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.

PEVERIL OF THE PEAK. 415
call on every liege subject to render assistance to the execution. MIy late
friendly neighbour, bound, as a man and a magistrate, to give ready assistance to a legal action —bound, as a grateful and obliged friend, to respect
my rights and my person-thrusts himself betwixt Ime-me, the avenger of
blood-and my lawful captive; beats me to the earth, at once endangering
my life, and, in mere human eyes, sullying mine honour; and under his
protection, the Midianitish woman reaches, like a sea-eagle, the nest which'
she hath made in the wave-surrounded rocks, and remains there till gold,
duly administered at Court,- wipes out all memory of her crime, and baffles
the vengeance due to the memory of the- best and bravest of men. - But,"'
he added, apostrophizing the portrait of Christian, "thou art not yet forgotten, my fair-haired William I The vengeance which dogs thy murderess
is slow,-but it is sure!"
There was a pause of some moments, which Julian Peveril, willing to
hear to what conclusion Major Bridgenorth vwas finally to arrive, did not
care to interrupt. Accordingly, in a few minutes, the latter proceeded."These things," he said, " I recall not in bitterness, so far as they are personal to nme-I recall them not in spite of heart, though they have been the
means of banishing me from my place of residence, where my fathers
dwelt, and where my earthly comforts lie interred. But the public cause
sets farther strife betwixt your father and me. Who so active as he to execute the fatal edict of black St. Bartholomew's day, whell so manny hundreds
of gospel-preachers were expelled from house and home - from hearth and
altar - from church and parish, to make room for belly-gods and thieves?
WVho, when a devoted few of the Lord's people were united to lift the fallen
standard, and once more advance the good cause, was the readiest to break
their purpose —to search for, persecute, and apprehend them? Whose
breath did I feel warm on mly neck-whose naked sword was thrust within
a foot of my body, whilst I lurked darkling, like a thief in concealment, in
the house of my fathers?-It was Geoffrey Peveril's-it was your father's!
- hat can you answer to all this, or how can you reconcile it with your
present wishes?"
Julian, in reply, could only remark, "That these injuries had been of
long standing- that they had been done in heat of times, and heat of
temper, and that Master Bridgenorth, in Christian kindness, should not
entertain a keen resentment of them, when a door was opened for reconciliation."
" Peace, young man," said Bridgenorth, "thou speakest of thou knowest
not what. To forgive our human wrongs is christian-like and commendable; but we have no commission to forgive those which have been done to
the cause of religion and of liberty; we have no right to grant immunity,
or to shake hands with those who have poured forth the blood of our
brethren." He looked at the picture of Christian, and was silent for a few
minutes, as if he feared to give too violent way to his own impetuosity, and
resumed the discourse in a milder tone.
" These things I point out to you, Julian, that I may show you how impossible, in the eyes of a merely worldly man, would be the union which
you are desirous of. But HIeaven hath at times opened a door, where man
beholds no means of-issue. Julian, your mother, for one to whom the truth
is unknown, is, after the fashion of the world, one of the best, and one of
the wisest of women; and Providence, which gave her so fair a form; and
tenanted that form with a mind as pure as the original frailty of our vile
nature will permit, means not, I trust, that she shall continue to the end to
be a vessel of wrath and perdition. Of your father I say nothing - he is
what the times and example of others, and the counsels of his lordly priest,
have made him; and of him, once more, I say nothing, save that I have
Tower over him, which ere now he might have felt, but that there is one
within his chambers, who might have suffered in his suffering. Nor do I