deClunybroughtoffandstillpreserves;andhistribelykewaysbroughtoffmanyarms;-theColonelwasafterwardstakenup,and,hiswoundsbeingdress’d,withgreatdifficultierecovered。Mons。deClunylostonlyintheactiontwelvemen,ofwhomsomehaveingbeenonlywounded,fellafterwardsintothehandsoftheenemy,andweresentasslavestoAmerica,whenceseveralofthemreturned,andoneofthemisnowinFrance,aserjeantintheRegimentofRoyalScots。Howsoontheaccountsoftheenemie’sapproachhadreachedthePrince,H。R。H。hadimmediatelyorderedMi-LordleComtedeNairne,Brigadier,who,beingproscribed,isnowinFrance,withthethreebatalionsoftheDukeofAthol,thebatalionoftheDukeofPerth,andsomeothertroupsunderhiscommand,inordertosupportCluny,andtobringofftheartilirie。ButtheactionwasintirelyoverbeforetheComtedeNairne,withhiscommand,cou’dreachnightotheplace。Theythereforereturn’dalltoPenrith,andtheartiliriemarchedupingoodorder。NordidtheDukeofComberlandeverafterwardsdaretocomewithinaday’smarchofthePrinceandhisarmydureingthecourseofallthatretreat,whichwasconductedwithgreatprudenceandsafetywheninsomemannersurroundedbyenemies。’’
NoteBB,p。-OathupontheDirk。
AstheheathendeitiescontractedanindelibleobligationiftheysworebyStyx,theScottishHighlandershadusuallysomepeculiarsolemnityattachedtoanoathwhichtheyintendedshouldbebindingonthem。Veryfrequentlyitconsistedinlayingtheirhand,astheyswore,ontheirowndrawndirk;whichdagger,becomingapartytothetransaction,wasinvokedtopunishanybreachoffaith。Butbywhateverritualtheoathwassanctioned,thepartywasextremelydesiroustokeepsecretwhattheespecialoathwas,whichheconsideredasirrevocable。Thiswasamatterofgreatconvenience,ashefeltnoscrupleinbreakinghisasseverationwhenmadeinanyotherformthanthatwhichheaccountedaspeculiarlysolemn;andthereforereadilygrantedanyengagementwhichboundhimnolongerthanheinclined。
Whereas,iftheoathwhichheaccountedinviolablewasoncepubliclyknown,nopartywithwhomhemighthaveoccasiontocontractwouldhaverestedsatisfiedwithanyother。LouisXI。ofFrancepractisedthesamesophistry,forhealsohadapeculiarspeciesofoath,theonlyonewhichhewaseverknowntorespect,andwhich,therefore,hewasveryunwillingtopledge。TheonlyengagementwhichthatwilytyrantaccountedbindinguponhimwasanoathbytheHolyCrossofSaintLod’Angers,whichcontainedaportionoftheTrueCross。Ifheprevaricatedaftertakingthisoath,Louisbelievedheshoulddiewithintheyear。TheConstableSaintPaul,beinginvitedtoapersonalconferencewithLouis,refusedtomeetthekingunlesshewouldagreetoensurehimsafeconductundersanctionofthisoath。But,saysComines,thekingreplied,hewouldneveragainpledgethatengagementtomortalman,thoughhewaswillingtotakeanyotheroathwhichcouldbedevised。Thetreatybrokeoff,therefore,aftermuchchafferingconcerningthenatureofthevowwhichLouiswastotake。
Suchisthedifferencebetweenthedictatesofsuperstitionandthoseofconscience。
Ahomelymetricalnarrativeoftheeventsoftheperiod,whichcontainssomestrikingparticulars,andisstillagreatfavouritewiththelowerclasses,givesaverycorrectstatementofthebehaviourofthemountaineersrespectingthissamemilitarylicense;andastheversesarelittleknown,andcontainsomegoodsense,weventuretoinsertthem。
Now,gentlereaders,IhaveletyoukenMyverythoughts,fromheartandpen,’Tisneedlessfortoconten’
Oryetcontroule,Forthere’snotawordo’tIcanmen’-
Soyemustthole。
Foronbothsides,somewerenotgood;
Isawthemmurd’ringincoldblood,Notthegentlemen,butwildandrude,Thebasersort,WhotothewoundedhadnomoodButmurd’ringsport!
Ev’nbothatPrestonandFalkirk,Thatfatalnightereitgrewmirk,Piercingthewoundedwiththeirdurk,Causedmanycry!
Suchpity’sshownfromSavageandTurkAspeacetodie。
Awoebetosuchhotzeal,Tosmitethewoundedonthefiell!
It’sjusttheygotsuchgroatsinkail,Whodothesame。
ItonlyteachescrueltysrealTothemagain。
I’veseenthemencall’dHighlandRogues,WithLowlandmenmake_shangs_abrogs,Supkailandbrose,andflingthecogsOutatthedoor,Takecocks,hens,sheep,andhogs,Andpaynoughtfor。
IsawaHighlander,’twasrightdrole,Withastringofpuddingshungonapole,Whipp’do’erhisshoulder,skippedlikeafole,Caus’dMaggybann,Lapo’erthemiddenandmidden-hole,Andaffheran。
Whencheck’dforthis,they’doftentellye-
Indeed_hernainsell’s_atumebelly;
You’llnogie’twantingbought,norsellme;
_Hersell_willhae’t;
GotellKingShorge,andShordy’sWillie,I’llhaeameat。
IsawthesoldiersatLinton-brig,BecausethemanwasnotaWhig,Ofmeatanddrinkleavenotaskig,Withinhisdoor;
Theyburnthisveryhatandwig,Andthump’dhimsore。
AndthroughtheHighlandstheyweresorude,Asleavethemneitherclothesnorfood,Thenburnttheirhousestoconclude;
’Twastitfortat。
Howcan_hernainsell_e’erbegood,Tothinkonthat?
Andafterall,Oshameandgrief!
Tousesomeworsethanmurd’ringthief,Theirverygentlemanandchief,Unhumanly!
LikePopishtortures,Ibelieve,Suchcruelty。
Ev’nwhatwasactonopenstageAtCarlisle,inthehottestrage,Whenmercywasclaptinacage,Andpitydead,Suchcrueltyapprov’dbyeveryage,Ishookmyhead。
Somanytocurse,sofewtopray,Andsomealoudhuzzadidcry;
TheycursedtherebelScotsthatday,Asthey’dbeennowtBroughtupforslaughter,asthatwayToomanyrowt。
Therefore,alas!dearcountrymen,Oneverdothelikeagain,Tothirstforvengeance,neverben’
Yourgunnorpa’,ButwiththeEnglishe’enborrowandlen’,Letangerfa’。
Thereboastsandbullying,notworthalouse,AsourKing’sthebestaboutthehouse。
’Tieayegoodtobesoberanddouce,Toliveinpeace;
Formany,Isee,forbeingo’ercrouse,Getsbrokenface。
UnderwhichKing,Bezonian?speak,ordie!
_HenryIV。Part
InprintingthisNewEditionoftheWaverleyNovels,thePublishershaveavailedthemselvesoftheopportunitythusaffordedthemofcarefullycollatingitwiththevaluableinterleavedcopyintheirpossession,containingtheAuthor’slatestmanuscriptcorrectionsandnotes;andfromthissourcetheyhaveobtainedseveralannotationsofconsiderableinterest,neverbeforepublished。AsexamplesofsomeofthemoreimportantofthesemaybementionedthenotesonHighJinks’’inGuyMannering,Prtorium’’intheAntiquary,andtheExpulsionoftheScotchBishops’’intheHeartofMidlothian。
Therehavealsobeeninsertedwithinbracketssomeminornotesexplanatoryofreferencesnowrenderedperhapssomewhatobscurebythelapseoftime。Forthese,thePublishershavebeenchieflyindebtedtoMr。DavidLaing,SecretaryoftheBannatyneClub,andoneofthefewsurvivingfriendsoftheAuthor。
FortunatelythereisnowlittlemorerequiredinthewayofannotationtotheWaverleyNovels;butinordertoaffordeveryfacilityofreference,aspecialglossaryhasbeenaddedtosuchofthenovelsasrequireit,andeachvolumewillcontainaseparateindex。AGeneralIndexwillalsobeappendedtotheconcludingvolumeoftheseries。
EDINBURGH,_December_1869,ADVERTISEMENTTOEDITION1829
IthasbeentheoccasionaloccupationoftheAuthorofWaverleyforseveralyearspasttoreviseandcorrectthevoluminousseriesofNovelswhichpassunderthatname,inorderthat,iftheyshouldeverappearashisavowedproductions,hemightrendertheminsomedegreedeservingofacontinuanceofthepublicfavourwithwhichtheyhavebeenhonouredeversincetheirfirstappearance。Foralongperiod,however,itseemedlikelythattheimprovedandillustratededitionwhichhemeditatedwouldbeaposthumouspublication。
ButthecourseoftheeventswhichoccasionedthedisclosureoftheAuthor’snamehavinginagreatmeasurerestoredtohimasortofparentalcontrolovertheseWorks,heisnaturallyinducedtogivethemtothepressinacorrected,and,hehopes,animprovedform,whilelifeandhealthpermitthetaskofrevisingandillustratingthem。Suchbeinghispurpose,itisnecessarytosayafewwordsontheplanoftheproposedEdition。
Instatingittoberevisedandcorrected,itisnottobeinferredthatanyattemptismadetoalterthetenorofthestories,thecharacteroftheactors,orthespiritofthedialogue。Thereisnodoubtampleroomforemendationinallthesepoints-butwherethetreefallsitmustlie。Anyattempttoobviatecriticism,howeverjust,byalteringaworkalreadyinthehandsofthepublic,isgenerallyunsuccessful。Inthemostimprobablefictionthereaderstilldesiressomeairofvraisemblance,anddoesnotrelishthattheincidentsofatalefamiliartohimshouldbealteredtosuitthetasteofcritics,orthecapriceoftheauthorhimself。Thisprocessoffeelingissonaturalthatitmaybeobservedeveninchildren,whocannotendurethatanurserystoryshouldberepeatedtothemdifferentlyfromthemannerinwhichitwasfirsttold。
Butwithoutalteringintheslightestdegreeeitherthestoryorthemodeoftellingit,theAuthorhastakenthisopportunitytocorrecterrorsofthepressandslipsofthepen。Thatsuchshouldexistcannotbewonderedat,whenitisconsideredthatthePublishersfoundittheirinteresttohurrythroughthepressasuccessionoftheearlyeditionsofthevariousNovels,andthattheAuthorhadnottheusualopportunityofrevision。Itishopedthatthepresenteditionwillbefoundfreefromerrorsofthataccidentalkind。
TheAuthorhasalsoventuredtomakesomeemendationsofadifferentcharacter,which,withoutbeingsuchapparentdeviationsfromtheoriginalstoriesastodisturbthereader’soldassociations,will,hethinks,addsomethingtothespiritofthedialogue,narrative,ordescription。Theseconsistinoccasionalpruningwherethelanguageisredundant,compressionwherethestyleisloose,infusionofvigourwhereitislanguid,theexchangeoflessforcibleformoreappropriateepithets-slightalterations,inshort,likethelasttouchesofanartist,whichcontributetoheightenandfinishthepicture,thoughaninexperiencedeyecanhardlydetectinwhattheyconsist。
TheGeneralPrefacetothenewEdition,andtheIntroductoryNoticestoeachseparatework,willcontainanaccountofsuchcircumstancesattendingthefirstpublicationoftheNovelsandTalesasmayappearinterestinginthemselvesorpropertobecommunicatedtothepublic。TheAuthoralsoproposestopublishonthisoccasionthevariouslegends,familytraditions,orobscurehistoricalfacts,whichhaveformedtheground-workoftheseNovels,andtogivesomeaccountoftheplaceswherethescenesarelaid,whenthesearealtogetherorinpartreal;aswellasastatementofparticularincidentsfoundedonfact;togetherwithamorecopiousGlossary,andNotesexplanatoryoftheancientcustomsandpopularsuperstitionsreferredtointheRomances。
Uponthewhole,itishopedthattheWaverleyNovels,intheirnewdress,willnotbefoundtohavelostanypartoftheirattractionsinconsequenceofreceivingillustrationsbytheAuthor,andundergoinghiscarefulrevision。