Waverley; or, 'Tis sixty years since — CompleteScott, Walter
History
Waverley; or, 'Tis sixty years since — Complete
Scott, Walter
Historical fiction; Jacobite Rebellion, 1745-1746 -- Fiction; Scotland -- History -- 18th century -- Fiction
The smith of the town his liquor so took,
That he was persuaded that the ground look'd blue;
And I dare boldly be sworn on a book,
Such smiths as he there's but a few.
A posset was made, and the women did sip,
And simpering said, they could eat no more;
Full many a maiden was laid on the lip,--
I'll say no more, but give o'er (give o'er).
But what our fair readers will chiefly regret is the loss of three
declarations of love; the first by Saint Clere to Matilda; which, with
the lady's answer, occupies fifteen closely written pages of
manuscript. That of Fitzosborne to Emma is not much shorter; but the
amours of Fitzallen and Eleanor, being of a less romantic cast, are
closed in three pages only. The three noble couples were married in
Queenhoo-Hall upon the same day, being the twentieth Sunday after
Easter. There is a prolix account of the marriage-feast, of which we
can pick out the names of a few dishes, such as peterel, crane,
sturgeon, swan, etc. etc., with a profusion of wild-fowl and venison.
We also see that a suitable song was produced by Peretto on the
occasion; and that the bishop who blessed the bridal beds which
received the happy couples was no niggard of his holy water, bestowing
half a gallon upon each of the couches. We regret we cannot give these
curiosities to the reader in detail, but we hope to expose the
manuscript to abler antiquaries so soon as it shall be framed and
glazed by the ingenious artist who rendered that service to Mr.
Ireland's Shakspeare MSS. And so (being unable to lay aside the style
to which our pen is habituated), gentle reader, we bid thee heartily
farewell.
NO. III
ANECDOTE OF SCHOOL DAYS
UPON WHICH MR. THOMAS SCOTT PROPOSED TO FOUND A TALE OF FICTION
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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