m the living, and somewhat too near
the dead. We had passed through what is called _the King's Room_,
a vaulted apartment, garnished with stags' antlers and other
trophies of the chase, and said by tradition to be the spot of
Malcolm's murder, and I had an idea of the vicinity of the castle
chapel. In spite of the truth of history, the whole night scene
in Macbeth's Castle rushed at once upon me, and struck my mind
more forcibly than even when I have seen its terrors represented
by John Kemble and his inimitable sister. In a word, I
experienced sensations which, though not remarkable for timidity
or superstition, did not fail to affect me to the point of being
disagreeable, while they were mingled at the same time with a
strange and indescribable sort of pleasure, the recollection of
which affords me gratification at this moment."[110]

[Footnote 110: _Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft_, p.
398.]

He alludes here to the hospitable reception which had preceded the
mingled sensations of this _eerie_ night; but one of his notes on
Waverley touches this not unimportant part of the story more
distinctly; for we are there informed that the _silver bear_ of
Tully-Veolan, "_the poculum potatorium_ of the valiant baron," had its
prototype at Glammis--a massive beaker of silver, double gilt, moulded
into the form of a _lion_, the name and bearing of the Earls of
Strathmore, and containing about an English pint of wine. "The
author," he says, "ought perhaps to be ashamed of recording that he
had the honor of swallowing the contents of _the lion_; and the
recollection of the feat suggested the story of the Bear of
Bradwardine."

From this pleasant tour, so rich in its results, Scott returned in
time to attend the autumnal assizes at Jedburgh, on which occasion he
made his first appearance as counsel in a criminal court; and had the
satisfaction of helping a veteran poacher and sheep-stealer to escape
through some of the meshes of the law. "You're a lucky {p.199}
scoundrel," Scott whispered to his client, when the verdict was
pronounced. "I'm just o' your mind," quoth the desperado, "and I'll
send ye a maukin[111] the morn, man." I am not sure whether it was at
these assizes or the next in the same town, that he had less success
in the case of a certain notorious housebreaker. The man, however, was
well aware that no skill could have baffled th