Waverley; or, 'Tis sixty years since — Volume 1Scott, Walter
History
Waverley; or, 'Tis sixty years since — Volume 1
Scott, Walter
Historical fiction; Jacobite Rebellion, 1745-1746 -- Fiction; Scotland -- History -- 18th century -- Fiction
Donald Bean Lean was the very reverse of all these. He was thin in
person and low in stature, with light sandy-coloured hair, and
small pale features, from which he derived his agnomen of BEAN or
white; and although his form was light, well proportioned and
active, he appeared, on the whole, rather a diminutive and
insignificant figure. He had served in some inferior capacity in
the French army, and in order to receive his English visitor in
great form, and probably meaning, in his way, to pay him a
compliment, he had laid aside the Highland dress for the time, to
put on an old blue and red uniform and a feathered hat, in which
he was far from showing to advantage, and indeed looked so
incongruous, compared with all around him, that Waverley would
have been tempted to laugh, had laughter been either civil or
safe. The robber received Captain Waverley with a profusion of
French politeness and Scottish hospitality, seemed perfectly to
know his name and connections, and to be particularly acquainted
with his uncle's political principles. On these he bestowed great
applause, to which Waverley judged it prudent to make a very
general reply.
Being placed at a convenient distance from the charcoal fire, the
heat of which the season rendered oppressive, a strapping Highland
damsel placed before Waverley, Evan, and Donald Bean three cogues,
or wooden vessels composed of staves and hoops, containing
eanaruich, [Footnote: This was the regale presented by Rob Roy to
the Laird of Tullibody.] a sort of strong soup, made out of a
particular part of the inside of the beeves. After this
refreshment, which, though coarse, fatigue and hunger rendered
palatable, steaks, roasted on the coals, were supplied in liberal
abundance, and disappeared before Evan Dhu and their host with a
promptitude that seemed like magic, and astonished Waverley, who
was much puzzled to reconcile their voracity with what he had
heard of the abstemiousness of the Highlanders. He was ignorant
that this abstinence was with the lower ranks wholly compulsory,
and that, like some animals of prey, those who practise it were
usually gifted with the power of indemnifying themselves to good
purpose when chance threw plenty in their way. The whisky came
forth in abundance to crown the cheer. The Highlanders drank it
copiously and undiluted; but Edward, having mixed a little with
water, did not find it so palatable as to invite him to repeat the
draught. Their host bewailed himself exceedingly that he could
offer him no wine: 'Had he but known four-and-twenty hours before,
he would have had some, had it been within the circle of forty
miles round him. But no gentleman could do more to show his sense
of the honour of a visit from another than to offer him the best
cheer his house afforded. Where there are no bushes there can be
no nuts, and the way of those you live with is that you must
follow,'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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