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
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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