"Look
at the bonny piece of workmanship, and haud your clavering tongue.--
And whase handiwork may it be, Geordie?"
"It was wrought, sir," replied the goldsmith, "by the famous
Florentine, Benvenuto Cellini, and designed for Francis the First of
France; but I hope it will find a fitter master."
"Francis of France!" said the king; "send Solomon, King of the Jews,
to Francis of France!--Body of me, man, it would have kythed Cellini
mad, had he never done ony thing else out of the gate. Francis!--why,
he was a fighting fule, man,--a mere fighting fule,--got himsell ta'en
at Pavia, like our ain David at Durham lang syne;--if they could hae
sent him Solomon's wit, and love of peace, and godliness, they wad hae
dune him a better turn. But Solomon should sit in other gate company
than Francis of France."
"I trust that such will be his good fortune," said Heriot.
"It is a curious and very artificial sculpture," said the king, in
continuation; "but yet, methinks, the carnifex, or executioner there,
is brandishing his gully ower near the king's face, seeing he is
within reach of his weapon. I think less wisdom than Solomon's wad
have taught him that there was danger in edge-tools, and that he wad
have bidden the smaik either sheath his shabble, or stand farther
back."
George Heriot endeavoured to alleviate this objection, by assuring the
king that the vicinity betwixt Solomon and the executioner was nearer
in appearance than in reality, and that the perspective should be
allowed for.
Pages:
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138