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.

96 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
"Truly, worthy sir," said the Mayor, "Master Holdenough was quite
venturous upon confronting, as it were, the devil, and compelling him to
appear under the real form of Master Joshua Bletson, member of Parliament for the borough of Littlefaith."
"In sooth, Master Mayor," said the divine, "I were strangely ignorant
of my own commission and its immunities, if I were to value opposing myself to Satan, or any Independent in his likeness, all of whom, in the name
of Him I serve, I do defy, spit at, and trample under my feet; and because
Master Mayor is something tedious, I will briefly inform your honour that
we saw little of the Enemy that night, save what Master Bletson said in
the first feeling of his terrors, and save what we might collect from the disordered appearance of the IIonourable Colonel Desborough and MajorGeneral Iarrison."
" And what plight were they in,'I pray you?" demanded the Colonel.
" Why, worthy sir, every one might see with half an eye that they had
been engaged in a fight wherein they had not been honoured with perfect
victory; seeing that General Harrison was stalking up and down the parlour, with his drawn sword in his hand, talking to himself, his doublet unbuttoned, his points untrussed, his garters loose, and like to throw him
down as he now and then trode on them, and gaping and grinning like a
mad player. And yonder sate Desborough with a dry pottle of sack before
him, which he had just emptied, and which, though the element in which
he trusted, had not restored him sense enough to speak, or courage enough
to look over his shoulder. He had a Bible in his hand, forsootlb as if it
would of itself make battle against the Evil One; but I peered over his
shoulder, and, alas! the good gentleman held the bottom of the page uppermost. It was as if one of your musketeers, noble and valued sir, were to
present the butt of his piece at the enemy instead of the muzzle -ha, ha,
ha! it was a sight to judge of schismatics by; both in point of head, and
in point of heart, in point of skill, and in point of courage. Oh! Colonel,
then was the time to see the true character of an authorised pastor of souls
aver those unhappy men, who leap into the fold without due and legal
authority, and will, forsooth, preach, teach, and exhort, and blasphemously
term the doctrine of the Church saltless porridge and dry chips!"
" I have no doubt you were ready to meet the danger, reverend sir; but
I would fain know of what nature it was, and from whence it was to be
apprehended?"
" Was it for me to make such inquiry?" said the clergyman, triumphantly.
"Is it for a brave soldier to number his enemies, or inquire from what
quarter they are to come? No, sir, I was there with match lighted, bullet
in my mouth, and my harquebuss shouldered, to encounter as many devils
as hell could pour in, were they countless as motes in the sunbeam, and
although they came from all points of the compass. The Papists talk of
the temptation of St. Anthony - pshaw! let them double all the myriads
which the brain of a crazy Dutch painter hath invented, and you will find
a poor Presbyterian divine-I will answer for one at least,-who, not in his
own strength, but his Master's, will receive the assault in such sort, that
far from returning against him as against yonder poor hound, day after day,
and night after night, he will at once pack them off as with a vengeance to
the uttermost parts of Assyria!"
" Still," said the Colonel, "I pray to know whether you saw anything
upon which to exercise your pious learning?"
"Saw?" answered the divine; "no, truly, I saw nothing, nor did I look
for anything. Thieves will not attack well-armed travellers, nor will devils
or evil spirits come against one who bears in his bosom the word of truth,
in the very language in which it was first dictated. No, sir, they shun a
divine who can understand the holy text, as a crow is said to keep wide of
a gun loaded with hailshot."