“Are you certain it was not Mr Renwick?” “I am certain.” “Is your master a very religious man?” “He’s weel eneugh that way—No that very reithe on’t; but the gudewife hauds his neb right sair to the grindstane about it.” “Does he perform family worship?” “Sometimes.” “Is he reckoned a great and exemplary performer of that duty?” “Na, he’s nae great gun, I trow; but he warstles away at it as weel as he can.” “Can you repeat any part, or any particular passage of his usual prayer?” “I’m sure I might, for he gangs often aneuch oure some o’ them. Let me see—there’s the still waters, and the green pastures, and the blood of bulls and of goats; and then there’s the gos–hawk, and the slogy riddle, and the tyrant an’ his lang neb; I hae the maist o’t i’ my head, but then I canna mouband it.” “What does he mean by the tyrant and his long neb?” “Aha! But that’s mair nor ever I could find out yet. We whiles think he means the Kelpy—him that raises the storms an’ the floods on us, ye ken, and gars the waters an’ the burns come roarin down wi’ bracks o’ ice an’ snaw, an’ tak away our sheep. But whether it’s Kelpy, or Clavers, or the Deil, we can never be sure, for we think it applies gay an’ weel to them a’.” “Repeat the passage as well as you can.” “Bring down the tyrant an’ his lang neb, for he has done muckle ill this year, and gie him a cup o’ thy wrath; an’ gin he winna tak that, gie him kelty.” “What is meant by kelty?” “That’s double—it means twa cups—ony body kens that.” “Does he ever mention the king in his prayer?” “O yes: always.” “What does he say about him?” “Something about the sceptre of righteousness, and the standard of truth. I ken he has some rhyme about him.” “Indeed! And does he likewise make mention of the Covenant?” “Ay, that’s after—that’s near the end, just afore the resurrection. O yes, he harls aye in the Covenant there. ‘The bond o’ the everlasting Covenant,’ as he ca’s it, weel ordered in all things, and sure.” “Ay, that’s very well; that’s quite sufficient. Now, you have yourself confessed, that you were at an unlawful and abominable conventicle, holding fellowship with intercommuned rebels, along with your wife and family. You _must_ be made an example of to the snarling and rebellious hounds that are lurking in these bounds; but as you have answered me with candour, though I might order you instantly to be shot, I will be so indulgent as to give you your choice, whether you will go to prison in Edinburgh, and be there tried by the Council, or submit to the judgment which I may pronounce on you here?”