he Lord-Keeper
Whitelocke, when, at the table of the Chamberlain of the kingdom of
Sweden, he did positively refuse to pledge the health of his Queen,
Christina, thereby giving great offence, and putting in peril the whole
purpose of that voyage; which it is not to be thought so wise a man
would have done, but that he held such compliance a thing not merely
indifferent, but rather sinful and damnable."

"With all respect to Whitelocke," said the Lady Peveril, "I continue of
my own opinion, though, Heaven knows, I am no friend to riot or wassail.
I would fain accommodate myself to your scruples, and will discourage
all other pledges; but surely those of the King and of Peveril of the
Peak may be permitted?"

"I dare not," answered Bridgenorth, "lay even the ninety-ninth part of a
grain of incense upon an altar erected to Satan."

"How, sir!" said the lady; "do you bring Satan into comparison with our
master King Charles, and with my noble lord and husband?"

"Pardon me, madam," answered Bridgenorth, "I have no such
thoughts--indeed they would ill become me. I do wish the King's health
and Sir Geoffrey's devoutly, and I will pray for both. But I see not
what good it should do their health if I should prejudice my own by
quaffing pledges out of quart flagons."

"Since we cannot agree upon this matter," said Lady Peveril, "we must
find some resource by which to offend those of neither party. Suppose
you winked at our friends drinking these pledges, and we should connive
at your sitting still?"

But neither would this composition satisfy Bridgenorth, who was of
opinion, as he expressed himself, that it would be holding a candle
to Beelzebub. In fact, his temper, naturally stubborn, was at present
rendered much more so by a previous conference with his preacher, who,
though a very good man in the main, was particularly and illiberally
tenacious of the petty distinctions which his sect adopted; and while he
thought with considerable apprehension on the accession of power which
Popery, Prelacy, and Peveril of the Peak, were like to acquire by the
late Revolution, became naturally anxious to put his flock on their
guard, and prevent their being kidnapped by the wolf. He disliked
extremely that Major Bridgenorth, indisputably the head of the
Presbyterian interest in that neighbourhood, should have given his only
daughter to be, as he termed it, nursed by a Canaanitish woman; and
he told him plainly that he liked not this g