L I B RAR.Y 
 
 OF THE 
 
 UN IVE.R5ITY 
 
 Of ILLI NOIS 
 
 823 
 
 v. I
 
 Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2010 with funding from 
 
 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/rulingpassioncom01sidn
 
 THE 
 
 RULING PASSION 
 
 A COMIC STORY, 
 
 OF THE 
 
 ^ixtttxxtl) Ctntutrj). 
 
 Revived, Revised, and Edited, 
 
 By PHILIP FRANCIS SIDNEY, 
 
 AUTHOR OF " THE HERMIT IN YORK,** 
 
 And various other Popular Works. 
 
 «' LAUGH — AND BE FAT." 
 
 IN THREE VOLUMES. 
 
 Vol. I. 
 gorfc : 
 
 PRINTED FOR THE PROPRIETORS OF THE 
 
 HULL PACKET, HULL. 
 
 1821.
 
 Thomas Wilson and Sons. Printer^ 
 High-Ousegatc, York.
 
 g2>3 
 
 INTRODUCTION, 
 
 A few years have elapsed since the 
 
 S Editor of the 'Riding Passion' met with 
 en 
 
 an old Work, entitled * The Force of 
 
 C<J Blood' A careful perusal of it soon 
 
 g convinced him that it was not one of the 
 
 ordinary class of Novels, but the pro- 
 
 1 duct of a mind> which, to a high degree 
 
 of the talent of Cervantes, added powers 
 
 of discrimination which had not often 
 
 been surpassed. In consequence, he 
 > 
 
 considered it a useful task to revive, 
 revise, edit, and publish it, under the 
 fc title of the ( Muling Passion.' And he 
 now earnestly recommends it as a good 
 fire-side companion ; as a Christmas 
 
 A 3
 
 VI INTRODUCTION. 
 
 guest, who will cause much laughter and 
 merriment, and correct that ill blood 
 which has been lately generated by those 
 political parties who divide the interests 
 and the wishes of the nation. The style 
 indeed is not affectedly elegant : it is the 
 simple composition of John Bull. There 
 is, therefore, nothing like distorted re- 
 finement or fantastic exaggeration in 
 the sentiments, incidents, or characters. 
 All is nature and truth : a faithful 
 portraiture, and accurate delineation; 
 and no one can have mingled much in 
 the active world without recognizing 
 some of the numerous realities which 
 the * Ruling Passion' will bring before 
 his view. 
 
 January, 1821.
 
 CONTENTS to the FIRST VOLUME. 
 
 Chapter I. 
 
 Mr. MalcobrCs 'pedigree His misconduct. 
 
 . . . .Description of his family Mal- 
 colm's properties 1 
 
 Chapter II. 
 
 Malcolm' s person Extensive trade. . .Mar- 
 
 riage Economy Strong propensity 
 
 for recovering his rights Account of 
 
 Prince David his Prime Minister Death 
 
 of his wife Conditions of a second mar- 
 riage. 9
 
 Vlll CONTENTS. 
 
 Chapter III. 
 
 Tage 
 Malcolm' 1 s second marriage. ....Its effects. . . 
 
 Malcolm's revival of his claims Projects 
 
 the recovery of Scotland and Wales 
 
 Makes a league with David 24 
 
 Chapter IV. 
 
 Arguments about the treaty and plan of opera- 
 tion Finish it Set out on their en- 
 terprise Lodge in a wood.. . . Dialogue 
 
 there.. . . .David believes Malcolm dead 
 
 Sad accident Loses Malcolm Da- 
 vid's dream 39 
 
 Chapter V. 
 
 David finds his master.. . . .His reflections. . . 
 
 Lose their horses Go in quest of them. 
 
 . . . .Malcolm saved from drowning by a far- 
 mer Knights him Hears of his 
 
 horses , 56
 
 CONTENTS. IX 
 
 Chapter VI. 
 
 Page 
 Malcolm's sufferings in pursuit of his steeds, 
 
 . . • .Secures them in a farm-yard.. . . .His 
 
 compliments toMira Leaves the farmers. 
 
 ... % Loses his coat Proceeds to join 
 
 David. 10 
 
 Chapter VII. 
 
 Difficulties in his journey.. . • .Finds Prince 
 David greatly distressed.. . • .Account of his 
 
 misfortune Application to his wounds. 
 
 ... .Some considerations on the land- 
 lady 84 
 
 Chapter VIII. 
 
 Account of their company at supper. ... . Their 
 reception. . . . Malcolm' 's speech to Prince 
 David. . . . Discovers himself to the company. 
 .... Advises with my Lord. . ... The com- 
 pany's reflection on them 99 
 
 Chapter IX. 
 
 Malcolm bespeaks a set of robes for David. 
 .. ..Is advised to them himself.. . . .David
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 in the waiter's clothes In the master of 
 
 G s"s Malcolm gains the robes 
 
 My Lord leaves them 115 
 
 Chapter X. 
 
 Malcolm and David leave the inn Dis- 
 course by the way David tells his dream. 
 
 . , . .Malcolm interprets it Cause of 
 
 dreams Arrive at Auckland Town 
 
 in an uproar at sight of them.. . . .Malcolm" s 
 speech on the occasion 131 
 
 Chapter XI. 
 
 Malcolm' "s reflections . „ . .Prepare for an en- 
 gagement David's mare flies, and Mal- 
 colm after her Narrow escape Miss 
 
 their way Arrive ot Appleby Sent 
 
 to the house of correction 1 48 
 
 Chapter XII. 
 
 Malcolm is brought before the sessio7is 
 
 Known. . . . .Sent home Deceive their
 
 CONTENTS. XI 
 
 Page 
 keepers Fly Exchange clothes with 
 
 a tinker and trull, . . . .Quarrel between Harry 
 
 and Moll 162 
 
 Chapter XIII. 
 Perplexed at the loss of their clothes Dis- 
 course with the landlady Dress in the 
 
 tinker's and trull's clothes Great mis- 
 fortune to Prince David, . . . .Manner of fit- 
 ting David to his horse,, .. .Malcolm in 
 great fear for David 1 78 
 
 Chapter XIV. 
 Prince David discovers his uneasiness. .... 
 Argument against love in Princes Da- 
 vid loves Hannah She takes him to be 
 
 light-headed Apothecary sent for 
 
 Family in confusion Prescriptions for 
 
 Prince David. 195 
 
 Chapter XV. 
 
 Prince David averse to his physic Compel 
 
 him Tie him down.. ..Blister his head. 
 
 . , . .His discourse with Mr. Anodine 216
 
 XU CONTENTS. 
 
 Chapter XVI. 
 
 Page 
 Hannah left with Prince David Makes 
 
 love to her, . . . .Her replies Dialogue 
 
 between Malcolm and Mrs. Clutcher 
 
 Dress up Prince David. . • • 234
 
 THE 
 
 RlfLIJVG P*ASSIOJV? 
 
 8Cc. 8Cc. 
 
 CHAP. 1. 
 
 Pedigree of Mr. Malcolm.... His misconduct. 
 . . . Description of his family. . . . His nature 
 and properties. 
 
 Within a few miles of Richmond, in the 
 north riding of Yorkshire, lived Robert 
 Malcolm, of North British extraction ori- 
 ginally - 9 who intermarrying with an Eng- 
 lish widow of about two hundred pounds 
 a year, settled as above, upon the estate 
 she brought him, whereon stood a vene- 
 rable old family mansion. 
 
 VOL. I. B.
 
 2 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 ♦-WVWWWVWVV* 
 
 Mr. Malcolm, in Scotland, had been 
 well educated for a younger brother ; nor 
 was he so heavy in his mien or manners, 
 as many of his countrymen are said to 
 be 3 the excellency of a most polite be- 
 haviour, added to a fair complexion, and 
 tall stature, entitled him to the regard of 
 all beholders. 
 
 The chief foible attendant upon Mr. 
 Malcolm, and what frequently would 
 lessen him in the eyes of others, was, an 
 inherent esteem for himself, as a descend- 
 ant of a namesake of his, once king of 
 Scotland ; and this was so interwoven 
 with his constitution, that it became a 
 ruling passion, and never failed to display 
 itself, whenever the topic of ancestry was 
 started in conversation. But this would 
 not have been so remarkable as to have 
 culpably distinguished him, but from a 
 certain superiority of air, which he would
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 •%W%'V%V^"V^V*»/*W 
 
 put on, at recounting the intermediate 
 links of that chain which joined him to 
 the blood-royal, when he would even 
 foam in his condemnation of fortune, 
 which had behaved with so light a re- 
 gard to him. 
 
 He had roll upon roll of his pedigree, 
 with the numberless intermarriages of 
 both the male and female branches of his 
 family, into the very best houses in all 
 Scotland ; and, in short, could by no 
 means be persuaded, that any of the 
 English gentry, or nobility, were of blood 
 to compare with him. 
 
 He would quote some authentic his- 
 tory for most things that he vouched, 
 and where that proved defective, ancient 
 tradition, and manuscripts, which he held 
 equally sacred with the very Scriptures 
 themselves - } and though this ruling pas- 
 sion, this too urgent a zeal for such pro- 
 
 B2
 
 4 THE RULIx^G PASSION. 
 
 ceedings frequently subjected him to the 
 ridicule of wiser heads -> yet he looked as 
 contemptuously on their meanness, as 
 they, for the hearts of them, could look 
 on his pride ; which still confined him to 
 the old track. 
 
 Mr. Malcolm had three sons by his 
 lady, and one daughter ; but the merit 
 of his blood would not permit either 
 of his younger branches to engage in any 
 scene of life beneath the dignity of his 
 family ; so that with the education of 
 gentlemen, at his death the youngest 
 were all left wholly destitute of the means 
 of subsistence; for Mr. Malcolm himself, 
 having far outlived his income, and the 
 whole estate being settled upon the eldest 
 son of the marriage, the two youngest, 
 and the daughter, were left in a condition 
 little better than that of the most help- 
 less creatures of the state.
 
 THE RULING PASSION, 
 
 Miss was soon compelled to take re- 
 fuse in a service, and master Edward, the 
 second son, having quickly experienced, 
 that, however noble his blood might be, 
 it would not flow long without being re- 
 cruited, took to a marching, regiment, as 
 a foot soldier; whilst master Malcolm, 
 the youngest son, was, by means of the 
 contribution of some of his mother's re- 
 lations, placed out apprentice to a shoe- 
 maker in those parts. 
 
 However the doctrine of blood, the 
 ruling passion, which Mr. Malcolm had 
 slipped no opportunity of infusing into his 
 posterity, might excite valour in the sol- 
 dier, and create an emulation in his 
 breast to distinguish himself by the per- 
 formance of notable achievements worthy 
 of the rank he then bore in life, I shall 
 not take upon me now to determine ; but 
 certain it is, from whatever motive it 
 
 B 3
 
 THE RULTNG PASSION. 
 
 arose, that he exhibited such irradiations 
 of courage and intrepidity during the 
 iirst two years of his service, that he was 
 advanced to aserjeantcy, and in double the 
 time to an ensigncy. Nor did he stop 
 there ; but, distinguishing himself in every 
 enterprize, as superior still, both in capa- 
 city and conduct, to the post assigned 
 him, he was, by successive removes, ex- 
 alted to the rank of a lieutenant-colonel, 
 in which post he made his exit, soon after 
 the death of his elder brother ; an event, 
 upon which our young shoemaker would 
 have stepped into the estate, had not his 
 elder brother's prior extravagancies sent 
 it packing into another family. 
 
 I cannot say, but that such principles 
 so sedulously infused into him, had con- 
 siderable effect upon Mr. Malcolm, who 
 had been the most imbued with his 
 father's ruling passion of any of his child-
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 v-vv-vwww 
 
 ren ; for he ever bore in mind the family 
 history, remarking where ihey had erred 
 in their conduct; and where, had they 
 but done this, and had they not done 
 that, what great men, not only they, but 
 himself might have been. 
 
 He would often reflect what a stain it 
 would be to his memory, and what a per- 
 sonal disgrace it even then was to him, 
 who, in the proper course of things, ought 
 rather to have been dispensing his orders 
 to others, in one of the most exalted sta- 
 tions of his own kingdom, to sit stitching 
 shoes for a mean subsistence, in a foreign 
 land ; and would grow so melancholy on 
 such occasions, that not unfrequently, 
 whilst he should have been piercing soles 
 for his master, his head would be turned 
 to little less than the conquest of new 
 sovereignties, and to the drawing of re- 
 monstrances, declaratory of his elder bro- 
 
 B4
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 ♦'XW^'V-W-V^/V %.■*%•■* 
 
 ther's rightto theScottish diadem, whence 
 he would proceed to the posts most 
 justly tenable by himself in the govern- 
 ment, would fix upon his title, marry 
 his imaginary bride, and settle the eco- 
 nomy of his family upon the sure footing 
 he had chalked out for its establishment. 
 
 No sooner had this succession of 
 thought taken its run through his aspiring 
 fancy, than having strayed to the length 
 of his string, and flattered his ruling pas- 
 sion with the hope of better days ; he 
 would revert to the mere cobbler again, 
 and sit close to his bench for some time ; 
 whilst, all being calm within, he would 
 sing to his stitches, quicken his awl by 
 the melody of his pipe, and judge himself 
 within a bristle's length of a happy man.
 
 THE RULTNG PASSION, 
 
 •*^-V** / %-V%-V*'V>'VW'% 
 
 CHAP. 2. 
 
 Malcolm 's person.... Extensive trade. ...Mar- 
 riage. . . . Economy. . . Strong propensity for 
 recovering his rights. . . . Account of David, 
 his prime minister.... Death of his wife.... 
 Conditions of a second marriage. 
 
 Mr. Malcolm was a man of an ex- 
 ceedingly good presence of mind, and, 
 from the force of his juvenile education, 
 much more conversible than that race of 
 mortals he was united to generally are ; 
 insomuch, that most of the neighbouring 
 gentry chose rather to give their orders 
 to him than to his master. 
 
 This introducing Malcolm into abund- 
 ance of good families, where the first 
 dialogue usually passing in the kitchen 
 with the servants, before admission could 
 be had to the heads of the house, no small 
 
 B5
 
 10 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 •v%'W»%'WW»'V'w-v* 
 
 notice had been taken of him by the 
 maids of the families wherever his master 
 went, as one of the best bred young men 
 in the parish. Nor was it long after he 
 had completed his servitude, before he 
 had imbibed the soft passion of love for 
 a virgin of noble ancestry, but reduced to 
 the necessity of accepting of a chamber- 
 maid's commission, in the retinue of a 
 widow lady of good fortune. 
 
 This match promising success, as the 
 girl was worth little less than fourscore 
 pounds, Malcolm, to gratify her, who 
 chose not to join in wedlock with a mere 
 journeyman, looked out sharp for a new 
 dwelling ; and, deserting his master, re- 
 solved to shew away for himself. 
 
 Business now rolling in upon Malcolm, 
 the politeness of his behaviour, and the 
 superior style of that dialect wherewith 
 he accosted his customers, had so re-
 
 THE RULING PASSION. ll 
 
 MV\M«M\Mt\%» 
 
 commended him from one family to ano- 
 ther, that, in less than six months, one 
 would have imagined his master had, for 
 a valuable consideration, transferred his 
 whole trade to him -, he having, by this 
 time, collected most of the names of his 
 master's customers into his books, and left 
 the old man little better than the shadow 
 of a quondam shoemaker. 
 
 Mrs. Clara O'Neal, for by that name 
 had the maiden been distinguished, till 
 Malcolm had honoured her with the title 
 of his bride, was, by descent, from a 
 family of that name in Ireland ; nor 
 valued she herself at a much inferior rate, 
 by reason of her procedure from so worthy 
 a stem, most of whom she could trace 
 back for many generations, than Malcolm 
 did himself for his ability to deduce him- 
 self from the loins of Robert, the founder 
 of his house, 
 
 B6
 
 12 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 Save the one foible of the ruling pas- 
 sion, pedigree, which they were severally 
 so addicted to, and the ill-judged esteem 
 they held each other in upon that ac- 
 count, there were scarcely two more 
 prudent persons united in matrimony, in 
 the several districts around them, than 
 Malcolm and Clara ; but the value they 
 placed upon themselves, rendered the 
 demeanor of their domestics but irksome 
 to them ; for, as no crowned heads could 
 express more constant politeness for each 
 other, than they did, so the least tendency 
 to the contrary, from any of their inferiors 
 in the house, failed not of a peculiar 
 chastisement, if not of a total ejection 
 from their court. 
 
 As Malcolm had ever the best of 
 prices for Iris work, so he scrupled not of 
 allowing the best of pay to his journey- 
 men, according to the neatness of their
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 13 
 
 ■v* ■»•*•»-%■» %v\\\»-m 
 
 several fingers, and the justness of their 
 performances ; nor failed he of applying 
 most honourable and distinguishing appel- 
 lations to them ; to such of them, I mean, 
 as were any ways peculiarly remarkable 
 in their operations. 
 
 He had an odd-turned kind of fellow, 
 an exceedingly neat workman, who had 
 followed him from his late master's, as a 
 foreman, to whom he gave the title of 
 his Prime Minister, with a salary accord- 
 ingly, A good smart young fellow at 
 accounts, to whom he had committed 
 the keeping of his books, and the collec- 
 tion of his cash, was his Treasurer; and 
 his clicker, from whom the others received 
 their orders, was his Chancellor : he had 
 also his Clerk of the Pells, and several 
 subordinate officers of inferior rank and 
 title. 
 
 The justice of his dealings, and the
 
 14 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 »%'VW\ ■*%■»% wv-wv 
 
 exactness of his word, with the real good- 
 ness of the commodity he dealt in, had 
 in a short time gained him such a repu- 
 tation, that his trade was not only ex- 
 tended into remote parishes, but even 
 through the neighbouring counties ; till 
 he had raised no despicable fortune by 
 his labours, and was become the father of 
 two sons, Robert and Malcolm. 
 
 Malcolm was one of the most regular 
 men alive in his family, and never fre- 
 quented the public-houses ± whilst Clara, 
 by being an excellent economist, and 
 steward of his household, in the midst of 
 plenty preserving a necessary frugality, 
 enabled him by that means to lay up 
 every year a very considerable sum. 
 
 Notwithstanding the multiplicity of 
 his business, and the great number of 
 hands Malcolm employed under him, we 
 must not presume that he neglected the
 
 THE RULING PASSTON. 15 
 
 main view of living ; for every one of his 
 prospects proceeding from his ruling pas- 
 sion, an emulation of his grand ancestors, 
 he failed not to keep alive in his breast, 
 by a frequent repetition of their noble 
 deeds and feats of arms, those glowing 
 embers, which, when time and opportu- 
 nity should offer, might warm him with a 
 zeal for recovering his right to the patri- 
 mony of his predecessors. 
 
 This exercise would he usually occupy 
 himself in of a winter's evening, when 
 his hands could not work without fires ; 
 he would then fix himself amongst them, 
 and, by the train of his history, engage 
 their ears for hours past the time of their 
 customary labour ; — his sons, Robert and 
 Malcolm, from the earliest discoveries 
 they made of knowledge, being always of 
 the party. 
 
 No sooner had Malcolm finished his
 
 16 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 tale, with some remarks upon the caprice 
 of fortune, which had at present placed 
 him in so unworthy a station, and issued 
 some ejaculatory hopes for better days - y 
 than Clara, like an echo to her husband's 
 pipe, would warble a descant upon her 
 own relatives; more frequently styling 
 them by the title of honour, the Tir 
 Owens, than by their proper name of the 
 O'Neals, for the benefit of annexing the 
 earldom to them. 
 
 Robert and Malcolm, as they grew 
 up, were as well able, from having im- 
 bibed the ruling passion of their parents, 
 to recount most of the occurrences which 
 had befallen the stock they sprang from, 
 as these themselves were ; and even 
 amongst the children of any families of 
 fashion in the neighbourhood, with whom 
 chiefly they held correspondence, they 
 would propagate the achievements of
 
 THE RULING PASSfON. 17 
 
 -»-vw»*-v»"vv»-»-»v-fcX 
 
 their predecessors, till they were beheld 
 by their playfellows as persons of no 
 mean original. 
 
 We must not omit, before we proceed 
 further, to give our readers the character 
 of David ap Roderick, and lastly, ap 
 Llewelline, heretofore Prince of Wales, 
 and then Prime Minister to Malcolm. 
 David was a man of a plodding genius, 
 had read vevy much, and was most re- 
 markably acute at his profession. He 
 was a man of few words, and scarce ever 
 returned more than the bare affirmative 
 or negative to whatever was demanded of 
 him j nor did he ever deliver his orders 
 more copiously, than in the most concise 
 manner to be significant. 
 
 David would work indefatigably ; but 
 his notes at that exercise scarce ever 
 arose above a hum, which generally con-r 
 eluded, by way of symphony, with sobs 
 and sighing.
 
 18 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 David, from an almost total neglect 
 of his outward man, which was but very 
 diminutive, had turned most of his enjoy- 
 ments inwards, which had subjected his 
 fancy and intellects, by turns, to either 
 such melancholy depressions, or extatic 
 elevations, that the husk being no ways 
 concerned in them, it had tasted but 
 lightly of his regard -> for his sandy beard 
 had not for many years been close shaved, 
 his frizzled locks combed, or the sweat of 
 his labours discharged from his furrowed 
 brows ; and yet, with all these seeming 
 disadvantages, there issued from the whole 
 man the rays of an antique, venerable, 
 and ingenuous countenance, superior to 
 most of his profession ; nor, although he 
 constantly behaved to Malcolm with all 
 that bodily reverence so justly due to the 
 monarch of the shop, could he upon 
 serious recollection, esteem himself the
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 19 
 
 less a sovereign than his master : but time 
 having not as yet perfected his projects, 
 he submitted, like a great and generous 
 soul, to the changes and turns of fate. 
 
 Malcolm had traded so successfully, 
 and his finances had been so carefully 
 managed, that at the end of eight years 
 he was enabled to make a purchase of 
 fourscore pounds a year, and in six years 
 more, of seventy. 
 
 His sons had been educated at a free 
 grammar-school, where they were both 
 grown reasonable proficients in the clas- 
 sics > and, having some right to an exhi- 
 bition at Glasgow, the younger was sent 
 thither, to perfect his studies in an aca- 
 demic way ; but Mr. Robert inclining 
 more to home and reading, was restrained 
 from engaging in business, in expectation 
 of the paternal estate, which was then 
 daily increasing.
 
 20 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 In the sixteenth year of Malcolm's 
 marriage, Clara died, to the inexpressible 
 grief of the whole family, and of all her 
 acquaintances; for, though a lady of no 
 mean rank by her blood, yet distinguish- 
 ing itself in nothing more through her 
 whole deportment, than in a placid con- 
 descension, both to her equals and in- 
 feriors, she maintained a valuable repu- 
 tation with all degrees of her cotem- 
 poraries. 
 
 Malcolm had now accumulated a 
 landed estate of two hundred pounds a 
 year and upwards ; and having mourned 
 the usual time for his departed spouse, he 
 began to turn his thoughts towards a 
 second match. 
 
 There was a widow with a fortune of 
 about two hundred a year, jointure estate, 
 and almost as much of her own, for whom 
 Malcolm sought, and who had long been
 
 THE RULIxNG PASSION. 21 
 
 familiar with his former wife Clara. She 
 was a sprightly dame, and since Clara's 
 death had cast an eye upon Malcolm, 
 as the only man who, in her opinion, 
 could compensate for the less of her 
 former husband -, nor was Malcolm in 
 the least backward in his expressions of a 
 due regard for her, upon every laudable 
 occasion ; till conceiving he had received 
 sufficient testimonies of her good-will to 
 him, he resolved to attack her as a 
 lover. 
 
 The proposition was as readily em- 
 braced on her part, as submissively pro- 
 posed on Malcolm's ; but as widows 
 have generally more in their heads than 
 mere flames and darts, so the terms of 
 their union must be clogged with some 
 concessions, to be performed on his part. 
 
 Imprimis, she insisted, that as her 
 ancestors had, through many descents,
 
 92 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 •wv-wv^-v-w -v-wvv*. 
 
 supported the degree of gentry, and as 
 her late husband had done the same, 
 Malcolm must instantly forsake his call- 
 ing, take a handsome house, and settle 
 himself as a man of fortune, before he 
 brought her home to him. That he 
 should keep her a man and a maid-ser- 
 vant which she might properly call her 
 own ; and also a genteel pad and furni- 
 ture for her sole use and riding. That 
 both his sons should be so disposed of, as 
 never more to appear in the family, save 
 on a visit or so ; and lastly, that his own 
 and her estate should be settled in join- 
 ture upon her, with the remainder to 
 their issue, and the fee to the longest liver 
 with certain limitations. 
 
 Malcolm made little scruple about 
 any other article but that which affected 
 his sons; but doubted not, that, when 
 they should be married, even herself, for
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 23 
 
 both their sakes, would consent to ease 
 him of that difficulty, upon their gentle 
 behaviour to her, which he purposed 
 strictly to enjoin them.
 
 24 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 ■wv%-v\-v\ ■v-ww'vw 
 
 CHAP. 3. 
 
 Malcolm's second marriage.... Its effects.... 
 Malcolm'' s revival of his claims.... Pro- 
 jects the recovery of Scotland and Wales. 
 ...Makes a league with David. 
 
 Preliminaries adjusted, Malcolm soon 
 knocked off his business, furnished a new 
 house, and settled himself in a genteel 
 way, not far from where he had before 
 dwelt. But, in parting with his domes- 
 tics, and breaking up his family, David, 
 his prime minister, who had now lived 
 many years under him, was so dejected 
 at the thoughts of quitting so agreeable 
 a service, that, rather than submit to a 
 separation from his master, he humbly 
 besought his patron for a removal with
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 25 
 
 •^w^wv^v^vvw 
 
 him, though in ever so indigent a sta- 
 tion. 
 
 Malcolm, no ways capable of with- 
 standing the request of his old servant, 
 soon covenanted with him for a post the 
 most suitable to his inclination ; for, as 
 madam had made it a point indisputable, 
 that she should have a maid solely appro- 
 priated to her pleasure, under the deno- 
 mination of her Gentlewoman ; so Mal- 
 colm, by way of counterbalance, invested 
 David with the dignity of his Gentleman - 3 
 than which no style of office could have 
 done him more eminent honour. 
 
 No sooner had Malcolm fitted up his 
 new habitation, and put his household 
 upon a proper establishment, than the 
 smothered embers of love, already glowing 
 between him and the widow, broke out 
 into a public flame ; which rumour soon 
 spreading about the neighbourhood, every 
 
 VOL, i, C.
 
 26 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 *sVWfcWV% -wwv*"*. 
 
 tongue sounded the approaching nuptials 
 of Malcolm with Madam Flutterville, 
 that being the widow's name. 
 
 The knot was tied, and the lady 
 conducted to her new quarters with all 
 becoming ceremony ; nor was there ever, 
 to appearance at least, a more fond and 
 loving couple than Malcolm and his 
 new bride ; till the lady, from one step to 
 another, having completed her conquest 
 for the upper hand, or, what we English- 
 men call " wearing the breeches/' insisted 
 upon a chariot, as other ladies of her 
 rank enjoyed. This, for the peace of his 
 family, was soon given up to her by 
 Malcolm ; but what concession can be 
 made to an overbearing woman, that 
 draws not a succession of importunities 
 after it ? For now, nothing would satisfy 
 her but an increase of servants, and 
 several tours which she must make in the
 
 THE RULING PASSIOX. 
 
 new vehicle, to a number of relations of 
 her own and her late husband's, dispersed 
 through every county for many miles 
 round, and all this merely in order to 
 shew the machine ; for what avails it to 
 a lady to have an equipage that is never 
 seen ? 
 
 These visits necessarily drew on invi- 
 tations to the parties at whose houses 
 she had been, each of them to spend 
 some time with her, in return for their 
 civilities, till Malcolm's house became 
 crowded like an inn at a fair ; but still 
 he survived upon the hopes that, the run 
 of compliments being once over, this 
 rage would soon subside, and that all 
 would return to its natural course again ; 
 and that, in time, he should even regain 
 the regard of his domestics, as yet too far 
 occupied in the hurry of their lady's com- 
 mands to admit of obedience to his orders. 
 
 C 2
 
 28 THE RULING PASSION, 
 
 With these thoughts Malcolm com- 
 forted himself for the several months he 
 passed as a stranger in his own territories; 
 but his affairs were far from taking so 
 desirable a turn as that, for his lady con- 
 tinued still fond of strange faces ; inso- 
 much, that she was under the most ex- 
 treme distress at the thought of parting 
 with the present, before the arrival of 
 fresh company. Nay, she omitted no 
 entreaties for their stay, even to compul- 
 sion itself, that she might not become so 
 wretched as to be left alone. 
 
 Well ! the hurry of her visitants was 
 scarce over, nor had Malcolm more 
 than formed a surmise that he should 
 live retired for the autumn season, before 
 his lady informed him of an engagement 
 she was under for meeting several families 
 at Scarborough. 
 
 Malcolm would have dissuaded her
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 2$ 
 
 from the journey, had it been possible, by 
 laying before her the expenses of a few 
 of the preceding months, which exceeded 
 two whole years' revenue, and the ill 
 consequences of lavishing away so much 
 in one year as would maintain them for 
 five ; adding, that if she must needs take 
 the journey, he would advise her to defer 
 it till another season, when it might be 
 more convenient to him. But Malcolm 
 soon found that his lady was past being 
 affected by his precepts ; for she replied, 
 that he must never expect to curb the 
 flights of a lady of her figure in life, by 
 his narrow-souled documents ; which 
 might, indeed, have been properly enough 
 adapted to the wife of a shoemaker, as 
 his late Clara was ; but she expected to 
 find him a gentleman of another cast 
 now, or at least he should see that in her 
 he had to do with a gentlewoman. She 
 
 C3
 
 SO THE RULING PASSION 
 
 had passed her word, she said, for the 
 rendezvous, and scorned to be frustrated 
 of her purpose. 
 
 To Scarborough she accordingly went, 
 nor left she any company behind her at 
 her return, nor was she scarce well at 
 home before Malcolm was apprised of an 
 expedition to Bath for the winter season, 
 and thence she set forward to visiting 
 again, having engaged herself in such a 
 circle of diversions, that after the first 
 three months of their cohabitation to- 
 gether, the ensuing three years afforded 
 him not an equal share of her conversa- 
 tion ; so that with her extravagancies at 
 home, and the unnecessary disbursements 
 her travels occasioned, Malcolm was, in 
 the long run, upwards of two thousand 
 pounds in debt before he could have 
 imagined he owed an hundred : and all 
 this coming in for payment together, al- 
 most distracted him.
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 31 
 
 His lady was at London when he first 
 received the shock of these demands, 
 rioting away the winter in the golden 
 joys of that metropolis ; so. that she was 
 beyond the reach of his verbal reproaches ; 
 nor, indeed, had she been at home, would 
 Malcolm have gained more by the bar- 
 gain than the customary vent of his pas- 
 sion ; for in such cases, where reflections 
 are begun upon one party, they seldom 
 fail of becoming so mutual, that each 
 suspecting itself for the injured, little 
 hopes of amendment are to be conceived 
 to arise from quarrelling in the marriage 
 state. 
 
 Malcolm having therefore no wife at 
 this critical juncture to employ his choler 
 upon, to whom should he disclose his an- 
 guish, or from whom should he seek that 
 relief in his distress, which a communica- 
 tion of sorrow seldom fails to administer 
 
 C4
 
 32 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 to the fainting spirit, but from his Gen- 
 tleman, in whom he doubted not of 
 meeting a friend to sooth his affliction by 
 participation, though he despaired of his 
 removing the cause of it. 
 
 David had found himself so easily 
 situated in Malcolm's new family since 
 his fixture there, that having much leisure 
 time upon his hands, he had much im- 
 proved in reading ; and a countryman of 
 his having furnished him with a history 
 of the Welsh heroes, he had thence ex- 
 tracted so many valorous acts of his 
 ancestors, and applied them so effectually 
 to his own purposes, as to have wrought 
 himself up, in imagination, into one of the 
 most spirituous branches of the whole 
 family ; nor did he doubt, as he then 
 signified to his master, but with a hand- 
 ful of assistance he could over-run the 
 whole country ; for that his relatives
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 33 
 
 »«\v« 
 
 being exceedingly numerous, what less 
 could he expect than to be reinstated in 
 the principality, so truly his by descent ; 
 for nothing could be plainer than he could 
 illustrate his pedigree. 
 
 Nothing could be more visible than 
 the effect this discourse of David had 
 upon the ruling passion of his master ; 
 for the hitherto dejected Malcolm, who, 
 at his approach to David bowed beneath 
 the weight of his oppression, had no 
 sooner imbibed the idea of the restoration 
 of his menial, than his crest grew elevated, 
 his eyes twinkled, his spirit revived, and 
 his noble soul grew elate for conquest. 
 
 His troubles for the misconduct of his 
 wife, and the ill condition of his exche- 
 quer, having enlarged his capacity to 
 every presenting gleam that darted a 
 single ray of comfort to his shaken intel- 
 lects, David met with but little difficulty 
 
 c 5
 
 34 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 to set his brains upon the stretch after 
 crowns and sceptres, in exchange for the 
 black prospect then before him, of losing 
 all he had been so long labouring for. 
 
 Malcolm being thus wrought up to a 
 proper pitch, and his brain taking fire at 
 the expedient, " Whence comes it to 
 pass," said he, " that I have so derogated 
 from that pure stream of the blood of my 
 fathers, as not equally to regard my right 
 with them ? Had Robert, from whom I 
 inherit my blood and being, in a straight, 
 uninterrupted lineal conveyance, ever 
 worn the diadem without a claim ; with- 
 out a struggle for it ? Had he, upon the 
 rebuff he then met with, ever recovered 
 it but by feats of arms, and the surprising 
 achievements of war ? Did he not by 
 force, conducted by the fertility of his 
 own projects, surmount all difficulties, 
 and over thousands of slain pave his road
 
 THE RULING PASSION, 35 
 
 *»v* %"*%-» v-vv %•» * v» 
 
 to his royal patrimony ? If his, why then 
 not mine ! It is hereditary.— Nor mat- 
 ters it that I have so long neglected my 
 interest in it. — The sword must do me 
 right, in spite of time and every oppo- 
 
 sition. " 
 
 " Two kingdoms, David, added Mal- 
 colm, " are surely worth a struggle. " — 
 " Two kingdoms !" demanded David. 
 " I thought your pretensions had extended 
 but to one, sir." — " I tell thee to two," 
 returned Malcolm ; " to one by descent, 
 hereditary from my grand ancestor Ro- 
 bert ; to the other from his brother 
 Edward, who also conquered Ireland, and 
 was there joyfully crowned King of it, but 
 lived not long to enjoy it ; whereupon it 
 descended to Robert, the root I spring 
 from. 
 
 " Edward died in the wars ere he had 
 composed the state to perfect obedience ; 
 
 C6
 
 36 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 nay, died in the field of battle, David, 
 which crowns his memory with never- 
 fading laurels. Who would not rather 
 choose gloriously to fall amidst the din of 
 war, and clangour of the rattling spears, 
 in quest of honour to immortalize his 
 name and future generation, than, enjoy- 
 ing ignoble ease, sit acquiescent in his 
 poverty, adding years of lingering torture 
 to his mind, at the sad prospect of what 
 he might have been had daring valour 
 pushed him at the prize ? 
 
 " Let dastards con their musty records 
 over, while, shrinking meanly from the 
 warrior's toil, they hug themselves at ease 
 on a scanty pittance, indulging them- 
 selves over what they might have been, 
 and not daring to assert parental privi- 
 leges ! My soul disdains to follow such 
 examples ! 
 
 " No, David ! thou shalt charge at
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 37 
 
 my left hand, nor ever will we sheath the 
 sword of desolation, till thou hast seated 
 me upon the throne, withheld by trea- 
 cherous hands from me thy lord and 
 master. Then, David, shall it be my 
 care to march my squadrons through the 
 heart of England, and settle thee within 
 thy patrimony." 
 
 " Sir," said David, " if your honour 
 pleases, we had best enter into a league, 
 offensive and defensive, before we come 
 to be established in our several domains -, 
 for I have observed in my reading, that a 
 crowned head has so many courtiers to 
 be consulted, and people to be pleased, 
 before he is at liberty to act according to 
 his own disposition, that if they should 
 oppose our alliance, though ever so agree- 
 able to us, they will overturn our confe- 
 deracy." 
 
 M David ! thou arguest from princi-
 
 38 THE RULING PASSION, 
 
 MMMMMMMM 
 
 pies supported by reason," said Malcolm, 
 <c nor will we wait for the tedious modes 
 of courts. 
 
 " Here, David," added he, " give me 
 pen and paper. The honest heart, im- 
 patient of set forms, breaks every bond to 
 unite to truth alone. However, that our 
 subjects may hereafter learn our wills, we 
 will pen down articles for their direction ; 
 then let who will dispute them, at the 
 price of their heads : our pleasure known, 
 we will enforce obedience."
 
 THE RULTNG PASSION. 39 
 
 CHAP. 4. 
 
 Arguments about the treaty, and plan of ope- 
 ration..,. They set out on their enterprise. 
 
 Lodge in a wood Dialogue there 
 
 David believes Malcolm dead Sad ac- 
 cident. ..Loses Malcolm.... David's dream. 
 
 Malcolm was not long in drawing 
 up this treaty, which, when he had per- 
 formed, he read over to David for his 
 concurrence. 
 
 It contained first, an article whereby 
 David was to issue out a proclamation 
 for all his Welsh friends and allies to meet 
 him at Llanvilling, there to do homage 
 to him, and recognise his title. After this 
 they were to raise ten thousand men, who 
 should march, with him at their head, 
 into Scotland, to enthrone Malcolm. It 
 was next stipulated that each contract-
 
 40 THE RULING PASSION, 
 
 ing party should thenceforward, on all 
 proper occasions, collect the whole force 
 of his dominions to assist and maintain 
 the right of the other, his heirs and suc- 
 cessors ; and that a perpetual amity 
 should subsist between the two states. 
 
 David, not greatly approving of these 
 articles, objected to his quitting his prin- 
 cipality so soon after his re-assumption 
 of it ; for he could expect nothing Jess, 
 being encompassed by such a number of 
 enemies, than, that in his absence they 
 might so frame their measures, as to 
 keep him out when he was out ; by 
 which means he might never again get 
 a sure footing on his inheritance : so 
 that he proposed, first, to accompany 
 Malcolm to his kingdom, and thence to 
 march Malcolm's forces to Wales, before 
 any one could even suspect him to have an 
 eye upon that principality • and upon this
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 41 
 
 •VW*WV%V%.V%*-»»'* 
 
 they concluded the treaty, after the ad- 
 dition of another clause in favour of 
 David, for him and his descendants to 
 be invested with the grand-mastership of 
 all Scotland, in case, by any unforeseen 
 accident, they should happen to be di- 
 vested of the Welsh dominions. 
 
 The treaty being thus happily brought 
 to a conclusion, David started an objec- 
 tion, which had not as yet penetrated 
 the brain of the sagacious Malcolm; 
 which was, that he had never in his 
 reading observed a treaty to have been 
 perfected between princes, without some 
 guarantee. Now though they could trust 
 one another without fear or doubting*. 
 yet, he thought merely for the look of 
 the thing to their subjects, it ought to 
 be had, lest it should appear to them in- 
 formal. 
 
 Malcolm confessed himself graveled,
 
 42 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 -»%«'V«/WWV'WWW 
 
 nor could David help him out of it; but 
 being as yet in alliance with no one 
 power on earth, nor having notified their 
 designs to any one, however necessary 
 future time might render it, they drop- 
 ped the guarantee, and both clapped 
 their hands to the treaty. 
 
 David, who, as I said before, had in 
 the latter part of his time made deep 
 researches into history, began now to 
 boggle at the insufficiency of the treaty, 
 in regard to the defect of not having the 
 arms of each country to it; and this, 
 indeed, seemed, even to Malcolm himself, 
 no small obstacle ; till recollecting that 
 his late father's old iron seal, then hang- 
 ing to his watch, had an Highlander 
 bagpiping upon it, he produced that; 
 and David's tobacco-stopper yielding the 
 impression of a he-goat, they sealed the 
 treaty, and finished it.
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 43 
 
 Having thus happily surmounted 
 every difficulty, they spent most of their 
 moments together, for several succeeding 
 days, till they were both as mad as could 
 well be wished for the purpose they 
 were embarked in 3 no less than king- 
 doms and supremacy, placing the least 
 bounds to their soaring imaginations. 
 Nay, so little dubious were they of suc- 
 cess, that these were already looked upon 
 as in hand ; for having agreed upon an 
 indisputable right, founded upon heredi- 
 tary principles, what less than a union 
 of the hearts and hands of their subjects 
 could be reasonably expected to follow, 
 upon the first notice of their pretensions? 
 Or should any stubborn spirit prove so 
 intractable as to oppose their measures, 
 they had worked themselves up to such a 
 pitch of intrepidity, that whole squadrons 
 must fall before a single arm of theirs.
 
 THE RULING PASSION 
 
 •»--V»'%-V*-»-Vfc'VWWV-W-» 
 
 The day was now come for their 
 march, and Malcolm took all the money 
 he had in the house with him, amount- 
 ing to about forty pounds ; then, himself 
 mounted upon a spare coach-horse, a 
 little lame, his lady having the best of 
 them with her at London ; and David 
 upon a large old mare, very big with 
 foal, but proper as they judged for their 
 purpose, being of a broader spread, and 
 more of the war-horse cut, than any 
 other they had, they stole off fasting, in 
 in the morning at twilight, keeping the 
 high-road to Malcolm's dominions, for 
 the best part of the day, at a foot-pace, 
 that they might not overmarch their 
 steeds. 
 
 David was so provident at his first 
 setting off, as to take a large lunch of 
 bread and cheese in his pocket, not 
 knowing how useful it might prove to
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 45 
 
 him upon the march, especially if their 
 road should lie through solitary wilds 
 and deserts -, nor was this caution alto- 
 gether needless, as we may collect from 
 the ensuing history. 
 
 Malcolm, just before the close of 
 day, began to complain of hunger, and 
 could greatly have rejoiced at the pros- 
 pect of some castle, where they might 
 both be admitted and relieved for the 
 night, in a way befitting men at arms ; 
 but no such thing presenting, they had 
 not proceeded on their march much 
 further, before Malcolm espied a town 
 to their left, at such a distance as his 
 eye could barely carry; to this they ac- 
 cordingly turned off, in hopes of reach- 
 ing it before dark should overtake them. 
 
 This deflection, at about half a mile's 
 riding, delivered them into a lonely wood, 
 which they must necessarily pass, they
 
 46 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 "/V»'VW*-*-W»"WV«/* 
 
 imagined, before they could reach the 
 town; but the further they advanced, 
 meeting still with the greatest impedi- 
 ments, before they had attained its ex- 
 treme verge it became too dark for tra- 
 velling; and this necessitated our Princes 
 to take up with the shelter of the trees, 
 whilst they sought their lodging upon 
 the bare ground. 
 
 O ■! how did Malcolm, so soon as he 
 was seated, envy Slouch, (the name of his 
 gelding,) the regale he unscrupulously fell 
 to upon the grass while grazing before 
 him ; and what would himself not have 
 given, to have been a horse till the next 
 morning, that he might have been a 
 messmate; but fate had otherwise or- 
 dained it. 
 
 " David," said he, " I feel the weight 
 of empire hang so heavily on my spi- 
 rits, that my mortal frame is scarce able
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 47 
 
 to support it. Art thou not hungry, 
 David ? For whilst we remain incased 
 in clay, our natures crave recruit ; nor 
 may we imagine, by an investiture with 
 royalty, to shake off mortality. — Art 
 thou not hungry ? I say." 
 
 " Truly, master," replied David, cc I 
 am not at present overpressed with it; 
 but what may happen in another day, I 
 cannot now be responsible for. — Why, 
 sir, do you mean to travel to Edinburgh 
 without eating ?" 
 
 " He that would govern others, ought 
 to be a thorough master of his own appe- 
 tites/' said Malcolm, " and so would I, 
 but cannot. My flesh subdues my will, 
 and claims that aid I am not prepared 
 to give it. — Art thou not hungry then, 
 I say, David ?" 
 
 " I had, no doubt, ere now been so," 
 replied David, " but that I provided 
 myself a meal before-hand."
 
 48 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 " Why ! hast thou eaten then?" said 
 Malcolm. 
 
 " Nought but bread and cheese," 
 replied David, " with which I stored my 
 pockets in the morning, and have ever 
 since been devouring, as I rode behind 
 
 you." 
 
 " How couldst thou be so base, not 
 to offer me any i" said Malcolm. 
 
 " Nay, master," replied David, 
 " could it be suspected but you was at 
 the same exercise ? Why, we have not 
 exchanged six words to day; which 
 nothing, one would have thought, could 
 have prevented, but such other employ- 
 ment as our mouths had been busied 
 about. — Surely sir," added David, " you 
 cannot be ignorant, that as to every dis- 
 charge of our fire-arms, a previous charge 
 is necessary, or we may hack and snap 
 our hearts out, without doing the least 
 execution ; so for every bodily labour to
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 49 
 
 be performed, we must charge ourselves 
 properly for the undertaking. Nor can 
 I think a hearty meal, which invigo- 
 rates the spirits, recruits nature, fills the 
 little ducts with juices, and braces up his 
 nerves, less needful to a warrior than 
 his arms. All nature hates a vacuity; 
 and, as a part and member thereof, so do 
 I ; but I am sorry it so happens that I 
 spared you none of my repast, which I 
 might well have done, had I thought of 
 it ; and yet have reserved a sufficiency 
 for myself." 
 
 " Rugged and thorny," said Mal- 
 colm, who was by this time near dropping 
 to sleep with hunger and fatigue, " are 
 the paths which lead to crowns, David. 
 Nor suit they every soul to travel 
 them. — What ! if I die through hunger 
 n this wood, it is in pursuit of royalty, 
 totally as if I was shot in the field of 
 yol. i. D.
 
 50 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 battle. — There lies my aim. — That — I 
 pursue till death. — No man was born to 
 never-failing conquest. — Yet all fall hap- 
 pily in the bed of honour. — By several 
 ways pursuing the same end. — Thou'lt 
 give me decent burial, David. — Nor fail, 
 upon my monumental stone, — to write — 
 a detail — of — what — I would have done." 
 Malcolm's inclination to sleep, had 
 caused his pronouncing the latter part 
 of his speech so deliberately, that David 
 collected from his absolute subsequent 
 silence, that his master must be dead, 
 and was falling into a fit of desperation 
 at the thoughts of his having made his 
 words good : and it being then so exces- 
 sively dark, that he could form no guess 
 at his condition by sight, he called him 
 by name several times, entreating him to 
 answer, or give some sign of a living 
 man ; but meeting with no answer *v
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 51 
 
 his vociferations, David started up, and 
 was running to feel for him ; for they 
 had seated themselves, each with his 
 back against a tree, as near to each other 
 as the trees would permit ; when in his 
 hurry, a stump taking his toe, pitched 
 poor David head foremost into a bram- 
 ble-bush. This so hampered him, that 
 in struggling for release, he tore his 
 hands, legs, and face, most intolerably, 
 till they all ran down with blood ; nor 
 could he at length escape from many a 
 thorn in his flesh, which still remained 
 buried in the skin, to his great mortifica- 
 tion. 
 
 Having now obtained a release, his 
 concern wrought not half so much to his 
 own ease, as to the deplorable state he 
 expected to find Malcolm in; but though 
 he exerted his utmost abilities, he could 
 by no means gain the spot where his 
 
 D2 
 
 UBRMW n,.UI«G ft
 
 52 THE RULING PASSIOSf, 
 
 *-w».v-w*v*wwv* 
 
 master lay; for upon his escape from 
 the bush, not noticing rightly in what 
 direction he had fallen into it, and having 
 taken some of his first steps in a wrong 
 direction, he was now so bewildered in 
 the dark, and the odds of so many wrong 
 ways opposing themselves to the single 
 right one, that the further he pushed, 
 the wider he deviated from his mark - } till 
 his patience being entirely worn out, and 
 his spirits spent, after an hour or two 
 wasted in ineffectual travel, unable to 
 proceed further, he sunk upon his breech 
 till morning. 
 
 His over-strained limbs demanding a 
 relaxation, David made no scruple of in- 
 dulging them, and submitted to a pro- 
 found sleep ; wherein his imagination 
 painted to him his master, armed cap-a- 
 pe, rushing into the heat of battle, 
 amidst contending squadrons ready for
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 53 
 
 slaughter, and intent on victory. He 
 further thought, that having cut his way 
 through them all to the monarch his 
 competitor, he dismounted him, and 
 alighting from his horse, severed his head 
 from his body. Then riding up to him, 
 he thought, " David !" said he, with the 
 head upon the point of his sword, still 
 besprinkling his garments with the trick- 
 ling blood, C( I nominate you my gene- 
 ral, and be this my imperial ensign." 
 Then calling aloud to the dismayed forces 
 of his late enemy, he invited them under 
 his banner, engaging to rule them with 
 equity and moderation; at the same 
 time, declaring to them that he was 
 their rightful sovereign. 
 
 The troops, David thought, came 
 crowding round him, and did him ho- 
 mage as their lord ; when mounting 
 again upon Slouch, they all marched off 
 
 B3
 
 54 THE RULING PASSION 
 
 together towards Stirling, nigh nnto 
 which place the action had happened. 
 David was now in the height of extasy, 
 not doubting but the people who had 
 so joyfully received his master, would as 
 readily, at his command, conduct him to 
 his principality ; and was just forming 
 his method of behaviour, and the manner 
 in which he should be received by his 
 subjects,- when the acclamations of the 
 troops awakened him, at broad day-light, 
 lonely and deserted, without friend or 
 companion, in a thin part of the wood, 
 where he could cast his eves around him 
 for some distance, between the trees. 
 
 David was at first dubious, whether 
 the scenes he had before been engaged 
 in were realities, and himself then in a 
 dream when he supposed them vanish- 
 ed -, or whether he had been dreaming 
 before, and was now awake; till rising
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 55 
 
 •k *■»*%/%»■»%-* ■W%/V'»"V 
 
 from his seat, and performing several of 
 the functions of a wakeful animal, he be- 
 came much dissatisfied, that all the 
 pleasurable prospects before presented to 
 him had been a dream, and that himself 
 and master were rejected Princes still; 
 but the metal he was formed of, and 
 the strength of his ruling passion, ena- 
 bling him to discharge all despondency, 
 he set forward with perseverance, for the 
 recovery of his lost master, patron, and 
 friend. 
 
 D4
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 CHAP. 5. 
 
 David finds his master.... His reflections,... 
 
 Lose their horses.... Go in quest of them. 
 
 ...Malcolm saved from drowning by a 
 
 farmer.... Knights him.... Hears of his 
 
 horses. 
 
 Conceit itself can scarcely paint 
 horror in viler colours than that which 
 David felt for the loss of his master ; nor 
 tarried it in his mind only, but thence 
 diffused itself through his members also ; 
 for he wrung his hands, smote his breast, 
 and so distorted his countenance, that his 
 nearest friend could not have recollected 
 him, during the continuance of the pa- 
 roxysm. 
 
 He called, he hallooed, till he was so 
 hoarse that he could be no longer noisy, 
 but met with no return -, till at length,
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 57 
 
 by mere accident, he fell into the track 
 which led him to his beloved master ; but, 
 O horror ! what a sight was reflected to 
 his senses when he perceived his dearest 
 patron fixed still against the tree he had 
 left him at, with his head pendant, his 
 month gaping open, and his arms fallen, 
 whilst his body seemed stiff, as if the 
 stroke of death had fixed him there ! Nor 
 laboured David under the least doubt but 
 this was the real case. 
 
 David, as he made the best of his way 
 over the interposing shrubs, recollecting 
 his dying words, had little thought but 
 of his funeral ; and sorry he was, that he 
 could not form them into the very same 
 order his departing master had placed 
 them in, that they might have composed 
 his epitaph. "Alas !" said he, " how are 
 my blooming hopes nipped in the bud ! 
 How are all my prospects for redeeming 
 
 D5
 
 58 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 -wx-v-VVV^VV-W^V"*'*-* 
 
 my lost patrimony blasted ! For with- 
 out the aid of the Scotch recruits, never 
 shall I be able to demand my right ; but, 
 instead of reigning, must myself be go- 
 verned, and far from my natural station 
 at the head of the community, must I la- 
 bour for the feet of men again. O ! sad 
 reverse of fate ! So near a Princedom, 
 and to be thus defeated l" 
 
 He had come to a resolution, as the 
 less evil, to sit down by the tree he had 
 occupied the last night, and there to pine 
 away with hunger by the side of his de- 
 ceased Lord, rather than by committing 
 himself to the living world again, to be- 
 come a witness to his further wretched- 
 ness ; and had just begun his purpose, 
 fixed in contemplation, with his eyes 
 shut, and every external faculty reverted 
 inwards ; when, what was his amazement 
 at being roused from his reverie by such a
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 59 
 
 'WV%%'V%"%WVW%-»/V 
 
 snort, and that, to his apprehension, just at 
 his ear too, as if a stye of swine had been 
 playing in concert there ! His hair stood 
 erect on his head, his heart fluttered, and 
 the whole microcosm trembled ; nor 
 durst he raise an eyelid, lest he should 
 become the terrified spectator of the im- 
 pending catastrophe, which he momen- 
 tarily expected to fall upon him. Yet 
 listened he with open ear, for what might 
 follow next. When,lo! a repetition, — but 
 more distinct, — and then ahumanyawn; — 
 which, having considered of a while, he 
 could plainly trace to his recumbent 
 master ; who having never once stirred 
 since David had left him, was now 
 stretching himself for awaking ; but over- 
 borne with heaviness, he had again sur- 
 rendered himself to Morpheus's chains, 
 and began to snore most powerfully. 
 David, in raptures for the hope be- 
 
 d6
 
 60 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 *W"»%'%»'V^%'»'*"W"V"k 
 
 fore him, sat gently listening to the 
 drone, each note invigorating him beyond 
 the most precious cordial mixtures, till in 
 about half an hour Malcolm started up, 
 and perceiving it to be broad day, he 
 stretched his almost perished limbs, be- 
 numbed for want of covering; then prop- 
 ping up one eye, and therewith espying 
 David, weeping for joy at his return to 
 life again, he bade him good-morrow, 
 demanded why he had not raised him 
 sooner, and declared his intention to 
 horse. 
 
 David would not just then let him 
 into the history of the preceding night, 
 reserving that till they should be on their 
 journey ; but the poor fellow was so 
 elated at the view of Malcolm before 
 him, that he had never once cast a single 
 thought after the horses, who now had 
 all the country before them ; for being
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 6l 
 
 clearly out of sight, neither master or 
 man could say which . route to take for 
 their recovery. 
 
 The loss of their steeds was by no 
 means a thing to be overlooked ; for, for 
 two Princes to be seeking their domi- 
 nions like pedlars on foot, would have 
 borne so indifferent a face with it, as 
 might have totally dispirited their par- 
 tizans, and have frustrated their whole 
 proceedings. Upon all accounts, there- 
 fore, it was determined, that the horses 
 were the first scent they should go upon, 
 as promissory of the fairest success to the 
 undertaking. 
 
 It was about ten o'clock before the 
 debate was fully settled, which point of 
 the compass each should take for begin- 
 ning his circuit ; though Malcolm would 
 much rather have had a good smoking 
 joint before him, than the best beast in
 
 62 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 Christendom. He inquired whether Da- 
 vid's light diet had not passed off his 
 stomach yet ? To which David replied 
 in the affirmative ; but though he had 
 nothing to eat, he was so happy as not 
 to want it ; and by way of succour, he 
 should apply to his tobacco-box, which 
 in a scarcity of provision, had often stood 
 his friend till plenty offered again ; and 
 advised his Majesty, (foi by this time that 
 title, as the other of Highness, began to 
 take place between them,) to partake of a 
 quid with him. 
 
 Majesty started at the proposal, as a 
 filthy and unpolite custom, worthy only 
 of the basest of his subjects; but his 
 Higuness having amplified the virtues of 
 that plant to an excess, and especially as 
 a specific for protracting the demands of 
 the appetite beyond the course of pure 
 nature, the Sovereign consenting, David
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 65 
 
 applied an enormous pinch to his jaws, 
 with special directions for his behaviour 
 during the operation -, then taking leave 
 of each other, they set forwards on their 
 allotted walk, appointing to meet at a 
 known rendezvous, where they would re- 
 cruit their exhausted vigours with a good 
 meal. 
 
 David took the west and north-west 
 route, with orders still to bend north- 
 wardly in the evening, in case he should 
 not meet with the beasts sooner ; whilst 
 Malcolm was to take the east and 
 and north-east, with like future tendency 
 to the north, in order to their meeting at 
 Staindorp. 
 
 It was in the beginning of April, and 
 the day exceedingly hot and gloomy, in- 
 somuch that his Majesty, who was 
 clothed in a large Whitney rug over his 
 common clothing, and that wrapped and
 
 64 THE RULING PASSION". 
 
 "».-*"V'V%'W-WVWV'W% 
 
 belted round him, with a brace of pistols 
 stuck in his girdle, a large tied wig and 
 beaver hat on his head, with a huge pair 
 of old jack-boots on, soon began to melt, 
 and grow prodigiously uneasy ; but what 
 contributed the most to his perplexity, 
 was the tobacco in his mouth, which not 
 being used to, he had swallowed a large 
 parcel of. This raised such a turmoil in 
 his stomach, that he was ready to bring 
 his heart up, for want of something else 
 to discharge. 
 
 It seizing his head next, no creature 
 half drowned in a wine pipe, could labour 
 under stronger symptoms of inebriety 
 than he did ; till unable to en:iure his 
 giddiness, sickness, and thirst, any longer, 
 as he was stooping over a stream to 
 scoop some water in the brim of his hat, 
 for his refreshment, in dropped his Ma- 
 jesty ; and here we must have concluded
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 65 
 
 this history, had not a poor farmer, on 
 his search through the common after a 
 strayed heifer, been spectator of the ac- 
 cident, and running to his assistance, 
 saved him from a watery death. 
 
 The cooling this plunge had minis- 
 tered to his heated limbs, and the ser- 
 vice it had been of to his brain, were in- 
 expressible; for lo ! he had not for many 
 minutes been placed upon a mole hill, 
 before the water he had imbibed in his 
 struggling, breaking forth with several 
 violent emittings, had so cleansed his 
 stomach and intestines, that his head 
 having reaped the benefit of it, proclaim- 
 ed him a sound man again. 
 
 Malcolm then taking the farmer by 
 the hand, paid him many compliments, 
 mostly tending to the honour that would 
 for ever adhere to him and his posterity, 
 for generations yet to come, from the
 
 66 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 noble feat he had just performed, rather 
 than the benefit he himself had received 
 from his courtesy. Adding, that fortune 
 had now made up to him all former defici- 
 encies of her favours, in that by his hand 
 she had preserved a life which children 
 yet unborn would be obliged to reverence 
 him for. 
 
 Putting then his hand into his pocket, 
 Malcolm, in a most princely way, made 
 him a donotion of ten guineas, with an 
 injunction to wait upon him at Holyrood- 
 house, in the autumn, with a petition for 
 whatever else he should require for him- 
 self or family ; and sorry he was, he said, 
 that it was not then in his power to re- 
 quite his services by an adequate reward; 
 but to testify his gratitude, so far as op- 
 portunity would permit him, he would 
 not suffer him to depart without those 
 honours his hand only could confer.
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 67 
 
 The poor farmer stared like a bewil- 
 dered traveller, nor could he guess what 
 grand personage he had lighted upon. 
 The gold he could swear to be true ster- 
 ling ; then why should he suspect the 
 speeches to be counterfeit ? But when 
 his Majesty had asked his name, to 
 which the fellow replied Timothy Bar- 
 bacue, and then drawing his sword, had 
 commanded him to kneel before him, 
 the poor wretch turning pale as death, 
 with uplifted hands and eyes humbly 
 besought him to be merciful to him, and 
 spare his life, for the sake of his wife and 
 family, 
 
 Malcolm, no otherwise moved at his 
 petition, than by a smile at his ignorance : 
 " Timothy," said he, " fear not, thou art 
 in my esteem amongst the first of men ; 
 therefore," laying the sword upon his 
 shoulder, at which the fellow trembled
 
 68 THE RULING PASSION 
 
 •v-»-»-v»-wvwv-w%v-» 
 
 most ruefully, " I say unto thee, rise up, 
 Sir Timothy Barbacue; from henceforth a 
 knight bachelor art thou." 
 
 The poor farmer, venturing then to 
 rise, made all due submission, and was 
 retiring, when, " Sir Timothy/' said his 
 Majesty, " how far have you travelled in 
 these plains and the woods adjoining i" 
 He replied, that having for some days 
 past lost a heifer, he had been several 
 miles different ways in search after her. 
 The next question being, what kind of a 
 beast was she ? Malcolm no sooner 
 heard her description, than he pointed 
 behind him to the place he would find 
 her in ; at which Sir Timothy rejoiced 
 greatly. 
 
 Malcolm then demand whether Sir 
 Timothy in his walk had not seen his 
 steeds, describing them ? He replied, he 
 believed he had ; but that the mare,
 
 THE RULING PASSlOJST. 69 
 
 »*V%Wv»v*%"% ••*%»» 
 
 when he saw her, had a foal by her 
 side. 
 
 Malcolm, little doubting by the just- 
 ness of Sir Timothy's remarks upon the 
 horse, that the mare must be the same he 
 wanted, took his leave of Sir Timothy, 
 who now made not the least question of 
 his having been in company with the 
 King - 3 when looking again at the guineas, 
 he had the less scruple but upon his 
 future application he should arise from 
 one honour to another, till he arrived to 
 the rank of nobility. 
 
 Sir Timothy's head was so turned 
 with his ruling passion, that he had 
 scarce patience to pursue the strayed 
 beast, till he had given her Ladyship some 
 account of his good fortune ; but we 
 must now leave the Knight to the dictates 
 of his own brain, whilst we attend his 
 Majesty in his further peregrinations.
 
 70 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 CHAP. 6. 
 
 Malcolm's sufferings in pursuit of his steeds. 
 
 Secures them in a farm-yard His 
 
 compliments to Mir a Leaves the farm- 
 ers Loses his coat Proceeds to join 
 
 David, 
 
 No sooner was Sir Timothy's back 
 turned, than Malcolm took his way after 
 the horse and mare, the water dropping 
 from his clothes into his jack-boots, 
 which were kept brimful ; but still he 
 proceeded, as the reward in the end 
 would so fully compensate for all inter- 
 mediate labour. 
 
 It was now past noon, and the sun 
 very warm, nor was there the least breeze 
 of wind to refresh his Majesty with its 
 transient gales*
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 71 
 
 His garments were trebled in weight, 
 by the water they had sucked in so plen- 
 tifully, and such a bath was himself in, 
 when he quitted a little wood for the 
 lawn, where he first espied the steeds, 
 that he was ready to drop from faint- 
 ness 3 but the beasts were to be recover- 
 ed, or a stop must be put to their future 
 progress. 
 
 He was now within an horse-length 
 of them, nothing in the creation seem- 
 ing so gentle as they, which spirited up 
 his hopes, that the worst was then over; 
 but as sure as he moved to the head of 
 the coach-horse, so surely he turned his 
 hind heels to his master. The saddle 
 was gone, and the bridle broken ; but 
 yet enough of this was remaining to 
 have guided him with, could he once 
 have been so happy as to have backed 
 him.
 
 72 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 ■VV'VV%'WVW'VV%-W* 
 
 They kept company together thus, 
 till Malcolm was so fatigued, and sweated 
 to such a degree, as to fear that he must 
 have deserted the chase, and have taken 
 his lodging on the common he was then 
 crossing. He slipped off his great-coat, 
 which had hitherto proved his main in- 
 cumbrance, and stuffing it into a bush, 
 renewed the pursuit of the steeds for 
 about two miles further, almost cheek by 
 jowl to each other; but without ever 
 once being able to secure the bridle, 
 which so sure as ever he caught at, the 
 creature starting aside, prevented him. 
 
 Malcolm was become so dishearten- 
 ed, that he began to turn all his con- 
 cerns towards himself; when espying 
 two horsemen upon full speed at a dis- 
 tance, he hallooed and brought them to; 
 but on opening his case, and imploring 
 their assistance, they cursed him for a
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 73 
 
 blockhead for troubling them, and clap- 
 ping spurs to their steeds, bad him catch 
 his own as he could for them. 
 
 This severe treatment warmed Mal- 
 colm's resentment to foreigners. Had I 
 been in my own dominions, thought he, 
 how obsequious had these very wretches' 
 been, who have now so egregiously slight- 
 ed me ; but he that aims at a diadem, 
 must pick it off thorns, and bear insults 
 with patience in the process, till once it 
 encircles his temples, when it soon be- 
 comes his turn to domineer. 
 
 He had scarce watched the motions 
 of his beasts half a mile further, when he 
 he espied a farm-house, with a strong 
 hedge running for some way by the side 
 of it, and a low paling in front, which he 
 instantly applied to his purpose, by 
 gently following the creatures along the 
 hedge-side, till at length he re-turned 
 
 VOL. I. . E
 
 74 THE RULING PASSIC$K\ 
 
 *~v*-v%-viv%w*%** 
 
 them into the yard, where he soon im- 
 pounded them P and thereby conquered 
 his difficulty. 
 
 So much time and pains had been 
 employed in the above exercise, that it 
 was now grown into the close of the day, 
 and several calls of nature then prompt- 
 ing him to refreshment, prevented all 
 thoughts of his removal, till they were in 
 some measure satisfied ; so that venting 
 a piteous story to the good woman of 
 the house, (her husband being then upon 
 a journey for some days,) he prevailed 
 upon her both for his supper and 
 lodging ; then having filled his skin with 
 such eatables as the mansion afforded, 
 hung his wet clothes to dry, and issued 
 his orders about the horses, the woman's 
 daughter conducted him to his bed- room, 
 and there left him. 
 
 Malcolm had never been better tuned
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 75 
 
 for sleeping in all his days, which exer- 
 cise he soon engaged in : nor was he 
 known to be alive on the following noon, 
 but by the inexpressible rattling of his 
 throat, which alarmed the whole family ; 
 till my goody suspecting his repose to be 
 preternatural, and the effect of some dis- 
 temper, when her dinner was set upon 
 the table awoke him, to partake with 
 her. 
 
 He paid her his compliments, upon 
 his descent to the kitchen, in a very 
 princely manner ; and having made a 
 hearty meal, upon a boiled shin of beef 
 and broth, extolled her cookery to the 
 very skies, entreating her to favour him 
 with the receipt, he being determined to 
 feast his whole court upon that dainty ; 
 and assured her, that whenever she would 
 pay her duty to him at Holy rood- house, 
 he would present her with the best buck
 
 76 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 his dominions would afford, in return for 
 it; besides the great things he would 
 perform for her children, of whom three 
 or four were then at the table with him - 3 
 but the eldest, a very beautiful and 
 modest girl, of about sixteen years of 
 age, he insisted should be maid of honour 
 to his consort. 
 
 The old woman staring at Malcolm, 
 had little doubt of a disordered brain, 
 when she heard him run on so wildly ; 
 but the young one, upon the promise of 
 her preferment, took it for a done thing, 
 and bridled up exceedingly upon it ; 
 making bold, by way of bespeaking a 
 compliment, to reply, that she should 
 never be fine enough to make a maid of 
 honour. 
 
 " Young lady," said Malcolm, " vir- 
 tue and honour are the most recommend- 
 atory qualifications of the human being;
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 77 
 
 ww-wv^-v*- 
 
 but being joined to the superlative graces 
 you possess, and the charms your person 
 abounds with, they never fail to demand 
 regard from every judicious eye. As for 
 your dress, a better will soon be acqui- 
 red in my court ; but that, or aught not 
 heightened by the natural endowments 
 of the person, can never render the ob- 
 ject deserving in my opinion. These, 
 fair lady, you excel in ; nor can any 
 one, 1 am persuaded, more deservingly 
 grace my court, than yourself. My af- 
 fairs will be settled by autumn, when I 
 shall expect you, with the good lady 
 your mother." 
 
 " Pray, sir," said Mira, that being 
 the girl's name, " may I be so bold to 
 inquire where you live i" Majesty 
 smiled ! <c My pretty maiden/' replied 
 he, " your question puzzles me; but 
 where I shall live, when I expect to see 
 
 E3
 
 ?8 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 you, I have already mentioned to be 
 Holy rood-house, the ancient palace of 
 my progenitors. There, my dear, you 
 shall converse with ancient heroes in my 
 long gallery, all my ancestors of famous 
 memory, whose vast achievements load 
 my country's records, even beyond the 
 strength of probability ; yet those are 
 not a tythe of all their noble acts. I, by 
 descent, entitled to their heritage, am 
 now proceeding to enjoy my patrimony : 
 my subjects groaning for deliverance by 
 my sole arm, from their worse than 
 Egyptian bondage. Nor am I the first, 
 or only prince by many, who has been 
 exiled from his royal prerogatives. What 
 histories might I quote, what stories re- 
 late, to verify the truth of this ! But I 
 omit them, as needless to my present 
 purpose." 
 
 The good woman, now observing him
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 79 
 
 w%*% ww V WW*, w 
 
 to look so seriously, and proceed so ra- 
 tionally, had by this time changed her 
 opinion, and believed him somewhat 
 more than she had taken him for ; 
 then, deducing reasonable illustrations 
 from his mistaken premises, and adhering 
 to these only, they began to build upon 
 them mighty matters, dependant on his 
 professions ; they began to feel a ruling 
 passion, and became heartily unwilling 
 to part with him, lest with their persons, 
 amidst the avocations of a court, he 
 should also forget his promises. 
 
 By the time dinner and the above 
 discourse were over, and ere Malcolm 
 had swallowed a mug or two of my 
 dame's best nappy, which he seemed ex- 
 ceedingly fond of, the day had crept on, 
 till it was past four in the afternoon, 
 when he ordered his h >rse for h's depar- 
 ture •, but the delay proved so great, in 
 
 e4
 
 80 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 repairing the shattered bridle, moving 
 the mare's saddle to the horse, and pro- 
 viding her with a halter for AJalcolm 
 to lead her by, none of which movements 
 had been timely considered, that it was 
 now almost six o'clock, and too late for 
 his Majesty to reach the rendezvous that 
 night, had he been ever so much inclined 
 to it ; which, in truth, he was not $ for 
 having tasted the sweets of a bellyfull, 
 and a warm night's repose, he was great- 
 ly inclined to a repetition of both, before 
 he quitted such company, as founding 
 their felicity upon his assurances, proved 
 the most proper fuel for his RULING 
 
 PASSION. 
 
 He ordered every thing in readiness 
 for the morning, and took horse with the 
 eariiest day ; having first saluted my 
 dame and Mira ; each of whom he 
 presented, this with half, and the other
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 81 
 
 »-VVVV»'V»'»»V'VWV* 
 
 with an whole guinea. When Mira, who 
 had never before been mistress of such a 
 treasure, to make her court the surer to 
 him, and establish herself the firmer in 
 his memory, having once received the 
 bened ction of a Bshop, and doubting 
 not but a King's would be still superior, 
 dropped upon her knees for his blessing; 
 but instead of his hand upon her head, 
 as the Bishop had before placed his, Mal- 
 colm delivered her his to kiss ; then rais- 
 ing her from the ground, and re saluting 
 her lips : " Most illustrious lady," sai4 
 he. " either I am deceived in the lines 
 of your countenance, or you will soon be 
 the wife of one of my chief nobles," 
 Then mounting Slouch, and the carter de- 
 livering him the mare's halter, he moved 
 gravely off, while the filly ambled neigh- 
 ing beside them. 
 
 It being early, and somewhat windy, 
 
 E5
 
 82 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 the morning proved so excessively cold, 
 as soon to remind him of his great-coat, 
 which he had lodged in the bush two 
 days before ; so that though it was just 
 so much out of his way, yet the present 
 necessity, and what might in future hap- 
 pen, prevailed with him to recover that, 
 the first thing he proceeded to. It was 
 with no little difficulty, through a track- 
 less wild, that he found his way back to 
 the place again ; but being arrived, 
 though not the same way he had left it 
 by, a new difficulty started, from the 
 innumerable bushes of nearly the same ap- 
 pearance there, and this he could no ways 
 conquer ; for though he had put his wits 
 upon the tenter, and had examined abun- 
 dance of them, he was at length obliged 
 to desist, from the insurmountable task 
 of scrutinizing them all ; so that resting 
 content with his loss, he turned off in 
 quest of David.
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 83 
 
 Though he found himself sorely dis- 
 tressed, through the bleakness of the wea- 
 ther, for want of his Joseph ; yet he bore 
 up with surprising resolution, under the 
 comfort of having recovered his steeds 
 again, and the reflection, that fortitude, 
 equanimity, and a neglect of disappoint- 
 ments, must set a man superior to world- 
 ly accidents, and support him through 
 all his enterprises ; more especially such 
 as would require the coolest head, and 
 utmost serenity of mind, to surmount ; 
 so that quitting further thought of his 
 coat, he solaced himself with the reflec- 
 tion of its being but just the same thing, 
 as if he had at first left it behind him ; 
 and turning Slouch about, rode on to join 
 his Highness David. 
 
 e6
 
 84 THE RULING PASSION, 
 
 -v%-v* -v»-v% w-vwwv 
 
 CHAP. 7. 
 
 Difficulties in his journey.... Finds David 
 greatly distressed.... Account of his mis- 
 fortune.... Application to his wounds.... 
 Some considerations on the landlady. 
 
 MALCOLM had business enough upon 
 his hands to manage all his family upon 
 the way ; for if the colt lagged ever so 
 iittle behind, not a step forwards would 
 the mare move; so that, had he not kept 
 a most exact hand between Slouch and 
 her, by checking him at the instant she 
 drew back, he must either, by quitting of 
 her, have had all his work to do over 
 again, or have been pulled off his own 
 borse between them. 
 
 Nor was this all ; for the colt t upon 
 sight of other cattle, would frequently
 
 THE RULING PASSION. $5 
 
 take a frisk towards them ; when Mal- 
 colm, unable to restrain its mother from 
 pursuing it, was obliged to gallop some- 
 times one way, and sometimes another, 
 for a quarter of a mile together, till the 
 foal quitting its company, was pleased to 
 return to its dam again, which rendered 
 Malcolm's journey so irksome to him, 
 that he had often wished the colt in her 
 belly again, or that some lucky hit or 
 other would dispatch her of an errand tc* 
 the other world. 
 
 Having thus spent the best part of his 
 day in this exercise, Malcolm's arms were 
 now ten times more fatigued than his 
 legs, on his arrival at the farm-house ; 
 but perseverance, as I said before, levels 
 mountains, and this brought him in the 
 evening within sight of the appointed 
 meeting place. 
 
 The joy Malcolm had conceived at
 
 8S THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 the prospect of an end to his labours, and 
 an expected union with his fellow-travel- 
 ler again, was very great ; and whilst he 
 was gratefully musing on, the mare, by a 
 sudden spring of her head, slipping the 
 halter through his gripe, not only tore 
 away the best part of the skin from his 
 fingers, before sorely blistered by so te- 
 dious a retention of her, but recovered her 
 former liberty. 
 
 Though Malcolm grievously regretted 
 the mare's escape, and was about to have 
 lavished out his exclamations on the sub- 
 ject, yet he soon found he had gained 
 such experience by it* that had he be- 
 fore been master of, might have saved 
 him many a hazard of his neck that he 
 had run in leading her ; for being per- 
 fectly acquainted with Slouch, no dog 
 could more lovingly follow his master, 
 than she him, to the inn they put up at.
 
 THE RULING PASSION. S7 
 
 His Majesty had promised himself 
 abundance of enjoyment in his Highness's 
 society that night, it being the first 
 public- house they had stopped at -, but 
 upon inquiry, David was not to be found 
 by any description his master could give 
 of him. There was a poor man, he was 
 informed, almost naked and wounded, 
 brought in there two days befo;e, whom 
 they had put to bed, where he still 
 lay -, but they expected his death every 
 minute, for he had neither eaten nor drank 
 since he came. 
 
 The horses being put up, Malcolm, 
 impatient for a sight of this object, was 
 conducted to his bed-side, where he found 
 David, in a very low and languishing 
 condition, and scarce able to speak so as 
 to be heard intelligibly. Malcolm sat 
 down by him, and begged an account of 
 his disorder 5 to whom David replied, in
 
 $8 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 broken accents, that he had been robbed 
 and murdered. 
 
 " Murdered !" retorted Malcolm, 
 " then how came you alive again ?" 
 
 " I mean, in consequence/' replied 
 David, " for that I am a dying man is 
 most apparent. But to let you into my 
 history, sir, I met with two ruffians soon 
 after my patting with you, of whom I in- 
 quired my way hither, and whether they 
 had seen my mare j for if so, I doubted not 
 but your horse was within sight of her. 
 They both replied they had, and if I 
 would but step with them, they would 
 bring me to -:he sight of her. What 
 mischief could have been expected from 
 an offer of such civility ! So returning my 
 thanks for the trouble they would give 
 themselves, I accepted of their kindness. 
 'They led me into one of the thickest 
 covers of the wood, when turning short
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 89 
 
 upon me, Your money or your blood, 
 said they. I started at the sound, and 
 catched at my sword, to have defended 
 myself; but before I could draw upon 
 the defensive, I was knocked down, and 
 deprived of my senses. What next en- 
 sued I am ignorant of, till opening my 
 eyes, as they were stripping my shirt 
 from my back, I revived, in time to bear 
 witness of their tying me bare-headed, 
 and bare-backed, to a cursed hard coated 
 old oak, against which, with struggling 
 for my release, I have lost as much leather 
 as would have cut into two pair of large 
 vamps - y nor had I ever gained redemption 
 from it, but for an honest way-faring 
 man, who, led by my groans, arrived to 
 my succour." 
 
 " Magnanimous Prince !" said Mal- 
 colm, " shake off this bitterness, where- 
 with your manly spirit seems oppressed.
 
 90 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 Exert your prowess, and come to supper 
 wi'h me. Events fortuitous must not 
 subdue our native vigour thus. How 
 many monarchs before your Highness 
 have waded to the knees in blood, reach- 
 ing at empire ? 'Tis true, thy wounds 
 and bruises, so ignobly gained, add 
 nothing to thy worth, by basest hands 
 inflicted ; but they inure thee to the 
 pistol-shot, the bayonet , * fcd ouckswords' 
 deep incisions ; for these thou must ex- 
 pect to triumph in, amidst the clangour 
 of a civil war. Arise, I say, and let us 
 proceed to supper." 
 
 " Alas ! my liege,'* replied David, 
 " though my b«.dy could sustain itself 
 awhile m upright posture, to attend your 
 Majesty; yet decency fobids exposure 
 of my naked corpse in your Highness* s 
 presence. My baggage has. been pil- 
 laged i I have lost my arms j am bare as
 
 THE RULING PASSION. §f 
 
 *•* wwv% %-x-wt w» 
 
 Job too, from my middle upwards ; so 
 cannot rise without a proper covering. 
 Had I but that, I trust I could make a 
 shift to accompany your grace at the 
 banquet ; for to tell you the truth, sir, 
 since I saw you last I have made no meal, 
 nor have my lips been moistened 5 nay, 
 had you never found me, I had never 
 more arose ; for having both lost my 
 clothes and money, my distress was more 
 tolerable here in secret, than had I arose 
 to have been the laughing-stock of the 
 whole town, with nothing in nature to 
 have helped myself; for who, think you, 
 would have lent me clothes, or provided 
 me with other necessaries unpaid, in this 
 barbarous part of the country V* 
 
 Malcolm's choler rose prodigiously at 
 this report. He vowed revenge upon the 
 robbers j but plied his instant steps ta 
 the procuring such present accommoda-
 
 92 THE RULWG PASSION, 
 
 -^\-v% •*-*■»<% -v-v» 
 
 tion for the despoiled David, as the time 
 would best permit, and the exigency of 
 his case required. 
 
 His first application was to the inn- 
 keeper's wife, her husband being then 
 from home; when having laid before her 
 the dignity of the person for whom they 
 were wanted, and the several particulars 
 that would be requisite ; and further, 
 that he would satisfy her for the use of 
 them, till a more suitable dress could be 
 prepared for his friend ; she, to oblige so 
 good a customer, who had promised to 
 make her house his home till David was 
 new rigged, soon re-entered the chamber, 
 with a whole arm load of furniture, against 
 the gentleman should be disposed to be 
 stirring. 
 
 Highly pleased with my landlady's 
 readiness to oblige him, MaWolm de- 
 manded what her house would afford for
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 9$ 
 
 their suppers ? Which she, quickly re- 
 collecting, begged to know whether his 
 Honour should like this ? Extremely 
 well, he told her. Or that, she said, or 
 another thing ; naming singly, so far as 
 her memory served, the whole inventory 
 of her larder ; to each of which, Malcolm 
 having as readily given his affirmative, 
 before David was half-dressed the spit 
 was turning, the pot boiling, and all 
 the stoves at work for their entertainment; 
 for Malcolm having expressed his eqtial 
 approbation of, and assent to, each par- 
 ticular, as she had named them, she had 
 ordered all she had to be got ready. 
 
 Whilst supper was thus providing* 
 David complaining loudly of his back, 
 Malcolm took one of the candles to ex- 
 amine it by : when he observed it to be 
 in a worse plight than he had before 
 imagined it j for having been very raw
 
 §4 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 ill many places, by rubbing against the 
 tree, the scurf of its bark had crusted into 
 the dried parts, which all seemed full set 
 for festering. 
 
 Malcolm gave him a description how 
 he found it ; and upon consultation they 
 had agreed to tallow it, by way of 
 softening the crusted scurf; when David 
 making up a fair back, Malcolm tipped 
 Up the candle, which dropping its melted 
 tallow upon the sore, so scalded poor 
 David, and put him into such terrible 
 torture, that he roared like a boar just 
 stuck, till he had brought up the good 
 wife of the house, with many of her under 
 ministers at her heels, to inquire the 
 cause of the outcry. 
 
 Malcolm opening the affair to her, 
 and giving her a peep at David's shoul- 
 ders, she pronounced sentence that they 
 were highly inflamed, and must instantly
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 93 
 
 be mitigated by some soft and cooling 
 plaister ; so that upon her descent, she 
 sent up half a yard square of spread lint, 
 which being applied, abated the anguish 
 of the part prodigiously. 
 
 So much time had already been spent 
 in preparations for David's rising, that 
 supper was on the table before he was 
 quite dressed 5 at which instant there 
 arrived a nobleman's family, with a coach 
 and six, who all likewise wanted their 
 suppers. My landlady having nothing left 
 for them, begged it as a favour, that the 
 new-comers might be admitted to Mal- 
 colm's table. 
 
 His first inquiry was, who are they ? 
 When the woman replying, they were 
 persons of distinction, travelling south- 
 ward, Malcolm judged no less than that 
 they were some of his own nobles ; al- 
 leging to David, that nothing could have
 
 THE RULING PASSIOM. 
 
 happened more commodious than this 
 opportunity of disclosing himself to them; 
 so that he gave her leave to introduce 
 them. 
 
 Turning then to David, he gave him 
 his opinion of the good aspect his affairs 
 seemed to have put on, and how happy 
 he thought himself, that, on the very 
 first night of his resting at that house, 
 he should meet with some of his own 
 countrymen, and those of a superior class 
 too, from whom he might not only gain 
 intelligence of the general state of his 
 kingdom, and of the good affection of his 
 subjects to his family; but also, with 
 whom he might form an interest for the 
 prosecution of his future purposes. 
 
 David replied, that he much doubt 3d 
 their being of any service to his designs ; 
 for that, if he mistook not, his hostess 
 said they were travelling southward,
 
 THE RULING PASSION, 97 
 
 '%%'VW* »»»\»*\tv» 
 
 which rather foreboded their holding a 
 correspondence with his enemies. 
 
 " David !" cried Malcolm, " thou 
 shootest beside the mark in many re- 
 spects, taking things too implicitly, in 
 the shapes they disguise themselves in to 
 thy outward senses. Thou callest the 
 matron of this mansion thy hostess ; but 
 if I have any intellectual discernment, 
 she is no otherwise so than in show, and 
 under a deception to thy visual organs.'' 
 
 " Not an hostess !" replied David, 
 "why, what does your Majesty take her 
 for ?* 
 
 " Any thing," answered Malcolm, 
 «? rather than what she appears to be. 
 No hostess, however, assure thyself ; but 
 rather a lady of no small distinction. 
 Observed you not her mien, her air, her 
 behaviour, to denote the concealment of 
 her real person from thee. Are such 
 
 VOL. i. F.
 
 98 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 language and qualifications as she is en- 
 dowed with characteristics of a publican ? 
 The short jetting step, the trip, the 
 curtsy, would proclaim the woman within 
 her, was she clothed in rags, superior to 
 the way of life she would assume to thee 
 and me. Nay, in my belief, these stran- 
 gers with whom we are to sup, are her 
 near relations, and only upon a visit of 
 ceremony to her." 
 
 Before their argument was fully con* 
 eluded, came the waiter, to assure them, 
 that both supper and the company waited 
 for them ; so that the remainder of the 
 debate was obliged to be postponed to 
 the next opportunity.
 
 THE RULTNG PASSION. 99 
 
 %/W»WW%.%VWW»' 
 
 CHAP. 8. 
 
 Account of their company at supper 
 
 Their reception Malcolm's speech to 
 
 David Discovers himself to the com- 
 pany Advises w ith my Lord The 
 
 company } s reflection on them. 
 
 The new comers in the parlour were 
 the Earl of G — '• — «— s and his Lady ; the 
 
 master of G s, their son ; a young 
 
 lady, their daughter ; their chaplain ; and 
 two gentlemen, friends of his Lordship ; 
 with three servants in livery behind 
 them. 
 
 The waiter entering first, to him suc- 
 ceeded Malcolm, stalking most majesti- 
 cally ; at sight of whom, the whole as- 
 semblage rose to pay their compliments, 
 which he returned almost to the floor ; 
 but recovering again, entreated them all 
 to be seated. 
 
 F2
 
 100 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 David, who was but a thin and short 
 man, with red hair shocked, but a little 
 longer than the wool of a negro, appeared 
 next $ at least, so much as could be dis- 
 covered of him ; for being invested in the 
 coat of my landlord, who was a man of 
 the first rate, both for height and thick- 
 ness A he exhibited only his head and neck 
 to the shoulder joints, peeping through 
 the collar of the vestment, which would 
 fairly have contained three bodies of the 
 size of his. His hands were swallowed 
 up in an immensity of sleeve, and the 
 skirts of his garments reached to the 
 ground, and rested on it. 
 
 Compliments ended between Malcolm 
 and the company, David stepped for- 
 ward to take his turn ; and raising up 
 one sleeve, would have kissed his hand, 
 could he any ways have gained the pass 
 to it j whilst unobserved, he kicked up
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 101 
 
 ►■wv%v* 
 
 his right foot behind its covering; for 
 David had never corrupted his natural 
 air, by the. foreign assistance of a dancing 
 master. 
 
 All had proceeded with becoming 
 gravity, till the appearance of David; 
 when the strangers, no longer able to 
 regulate their deportment by the laws of 
 decency, broke out into an open laughter; 
 nor could they apply it to the least inter- 
 vening accident, in favour of the ab- 
 sorped member, though they several 
 times attempted it ; but the frequent 
 iterations of their 1 mirth would &4mit of 
 no other subject than the almost en- 
 tombed David, no part of the figure of 
 whom was to be seen, save his round 
 head, that waggled about, just as if it 
 had moved by the clock-work of an 
 artificial mandarin. 
 
 Though all seemed to have been com- 
 
 f3
 
 102 THE RULING PASSION, 
 
 posed upon their seating themselves for 
 supper ; yet few of them, when they cast 
 an eye upon David, but were convulsed 
 by tittering symptoms ; for poor David 
 met with such difficulty in his hands, in 
 conveying them the readiest way" to his 
 mouth, as, in spite of every contrary re- 
 solution, kept the company in a merry 
 mood all supper time. 
 
 So soon as the things were removed, 
 and the servants had left the room, Mal- 
 colm, by way of introduction to more 
 weighty matters, began upon David's 
 melancholy accident, setting forth mi- 
 nutely all that had befallen him -, when, 
 though the company would fain have ex- 
 ercised their pity for his misfortune, they 
 had no sooner cast their eyes upon the 
 object of their compassion, than the droll 
 figure he then showed out in, drew every 
 feature into risible order ; till Malcolm,
 
 THE RULING PASSTCW. 103 
 
 <»-w% »>*-»»'» »•»»*■*■%> 
 
 beholding the indignity with some com- 
 motion, " Thou art not the first, my 
 friend," said he, " that has become the 
 sport of fortune ; but be it so awhile ; 
 the time shall come, that thou shalt smile 
 whilst thy inferiors howl. Great minds 
 are situate above the reach of fortune, 
 which makes thee gentle amidst thy cala- 
 mities, and patiently endure all turns of 
 fate. Tis true, thy present garb suits 
 not thy dignity $ without thy crime, de- 
 spoiled by robbers, thou art reduced to 
 it : a like necessity, though not the same, 
 presents me also clad in homely manner, 
 whose back the Tyrian purple best be- 
 suits ; but time, the discloser of all mys- 
 teries, may exhibit those temples burnish* 
 ed with imperial diadems, that, now 
 neglected, screen themselves in humble 
 felt." 
 
 My Lord and his companions stood 
 
 F 4
 
 104 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 in admiration at the gravity wherewith 
 Malcolm delivered his speech, nor could 
 they imagine who he and his friend 
 should be ; but willing to learn some- 
 what of their history, he inquired what 
 country Malcolm was of? He replied, 
 of Scotland originally ; asking the noble- 
 man the same question, and receiving a 
 like answer from him. 
 
 " You must have heard,*' said Mal- 
 colm, " though Jong before your time, of 
 that gallant Prince and warrior, Robert 
 Bruce, of glorious memory." 
 
 " I have, sir," replied his Lordship, 
 " and a great man he was." 
 
 " I would hope so," said Malcolm, 
 " as my blood claims but the advantages 
 transmitted to me from him." 
 
 " Are you then a distant relative of 
 that great man?" demanded his Lord- 
 ship.
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 105 
 
 f* His only heir," said Malcolm, 
 " and a lineal descendant from him. 
 How stands my countrymen affected to 
 his line." 
 
 " They have quite forgot that such 
 a man ever lived," ansvvered his Lord- 
 ship, " most of them." 
 
 " But surely," said Malcolm, " when 
 they shall be apprised that I am in being, 
 for I have my pedigree by me to a single 
 birth, conscience and honour will pre- 
 vail, for their acknowledging my right 
 to the Scottish throne." 
 
 " Do you purpose to contest it, 
 sir ?" said his Lordship. 
 
 " I shall," replied Malcolm ; " and 
 if you have an estate in that kingdom, 
 I would advise you, as a friend, to espouse 
 my interest lor its preservation. My 
 partizans are already numerous, and 
 when once joined by their head, I shall 
 
 F5
 
 106 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 not skin it over, or sheath the sword, 
 till conquest proclaims my title. — Now, 
 sir," added Malcolm, •* as you are so 
 happily fallen into my presence, and by 
 your appearance seem to be a man of 
 some consequence, demonstrate but your 
 inclination to my service, you shall com- 
 mand my army ; nor shall there live a 
 Scot in higher trust or office than your- 
 self. — Let me advise your return to 
 Edinburgh : declare my intentions to 
 to my people. If they join us, we shall 
 behave most graciously to them; if not, 
 we denounce destruction, famine, slaugh- 
 ter, desolation, sword, and the dreadful 
 ravage of fire, through every country 
 that opposes our will." 
 
 "You highly honour me, sir," said the 
 nobleman, " nor should you meet a more 
 obsequious vassal, did not my present 
 most urgent occasions call me southward ;
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 107 
 
 but if your affairs will admit of a delay 
 till my return, I shall not say how far I 
 would obey you ; though as to being 
 your chief in office, it is no ways by me 
 jto be expected, whilst that gentleman, 
 (pointing to David,) seems so capable 
 of honouring such a post." 
 
 " You argue most justly, sir, from 
 appearances/' said Malcolm ; " for so 
 indeed it should seem to an indifferent 
 eye; but know, sir, that Prince hath 
 hitherto been equally unhappy with my- 
 self, both of us being in the same predi- 
 cament, by means of indolent ancestors, 
 who have tamely submitted to be strip- 
 ped of their royalties without a groan, or 
 the least regard to their posterity. ,, 
 
 " That worthy gentleman is then a 
 Prince too ?" said his Lordship. 
 
 " He is, sir," replied Malcolm, 
 " and that no less than a lineal de- 
 
 F6
 
 108 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 v*vwv^ww*»*»-v 
 
 scendant from Llewelline, late Prince of 
 Wales." 
 
 " Great pity ! truly," replied his 
 Lordship, " that so venerable an head 
 should be thus disjoined from its proper 
 corps." 
 
 Malcolm then put the question to 
 his Lordship, how he would advise him 
 to proceed, as liable to the least waste of 
 his subjects' blood, for re-instating him- 
 self in his dominions ; to which he re- 
 plied, that the best method he could at 
 present propose would be, writing circular 
 letters to all the nobility, appointing a 
 day for their meeting him at Edinburgh, 
 when, in presence of them all, either him- 
 self, or that noble Prince his companion, 
 (pointing to David,) might proclaim him 
 King, and by that see how the Scots 
 would relish it. 
 
 " I presume, sir," said Malcolm,
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 109 
 
 "you have not been much versed in the ce- 
 remonials of inaugarating crowned heads, 
 by proposing it as an act of my own." 
 
 " I humbly crave pardon, " said his 
 Lordship, " I offer this but as an expe- 
 dient, in the absence of those qualified 
 for that high trust ; not but that the 
 crown, virtually performing all public 
 acts, though executed actually by its 
 substitutes and ministers depute, if it 
 pleases may resume its own commis- 
 sions, and act absolutely per se." 
 
 " I plainly perceive," said Mal- 
 colm, " you are far from the novice I 
 took you for in the affairs of government, 
 and shall rejoice to treat with you for 
 your advancement ; but at present, after 
 the fatigues I have this day submitted to, 
 my bed will prove the greatest restorative 
 to my wearied limbs. To-morrow morn- 
 ing this good company shall have the
 
 110 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 honour of breakfasting with ourselves 
 and his Highness.'-' 
 
 Having said thus, and taken his leave 
 of his Lordship, the waiter advancing 
 with a couple of candles, they retired in 
 the same order of marching that they at 
 first entered the room. 
 
 His Lordship, the ladies, and the rest 
 of the company, were amazed at the 
 oddity of the two Princes ; when his 
 Lordship pronounced sentence, that they 
 were some lunatics, who had broken 
 from their keepers ; and that it was a 
 great pity but they should be confined 
 till their friends owned them. 
 
 Her Ladyship declared it was surpri- 
 sing to her, that a man who was a luna- 
 tic should talk so rationally as the tall 
 one did ; for till he began to speak of 
 the Prince, no man could appear more 
 agreeably conversable.
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 1 1 1 
 
 His Lordship's chaplain endeavoured 
 to rectify her Ladyship's judgment in 
 that particular, by assuring her there 
 were several disorders incident to the 
 brain, as also several denominations of 
 those disorders, and likewise several 
 stages of those denominations. " As 
 first," said he, " there is the melancholy 
 madman, whose distemper proceeding 
 from a too violent attention to one gloomy 
 subject, proves hurtful only to himselfj 
 his whole reflections, like a bilious 
 stomach, assimilating the most nutritive 
 aliment. 
 
 iC There is the raving madman, who 
 not so much from a perverted reflection, 
 as from the violence of his passions, tor- 
 tures his very soul for unattainables. 
 
 " There is also," added he, " the 
 man with the cracked brain, as he is 
 generally called. He is as mad as the
 
 112 THE RULING PASSION, 
 
 VVWWV^-v-fcVV»^W» 
 
 rest ; but it is only at such times as the 
 blasts of particular subjects are puffed 
 into that broken cranny ; for take him 
 upon other subjects, he argues coolly, de- 
 liberately, and in many respects judici- 
 ously ; till you cast before him the ob- 
 ject that rubs his sore, when he becomes 
 another man, starts from reason, nor is 
 there such a thing in nature as diverting 
 him from his mistaken premises ; from 
 which, were they but true, no man can 
 produce more clear and demonstrable de- 
 ductions ; so that he may be said to 
 reason judiciously, beyond contradiction, 
 from his own hypothesis -, and the very 
 thing which, were it well grounded, 
 would discover his understanding and ca- 
 pacity, proving wrong enlists him in the 
 order of madmen. 
 
 " This gentleman, Madam," added 
 the parson, " I take to be of the latter
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 1 13 
 
 class of men ; he wants no capacity for 
 ordinary occurrences, grant him but a 
 juster distinction of his subjects. ,, 
 
 " Doctor," said her Ladyship, cc pray 
 what is your opinion of the Prince ? In 
 what class shall we place him ?" 
 
 " I must confess, Madam," said he, 
 " that through the false medium I this 
 night beheld him, I have not yet been 
 able to make a true estimate of his ta- 
 lents ; but hjs Highness's taciturnity has 
 given him this advantage over his friend, 
 that he may still be a man of sense, for 
 aught that I have discovered to the con- 
 trary ; at least, I may undertake to af- 
 firm of him, that he bears an even mind 
 in all conditions, than which nothing 
 could have more contributed to the pla- 
 cid countenance he wore, under the 
 heap of incumbrance he was smother- 
 ed in.
 
 1 14 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 His Lordship then calling in the mis- 
 tress of the house, examined her con- 
 cerning her guests, and having gained 
 all the intelligence that he could from 
 her, which amounted to no more than 
 that they were strangers to her, they all 
 went to rest, charging the good woman 
 not to let the two wrongheads breakfast 
 without them.
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 115 
 
 ♦ ^-v^w-w^/www* 
 
 CHAP. 9. 
 
 Malcolm bespeaks a set of robes for David. 
 
 Is advised to them himself. David 
 
 in the waiter's clothes In the master of 
 
 G s's Malcolm gains the robes. 
 
 My Lord leaves them. 
 
 His Lordship's family travelling with 
 his own equipage, as their journey would 
 last so many days, they made but gentle 
 stages, for the ease of both man and 
 beast ; so that it was nine o'clock be- 
 fore any of them were stirring for break- 
 fast. 
 
 Malcolm, whose business never wholly 
 quitted his head, was up early, had sent 
 for a hedge tailor -, and was discoursing 
 with him upon a proper habiliment for 
 David, when his Lordship and his com- 
 pany first entered upon them ; to whom
 
 1 16 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 having paid the compliments of the time, 
 his Lordship seated himself, to hear what 
 was going forward between them. 
 
 Malcolm having described the Prince 
 to the tailor, he replied, that so much 
 the less cloth would do for him; but 
 where he should procure the furs and 
 ermine, he was at a vast loss, being assu- 
 red that country would afford none ; nor 
 was he certain he should shape the vest- 
 ment exactly, having never in his days 
 the honour of seeing a Prince in his robes. 
 
 His Lordship, who soon penetrated 
 the depth of this argument, was not te- 
 dious in giving an accurate description 
 of the royal robe -, but poor Stitch, who 
 wrought chiefly by the eye, could retain 
 little of it. My Landlady's whole collec- 
 tion of prints and drawings was now 
 ransacked over, for a pattern Prince for 
 the tailor to work by ; but not a kingly
 
 THE RULING PASSION. lly 
 
 habit was to be discovered throughout 
 the whole mansion $ till the cause grow- 
 ing almost desperate, the Parson, who, 
 since the beginning of the transaction, 
 had withdrawn upon some private affairs 
 to a little garden behind the house, most 
 opportunely arrived, with a print of King 
 Saul consulting the witch of Endor. 
 
 O ! the raptures that sparkled from 
 Malcolm's eyes, at the sight of this unex- 
 pected production ! He examined it 
 with abundance of caution, making the 
 tailor do the same, pointing out to him 
 the particulars he must be sure to re- 
 mark, as he wrought it ; but still there 
 was no slight appearance of the ermine ; 
 for which, and some other material objec- 
 tions, Stitch was within a second of 
 throwing up the job ; when his Lord- 
 ship, greatly delighted with the passage 
 before him, lest the joke should be wholly
 
 1 1 8 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 %\wvtvtv\www 
 
 lost, took the tailor aside, and assured 
 him, that cat or dog-skin, or on failure 
 of those, even white flannel, spotted with 
 black wool, would answer the purpose 
 every bit as well ; upon which, his coun- 
 tenance brightening up, he undertook 
 the work, and desired to know of whom 
 he was to take measure for it. 
 
 David having not yet appeared ; for 
 in his condition bed was the quietest 
 place for him, was immediately sent for 
 to be measured - y who, after a short de- 
 lay, presented himself before them all, 
 clad as on the evening before, and again 
 set them all to laughing. 
 
 The tailor, who was the best judge of 
 the propriety of the garments, stood quite 
 confounded on view of the figure before 
 him, and inquired if that was the gentle,- 
 man he was to take measure of? And 
 if he had not had some severe illness, that
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 1 1 Q 
 
 *^%*'W*^*V»^^w% 
 
 had shrunk him so ? To which Malcolm 
 replied, he was in great pain. 
 
 cc Was this coat ever made for him, 
 sir ?" said the tailor. 
 
 ce No, no, I tell thee, it is borrowed," 
 replied Malcolm. 
 
 " And was the gentleman never cloth- 
 ed before ?" said the tailor. 
 
 '* Go on with thy business," said Mai. 
 colm, " and let's hear no more of thy 
 impertinence ; it is sufficient for thee to 
 make new clothes, without scrutinizing 
 how thy customers come by their old ones." 
 The fellow then pulling out his 
 scissors, and walking round and round 
 David, as he stood like a post in the mid- 
 dle of the room, with my Lord's whole 
 family laughing at him ; at length scratch- 
 ing his head, and looking up in Mal- 
 colm's face, " I know not where to begin 
 with him," said he.
 
 120 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 ce Hast thou not a man before thee ?" 
 demanded Malcolm ; " why dost tkou 
 not proceed then ?" 
 
 " 1 know not what I have before 
 me/' answered the tailor,, <f not I. We 
 are used to take our measure from the 
 old clothes, and if they fit, we make the 
 the new ones so ; or we can contract, or 
 enlarge, lengthen or shorten a trifle ; but 
 here, my only guide must be the body 
 itself, if I can find it in all this wrapper." 
 Then seizing David hard by the back, 
 to strain the coat to its proper dimen- 
 sions, he put him to such exquisite tor- 
 ment, that the poor creature roared like 
 the treble of an organ unstopped, till the 
 tears flowed down his cheeks as large as 
 cherry-stones. 
 
 His Lordship having been a spectator 
 of this difficulty, begged leave at length, 
 to offer his sentiments; to which Malcolm
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 121 
 
 rtV«\V\*\W»\M| 
 
 listening most attentively, <c May it 
 please your Majesty," said he, " to avoid 
 all further inconvenience to his Highness, 
 I should propose these robes to be made 
 for your own wear, as you are the nearest 
 to your dominions, and will first have 
 occasion to use them. It may be time 
 enough after your own peaceable settle- 
 ment, to provide for his Highness against 
 he enters upon his government. " 
 
 This advice was complied with as soon 
 as pronounced ; and Malcolm striding 
 up to the tailor, surrendered his body to 
 be measured, which Stitch most readily 
 compassed, and then inquired of what 
 manufacture and colour he would please 
 to have them ? 
 
 A pause ensued for a considerable 
 
 time - y when Malcolm, not yet determined, 
 
 applied to his Lordship for advice, who 
 
 assured him, that was the case his own, 
 
 vol. u G.
 
 122 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 he should make it of plaid, preferably to 
 every other, as it would denote love for 
 his country, by approaching them as 
 nearly as he could in manners, even 
 prior to the least testimony of their re- 
 gard for him, 
 
 " You have your orders from our 
 Groom of the Stole," said Malcolm to 
 the tailor j " let us be thus robed with 
 expedition. " Then turning to his Lord- 
 ship, " My Lord," said he, for he had 
 heard the others call him so, "thrice happy 
 is the Prince who reigns over such sub- 
 jects as affect his interest like yourself. 
 I have appointed you, in present, Groom 
 of my Stole, and from this day you enter 
 upon your office in full pay. I must 
 postpone your southward journey. My 
 kingdom waits your counsel, as we our- 
 selves do ; both which must suffer by 
 your absence. — Doctor," said he to the
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 123 
 
 tVtMM 
 
 Parson, " you are from this day my first 
 Chaplain. — That young gentleman," 
 
 pointing to the master of G s, " must 
 
 be of my bed-chamber, and Stitch our 
 body tailor. As for you, ladies, when 
 my Queen arrives, demand what suits 
 you best ; but his Highness, till other 
 promotion, must remain my Prime Mi- 
 nister." 
 
 Having all paid obeisance to his Ma- 
 jesty's princely condescension to them, 
 they sat down to breakfast ; when his 
 Lordship, under favour, craved leave to 
 add, as a farther word of advice to his 
 Highness, that he would exchange that 
 enormous coat, which by no means be- 
 came him, for one of straighter dimen- 
 sions, which it should be his care to pro- 
 cure him ; for as his Lord had now 
 vested him in a post, it became him to 
 be no less anxious for so good a friend 
 
 G2
 
 124 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 and ally, than for his master him- 
 self. 
 
 To this his Majesty having graciously 
 condescended, his Lordship, who had 
 put off his journey for that day, merely 
 for the amusement these odd-turned 
 wretches afforded him and his lady, 
 stepped out to one of the waiters, who 
 was less than David, and tipping him 
 somewhat for a suit of his clothes, ordered 
 them forthwith for David. 
 
 His Lordship then ushering David up 
 to his dressing-room, the waiter and he 
 dressed him in a white fustian frock, and 
 white linen waistcoat ; but these being 
 as much too little as the others were too 
 big, his Lordship advised him to let the 
 coat fly open, and to girt round the 
 waistcoat with the waiter's apron ; and 
 thus accoutred, his Lordship introduced 
 him to the company.
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 125 
 
 If they had lost him before in my 
 landlord's trappings, they had sufficiently 
 found him in those of his man ; for his 
 arms stood a-strut from his sides, like his 
 namesake's on the first of March ; so 
 that instead of the release he expected 
 from his former livery, he had hampered 
 himself in a more afflicting durance, 
 which afforded him so little comfort, that 
 he sighed to himself most bitterly. 
 
 Her Ladyship noticing his distress, 
 could no longer endure to see human 
 nature under such perplexity $ for she 
 having drank his health, by way of whet 
 before dinner, and set him a glass to drink 
 her's in ; though he took it into his hand 
 at arm's length, and bowed to the young 
 lady, he could as soon have removed the 
 house from its foundation, as have brought 
 it nearer than within a foot of his own 
 mouth ; but after straining for some time
 
 126 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 with his arm half-crooked, he was obliged 
 to set it down again. The master of 
 G s being nearly of David's size and 
 make, her Ladyship ordered one of her 
 servants to look out his young master's 
 scarlet coat for Mr. David ; soon after 
 Malcolm had quitted the house for 
 the stable, to order a feed for his horses. 
 
 Well ! David was mounted again in 
 his dressing-room, where having with 
 much ado uncased himself from the 
 waiter's suit, the servant inclosed him in 
 his young master's, which fitted him 
 tolerably well ; but such a smart figure 
 did David cut upon his return, that he 
 was scarce known even to his own 
 master, who, upon re-entering the room, 
 began to compliment him as a stranger, 
 hoping to have met with another friendly 
 subject in him. 
 
 This again raised a strong laugh
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 127 
 
 amongst them all, Malcolm protesting, 
 that at first he did not in the least recol- 
 lect him ; for David was so bedaubed 
 with lace, that he could scarce stand 
 under the weight of it. 
 
 In these and the like amusements, 
 jovial as so many beggars, did his Lord- 
 ship and family spend several days, till 
 the arrival of Malcolm's finery ; for his 
 Lordship pleased himself very much with 
 the thoughts of what state Malcolm 
 would take upon him in them, and had 
 frequently called in at the tailor's to give 
 directions about them ; till on the fourth 
 morning they arrived, as the whole posse" 
 were collected at breakfast. 
 
 They consisted of a vest to be first 
 put on, faced from the neck to the middle 
 with white baize, and spotted with black 
 wool, as his Lordship had at first pro- 
 jected it ; but as it was of necessity to 
 
 G 4
 
 128 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 be tied about his waist with pendant 
 tassels, his Lordship had ordered two 
 white cow tails to be skinned, and sewed 
 neatly round a proper stuffing, which 
 tying before, the loose hairs being per- 
 fectly cleaned, made no insignificant 
 figure. 
 
 Over this was a long robe, bordered 
 with cat-skin, and trailing on the ground 
 for a great length ; and lastly, over all 
 the rest was a surtout of exceeding white 
 lambskin, in the wool, which tied under 
 the chin with a ribband^ and reached as 
 low as the elbow. 
 
 Malcolm thus habited, was compli- 
 mented by all the company ; but not 
 conceiving that his old tied wig, and 
 broad brimmed beaver, would accord to 
 the rest of his grandeur, recourse was 
 again had to tjie picture, for the regu- 
 lation of his "head-dress also -, where no
 
 THE RULING PASSTON. 129 
 
 hair appearing, but only the bare head in 
 a sort of coronet, all bad like to have 
 been untwisted, had not her Ladyship, 
 who was a perfect mistress of her scissors, 
 started a thought of converting Malcolm's 
 old hat into a coronet, by whipping off 
 the brim, save four spires at equal dis- 
 tances, each of which she cut into a cross 
 at top ; and, for the better appearance of 
 the thing, covered over with some old 
 lace she recollected to have in her bag- 
 gage ; then my Lord intimating to him 
 how unwarlike and unprecedented his 
 great wig would look over his robes of 
 state, they persuaded him to wear her 
 Ladyship's new made ornament upon 
 his naked skull. 
 
 Stitch had had so much work, had 
 employed so many hands, and had brought 
 in so long a bill, that his Lordship was 
 under no trifling concern, lest he should 
 
 Gf 5
 
 130 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 -•WV%V*WV"»V*V»V* 
 
 prove a sufferer for their pastime; but 
 no sooner was Malcolm completely dress- 
 ed, and the tailor had delivered him his 
 account, then extracting an handful of 
 gold, Malcolm paid him near seven 
 pounds, and made him a handsome do- 
 nation for his men to drink his health. 
 
 His Lordship enjoyed himself over 
 Malcolm's humour for the remainder of 
 that day, but without the least hint at 
 his departure ; then having entirely 
 cleared the house of them all, and or- 
 dered the packing up David's finery 
 while he slept, he set forwards betimes in 
 the morning, having first left strict orders 
 behind him that no one should make 
 mention which road he took.
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 13 1 
 
 CHAP. 10. 
 
 Malcolm and David leave the inn.... Dis- 
 course by the way.... David tells his dream, 
 
 Malcolm interprets it Cause of 
 
 dreams.... Arrive at Auckland.... Town in 
 an uproar at sight of them..., Malcolm's 
 speech on the occasion. 
 
 Malcolm was at a great loss for the 
 sudden departure of his Groom of the 
 Stole ; but upon conference with David, 
 could resolve it only into his return to 
 Scotland. He was confident his Lord- 
 ship was hearty in his interest, therefore 
 must needs begone before^ to give notice 
 of his approach, and to prepare the king- 
 dom for his reception. 
 
 David was so abashed at the loss of 
 his gay clothing, that he gave but little 
 
 G6
 
 132 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 MVMW\MV»V*W 
 
 heed to Malcolm's conclusions j for he 
 doubted not but some one of my Lord's 
 servants had played the thief for them, 
 and that he should see them no more. 
 However, he had now got Malcolm's 
 coat on, and was as passive under his 
 misfortune, as was becoming of a gene- 
 rous spirit ; but though he was somewhat 
 more shapeable about his body, than in 
 my landlord's clothes, yet Malcolm being 
 so much taller than his man, it might 
 well have passed for petticoats on him. 
 
 They called to pay, intending to pur- 
 sue his Lordship ; but what was their 
 surprise, at finding no more due from 
 them than for that day's breakfast, every 
 penny whereof, they expected, would 
 have been a pound ; for Malcolm dream- 
 ed no less than of treating his new minis- 
 ter. He gave, however, a gratuity to 
 the servants, and called to horsey first
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 133 
 
 recommending to David a halfpenny 
 roll which had been left, in case of want 
 by the way. 
 
 David, who had experienced the 
 benefit of a mouthful in petlo, in his first 
 day's march, demanded a supply of cheese 
 too ; but was very near leaving them 
 both behind him, through inability to 
 reach his pocket, which being far below 
 the stretch of his arm, the more he 
 stooped after it, the more it receded from 
 him; till Malcolm raising his flap, and 
 spreading it upon the table, he secured 
 his provision from further danger. 
 
 Never such a sight appeared upon the 
 public road, for certain, as these two 
 Princes made. Malcolm rode first in his 
 robes, the trail of which behind played 
 upon the horse's fetlocks; whilst him- 
 self sat erect, with equal state, as though 
 he had been making his entry through
 
 134 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 the streets of Edinburgh, amidst the ac- 
 clamations of a whole nation, all his 
 subjects. Then came David, upon the 
 bare ridge of his mare, with the filly 
 squeaking in the rear. 
 
 David never missed his saddle, till he 
 had sustained such a loss of leather, that 
 he was obliged to call a halt for easing 
 himself; which being, as David pre- 
 sumed, in a commodious place, and now 
 noon, they both squatted upon the turf, 
 to regale over the stores David had cram- 
 med his pockets with. 
 
 After relating to his master the raw 
 situation he found himself in just before 
 his alighting, he wondered who that 
 Lord was, they had so long been in com- 
 pany with ? — " I admire thy dulness," 
 said Malcolm ; " why, couldst thou not 
 collect from what passed, that he is Lord 
 High Treasurer of Scotland. — It is sur-
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 135 
 
 prising," added Malcolm, " what early 
 intelligence these people gain of the 
 designs of Princes ! Canst thou not yet 
 spy out that their journey was undertaken 
 merely to congratulate our arrival so near 
 their frontiers, and with a view of in- 
 forming me of the most amicable way of 
 proceeding: nay, it is most apparent, 
 that his Lordship took this route for the 
 sake of paying his early court to me, by 
 his returning so suddenly after he had 
 effectually performed it ; nor doubt I his 
 meeting us upon the borders, with a body 
 of forces sufficient for escorting us to our 
 capital. " 
 
 David expressed the high notions he 
 had of his master's penetration ; but 
 could not conceive whence his Lordship 
 had gained knowledge of their purpose. 
 
 " Til tell thee, David," replied 
 Malcolm 3 " but first will demand a
 
 136 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 »'WVW*^*WV"»^'V% 
 
 question of thee. Hast thou never 
 dreamed ?" 
 
 " I have," said David. 
 
 " And hast thou never observed that 
 to happen in real life, which was first 
 formed in thy sleeping imagination ?" 
 said Malcolm. 
 
 " I have," added David. " Nay, I 
 dreamed the very first night of our travel, 
 while I slept in the wood, how that we 
 were joined in battle with the enemy, 
 and that you, sir, rushing amongst their 
 thickest squadrons, had cut off your 
 competitor's head ; which mounted on 
 the point of your sword, you delivered to 
 me as your General \ at the same time in- 
 viting all the scattered troops to shelter un- 
 der your banner. Methought they did so, 
 and marched with you towards Stirling, 
 where I had certainly borne witness to 
 your coronation, but for the confounded
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 137 
 
 huzzas of the troops, which made such a 
 rattling through my brains, that they 
 awakened me," 
 
 " Remark that David !" said Mal- 
 colm ; " what means the cutting off my 
 opponent's head, but utterly extirpating 
 the faction, root and branch ! Thy 
 dream delights me, David ; and now thou 
 shalt understand how thou earnest to 
 dream it." 
 
 " How I came to dream it \" retorted 
 David 5 " why I fell asleep, and that 
 came into my dozing fancy. I dreamed 
 it, as a man may say ; one cannot dream 
 cither what one will or when one will. 
 No, I slept and dreamed so." 
 
 " Thou divest not into the mysterious 
 workings of a dream yet, I perceive," re- 
 plied Malcolm ; " then I'll inform thee 
 of it, and why thou dreamst so. You 
 are to know, David, a wakeful man im-
 
 138 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 bibes impressions, from the several ex- 
 ternal objects that either present them- 
 selves immediately to his view, or which 
 his imagination, upon reflection, or com- 
 parison of one thing with another, by a 
 chain of thought, represents to him. 
 Thus far of the wakeful man. Now sleep 
 is called the image of death, and justly 
 so; for then the body participates not 
 with the mind, in its guidance to the 
 object ; but being wholly quiescent and 
 passive, the mind is at leisure to pursue 
 her own course; all the intellectual 
 faculties also being under a state of inac- 
 tivity, till set in motion by spiritual ob- 
 jects, whose impressions may now be in- 
 fused without the intervention of the 
 body. — Thou hast heard of spiritual and 
 aerial beings, I doubt not," added Mal- 
 colm ; " who consisting wholly of intel- 
 lect, can pry into futurities, with the
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 139 
 
 same facility as we can behold distant 
 objects ; and can, from the very com- 
 plexions of mankind, descry their future 
 actions : they can, from the book of 
 fate, read you a history of facts to come, 
 in the same manner as we do of past 
 transactions, and that every wit as genu- 
 ine. They foresee the rise and fall of 
 empires, long before the events happen, 
 or the birth of the parties who either 
 gain or lose them. In short, David, they 
 consisting, as I said before, simply of in- 
 tellect, are a direct magazine of intelli- 
 gence. — Now, where those spiritual be- 
 ings incline, for the sake of justice, or 
 such other motives as we can no ways 
 account for, but to themselves best 
 known, to inform a man of future con- 
 tingencies, they take him napping; then 
 perching upon his shoulder, hold commu- 
 nication, through the organ of the ear,
 
 140 THE RULING PASSION, 
 
 with his inward spirit, then prepared for 
 the impulse ; and this they inject in so 
 forcible and lively a manner, that he 
 actually imagines himself, at that instant, 
 transacting the scene, which is years 
 after to succeed, and that as pertinently 
 as if he was then really concerned in 
 it." 
 
 David was very thankful for the hint, 
 and rejoiced to imagine that the spirits 
 interested themselves so much in their 
 affairs ; " For," said he, " should this 
 same spirit who has infused this hope 
 into us, have tipped the reverse to your 
 competitor, were I he, I should retreat 
 before the battle, and not endanger my 
 head*in a scuffle, where I was sure to 
 come off with the loss of it." 
 
 " Thou arguest still like an animal 
 clothed in flesh, David," added Malcolm ; 
 u for these things are determined by a
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 141 
 
 sort of fatality ; nor are you to imagine 
 the patients can any way avoid the rod 
 that lies in pickle for them. That would 
 put them upon counteracting the decrees 
 of fate, which were impossible -, as when 
 tyrants suffer by the hands they have 
 oppressed, in prosecution of their natural 
 rights, you are not to imagine those 
 capable of avoiding the stroke. No, it is 
 even said that their stars, that is, their 
 spirits, fight against them ; so that I 
 much question whether my adversary 
 will be let into the secret at all, for fear 
 of his kicking against the briars." 
 
 This doctrine, though somewhat 
 novel to David, was nevertheless salutary; 
 for having a spirit at his devotion, what 
 less could it forebode, than success to nis 
 future enterprises ? 
 
 Having concluded their discourse 
 with their bread and cheese, they rode
 
 142 THE RULTNG PASSION. 
 
 ttVtt\t'MVV>\\>\ 
 
 on to Auckland, where Malcolm had 
 promised to purchase David a saddle •> 
 for, poor man, when he dismounted there, 
 he was scarce able to stand, he had so 
 bruised both his thighs by shifting from 
 one to the other, in aid of the intermedin 
 ate sore. 
 
 It happened to be market-day, nor 
 was it over when they arrived ; but such 
 a running, confusion, and uproar, did 
 their entry occasion, as had scarce been 
 seen in those parts before ; for all the 
 way they paraded through the town, not 
 a soul was left behind, all flocking after 
 them to their inn. Nor dispersed the 
 assembly upon their alighting ; but the 
 yards and road before the inn were 
 thronged by men, women, and children, 
 to learn who they were, and what had 
 brought them thither. 
 
 It was with much ado that David
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 143 
 
 *\»\»\»«\MWVt 
 
 hobbled into the house after his master 5 
 when neither of them having drank since 
 their dinner, they called for a mug of 
 ale ; but Malcolm observing the multi- 
 tude, all of whom he had applied to his 
 own interest and advantage, not to be 
 dispersed yet, he spoke to Darid in the 
 following manner. 
 
 " My true and faithful friend and 
 ally, how does it rejoice me to see so 
 many good subjects upon their march, 
 even into an enemy's country, to con- 
 gratulate my arrival hither. Let us there- 
 fore make our advantage of their zeal, by 
 allotting them to proper corps, for com- 
 posing a regular army. Let us examine 
 into each man's capacity for office, ap- 
 point our commanders in chief, with their 
 subordinate officers, from the nobility 
 and principal gentry amongst them, and 
 then enroll the remainder into regular
 
 144 THE RULING PASSION, 
 
 •^ww^-v-v-v-v^wv-vv 
 
 forces, both of horse and foot. Let it 
 be your post to harangue these people 
 from some eminence where you may be 
 most conspicuous. Inform them of our 
 affection, and the just sense we have of 
 their loyalty to us. Assure them of our 
 protection, together with our readiness 
 to receive them into our service. Let 
 them know/ that if any of them have 
 heretofore bore rank in our Scottish 
 troops, they shall under us meet equal 
 preferment, upon laying their pretensions 
 before us. Urge our regard for merit, 
 and invite such as are qualified for dis- 
 tinguished commissions, to present them- 
 selves forthwith to receive them ; and 
 proclaim to the populace the provision 
 they shall receive in our service; and 
 that as their duty has enjoined their sub- 
 mission to us, prior to the rest of their 
 countrymen, upon our royal word, not a
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 145 
 
 soul of them whose merit shall be any 
 ways remarkable* shall pass unrewarded 
 by us. This duty, David," added he, 
 <c we recommend to you, as our minion 
 and favourite ; nor shall your declaration, 
 when finished, fail of our royal confirma- 
 
 tion.' 1 
 
 David, who never had less heart for 
 speech-making than at present, having 
 wriggled about under an excess of pain 
 from his injuries, whilst Malcolm had 
 been instructing him in the orations he 
 was to make, declared his inequality to 
 the task enjoined ; for, in his present 
 condition, he could neither stand to per- 
 form it, nor enter into the true spirit of 
 the thing; for which reason, whatever 
 he could urge, could but partially in- 
 fluence his auditors; nor in reality 
 could he then engage in it at all ; where- 
 fore, he begged to refer the honour of at 
 VOL. i. H.
 
 146 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 trading the hearts of the people to his 
 Majesty, to whom that post more pro- 
 perly belonged. 
 
 Malcolm would have been glad of 
 David's ability for the execution of this 
 commission ; but as that was not to be 
 expected, he rather chose to be his own 
 trumpeter, than that such a noble occasion 
 of displaying his affection for them, 
 should but for a moment be omitted. 
 Ascending therefore to an upper room, 
 which had a bow- window in it, whence 
 he could not only be best seen, but heard 
 by them, he began, as he had before 
 hinted to David ; enjoining them, as they 
 paid the least regard to their ancient 
 Kings, and to him the descendant from 
 their loins, that they would without fail 
 attend him on the morrow, to make out 
 their claims to his favour. Then making 
 a low bow, he retreated.
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 147 
 
 The murmur was so general through 
 the whole crowd, whilst Malcolm was 
 delivering himself to them, that scarce 
 any auditor caught more than a single 
 word now and then $ so that the sense 
 of the whole was by no means to be 
 connected ; but in general hearing him 
 talk of Kings and Queens, they could 
 conceive no otherwise, than that some 
 puppet-show was to be exhibited there 
 the next day ; so that at the conclusion 
 of the speech, they set up three distinct 
 huzzas, and retired ; after which David 
 and his master having eaten their sup- 
 per, went to rest, under the satisfaction 
 of having made a fair proceeding that 
 day. 
 
 H 2
 
 148 THE RULING PASSIOK. 
 
 CHAP. 11. 
 
 Malcolm"* s reflections Prepare for an 
 
 engagement....... David's mare flies, and 
 
 Malcolm after her Narrow escape. 
 
 Miss their way Arrive at Apple- 
 by Sent to the House of Correction. 
 
 BOTH master and man having wait- 
 ed the best part of the following day, 
 for the reception of such as should offer 
 for commissions, without the least effect, 
 no soul appearing ; began to be inquisi- 
 tive what had become of the populace, 
 who had attended them to the inn. 
 
 The landlord assuring them that they 
 were retired to their several occupations ; 
 Malcolm, who, as the alchemist can 
 IVom baser metals extract gold, could
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 149 
 
 turn every disappointment to his ad- 
 vantage, assured David that he had now 
 unriddled the mystery ; " for," added 
 he, <c the Lord who left us yesterday, 
 had ordered out these troops to follow 
 him, for fear of any danger to our per- 
 son by the way ; these having now satis- 
 tied themselves of our safety, are return- 
 ed to scour the country before us, and 
 prevent the enemy's retarding our march. 
 David ! David !" added he, " thy illness 
 over-perplexed me, or I had reduced that 
 great body into companies, regiments, 
 and battalions ; for believe me, no stroke 
 is so effectual, as whilst the iron is hot; 
 but I have bought my experience, though 
 the price is too extravagant ; for had I 
 retained them with me, I had by this 
 time gained the heart of every single 
 member of them. But take courage, my 
 friend ! we shall sun meet them nearer 
 
 H3
 
 150 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 home ; for the inclination tending to our 
 service, will not long fail of means for 
 exerting itself." 
 
 They set out again next, day for 
 Newbiggin, without meeting with any 
 thing to retard their march, till they 
 were advanced within two miles of it j 
 when hearing a firing of guns to their 
 left, and that in no small number, Mal- 
 colm made a halt to reflect what could 
 be the occasion of it. " David I" said 
 he, the firing continuing, " now have we 
 need for summoning our whole valour 
 to our aid. Thou nearest that firing ; 
 the battle is already begun, and our 
 friends having met some parties of our 
 enemies, may this moment stand in need 
 of our assistance. Come on, my friend, 
 where honour and thy sovereign leads 
 thee ! Methinks I glow with ardour for 
 the engagement. Come on, I say, and
 
 THE RULIiNG PASSION. 151 
 
 let us behave worthy of the illustrious 
 blood that boils up to this fury." 
 
 Having thus said, he clapped spurs 
 to Slouch, who cocking both ends, gallop- 
 ed on most furiously. In less than a 
 mile's riding, they beheld the field of 
 battle; for the lieutenancy of the county 
 having ordered out the trained bands 
 upon a muster ; these, besides a nume- 
 rous train of spectators, were all collected 
 there, drawn up fronting each other. 
 
 No sooner had Malcolm fixed his 
 eyes upon them, than raising himself in 
 his stirrups, and launching out his hands 
 each way, to see that all was disencum- 
 bered, away he trotted to the spot of ac- 
 tion ; David being close at his heels, 
 each with his sword in hand ready 
 drawn. 
 
 Malcolm, whose mind was wholly 
 bent upon discovering his competitor, 
 
 H4
 
 152 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 that he might verify David's dream, rode 
 furiously into the space, between the 
 armed and unarmed men ; where he was 
 about to have demanded their chief to 
 single combat, for the final decision of 
 their pretensions ; at which instant, a 
 platoon firing, the report so terrified the 
 the colt, that it ran as if the devil had 
 drove it. A lurcher in the company es- 
 pying her, set out after her full speed , 
 when the mare grown masterless, follow- 
 ed them at her top-rate. This giving 
 Slouch notice that if he exerted not him- 
 self he would be distanced ; away he 
 went, in spite of every effort of Malcolm, 
 between gallop and trot, so shockingly, 
 that neither the strength or art of his 
 master could restrain him ; so that but 
 few minutes had passed before they not 
 only lost all sight of the enemy, but the 
 enemy of them ; and whither they might
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 153 
 
 all have fled to is uncertain, had not a 
 river put a stop to their career. 
 
 The colt being so hard pressed by 
 the lurcher, rather than submit to a sa- 
 lute from him, took the water, and swam 
 over ; when the dog, having had quite 
 enough of the chase, stopped short, and 
 returned ; but the mare, not to be with- 
 held from following the nursery, plunged 
 into the stream after her, which put poor 
 David into more bodily peril than he 
 had ever sustained before; for he had 
 much ado, with both hands grappling 
 the mane, to preserve himself from sli- 
 ding off her tail, as she clambered up the 
 the opposite bank ; but secured himself, 
 till he was safe landed ; when the colt 
 perceiving herself free from her pursuer, 
 turned about to congratulate her mother 
 and David upon their safe passage. 
 
 Happy it was for Malcolm, firsts 
 
 Ho"
 
 154 THE RULTNG PASSION. 
 
 that his beast was not so nimble of heel 
 as the mare ; and again, that the course 
 held no longer, or he had as certainly 
 been soused as David was ; for Siouch 
 would have been up with them, run 
 wherever they would ; but all being quiet 
 when he came up, and only the river 
 parting them, the master on this side, 
 and the man on that, continued their 
 march, till they should discover either 
 ford or bridge, where they might join in 
 company. 
 
 It is a very just remark, that the 
 greatest heroes are not exempt from ill- 
 luck ; for had our champions taken their 
 ride up the stream, they had come to a 
 bridge, which had set them full in the 
 way to Greencroft, where they might 
 have refreshed themselves after their fa- 
 tigue; but following the course of the 
 river, they met not till dark, and then
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 155 
 
 in a wild country, destitute of shelter and 
 inhabitants. 
 
 Surely, greatness of soul must excel 
 either riches or honour ! that ever enjoy- 
 ing what these can never procure : for not- 
 withstanding both master and man were 
 disappointed of every comfortable hope 
 for the night; yet the imaginary forti- 
 tude they were endued with, bore them 
 courageously through those evils, the 
 very thoughts of which would have de- 
 pressed the spirits of other men to 
 despair. 
 
 They reposed themselves at the foot 
 of a very high hill ; but were cautious 
 of letting their cattle graze at large, lest 
 they should subject themselves to as dis- 
 agreeable a search as before ; but some- 
 times one, then the other, led them gen- 
 tly, whilst they picked up such short 
 commons as the place would afford them ; 
 
 h6
 
 156 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 and this was their exercise, alternately, 
 till morning; when not a hundred 
 paces to their right, they espied a 
 cottage, under the shelter of the same 
 hill they had rested at. 
 
 They mounted their steeds, and made 
 up to it ; when, upon inquiry, they 
 gained a direction to Appleby. Here 
 they again became the gazing-stocks of 
 the plebeians, and were followed about 
 by them, in the same manner as at Auck- 
 land ; but Malcolm having made them 
 much the same speech too, it was not so 
 quietly received by these; for it occa- 
 sioned so much speculation, that some 
 wiser heads than the rest, clubbing their 
 brains together, informed against them 
 as traitors, enlisting men for a rebellion, 
 and exciting the country to arms ; and 
 having provided themselves with a peace- 
 officer, secured both man and master,
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 157 
 
 ►•wwv* 
 
 and conveyed them before a magis- 
 trate. 
 
 David was somewhat disconcerted at 
 this treatment ; but Malcolm moved on 
 with the resolution of a philosopher, 
 being well assured, he said, that his an- 
 cestors, had they not undergone greater 
 difficulties, had never climbed up to the 
 throne. 
 
 The Justice having previously heard 
 the occasion of their apprehension, with- 
 out receiving further evidence of the facts 
 alleged against them, demanded why 
 they had taken upon themselves to enlist 
 men ? What service they were designed 
 for ? and against whom ? 
 
 Malcolm, with his robes flowing, and 
 intrepid firmness of mind, replied, that 
 he was collecting forces, to make an in- 
 road to his own dominions.
 
 158 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 *wvwvwv^x-v**^-w 
 
 "Are you then a king?" said his 
 worship. 
 
 " By birthright and title," replied 
 Malcolm, " I am ; but my inheritance, 
 through the remissness of my ancestors, 
 has been too long withheld from me." 
 
 ** And pray, who is that person in 
 the long coat there ?" said his worship. 
 
 " That unhappy Prince," said Mal- 
 colm, " who now runs my fate, had he 
 but his due, ought to appear in another 
 manner than at present; but ill-luck has 
 triumphed over him, and reduced him as 
 you see. 
 
 " Now, sir," added he, < c if you have 
 the least regard for injured Majesty, 
 contribute your aid to my restoration, 
 which his, of course, succeeds to ; for 
 the whole power of my dominions shall 
 be employed to that end."
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 159 
 
 " May I inquire where your do- 
 minions lie V said his worship. 
 
 " Scotland is my realm," replied 
 Malcolm ; <c my emissaries are now on 
 the spur to my recognization." 
 
 " You must give me leave," said 
 his worship, cc who bear my King's com- 
 mission, to secure both yourself and the 
 other person your companion, till you 
 can give some better account of your- 
 selves. You know, I presume, that it is 
 treason to levy war in these dominions." 
 
 " You mistake me, sir," said Mal- 
 colm, H my intent is not to levy war 
 here y but as my passage lies through 
 your master's to my own territories, I 
 would only apply myself to my own 
 countrymen, to follow me their Lord. 
 I seek no aid from foreigners ; my name 
 will raise the Scots, to a man, for my 
 
 service,"
 
 160 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 " But know you not," said his wor- 
 ship, " that my master is King of Scot- 
 land ?" 
 
 " I know no other/' replied Mal- 
 colm, <c than Malcolm Bruce, descended 
 from Robert Bruce, the son of Edward 
 Bruce, who was the son of David Bruce, 
 and married the daughter of John Bruce, 
 who was" — . 
 
 " I inquire not into your pedigree," 
 said the magistrate ; "for though Scot- 
 land had once a Bruce for its lord, 
 those times are changed, those families 
 changed, and almost forgotten there. 
 This must needs be a stale claim, to have 
 been so long obsolete." 
 
 Malcolm still insisting upon his pedi- 
 gree, his worship told him, that he must 
 either relinquish all claim to Scotland, 
 or he must lay him fast by the heels in 
 England i for no competitor would be
 
 THE RULING PASSTON. 16 i 
 
 admitted to that crown. But Malcolm, 
 no ways to be driven from his hold, and 
 submitting rather to become a prisoner 
 of war, than to abandon his lawful claim, 
 his worship judging him to be clearly 
 beside his senses, sent him to the House 
 of Correction, together with the Prince, 
 whose dominions he thought not worth 
 his while to look after.
 
 162 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 ♦■W^'WVWfc'WVW* 
 
 CHAP. 12. 
 
 Malcolm is brought before the sessions 
 
 Known Sent home Deceive their 
 
 keepers. . . . Fly Exchange clothes with 
 
 a tinker and trull Quarrel between 
 
 Harry and Moll. 
 
 MALCOLM, far from being overcome 
 by this calamity, preserved the state of 
 Majesty under the severest of his re- 
 straints ; nor contributed he a little to- 
 wards the keeping up of the spirits of 
 David, by daily infusions of an opinion 
 of what was transacting in Scotland, re- 
 lative to their release ; but after about 
 a month's confinement, there being a 
 sessions of the justices, and no small stir 
 happening in carrying up several dis-
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 163 
 
 orderly persons to be examined, Malcolm 
 then looked upon his deliverance as at 
 hand, and that the Scots were arriving to 
 his succour. 
 
 Amongst the rest, these two legiti- 
 mate Princes were brought before their 
 worships to be examined, either for their 
 further confinement or discharge ; when 
 Malcolm, ever true to his principles, had 
 certainly merited the former, had not one 
 of the magistrates, inquiring into his late 
 abode, discovered hirn to have been here- 
 tofore his near neighbour ; though, under 
 his disguise, then unknown to him. 
 
 He informed his brother magistrates 
 of the inoffensiveness of the man, and 
 gave him such an extraordinary charac- 
 ter, that far from retaining an opinion of 
 his delinquency, understanding him to be 
 a man of fortune, they projected means 
 for restoring him again to his family 3 sq
 
 164 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 that hiring a coach for the purpose,, they 
 sent him and David homewards, under 
 an escort of two men by the sides of the 
 coach, one upon Slouch, and the other 
 upon the mare. 
 
 Malcolm conceiving no less than that 
 he was now a state prisoner, and should 
 be conducted before the King of England; 
 at about noon desired to bait, for the re- 
 freshment of themselves and the cattle ; 
 when ordering a good dinner, a bowl of 
 punch, and liquor in plenty, he so fed 
 and drank all his companions, that they 
 began to be pure mellow. But David 
 being somewhat disconsolate at the fate 
 he foresaw would attend him, having 
 fixed his destiny on decapitation, had 
 drank but very sparingly. 
 
 The fellows, for Malcolm obliged 
 them all to dine with him, were begin- 
 ning to think of moving j when Malcolm
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 1 65 
 
 perceiving they were not yet wrought up 
 fully to the pitch he expected, called out 
 for one bowl more, and then he would be 
 going, and that he insisted on having 
 in. 
 
 Very few people are there who love 
 drinking^ but still think they can carry 
 off a little more ; so that Malcolm met 
 with but small difficulty in persuading 
 them to push about the glass; and the 
 bowl still smiling towards its brim, he 
 recommended bumpers as the best ex- 
 pedient for lowering it. 
 
 Malcolm still saved himself all that 
 was possible, though obliged to drink 
 more than was agreeable to him ; till 
 fearing, if he persevered, he should ren- 
 der his own scheme useless, he pre- 
 tended to have dropped asleep, and 
 imitated snoring. 
 
 He observed his companions very
 
 166 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 merry for some time, till beginning to 
 deliver themselves very sententiously, 
 and with great deliberation ; and then 
 proceeding to the most intimate affection 
 for each other, they one by one growing 
 silent, he perceived they were all nap* 
 ping; when tipping David the wink, and 
 a beckon to follow him, they stole gently 
 out of the room, paid the reckoning, and 
 then mounting their steeds, gallopped off, 
 being past fear of hue and cry from their 
 guard, before they had recovered their 
 senses again. 
 
 They struck off to the right towards 
 Haggersleigb, and put in at night, about 
 seven miles beyond it, at a lone house, 
 kept by a poor woman and her three 
 (Jaughters ; but this severe day's travel 
 had knocked up the filly, so that they 
 never saw more of her again, tired both 
 the beasts, and sorely fatigued their
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 16? 
 
 riders ; insomuch, that being far more 
 weary than hungry, they could never 
 have more suitably adapted an habitation 
 to their circumstances, than the present, 
 wherein there was not the least mouthful 
 to eat. 
 
 Drink they both could and did, the 
 punch having occasioned them thirst, of 
 which having taken their fill, they de- 
 sired to be shewn into their bed-room, 
 but to their no small mortification, were 
 too soon apprised, that the good woman 
 had but one bed for customers, which 
 was already taken by the gentleman and 
 his w r ife, then sitting in the chimney- 
 corner by them. 
 
 The tinker, for such he proved to be, 
 seeing Sawney so fine, had the good 
 manners to offer him the bed ; whilst his 
 wife, as he called her, and himself, would
 
 168 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 occupy some peasehawm, which lay at 
 another corner of the room. 
 
 Malcolm confessed the obligation, 
 then plying the tinker and madam well 
 with ale, he left them, and retired to 
 bed. 
 
 The two potentates* heads had not 
 been long laid, before they gave notice of 
 their employment by snoring -> then the 
 tinker and his trull taking leave of the 
 housewife, retired also ; but on sight of 
 such a power of good things as the floor 
 was bestrewed with, for there was 
 neither chair, stool, or table, in the room, 
 and all within their reach too ; madam, 
 (women's heads ever running after finery,) 
 whispered to the tinker, what a charming 
 snug gown Malcolm's plaid would make 
 her ; nor could she forbear fingering it, 
 and noting its dimensions.
 
 THE RULING PASSION, 169 
 
 * True," said the tinker, " it would 
 so, Moll ; I wish thou hadst it. And 
 there's that little fellow's clothes would 
 suit me ten to one better than himself too. 
 They'd make one a good Sunday suit as 
 could be." 
 
 " They'd fit you," said she, " to an 
 hair. Prithee try them on, Harry." 
 
 Harry complied, and on they went ; 
 when having buttoned them, and covered 
 his locks with David's hat : " Well, 
 Harry," said Moll, " I protest I should 
 never have known you ! — Why, Harry, 
 you look perfectly handsome !" Then 
 clasping him round his neck, " Who that 
 should see us could say, that I am kissing 
 a tinker?" said she. 
 
 Harry perceiving Moll to be so de- 
 lighted with him, swore she should put 
 on the plaid and breeches. But Mary, 
 though she longed to be dabbling, started 
 
 VOL. i. I.
 
 170 THE RULTNG PASSION. 
 
 several objections, as of the gentlemen 
 awaking, and how she should behave, 
 and I know not what -, till Harry having 
 again swore he would once in his life see 
 how she looked in good things, Molly 
 consented, and on went the breeches ; 
 then doffing her own linsey-woolsey, she 
 stepped into Malcolm's robes, and Harry 
 was to declare how they became her, 
 there being nothing like a glass in 
 the room. 
 
 Harry, on sight of Moll thus orna- 
 mented, vowed that he perfectly adored 
 her $ and was her hair but curled, like 
 some of the fine ladies he had seen, she 
 might really pass for an angel. 
 
 This being the first time Moll had 
 ever received the like compliments from 
 mankind, she became loath to strip off 
 those feathers which had rendered her so 
 charming in Harry's eye; and as the
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 171 
 
 gentlemen both slept so sound, she said 
 she could find in her heart to sit so all 
 night, to admire Harry, and be admired 
 by him ; so that neither of them choosing 
 a reduction to statu quo, they, by con- 
 sent, whispered a chat together of some 
 hours -, Moll observing, that Harry had 
 never cast such a waggish leer at her 
 since she had been his mistress. 
 
 Well i they began to think of com- 
 posing themselves for a little rest too, 
 and were up an end for stripping off 
 their finery ; when Moll had a mind to 
 see, she said, how Harry would look in 
 those clothes, with his budget on. So 
 slipping it over his head, even unmean- 
 ingly and from the impulse of mere 
 custom, as butchers crack their shank 
 bones, " Brass to mend," cried he, so loud 
 as to put them both upon their best re- 
 
 I 2
 
 172 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 collection, into such a panic, that they 
 trembled every joint of them. 
 
 The tinker's cry having reached Mal- 
 colm's head, what ideas it had roused up 
 there, I cannot say ; but starting up in 
 his bed, with eyes staring ghastfully, "I 
 demand reparation. I'll have your 
 blood," said he. " Fire, David ! fire !" 
 
 The tinker and Moll had heard 
 enough to put them both under the ut- 
 most bodily peril ; when blowing out the 
 candle, they stole down stairs to save 
 iheir lives ; where having groped out the 
 door, they fled with the fleetest precipi- 
 tation, taking every bush they saw for a 
 centinel, placed there for direction ; nor 
 ventured they once to look behind them, 
 till they had left our despoiled nobles full 
 many a mile in their rear. 
 
 Oh ! the anxiety some people create 
 themselves, for the want of what, at this
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 1?3 
 
 time, poor Harry and Moll were oppress- 
 ed with ! How many brains are racked 
 till they fly, but to compass gay apparel ! 
 Nay, a few spots, a darn, or a rent in the 
 garment, often incapacitates the wearer 
 from every presenting joy ! 
 
 Just the reverse now proved poor 
 Harry's torment, and that of the lady his 
 helpmate. " Good clothes," said Harry* 
 " not unfrequently help a man to a good 
 dinner ; but if we cannot somehow pro- 
 cure our old ones again, we must starve 
 for aught I see. I durst no more cry my 
 trade through the country, or stop to 
 repair a kettle in this dress, than I dare 
 be hanged : nay, in fact, they are equally 
 the same thing ; for who but would take 
 us up for robbers that should see us in 
 these garbs ; and then we should swing 
 for a frolic." 
 
 " Thou art much in the right on't, 
 
 13
 
 174 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 ■w^-vwww^wv^v 
 
 Harry," said Moll ; " for I would not 
 be noticed in this long trapesing thing 
 for the world, not I. Nay, though we 
 should go back and return them, de- 
 claring we did it but in sport, as no 
 doubt but by this time search is making 
 after us, so should we be detected, let 
 our designs be ever so honest; not a crea- 
 ture would believe us ; we should be 
 seized and committed ; nor would I give 
 a single tester, for no better a life than 
 either of ours would be." 
 
 " It was your damned stupidity," 
 said Harry, " that first prevailed on me 
 to dress thus: — I can't think how I 
 came to be fool enough to comply with 
 you." 
 
 " Methinks," said Moll, " you, who 
 are so much my superior in sense, as you 
 take yourself for, should not have been 
 persuaded by me ; at least should not
 
 THE RULING PASS [ON. 1?5 
 
 have biassed me to do the like ; and 
 now you have drawn me into the 
 halter with you, lay all the blame at 
 my door," 
 
 It will be needless in the course of 
 my narrative to express the particulars 
 of those ironical phrases, wherewith 
 Harry and Moii interchangeably scourg- 
 ed each other. Let it therefore suffice to 
 say, that Moll's tongue, running rather too 
 glibly for Harry's honour, provoked him 
 to reach her a sly knock on the jaws; 
 which her high mettle returning with 
 usury, to it they went, ding dong, till 
 they were both heartily maimed in the 
 scufflle ; for Moll having seized the 
 knapsack, and disengaged it from Harry's 
 shoulders, she laid it about him so fu- 
 riously, that what with the hammers, 
 old brass, and nails, with which it was 
 
 14
 
 176 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 stuffed, she had beaten poor Hal almost 
 to a jelly ; nor had herself escaped with- 
 out a bloody nose, and a pair of black 
 eyes, by the bargain. 
 
 Thus having proceeded as far as their 
 strength and rancour would permit, it 
 was high time to be friends again ; for 
 the fault of mankind in general is, that 
 they quarrel and fight before they rea- 
 son : now, could they begin at the other 
 end, few words would ever come to 
 blows. But Harry and Moll acting but 
 like their betters in the contest, like 
 them also, at length concluded a truce 
 for inquiring into the cause of the bat- 
 tle ; which truce, not long after termina- 
 ting in a kiss of peace, both heartily re- 
 gretted each other's damage, and closed 
 in a more friendly manner than ever. 
 
 How it fared with them afterwards,
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 177 
 
 «<%»/% «%V*>»*b« 
 
 we have no remaining traces ; but Harry 
 had absolutely declared against all future 
 converse with mankind, till he should be 
 somehow or other habited tinker-like 
 
 again. 
 
 15
 
 178 THE RULING PASSION". 
 
 «^V\VVVI v»vw«>* 
 
 CHAP. 13. 
 
 Perplexed at the loss of their clothes Dis- 
 course with their landlady Dress in 
 
 the tinker's and trulVs clothes Great 
 
 misfortune to David Manner of fitting 
 
 David to his horse Malcolm in great 
 
 fear for David. 
 
 SCARCELY had the ruddy streamers 
 of the morn given Malcolm notice of the 
 approaching day, which his tremulous 
 heart had long been watching for, before 
 rousing David, he had recalled his float- 
 ing spirits to their posts, and satisfied 
 him that it was high time they were 
 moving, by giving it as his opinion that 
 they should be pursued. And as he
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 179 
 
 need not lay before him the hazard they 
 would run upon a surprise, not only from 
 the heinousness of their offence itself, 
 but from their having broken gaol too ; 
 which instead of fifty witnesses, would 
 add to their condemnation ; he desired 
 him to be expeditious, that by speedy 
 flight, avoiding the English coast, they 
 might once get safe footing in Scotland. 
 
 David, whose sound repose had great- 
 ly refreshed him, starting from his bed, 
 declared himself of corresponding senti- 
 ments ; then tossing off the bed-clothes, 
 he threw himself upright on the floor in 
 his shirt, on one side of the bed, as his 
 master had just done on the other ; both 
 loudly yawning and stretching up their 
 arms to the thatch, as thence to recall 
 their scattered senses; after which they 
 looked for their clothes to dress them* 
 selves, 
 
 16
 
 180 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 " Pray, sir/' said David, " hand over 
 my coat and breeches ?" 
 
 " I have them not," replied Mal- 
 colm > " but thou hast mine on thy 
 side." 
 
 " Not I, by my troth," quoth David j 
 " nor have I aught else but the tinker's 
 old coat, and his wife's petticoats." 
 
 " Are they stirring yet ?" demanded 
 Malcolm. 
 
 " And gone too, master," added Da- 
 vid. " Here lies the hawm, but no 
 tinker on it." 
 
 Imagining they might have mistaken 
 in the dark ; for if they had been up 
 any time, he was sure they could not 
 have seen their hands, and have shifted 
 the clothes unawares • Malcolm conceiv- 
 ed no less, than that they were taking a 
 a pot below, till they should hear him 
 stirring ; so that calling out to his land-
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 181 
 
 ^%%l»V»%'V»*%'»V»V» 
 
 lady, but no one answering, he stamped 
 with his heels, and made otherwise such 
 a noise, as was she Jiving she must 
 hear. 
 
 Having at length roused her and her 
 daughters, he inquired after the tinker; 
 but he was not to be found. Malcolm 
 cried out he had been robbed, and stormed 
 about in his shirt and jack-boots, like a 
 hero ; but David, who rather chose to 
 play a sure game, had crept to bed 
 again, to screen himself from the bleak- 
 ness of the morning. 
 
 The house was searched, the tinker 
 and trull were called, but not a trace of 
 either was to be found. The good 
 woman and her daughters were sorry, 
 they said ; but it had happened whilst 
 they were asleep, nor could they any 
 ways answer for it. 
 
 Malcolm had, by the special desig-
 
 182 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 MUMlWVM w **. w 
 
 nation of fate, found his breeches under 
 his pillow, which was no slender comfort 
 to them ; for had these, or their furniture 
 been missing, both Princes had still been 
 in a more lamentable condition. 
 
 Malcolm had now been above an 
 hour in his shirt, demonstrating to David, 
 by what means it were possible the 
 things should be lost ; and by what way 
 they might by chance be recovered : 
 when the good woman of the house re- 
 turned to condole with them upon the 
 accident, and inquired whether they 
 would please to have any breakfast ? for 
 her daughter was going to Walsingham, 
 and should bring in whatever they would 
 want. 
 
 " What must we do for our clothes ?" 
 said Malcolm. 
 
 She replied she was sorry for the ac- 
 cident 3 but as the tinker had left his, it
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 183 
 
 would be better to dress himself in them, 
 than to run the hazard of cold, by re- 
 maining so long in his shirt only. Then 
 taking up the tinker's habit by the collar, 
 she prevailed upon him to wear it. 
 
 Though Malcolm submitted with re- 
 luctance, yet these or none were the 
 case. Then having surveyed himself fore 
 and aft, though the externals made but 
 a mean appearance, he could, after a 
 while, but say, he was not less warm in 
 them than in his own. 
 
 The woman then asking David if he 
 would not please to rise ? " Hath the 
 tinker left ever a suit for me too ?" said 
 he. She replied, that his wife had ; 
 giving it as her advice, that it would be 
 better to wear them than keep in bed. 
 
 What was to be done in this case? A 
 covering was to be had at any rate, and 
 she told him, that a woman was no such
 
 184 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 despicable creature, that he need dread 
 being mistaken for one. 
 
 David arose, but had the investiture 
 of his principality depended upon his in- 
 vesting himself in Moll's apparel, he 
 must have lost the prize ; for so many 
 rents and slits had Moll's petticoats and 
 gown in them, for all was of a piece, and 
 consisted of so many different manufac- 
 tures, that from his own natural genius 
 he could never have found the right way 
 into them. 
 
 This the woman observing, and also 
 the loss he was at, she turned them about 
 and about, till at length she had reduced 
 them to wearable order ; and then put- 
 ting them over his head, she girted them 
 round with a whipcord, and Prince 
 David was ready to see company ; but 
 as Moll had not left her head-gear be- 
 hind her, David was obliged to use the
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 185 
 
 tinker's cropped hat, and followed his 
 master to the kitchen. 
 
 It was sometime before the girl re- 
 turned from marketing; but when she 
 did, with one or two companions, it was 
 much more than my Dame's dwelling 
 had ever been graced with at any one 
 time before ; for the landlady imagining 
 the gentlemen would be wind-bound, 
 till they could provide themselves with 
 conveniences for a remove, she had laid 
 in a stock for within doors, and for the 
 cattle also, to whom a strict fast had 
 been enjoined for the preceding night. 
 
 Malcolm hankered strangely after 
 his departure ; but David made such an 
 amphibious appearance, that as his body 
 must necessarily be womanish, he could 
 not rest till his head was so too ; and 
 then, if occasion was, he could cut the 
 tinker's flap hat into a little form, and
 
 186 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 wear that over his night-clothes. Ob- 
 serving David to be so distressed, by 
 the next morning, one of the daughters 
 compassionating his uneasiness, had, from 
 a few odd pieces she had by her, made 
 him a mob, as she called it, and taught 
 him how to put it on ; which proved 
 a great relief to him. 
 
 This delay, in a place where scarce 
 a single soul was to be gained for the 
 service of his wars, made Malcolm very 
 impatient; so that on the third morning 
 he resolved to set forwards at all events; 
 but then the difficulty was, which had 
 not before been thought of, how David 
 was to ride his mare in women's clothes, 
 upon a man's saddle ; for having first 
 mounted astride, Moll's petticoats were 
 so scanty, and the stretch of his legs so 
 wide asunder, to compass his broad-back- 
 ed mare, that before his breech reached
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 18? 
 
 the saddle, they were slid up round his 
 middle. 
 
 The girls, who were all present at 
 setting him out, were so ashamed, that 
 blushing, they all fled to the house again, 
 ready to die with laughter ; but the more 
 David struggled, the worse was his con- 
 dition ; till he was obliged to alight 
 again, and mount woman fashion : and 
 now all seemed to go on very smooth- 
 ly ; for while he set with his legs to- 
 gether, .and his coats under him, he ho- 
 ped to have a tolerable ride of it; but 
 when a man hugs himself in promised 
 success, for the most part some disap- 
 pointment follows: for the mare, while 
 she stood still, sustained him to a mira- 
 cle, his face being placed at right angles 
 with her neck ; but Malcolm's horse 
 neighing behind her, as he was taking 
 leave of his landlady, and the mare fa-
 
 188 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 cing short about to the left, dropped 
 David off backward, with his petticoats 
 over his head, and his back as fairly ex- 
 posed as when he first came into the 
 world. 
 
 The laugh was now too strong to ad- 
 mit of the least help from the junior 
 part of the family ; for though he had 
 bruised his shoulder most intolerably, 
 and lay wholly helpless on the ground \ 
 had not my Dame herself been at hand, 
 to have raised him up on his seat, there 
 he might have lain till this time; but 
 she, smoothing down his clothes, ran 
 straight for cold water to revive him. 
 
 This accident deferred their further 
 thoughts of travelling for that day •> 
 Malcolm being obliged to dismount, 
 and lend a hand for conveying the 
 wounded David into the house again $ 
 and indeed, had the damage his shoulder
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 189 
 
 sustained, but befallen his neck, it might 
 have spoiled his further hunt after princi- 
 palities; though as it was, what with 
 the disgrace he had undergone, and the 
 pain he had endured, he was almost re- 
 duced to proper reflections upon his wild- 
 goose projects, and began to wish him- 
 self at home again. 
 
 What promises will not a sinking 
 mariner make for the procurement of 
 safety ! And with what unconcern will 
 he elude them all, when his end is an- 
 swered ! So, though David's thoughts 
 had tended to home, and a dismission of 
 his ridiculous schemes, whilst the anguish 
 still tingled in his flesh and joints ; yet 
 a good night's rest having dissipated his 
 sorrow, home became the last thing he 
 regarded, and how to ride to Scotland 
 with his master, occupied his whole con- 
 cern.
 
 1 90 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 ■v%vw% w vvvv-»^vv-v 
 
 The dilemma David was under as to 
 his riding in safety, might have engrossed 
 his care till now, had not Malcolm's preg- 
 nant genius helped him out at the dead 
 lift. He proposed ripping up his petti- 
 coats,, both behind and before, till they 
 would just bear upon the saddle both 
 ways - y and then the hanging sides would 
 cover his boots most commodiously ; 
 which method being approved without 
 controversy, David was the next day 
 mounted again, for experiment sake ; 
 when his master and my Dame, one be- 
 hind and the other before, cut away, till 
 it answered the purpose to an hair; but 
 the girls all declined having any hand in 
 it, for fear of hurting Mr. David. 
 
 The man being thus fitted to his horse, 
 the journey was postponed till the next 
 morning ; but proving a fine evening* 
 save that the wind was somewhat brisk
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 191 
 
 upon the hills, and Malcolm shewing an 
 inclination for walking, he invited the 
 girls to partake of the beauties of the 
 evening with them. Two of them com- 
 plied, for the sake of naming the places 
 they should see to the gentlemen ; but 
 the eldest tarried at home to assist her 
 mother, in preparing their suppers against 
 their return ; for Malcolm having the 
 title in his head, his heart and hand were 
 as open as an emperor's. 
 
 All went on passing well, till they 
 came to the higher grounds; when Moll's 
 petticoats having been sewed inseparably 
 together, by applying the whole parts of 
 one to the rags of the other, so as to pre- 
 vent a thorough passage, they moved this 
 way, and that, with the wind, like an 
 outside and lining together; but the wind 
 lying on their backs, would frequently 
 blow the hinder slit so wide, as to dis*
 
 192 THE RULTNG PASSION. 
 
 MV\V»\tV\W».\V« 
 
 cover to those whose lot it was to follow 
 him, what art generally bestows no small 
 pains to conceal. 
 
 David was but too well apprised of 
 this inconvenience, by the sudden rude 
 gusts which occasionally intruded to his 
 bare skin ; but was at a loss for a reme- 
 dy, till Hannah, one of the girls, perceiv- 
 ing his distress, ministered a pin to se- 
 cure it with. On their return, having 
 then their faces to the wind, never was 
 man under more violent perplexity for se- 
 curing his van than David ; for the wind 
 refreshing upon them, he was obliged to 
 go almost double, with both hands be- 
 fore, till he had applied for a repetition 
 of Hannah's favour, to that side too. 
 
 David had ever been insensible to the 
 call of beauty, till the instant of Hannah's 
 pinning his flap before ; but then, ob- 
 serving the maiden's fingers, how taper
 
 THE KUUNG PASSION. 19S 
 
 ■* -V \\MV\«V\«Vi 
 
 they were, and withai that she stuck in 
 the pin so dexterously, blushing like 
 scarlet, and giving him such a piercing 
 eye, as he thought bespoke the pressure 
 her heart laboured with during the ac- 
 tion ; his hands falling to his sides, his 
 frame grew stiff, — his eyes became fixed 
 on the maiden, — and his feet stood mo- 
 tionless. 
 
 Malcolm soon missing David from 
 his elbow, turned about to reconnoitre 
 him, when he beheld him fixed like a 
 lifeless creature, as if petrified into a 
 statue. He beckoned, and called him to 
 come forward ; he rated him, but he 
 stirred not. Then fearing lest he had 
 been struck with death, and had died 
 standing, he ran to him, and shaking 
 him, compelled him forward with him. 
 
 Inquiry was made how he found him- 
 self? but all was silence. How he had 
 
 vot. u K.
 
 194 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 v»WMvww\y%n 
 
 been taken ? but not a word. So that 
 Malcolm's fears for his safety redoubling 
 upon him, he desired the girls to lead 
 them the nearest way home, for that he 
 was certain the poor man was fitter to be 
 in bed than with them. 
 
 They were soon after housed, when 
 the good wife being informed of the dis- 
 aster, offered several applications in her 
 way, for his recovery. But putting them 
 all aside with his hand, all that issued 
 from him till bed-time was, save a few 
 broken sighs and profound groans only, 
 " Let me die in peace ! let me die in 
 peace !" 
 •
 
 THE RULING PASSION, 195 
 
 **•% % WWW^Wk-v^ 
 
 CHAP. 14. 
 
 David discovers his uneasiness Argu- 
 ment against love in Princes David 
 
 loves Hannah She takes him to be 
 
 light-headed. Apothecary sent for 
 
 Fam ily in confusion Prescriptions 
 
 for David. 
 
 AFTER abundance of persuasives from 
 all the family, David was at length pre- 
 vailed upon to go to bed, each of the 
 females in turn offering her service to sit 
 up with him, but without effect : nay, 
 Malcolm proposed the same, but just to 
 similar purpose ; " Let me die in peace !" 
 being all that could by any means be 
 extracted from him. But then he would 
 so lose his whole mind in a groan, now 
 and then, that it was with the utmost 
 difficulty he could recover it again.
 
 196 THE RULING PASSION, 
 
 -»-"%V%'WV*VW"^V%V~* 
 
 Malcolm observing that his proffered 
 service was but the more troublesome to 
 David, the more he urged it, without 
 further saying went to bed to him; where 
 his melancholy, for fear of the utter loss 
 of his friend, his companion, the partici- 
 pator of his toils, his Prime Minister, and 
 chief Counsellor of State, so seized his 
 spirits, that he poured forth sigh for 
 sigh, and groan for groan with him, till 
 day-light* 
 
 Every thing, even the most durable 
 which this sublunary world can boast, 
 must have a period ; some sooner, some 
 later, according to a variety of accidents: 
 so grief and woe must dwindle away by 
 degrees, and even as our very thoughts 
 must fade, and finally perish ; and that 
 for the most part proportionably to the 
 violence wherewith they first assault us. 
 Whence it is that the passionate man is
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 19? 
 
 VtVW>V« WWW*/* 
 
 soon cooled, whilst the deliberately ma- 
 licious, though he commences his ran- 
 cour with less fury, indulges the longer 
 over it. 
 
 It fares in love just as in other cases ; 
 the calm lover, guided by the result of 
 solid reflection, cools not by perseve- 
 rance, but is ever ready to resume the 
 subject when diverted for a time by any 
 avocations ; nor wearies he his spirits by 
 an age of consideration on the object of 
 his hope and desire. Whereas the des- 
 perate lover, ever on flame from the first 
 starling of his passion, soon consumes his 
 spirit to a snuff, and after a few convul- 
 sive tremblings, incapable of yielding a 
 further supply, expires without instant 
 aid from the fair. 
 
 David, overborne with his anguish, 
 fell into a gentle slumber that morning, 
 which gave Malcolm an opportunity also 
 
 K 3
 
 1 98 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 of joining in the exercise, where they both 
 lay, labouring in Morpheus's fetters till 
 almost noon ; when both master and 
 man awaking at nearly the same time, 
 Malcolm, before David could well have 
 prepared his reflection for future per- 
 plexities, demanded the cause of his 
 perturbation the preceding day. After 
 numberless inward strugglings, he broke 
 forth to the following effect. 
 
 " The innumerable obligations I stand 
 indebted to your Majesty in are inexpres- 
 sible, nor are my future views in life to 
 be less attributable to your Majesty's be- 
 nevolence to me ; but notwithstanding 
 these views are so glorious, as might 
 dazzle the optics of other men, and fill 
 their ideas only with pleasurable scenes, 
 by withdrawing all attention from other 
 objects 5 yet I, far from imbibing the 
 delight they should aflbrd me, am im
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 1 99 
 
 <»/*-»/% •v%-wvv%-vvvv'W 
 
 mersed in an abyss of despair, from which 
 only one Princess on earth can remove 
 me. Hope is the plank that buoys us 
 all from sinking, which could I but pos- 
 sess, I might resume my wonted tran- 
 quillity ; but who that aspires to the god- 
 dess of my devotion, but must turn giddy 
 with the prospect, and despond for his 
 own un worthiness I" 
 
 This harangue, from a man of Da- 
 vid's turn, prodigiously, started Malcolm. 
 Surely he had not left the idol of his 
 heart behind him, and would consent to 
 proceed no further without her I No, that 
 could never be the case 5 David never re- 
 garded womankind, or felt the lover's 
 pangs for slighted ardour ; whence then 
 proceeded these throbbings of his soul, 
 that thus convulsed his inward man, re- 
 fusing consolation ? 
 
 Malcolm's impatience for the know- 
 
 K 4
 
 200 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 ledge of this mystery, at length sat so 
 uneasily upon him, that he put the 
 question, though in gentlest terms, lest 
 a rehearsal of the virgin's name, recalling 
 past scenes to his memory, should cause 
 a relapse into his prior dejection. 
 
 He first, by the name of his dearest 
 friend, pitied him for having fallen within 
 the gripe of that arch traitor, love ; when 
 his heart should have been enlarged 
 only to the rivalling of his ancestors in 
 the glory of conquest. He placed be- 
 fore his view the Princely diadem, a 
 prize too noble to be neglected for the 
 puling subject of an amour; at least till 
 he was established in his sovereignty ; 
 and then himself would strain every nerve 
 in his service, to bring about a happy 
 issue. 
 
 He set before him the inconveniences 
 ©f wedlock, just at a time when he was
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 201 
 
 engaging in a war, the continuance 
 whereof no human forecast could limit. 
 The heart, he told him, ought to be 
 wholly disengaged from every snare, that 
 might but eventually diminish its martial 
 ardour, till feats of arms having raised 
 him to supreme authority, he might have 
 leisure to rove amidst the circle of ter- 
 restrial Princesses, for one to increase his 
 species with. 
 
 Besides, added he, the thing itself is 
 without precedent, for a sovereign Prince 
 to pine for any maiden. No, they 
 usually marry by proxy, for the sake of 
 alliances, not beauty ; seldom having 
 seen more of their brides than their pic- 
 tures, before they find themselves in bed 
 "with them, Upon all which accounts, 
 and upon fifty others that he could name 
 over and above that, he had nor. at pre- 
 sent the least time upon his hands for
 
 202 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 courtship. He gave him both his opinion 
 and advice that he should postpone all 
 ideas of matrimony, till his affairs were 
 more firmly settled ; when he would 
 meet with far less difficulty in his court- 
 ship, than under the present perplexity 
 of them. 
 
 David being a man of but few words, 
 gave his master the hearing with all com- 
 posure. But David could think when he 
 did not speak ; and in plain terms, men- 
 tally took his master for little better than 
 an ass,, for casting away such a number 
 of unavailable words upon him, who was 
 already past retracting his sentiments. 
 Wherefore, as he was but too sensible a 
 reply would have engaged him in an 
 argument, he sought not conviction from 
 it, but passed by Malcolm's rhetoric 
 with silence. This flushing- Malcolm 
 with the hopes that he had made him
 
 THE RULTNG PASSION. 203 
 
 ■^-v-v-w^vw-k-wv-vw 
 
 sensible of his error, he took him by the 
 hand, and in a friendly manner desired 
 him to rise ; when having dined, they 
 would settle their course for the ensuing 
 morning. 
 
 David making as little opposition to 
 this, as to what his master had before 
 said to him, Malcolm arose, dressed 
 tinker-like, and went to dinner, leaving 
 David to follow him. 
 
 Whilst he had nobody to please but 
 himself, David expressed but a slight 
 concern for his petticoats ; but now that 
 he was to display himself in the actions 
 of a man, and had Hannah to delight 
 with his personal appearance, his heart 
 sunk, and his spirits flagged considerably, 
 at the conceived distaste she might take 
 to him at the first onset ; even so far, as 
 possibly never to be reconciled to his 
 future addresses. 
 
 k6
 
 204 THE RtfLING PASSION. 
 
 These thoughts lay rankling so in 
 David's breast, that he could not raise 
 his head from the bolster, till he had 
 given them their full course in his mind, 
 by winding them into every possible form 
 they were capable of being presented in ; 
 but all proved far short of the least gleam 
 of solace to his distorted fancy ; so that 
 the result of his whole reflections termi- 
 nated in keeping his bed still -> nay, even 
 till death should release him from his 
 wretched dilemma, or fortune should 
 offer him some unforeseen means of deco- 
 rating himself in such an amiable way 
 as to leave no scruple in the lady of re- 
 ceiving his passion to advantage. 
 
 David not descending as Malcolm 
 expected, both himself, my dame, and 
 her daughters, by single turns proved 
 the force of their eloquence for raising 
 bim 5 but all in vain. Nor even once
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 206* 
 
 hinted he at a reason to either, save to 
 Hannah, when she besought him to rise* 
 or at least to let her bring him his dinner, 
 and wait upon him. 
 
 " Mighty Princess 1 " answered he, 
 *' it shames me to be beheld by those il- 
 lustrious eyes, thus low reduced beneath 
 my manhood. With what face can I 
 look up at your exalted merit, whilst 
 gently condescending to offer me your 
 service ! — to me, I say, the most submis* 
 sive of your slaves, and most absolute 
 vassal to your perfections. 
 
 " Why has fate reduced me to this 
 contempt, whose birth entitles me to the 
 highest honours ! And still to render my 
 condition the more grievous to me, made 
 you a witness to my abject state. Sure* 
 ly, my Princess must be conscious, 
 what smugglings my great heart endures, 
 while placed before your view in the un-
 
 206 THE RULING PASSION, 
 
 becoming light Moll's filthy rags exhibit 
 me in : at best, unworthy, but much 
 more so in them, to raise desires in that 
 chaste breast, which alone my fond heart 
 Can glory in subduing t 
 
 " Oh ! leave me to my fate, nor cast 
 an eye upon the worthless object now 
 before you. It is enough for me to have 
 aspired at such peerless excellence ; and 
 can I but die pitied by you, I shall fall 
 content. 
 
 ct Most mighty Empress l" added he, 
 and would have proceeded with com- 
 pliments equivalent to the title, had the 
 girl but afforded him an opportunity for 
 it; but Hannah, astonished at his flou- 
 rishes, and taking him to be light-headed, 
 ran down stairs to the rest of the family. 
 
 < f I am frightened out of my xery 
 wits, mother," said she; "yonder is 
 Mr. David, very bad to be sure, and in
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 207 
 
 WV«M V>»\v\« V* 
 
 a burning fever -, he raves so, and is so- 
 light-headed, that he talks of Princesses* 
 nay, and still growing worse and worse, 
 even styled me Empress, and run on so* 
 that you would have been amazed to 
 have heard him ; till in short, he so terri- 
 fied me that I made my escape, lest he 
 should have done me a mischief."' 
 
 "Indeed, sir," added she to Mal- 
 colm, " I don't think he ought to 
 be left alone ; far 1 have often heard 
 strange accounts of your light- headed 
 people, as how they matter not what 
 mischief they do themselves in a fit. He 
 is very bad, as ever poor creature was* 
 that is to be sure, he is." 
 
 My Dame left her dinner, and Mal- 
 colm sent the youngest daughter for an 
 apothecary as far as the town, wish a 
 charge to run all the way ; but my 
 Dame, who was physician in ordinary to
 
 20$ THE RULING PASSION.. 
 
 her own family, made him some sage tea r 
 and a little thin beer whey - 9 when return- 
 ing to Malcolm, she hoped, she said, he 
 was now somewhat more composed ; for 
 that his raving was pretty well abated ; 
 but by way of precaution, ordered Han- 
 nah up to sit by him, and watch that he 
 did himself no harm. 
 
 The girl replied she would not sit in 
 the room with him by herself, upon any ac- 
 count; but if her eldest sister would go, she 
 would accompany her j whereupon they 
 both entered on duty, and seated them- 
 selves, this on one side of the bed, and 
 that on the other, with their backs to 
 each other. 
 
 Though David could willingly have 
 dispensed with her sister's company, yet 
 he hugged himself in that of Hannah's ; 
 but her sister's presence interrupted those 
 tendernesses he longed to pour out to
 
 THE RULING PASSTON. £09 
 
 »-»-»-VW%%-W»"VVVW 
 
 his mistress in private. Having there- 
 fore mused for some time on the subject, 
 he at length hit off an expedient for his 
 purpose, by desiring Mrs. Martha, the 
 elder, to bring him up a slice of bread 
 and butter. 
 
 Greatly rejoiced at hearing him speak 
 so rationally, away went Martha, to in- 
 form her mother of his request ; when 
 David, seizing this opportunity, clasped 
 Hannah by the hand, and calling her 
 his Princess, was about to have displayed 
 the raptures he felt in her presence ; but 
 this the poor wretch taking for a relapse^ 
 and no ways able to free herself from 
 his gripe, she screamed out for help, 
 and was just fainting away, when my 
 Dame and Martha appeared to her re- 
 lief. 
 
 David seeing her fallen backwards on 
 the bed, and labouring hard for breath*
 
 210 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 •WWVWV'WVV-VVV* 
 
 turned the dark side towards himself, 
 and judged no less than that he had 
 been the poor girl's murderer ; then 
 making the most afflicting lamentations, 
 he leaped from the bed in his shirt, to 
 assist in raising her, and conveying 
 her to the window for air; which the 
 two women still taking for the effects of 
 his delirium, were so fearful of them- 
 selves, that they stood now almost help- 
 less as to Hannah, and in dread of worse 
 consequences, cried out aloud for Mal- 
 colm ; who being within their call, made 
 but few steps to the room. 
 
 Malcolm was quite confounded, to 
 guess what they were all at. One girl 
 stretched lifeless on the bed ; another as 
 white as a clout ; my Dame almost 
 breathless, trying to raise the girl one 
 way, whilst David in his shirt was haul- 
 ing her another way - 9 exhibited such a
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 211 
 
 medley of confusion, as he could no 
 ways penetrate. 
 
 The old woman urged him to take 
 off Prince David, who she feared had 
 killed her daughter; but the young one 
 soon after shewing some tokens of life* 
 Martha and her mother conveyed Han- 
 nah to the window, whilst Malcolm 
 having disengaged David's hold of her*, 
 was forcing him into his bed again. 
 
 Never was a family in such a combus* 
 tion before, not one amongst them well 
 knowing what the other ailed ; when 
 Betty, the youngest girl, arrived with the 
 apothecary. 
 
 She conducted him up stairs, with a 
 basket in his left-hand, charged brimful 
 of phials, gallipots, and a bolus or two, 
 to fill up the interspaces ; over all which, 
 twisted in a clean white paper, lay a
 
 212 THE RULING PASSION 
 
 »\»\\*MV* 
 
 large blister plaster, to be used as occa- 
 sion might require. 
 
 The man observing such a stir 
 amongst them, inquired which was the 
 patient for whom he was sent -> when 
 Malcolm pointed to David, panting under 
 the bed-clothes.; for in exerting himself 
 to lift Hannah, and then in the contest 
 with his master, he not only lost his 
 wind, but struggled himself into a violent 
 sweat. 
 
 The apothecary felt his pulse ; but 
 it was no ways troubled, further than an 
 emotion of hjs spirits would necessarily 
 occasion. His body was in a fine sweat, 
 his tongue was no ways parched, nor in- 
 deed could he perceive any the least 
 symptoms of the disorder he had been 
 apprised of ; but, however, he was come, 
 and so many excellent preparations as
 
 THE RULING PASSTON. 213 
 
 he had brought, were not to be lightly 
 neglected. 
 
 He first ordered up a table j then un- 
 packing his basket, he laid the blister by 
 itself, and ranging the other medicines 
 in rank and file, according to their quali- 
 ties, he pronounced the patient in a dan- 
 gerous way; but doubted not but the 
 course he should prescribe, being strict- 
 ly pursued, would restore perfect health 
 again. Then calling my Dame to him, 
 X( Goody Clutcher," said he, " are you 
 nurse to this gentlewoman ?" Having 
 his mob cap on> and the waste petticoats 
 lying on the floor, he had little room 
 to suspect his patient for any other than 
 a female. 
 
 Said my Dame, " he is a man, sir." 
 " I cry your mercy, " said he ; " but 
 it is all one in point of cure. You, I 
 say, I presume are to be his nurse." 
 
 David overhearing this, cried out
 
 £14 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 u I want no nurse, not I." When my 
 Dame whispering an hint at his disorder, 
 he began to imagine he had mistaken 
 his case, and that the man really might 
 be ill at last. He went on, however, 
 with his instructions. " Observe me, 
 Dame ; give him three spoonfuls of this fe- 
 brifuge every hour; let him take this bo- 
 lus at eight o'clock, and this at midnight. 
 Let him also every two hours take one 
 of these potions, just warm ; and in case 
 any raving should succeed, or the least 
 symptoms of frenzy appear, lay this 
 blister over the crown of his head, and 
 you shall see me again in the morning ; 
 for I shall then be able to form a truer 
 judgment, whether phlebotomy may not 
 be of service, or possibly an emetic. " 
 
 " I am sorely afraid, .sir," replied 
 Dame Clutcher, " that we shall have a 
 tough job in obliging him to take all 
 these things. He will never do it but
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 9,15 
 
 •k^-WV^-^-WW^WW 
 
 by force ; and people in his way, when 
 they set upon it, are twice as strong as 
 other folks." 
 
 " I admit it," said the apothecary. 
 tx Good woman, you are in the right; 
 but a man's life must not therefore be 
 cast away, because his senses will not 
 subscribe to his own interest. It is 
 usual with us in these cases, for two 
 or three persons present* to cast them* 
 selves flat across the patient's stomach* 
 to keep him steady, whilst the draught 
 is poured down his throat; and if, not- 
 withstanding this, he proves refractory, 
 then to tie him with cords, by his arms 
 and legs to the bedstead. We have 
 niany ways of hampering them.'* 
 
 Mrs. Clutcher having thus taken her 
 cue, and engaged for obedience to orders, 
 the man of phytic took leave and re* 
 turned*
 
 216 THE RULING PASSION 7 , 
 
 %-fc**V%WV*WV%V% 
 
 CHAP. 15 
 
 Prince David averse to his physic 
 
 Compel him Tie him down Blis- 
 ter his head. His discourse with Mr. 
 
 Anodyne, 
 
 Hannah, under the care of her good 
 mother and sister, was now completely 
 recovered, and had left the room, as also 
 had Malcolm and Betty ; for such a 
 number of persons exercising so strongly 
 in so small a loft, had almost stifled each 
 other, and made it requisite for all who 
 could be spared, to retire for a little 
 freedom of breathing; when Dame 
 Clutcher judging it high time for David 
 to begin upon his first prescription, and 
 measuring out three spoonfuls into a cup,
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 217 
 
 -v\ -wv* •%•»■»••* ■»/* wv* 
 
 she presented it to him for drinking ; 
 hoping, she said, that through mercy, it 
 would do him a power of good. 
 
 David, who was the best judge of his 
 own discomposure, and as sensible that 
 only one remedy on earth would contribute 
 to his cure, put this aside with his hand, 
 and turned himself about with his face 
 from her; but she was instantly round 
 with him, urging many reasons most pa- 
 thetically for his receiving it, as it was 
 but a small dose, and to be repeated but 
 every hour ; and would certainly have a 
 good effect upon him, for Mr. Anodyne, 
 she could assure him, was a most ingeni- 
 ous man in his profession, and far the 
 most knowing in all the country. 
 
 An utter aversion to physic, having 
 never swallowed a drop in his life, save 
 such as was culinary, had set David's 
 stomach so intensely against this, that as 
 
 VOL, I. I*
 
 218 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 v%«*v%%*v%«^ww 
 
 my Dame proceeded to force this upon 
 him, he beat it out of her hand ; when 
 not having rightly judged his stroke, it 
 fell all over his face and neck. The of- 
 fence his nostrils took at the smell, and 
 his flesh at the chilling moisture of his 
 linen, rousing up his spirits, he started up 
 in his bed, to have expostulated with her 
 for her treatment of him. 
 
 This Martha and her mother taking 
 for the effect of his frenzy, both scream- 
 ed out together for help, not imagining 
 their united force equal to the strength of 
 one man in his condition ; nor ceased 
 they, till Malcolm and Betty were ar- 
 rived to their assistance - s when my Dame 
 raising up her hands, and blessing her- 
 self, began a relation of the refractoriness 
 of her patient ; and that if some means 
 were not devised for forcing down his 
 medicines, he must be a dead man by 
 
 morning.
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 219 
 
 MMMWMVtMM 
 
 This my Dame vociferating very 
 loudly, David heard, and at the same 
 time, wondered, he said, what they could 
 mean by applying physic to him, who 
 had no need of it, being as well in health 
 as ever he was in his life. 
 
 if Alas 1 poor creature," replied Mal- 
 colm, " thou art no judge of thy own dis- 
 order. Come, come, dear friend, receive 
 these gifts of Providence for thy comfort. 
 Goody Clutcher, pour him out another 
 cup ; here are not above a dozen in all ; 
 let me persuade you to take them cheer- 
 fully. Here, good woman, give it me. 
 I'll offer it him ; he'll take it at my hand, 
 never fear. Give it me, I say." Then 
 approaching him with the cup, David 
 dashed it up in his face. 
 
 Malcolm roared like thunder at the 
 injury his right eye had received ; for it 
 
 L2
 
 220 THE RULTNG PASSION. 
 
 ■»-\*-%wv^v». »"*»•*%•* 
 
 smarted so, that he never more expected 
 the use of it. 
 
 Every hand being now employed in 
 assisting Malcolm, poor David got a 
 moment's respite from his tormentors, 
 and solaced himself with ample satisfac- 
 tion ; but Malcolm's pain soon abating, 
 my Dame covered his eye with his hand- 
 kerchief from the air, and they all turned 
 their thoughts to David again. 
 
 Collecting, therefore, Malcolm and 
 the two girls into a corner of the room, 
 my Dame delivered her opinion, that 
 nothing but force would do -, there had 
 already been two doses lost, she said, 
 and it was plain to her, that the rest 
 would all go the same way, unless forced 
 down. 
 
 There had been so much time lost in 
 persuasions, she said, that it would be in 
 vain to try fair means any longer, where-
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 fore she advised turning him on his back, 
 when they three should lie across his 
 stomach, whilst she gained the pass of 
 his throat -> for to take it he must and 
 should, that was positive. 
 
 They followed the cue to an hair, 
 and slap they all came upon him -> but 
 David perceiving what they would be at, 
 clenched his teeth so close, that it was 
 impossible to get a drop between them. 
 My Dame then calling to them to press 
 harder, they so mashed his bowels to a 
 mummy, as obliged him to roar out 
 through pain ; at which instant, watch- 
 ing her opportunity, with a spoon between 
 his teeth, by way of gag, she poured in 
 the medicine ; then holding his nose 
 pretty hard, he gulped it all down. 
 
 This severe exercise had cast them all 
 into a sweat, which whilst they were 
 severally discharging, David, who deter- 
 
 L3
 
 222 THE RULTNG PASSION. 
 
 mined not lo be again surprised in his 
 bed, jumped up to dress himself j but 
 had no sooner gained his feet, than my 
 Dame calling out to secure him, caught 
 him in her arms, and by the help of 
 Malcolm and the girls, forced him to bed 
 again ; when privately remonstrating on 
 the difficulties they should have with him, 
 unless tied down as Mr. Anodyne had 
 directed, she sent Betty for her clothes- 
 line, and what other ropes she could find, 
 to confine him with. 
 
 No sooner was the girl returned, than 
 preparing them with running nooses, she 
 ordered all the company upon David 
 again., whilst she herself secured him after 
 Mr. Anodyne's method. 
 
 She slipped a noose over each ancle, 
 and extending his legs to the extremities 
 of the bedstead, tied them there ; then 
 served his arms in the same manner -, so
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 223 
 
 ■rt\\\'V»%»»%V WW 
 
 that David now lay on his back, confined 
 by all fours, like a dog destined for sur- 
 gical experiments. But his manly heart 
 could not be confined ; for that dictated 
 such revengeful threats against them all, 
 as would have put them in no small 
 danger, had he but had the power to 
 execute them. 
 
 By this time the hour was out, and 
 another dose requisite ; which my Dame, 
 from her former experience, found a 
 much readier way of administering \ for 
 having observed a gap in the side of his 
 mouth, she cooly thrust in her funnel, 
 and had it down in a trice. 
 
 All might now have passed on very 
 smoothly, had not David still continued 
 raving, as if the prior taciturnity of his 
 whole life had been purposely reserved 
 for discharging at his present persecutors: 
 his tongue never once lay still, from the 
 
 L 4
 
 224 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 -W-WV»-VVV"»"VW*-W% 
 
 most opprobrious invectives he could in- 
 vent against them. Till my Dame per- 
 ceiving him to be so far gone, as she said, 
 that without speedy relief, he must be a 
 lost man ; she called for her scissors, and 
 fell to clipping off his hair. 
 
 This transaction irritated David more 
 than all the rest, who would not have 
 parted with so ancient a companion for 
 the sake of his whole principality ; so 
 that his rage now redoubling, he behaved 
 by his eyes and his tongue, the only in- 
 struments they had left to his disposal, 
 no less mad than the most extravagant 
 wretch in all Bethlehem. But his fury 
 rather urging my Dame to the comple- 
 tion of her design, than otherwise, she 
 soon applied the last remedy to the part, 
 in the capacious blister then before her, 
 which she directly clapped on. 
 
 Prince David laying thus upon the
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 22.5 
 
 stretch, and helpless, she found but little 
 trouble in administering his remaining 
 medicines; but the two boluses, as they 
 must necessarily take their turns in the 
 course he was to undergo, proved a mat- 
 ter of great perplexity ; and in cramming 
 down the last with a knife handle, he 
 was within an hair's-breadth of expiring ; 
 till slackening the cord at his arms, and 
 raising him on his seat, he, by slow de- 
 grees, gained the play of his lungs, 
 when she immediately drew him down 
 again. 
 
 The want of sleep, the fatigue of his 
 limbs, and the distress of his spirits, had 
 by morning almost cast him into a fever 
 in reality ; when Mr. Anodyne again 
 entered upon him, charged with another 
 basket of never-failing compounds. 
 
 He demanded of his nurse how he 
 did, and what sort of a night he had ? 
 
 L 5
 
 226 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 Who, with water just issuing from the 
 sluices of her eyes, replied, " Very ill, 
 very ill, doctor - 9 exceeding bad indeed. 
 You see we have been compelled to tie 
 him fast, or we should never have got 
 down one of your medicines. , ' 
 
 Mr. Anodyne then turning himself to 
 the patient, asked him how he found 
 himself? But upon David's reply, " that 
 if he had but the least spark of humanity 
 in him, he would apply to a magistrate, 
 for taking up Clutcher and two of her 
 daughters, as guilty of a conspiracy 
 against his life ; the man of physic 
 shook his head : " Very bad, indeed," 
 said he, " very bad." 
 
 He felt his pulse, which was now all 
 on the gallop ; viewed his tongue, parch- 
 ed up with thirst, and asked for his 
 water ; but there was none of that to be 
 found, save what stealing through the
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 227 
 
 feather-bed, had trickled upon the floor : 
 so that having made all the usual in- 
 quiries, he drew out his lancet for bleed- 
 ing a vein, and took away about twenty- 
 ounces of blood, with the loss of which 
 David fainted. 
 
 Mr. Anodyne had not the faculty of 
 sinking, but where himself could raise 
 again ; for in his basket was a remedy 
 for flown spirits, which would instantly 
 recall them. This he gave him, and 
 ordered all his limbs to be loosed whilst 
 he staid, that he might the better judge 
 of the last operation. 
 
 David rejoicing at the comfort which 
 diffused itself through his whole compo- 
 sition, since his discharge of blood ; and 
 perceiving it to have happened to him by 
 order of the stranger, took him by the 
 hand, and began to relate to him his 
 hardships, not being able, he said, to 
 
 L6
 
 228 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 conjecture what had made them all his 
 enemies ; or what they had done to his 
 head, there seeming to him such a weight 
 upon it, as was insufferable. 
 
 Mr. Anodyne being pleased at his 
 regular speeches, hinted to his nurse 
 what an advantage his bleeding had 
 been ; then sending her for some rags 
 for his blister, and turning to David, 
 " Sir," said he, " you must have taken 
 some violent cold, that should have at- 
 tacked you so suddenly, as to have de- 
 prived you of your senses all at once. 
 Pray how was you first seized ?" 
 
 " Seized !" said David, " why by my 
 Dame Clutcher and my master, and 
 almost squeezed to death, till I had 
 gorged some of the most poisonous stuff 
 that ever poor man tasted." 
 
 " I am sorry there should have been 
 such occasion for it," replied Anodyne ;
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 229 
 
 . V«\tVM«\VtVt 
 
 <f but my question was, how you was 
 first taken ? How you found your dis- 
 temper to approach you first, and after- 
 wards proceed with you ?" 
 
 « That," said David, " I would 
 gladly be excused from ; nor see I the 
 necessity for disclosing my secrets to any 
 man, much less to one, in whose power 
 it can never be to relieve my pain." 
 
 " Come, come, sir," said Mr. Ano- 
 dyne, " I hope, as you already find 
 yourself much mended, it will still be in 
 my power to restore you to perfect 
 soundness ; nor shall you want my best 
 skill and endeavours, I promise you, if 
 you will but make me master of your 
 complaint." 
 
 " You talk like an honest man," said 
 David. Then again griping his hand, 
 tc Know, sir," said he, " that it is 
 love."
 
 230 THE RULING PASSION". 
 
 **%***»%**/*»% «/»v% 
 
 " Love W cried Anodyne. 
 
 " Love, sir !" added David \ " and 
 that for so excellent a Princess, as no 
 mortal eye is worthy to behold. A 
 Princess of such astonishing charms and 
 beauty, that a lover must despair of ever 
 becoming master of them." 
 
 " That must be useless love indeed, 
 sir," said Anodyne, (who had a mind to 
 humour his fancy, believing him about 
 to relapse,) " for a man to admire a 
 lady absolutely unattainable. But why 
 think you so hardly of this beauty ? 
 Have you ever made the experiment ? 
 She may be more yielding than you 
 imagine, and perhaps pine equally in 
 love for you." 
 
 u It is impossible !" replied David. 
 " A Princess of her perfections may com- 
 mand the globe ; then who, think you, 
 can ever be worthy of her ?"
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 231 
 
 *' Have you made your suit known to 
 her, sir ?" said Anodyne. 
 
 " I have begun it, sir," said David 
 " but the nearer I approach her, the 
 more she avoids me. I poured forth my 
 soul in amorous speech to her the other 
 day. I called her my Princess ; nay, 
 my Empress ; for surely, if any female 
 can deserve the title, it is only her j but 
 she instantly fled my presence, and as 
 a punishment for my presumption, 
 have evils inexpressible haunted me ever 
 since." 
 
 Anodyne craved the lady's name , to 
 which Prince David replied, it was the 
 most serene Hannah, but would be ex- 
 cused from divulging her surname or 
 titles, in case she married him. 
 
 Mr. Anodyne, who had David's hand 
 in his during most part of his discourse, 
 observing him to be extremely cold, save
 
 232 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 that his pulse would frisk strangely at 
 the name of Hannah, believed there might 
 still be more in his disorder than had 
 yet been discovered, and that it might 
 really be love for Dame Clutcher's 
 daughter of that name -, for it had been 
 hinted to him, that the very first symp- 
 toms of his phrenzy were collected from 
 his styling her by the very titles he had 
 himself just repeated ; so that in order 
 to be confirmed in his opinion, he ordered 
 her up stairs. 
 
 The girl, who had so lately been sur- 
 prised there, was very shy of appearing ; 
 till her mother engaging for her safety, 
 she at length complied. But it was soon 
 too apparent what had occasioned Da- 
 vid's perturbation ; for his eyes almost 
 started from their sockets, his heart beat, 
 and his pulse was so variable, that Mr. 
 Anodyne ceased further to prescribe for
 
 THE RULWG PASSION. 233 
 
 a disorder in her power only to cure ; so 
 that delivering in his bill to Malcolm, he 
 consigned over his patient to his proper 
 physician, with the assurance that Han- 
 nah would have no more occasion for 
 terror in that gentleman's society.
 
 234 THE RULING PASSION 
 
 v^v»v»v*%-w**iv» 
 
 CHAP. 1G. 
 
 Hannah left with David He makes love. 
 
 Her replies Dialogue between 
 
 Malcolm and Mrs. Clutcher Dress 
 
 up David. 
 
 Mr. Anodyne, at his departure, 
 hinted to my Dame, and she to her 
 daughter, that she should let Mr. David 
 say what he pleased to her, and in his 
 own manner, so long as it proceeded no 
 further than words ; but if he should 
 offer to be rude with her, either to leave 
 him, or to call either her or her sisters. 
 So that my Dame taking an occasion to 
 step down, left Hannah with him, sitting 
 upon the feet of his bed, with her back 
 towards him.
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 233 
 
 Poor David was delighted at the very 
 soul, with only the bare glimpse of his 
 charmer -, but being still capable of more 
 sublime gratifications : " Fairest of earthly 
 beauties," said he, " enliven my eyes by 
 the bright rays of your illuminating 
 countenance ; and as I am so happily 
 situated once more within the orb of 
 your lustre, suffer me not to behold 
 only the reverse of your disk, but shine 
 upon me with your benign influ- 
 
 ence." 
 
 Hannah, who scarce understood three 
 words he said, was fearful of a relapse ; 
 but so long as it rested in words only, 
 she, as her mother had enjoined her, re- 
 solved to be upon her guard ; but for her 
 life, knew neither how or what to answer 
 him. Which giving him an opportunity 
 to proceed further : " Mighty Princess/' 
 said he, " can your heart be so estranged
 
 236 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 V\*\»'*VV*\WVWV 
 
 from compassion, as unrelenting to be- 
 hold the sufferings of the most faithful 
 lover that ever addressed your sex ? I 
 crave but the favour of your eye, your 
 heart is too bright a gem for a wretch 
 like me to comprehend. 
 
 " No, my Princess ! he that flutters 
 about the rays of your glory, must fire 
 his wings ; and as a victim to your 
 charms, must fall before you. Yet, not 
 unpitied fall -, that were to presume a 
 tiger's heart, incased in an angelic struc- 
 ture. Turn then, my Queen, and if for 
 daring to confront your brightness with a 
 mortal eye, the flame consumes that 
 organ, the blame be mine, for my pre- 
 sumption ; for having once beheld thee 
 in extasy, how glorious were my lot to 
 be for ever blind to every other object. 
 Turn then, my Empress, blast your 
 humble suitor, coveting to drown all his
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 237 
 
 former acts in the immortal name of your 
 adorer." 
 
 (i I can't think what you would have, 
 not I, Mr. David/' replied Hannah, 
 " that you should Jove to make a jeer of 
 a body thus. Good truth ! and you 
 won't be quiet, and go to sleep, I'll sit 
 no longer beside yon, not I ; e'en let 
 mother come herself an she will ; making 
 your game at one so." 
 
 " Seraphic voice !" said David, " not 
 all the music of the whirling spheres, 
 with every instrument of man's invention, 
 conjointly issuing one melody, could strike 
 my ear with such engaging sounds, as 
 thy sweet warbling. 
 
 H O Hannah ! speak, or I am for 
 ever lost- Grant me again the ravish- 
 ment of thy soft pipe, thrilling through 
 every vital faculty; such raptures as never 
 mortal felt before. Dear Hannah,
 
 238 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 vkt^\%wtv\%\%\ 
 
 speak ! nor let me languish thus in 
 black despair.'' 
 
 « Why, Mr. David, now you call a 
 body by one's own name, I don't care an 
 I do speak ; and if you have any thing 
 to say to a body, why you may say on, 
 and I'll answer you. And if you care for 
 talking rather than lying still, I don't 
 care, not I, if I talk with you ; but then 
 talk upon reasonable things, and not 
 about Princesses, and glory, and bright- 
 ness, and 1 don't know what, that a body 
 can't understand." 
 
 " Hannah," replied David. 
 
 " Aye, now I like you," said she. 
 "Well, what would you have,Mr. David ?" 
 
 " I would implore it as a favour, and 
 admit it as an infinite condescension, if 
 you would be pleased to dart a single 
 beam of your eye towards me," said 
 David.
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 239 
 
 *^vvw^v*v»<ww% 
 
 " I tell you," replied she, " Mr. 
 David, I can't imagine why you use so 
 many cramp words, as there is neither 
 making head or tail of. I suppose you 
 would have said, — Hannah, face about." 
 
 David confessed he would, durst he 
 but have been so unmannerly -, his heart, 
 he owned, said that, whilst his tongue, 
 starting at so rude an expression, re- 
 coiled. Nor would it move, but in terms 
 of the most sublime regard for her. 
 
 " Look ye now, Mr. David," answer- 
 ed she, " you are at it again. It makes 
 a body believe you are not well in your 
 wits, when you tell one a story that 
 takes up more time in guessing its mean- 
 ing than in repeating. Well, now I am 
 faced about ; and what is it you have to 
 say to a body i" 
 
 „ " I have every thing in nature that 
 is commendable to apply to thy perfec-
 
 240 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 lions," added he, " and might I be in- 
 dulged the bliss, I would unfold my 
 bosom to thee, where thou mightest read 
 in deepest characters, the love I boast to 
 bear thee. Nay, blush not, Hannah, 
 thou art more to me than Cleopatra to 
 Antony, Helen to Paris, or any one 
 of thy sex ever was to mine." 
 
 " I thank you, Mr. David, for all 
 your compliments," said Hannah, " and 
 suppose you call this making love, or else 
 I cannot guess a meaning to it - 9 but 
 upon my word, sir, I must beg to be 
 excused from answering you, till I can 
 tell who all those strange named folks 
 are, you have been speaking of. They 
 may be all very good men for what I 
 know ; but I say, sir, if I am ever to be 
 courted, it shall be in plain English, and 
 in a way that a body can answer to, or 
 what care I for courtship. But I know,
 
 THE RULTNG PASSION. 241 
 
 Air. David,, all that you say is but a 
 banter upon a poor country girl, to see 
 bow a body can take it. 
 
 " You can never make me believe, 
 Mr. David, that a man who is compa- 
 nion to so fine a gentleman as vour 
 master was the day he came hither, 
 would take up with such a wench as I 
 am for a wife ; and as for any thing else, 
 Mr. David, I must beg your pardon." 
 
 " Sweet excellence !" said Da\id, 
 ct thy very sound pierces my heart, and 
 urges to rejoicing. No, thou canst not 
 presume me worthy, though thy virtues 
 may condescend to crown my wishes. 
 The greatest ladies have at times stooped 
 as low, when love has fired their bloods, 
 and why not for once, my admired Han- 
 nah ? Believe me, Hannah, since you 
 recommend to me the familiarity of that 
 title only, the man who loves like me, 
 
 VOL. I. M.
 
 242 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 fc •v* »■* -v^ ■wwv* 
 
 can only have the most honourable ends 
 in view. O ! could I dare to tell thee 
 mine are for the marriage state; where, 
 close combined in love, we would ever 
 live, thou a partaker of all my future 
 blessings ! Nor shall I hereafter doubt to 
 style thee my Princess, in reality, as sove- 
 reign of that principality, now mine by 
 right, though yet in other hands, with- 
 held by stale pretence of conquest. 
 
 " You see me now disguised, and 
 like the sun behind a winter's cloud ; yet 
 neither can this diminish its natural lustre, 
 nor my mean appearance mine, intrin- 
 sically, though both are for awhile, as 
 in eclipse, obscured by intervening ac- 
 cidents. 
 
 " O, Hannah ! — I will not say my 
 Princess, lest I gain offend, — could you 
 but love like me, how great, how happy 
 might we live together ! But should dis-
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 243 
 
 dain prompt you to other courses, and 
 with an indignant eye behold me ; yet 
 grant me this satisfaction, of laying down 
 my life in your presence, and at your 
 command : for frown but on me, and I 
 fall to atoms." 
 
 <c I don't like your ranting so, Mr. 
 David," said she, " not I, about I know 
 not what all. If you have a mind to 
 abody, the only way is to say so, without 
 any more ado. You are a gentleman's 
 servant, though to be sure highly in his 
 favour. I am not such a fool but I can 
 see that, by the fine things he says of 
 you. Now if you think fit to choose me 
 for a wife, why I can do something for 
 my bread too ; I have not been brought 
 up in idleness, Mr. David : but I can 
 live, I don't doubt, either maid, wife, or 
 widow; for though my grandmother, as 
 
 M 2
 
 244 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 • «««««««« 
 
 I have heard, was a great woman, and 
 kept her coach and those things; yet my 
 mother marrying very young, and coming 
 to misfortunes, and after marrying my 
 father Clutcher, who kept this alehouse, 
 though I say it, has bred us all up to la- 
 bour, and instructed us in more than many 
 poor girls ever heard of; so that I say, 
 Mr. David, I would have you take care 
 of your health, and when you are re- 
 covered, you may talk to mother about it. 
 If she gives her consent to the affair, 
 I shan't be the girl that will say you 
 nay, I promise you." 
 
 " My health, my dearest Hannah, 
 as my life, my hope, my every future 
 joy, solely depends upon thy smiles or 
 frowns, by those I live, by these I am 
 annihilated," said David. " O, Hannah I 
 thou hast been the cause of all my pain ;
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 2 4.5 
 
 but why I am so injuriously treated by 
 all your family, and even by my master 
 himself too, I am at a loss to guess." 
 
 " Why, indeed," replied she, " Mr. 
 David, by your talking as you did to me, 
 one would have imagined you had been 
 beside yourself; and all they did, I'll be 
 sworn, was but out of good-will, to set 
 you right again ; and you see what a 
 good effect it has had. Well, I'll go to 
 tell them how purely you are mended, 
 and that you intend to come down to 
 dinner." 
 
 " May I then be so happy as to be 
 named by you ? my charming Hannah," 
 said he. " But it shames me, my fair 
 one, to think how unmanly I must ap- 
 pear before you, and in that filthy 
 woman's covering. Could I but shew 
 thee my proper self again, thou possibly 
 
 Mo
 
 246 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 ♦'WW** 
 
 mightest cast an amorous glance towards 
 me. How can I survive the dishonour 
 of the petticoats ? That galls me most to 
 think of." 
 
 " You must consider, Mr. David," * 
 said she, " the fault is none of yours. 
 You are compelled to wear what you 
 disapprove ; but that, as I say, Mr. 
 David, you can't help ; nor shall I look 
 upon you a whit the worse for them." 
 
 " I stand convicted," said David. 
 " Then send up your mother to dress me, 
 and I will once more appear amongst 
 you." 
 
 The girl ran down to her mother, 
 with an account how purely Mr. David 
 was mended. " And mother," said she, 
 " he talks the most reasonably you ever 
 heard a man." 
 
 " What !" replied she, " hath he
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 247 
 
 made another Princess of you ? Indeed, 
 Hannah, I am afraid you have gotten a 
 sweetheart in Mr. David. " 
 
 Malcolm, who sat by, overhearing 
 this, replied, " Thou need'st not be 
 afraid of the honour done to thy house 
 by an alliance with so great a Prince as 
 David." 
 
 " Prince !" quoth my Dame. 
 c < I have said it," replied Malcolm, 
 " and time will prove it, when thyself shall 
 appear as the mother of that Princess ; 
 but, however, I think he is wrong in pro- 
 secuting an amour, when he should be 
 pursuing conquest ; for fortune spreads 
 her arms but once to receive her fallen 
 votaries, and should they through remiss, 
 ness fly her call, she closes them against 
 all future admission of the same object. 
 My advice therefore to his Highness 
 should be, to prosecute, at present, his
 
 248 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 glory in arms, nor pay the least attention 
 to the softer voice of love ; till slaughter 
 ended, he may embrace the fair, and pro- 
 pagate a race of dauntless heroes. 
 
 Mother Clutcher hearing Malcolm 
 run on thus, was half in the mind that 
 David's disorder was catching, and that 
 he had infected his master with it ; for 
 that there was nothing talked of but 
 Kings and Princes ; when craving fur- 
 ther knowledge, she demanded what 
 David was Prince of? and how he came 
 to appear as his servant ? 
 
 "Woman !" said Malcolm, " as to the 
 latter, let not a better man than Prince 
 David despise that fortune, which has by 
 lot ordained him to be Prime Minister, 
 and principal favourite to the greatest 
 monarch of the North. This name I an- 
 swer to, as he to that ; nor wants it more 
 than time to confirm our titles, and
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 249 
 
 reinstate us in the possessions of our 
 ancestors. 
 
 " David, now plainly so called by me, 
 can advance thy daughter to a Prince- 
 dom. But I should be glad it were de- 
 ferred, till my peaceable establishment 
 upon the throne of Scotland, when I may 
 have leisure to assist in forcing his way 
 to his principality. " 
 
 My Dame and her daughters listen- 
 ed with uncommon attention to Mal- 
 colm's report ; for they doubted not half 
 so much, from the fine robe he arrived 
 in, that he was King of Scots, as that 
 David was a Prince too ; but beginning 
 to leer at each other, and riggle about 
 for some time, upon those bottoms which 
 now sat but uneasily in the presence of 
 Majesty ; first the old woman and then 
 her daughters, one by one, arose, nor
 
 250 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 would again have squatted for half Da- 
 vid's dominions. 
 
 As Malcolm, since the late declara- 
 tion of his equality, took rather more 
 state upon him, so my Dame and her 
 daughters receded from that familiarity 
 they had before entertained him with. 
 But at length Malcolm commanding the 
 old woman to be seated, and she making 
 a thousand words about it, he told her, 
 that himself being always the judge of 
 right and fit, it became not her any 
 ways to dispute his pleasure ; which was 
 in effect, not only disparaging his judg- 
 ment, but placing her own in competi- 
 tion with it ; upon which she sat down 
 by him. 
 
 He then commanded Martha to her 
 seat. " And as for you, fair Princess,' ' 
 said he to Hannah, " your rank will soon
 
 THE RULING PASSION. 251 
 
 -WW* %^WV %>*•■* vwv 
 
 demand it. And as you, Betty, need not 
 doubt preferment in mine or your bro- 
 ther's court, sit you by your sister. Mar- 
 tha shall be my care, so soon as my fa- 
 mily is settled. " 
 
 By this time Prince David arriving 
 amongst them, Malcolm related to him 
 the topic he had been upon, and having, 
 as above, made the whole family privy to 
 their dignities, made no scruple of in- 
 quiring into his Highness's health ; but 
 David's head being far otherwise turned 
 than to titles, he entreated Dame Clutch- 
 er to apply somewhat to it ; for that 
 he feared his brains would all come out, 
 it being so sore he could not bear to 
 touch it. 
 
 The good woman, pleased to hear 
 him talk so sedately, replied, that his 
 head must be kept warm, now he was 
 up, which she should have told him
 
 252 THE RULING PASSION. 
 
 ■V^-WVWVWWV-VVVk 
 
 sooner, and would have attended to help 
 him up, had not her mind been occu- 
 pied with such a set of surprising stories, 
 as had almost turned her brain ; she 
 would, however, take care of him now ; 
 and requested him not to stir abroad, for 
 fear of cold, which might prove of the 
 utmost injury to him. 
 
 Notwithstanding what she had put 
 over his mob, David still complaining of 
 cold, she recollected an old fur cap of her 
 late husband's, that had Iain by many 
 years; which producing, she recommend- 
 ed to his Highness's wear, instead of a 
 better. But such a Prince as David then 
 appeared to be, in Moll's petticoats, with 
 Old Clutcher's fur on, had never before 
 graced the Northern hemisphere. 
 
 END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. 
 
 v*v*wv»> 
 
 i'riau-a by Thomas Wilson ana Boas, Hi t n-Uustgaie, *ork