of Edie, put a stop to the
sports of the village, the pensive inhabitants of which began to
speculate upon the vicissitudes of human affairs, which had so suddenly
consigned one of their comrades to the grave, and placed their master
of the revels in some danger of being hanged. The character of
Dousterswivel being pretty generally known, which was in his case
equivalent to being pretty generally detested, there were many
speculations upon the probability of the accusation being malicious. But
all agreed, that if Edie Ochiltree behoved in all events to suffer upon
this occasion, it was a great pity he had not better merited his fate by
killing Dousterswivel outright.

CHAPTER NINTH

Who is he?--One that for the lack of land
Shall fight upon the water--he hath challenged
Formerly the grand whale; and by his titles
Of Leviathan, Behemoth, and so forth.
He tilted with a sword-fish--Marry, sir,
Th' aquatic had the best--the argument
Still galls our champion's breech.
Old Play.

"And the poor young fellow, Steenie Mucklebackit, is to be buried this
morning," said our old friend the Antiquary, as he exchanged his quilted
night-gown for an old-fashioned black coat in lieu of the snuff-coloured
vestment which he ordinarily wore, "and, I presume, it is expected that
I should attend the funeral?"

"Ou, ay," answered the faithful Caxon, officiously brushing the white
threads and specks from his patron's habit. "The body, God help us! was
sae broken against the rocks that they're fain to hurry the burial. The
sea's a kittle cast, as I tell my daughter, puir thing, when I want
her to get up her spirits; the sea, says I, Jenny, is as uncertain a
calling"--

"As the calling of an old periwig-maker, that's robbed of his business
by crops and the powder-tax. Caxon, thy topics of consolation are as ill
chosen as they are foreign to the present purpose. _Quid mihi cum faemina?_
What have I to do with thy womankind, who have enough and to spare of
mine own?--I pray of you again, am I expected by these poor people to
attend the funeral of their son?"

"Ou, doubtless, your honour is expected," answered Caxon; "weel I wot ye
are expected. Ye ken, in this country ilka gentleman is wussed to be sae
civil as to see the corpse aff his grounds; ye needna gang higher than
t