Produced by Robert Rowe Charles Franksand the Online Distributed Proofreading TeamTranscribers NoteI feel that it is important to note that this book is partof the Caledonian series The Caledonian series is a groupof 50 books comprising all of Sir Walter Scotts worksWAVERLEYBY SIR WALTER SCOTTVOLUME IIWAVERLEYOR TIS SIXTY YEARS SINCECHAPTER XXXVIAN INCIDENTThe dinner hour of Scotland Sixty Years Since was two oclock Itwas therefore about four oclock of a delightful autumn afternoonthat Mr Gilfillan commenced his march in hopes althoughStirling was eighteen miles distant he might be able by becominga borrower of the night for an hour or two to reach it thatevening He therefore put forth his strength and marched stoutlyalong at the head of his followers eyeing our hero from time totime as if he longed to enter into controversy with him Atlength unable to resist the temptation he slackened his pacetill he was alongside of his prisoners horse and after marchinga few steps in silence abreast of him he suddenly askedCan yesay wha the carle was wi the black coat and the mousted headthat was wi the Laird of CairnvreckanA Presbyterian clergyman answered WaverleyPresbyterian answered Gilfillan contemptuously a wretchedErastian or rather an obscure Prelatist a favourer of the blackindulgence ane of thae dumb dogs that canna bark they tell owera clash o terror and a clatter o comfort in their sermonswithout ony sense or savour or life Yeve been fed in siccan afauld belikeNo I am of the Church of England said WaverleyAnd theyre just neighbourlike replied the Covenanter andnae wonder they gree sae weel Wha wad hae thought the goodlystructure of the Kirk of Scotland built up by our fathers in1642 wad hae been defaced by carnal ends and the corruptions ofthe timeay wha wad hae thought the carved work of thesanctuary would hae been sae soon cut downTo this lamentation which one or two of the assistants chorussedwith a deep groan our hero thought it unnecessary to make anyreply Whereupon Mr Gilfillan resolving that he should be ahearer at least if not a disputant proceeded in his JeremiadeAnd now is it wonderful when for lack of exercise anent thecall to the service of the altar and the duty of the dayministers fall into sinful compliances with patronage andindemnities and oaths and bonds and other corruptionsis itwonderful I say that you sir and other siclike unhappypersons should labour to build up your auld Babel of iniquity asin the bluidy persecuting saintkilling times I trow gin yewerena blinded wi the graces and favours and services andenjoyments and employments and inheritances of this wickedworld I could prove to you by the Scripture in what a filthyrag ye put your trust and that your surplices and your copes andvestments are but castoff garments of the muckle harlot thatsitteth upon seven hills and drinketh of the cup of abominationBut I trow ye are deaf as adders upon that side of the head ayye are deceived with her enchantments and ye traffic with hermerchandise and ye are drunk with the cup of her fornicationHow much longer this military theologist might have continued hisinvective in which he spared nobody but the scattered remnant ofHILLFOLK as he called them is absolutely uncertain His matterwas copious his voice powerful and his memory strong so thatthere was little chance of his ending his exhortation till theparty had reached Stirling had not his attention been attractedby a pedlar who had joined the march from a crossroad and whosighed or groaned with great regularity at all fitting pauses ofhis homilyAnd what may ye be friend said the Gifted GilfillanA puir pedlar thats bound for Stirling and craves theprotection of your honours party in these kittle times Ah yourhonour has a notable faculty in searching and explaining thesecretay the secret and obscure and incomprehensible causes ofthe backslidings of the land ay your honour touches the root othe matterFriend said Gilfillan with a more complacent voice than he hadhitherto used honour not me I do not go out to parkdikes andto steadings and to markettowns to have herds and cottars andburghers pull off their bonnets to me as they do to Major Melvilleo Cairnvreckan and ca me laird or captain or honour No mysma means whilk are not aboon twenty thousand merk have had theblessing of increase but the pride of my heart has not increasedwith them nor do I delight to be called captain though I havethe subscribed commission of that gospelsearching nobleman theEarl of Glencairn fa whilk I am so designated While I live I amand will be called Habakkuk Gilfillan who will stand up for thestandards of doctrine agreed on by the ance famous Kirk ofScotland before she trafficked with the accursed Achan while hehas a plack in his purse or a drap o bluid in his bodyAh said the pedlar I have seen your land about Mauchlin Afertile spot your lines have fallen in pleasant places Andsiccan a breed o cattle is not in ony lairds land in ScotlandYe say rightye say right friend retorted Gilfillan eagerlyfor he was not inaccessible to flattery upon this subjectyesay right they are the real Lancashire and theres no the likeo them even at the mains of Kilmaurs and he then entered into adiscussion of their excellences to which our readers willprobably be as indifferent as our hero After this excursion theleader returned to his theological discussions while the pedlarless profound upon those mystic points contented himself withgroaning and expressing his edification at suitable intervalsWhat a blessing it would be to the puir blinded popish nationsamong whom I hae sojourned to have siccan a light to their pathsI hae been as far as Muscovia in my sma trading way as atravelling merchant and I hae been through France and the LowCountries and a Poland and maist feck o Germany and O itwould grieve your honours soul to see the murmuring and thesinging and massing thats in the kirk and the piping thats inthe quire and the heathenish dancing and dicing upon theSabbathThis set Gilfillan off upon the Book of