It was just when this important question was decided7 that the Baron of Bradwardine, with a careful and yet important expression of countenance8, joined the two young men. He descended9 from his reeking10 charger, the care of which he recommended to one of his grooms11. ‘I seldom ban, sir,’ said he to the man; ‘but if you play any of your hound’s-foot tricks, and leave puir Berwick before he’s sorted, to rin after spuilzie, deil be wi’ me if I do not give your craig a thraw.’ He then stroked with great complacency the animal which had borne him through the fatigues12 of the day, and having taken a tender leave of him — ’ Weel, my good young friends, a glorious and decisive victory,’ said he; ‘but these loons of troopers fled ower soon. I should have liked to have shown you the true points of the pralium equestre, or equestrian13 combat, whilk their cowardice14 has postponed15, and which I hold to be the pride and terror of warfare16. Weel — I have fought once more in this old quarrel, though I admit I could not be so far BEN as you lads, being that it was my point of duty to keep together our handful of horse. And no cavalier ought in any wise to begrudge17 honour that befalls his companions, even though they are ordered upon thrice his danger, whilk, another time, by the blessing18 of God, may be his own case. But, Glennaquoich, and you, Mr. Waverley, I pray ye to give me your best advice on a matter of mickle weight, and which deeply affects the honour of the house of Bradwardine. I crave19 your pardon, Ensign Maccombich, and yours, Inveraughlin, and yours, Edderalshendrach, and yours, sir.’
The last person he addressed was Ballenkeiroch, who, remembering the death of his son, loured on him with a look of savage20 defiance21. The Baron, quick as lightning at taking umbrage22, had already bent23 his brow when Glennaquoich dragged his major from the spot, and remonstrated24 with him, in the authoritative25 tone of a chieftain, on the madness of reviving a quarrel in such a moment.
‘The ground is cumbered with carcasses,’ said the old mountaineer, turning sullenly26 away; ‘ONE MORE would hardly have been kenn’dupon it; and if it wasna for yoursell, Vich lan Vohr, that one should be Bradwardine’s or mine.’
The Chief soothed27 while he hurried him away; and then returned to the Baron. ‘It is Ballenkeiroch,’ he said, in an under and confidential28 voice, ‘father of the young man who fell eight years since in the unlucky affair at the mains.’
‘Ah!’ said the Baron, instantly relaxing the doubtful sternness of his features, ‘I can take naickle frae a man to whom I have unhappily rendered sic a displeasure as that. Ye were right to apprise29 me, Glennaquoich; he may look as black as midnight at Martinmas ere Cosmo Comyne Bradwardine shall say he does him wrang. Ah! I have nae male lineage, and I should bear with one I have made childless, though you are aware the blood-wit was made up to your ain satisfaction by assythment, and that I have since expedited letters of slains. Weel, as I have said, I have no male issue, and yet it is needful that I maintain the honour of my house; and it is on that score I prayed ye for your peculiar30 and private attention.’
The two young men awaited to hear him, in anxious curiosity.
‘I doubt na, lads,’ he proceeded, ‘but your education has been sae seen to that ye understand the true nature of the feudal31 tenures?’
Fergus, afraid of an endless dissertation32, answered, ‘Intimately, Baron,’ and touched Waverley as a signal to express no ignorance.
‘And ye are aware, I doubt not, that the holding of the barony of Bradwardine is of a nature alike honourable33 and peculiar, being blanch34 (which Craig opines ought to be Latinated blancum, or rather francum, a free holding) pro2 sermtio detrahendi, seu exuendi, caligas regis post battalliam.’ Here Fergus turned his falcon35 eye upon Edward, with an almost imperceptible rise of his eyebrow36, to which his shoulders corresponded in the same degree of elevation37. ‘Now, twa points of dubitation occur to me upon this topic. First, whether this service, or feudal homage38, be at any event due to the person of the Prince, the words being, per expressum, caligas REGIS, the boots of the king himself; and I pray your opinion anent that particular before we proceed farther.’
‘Why, he is Prince Regent,’ answered Mac-Ivor, with laudable composure of countenance; ‘and in the court of France all the honours are rendered to the person of the Regent which are due to that of the King. Besides, were I to pull off either of their boots, I would render that service to the young Chevalier ten times more willingly than to his father.’
‘ Ay, but I talk not of personal predilections39. However, your authority is of great weight as to the usages of the court of France; and doubtless the Prince, as alter ego40, may have a right to claim the homagium of the great tenants41 of the crown, since all faithful subjects are commanded, in the commission of regency, to respect him as the King’s own person. Far, therefore, be it from me to diminish the lustre43 of his authority by withholding44 this act of homage, so peculiarly calculated to give it splendour; for I question if the Emperor of Germany hath his boots taken off by a free baron of the empire. But here lieth the second difficulty — the Prince wears no boots, but simply brogues and trews.’
This last dilemma45 had almost disturbed Fergus’s gravity.
‘Why,’ said he, ‘you know, Baron, the proverb tells us, “It’s ill taking the breeks off a Highlandman,” and the boots are here in the same predicament.’
‘The word caligce, however,’ continued the Baron, ‘though I admit that, by family tradition, and even in our ancient evidents, it is explained “lie-boots,” means, in its primitive46 sense, rather sandals; and Caius Caesar, the nephew and successor of Caius Tiberius, received the agnomen of Caligula, a caligulis sine caligis levioribus, quibus adolescentior usus fuerat in exercitu Germanici patris sui. And the caligce were also proper to the monastic bodies; for we read in an ancient glossarium upon the rule of Saint Benedict, in the Abbey of Saint Amand, that caligae were tied with latchets.’
‘That will apply to the brogues,’ said Fergus.
‘It will so, my dear Glennaquoich, and the words are express: Caligae, dicta sunt quia ligantur; nam socci non ligantur, sed tantum intromittuntur; that is, caligae are denominated from the ligatures wherewith they are bound; whereas socci, which may be analogous47 to our mules48, whilk the English denominate slippers49, are only slipped upon the feet. The words of the charter are also alternative, exuere seu detrahere; that is, to undo50, as in the case of sandals or brogues, and to pull of, as we say vernacularly51 concerning boots. Yet I would we had more light; but I fear there is little chance of finding hereabout any erudite author de re vestiaria.’
‘I should doubt it very much,’ said the Chieftain, looking around on the straggling Highlanders, who were returning loaded with spoils of the slain,‘though the res vestiaria itself seems to be in some request at present.’
This remark coming within the Baron’s idea of jocularity, he honoured it with a smile, but immediately resumed what to him appeared very serious business.
‘Bailie Macwheeble indeed holds an opinion that this honorary service is due, from its very nature, si petatur tantum; only if his Royal Highness shall require of the great tenant42 of the crown to perform that personal duty; and indeed he pointed52 out the case in Dirleton’s Doubts and Queries53, Grippit versus54 Spicer, anent the eviction55 of an estate ob non solutum canonem; that is, for non-payment of a feu-duty of three pepper-corns a year, whilk were taxt to be worth seven-eighths of a penny Scots, in whilk the defender56 was assoilzied. But I deem it safest, wi’ your good favour, to place myself in the way of rendering57 the Prince this service, and to proffer58 performance thereof; and I shall cause the Bailie to attend with a schedule of a protest, whilk he has here prepared (taking out a paper), intimating, that if it shall be his Royal Highness’s pleasure to accept of other assistance at pulling off his caligae (whether the same shall be rendered boots or brogues) save that of the said Baron of Bradwardine, who is in presence ready and willing to perform the same, it shall in no wise impinge upon or prejudice the right of the said Cosmo Comyne Bradwardine to perform the said service in future; nor shall it give any esquire, valet of the chamber60, squire59, or page, whose assistance it may please his Royal Highness to employ, any right, title, or ground for evicting61 from the said Cosmo Comyne Bradwardine the estate and barony of Bradwardine, and others held as aforesaid, by the due and faithful performance thereof.’
Fergus highly applauded this arrangement; and the Baron took a friendly leave of them, with a smile of contented62 importance upon his visage.
‘Long live our dear friend the Baron,’ exclaimed the Chief, as soon as he was out of hearing, ‘for the most absurd original that exists north of the Tweed! I wish to heaven I had recommended him to attend the circle this evening with a boot-ketch under his arm. I think he might have adopted the suggestion if it had been made with suitable gravity.’
‘And how can you take pleasure in making a man of his worth so ridiculous?’
‘Begging pardon, my dear Waverley, you are as ridiculous as he. Why, do you not see that the man’s whole mind is wrapped up in this ceremony? He has heard and thought of it since infancy63 as the most august privilege and ceremony in the world; and I doubt not but the expected pleasure of performing it was a principal motive64 with him for taking up arms. Depend upon it, had I endeavoured to divert him from exposing himself he would have treated me as an ignorant, conceited65 coxcomb66, or perhaps might have taken a fancy to cut my throat; a pleasure which he once proposed to himself upon some point of etiquette67 not half so important, in his eyes, as this matter of boots or brogues, or whatever the caliga shall finally be pronounced by the learned. But I must go to headquarters, to prepare the Prince for this extraordinary scene. My information will be well taken, for it will give him a hearty68 laugh at present, and put him on his guard against laughing when it might be very mal-a-propos. So, au revoir, my dear Waverley.’
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1
baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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pro
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| n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者 | |
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sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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reeking
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| v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的现在分词 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象） | |
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grooms
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| n.新郎( groom的名词复数 )；马夫v.照料或梳洗（马等）( groom的第三人称单数 )；使做好准备；训练；（给动物）擦洗 | |
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12
fatigues
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| n.疲劳( fatigue的名词复数 )；杂役；厌倦；（士兵穿的）工作服 | |
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13
equestrian
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| adj.骑马的；n.马术 | |
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cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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15
postponed
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| vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发） | |
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warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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begrudge
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| vt.吝啬，羡慕 | |
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18
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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crave
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| vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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umbrage
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| n.不快；树荫 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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remonstrated
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| v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫 | |
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authoritative
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| adj.有权威的，可相信的；命令式的；官方的 | |
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sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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soothed
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| v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦 | |
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confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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apprise
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| vt.通知，告知 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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feudal
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| adj.封建的，封地的，领地的 | |
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dissertation
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| n.（博士学位）论文，学术演讲，专题论文 | |
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honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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blanch
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| v.漂白；使变白；使(植物)不见日光而变白 | |
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falcon
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| n.隼，猎鹰 | |
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eyebrow
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| n.眉毛，眉 | |
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elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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homage
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| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
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predilections
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| n.偏爱，偏好，嗜好( predilection的名词复数 ) | |
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40
ego
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| n.自我，自己，自尊 | |
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tenants
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| n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者 | |
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tenant
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| n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用 | |
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lustre
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| n.光亮，光泽；荣誉 | |
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44
withholding
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| 扣缴税款 | |
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dilemma
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| n.困境，进退两难的局面 | |
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primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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analogous
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| adj.相似的；类似的 | |
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48
mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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undo
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| vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销 | |
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51
vernacularly
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| n.白话；行话；本国语；动植物的俗名adj.本国语的；白话的；方言的；本国的 | |
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52
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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queries
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| n.问题( query的名词复数 )；疑问；询问；问号v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的第三人称单数 )；询问 | |
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versus
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| prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下 | |
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eviction
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| n.租地等的收回 | |
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defender
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| n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人 | |
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rendering
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| n.表现，描写 | |
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proffer
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| v.献出，赠送；n.提议，建议 | |
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squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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evicting
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| v.（依法从房屋里或土地上）驱逐，赶出( evict的现在分词 ) | |
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contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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infancy
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| n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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conceited
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| adj.自负的，骄傲自满的 | |
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coxcomb
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| n.花花公子 | |
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etiquette
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| n.礼仪，礼节；规矩 | |
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hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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