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.

3882 WAVEtRLEY NOVELS.
to a far country, and there do as my duty shall call upon me, whether it be
to act or to suffer —to bear testimony at the stake ox in the pulpit."Such were the sentiments which MAIr. Solsgrace expressed to his desponding friends, and which he expatiated upon at more length with M~aior Bridgenorth; not failing, with friendly zeal, to rebuke the haste which the latter
had shown to thrust out the hand of fellowship to the Amalekite woman,
whereby he reminded him, "HIe had been rendered her slave and bondsman for a season, like Samson, betrayed by Delilah, and might have
remained longer in the house of Dagon, had not Heaven pointed to him a
way out of the snare. Also, it sprung originally from the Maajor's going
up to feast in the high place of Baal, that he who was the champion of the
truth was stricken down, and put to shame by the enemy, even in the presence of the host."
These oljurgations seeming to give some offence to,IMajor Bridgenorth,
who liked, no better than any other man, to hear of his own mishaps, and
at the same time to have them imputed to his own misconduct, the worthy
divine proceeded to take shame to himself for his own sinful compliance in
that matter; for to the vengeance justly due fbr that unhappy dinner at
Martindale Castle, (which was, he said, ~ crying of peace when there was
no peace, and a dwelling in the tents of sin,) he imputed his ejection from
his living, with the destruction of some of his most pithy and highly prized
volumes of divinity, with the loss of his cap, gown, and band, and a double
logshead of choice Derby ale.
The mind of Major Bridgenorth was strongly tinged with devotional
feeling, which his late misfortunes had rendered more deep and solemn;
and it is therefore no wonder, that, when he heard these arguments urged
again and again, by a pastor whom he so much respected, and who was
now a confessor in the cause of their joint faith, he began to look back with
disapproval on his own conduct, and to suspect that he had permitted himself to be seduced by gratitude towards Lady Peveril, and by her special
arguments in favour of a mutual and tolerating liberality of sentiments,
into an action which had a tendency to compromise his religious and political principles.
One morning, as aPv'jor Bridgenorthl had wearied himself with several
details respecting the arrangement of his affairs, he was reposing in the
leathern easy chair, beside the latticed window, a posture which, by natural
association, recalled to him the memory of former times, and the feelings
with which he was wont to expect the recurring visit of Sir Geoffrey, who
brought him news of his child's welfare, -" Surely," lie said, thinking, as
it were, aloud, " there was no sin in the kindness with which I then regarded
that man."
Solsgrace, who was in the apartment, and guessed what passed through
his friend's mind, acquainted as he was with every point of his history,
replied —" When God caused Elijah to be fed by ravens, while icing at
the brook Cherith, we hear not of his fondling the unclean birds, whom,
contrary to their ravening nature, a miracle compelled to minister to hin."
"' It may be so," answered Bridge-north, " yet the flap of their wings must
have been gracious in the ear of the famished prophet, like the tread of his
horse in mine. The ravens, doubtless, resumed their nature when the season
was passed, and even so it has fared with him. - IHark!" he exclaimed,
starting, " I hear his horse's hoof-tramp even now."
It was seldom that the echoes of that silent house and court-yard were
awakened by the trampling of horses, but such was now the case.
Both Bridgenorth and Solsgrace were surprised at the sound, and even
disposed to anticipate sonie farther oppression on the part of government,
when the Major's old servant introduced, with little ceremony, (for his manners were nearly as plain as his master's,) a tall gentleman, on the farther
side of middle life, whose vest and cloak, long hair, slouched hat and droop.