A sair life I
had wi' Laurie Linklater; for he said it wad be the ruin of him. And
then, when I told him it was in your matter, he said if he had known
before he would have risked a scauding for you, because he minded the
brave old lord, your father. And then he showed how I suld have done,
--and that I suld have held up my hand to my brow, as if the grandeur
of the king and his horse-graith thegither had casten the glaiks in my
een, and mair jackanape tricks I suld hae played, instead of offering
the Sifflication, he said, as if I had been bringing guts to a bear.
[Footnote: I am certain this prudential advice is not original on Mr.
Linklater's part, but I am not at present able to produce my
authority. I think it amounted to this, that James flung down a
petition presented by some supplicant who paid no compliments to his
horse, and expressed no admiration at the splendour of his furniture,
saying, "Shall a king cumber himself about the petition of a beggar,
while the beggar disregards the king's splendour?" It is, I think, Sir
John Harrington who recommends, as a sure mode to the king's favour,
to praise the paces of the royal palfrey.]
'For,' said he, 'Richie, the king is a weel-natured and just man of
his ain kindly nature, but he has a wheen maggots that maun be cannily
guided; and then, Richie,' says he, in a very laigh tone, 'I would
tell it to nane but a wise man like yoursell, but the king has them
about him wad corrupt an angel from heaven; but I could have gi'en you
avisement how to have guided him, but now it's like after meat
mustard.
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