CHAPTER XLVIII
AN UNEXPECTED EMBARRASSMENT
When the battle was over, and all things coming into order, the Baronof Bradwardine, returning from the duty of the day, and having disposedthose under his command in their proper stations, sought the Chieftainof Glennaquoich and his friend Edward Waverley. He found the formerbusied in determining disputes among his clansmen about points ofprecedence and deeds of valour, besides sundry high and doubtfulquestions concerning plunder. The most important of the last respectedthe property of a gold watch, which had once belonged to someunfortunate English officer. The party against whom judgement wasawarded consoled himself by observing, 'She (i.e. the watch, which hetook for a living animal) died the very night Vich Ian Vohr gave her toMurdock;' the machine having, in fact, stopped for want of winding up.
It was just when this important question was decided, that the Baron ofBradwardine, with a careful and yet important expression of countenance,joined the two young men. He descended from his reeking charger, thecare of which he recommended to one of his grooms. 'I seldom ban, sir,'said he to the man; 'but if you play any of your hound's-foot tricks,and leave puir Berwick before he's sorted, to rin after spuilzie, deilbe wi' me if I do not; give your craig a thraw. He then stroked withgreat complacency the animal which had borne him through the fatigues ofthe day, and having taken a tender leave of him,--'Weel, my good youngfriends, a glorious and decisive victory,' said he; 'but these loons oftroopers fled ower soon. I should have liked to have shown you thetrue points of the PRAELIUM EQUESTRE, or equestrian combat, whilk theircowardice has postponed, and which I hold to be the pride and terrorof warfare. Weel, I have fought once more in this old quarrel, though Iadmit I could not be so far BEN as you lads, being that it was my pointof duty to keep together our handful of horse. And no cavalier oughtin any wise to begrudge honour that befalls his companions, even thoughthey are ordered upon thrice his danger, whilk, another time, by theblessing of God, may be his own case.--But, Glennaquoich, and you, Mr.Waverley, I pray ye to give me your best advice on a matter ofmickle weight, and which deeply affects the honour of the house ofBradwardine.--I crave your pardon, Ensign Maccombich, and yours,Inveraughlin, and yours, Edderalshendrach, and yours, sir.'
The last person he addressed was Ballenkeiroch, who, remembering thedeath of his son, loured on him with a look of savage defiance. TheBaron, quick as lightning at taking umbrage, had already bent his brow,when Glennaquoich dragged his major from the spot, and remonstratedwith him, in the authoritative tone of a chieftain, on the madness ofreviving a quarrel in such a moment.
'The ground is cumbered with carcases,' said the old mountaineer,turning sullenly away; 'ONE MORE would hardly have been kenn'd uponit; and if it wasna for yoursell, Vich Ian Vohr, that one should beBradwardine's or mine.'
The chief soothed while he hurried him away; and then returned to theBaron. 'It is Ballenkeiroch,' he said, in an under and confidentialvoice, 'father of the young man who fell eight years since in theunlucky affair at the Mains.'
'Ah!' said the Baron, instantly relaxing the doubtful sternness ofhis features, 'I can take mickle frae a man to whom I have unhappilyrendered sie a displeasure as that. Ye were right to apprize me,Glennaquoich; he may look as black as midnight at Martinmas ere CosmoComyne Bradwardine shall say he does him wrang. Ah! I have nae malelineage, and I should bear with one I have made childless, thoughyou are aware the blood-wit was made up to your ain satisfaction byassythment, and that I have since expedited letters of slains.--Weel, asI have said, I have no male issue, and yet it is needful that I maintainthe honour of my house; and it is on that score I prayed ye for yourpeculiar and private attention.'
The two young men awaited to hear him in anxious curiosity.
'I doubt na, lads,' he proceeded, 'but your education has been sae seento, that ye understand the true nature of the feudal tenures?'
Fergus, afraid of an endless dissertation, answered, 'Intimately,Baron,' and touched Waverley, as a signal to express no ignorance.
'And ye are aware, I doubt not, that the holding of the Barony ofBradwardine is of a nature alike honourable and peculiar, being blanch(which Craig opines ought to be Latinated BLANCUM, or rather FRANCUM, afree holding) PRO SERVITIO DETRAHENDI, SEU EXUENDI, CALIGAS REGIS POSTBATTALIAM.' Here Fergus turned his falcon eye upon Edward, with analmost imperceptible rise of his eyebrow, to which his shoulderscorresponded in the same degree of elevation. 'Now, twa points ofdubitation occur to me upon this topic. First, whether this service,or feudal homage, be at any event due to the person of the Prince,the words being, PER EXPRESSUM, CALIGAS REGIS, the boots of the kinghimself; and I pray your opinion anent that particular before we proceedfurther.'
'Why, he is Prince Regent,' answered Mac-Ivor, with laudable composureof countenance; 'and in the court of France all the honours are renderedto the person of the Regent which are due to that of the King. Besides,were I to pull off either of their boots, I would render that service tothe young Chevalier ten times more willingly than to his father.'
'Aye, but I talk not of personal predilections. However, your authorityis of great weight as to the usages of the court of France: anddoubtless the Prince, as ALTER EGO, may have a right to claim theHOMAGIUM of the great tenants of the crown, since all faithful subjectsare commanded, in the commission of regency, to respect him as theking's own person. Far, therefore, be it from me to diminish the lustreof his authority, by withholding this act of homage, so peculiarlycalculated to give it splendour; for I question if the Emperor ofGermany hath his boots taken off by a free baron of the empire. Buthere lieth the second difficulty--The Prince wears no boots, but simplybrogues and trews.'
This last dilemma had almost disturbed Fergus's gravity.
'Why,' said he, 'you know, Baron, the proverb tells us, "It's ill takingthe breeks off a Highlandman,"--and the boots are here in the samepredicament.'
'The word CALIGAE, however,' continued the Baron, 'though I admit, that,by family tradition, and even in our ancient evidents, it is explainedLIE BOOTS, means, in its primitive sense, rather sandals; and CaiusCaesar, the nephew and successor of Caius Tiberius, received the agnomenof Caigula, A CALIGULIS, SIVE CALIGIS LEVIORIBUS, QUIBUS ADOLESCENTIORUSUS FUERAT IN EXERCITU GERMANICI PATRIS SUI. And the CALIGAE were alsoproper to the monastic bodies; for we read in an ancient Glossarium,upon the rule of St. Benedict, in the Abbey of St. Amand, that CALIGAEwere tied with latchets.'
'That will apply to the brogues,' said Fergus.
'It will so, my dear Glennaquoich;--and the words are express:CALIGAE DICTAE SUNT QUIA LIGANTUR; NAM SOCCI NON LIGANTUR, SED TANTUMINTROMITTUNTUR; that is, CALIGAE are denominated from the ligatureswherewith they are bound; whereas SOCCI, which may be analogous to ourmules, whilk the English denominate slippers, are only slipped uponthe feet, The words of the charter are also alternative,--EXUERE, SEUDETRAHERE; that is, to UNDO, as in the case of sandals or brogues; andto PULL OF, as we say vernacularly, concerning boots. Yet I would we hadmore light; but I fear there is little chance of finding hereabout anyerudite author DE RE VESTIARIA.'
'I should doubt it very much,' said the Chieftain, looking around onthe straggling Highlanders, who were returning loaded with spoils of theslain, 'though the RES VESTIARIA itself seems to be in some request atpresent.'
This remark coming within the Baron's idea of jocularity, he honoured itwith a smile, but immediately resumed what to him appeared very seriousbusiness. 'Bailie Macwheeble indeed holds an opinion, that this honoraryservice is due, from its very nature, SI PETATUR TANTUM; only if hisRoyal Highness shall require of the great tenant of the crown to performthat personal duty; and indeed he pointed out the case in Dirleton'sDOUBTS AND QUERIES, Grippit VERSUS Spicer, anent the eviction of anestate OB NON SOLUTUM CANONEM, that is, for non-payment of a feu-duty ofthree peppercorns a year, whilk were taxt to be worth seven-eighths of apenny Scots, in whilk the defender was assoilzied. But I deem it safest,wi' your good favour, to place myself in the way of rendering the Princethis
service, and to proffer performance thereof; and I shall causethe Bailie to attend with a schedule of a protest, whilk he has hereprepared (taking out a paper), intimating, that if it shall be his RoyalHighness's pleasure to accept of other assistance at pulling off hisCALIGAE (whether the same shall be rendered boots or brogues) save thatof the said Baron of Bradwardine, who is in presence ready and willingto perform the same, it shall in no wise impinge upon or prejudice theright of the said Cosmo Comyne Bradwardine to perform the said servicein future; nor shall it give any esquire, valet of the chamber, squire,or page, whose assistance it may please his Royal Highness to employ,any right, title, or ground, for evicting from the said Cosmo ComyneBradwardine the estate and barony of Bradwardine, and others held asaforesaid, by the due and faithful performance thereof.'
Fergus highly applauded this arrangement; and the Baron took a friendlyleave of them, with a smile of contented importance upon his visage.
'Long live our dear friend the Baron,' exclaimed the Chief, as soon ashe was out of hearing, 'for the most absurd original that exists northof the Tweed! I wish to heaven I had recommended him to attend thecircle this evening with a boot-ketch under his arm. I think he mighthave adopted the suggestion, if it had been made with suitable gravity.'
'And how can you take pleasure in making a man of his worth soridiculous?'
'Begging pardon, my dear Waverley, you are as ridiculous as he. Why, doyou not see that the man's whole mind is wrapped up in this ceremony? Hehas heard and thought of it since infancy, as the most august privilegeand ceremony in the world; and I doubt not but the expected pleasure ofperforming it was a principal motive with him for taking up arms. Dependupon it, had I endeavoured to divert him from exposing himself, he wouldhave treated me as an ignorant conceited coxcomb, or perhaps might havetaken a fancy to cut my throat; a pleasure which he once proposed tohimself upon some point of etiquette, not half so important, in hiseyes, as this matter of boots or brogues, or whatever the CALIGAE shallfinally be pronounced by the learned. But I must go to head-quarters toprepare the Prince for this extraordinary scene. My information will bewell taken, for it will give him a hearty laugh at present, and put himon his guard against laughing, when it might be very MAL-A-PROPOS. So,AU REVOIR, my dear Waverley.'