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.

,468 WAVEIRLEY NOVELS.
nable, accursed plot," — " Bloody Papist villains," -" The King in danger
-the gallows too good for them," and so forth.
The fermentation excited in London had plainly reached even this remote
seaport, and was received by the inhabitants with the peculiar stormy energy
which invests men in their situation with the character of the winds and
waves with which they are chiefly conversant. The commercial and nautical
interests of England were indeed particularly anti-catholic; although it is not,
perhaps, easy to give any distinct reason why they should be so, since theo
logical disputes in general could scarce be considered as interesting to them.
But zeal, amongst the lower orders at least, is often in an inverse ratio to
knowledge; and sailors were not probably the less earnest and devoted
Protestants, that they did not understand the controversy between the
churches. As for the merchants, they were almost necessarily inimical to
the gentry of Lancashire and Cheshire; many of whom still retained the
faith of Rome, which was rendered ten times more odious to the men of
commerce, as the badge of their haughty aristocratic neighbours.
From the little which Peveril heard of the sentiments of the people of
Liverpool, he imagined he should act most prudently in leaving the place
as soon as possible, and before any suspicion should arise of his having
any connection with the party which appeared to have become so obnoxious.
In order to accomplish his journey, it was first necessary that he should
purchase a horse; and for this purpose he resolved to have recourse to the
stables of a dealer well known at the time, and who dwelt in the outskirts
of the place; and having obtained directions to his dwelling, he went
thither to provide himself.
Joe Bridlesley's stables exhibited a large choice of good horses; for that
trade was in former days more active than at present. It was an ordinary
thing for a stranger to buy a horse- for the purpose of a single journey, and
to sell him, as well as he could, when he had reached the point of his destination; and hence there was a constant demand, and a corresponding
supply; upon both of which, Bridlesley, and those of his trade, contrived,
doubtless, to make handsome profits.
Julian, who was no despicable horse-jockey, selected for his purpose a
strong well-made horse, about sixteen hands high, and had him led into the
yard, to see whether his paces corresponded with his appearance. As these
also gave perfect satisfaction to the customer, it remained only to settle the
price with Bridlesley; who of course swore his customer had pitched upon
the best horse ever darkened the stable-door, since he had dealt that way;
that no such horses were to be had now-a-days, for that the mares were dead
that foaled them; and having named a corresponding price, the usual haggling commenced betwixt the seller and purchaser, for adjustment of what
the French dealers call le prix juste.
The reader, if he be at all acquainted with this sort of traffic, well knows
it is generally a keen encounter of wits, and attracts the notice of all the
idlers within hearing, who are usually very ready to offer their opinions, or
their evidence. Amongst these, upon the present occasion, was a thin man,
rather less than the ordinary size, and meanly dressed; but whose interference was in a confident tone, and such as showed himself master of the
subject on which he spoke. The price of the horse being settled to about
fifteen pounds, which was very high for the period, that of the saddle and
bridle had next to be adjusted, and the thin mean-looking person beforementioned, found nearly as much to say on this subject as on the other.
As _his remarks had a conciliating and obliging tendency towards the
stranger, Peveril concluded he was one of those idle persons, who, unable
or unwilling to supply themselves with the means of indulgence at their
own cost, do not scruple to deserve them at the hands of others, by a little
officious complaisance; and considering that he might acquire some useful;nformation from such a person, was just about to offer him the courtesy of