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
Here he produced two immense folded packets, which appeared each
to contain a whole ream of closely written manuscript. They had
been the labour of the worthy man's whole life; and never were
labour and zeal more absurdly wasted. He had at one time gone to
London, with the intention of giving them to the world, by the
medium of a bookseller in Little Britain, well known to deal in
such commodities, and to whom he was instructed to address himself
in a particular phrase and with a certain sign, which, it seems,
passed at that time current among the initiated Jacobites. The
moment Mr. Pembroke had uttered the Shibboleth, with the
appropriate gesture, the bibliopolist greeted him, notwithstanding
every disclamation, by the title of Doctor, and conveying him into
his back shop, after inspecting every possible and impossible
place of concealment, he commenced: 'Eh, Doctor!--Well--all under
the rose--snug--I keep no holes here even for a Hanoverian rat to
hide in. And, what--eh! any good news from our friends over the
water?--and how does the worthy King of France?--Or perhaps you
are more lately from Rome? it must be Rome will do it at last--the
church must light its candle at the old lamp.--Eh--what, cautious?
I like you the better; but no fear.' Here Mr. Pembroke with some
difficulty stopt a torrent of interrogations, eked out with signs,
nods, and winks; and, having at length convinced the bookseller
that he did him too much honour in supposing him an emissary of
exiled royalty, he explained his actual business.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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