The Waverley novels, by Sir Walter Scott, complete in 12 vol., printed from the latest English ed., embracing the author's last corrections, prefaces & notes.

460 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
"Pshaw!" said the young Cornet, "what signifies strong ground, when
it is only held by a crew of canting, psalm-singing old women?"
" A man may fight never the worse," retorted Major Allan, " for honouring both his- Bible and Psalter. These fellows will prove as stubboru as
steel; I know them of old."
"Their nasal psalmody," said the Cornet,. "reminds our Major of the race
of Dunbar."
"I-iad you been at that race, young man," retorted Allan, "' you would
have wanted nothing to remind you of it for the longest day you have to
live."
" Hush! hush, gentlemen!" said Claverhouse -" these are untimely repartees - I should like your advice well, Major Allan, had our rascally
patrols (whom I will see duly punished) brought us timely notice of the
enemy's number and position. But having once presented ourselves before
them in line, the retreat of the Life-Guards would argue gross timidity, and
be the general signal for insurrection throughout the west. In which case,
so far from obtaining any assistance from my Lord Ross, I promise you I
should have great apprehensions of his being cut off before we can join him,
or he us. A retreat would have quite the same fatal effect upon the King's
cause as the loss of a battle-and as to the difference of risk or of safety it
might make with respect to ourselves, that, I am sure, no gentlemen thinks
a moment about. There must be some gorges or passes in the morass
through which we can force our way; and, were we once on firm ground,
I trust there is no man in the Life-G-uards who supposes our squadrons,
though so weak in numbers, are unable to trample into dust twice the
number of these unpractised clowns. - What say you, my Lord Evandale?"
" I humbly think," said Lord Evandale, " that, go the dlay how it will,
it must be a bloody one; and that we shall lose many brave fellows, and
probably be obliged to slaughter a great number of these misguided men,
who, after all, are Scotchmen and subjects of King Charles as well as we
are."
" Rebels! rebels! and undeserving the name either of Scotchmen or of
subjects I" said Claverhouse. "But come, my lord, what does your opinion
point at?"
""To enter into a treaty with these ignorant and misled men," said the
young nobleman.
"A treaty! and with rebels having arms in their hands? Never while I
live!" answered his commander.
" At least send a trumpet and flag of truce, summoning them to lay down
their weapons and disperse," said Lord Evandale, "upon promise of a free
pardon-I have always heard, that had that been done before the battle of
Pentland hills, much blood might have been saved."
" Well," said Claverhouse, " and who the devil do you think would carry
a summons to these headstrong and desperate fanatics? They acknowledge
no laws of war. Their leaders, who have been all most active in the murder of the Archbishop of St. Andrews, fight with a rope round their necks,
and are likely to kill the messenger, were it but to dip their followers in
loyal blood, and to make them as desperate of pardon as t-hemselves."
" I will go myself," said Evandale, " if you will permit me. I have often
risked my blood to spill that of others - let me do so now in order to save
human lives."
"You shall not go on such an errand, my lord," said Claverhouse; " your
rank and situation render your safety of too much consequence to the
country in an age when good principles are so rare. - IIere's my brother's
son, Dick Grahame, who fears shot or steel as little as if the devil had given
him armour of proof against it, as the fanaties say he has given to his