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.

626 WAVERLEY N OVEL S.
When he had ended his evidence, there was a pause, until the Judge, as
if the thought had suddenly occurred to him, demanded of Dr.' Oates,
whether he had ever mentioned the name of the Countess of Derby in any
of the previous informations which he had lodged before the Privy Council,
and elsewhere, upon this affair.
Oates seemed rather surprised at the question, and coloured with anger,
as he answered, in his peculiar mode of pronunciation, " Whoy, no, maay
laard."
" And pray, Doctor," said the Judge, " how camne so great a revealer of
mysteries as you have lately proved, to have suffered so material a circumstance as the accession of this powerful family to the Plot to have remained
undiscovered?"
" Many laard," said Oates, with much effrontery, " aye do not come here
to have my evidence questioned as touching the Plant."
"I do not question your evidence, Doctor," said Scroggs, for the time
was not arrived that he dared treat him roughly; "nor do-I doubt the existence of the Plaat, since it is your pleasure to swear to it. I would only
have you, for your own sake, and the satisfaction of all good Protestants,
to explain why you have kept back such a weighty point of information
from the King and country."
"' Maay laard," said Oates, "I will tell you a pretty fable."
" I hope," answered the Judge, "it may be the first and last which you
shall tell in this place."
"Many laard," continued Oates, "there was once a faux, who having to
carry a goose over a frazen river, and being afraid the aice would not bear
him and his booty, did caarry aaver a staane, my laard, in the first instance,
to prove the strength of the aice."
f So your former evidence was but the stone, and now, for the first time,
you have brought us the goose?" said Sir William Scroggs; "to tell us this,
Doctor, is to make geese of the Court and Jury."
"I desoire your laardship's honest construction," said Oates, who saw
the current changing against him, but was determined to pay the score with
effrontery. " All men knaw at what coast and praice I have given my evidence, which has been always, under Gaad, the means of awakening this
poor naation to the dangerous state in which it staunds. Many here knaw
that I have been obliged to faartify my ladging at Whitehall against the
bloody Papists. It was not to be thought that I should have brought all
the story out at aance. I think your wisdom would have advised me otherwise."*
"Nay, Doctor," said the Judge, "it is not for me to direct you in this
affair; and it is for the Jury to believe you or not; and as for myself, I sit
here to do justice to both - the Jury have heard your answer to my question.'
Doctor Oates retired from the witness-box reddening like a turkey-cock,
as one totally unused to have such accounts questioned as he chose to lay
before the courts of justice; and there was, perhaps, for the first time,
amongst the counsel and solicitors, as well as the templars and students of
law there present, a murmur, distinct and audible, unfavourable to the
character of the great father of the Popish Plot.
Everett -and Dangerfield, with whom the reader is already acquainted,
were then called in succession to sustain the accusation. They were subordinate informers-a sort of under-spur-leathers, as the cant term wentwho followed the path of Oates, with all deference to his superior genius
and invention, and made their own fictions chime in and harmonize with
l It was on such terms that Dr. Oates was pleased to claim the extraordinary privilege of dealing out the
information which he chose to communicate to a court of justice.'I'he only sense in which his story of the
fox, stone, and goose, could be applicable, is by supposing, that he was determined to ascertain the extent of
iis countrymen's credulity before supplying it with a full meal.