ThemutualprotectionaffordedbyWaverleyandTalbottoeachother,uponwhichthewholeplotdepends,isfoundedupononeofthoseanecdoteswhichsoftenthefeaturesevenofcivilwar;andasitisequallyhonourabletothememoryofbothparties,wehavenohesitationtogivetheirnamesatlength。WhentheHighlanders,onthemorningofthebattleofPreston,1745,madetheirmemorableattackonSirJohnCope’sarmy,abatteryoffourfield-pieceswasstormedandcarriedbytheCameronsandtheStewartsofAppine。ThelateAlexanderStewartofInvernahylewasoneoftheforemostinthecharge,andobservinganofficeroftheKing’sforces,who,scorningtojointheflightofallaround,remainedwithhisswordinhishand,asifdeterminedtotheverylasttodefendthepostassignedtohim,theHighlandgentlemancommandedhimtosurrender,andreceivedforreplyathrust,whichhecaughtinhistarget。Theofficerwasnowdefenceless,andthebattle-axeofagiganticHighlanderthemillerofInvernahyle’smillwasupliftedtodashhisbrainsout,whenMr。Stewartwithdifficultyprevailedonhimtoyield。Hetookchargeofhisenemy’sproperty,protectedhisperson,andfinallyobtainedhimlibertyonhisparole。TheofficerprovedtobeColonelWhitefoord,anAyrshiregentlemanofhighcharacterandinfluence,andwarmlyattachedtotheHouseofHanover;
  yetsuchwastheconfidenceexistingbetweenthesetwohonourablemen,thoughofdifferentpoliticalprinciples,thatwhilethecivilwarwasraging,andstragglingofficersfromtheHighlandarmywereexecutedwithoutmercy,InvernahylehesitatednottopayhislatecaptiveavisitashereturnedtotheHighlandstoraisefreshrecruits,onwhichoccasionhespentadayortwoinAyrshireamongColonelWhitefoord’sWhigfriends,aspleasantlyandasgood-humouredlyasifallhadbeenatpeacearoundhim。
  AfterthebattleofCullodenhadruinedthehopesofCharlesEdward,anddispersedhisproscribedadherents,itwasColonelWhitefoord’sturntostraineverynervetoobtainMr。Stewart’spardon。HewenttotheLordJustice-Clerk,totheLordAdvocate,andtoalltheofficersofstate,andeachapplicationwasansweredbytheproductionofalist,inwhichInvernahyleasthegoodoldgentlemanwaswonttoexpressitappearedmarkedwiththesignofthebeast!’’asasubjectunfitforfavourorpardon。
  AtlengthColonelWhitefoordappliedtotheDukeofCumberlandinperson。Fromhimalsohereceivedapositiverefusal。Hethenlimitedhisrequest,forthepresent,toaprotectionforStewart’shouse,wife,children,andproperty。ThiswasalsorefusedbytheDuke;onwhichColonelWhitefoord,takinghiscommissionfromhisbosom,laiditonthetablebeforehisRoyalHighnesswithmuchemotion,andaskedpermissiontoretirefromtheserviceofasovereignwhodidnotknowhowtospareavanquishedenemy。TheDukewasstruck,andevenaffected。HebadetheColoneltakeuphiscommission,andgrantedtheprotectionherequired。
  Itwasissuedjustintimetosavethehouse,corn,andcattleatInvernahylefromthetroopswhowereengagedinlayingwastewhatitwasthefashiontocallthecountryoftheenemy。’’AsmallencampmentofsoldierswasformedonInvernahyle’sproperty,whichtheysparedwhileplunderingthecountryaround,andsearchingineverydirectionfortheleadersoftheinsurrection,andforStewartinparticular。Hewasmuchnearerthemthantheysuspected;for,hiddeninacaveliketheBaronofBradwardine,helayformanydayssoneartheEnglishsentinels,thathecouldheartheirmuster-rollcalled。Hisfoodwasbroughttohimbyoneofhisdaughters,achildofeightyearsold,whomMrs。Stewartwasunderthenecessityofentrustingwiththiscommission;forherownmotions,andthoseofallherelderinmates,werecloselywatched。Withingenuitybeyondheryears,thechildusedtostrayaboutamongthesoldiers,whowereratherkindtoher,andthusseizethemomentwhenshewasunobserved,andstealintothethicket,whenshedepositedwhateversmallstoreofprovisionsshehadinchargeatsomemarkedspot,whereherfathermightfindit。
  Invernahylesupportedlifeforseveralweeksbymeansoftheseprecarioussupplies;andashehadbeenwoundedinthebattleofCulloden,thehardshipswhichheenduredwereaggravatedbygreatbodilypain。Afterthesoldiershadremovedtheirquarters,hehadanotherremarkableescape。
  Ashenowventuredtohisownhouseatnight,andleftitinthemorning,hewasespiedduringthedawnbyapartyoftheenemy,whofiredatandpursuedhim。Thefugitivebeingfortunateenoughtoescapetheirsearch,theyreturnedtothehouse,andchargedthefamilywithharbouringoneoftheproscribedtraitors。Anoldwomanhadpresenceofmindenoughtomaintainthatthemantheyhadseenwastheshepherd。Whydidhenotstopwhenwecalledtohim?’’saidthesoldier-Heisasdeaf,poorman,asapeat-stack,’’answeredtheready-witteddomestic-Lethimbesentfor,directly。”Therealshepherdaccordinglywasbroughtfromthehill,andastherewastimetotutorhimbytheway,hewasasdeafwhenhemadehisappearanceaswasnecessarytosustainhischaracter。InvernahylewasafterwardspardonedundertheActofIndemnity。
  TheAuthorknewhimwell,andhasoftenheardthesecircumstancesfromhisownmouth。Hewasanoblespecimenoftheoldhighlander,fardescended,gallant,courteous,andbrave,eventochivalry。Hehadbeen_out,_Ibelieve,in1715and1745;wasanactivepartakerinallthestirringsceneswhichpassedintheHighlandsbetwixtthesememorableeras;and,Ihaveheard,wasremarkable,amongotherexploits,forhavingfoughtaduelwiththebroadswordwiththecelebratedRobRoyMacGregor,attheClachanofBalquhidder。
  InvernahylechancedtobeinEdinburghwhenPaulJonescameintotheFirthofForth,andthoughthenanoldman,Isawhiminarms,andheardhimexulttousehisownwordsintheprospectofdrawinghisclaymoreoncemorebeforehedied。’’Infact,onthatmemorableoccasion,whenthecapitalofScotlandwasmenacedbythreetriflingsloopsorbrigs,scarcefittohavesackedafishingvillage,hewastheonlymanwhoseemedtoproposeaplanofresistance。Heofferedtothemagistrates,ifbroadswordsanddirkscouldbeobtained,tofindasmanyHighlandersamongthelowerclassesaswouldcutoffanyboat’screwwhomightbesentintoatownfullofnarrowandwindingpassages,inwhichtheywerelikelytodisperseinquestofplunder。Iknownotifhisplanwasattendedto;Iratherthinkitseemedtoohazardoustotheconstitutedauthorities,whomightnot,evenatthattime,desiretoseearmsinHighlandhands。Asteadyandpowerfulwestwindsettledthematter,bysweepingPaulJonesandhisvesselsoutoftheFirth。
  Ifthereissomethingdegradinginthisrecollection,itisnotunpleasanttocompareitwiththoseofthelastwar,whenEdinburgh,besidesregularforcesandmilitia,furnishedavolunteerbrigadeofcavalry,infantry,andTheAuthorwasquarter-masteroftheEdinburghVolunteerLightHorse。
  artillery,totheamountofsixthousandmenandupwards,whichwasinreadinesstomeetandrepelaforceofafarmoreformidabledescriptionthanwascommandedbytheadventurousAmerican。Timeandcircumstanceschangethecharacterofnationsandthefateofcities;anditissomepridetoaScotchmantoreflect,thattheindependentandmanlycharacterofacountrywillingtoentrustitsownprotectiontothearmsofitschildren,afterhavingbeenobscuredforhalf-a-century,has,duringthecourseofhisownlifetime,recovereditslustre。
  TothisslightattemptatasketchofancientScottishmannersthepublichavebeenmorefavourablethantheAuthordursthavehopedorexpected。Hehasheard,withamixtureofsatisfactionandhumility,hisworkascribedtomorethanonerespectablename。
  Considerations,whichseemweightyinhisparticularsituation,preventhisreleasingthosegentlemenfromsuspicionbyplacinghisownnameinthetitle-page;sothat,forthepresentatleast,itmustremainuncertainwhetherWaverleybetheworkofapoetoracritic,alawyeroraclergyman,orwhetherthewriter,touseMrsMalaprop’sphrase,be,likeCerberus-threegentlemenatonce。’’
  TheAuthor,asheisunconsciousofanythingintheworkitselfexcept,perhaps,itsfrivolitywhichpreventsitsfindinganacknowledgedfather,leavesittothecandourofthepublictochooseamongthemanycircumstancespeculiartodifferentsituationsinlife,suchmayinducehimtosuppresshisnameonthepresentoccasion。
  Hemaybeawriternewtopublication,andunwillingtoavowacharactertowhichheisunaccustomed;orhemaybeahackneyedauthorwhoisashamedoftoofrequentappearance,andemploysthismystery,astheheroineoftheoldcomedyusedhermasktoattracttheattentionofthosetowhomherfacehadbecometoofamiliar。
  Hemaybeamanofagraveprofession,towhomthereputationofbeinganovel-writermightbeprejudicial;orhemaybeamanoffashion,towhomwritingofanykindmightappearpedantic。Hemaybetooyoungtoassumethecharacterofanauthor,orsooldastomakeitadvisabletolayitaside。
  TheAuthorofWaverleyhashearditobjectedtothisnovelthatinthecharacterofCallumBeg,andintheaccountgivenbytheBaronofBradwardineofthepettytrespassesoftheHighlandersupontriflingarticlesofproperty,hehasbornehard,andunjustlyso,upontheirnationalcharacter。Nothingcouldbefartherfromhiswishorintention。ThecharacterofCallumBegisthatofaspiritnaturallyturnedtodaringevil,anddetermined,bythecircumstancesofhissituation,toaparticularspeciesofmischief。
  ThosewhohaveperusedthecuriousLettersfromtheHighlands,publishedabout1726,willfindinstancesofsuchatrociouscharacterswhichfellunderthewriter’sownobservation,thoughitwouldbemostunjusttoconsidersuchvillainsasrepresentativesoftheHighlandersofthatperiod,anymorethanthemurderersofMarrandWilliamsoncanbesupposedtorepresenttheEnglishofthepresentday。Asfortheplundersupposedtohavebeenpickedupbysomeoftheinsurgentsin1745,itmustberememberedthat,althoughthewayofthatunfortunatelittlearmywasneithermarkedbydevastationnorbloodshed,but,onthecontrary,wasorderlyandquietinamostwonderfuldegree,yetnoarmymarchesthroughacountryinahostilemannerwithoutcommittingsomedepredations;andseveraltotheextentandofthenaturejocularlyimputedtothembytheBaron,werereallylaidtothechargeoftheHighlandinsurgents;
  forwhichmanytraditions,andparticularlyonerespectingtheKnightoftheMirror,maybequotedasgoodevidence。
  Seenote,Author’sAddresstoallinGeneralp。。
  GENERALPREFACE,1829。
  AndmustIraveloutMyweaved-up’follies?
  RichardII。ActIV。
  HavingundertakentogiveanIntroductoryAccountofthecompositionswhicharehereofferedtothepublic,withNotesandillustrations,theAuthor,underwhosenametheyarenowforthefirsttimecollected,feelsthathehasthedelicatetaskofspeakingmoreofhimselfandhispersonalconcerns,thanmayperhapsbeeithergracefulorprudent。Inthisparticular,herunstheriskofpresentinghimselftothepublicintherelationthatthedumbwifeinthejest-bookheldtoherhusband,when,havingspenthalfofhisfortunetoobtainthecureofherimperfection,hewaswillingtohavebestowedtheotherhalftorestorehertoherformercondition。
  ButthisisariskinseparablefromthetaskwhichtheAuthorhasundertaken,andhecanonlypromisetobeaslittleofanegotistasthesituationwillpermit。Itisperhapsanindifferentsignofadispositiontokeephisword,thathavingintroducedhimselfinthethirdpersonsingular,heproceedsinthesecondparagraphtomakeuseofthefirst。Butitappearstohimthattheseemingmodestyconnectedwiththeformermodeofwriting,isoverbalancedbytheinconvenienceofstiffnessandaffectationwhichattendsitduringanarrativeofsomelength,andwhichmaybeobservedlessormoreineveryworkinwhichthethirdpersonisused,fromtheCommentariesofCsar,totheAutobiographyofAlexandertheCorrector。
  =AlexandertheCorrector,=anameassumedbyAlexanderCruden,bestknownastheauthoroftheConcordance。Amongvariousotherpamphlets,hepublishedinthreepartsTheAdventuresofAlexandertheCorrector,’’1754and1755-exhibiting,’’saysAlexanderChalmers,aspeciesofinsanitywhichisalmostunique。’’。