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.

THIE ANTIQUARY. 109
unopposed by the demon, he brought off in the same manner a blazing
piece of charooal, but still without being able to succeed in lighting his fire,
Impunity having.increased his rashness, he resolved upon a.third experiment, and was as successful as before in reaching the fire; but when he had
again appropriated a piece of burning coal, and had turned to depart, he
heard the harsh and supernatural voice which had before accosted him,
pronounce these words, " Dare not to return hither a fourth ti!me!"
To attempt to kindle the fire with this last coal having proved as ineffectual as on the former occasions, Martin relinquished the hopeless attempt,
and flung himself on his bed of leaves, resolving to delay till the next
morning the communication of his supernatural adventure to his brothers.
IHe was awakened from a heavy sleep into which he had sunk, from fatigue
of body and agitation of mind, by loud exclamations of surprise and joy.
His brothers, astonished at finding the fire extinguished when they awoke,
had proceeded to arrange the fuel in order to renew it, when they found in
the ashes three huge metallic masses, which their skill —(for most of the
peasants in the Harz are practical mineralogists) immediately ascertained
to be pure gold.
It was some damp upon their joyful congratulations when they learned
from Martin the mode in which he had obtained this treasure, to which their
own experience of the nocturnal vision induced them to give full credit.
But they were unable to resist the temptation of sharing in their brother's
wealth. Taking now upon him as head of the house, Martin WValdeck
bought lands and forests, built a castle, obtained a patent of nobility, and,
greatly to the indignation of the ancient aristocracy of the neighbourhood,
was invested with all the privileges of a man of family. Iis courage in
public war, as well as in private feuds, together with the number of retainers whom he kept in pay, sustained him for some time against the
odium which was excited by his sudden elevation, and the arrogance of his
pretensions.
And now it was seen in the instance of Martin Waldeck, as it has been
in that of many others, how little mortals can foresee the effect of sudden
prosperity on their own disposition. The evil propensities in his nature,
which poverty had checked and repressed, ripened and bore their unhallowed fruit under the influence of temptation and the means of indulgence.
As Deep calls unto Deep, one bad passion awakened another; —the fiend of
avarice invoked that of pride, and pride was to be supported by-cruelty and
oppression. Waldeck's character, always bold and daring, but rendered
harsh and assuming by prosperity, soon made him odious, not to the nobles
only, but likewise to the lower ranks, who saw, with double dislike, the
oppressive rights of the feudal nobility of the empire so remorselessly
exercised by one who had risen from the very dregs of the people. His
adventure, although carefully concealed, began likewise to be whispered
abroad, and the clergy already stigmatized as a wizard and accomplice of
fiends, the wretch who, having acquired so huge a treasure in so strange a
manner, had not sought to sanctify it by dedicating a considerable portion
to the use of the church. Surrounded by enemies, public and private, tormented by a thousand feuds, and threatened by the church with excommunication, Martin Waldeck, or, as we must now call him, the Baron Von
Waldeck, often regretted bitterly the labours and sports of his unenvied
poverty. But his courage failed him not under all these difficulties, and
seemed rather to augment in proportion to the danger which darkened
around him, until an accident precipitated his fall.
A proclamation by the reigning Duke of Brunswick had invited to a so]elln tournament all German nobles of free and honourable descent; and
Martin Waldeck, splendidly armed, accompanied by his two brothers, and a
gallantly-equipped retinue, had the arrogance to appear among the chivalry
of the province, and demand permission to enter the lists. This was consiK