redgauntlet-第57节

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'Humayewhy；　noNicholasit　would　not　be　quite　advisable　and　as　the　Forty…five　was　an　old　affairandhemas　my　friend　here　will；　I　hope；　see　his　errorthat　is；　if　he　has　not　seen　it　alreadyand　renounce　the　Pope；　the　Devil；　and　the　PretenderI　mean　no　harm；　neighbourI　think　weas　we　have　no　POSSE；　or　constables；　or　the　likeshould　order　our　horsesand；　in　one　word；　look　the　matter　over。'

'Judiciously　resolved；'　said　the　person　whom　this　decision　affected；　'but　before　you　go；　I　trust　you　will　drink　and　be　friends？'

'Why；'　said　the　Justice；　rubbing　his　brow；　'our　business　has　beenhemrather　a　thirsty　one。'

'Cristal　Nixon；'　said　Mr。　Herries；　'let　us　have　a　cool　tankard　instantly；　large　enough　to　quench　the　thirst　of　the　whole　commission。'

While　Cristal　was　absent　on　this　genial　errand；　there　was　a　pause；　of　which　I　endeavoured　to　avail　myself　by　bringing　back　the　discourse　to　my　own　concerns。　　'Sir；'　I　said　to　Justice　Foxley；　'I　have　no　direct　business　with　your　late　discussion　with　Mr。　Herries；　only　just　thus　farYou　leave　me；　a　loyal　subject　of　King　George；　an　unwilling　prisoner　in　the　hands　of　a　person　whom　you　have　reason　to　believe　unfriendly　to　the　king's　cause。　　I　humbly　submit　that　this　is　contrary　to　your　duty　as　a　magistrate；　and　that　you　ought　to　make　Mr。　Herries　aware　of　the　illegality　of　his　proceedings；　and　take　steps　for　my　rescue；　either　upon　the　spot；　or；　at　least；　as　soon　as　possible　after　you　have　left　this　case'

'Young　man；'　said　Mr。　Justice　Foxley；　'I　would　have　you　remember　you　are　under　the　power；　the　lawful　powerahemof　your　guardian。'

'He　calls　himself　so；　indeed；'　I　replied；　'but　he　has　shown　no　evidence　to　establish　so　absurd　a　claim；　and　if　he　had；　his　circumstances；　as　an　attainted　traitor　excepted　from　pardon；　would　void　such　a　right　if　it　existed。　　I　do　therefore　desire　you；　Mr。　Justice；　and　you；　his　clerk；　to　consider　my　situation；　and　afford　me　relief　at　your　peril。'

'Here　is　a　young　fellow　now；'　said　the　Justice；　with　much…　embarrassed　looks；　'thinks　that　I　carry　the　whole　statute　law　of　England　in　my　head；　and　a　POSSE　COMITATUS　to　execute　them　in　my　pocket！　　Why；　what　good　would　my　interference　do？buthumeh　I　will　speak　to　your　guardian　in　your　favour。'

He　took　Mr。　Herries　aside；　and　seemed　indeed　to　urge　something　upon　him　with　much　earnestness；　and　perhaps　such　a　species　of　intercession　was　all　which；　in　the　circumstances；　I　was　entitled　to　expect　from　him。

They　often　looked　at　me　as　they　spoke　together；　and　as　Cristal　Nixon　entered　with　a　huge　four…pottle　tankard；　filled　with　the　beverage　his　master　had　demanded；　Herries　turned　away　from　Mr。　Foxley　somewhat　impatiently；　saying　with　emphasis；　'I　give　you　my　word　of　honour；　that　you　have　not　the　slightest　reason　to　apprehend　anything　on　his　account。'　　He　then　took　up　the　tankard；　and　saying　aloud　in　Gaelic；　'SLAINT　AN　REY；'　＇The　King's　health。＇　just　tasted　the　liquor；　and　handed　the　tankard　to　Justice　Foxley；　who；　to　avoid　the　dilemma　of　pledging　him　to　what　might　be　the　Pretender's　health；　drank　to　Mr。　Herries's　own；　with　much　pointed　solemnity；　but　in　a　draught　far　less　moderate。

The　clerk　imitated　the　example　of　his　principal；　and　I　was　fain　to　follow　their　example；　for　anxiety　and　fear　are　at　least　as　thirsty　as　sorrow　is　said　to　be。　　In　a　word；　we　exhausted　the　composition　of　ale；　sherry；　lemon…juice；　nutmeg；　and　other　good　things；　stranded　upon　the　silver　bottom　of　the　tankard　the　huge　toast；　as　well　as　the　roasted　orange；　which　had　whilom　floated　jollily　upon　the　brim；　and　rendered　legible　Dr。　Byrom's　celebrated　lines　engraved　thereon

　　God　bless　the　King！God　bless　the　Faith's　defender！　　　God　blessNo　harm　in　blessingthe　Pretender。　　　Who　that　Pretender　is；　and　who　that　King；　　　God　bless　us　all！is　quite　another　thing。

I　had　time　enough　to　study　this　effusion　of　the　Jacobite　muse；　while　the　Justice　was　engaged　in　the　somewhat　tedious　ceremony　of　taking　leave。　　That　of　Mr。　Faggot　was　less　ceremonious；　but　I　suspect　something　besides　empty　compliment　passed　betwixt　him　and　Mr。　Herries；　for　I　remarked　that　the　latter　slipped　a　piece　of　paper　into　the　hand　of　the　former；　which　might　perhaps　be　a　little　atonement　for　the　rashness　with　which　he　had　burnt　the　warrant；　and　imposed　no　gentle　hand　on　the　respectable　minion　of　the　law　by　whom　it　was　exhibited；　and　I　observed　that　he　made　this　propitiation　in　such　a　manner　as　to　be　secret　from　the　worthy　clerk's　principal。

When　this　was　arranged；　the　party　took　leave　of　each　other　with　much　formality　on　the　part　of　Squire　Foxley；　amongst　whose　adieus　the　following　phrase　was　chiefly　remarkable：　　'I　presume　you　do　not　intend　to　stay　long　in　these　parts？'

'Not　for　the　present；　Justice；　you　may　be　sure；　there　are　good　reasons　to　the　contrary。　　But　I　have　no　doubt　of　arranging　my　affairs　so　that　we　shall　speedily　have　sport　together　again。'

He　went　to　wait　upon　the　Justice　to　the　courtyard；　and；　as　he　did　so；　commanded　Cristal　Nixon　to　see　that　I　returned　into　my　apartment。　　Knowing　it　would　be　to　no　purpose　to　resist　or　tamper　with　that　stubborn　functionary；　I　obeyed　in　silence；　and　was　once　more　a　prisoner　in　my　former　quarters。




CHAPTER　VIII

LATIMER'S　JOURNAL；　IN　CONTINUATION

I　spent　more　than　an　hour；　after　returning　to　the　apartment　which　I　may　call　my　prison；　in　reducing　to　writing　the　singular　circumstances　which　I　had　just　witnessed。　　Methought　I　could　now　form　some　guess　at　the　character　of　Mr。　Herries；　upon　whose　name　and　situation　the　late　scene　had　thrown　considerable　lightone　of　those　fanatical　Jacobites；　doubtless；　whose　arms；　not　twenty　years　since；　had　shaken　the　British　throne；　and　some　of　whom；　though　their　party　daily　diminished　in　numbers；　energy；　and　power；　retained　still　an　inclination　to　renew　the　attempt　they　had　found　so　desperate。　　He　was　indeed　perfectly　different　from　the　sort　of　zealous　Jacobites　whom　it　had　been　my　luck　hitherto　to　meet　with。　　Old　ladies　of　family　over　their　hyson；　and　grey…　haired　lairds　over　their　punch；　I　had　often　heard　utter　a　little　harmless　treason；　while　the　former　remembered　having　led　down　a　dance　with　the　Chevalier；　and　the　latter　recounted　the　feats　they　had　performed　at　Preston；　Clifton；　and　Falkirk。

The　disaffection　of　such　persons　was　too　unimportant　to　excite　the　attention　of　government。　　I　had　heard；　however；　that　there　still　existed　partisans　of　the　Stuart　family　of　a　more　daring　and　dangerous　description；　men　who；　furnished　with　gold　from　Rome；　moved；　secretly　and　in　disguise；　through　the　various　classes　of　society；　and　endeavoured　to　keep　alive　the　expiring　zeal　of　their　party。

I　had　no　difficulty　in　assigning　an　important　post　among　this　class　of　persons；　whose　agency　and　exertion　are　only　doubted　by　those　who　look　on　the　surface　of　things；　to　this　Mr。　Herries；　whose　mental　energies；　as　well　as　his　personal　strength　and　activity；　seemed　to　qualify　him　well　to　act　so　dangerous　a　part；　and　I　knew　that　all　along　the　Western　Border；　both　in　England　and　Scotland；　there　are　so　many　nonjurors；　that　such　a　person　may　reside　there　with　absolute　safety；　unless　it　becomes；　in　a　very　especial　degree；　the　object　of　the　government　to　secure　his　person；　and　which　purpose；　even　then；　might　be　disappointed　by　early　intelligence；　or；　as　in　the　case　of　Mr。　Foxley；　by　the　unwillingness　of　provincial　magistrates　to　interfere　in　what　is　now　considered　an　invidious　pursuit　of　the　unfortunate。

There　have；　however；　been　rumours　lately；　as　if　the　present　state　of　the　nation　or　at　least　of　some　discontented　provinces；　agitated　by　a　variety　of　causes　but　particularly　by　the　unpopularity　of　the　present　administration；　may　seem　to　this　species　of　agitators　a　favourable　period　for　recommencing　their　intrigues；　while；　on　the　other　hand；　government　may　not；　at　such　a　crisis；　be　inclined　to　look　upon　them　with　the　contempt　which　a　few　years　ago　would　have　been　their　most　appropriate　punishment。

That　men　should　be　found　rash　enough　to　throw　away　their　services　and　lives　in　a　desperate　cause；　is　nothing　new　in　history；　which　abounds　with　instances　of　similar　devotionthat　Mr。　Herries　is　such　an　enthusiast　is　no　less　evident；　but　all　this　explains　not　his　conduct　towards　me。　　Had　he　sought　to　make　me　a　proselyte　to　his　ruined　cause；　violence　and　compulsion　were　arguments　very　unlikely　to　prevail　with　any　generous　spirit。　　But　even　if　such　were　his　object；　of　what　use　to　him　could　be　the　acquisition　of　a　single　reluctant　partisan；　who　could　bring　only　his　own　person　to　support　any　quarrel　which　he　might　adopt？　　He　had　claimed　over　me　the　rights　of　a　guardian；　he　had　more　than　hinted　that　I　was　in　a　state　of　mind　which　could　not　dispense　with　the　authority　of　such　a　person。　　Was　this　man；　so　sternly　desperate　in　his　purposehe　who　seemed　willing　to　take　on　his　own　shoulders　the　entire　support　of　a　cause　which　had　been　ruinous　to　thousandswas　he　the　person　that　had　the　power　of　deciding　on　my　fate？　　Was　it　from　him　those　dangers　flowed；　to　secure　me　against　which　I　had　been　educated　under　such　circumstances　of　secrecy　and　precaution？

And　if　this　was　so；　of　what　nature　was　the　claim　which　he　asserted？Was　it　that　of　propinquity？　　And　did　I　share　the　blood；　perhaps　the　features；　of　this　singular　being？Strange　as　it　may　seem；　a　thrill　of