WAVERLEY

第87章

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第87章

WAVERLEY Sir Walter Scott

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WAVERLEY
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  deClunybroughtoffandstillpreserves;andhistribelykewaysbroughtoffmanyarms;-theColonelwasafterwardstakenup,and,hiswoundsbeingdress’d,withgreatdifficultierecovered。Mons。deClunylostonlyintheactiontwelvemen,ofwhomsomehaveingbeenonlywounded,fellafterwardsintothehandsoftheenemy,andweresentasslavestoAmerica,whenceseveralofthemreturned,andoneofthemisnowinFrance,aserjeantintheRegimentofRoyalScots。Howsoontheaccountsoftheenemie’sapproachhadreachedthePrince,H。R。H。hadimmediatelyorderedMi-LordleComtedeNairne,Brigadier,who,beingproscribed,isnowinFrance,withthethreebatalionsoftheDukeofAthol,thebatalionoftheDukeofPerth,andsomeothertroupsunderhiscommand,inordertosupportCluny,andtobringofftheartilirie。ButtheactionwasintirelyoverbeforetheComtedeNairne,withhiscommand,cou’dreachnightotheplace。Theythereforereturn’dalltoPenrith,andtheartiliriemarchedupingoodorder。NordidtheDukeofComberlandeverafterwardsdaretocomewithinaday’smarchofthePrinceandhisarmydureingthecourseofallthatretreat,whichwasconductedwithgreatprudenceandsafetywheninsomemannersurroundedbyenemies。’’

  NoteBB,p。-OathupontheDirk。

  AstheheathendeitiescontractedanindelibleobligationiftheysworebyStyx,theScottishHighlandershadusuallysomepeculiarsolemnityattachedtoanoathwhichtheyintendedshouldbebindingonthem。Veryfrequentlyitconsistedinlayingtheirhand,astheyswore,ontheirowndrawndirk;whichdagger,becomingapartytothetransaction,wasinvokedtopunishanybreachoffaith。Butbywhateverritualtheoathwassanctioned,thepartywasextremelydesiroustokeepsecretwhattheespecialoathwas,whichheconsideredasirrevocable。Thiswasamatterofgreatconvenience,ashefeltnoscrupleinbreakinghisasseverationwhenmadeinanyotherformthanthatwhichheaccountedaspeculiarlysolemn;andthereforereadilygrantedanyengagementwhichboundhimnolongerthanheinclined。

  Whereas,iftheoathwhichheaccountedinviolablewasoncepubliclyknown,nopartywithwhomhemighthaveoccasiontocontractwouldhaverestedsatisfiedwithanyother。LouisXI。ofFrancepractisedthesamesophistry,forhealsohadapeculiarspeciesofoath,theonlyonewhichhewaseverknowntorespect,andwhich,therefore,hewasveryunwillingtopledge。TheonlyengagementwhichthatwilytyrantaccountedbindinguponhimwasanoathbytheHolyCrossofSaintLod’Angers,whichcontainedaportionoftheTrueCross。Ifheprevaricatedaftertakingthisoath,Louisbelievedheshoulddiewithintheyear。TheConstableSaintPaul,beinginvitedtoapersonalconferencewithLouis,refusedtomeetthekingunlesshewouldagreetoensurehimsafeconductundersanctionofthisoath。But,saysComines,thekingreplied,hewouldneveragainpledgethatengagementtomortalman,thoughhewaswillingtotakeanyotheroathwhichcouldbedevised。Thetreatybrokeoff,therefore,aftermuchchafferingconcerningthenatureofthevowwhichLouiswastotake。

  Suchisthedifferencebetweenthedictatesofsuperstitionandthoseofconscience。

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