ory,
which he was fond of telling; and the commentary of his Royal Highness
on hearing it amused Scott, who often mentioned it afterwards. The
anecdote is this: A certain Judge, whenever he went on a particular
circuit, was in the habit of visiting a gentleman of good fortune in
the neighborhood of one of the assize towns, and staying at least one
night, which, being both of them ardent chess-players, they usually
concluded with their favorite game. One Spring circuit the battle was
not decided at daybreak, so the Judge said, "Weel, Donald, I must e'en
come back this gate in the harvest, and let the game lie ower for the
present;" and back he came in October, but not to his old friend's
hospitable house; for that gentleman had, in the interim, been
apprehended on a capital charge (of forgery), and his name stood on
the _Porteous Roll_, or list of those who were about to be tried under
his former guest's auspices. The laird was indicted and tried
accordingly, and the jury returned a verdict of _guilty_. The Judge
forthwith put on his cocked hat (which answers to the black cap in
England), and pronounced the sentence of the law in the usual terms:
"To be hanged by the neck until you be dead; and may the Lord have
{p.036} mercy upon your unhappy soul!" Having concluded this awful
formula in his most sonorous cadence, the Judge, dismounting his
formidable beaver, gave a familiar nod to his unfortunate
acquaintance, and said to him in a sort of chuckling whisper, "And
now, Donald, my man, I think I've checkmated you for ance." The Regent
laughed heartily at this specimen of judicial humor; and "I' faith,
Walter," said he, "this old big-wig seems to have taken things as
coolly as my tyrannical self. Don't you remember Tom Moore's
description of me at breakfast,--

'The table spread with tea and toast,
Death-warrants and the Morning Post?'"

[Footnote 14: This most amiable and venerable gentleman,
my dear and kind friend, died at Edinburgh on the 17th
February, 1839, in the 80th year of his age. He retained
his strong mental faculties in their perfect vigor to
the last days of this long life, and with them all the
warmth of social feelings which had endeared him to all
who were so happy as to have any opportunity of knowing
him. The reader will find an affectionate tribute to his
worth, from Sir