers of thechurch, Sancroft and his brethren; there was a liturgy, though woefullyperverted in some of the principal petitions. But in Scotland it wasutter darkness; and, excepting a sorrowful, scattered, and persecutedremnant, the pulpits were abandoned to Presbyterians, and, he feared,to sectaries of every description. It should be his duty to fortify hisdear pupil to resist such unhallowed and pernicious doctrines in churchand state as must necessarily be forced at times upon his unwillingears.

  Here he produced two immense folded packets, which appeared each tocontain a whole ream of closely written manuscript. They had been thelabour of the worthy man's whole life; and never were labour and zealmore absurdly wasted. He had at one time gone to London, with theintention of giving them to the world, by the medium of a bookseller inLittle Britain, well known to deal in such commodities, and to whom hewas instructed to address himself in a particular phrase and with acertain sign, which, it seems, passed at that time current among theinitiated Jacobites. The moment Mr. Pembroke had uttered theShibboleth, with the appropriate gesture, the bibliopolist greeted him,notwithstanding every disclamation, by the title of Doctor, andconveying him into his back shop, after inspecting every possible andimpossible place of concealment, he commenced: 'Eh, Doctor!--Well--allunder the rose--snug--I keep no holes here even for a Hanoverian rat tohide in. And, what--eh! any good news from our friends over thewater?--and how does the worthy King of France?--Or perhaps you aremore lately from Rome? it must be Rome will do it at last--the churchmust light its candle at the old lamp.--Eh--what, cautious? I like youthe better; but no fear.' Here Mr. Pembroke with some difficulty stopta torrent of interrogations, eked out with signs, nods, and winks; and,having at length convinced the bookseller that he did him too muchhonour in supposing him an emissary of exiled royalty, he explained hisactual business.

  The man of books with a much more composed air proceeded to examine themanuscripts. The title of the first was 'A Dissent from Dissenters, orthe Comprehension confuted; showing the Impossibility of anyComposition between the Church and Puritans, Presbyterians, orSectaries of any Description; illustrated from the Scriptures, theFathers of the Church, and the soundest Controversial Divines.' To thiswork the bookseller positively demurred. 'Well meant,' he said, 'andlearned, doubtless; but the time had gone by. Printed on small-pica itwould run to eight hundred pages, and could never pay. Begged thereforeto be excused. Loved and honoured the true church from his soul, and,had it been a sermon on the martyrdom, or any twelve-penny touch--why,I would venture something for the honour of the cloth. But come, let'ssee the other. "Right Hereditary righted!"--Ah! there's some sense inthis. Hum--hum--hum--pages so many, paper so much,letter-press--Ah--I'll tell you, though, Doctor, you must knock outsome of the Latin and Greek; heavy, Doctor, damn'd heavy--(beg yourpardon) and if you throw in a few grains more pepper--I am he thatnever preached my author. I have published for Drake and CharlwoodLawton, and poor Amhurst [Footnote: See Note 4.]--Ah, Caleb! Caleb!Well, it was a shame to let poor Caleb starve, and so many fat rectorsand squires among us. I gave him a dinner once a week; but, Lord loveyou, what's once a week, when a man does not know where to go the othersix days? Well, but I must show the manuscript to little Tom Alibi thesolicitor, who manages all my law affairs--must keep on the windy side;the mob were very uncivil the last time I mounted in Old PalaceYard--all Whigs and Roundheads every man of them, Williamites andHanover rats.'

  The next day Mr. Pembroke again called on the publisher, but found TomAlibi's advice had determined him against undertaking the work. 'Notbut what I would go to--(what was I going to say?) to the Plantationsfor the church with pleasure--but, dear Doctor, I have a wife andfamily; but, to show my zeal, I'll recommend the job to my neighbourTrimmel--he is a bachelor, and leaving off business, so a voyage in awestern barge would not inconvenience him.' But Mr. Trimmel was alsoobdurate, and Mr. Pembroke, fortunately perchance for himself, wascompelled to return to Waverley-Honour with his treatise in vindicationof the real fundamental principles of church and state safely packed inhis saddle-bags.

  As the public were thus likely to be deprived of the benefit arisingfrom his lucubrations by the selfish cowardice of the trade, Mr.Pembroke resolved to make two copies of these tremendous manuscriptsfor the use of his pupil. He felt that he had been indolent as a tutor,and, besides, his conscience checked him for complying with the requestof Mr. Richard Waverley, that he would impress no sentiments uponEdward's mind inconsistent with the present settlement in church andstate. But now, thought he, I may, without breach of my word, since heis no longer under my tuition, afford the youth the means of judgingfor himself, and have only to dread his reproaches for so longconcealing the light which the perusal will flash upon his mind. Whilehe thus indulged the reveries of an author and a politician, hisdarling proselyte, seeing nothing very inviting in the title of thetracts, and appalled by the bulk and compact lines of the manuscript,quietly consigned them to a corner of his travelling trunk.

  Aunt Rachel's farewell was brief and affectionate. She only cautionedher dear Edward, whom she probably deemed somewhat susceptible, againstthe fascination of Scottish beauty. She allowed that the northern partof the island contained some ancient families, but they were all Whigsand Presbyterians except the Highlanders; and respecting them she mustneeds say, there could be no great delicacy among the ladies, where thegentlemen's usual attire was, as she had been assured, to say theleast, very singular, and not at all decorous. She concluded herfarewell with a kind and moving benediction, and gave the youngofficer, as a pledge of her regard, a valuable diamond ring (often wornby the male sex at that time), and a purse of broad gold-pieces, whichalso were more common Sixty Years Since than they have been of late.