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.

WOODSTOCK. 47
fane sculpture and architecture of blinded and blood-thirsty Papists, together with the history of the dissolute amours of old Norman monarchs,
as little better than a bowing down before the calves of Bethel, and a
drinking of the cup of abominations.-We return to the course of our
story.
"There is," said the Independent Tomkins, after he had carefully
perused the front of the building, "many a rare monument of olden
wickedness about this miscalled Royal Lodge; verily, I shall rejoice much
to see the same destroyed, yea, burned to ashes, and the ashes thrown into
the brook Kedron, or any other brook, that the land may be cleansed from
the memory thereof, neither remember the iniquity with which their fathers
have sinned."
The keeper heard him with secret indignation, and began to consider
with himself, whether, as they stood but one to one, and without chance of
speedy interference, he was not called upon, by his official duty, to castigate the rebel who used language so defamatory. But he fortunately recollected, that the strife must be-a doubtful one -that the advantage of arms
was against him -and that, in especial, even if he should succeed in the
combat, it would be at the risk of severe retaliation. It must be owned,
too, that there was something about the Independent so dark and mysterious, so grim and grave, that the more open spirit of the keeper felt
oppressed, and, if not overawed, at least kept in doubt concerning him;
and he thought it wisest, as well as safest, for his master and himself, to
avoid all subjects of dispute, and know better with whom he was dealing,
before he made either friend or enemy of him.
The great gate of the Lodge was strongly bolted, but the wicket opened
on Joceline's raising the latch. There was a short passage of ten feet,
which had been formerly closed by a portcullis at the inner end, while three
loopholes opened on either side, through which any daring intruder might
be annoyed, who, having surprised the first gate, must be thus exposed to
a severe fire before he could force the second. But the machinery of the
portcullis was damaged, and it now remained a fixture, brandishing its jaw,
well furnished with iron fangs, but incapable of dropping it across the
path of invasion.
The way, therefore, lay open to the great hall or outer vestibule of the
Lodge. One end of this long and dusky apartment was entirely occupied
by a gallery, which had in ancient times served to accommodate the musicians and minstrels. There was a clumsy staircase at either side of it,
composed of entire logs of a foot square; and in each angle of the ascent
was placed, by way of sentinel, the figure of a Norman foot-soldier, having
an open casque on his head, which displayed features as stern as the
painter's genius could devise. Their arms were buff-jackets, or shirts of
mail, round bucklers, with spikes in the centre, and buskins which adorned
and defended the feet and ankles, but left the knees bare. These wooden
warders held great swords, or maces, in their hands, like military gtards
on duty. Many an empty hook and brace, along the walls of the gloomy
apartment, marked the spots from which arms, long preserved as trophies,
had been, in the pressure of the wars, once more taken down, to do service
in the field, like veterans whom extremity of danger recalls to battle. On
other rusty fastenings were still displayed the hunting trophies of the
monarchs to whom the Lodge belonged; and of the silvan knights to whose
care it had been from time to time confided.
At the nether end of the hall, a huge, heavy, stone-wrought chimneypiece projected itself ten feet from the wall, adorned with many a cipher,
and many a scutcheon of the Royal Iouse of England. In its present
state, it yawned like the arched mouth of a funeral vault, or perhaps might
be compared to the crater of an extinguished volcano. But the sable complexion of the massive stone-work, and all around it, showed that the time