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.

800 W'AVEPILEY NOVELS.
tWh'e usual space of three minutes, which frequent observation had enabled
me to ascertain was the medium time for crossing the bridge and mounting
the ascent. When double that space had elapsed, I became alarmed, and
walked hastily forward.. As I came in sight of the bridge, the cause of
delay was too manifest, for the Somerset had made a summerset in good
earnest, and overturned so completely, that it was literally resting upon the
ground, with the roof undermost, and the four wheels in the air. The
"exertions of the guard and coachman," both of whom were gratefully
commemorated in the newspapers, having succeeded in disentangling the
horses by cutting the harness, were now proceeding to extricate the insides
by a sort of summaryr and Coesarean process of delivery, forcing the hinges
from one of the doors which they could not open otherwise. In this manner
were two disconsolate damsels set at liberty from the womb of the leathern
conveniency. As they immediately began to settle their clothes, which
were a little deranged, as may be presumed, PIconcluded they had received
no injury, and did not venture to obtrude my services at their toilette, for
which, I understand, I have.since been reflected upon by the fair sufferers.
The outsides, who must have been discharged from their elevated situation
by a shock resembling the springing of a mine, escaped, nevertheless, with
the usual allowance of scratches and bruises, excepting three, who, having
been pitched into the river WGander, were dimly seen contending with the
tide, like the relies of AEneas's shipwreck,Rari apparent nantes in gurgite vasto.
I applied my poor exertions where they seemed to be most needed, and
with the assistance of one or two of the company who had escaped unhurt,
easily succeeded in fishing out two of the unfortunate passengers, who were
stout active young fellows; and, but for the preposterous length of their
great-coats, and the equally fashionable'latitude and longitude of their
Wellington trousers, would have required little assistance from any one.
The third was sickly -and elderly, and might have perished but for the
efforts used to preserve him.
When the two great-coated gentlemen had extricated themselves from the
river, and shaken their ears like huge water-dogs, a violent altercation ensued betwixt them and the coachman and guard, concerning the cause of
their overthrow. In the course of the squabble, I observed that both my
new acquaintances belonged to the law, and that their professional sharpness was likely to prove an overmatch for the surly and official tone of the
guardians of the vehicle. The dispute ended in the guard assuring the
passengers that they should have seats in a heavy coach which would pass
that spot in less than half an hour, provided it were not full. Chance
seemed to favour this arrangement, for when the expected vehicle arrived,
there were only two places occupied in a carriage which professed to carry
six. The two ladies who had been disinterred out of the fallen vehicle were
readily admitted, but positive objections were stated by those previously in
possession to the admittance of the two lawyers, whose wetted garments
being much of the nature of well-soaked spun'ges, there was every reason
to believe they would refund a considerable part of the water they had
collected, to the inconvenience of their.fellow-passengers. On the other
hand, the lawyers rejected a seat on the roof, alleging that they had only
taken that station for pleasure for one stage, but were entitled in all respects
to free egress and regress from the interior, to which their contract positively referred. After some altercation, in which something was said upon
the edict Nautce caupones stabularii, the coach went off, leaving the learned
gentlemen to abide by their action of damages.
They immediately applied to me to guide them to the next village and
the best inn; and from the account I gave them of the Wallace-Head, declared they were much better pleased to stop there than to go forward upon