Waverley; Or, 'Tis Sixty Years Since — Volume 2

by Walter Scott

  CHAPTER L

  RATHER UNIMPORTANT

  'I was turned back,' said Fergus to Edward, as they galloped fromPreston to Pinkie House, 'by a message from the Prince. But Isuppose you know the value of this most noble Colonel Talbot as aprisoner. He is held one of the best officers among the red-coats,a special friend and favourite of the Elector himself, and of thatdreadful hero, the Duke of Cumberland, who has been summoned fromhis triumphs at Fontenoy to come over and devour us poorHighlanders alive. Has he been telling you how the bells of St.James's ring? Not "turn again, Whittington," like those of Bow, inthe days of yore?'

  'Fergus!' said Waverley, with a reproachful look.

  'Nay, I cannot tell what to make of you,' answered the Chief ofMac-Ivor, 'you are blown about with every wind of doctrine. Herehave we gained a victory unparalleled in history, and yourbehaviour is praised by every living mortal to the skies, and thePrince is eager to thank you in person, and all our beauties ofthe White Rose are pulling caps for you;--and you, the preuxchevalier of the day, are stooping on your horse's neck like abutter-woman riding to market, and looking as black as a funeral!'

  'I am sorry for poor Colonel Gardiner's death; he was once verykind to me.'

  'Why, then, be sorry for five minutes, and then be glad again; hischance to-day may be ours to-morrow; and what does it signify? Thenext best thing to victory is honourable death; but it is a PIS-ALLER, and one would rather a foe had it than one's self.'

  'But Colonel Talbot has informed me that my father and uncle areboth imprisoned by government on my account.'

  'We'll put in bail, my boy; old Andrew Ferrara [Footnote: See Note10] shall lodge his security; and I should like to see him put tojustify it in Westminster Hall!'

  'Nay, they are already at liberty, upon bail of a more civicdisposition.'

  'Then why is thy noble spirit cast down, Edward? Dost think thatthe Elector's ministers are such doves as to set their enemies atliberty at this critical moment if they could or durst confine andpunish them? Assure thyself that either they have no chargeagainst your relations on which they can continue theirimprisonment, or else they are afraid of our friends, the jollyCavaliers of old England. At any rate, you need not beapprehensive upon their account; and we will find some means ofconveying to them assurances of your safety.'

  Edward was silenced but not satisfied with these reasons. He hadnow been more than once shocked at the small degree of sympathywhich Fergus exhibited for the feelings even of those whom heloved, if they did not correspond with his own mood at the time,and more especially if they thwarted him while earnest in afavourite pursuit. Fergus sometimes indeed observed that he hadoffended Waverley, but, always intent upon some favourite plan orproject of his own, he was never sufficiently aware of the extentor duration of his displeasure, so that the reiteration of thesepetty offences somewhat cooled the volunteer's extreme attachmentto his officer.

  The Chevalier received Waverley with his usual favour, and paidhim many compliments on his distinguished bravery. He then tookhim apart, made many inquiries concerning Colonel Talbot, and whenhe had received all the information which Edward was able to giveconcerning him and his connexions, he proceeded--'I cannot butthink, Mr. Waverley, that since this gentleman is so particularlyconnected with our worthy and excellent friend, Sir EverardWaverley, and since his lady is of the house of Blandeville, whosedevotion to the true and loyal principles of the Church of Englandis so generally known, the Colonel's own private sentiments cannotbe unfavorable to us, whatever mask he may have assumed toaccommodate himself to the times.'

  'If I am to judge from the language he this day held to me, I amunder the necessity of differing widely from your Royal Highness.'

  'Well, it is worth making a trial at least. I therefore entrustyou with the charge of Colonel Talbot, with power to actconcerning him as you think most advisable; and I hope you willfind means of ascertaining what are his real dispositions towardsour Royal Father's restoration.'

  'I am convinced,' said Waverley, bowing, 'that if Colonel Talbotchooses to grant his parole, it may be securely depended upon; butif he refuses it, I trust your Royal Highness will devolve on someother person than the nephew of his friend the task of laying himunder the necessary restraint.'

  'I will trust him with no person but you,' said the Prince,smiling, but peremptorily repeating his mandate; 'it is ofimportance to my service that there should appear to be a goodintelligence between you, even if you are unable to gain hisconfidence in earnest. You will therefore receive him into yourquarters, and in case he declines giving his parole, you mustapply for a proper guard. I beg you will go about this directly.We return to Edinburgh tomorrow.'

  Being thus remanded to the vicinity of Preston, Waverley lost theBaron of Bradwardine's solemn act of homage. So little, however,was he at this time in love with vanity, that he had quiteforgotten the ceremony in which Fergus had laboured to engage hiscuriosity. But next day a formal 'Gazette' was circulated,containing a detailed account of the battle of Gladsmuir, as theHighlanders chose to denominate their victory. It concluded withan account of the court afterwards held by the Chevalier at PinkieHouse, which contained this among other high-flown descriptiveparagraphs:--

  'Since that fatal treaty which annihilates Scotland as anindependent nation, it has not been our happiness to see herprinces receive, and her nobles discharge, those acts of feudalhomage which, founded upon the splendid actions of Scottishvalour, recall the memory of her early history, with the manly andchivalrous simplicity of the ties which united to the Crown thehomage of the warriors by whom it was repeatedly upheld anddefended. But on the evening of the 20th our memories wererefreshed with one of those ceremonies which belong to the ancientdays of Scotland's glory. After the circle was formed, CosmoComyne Bradwardine of that ilk, colonel in the service, etc.,etc., etc., came before the Prince, attended by Mr. D. Macwheeble,the Bailie of his ancient barony of Bradwardine (who, weunderstand, has been lately named a commissary), and, under formof instrument, claimed permission to perform to the person of hisRoyal Highness, as representing his father, the service used andwont, for which, under a charter of Robert Bruce (of which theoriginal was produced and inspected by the Masters of his RoyalHighness's Chancery for the time being), the claimant held thebarony of Bradwardine and lands of Tully-Veolan. His claim beingadmitted and registered, his Royal Highness having placed his footupon a cushion, the Baron of Bradwardine, kneeling upon his rightknee, proceeded to undo the latchet of the brogue, or low-heeledHighland shoe, which our gallant young hero wears in compliment tohis brave followers. When this was performed, his Royal Highnessdeclared the ceremony completed; and, embracing the gallantveteran, protested that nothing but compliance with an ordinanceof Robert Bruce could have induced him to receive even thesymbolical performance of a menial office from hands which hadfought so bravely to put the crown upon the head of his father.The Baron of Bradwardine then took instruments in the hands of Mr.Commissary Macwheeble, bearing that all points and circumstancesof the act of homage had been rite et solenniter acta et peracta;and a corresponding entry was made in the protocol of the LordHigh Chamberlain and in the record of Chancery. We understand thatit is in contemplation of his Royal Highness, when his Majesty'spleasure can be known, to raise Colonel Bradwardine to thepeerage, by the title of Viscount Bradwardine of Bradwardine andTully-Veolan, and that, in the meanwhile, his Royal Highness, inhis father's name and authority, has been pleased to grant him anhonourable augmentation to his paternal coat of arms, being abudget or boot-jack, disposed saltier-wise with a nakedbroadsword, to be borne in the dexter cantle of the shield; and,as an additional motto, on a scroll beneath, the words, "Draw anddraw off."'

  'Were it not for the recollection of Fergus's raillery,' thoughtWaverley to himself, when he had perused this long and gravedocument,' how very tolerably would all this sound, and how littleshould I have thought of connecting it with any ludicrous idea!Well, after all, everything has its fair as well as its seamyside; and truly I do not s
ee why the Baron's boot-jack may notstand as fair in heraldry as the water-buckets, waggons, cart-wheels, plough-socks, shuttles, candlesticks, and otherordinaries, conveying ideas of anything save chivalry, whichappear in the arms of some of our most ancient gentry.'

  This, however, is an episode in respect to the principal story.

  When Waverley returned to Preston and rejoined Colonel Talbot, hefound him recovered from the strong and obvious emotions withwhich a concurrence of unpleasing events had affected him. He hadregained his natural manner, which was that of an Englishgentleman and soldier, manly, open and generous, but notunsusceptible of prejudice against those of a different country,or who opposed him in political tenets. When Waverley acquaintedColonel Talbot with the Chevalier's purpose to commit him to hischarge, 'I did not think to have owed so much obligation to thatyoung gentleman,' he said, 'as is implied in this destination. Ican at least cheerfully join in the prayer of the honestPresbyterian clergyman, that, as he has come among us seeking anearthly crown, his labours may be speedily rewarded with aheavenly one. [Footnote: The clergyman's name was Mac-Vicar.Protected by the cannon of the Castle, he preached every Sunday inthe West Kirk while the Highlanders were in possession ofEdinburgh, and it was in presence of some of the Jacobites that heprayed for Prince Charles Edward in the terms quoted in the text.]I shall willingly give my parole not to attempt an escape withoutyour knowledge, since, in fact, it was to meet you that I came toScotland; and I am glad it has happened even under thispredicament. But I suppose we shall be but a short time together.Your Chevalier (that is a name we may both give to him), with hisplaids and blue caps, will, I presume, be continuing his crusadesouthward?'

  'Not as I hear; I believe the army makes some stay in Edinburgh tocollect reinforcements.'

  'And to besiege the Castle?' said Talbot, smiling sarcastically.'Well, unless my old commander, General Preston, turn false metal,or the Castle sink into the North Loch, events which I deemequally probable, I think we shall have some time to make up ouracquaintance. I have a guess that this gallant Chevalier has adesign that I should be your proselyte; and, as I wish you to bemine, there cannot be a more fair proposal than to afford us fairconference together. But, as I spoke today under the influence offeelings I rarely give way to, I hope you will excuse my enteringagain upon controversy till we are somewhat better acquainted.'