ten times as much," said the beggar, "and that I
am sair doubtful of;--I heard Puggie Orrock, and the tother thief of a
sheriff-officer, or messenger, speaking about it--and things are ill aff
when the like o' them can speak crousely about ony gentleman's affairs.
I doubt Sir Arthur will be in stane wa's for debt, unless there's swift
help and certain."

"You speak like a fool," said the Antiquary.--"Nephew, it is a remarkable
thing, that in this happy country no man can be legally imprisoned for
debt."

"Indeed, sir?" said M'Intyre; "I never knew that before--that part of our
law would suit some of our mess well."

"And if they arena confined for debt," said Ochiltree, "what is't that
tempts sae mony puir creatures to bide in the tolbooth o' Fairport
yonder?--they a' say they were put there by their creditors--Od! they maun
like it better than I do, if they're there o' free will."

"A very natural observation, Edie, and many of your betters would
make the same; but it is founded entirely upon ignorance of the feudal
system. Hector, be so good as to attend, unless you are looking out
for another-- Ahem!" (Hector compelled himself to give attention at this
hint. ) "And you, Edie, it may be useful to you reram cognoscere causas.
The nature and origin of warrant for caption is a thing haud alienum
a Scaevolae studiis.--You must know then, once more, that nobody can be
arrested in Scotland for debt."

"I haena muckle concern wi' that, Monkbarns," said the old man, "for
naebody wad trust a bodle to a gaberlunzie."

"I pr'ythee, peace, man--As a compulsitor, therefore, of payment, that
being a thing to which no debtor is naturally inclined, as I have too
much reason to warrant from the experience I have had with my own,--we
had first the letters of four forms, a sort of gentle invitation, by
which our sovereign lord the king, interesting himself, as a monarch
should, in the regulation of his subjects' private affairs, at first by
mild exhortation, and afterwards by letters of more strict enjoinment
and more hard compulsion--What do you see extraordinary about that bird,
Hector?--it's but a seamaw."

"It's a pictarnie, sir," said Edie.

"Well, what an if it were--what does that signify at present?--But I see
you're impatient; so I will waive the letters of four forms, and come to
the modern process of diligence.--You suppose, now, a man's committed to
prison because he cannot pay his debt? Quite otherwise: the truth i