was agreed that a printed copy
of the Test should be made into as little bulk as possible, smoothed
with butter, tallow, or whatever should be most tempting to his doggish
appetite. This being done, Tyke readily took it, and made a shift by
rowing it up and down his mouth, to separate what was pleasant to his
palate. When all seemed over and the dog appearingly well tested, the
loons saw somewhat, as it were one piece after another, drop from the
side of his mouth. Whereupon it was argued, as in the case of my Lord
Argyle, that this was much worse than a refusal, because it was a
separating of that which was pleasant from what was irksome. And that
this therefore, rightly interpreted, was no less than High Treason.

"But the tyke's advocate urged that his enemies had had the rowing up of
the paper, and very likely they had put some crooked pin or other
foreign object, unpleasant to a honest tyke's palate, within. So he
asked for a fair trial before his peers for his client.

"Then the Court being constitute and the assize set, there fell out a
great debate concerning this tyke dog. Some said that his chaming and
chirking of the paper was very ill-done of him, that he was over
malapert and took too much upon him. For his office being a lowly one,
it was no business of his to do other than bolt the Test at once.

"But his advocate urged that he had done his best, and that if one part
of the oath fell to hindering the other and fighting in his hass, it was
not his fault, but the fault of them that framed such-like. Also, that
if it had not hindered itself in going down, he would have taken it
gladly and willingly, as he had taken down many other untoothsome
morsels before, to the certain knowledge of the Court--such as dead
cats, old hosen and shoes, and a bit of the leg of one of the masters in
the hospital, who was known to be exceedingly unsavoury in his person.

"But all this did not save the poor tyke, for his action in mauling and
beslavering his Majesty's printing and paper was held to be, at least,
Interpretive Treason. And so he was ordered to close prison till such a
time as the Court should call him forth to be hanged like a dog. Which
was pronounced for doom."

Roger McGhie laughed at the tale's end with a gentle, inward laughter,
and tapped Wat with his cane.

"Thou art indeed a merry wag, and speak over well for a gardener," he
said; "but I know not if John Graham would not put a charge of lead into
th