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.

OLD MO RTAXLITY. 515
the hearing of their colleagues and to hold the following argument with
him:
" Thou art unwise, Henry Morton, to desire to sacrifice this holy cause
to thy friendship for an uncircumcised Philistine, or thy lust for a Moabitish woman."
" I neither understand your meaning, Mr. Balfour, nor relish your allarions," replied Morton, indignantly; "and I know no reason you have to
bring so gross a charge, or to use such uncivil language."
"Confess, however, the truth," said Balfour, "and own that there are
those within yon dark Tower, over whom thou wouldst rather be watching
like a mother over her little ones, than thou wouldst bear the banner of the
Church of Scotland over the necks of her enemies."
"If you mean, that I would willingly terminate this war without any
bloody victory, and that I am more anxious to do this than to acquire any
personal fame or power,-you may be," replied Morton, " perfectly right."
"And not wholly wrong," answered Burley, "in deeming that thou
wouldst not exclude from so general a pacification thy friends in the garrison of Tillietudlem."
"Certainly," replied Morton, "'I am too much obliged to Major Bellenden, not to wish to be of service to him, as far as the interest of the
cause I have espoused will permit.,I never made a secret of my regard for
him."
" I am aware of that," said Burley; "but, if thou hadst concealed it, I.hould, nevertheless, have found out thy riddle. Now, hearken to my
words. This Miles Bellenden hath means to subsist'his garrison for a
month."
" This is not the case," answered Morton; " we know his stores are hardly
equal to a week's consumption."
" Ay, but," continued Burley, "I have since had proof of the strongest
nature, that such a report was spread in the garrison by that wily and greyheaded malignant, partly to prevail on the soldiers to submit to a diminution of their daily food, partly to detain us before the walls of'his fortress
until the sword should be whetted to smite and destroy us."
" And why was not the evidence of this laid before the council of war?'
said Morton.
" To what purpose?" said Balfour. " Why need we undeceive Kettledrummle, Macbriar, Poundtext, and Langcale, upon such a point? Thyself must own, that whatever is told to them escapes to the host out of the
mouth of the preacher at their next holding-forth. They are already discouraged by the thoughts of lying before the fort a week - what would be
the consequence were they ordered to prepare for the leaguer of a month?"
"But why conceal it, then, from me? or why tell it me now? and, above
all, what proofs have you got of the fact?" continued Morton.
"There are many proofs," replied Burley; and he put into his hands ar
number of requisitions sent forth by Major Bellenden, with receipts on the
back to various proprietors, for cattle, corn, meal, &c., to such an amount,
that the sum-total seemed to exclude the possibility of the garrison being
soon distressed for provisions. But Burley did not inform Morton of a fact
which he himself knew full well, namely, that most of these provisions
never reached the garrison, owing to the rapacity of the dragoons sent to
collect them, who readily sold to one man what they took from another, and
abused the Major's press for stores, pretty much as Sir John Falstaff did
that of the King for men.
" And now," continued Balfour, observing that he had made the desired
impression, "I have only to say, that I concealed this from thee no longer
than it was concealed from myself, for I have only received these papers
this morning; and I tell it unto thee now, that thou mayest go on thy way
rejoicing, and work the great work willingly at Glasgow, being assured that