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.

ROB ROY. 87
"Not sing, sir? by our lady! but you must —What! you have cracked
my silver-mounted cocoa-nut of sack, and tell me that you cannot sing!Sir, sack will make a cat sing, and speak too; so'up with a merry stave, or
trundle yourself out of my doors! - Do you think you are to take up all my.
valuable time with your d-d declarations, and then tell me you cannot
sing?"
"Your worship is perfectly in rule," said another voice, whichfrom its
pert conceited accent, might be that of the clerk, " and the party must be
conformable; he hath caztet written on his face in court hand."
"Up with it, then," said the Justice, "' or, by St. Christopher, you - shall
crack the cocoa-nut full of salt-and-water, according to the statute for suchl
effect made and provided."
Thus exhorted and threatened, my quondam fellow-traveller, for I could
no longer doubt that he was the recusant in question, uplifted, with a voice
similar to that of a criminal singing his last psalm on the scaffold, a most
doleful stave to the following effect:
Good people all, I pray give ear, This knave-most worthy of a cord,
A woful story you shall hear. Being armed with pistol and with sword,'Tis of a robber as stout as ever'Twixt Kensington and Brentford then
Bade a true man stand and deliver, Did boldly stop six honest men.
With his foodle doo fa loodle loo. With his foodle doo, &c.
These honest men did at Brentford dine,
Having drank each man his pint of wine,
When this bold thief. with many curses,
Did say, You dogs, your lives or purses,
With his foodle doo, &c.
I question if the-honest men, whose misfortune is commemorated in. this
pathetic ditty, were more startled at the appearance of the bold thief, than
the songster was at mine; for, tired of waiting for someone to announce me,
and finding my situation as a listener rather awkward, I presented myself to
the company just as my friend Mr. Morris, for such, it seems, was his name,
was uplifting the fifth stave of his doleful ballad. The high tone with
which the tune started, died away in a quaver of consternation, on finding
himself so near one whose character he supposed to be little less suspicious
than that of the hero of his madrigal, and he remained silent, with a mouth
gaping as if I had brought the Gorgon's head in my hand.
*The Justice, whose eyes had closed under the influence of the somniferous
lullaby of the song, started up in-his chair as it suddenly ceased, and stared
with wonder at the unexpected addition which the company had received,
while his organs of sight were in abeyance. The clerk, as I conjectured him
to be from his appearance, was also cornmoved; for, sitting opposite to Mr.
Morris, that honest gentleman's terror communicated itself to him, though
he wotted not why.
I broke the silence of surprise occasioned by my abrupt entrance.-" My
name, Mr. Inglewood, is Francis Osbaldistone; I understand that some
scoundrel has brought a complaint before you, charging me with being concerned in a loss which he says he has sustained."
"Sir," said the Justice, somewhat peevishly, "these are matters I never
enter upon after dinner;-there is a time for everything, and a justice of
peace must eat as well as other folks."
The&goodly person of Mr. Inglewood, by the way, seemed by no means
to have suffered by any fasts, whether in the service of the law or of
religion.
"I beg pardon for an ill-timed visit, sir; but as my reputation is concerned, and as the dinner appears to be concluded"
"It is not concluded, sir," replied the magistrate; " man requires digestion as well as food, and I protest I cannot have benefit from my victuals,
unless I am allowed two hours of quiet leisure, intermixed with harmless
mirth, and a moderate circulation of the bottle."
"If your honour will forgive me," said Mr. Jobson, who had produced