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 THIE PEAK. 653
"Assuredly, my good friend," said the King. "Old acquaintances are
springing up in every quarter to-night; and our leisure can hardly be
better employed than in listening to them. - It was an idle trick of Buckingham," he added, in a whisper to Ormond, "' to send the poor thing
hither, especially as he was to-day tried for the affair of the Plot. At any
rate he comes not to ask protection from us, having had the rare fortune to
come off Plot-frea. He is but fishing, I suppose, for some little present or
pension."
The little man, precise in Court etiquette, yet impatient of the King's
delaying to attend to him, stood in the midst of the floor, most valorously
pawing and prancing, like a Scots pony assuming the airs of a war-horse,
waving meanwhile his little hat with the tarnished feather, and bowing
from time to time, as if impatient to be heard.
" Speak on, then, my friend," said Charles; "if thou hast some poetical
address penned for thee, out with it, that thou mayest have time to repose
these flourishing little limbs of thine."
"No poetical speech have I, most mighty Sovereign," answered the
dwarf; " but, in plain and most loyal prose, I do accuse, before this company, the once noble Duke of Buckingham of high treason!"
"Well spoken, and manfully- Get on, man," said the King, who never
doubted that this was the introduction to something burlesque or witty, not
conceiving that the charge was made in solemn earnest.
A great laugh took place among such courtiers as heard, and among
many who did not hear, what was uttered by the dwarf; the former entertained by the extravagant emphasis and gesticulation of the little champion,
and the others laughing not the less loud that they laughed for example's
sake, and upon trust.
"What matter is there for all this mirth?" said he, very indignantly -
" Is it fit subject for laughing, that I, Geoffrey Hudson, Knight, do, before
King and nobles, impeach George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, of high
treason?"
" No subject of mirth, certainly," said Charles, composing his features;
"but great matter of wonder. - Come, cease this mouthing, and prancing,
and mummery.-If there be a jest, come out with it, man; and if not, even
get thee to the beauffet, and drink a cup of wine to refresh thee after thy
close lodging."
"I tell you, my liege," said Hudson, impatiently, yet in a whisper,
intended only to be audible by the King, "that if you. spend over much
time in trifling, you will be convinced by dire experience of Buckingham's
treason. I tell you, - I asseverate to your Majesty, - two hundred armed
fanatics will be here within the hour, to surprise the guards."
" Stand back, ladies," said the King, "or you may hear more than you
will care to listen to. My Lord of Buckinghaml's jests are not always, you
know, quite fitted for female ears; besides, we want a few words in private
w;ith our little friend. You, my Lord of Ormond - you, Arlington," (and
he named one or two others,) "may remain with us."
The gay crowd bore back, and dispersed through the apartment-the
men to conjecture what the end of this mummery, as they supposed it, was
likely to prove; and what -jest, as Sedley said, the bass-fiddle had been
brought to bed of- and the ladies to admire and criticise the antique dress,
and richly embroidered ruff and hood of the Countess of Derby, to whom
the Queen was showing particular attention.
"And now, in the name of Heaven, and amongst friends," said the King
to the dwarf, " what means all this?"
"Treason, my Lord the King!-Treason to his Majesty of England!When I was chambered in yonder instrument, my lord, the High-Dutch fellows
who bore me, carried me into a certain chapel, to see, as they said to each
other, that all was ready. Sire, I went where bass-fiddle never went before,
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