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.

THE FORTUNES OF NIGEL. 257
"Weel, manl," said the King, " but what needs a' this din? If ye gave
my jewels in pledge to such a one, suld ye not, as a liege subject, have
taken care that the redemption was -in our power? And are we to suffer
the loss of our cimeeiat by your neglect, besides being exposed to the scorn
and censure of our lieges, and of the foreign ambassadors?"
"My Lord and liege King," said Iteriot, "God knows, if my bearing
blanme or shame in this matter would keep it from your Majesty, it were my
duty to endure both, as a servant grateful for many benefits; but when your
Ilajesty considers the violent death of the man himself, the disappearance
of his daughter, and of his wealth, I trust you will remember that I warned
your Majesty, in humble duty, of the possibility of such casualties, and
prayed you not to urge me to deal.'with him on your behalf."
"But you brought me nae better means," said the King -" Geordie, ye
brought me nae better means. I was like a deserted man; what could I do
but grip to the first siller that offered, as a drowning man grasps to the
willow-wand that comes readiest? -And now, man, what for have ye not
brought back the jewels? they are surely above ground, if ye wad mako
strict search."
"All strict search has been made, may it please your MIajesty," replied
the citizen; "hue and cry has been sent out every where, and it has been
found impossible to recover them."
"Difficult, ye mean, Geordie, not impossible," replied the King; "' for that
whilk is impossible, is either naturally so, exenmpli gratia, to make two in
three; or morally so, as to make what is truth falsehood; but what is only
difficult may come to pass, with assistance of wisdom. and patience; as, for
example, Jingling Geordie, look here!" And he displayed the recovered
treasure to the eyes of the astonished jeweller, exclailming, with great triumph, "What say ye to that, Jingler? — By nay sceptre anad crown, the
man stares as if he took his native prince for a warlock! us, that are the
very malleus naleficaruzml, the contunding and contriturating hammer of all
witches, sorcerers, magicians, and the like; he thinks we are taking a touch
of the black art oursells! — But gang thy way, honest Geordie; thou art a
good plain man, but nane of the seven sages of Greece; gang thy way, and
mind the soothfast word which you spoke, small time sync, that there is one
in this land that comes near to Solomon, King of Israel, in all his gifts,
except in his love to strange women, forbye the daughter of Pharaoh."
If Ileriot was surprised at seeing the jewels so unexpectedly produced
at the moment the King was upbraiding him for the loss of them, this allusion to the reflection which had escaped him while conversing with Lord
Glenvarloch, altogether completed his astonishment; and the King was so
delighted with the superiority which it gave him at the moment, that he
rubbed his hands, chuckled, and, finally, his sense of dignity giving way
to the full feeling of triumph, he threw himself into his easy-chair, -and
laughed with unconstrained violence till he lost his breath, and the tears
ran plentifully down his cheeks as he strove to recover it. Meanwhile, the
royal cachinnation was echoed out by a discordant and portentous laugh
from behind the arras, like that of 6ne who, little accustomed to give way
to such emotions, feels himself at some particular impulse unable either to
control or to modify his obstreperous mirth. Heriot turned his head with
new surprise towards the place, from which sounds so unfitting the presence
of fa monarch seemed to burst with such emphatic clamour.*
M The. practical jest of Richie Moniplies going behind the arras to get an opportunity of teazingr Heriot,
was a pleasauntry sucth as James might he supposed to approve of.. It was customary for those who knew his
humlour to co'trive jests of this itnd for his amtusemient. The celebrated Archie Armstrong, and another
jester called Druonlnotld, mounted on other people's backs, used to charge each other like knights in the tiltyard, to the mlonarcll's great amusenielt. Thle folloinirg is alt iistance of tile same kind takein fromn Webster
upol Witltcraft. TIhe author is speuaking of the faculty called ventriloqlisrn.
"But to mnake this more plain and certain, oe sh;all add a story of a notable impostor, or ventriloquist,
from the testinlony of Mr. Ady, wlich we hoave had confirnmed fromn the mouth of some courtiers, that both
saw and knew hium, and is this:-It lhath been (saith lhe) credibly reported, that there was a mnan in the court
]l King Jatmes his days. that could act this imposture so lively, that lie could call the King by narne, and
VOL,. V.- 17 w 2