FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135  
136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   >>   >|  
as good quarters again." "If that be the case," said Bothwell, "I will pay my respects to her as we pass, and request some refreshment for men and horses; I am as thirsty already as if I had drunk nothing at Milnwood. But it is a good thing in these times," he continued, addressing himself to Henry, "that the King's soldier cannot pass a house without getting a refreshment. In such houses as Tillie--what d'ye call it? you are served for love; in the houses of the avowed fanatics you help yourself by force; and among the moderate presbyterians and other suspicious persons, you are well treated from fear; so your thirst is always quenched on some terms or other." "And you purpose," said Henry, anxiously, "to go upon that errand up to the tower younder?" "To be sure I do," answered Bothwell. "How should I be able to report favourably to my officers of the worthy lady's sound principles, unless I know the taste of her sack, for sack she will produce--that I take for granted; it is the favourite consoler of your old dowager of quality, as small claret is the potation of your country laird." "Then, for heaven's sake," said Henry, "if you are determined to go there, do not mention my name, or expose me to a family that I am acquainted with. Let me be muffled up for the time in one of your soldier's cloaks, and only mention me generally as a prisoner under your charge." "With all my heart," said Bothwell; "I promised to use you civilly, and I scorn to break my word.--Here, Andrews, wrap a cloak round the prisoner, and do not mention his name, nor where we caught him, unless you would have a trot on a horse of wood." [Note: Wooden Mare. The punishment of riding the wooden mare was, in the days of Charles and long after, one of the various and cruel modes of enforcing military discipline. In front of the old guard-house in the High Street of Edinburgh, a large horse of this kind was placed, on which now and then, in the more ancient times, a veteran might be seen mounted, with a firelock tied to each foot, atoning for some small offence. There is a singular work, entitled Memoirs of Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester, (son of Queen Anne,) from his birth to his ninth year, in which Jenkin Lewis, an honest Welshman in attendance on the royal infant's person, is pleased to record that his Royal Highness laughed, cried, crow'd, and said Gig and Dy, very
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135  
136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
mention
 

Bothwell

 

soldier

 
refreshment
 
houses
 
prisoner
 

wooden

 

discipline

 

punishment

 

riding


Charles
 
military
 

enforcing

 

Andrews

 

civilly

 

promised

 

Wooden

 

caught

 

Jenkin

 

Welshman


honest
 

Gloucester

 

attendance

 
laughed
 

Highness

 
person
 
infant
 

pleased

 

record

 

William


Prince

 

ancient

 
veteran
 
Street
 

Edinburgh

 
charge
 

singular

 

entitled

 

Memoirs

 

offence


atoning

 

firelock

 
mounted
 

dowager

 
served
 
avowed
 

fanatics

 

Tillie

 
treated
 

thirst