The Three Perils of Man; or, War, Women, and Witchcraft, Vol. 3 (of 3)

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  THE

  THREE PERILS OF MAN:

  _A BORDER ROMANCE_.

  THE THREE PERILS OF MAN;

  OR, War, Women, and Witchcraft.

  _A BORDER ROMANCE._

  BY JAMES HOGG, AUTHOR OF "WINTER-EVENING TALES," "BROWNIE OF BODSBECK," "QUEEN'S WAKE," _&c._ _&c._

  IN THREE VOLUMES.

  VOL. III.

  Beshrew me if I dare open it. FLETCHER.

  LONDON: LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN, PATERNOSTER-ROW.

  1822.

  John Moir, Printer, Edinburgh, 1822.

  THE

  THREE PERILS OF MAN.

  CHAP. I.

  And he said unto Satan; whence comest thou? And he answered, and said, thou knowest it is true, That I come from wandering on the earth, And from going to and fro on it, Like a masterless dog, with my bow-wow-wow.

  _Zach. Boyd's Bible._

  At the very time they were disputing about the right of Tam to proceedwith his tale, their ears were astounded by a loud hollo! at the gate.Every man's heart leaped for joy, and every one was instantly on hisfeet; but Charlie was first on the platform, and answered the hollo!with full stentorian voice. The same voice called again,

  "A Bellandine."

  "Where bye?" answered Charlie.

  "By the moon," said the voice.

  "And the seven stars!" rejoined Yardbire, clapping his hands, andshouting for joy, "The Warden for ever! My chief for ever! He is theman that cares for his own! Ah! he is the noble master."

  Charlie well knew the voice that hailed him. It was that of his friendand companion in arms, Dan Chisholm, whom the Warden had indeeddespatched all the way from Northumberland to Aikwood, to see what wasbecome of his embassy, with six-and-twenty chosen troopers. CharlieScott's arm was a bulwark of strength, and his breast a tower offidelity, the value of which Sir Ringan knew how to estimate, whilehis acts of kindness and regard made a deep impression on Charlie'shonest unsophisticated heart; and before he would say a word about thesituation of either himself or his associates, he caused Dan to informhim of the Warden's fortune and success in their absence. Beingsatisfied concerning these, he called out,

  "What ither uncos, Dan? What mair news are come out?"

  "O, God shield you!" cried Dan, "Do nae ye ken that the world'samaist turned up-side-down sin ye left us? The trees hae turned theirwrang ends upmost--the waters hae drowned the towns, and the hills haebeen rent asunder and riddled up like heaps o' chaff. 'Tis thoughtthat there has been a siege o' hell, and that the citadel has beenwon, for the deils are a' broken loose and rinning jabbering throughthe land. They hae been seen, and they hae been heard; and nae mankens what's to be the issue, or what's to fa' out neist."

  "Blaw lown, Dan; ye dinna ken wha may hear ye," said Charlie. "We haehad hand in these matter oursels: But for the sake of a' that's dearto you and to us bring gavelocks and ern mells, pinching-bars, andhowies, and break open every gate, bar, and door in this castle; forhere are we a' imprisoned on the top of it, and famishing to dead wi'hunger and starvation."

  "That I will do wi' a' expedition," answered Dan. "It is a shame forthe master of the castle to imprison his kinsmen's friends, who cameto him in peace and good fellowship. What strength of oppositionholds he?"

  "Nane, good Chisholm, but these gates. The great Master is himself aprisoner, and suffering with us."

  "That dings a'!" said Dan; "I canna understand it! But its a' ane forthat; ye maunna stay there. I shall gar his gates flee a' into as monyflinders as there are hairs on his grey beard."

  "If you demolish one bar of these gates, young man," cried the Masterfiercely, "you do it at your peril."

  "So I do, and so I will," answered Dan: "Either bring down my friendsand companions to me this instant, or--I have orders,--and here goes."

  "Man of mystery and of misery, what dost thou mean?" said the friar."Lo I have saved thy life; and if thou refusest to let us escape fromthe face of death, I will even throw thee from the top of thy tower,and thy blood shall be sprinkled on the wall."

  The Master gave him a fierce look, but made no reply. As he strode thebattlement, however, he muttered to himself with great violence,"Does the Christian dog dare to beard me thus? To what am I fallen? Iam fallen low, but not to this. And not to know what I am! nor whatpower remains with me? Would that I were in the midst of my arcana andof the spirits once more! Young warrior, use your liberty. Break upand demolish. Set us all free, and see who is the profiter."

  Dan scarcely needed such permission. He and twenty others had each astone of at least half his own weight heaved on his shoulder, which,at a given signal, they all dashed on the gate at once. The bars bent,but nothing gave way; and it was not before the twentieth broadside,in the same irresistible style, that the cross bars became like a bowand the lock slipped. As for the large bolt, one of the men hadclimbed over the counterguard on the shoulders of the rest and drawnit. When they came to the gate of the castle, entrance seemedhopeless. It was stedfast and immoveable, the door being double. Danbellowed for the porter, and asked those on the top what was become ofhim; but none made answer to his rash question. After waiting a whilefor it, with his face placed horizontally, he muttered to himself,"Aha! mum there! He has gane nae gude gate, I'll warrant him. It's aqueer place this, an' as queer folk about it."

  "What's queer about it, lad," said a strange voice through the keyhole, whence it would not speak again.

  They had nothing for it but to begin with such awkward mattocks asthey had, namely, a score of huge stones; but, to their excessive joy,the doors gave both way at the first assault. This was owing to a mostfortunate blunder of the friar, who, during the time he was inpossession of the keys, had gone forth to provide for his mule, whichhe did in an ample manner, but, on returning, had either been unableor unwilling to turn the tremendous locks again into their sockets;and open flew the gates with a jarring sound. Of course, it was notlong till our yeomen were thundering at the iron door on the smallstair. It was a double door of strong iron bars, and the lock wasinclosed between them, so that all attempts to open it appearedfruitless, one man only being able to get to it at once, (that is, oneon each side,) and these had no footing. After tugging at it in vainfor a space, Dan swore that, to open it, it would be necessary eitherto begin at the top of the tower and demolish downward, or at thebottom and demolish upward. This appeared a job so tedious to starvingpeople, that it was agreed to feed them with meat and drink throughthe bars. Every man readily proffered the contents of his wallet; butthe getting of these through the bars required ingenuity. They pouredthe meal through in tubes made of leather, and water and strong drinkin the same way; but the flesh could only be got through in long smallpieces; and Tam Craik having taken his station at the back of thedoor, in order to hand up the provisions to his companions, none ofthe butcher-meat (as it is now called) found its way farther. By thetime they had got a supply of meal, water, and distilled liquor, someof Dan's party, by the direction of the Master, went to bring mattocksfor raising the stair, and forcing a passage through below the door;others had gone to the brook for more water; so that none remained inthe narrow stair save Dan Chisholm and another person.

  By this time there was one who had been silently watching the progressof affairs at Aikwood castle, wh
ere he had long been accustomed toreckon on every thing as his own; but now there were some thingspassed under his potent eye, the true motives for which he could notcomprehend, and these actions were still growing more and moreequivocal; so he resolved on trusting his sworn vassals no more totheir own guardianship, but to take an active management in guidingthe events that so deeply concerned his honour and power. Who thisaugust personage was the reader will scarcely guess. He may perhapsdiscover it in the detail.

  It was wearing toward evening, the sun being either set or hid behinddark clouds; for, short as these tales may appear as here related byIsaac the curate, they had taken a day in telling by the wightsthemselves. The individuals who had been shut up were all light ofheart and rejoicing. Delany had fainted in ecstacy, or partly,perhaps, by exhaustion, but was soon recovered by a cup of cold water.They had got plenty of stores laid in for a night and more; so thatthey were freed from the dread of perishing by starvation, or savingtheir lives by a resource of all others the most repulsive tohumanity. Such was the state of affairs, when the most appalling noisewas heard somewhere about the castle,--a noise which neither could bedescribed nor the cause of it discovered. The people below ran out tothe court or to the tops of the outer walls, and those above to thebattlements--but they saw nothing save the troopers' horses scoweringoff in all directions, every one of them snorting aloud, and cockingtheir heads and their tails. Tam Craik and Dan Chisholm were stillstanding with their noses close to the iron door, and conversingthrough it. Another trooper stood close at Dan's back; and, when therushing sound arose, the one said to the other,

  "What the devil is that?"

  "Take care wha ye speak about here, friend, or wi' reverence be itspoken," said Tam. Then turning round, he called out, "Yardbire, whathurly-burly is that?"

  "I cannot tell," answered Charlie; "only I think the devil be enteredinto the horses."

  Tam, who did not hear distinctly from the top, answered Dan thus: "Hesays its only the devil entered into the horses." Dan was just aboutto reply, when the trooper tapped him on the shoulder, and said in awhisper, "Hush, squire! Good Lord! look what is behind us." He lookedabout, and saw a terrific being standing on the landing-place,beckoning him to come down. From an irresistible impulse, he lost notime in obeying; and, pushing the trooper down before him, hedescended the steps. When he came to the bottom he got a full view ofthe figure, that stood upright between two pilasters, with its facestraight to the aperture that lighted the place. One may judge of ouryeomen's feelings when they gazed on a being which they alwaysdescribed as follows:

  It appeared about double the human size, both in might and proportion,its whole body being of the colour of bronze, as well as the crownupon its head. The skin appeared shrivelled, as if seared with fire,but over that there was a polish that glittered and shone. Its eyeshad no pupil nor circle of white; they appeared like burning lampsdeep in their sockets; and when it gazed, they rolled round with acircular motion. There was a hairy mantle hung down and covered itsfeet that they could not be seen; but Dan saw its right hand, as itpointed to them to retire, every finger of which terminated in a longcrooked talon that seemed of the colour of molten gold. It once openedits mouth, not as if to speak but to breathe, and as it stoopedforward at the time, both of them saw it within. It had neither teeth,tongue, nor throat, its whole inside being hollow, and of the colourof burning glass.

  It pointed with its right hand across its bosom for them to be gone,and, as they passed by with hurried strides, it drew a stroke with itspaw which threatened to send them heels over head down the stair; butit withheld the blow in a moment, as if moved to some higher revenge;and all the way down the great winding stair, it followed and showeredon them such a torrent of burning sulphur that they were almostoverwhelmed, all the while vomiting it from its burning bosom, with anoise that resembled the hissing of a thousand great serpents. Besidesthis, on every landing-place there were a pair of monsters placed asguards, immense snakes, bears, tigers, and lions, all with eyes likeburning candles. For all these, our two yeomen still kept their feet,which was a wonder, and escaped fairly into the court of the castle.

  When they arrived there, every one of their companions had takenleg-bail, and were running as if for death or life; and after what ourtwo champions had seen, there was no occasion to bid them run afterthe others. Those above heard only the rushing noise, which stillincreased as long as there was one of those below within the gate, butthey saw nothing further,--and wondered not a little when they sawfirst the horses run away, and then the men after them. When Charliesaw that they _were_ gone, and his brother-in-arms Dan leaving theouter-gate the last, he called after him to go _by the mill, and seethat Corbie got plenty of water_.

  What our prisoners had witnessed was, like every thing else about thatcastle, quite incomprehensible. Even the great Master himself wasmanifestly at a loss; when he first heard the sound, and saw thebeginning of the confusion, his eyes beamed with exultation. Hegave three stamps with his foot, and called aloud, as to someinvisible being, in an unknown tongue; but on receiving no answer hiscountenance fell, and he looked on in gloomy mood.

  The flyers vanished after their horses on the hill to the eastward ofthe castle. Once a few of them rallied and faced about; but on thenext one coming up they betook them again to their heels; and thus wasour hapless embassy left in the same state as before, save that theywere rather in higher spirits, their situation being now known, andinstant death averted. After they had refreshed themselves, most ofthem fell into a slumber; but at length, as the evening advanced, thepoet claimed his privilege of telling a story. Some of them proposedthat the conversation should be general instead, seeing the greatstake for which they contended was now, in all likelihood, superseded.The poet, however, was of a different opinion, on the ground that thehighest stake, in his estimation, still remained. "What though my lifemay not be forfeited," said he, "to feed the hungry and carnivorousmaw of this outrageous baconist; although my warm and oozing blood maynot be sucked up like the stagnant marsh by bittern vile, or by thetawney snipe; yea, though my joints should not be skatched andcollared by the steel, or sinews gnawed up by officious grinder:What's that to me? a gem of higher worth, of richer acceptation, stillremains. Beauty unsullied! pure simplicity! with high endowments, inaffliction nursed, and cramped by bondage! Oh my very heart yearns tocall such a pearl of lustre mine! A kindred soul! A bosom friend! Aoh--oh--oach."

  Charlie hasted to clap his hand on the poet's mouth, as he burst outa-crying, "Hout, hout, Colly!" said he, "I am quite o' your opinion;but truly this is carrying the joke ower far. I wish ye maunna haebeen hauddin rather freely to your head o' thae strong liquors; forthe singing crew are a' drowthy deils, ilk ane o' them. Whisht,whisht, and ye sal tell your tale, or sing your sang, which you like;and then you are free to take a collop, or gie a collop, wi' the besto' them."

  "I flatter myself that's rather a good thing? Eh?" said the poet.

  "What thing?" said the other.

  "The song that we overheard just now. Do you know who made that song?Eh?"

  "Not I."

  "But you have heard our maidens chaunt it,--have you not? God blessthem! Sweet, dear, sweet, sweet creatures! Why, Sir, that song happensto be mine; and I think I may say, without vanity, it is as good athing of the kind as you ever heard? Eh?"

  "Faith, I believe it is," said Charlie--not knowing well what to say,for he had heard no song whatever; and then turning to the rest, whilethe poet was enlarging on the excellency of his song, he said, in anunder voice, "Gude faith, the poet's either gaen clean daft, or elsehe's drunk. What shall I say to him?"

  The poet tapped him on the shoulder, seeing he was not payingattention.

  "It is not for this, I say, that I judge the piece worthy ofattention; nor yet what it shows of ability, hability, docility,or any of the terms that end in _ility_; nor for its allegory,category, or any of the terms that end in _ory_. Neither is it for itsversification, imagination, nor any of the thousand abominable
termsthat end in _ation_. No, sir, the properties of all my songs, I amthankful to Saint Martin, end in _icity_ and _uity_. You know thesong, Yardbire?"

  "O yes. Quite weel."

  What do you think of the eleventh verse? Let me see. No, it is thethirteenth verse." "Good Friday! are there so many?" "Hem--m--m.The tenth is, the Ox-eye, I am sure of that. The eleventh is theMill-stone. The twelfth, the Cloudberry and the Shepherd Boy. Thethirteenth, is the Gander and Water-Wagtail. It is the fourteenth.What do you think of the fourteenth? Ay, it is the Gowans and theLaverock that you will like best. You remember that, I am sure?"

  "O yes; to be sure I do,"--(Aside,) "Good Lord, the poet's horn mad!Heard ever any body the like o' this?"

  "How is this it runs? Ay,

  When the bluart bears a pearl, And the daisy turns a pea, And the bonny lucken gowan Has fauldit up his ee, Then the laverock frae the blue lift, Doops down and thinks nae shame To woo his bonny lassie, When the kye come hame.

  "The song is good, and the music of the song also is delectable," saidthe friar; "but the voice of the singer is like a sweet psaltery thathath lost a string, and hath its belly rent by the staff of thebeater. Lo, I would even delight to hear the song from beginning toend." "Sing it, poet, and let it stand for the tale," cried two ofthem at once. "That I will not," answered he; "I will tell my tale inmy own style, and my own manner, as the rest have done: nevertheless,if my throat were not so dry, I would sing the song." "It isplain what he wants," said Charlie. "'Tis the gate wi' a' theminstrels,--_wet the whistle, or want the spring_."

  Charlie handed him another cup of strong drink, desiring him to takeit off and sing. He did the first freely, and attempted the secondwith equal alacrity; but his voice and memory both failed him by theway, to the great amusement of the whole party,--even the captive boyscreamed with laughter, and the great Master was twice constrained tosmile. But we must describe this scene as Isaac himself gives it.

  The poet was sitting on a bench, with Charlie on the one hand, andDelany on the other; and, fixing his eyes on the ceiling, and claspinghis hands, which he heaved up at every turn of the tune, he went onthus:

  THE SWEETEST THING THE BEST THING.

  _A SONG._

  VERSE FIRST.

  Come tell me a' you shepherds That love the tarry woo', And tell me a' you jolly boys That whistle at the plow, What is the greatest bliss That the tongue of man can name, 'Tis "To woo a bonny lassie When the kye come hame." When the kye come hame, When the kye come hame, 'Tween the gloaming and the mirk, When the kye come hame.

  That's the burden, or the quoir, as father Cormack calls it;--theo'erword, like.

  VERSE SECOND.

  'Tis not beneath the burgonet, Nor yet beneath the crown, 'Tis not on couch of velvet, Nor yet in bed of down; 'Tis beneath the spreading birch In the dell without the name, Wi' a bonny bonny lassie, When the kye come hame. When the kye come hame, &c.

  VERSE THIRD.

  There the blackbird bigs his nest For the mate he lo'es to see, And on the topmost bough, Oh a happy bird is he! There he pours his melting ditty, And love 'tis a' the theme; And he'll woo his bonny lassie When the kye come hame. When the kye come hame, &c.

  VERSE FOURTH.

  When the little wee bit heart Rises high in the breast, And the little wee bit starn Rises red in the east, O there's a joy sae dear, That the heart can hardly frame, Wi' a bonny bonny lassie, When the kye come hame. When the kye come hame, &c.

  VERSE FIFTH.

  Then the eye shines sae bright, The hale soul to beguile, There's love in every whisper, And joy in every smile. O wha wad chuse a crown Wi' its perils and its fame, And miss a bonny lassie When the kye come hame. When the kye come hame, &c.

  Here the poet warred a long time with recollection, always repeating,"I made the thing, and it is impossible I can forget it--I can'tcomprehend----" At length he sung the following verse, which he saidwas the fifteenth.

  VERSE THE FIFTEENTH.

  See yonder pawky shepherd, That lingers on the hill, His ewes are in the fauld And his lambs are lying still; Yet he downa gang to bed, For his heart is in a flame, To meet his bonnie lassie, When the kye come hame. When the kye come hame, &c.

  VERSE SIXTEENTH AND LAST.

  Away wi' fame and fortune, What comfort can they gie? And a' the arts that prey On man's life and libertye; Gie me the highest joy That the heart of man can frame, My bonny, bonny lassie, When the kye come hame. When the kye come hame, When the kye come hame; 'Tween the gloaming and the mirk, When the kye come hame.

  "I made the thing," added the poet; "but God knows how I have forgotit. Since I came to the top of this cursed tower, the wind has blownit out of my head." With these words he fell into a profound sleep,which they suffered him to enjoy, before he began his competition. Inthe meantime, Isaac relates an extraordinary story of a certainconsultation that took place in the castle in that very interim, butdoes not say on what authority he had it, none of the parties yetnamed having apparently heard it.

  The castle of Aikwood, says he, being left as before, an ampleand perilous void, some old and frequent inmates took undisputedpossession. The leader and convoker of this gang was no other thanthe Master Fiend who ordered our yeomen out of the castle, and chasedthem forth, with so little ceremony. In the great Master's study washis gigantic and commanding frame placed at the end of the board,while the three pages, Prig, Prim, and Pricker, were waiting his beck.

  "Come nigh me, my friends," said he; "and read me what is to be donewith this king of mighty conjurors now?"

  "What thou willest, our Lord and Master," was the reply: "Give thecommand with the power, and thy pleasure shall be done."

  "How canst thou answer for thy negligence in suffering this cowled andcanting vagabond to gain admittance here with his saws and parables,his crosiers and his writings?"

  "We meant to devour him, but our power extended not to it. Thou hastseen the bones of one whom we suspected."

  "You are indolent and wayward slaves. Either separate our greatestvassal on earth from this captious professor, or you shall bepunished with many stripes. Our sway is dishonoured if such a man ashe is suffered to take shelter under a crosier, and there hold ourpower at bay,--our control at defiance."--"Return to him that powerwhich since his dejection has been withdrawn, and you are sure of himstill. Riches and honours he despises: feasting and wine-bibing heabhors: but for power to do what no other man can perform, he wouldsell twenty souls, were they in his power of disposal."

  "He is a great man, and well suited for our free independentgovernment. By his principle of insubordination to establishedauthorities, I yet hope to bring all mankind to my own mind and my owncountry. Read me my riddle, you three slaves. What is the most hatefulthing in nature?"

  "A saint."

  "More ready than right, and more right than ingenious. Show cause."

  "Because he is the greatest coward, and all that he does springs fromthe detestable passion of terror."

  "Right. Which being is the most noble?"

  "The opposer of all established authorities ordained by the tyrant ofthe universe."

  "Right! Right! These are the men for me, and of these this Master wasa great ensample. Therefore, Separate! Separate! Separate! Myelemental power is solemnly engaged; but on the morning of the thirdday, it shall be given to you to work again at your Master's will.Till that time it will be as well to prevent all ingress and egresshere; and at that time I will come again. Speed you well, nimblenoddies; shape well and shard well, and the day is your own. While Itransform my shape, sing me the song that I love. Whenever I hear it,my furtherance is the better. The imps complied, and the redoubtedfiend laughed till the walls of the castle
shook, while those on thetop took it for the great bittern of the Hartwood, called there theBogbumper.

  HYMN TO THE DEVIL.

  SPEED thee, speed thee! Liberty lead thee! Many this night shall hearken and heed thee. Far abroad, Demigod! What shall appal thee? Javel, or Devil, or how shall we call thee? Thine the night voices of joy and of weeping, The whisper awake, and the vision when sleeping: The bloated kings of the earth shall brood On princedoms and provinces bought with blood, Shall slubber, and snore, and to-morrow's breath Shall order the muster and march of death: The trumpets shall sound, and the gonfalons flee, And thousands of souls step home to thee. Speed thee, speed thee, &c.

  The warrior shall dream of battle begun, Of field-day and foray, and foeman undone; Of provinces sacked, and warrior store, Of hurry and havoc, and hampers of ore; Of captive maidens for joys abundant, And ransom vast when these grow redundant. Hurray! for the foray. Fiends ride forth a souling, For the dogs of havock are yelping and yowling. Speed thee, speed thee, &c.

  Make the bedesman's dream With treasure to teem; To-day and to-morrow He has but one aim, And 'tis still the same, and 'tis still the same. But well thou knowest the sot's demerit, His richness of flesh, and his poorness of spirit; And well thy images thou canst frame, On canvas of pride, with pencil of flame: A broad demesne is a view of glory, For praying a soul from purgatory: And, O let the dame be fervent and fair, Amorous, and righteous, and husband beware! For there's a confession so often repeated, The eyes are enlightened, the life-blood is heated. Hish!--Hush!--soft foot and silence, The sons of the abbot are lords of the Highlands. Thou canst make lubbard and lighthead agree, Wallow a while, and come home to thee. Speed thee, speed thee, &c.

  Where goest thou next, by hamlet or shore, When kings, when warriors, and priests are o'er? These for thee have the most to do, And these are the men must be looked unto. On courtier deign not to look down, Who swells at a smile, and faints at a frown. With noble maid stay not to parle, But give her one glance of the golden arle. Then, oh, there's a creature thou needs must see, Upright, and saintly, and stern is she! 'Tis the old maid, with visage demure, With cat on her lap, and dogs on the floor. Master, she'll prove a match for thee, With her psalter, and crosier, and Ave Mari. Move her with things above and below, Tickle her and teaze her from lip to toe; Should all prove vain, and nothing can move; If dead to ambition, and cold to love, One passion still success will crown, A glorious energy all thine own! 'Tis envy; a die that never can fail With children, matron, or maiden stale. Shew them in dreams from night to day A happy mother, and offspring gay; Show them the maiden in youthful prime, Followed and wooed, improving her time; And their hearts will sicken with envy and spleen, A leperous jaundice of yellow and green: And though frightened for hell to a boundless degree, They'll singe their dry perriwigs yet with thee. Speed thee, speed thee, &c.

  Where goest thou next? Where wilt thou hie thee? Still there is rubbish enough to try thee. Whisper the matron of lordly fame, There's a greater than she in splendor and name; And her bosom shall swell with the grievous load, And torrents of slander shall volley abroad, Imbued with venom and bitter despair: O sweet are the sounds to the Prince of the Air! Reach the proud yeoman a bang with a spear, And the tippling burgess a yerk on the ear; Put fees in the eye of the poisoning leech, And give the dull peasant a kick on the breech: As for the flush maiden, the rosy elf, You may pass her by, she will dream of herself. But that all may be gain, and nothing loss, Keep eye on the men with the cowl and the cross; Then shall the world go swimming before thee, In a full tide of liberty, licence, and glory! Speed thee, speed thee, &c.

  Hail, patriot spirit! thy labours be blest! For of all great reformers thyself wert the first; Thou wert the first, with discernment strong, To perceive that all rights divine were wrong; And long hast thou spent thy sovereign breath, In heaven above and in earth beneath, And roared it from thy burning throne, The glory of independence alone; Proclaiming to all, with fervor and irony, That kingly dominion's all humbug and tyranny; And whoso listeth may be free, For freedom, full freedom's the word with thee! That life has its pleasures--the rest is a sham, And all that comes after a flim and a flam! Speed thee! Speed thee! Liberty lead thee! Many this night shall hearken and heed thee. Hie abroad, Demigod! Who shall defame thee? King of the Elements! how shall we name thee?

  As the imps concluded their song, our prisoners on the top of thecastle perceived a large rough watch-dog jogging out at the gate ofthe castle, and following in the direction of the fugitives. When thebrute saw that he was perceived he turned round, set up his snouttoward the battlements, and uttered a loud bow-wow-wow, which, whenthe great Master heard, he started to his feet, and, with wild staringlooks, and his hair standing on end, took shelter behind the friar."

  "Behold thou, and see with thine eyes, that it is only a watch-dogcome from the camp of our captain," said the friar. "Lo, thy verynature is changed since first I saw thee."

  "Then, would to the gods that I had never seen thee, or that I hadseen thee sooner," said the Master; and strode away to discourage anyfarther reply. The dog followed the fugitives, and bent his coursetoward the mill.

  That being the next inhabited house to the eastward, Dan Chisholm andhis yeomen landed all there; and in full assembly he related, totheir terror and astonishment, how he had seen the devil himself andseveral of his monstrous agents, who had chased him from the castle,spuing fire and brimstone on him like a cataract. The rest said, thatthough they had not seen the devil, they had seen and heard enough toput any rational being out of his senses, and as much as to teach themnever to go there again. Dan swore that they were not to be taught anysuch thing; for, said he, "Our captain's friends, and our own brethrenin arms, are most unwarrantably, and I must also say unaccountably,confined there,--and we will either free them or perish in theattempt. I can find plenty of holy men that, with book and candle, canwithstand the devil, and shall make him flee from his stronghold likefire from the flint. If I had the gospel friar on the one side of him,and Father Brand, or Capuchin Cairnabie, on the other, I shall gar himskip." While Dan was in the middle of this speech, in comes the greatrough watch-dog; who, after fawning on some of the warriors as on oldacquaintances, took his station in a dark corner of the miller'sthronged hall, and began a licking his feet, but at the same timetaking good heed to all that passed. It was finally agreed that Danand a companion should ride straight to Melrose, and represent theircase to the holy abbot there, who was devoted to the interests oftheir captain, and who, it was not doubted, would devise means ofexpelling the old demon from his guardship, and letting free theirfriends, who were all baptised men and good Christians. As they formedthese sapient devices, many hard things were said of the devil; andour warriors seemed rather inclined to make a laughing-stock of him,till the miller's maid interrupted them with the following question:

  "Wha o' you trooper chaps does this maskis dog belang to?"

  "To nane o' us," was answered by several at the same time.

  "I wish ye wad tent him, then," said she, "for, this wee while bygane,his een hae been glentin like twa blue burnin candles: I wish he benae a mad ane."

  "Sneck doors, and out swords," cried the miller: "We'll hae himproven."

  The doors were shut, and the yeomen surrounded the dog with theirdrawn weapons. The poor beast lay as harmless-like as a lamb, with hishead upon his fore feet so as to hide them, turning up his eyes frombelow his shaggy brows in a beseeching manner, and wagging his tailtill it played thump, thump, on the floor. But this did not hinder themiller from reconnoit
ring, though it gave him rather a favourableopinion of his shaggy guest. "Poor fellow," said the miller, "wha'sdog may ye be?" The dog forgot himself; he lifted up his head in akind acknowledging manner to the miller, who, looking narrowly at him,cried out: "A marvel! a marvel! saw ever ony mortal man the like o'this? Here's a tyke wi' cloven cloots like a gait, fairney cloots anda' thegither. The Holy Virgin be wi' us! I believe we hae gottenthe----"

  Here the miller was interrupted, without getting the sentenceconcluded. The dog sprung to his feet, appearing twice as big as whenhe entered. "Bow-wow-wow!" roared he in the miller's face with thevoice of an enraged lion; "Bow-wow-wow!" And as he bayed from side toside on the warrior circle, they all retreated backward till the wallstopped them. Well might they,--for they perceived, by his open mouth,the same appearance that Dan had before witnessed, namely, a stomachand chest of burning flame. "Bow-wow-wow!" reiterated he: "Youph,youph, youph." All fled back aghast; but the attack was of shortduration. The miller had a huge fire of seeds, above a burning log ofwood, which he had heaped on for the comfort of his guests. When thedog reached that, he broke into it, appearing to bury himself in thecoil of fiery dust. It flashed upwards in millions of burning atoms,and in the midst of them up flew the dog out at the top of the lum,with a tremendous "Bow-wow-wow!"

  All was silence for a few seconds, while our yeomen stood in a circle,with their weapons drawn, and their backs at the wall, gaping withaffright, and staring on one another. "By Saint Thomas, we arehaunted!" cried Dan, breaking silence; "That is the same chap Iforgathered wi' afore in the staircase of the castle, I ken him by hislowin lungs, though he has changed his shape." He was interrupted by aloud laugh on the top of the house, and a voice that said, in ajeering tone, "Ha, ha, ha! Andrew Chisholm is that you? I have foundout a' your plans,--and ride you to Melrose, or ride you to Dryburgh,I'll be there afore you to lend you a lift. Ay, and I'll keep Aikwoodcastle in spite o' you and a' your master's men."

  Dan could not contain his indignation on hearing this brag. He ranforward to the brace, put his neck under it, and turning his nose upthe lum (or rustic chimney) answered, "Deil o' that ye're fit to do,auld tyke. Ye're but a liar at best and the father o' liars. Gang andtoast heathen bacon in your ain het hame. What seek ye here amang leelmen?"

  "Weel answered, and like yoursel, Dan!" said one of the yeomen, andslapped him on the shoulder, which rousing his spirit still farther,he added, "Confound you Robin's Geordie o' Feindhope-haugh, what fordidna ye strike when the foul thief set up his gousty gab at your nosewi' his impudent bow-wow-wow; I see nae right ony o' God's creatureshae to be hurlbarrowed out o' their standing wi' him."

  As he finished the remark, there was something came to the door, andgave two or three rude impatient scratches, exactly in the same mannerthat a strong dog does that wants to be in. This instantly changed thecheer of our sturdy group, that with one involuntary movement closedround the hearth, as the point the most distant from the door.

  "That's him again," said the miller's lass.

  "The Lord forbid," said the miller: "I wonder what multure he wantsfrae me. Though I live on the lands of a Master of Arts, I had naeinkling that I was thirl to hell. Brave lads, can nane of you rhame amass, a credo, or a paternoster? He is but a coward at best; I haekend a monk, wi' his crosier and his cowl, chace him like a rabbit."

  "I fear we'll prove but lame hands at that," said Dan, "and think wehad better sally out on him sword in hand, and see what he can eithersay or do for himself. But, Chryste, I needna say that, consideringthat I ken sae weel what his lining's made of."

  "I hae a cross and chain in the house," said the miller, "that wasconsecrated at the shrine of St Bothan; whoever will be our leadershall bear that before him, and we'll bang the auld thief away fraeour bigging."

  The scratching was renewed with redoubled fury. Our yeomen crowdedcloser around the fire, till all at once their ears were saluted by afurious "bow-wow-wow" down the lum, which, in spite of their utmostresolution, scattered them like a covey of heath-fowl over which thehawk is hovering, when every one endeavours to shift for itself, andhide in its own heather bush.

  Their faces were by this time flushed with shame as well as fear, thatthey should be thus cuffed about by "the auld thief," as they styledhim. Resolved, therefore, to make one great and strenuous effort, themiller brought out his consecrated cross, some tied sticks, and othershorn spoons across, till all were armed with the same irresistiblesymbol, and then they marshalled up before the fire, uncovered theirheads, and with the ensigns reared before them, waited for a momentthe word of command to march out to the grand attack. The arch fiend,not choosing to wait the issue, raised such a horse laugh on the topof the lum that their ears were deafened with the noise; and clappinghis paws that sounded like the strokes of battering ram's horns, helaughed till the upper and nether millstones chattered against eachother, and away he bounded through the clouds of the night, apparentlyin an agony of laughter.

  "Aha! there he goes!" said Dan: "There's nae guidance to be had o'him, and as little mense in meddling wi' him."

  "Ay, let him e'en gang," said the miller; "he's the warst mouse o' themill. Ane had better tine the blind bitch's litter than hae the millsinged wi' brimstone. I lurd rather deal wi' the thankless maltster,that neither gi'es coup, neivefu', nor lippie, than wi' him. I have nopart of the breviary but a glorious preamble; kneel till I repeat it."

  The troopers kneeled round the miller, who, lifting up his hands,said, with great fervour, "O semper timidum scelus! Obstupui,steteruntque comae et vox faucibus haesit. O Deus; nusquam tuta fides!Amen." "Amen!" repeated all the group, and arose greatly strengthenedand encouraged by the miller's _preamble_.

  They spent that night around the miller's hearth, and had a cog ofgood brose to their supper. The next morning Dan and two associatesrode off for Melrose, to lay their case before the friendly abbot, andto beg assistance; which, notwithstanding the devil's brag, they werenot afraid of obtaining. But the important events that followed mustbe related in course, while we return to those friends in theirelevated confinement, to whom that night the poet related thefollowing tale.