Waverley; Or 'Tis Sixty Years Since — Complete

by Walter Scott

  CHAPTER XXXV

  A VOLUNTEER SIXTY YEARS SINCE

  On hearing the unwelcome sound of the drum, Major Melville hastilyopened a sashed door and stepped out upon a sort of terrace whichdivided his house from the highroad from which the martial musicproceeded. Waverley and his new friend followed him, though probably hewould have dispensed with their attendance. They soon recognised insolemn march, first, the performer upon the drum; secondly, a largeflag of four compartments, on which were inscribed the words, COVENANT,KIRK, KING, KINGDOMS. The person who was honoured with this charge wasfollowed by the commander of the party, a thin, dark, rigid-lookingman, about sixty years old. The spiritual pride, which in mine host ofthe Candlestick mantled in a sort of supercilious hypocrisy, was inthis man's face elevated and yet darkened by genuine and undoubtingfanaticism. It was impossible to behold him without imagination placinghim in some strange crisis, where religious zeal was the rulingprinciple. A martyr at the stake, a soldier in the field, a lonely andbanished wanderer consoled by the intensity and supposed purity of hisfaith under every earthly privation, perhaps a persecuting inquisitor,as terrific in power as unyielding in adversity; any of these seemedcongenial characters to this personage. With these high traits ofenergy, there was something in the affected precision and solemnity ofhis deportment and discourse that bordered upon the ludicrous; so that,according to the mood of the spectator's mind and the light under whichMr. Gilfillan presented himself, one might have feared, admired, orlaughed at him. His dress was that of a West-Country peasant, of bettermaterials indeed than that of the lower rank, but in no respectaffecting either the mode of the age or of the Scottish gentry at anyperiod. His arms were a broadsword and pistols, which, from theantiquity of their appearance, might have seen the rout of Pentland orBothwell Brigg.

  As he came up a few steps to meet Major Melville, and touched solemnly,but slightly, his huge and over-brimmed blue bonnet, in answer to theMajor, who had courteously raised a small triangular gold-laced hat,Waverley was irresistibly impressed with the idea that he beheld aleader of the Roundheads of yore in conference with one ofMarlborough's captains.

  The group of about thirty armed men who followed this gifted commanderwas of a motley description. They were in ordinary Lowland dresses, ofdifferent colours, which, contrasted with the arms they bore, gave theman irregular and mobbish appearance; so much is the eye accustomed toconnect uniformity of dress with the military character. In front werea few who apparently partook of their leader's enthusiasm, menobviously to be feared in a combat, where their natural courage wasexalted by religious zeal. Others puffed and strutted, filled with theimportance of carrying arms and all the novelty of their situation,while the rest, apparently fatigued with their march, dragged theirlimbs listlessly along, or straggled from their companions to procuresuch refreshments as the neighbouring cottages and alehouses afforded.Six grenadiers of Ligonier's, thought the Major to himself, as his mindreverted to his own military experience, would have sent all thesefellows to the right about.

  Greeting, however, Mr. Gilfillan civilly, he requested to know if hehad received the letter he had sent to him upon his march, and couldundertake the charge of the state prisoner whom he there mentioned asfar as Stirling Castle. 'Yea,' was the concise reply of the Cameronianleader, in a voice which seemed to issue from the very penetralia ofhis person.

  'But your escort, Mr. Gilfillan, is not so strong as I expected,' saidMajor Melville.

  'Some of the people,' replied Gilfillan, 'hungered and were athirst bythe way, and tarried until their poor souls were refreshed with theword.'

  'I am sorry, sir,' replied the Major, 'you did not trust to yourrefreshing your men at Cairnvreckan; whatever my house contains is atthe command of persons employed in the service.'

  'It was not of creature-comforts I spake,' answered the Covenanter,regarding Major Melville with something like a smile of contempt;'howbeit, I thank you; but the people remained waiting upon theprecious Mr. Jabesh Rentowel for the out-pouring of the afternoonexhortation.'

  'And have you, sir,' said the Major, 'when the rebels are about tospread themselves through this country, actually left a great part ofyour command at a fieldpreaching?'

  Gilfillan again smiled scornfully as he made this indirect answer--'Even thus are the children of this world wiser in their generationthan the children of light!'

  'However, sir,' said the Major, 'as you are to take charge of thisgentleman to Stirling, and deliver him, with these papers, into thehands of Governor Blakeney, I beseech you to observe some rules ofmilitary discipline upon your march. For example, I would advise you tokeep your men more closely together, and that each in his march shouldcover his file-leader, instead of straggling like geese upon a common;and, for fear of surprise, I further recommend to you to form a smalladvance-party of your best men, with a single vidette in front of thewhole march, so that when you approach a village or a wood'--(here theMajor interrupted himself)--'But as I don't observe you listen to me,Mr. Gilfillan, I suppose I need not give myself the trouble to say moreupon the subject. You are a better judge, unquestionably, than I am ofthe measures to be pursued; but one thing I would have you well awareof, that you are to treat this gentleman, your prisoner, with no rigournor incivility, and are to subject him to no other restraint than isnecessary for his security.'

  'I have looked into my commission,' said Mr. Gilfillan,' subscribed bya worthy and professing nobleman, William, Earl of Glencairn; nor do Ifind it therein set down that I am to receive any charges or commandsanent my doings from Major William Melville of Cairnvreckan.'

  Major Melville reddened even to the well-powdered ears which appearedbeneath his neat military sidecurls, the more so as he observed Mr.Morton smile at the same moment. 'Mr. Gilfillan,' he answered, withsome asperity, 'I beg ten thousand pardons for interfering with aperson of your importance. I thought, however, that as you have beenbred a grazier, if I mistake not, there might be occasion to remind youof the difference between Highlanders and Highland cattle; and if youshould happen to meet with any gentleman who has seen service, and isdisposed to speak upon the subject, I should still imagine thatlistening to him would do you no sort of harm. But I have done, andhave only once more to recommend this gentleman to your civility aswell as to your custody. Mr. Waverley, I am truly sorry we should partin this way; but I trust, when you are again in this country, I mayhave an opportunity to render Cairnvreckan more agreeable thancircumstances have permitted on this occasion.'

  So saying, he shook our hero by the hand. Morton also took anaffectionate farewell, and Waverley, having mounted his horse, with amusketeer leading it by the bridle and a file upon each side to preventhis escape, set forward upon the march with Gilfillan and his party.Through the little village they were accompanied with the shouts of thechildren, who cried out, 'Eh! see to the Southland gentleman that'sgaun to be hanged for shooting lang John Mucklewrath, the smith!