KENILWORTH - Penn State University

Sir Walter Scott“Why, uncle,” said Lambourne, “I will tell thee a secret.Dost see this little old fellow here? as old and withered a chipas ever the devil put into his porridge—and yet, uncle, betweenyou and me—he hath Potosi in that brain of his—’sblood! he can coin ducats faster than I can vent oaths.”“I will have none of his coinage in my purse, though,Michael,” said mine host; “I know what belongs to falsifyingthe Queen’s coin.”“Thou art an ass, uncle, for as old as thou art.—Pull menot by the skirts, doctor, thou art an ass thyself to boot—so,being both asses, I tell ye I spoke but metaphorically.”“Are you mad?’ said the old man; “is the devil in you? Canyou not let us begone without drawing all men’s eyes on us?”“Sayest thou?” said Lambourne. “Thou art deceived now—no man shall see you, an I give the word.—By heavens, masters,an any one dare to look on this old gentleman, I willslash the eyes out of his head with my poniard!—So sit down,old friend, and be merry; these are mine ingles—mine ancientinmates, and will betray no man.”“Had you not better withdraw to a private apartment,nephew?” said Giles Gosling. “You speak strange matter,” headded, “and there be intelligencers everywhere.”“I care not for them,” said the magnanimous Michael—”intelligencers? pshaw! I serve the noble Earl of Leicester. —Here comes the wine.—Fill round, Master Skinker, a carouseto the health of the flower of England, the noble Earl of Leicester!I say, the noble Earl of Leicester! He that does me notreason is a swine of Sussex, and I’ll make him kneel to thepledge, if I should cut his hams and smoke them for bacon.”None disputed a pledge given under such formidable penalties;and Michael Lambourne, whose drunken humour wasnot of course diminished by this new potation, went on in thesame wild way, renewing his acquaintance with such of theguests as he had formerly known, and experiencing a receptionin which there was now something of deference mingled witha good deal of fear; for the least servitor of the favourite Earl,especially such a man as Lambourne, was, for very sufficientreasons, an object both of the one and of the other.In the meanwhile, the old man, seeing his guide in this uncontrollablehumour, ceased to remonstrate with him, andsitting down in the most obscure corner of the room, calledfor a small measure of sack, over which he seemed, as it were,237