THE BANQUET.
The entertainment was ample and handsome, according to the Scotch ideas of the period, and the guests did great honour to it.
The Baron ate like a famished soldier, the Laird of Balmawhapple like a sportsman, Bullsegg of Killancureit like a farmer, Waverley himself like a traveller, and Bailie Macwheeble like all four together; though, either out of more respect, or in order to preserve that proper declination of person which showed a sense that he was in the presence of his patron, he sat upon the edge of his chair, placed at three feet distance from the table, and achieved a communication with his plate by projecting his person towards it in a line, which obliqued from the bottom of his spine, so that the person who sat opposite to him could only see the foretop of his riding periwig.
This stooping position might have been inconvenient to another person, but long habit made it, whether seated or walking, perfectly easy to the worthy Bailie.In the latter posture, it occasioned, no doubt, an unseemly projection of the person towards those who happened to walk behind; but those being at all times his inferiors (for Mr.Macwheeble was very scrupulous in giving place to all others), he cared very little what inference of contempt or slight regard they might derive from the circumstance.Hence, when he waddled across the court to and from his old grey pony, he somewhat resembled a turnspit walking upon its hind legs.
The nonjuring clergyman was a pensive and interesting old man, with much the air of a sufferer for conscience' sake.He was one of those Who, undeprived, their benefice forsook.
For this whim, when the Baron was out of hearing, the Bailie used sometimes gently to rally Mr.Rubrick, upbraiding him with the nicety of his scruples.Indeed, it must be owned that he himself, though at heart a keen partizan of the exiled family, had kept pretty fair with all the different turns of state in his time; so that Davie Gellatley once described him as a particularly good man, who had a very quiet and peaceful conscience, _that never did him any harm._When the dinner was removed, the Baron announced the health of the King, politely leaving to the consciences of his guests to drink to the sovereign _de facto_ or _de jure,_ as their politics inclined.The conversation now became general, and shortly afterwards Miss Bradwardine, who had done the honours with natural grace and simplicity, retired, and was soon followed by the clergyman.Among the rest of the party, the wine, which fully justified the encomiums of the landlord, flowed freely round, although Waverley, with some difficulty, obtained the privilege of sometimes neglecting the glass.At length, as the evening grew more late, the Baron made a private signal to Mr.
Saunders Saunderson, or, as he facetiously denominated him, _Alexander ab Alexandro,_ who left the room with a nod, and soon after returned, his grave countenance mantling with a solemn and mysterious smile, and placed before his master a small oaken casket, mounted with brass ornaments of curious form.The Baron, drawing out a private key, unlocked the casket, raised the lid, and produced a golden goblet of a singular and antique appearance, moulded into the shape of a rampant bear, which the owner regarded with a look of mingled reverence, pride, and delight, that irresistibly reminded Waverley of Ben Jonson's Tom Otter, with his Bull, Horse, and Dog, as that wag wittily denominated his chief carousing cups.But Mr.
Bradwardine, turning towards him with complacency, requested him to observe this curious relic of the olden time.
``It represents,'' he said, ``the chosen crest of our family, a bear, as ye observe, and _rampant,_ because a good herald will depict every animal in its noblest posture: as a horse _salient,_ a greyhound _currant,_ and, as may be inferred, a ravenous animal _in actu ferociori,_ or in a voracious, lacerating, and devouring posture.Now, sir, we hold this most honourable achievement by the wappen-brief, or concession of arms, of Frederick Redbeard, Emperor of Germany, to my predecessor, Godmund Bradwardine, it being the crest of a gigantic Dane, whom he slew in the lists in the Holy Land, on a quarrel touching the chastity of the Emperor's spouse or daughter, tradition saith not precisely which, and thus, as Virgilius hath it---Mutemus clypeos, Danaumque insignia nobis Aptemus.
Then for the cup, Captain Waverley, it was wrought by the command of St.Duthac, Abbot of Aberbrothock, for behoof of another Baron of the house of Bradwardine, who had valiantly defended the patrimony of that monastery against certain encroaching nobles.It is properly termed the Blessed Bear of Bradwardine (though old Dr.Doubleit used jocosely to call it Ursa Major), and was supposed in old and Catholic times to be invested with certain properties of a mystical and supernatural quality.And though I give not in to such _anilia,_ it is certain it has always been esteemed a solemn standard-cup and heir-loom of our house; nor is it ever used but upon seasons of high festival, and such I hold to be the arrival of the heir of Sir Everard under my roof; and I devote this draught to the health and prosperity of the ancient and highly-to-be-honoured house of Waverley.''
During this long harangue he carefully decanted a cobwebbed bottle of claret into the goblet, which held nearly an English pint, and at the conclusion, delivering the bottle to the butler, to be held carefully in the same angle with the horizon, he devoutly quaffed off the contents of the Blessed Bear of Bradwardine.