"
"I doubt that may hardly be," answered the citizen, "if it please your
Majesty; your learned counsel in the law of Scotland advise, that
there is no remeid but in paying the money."
"Ud's fish," said the king, "let him keep haud by the strong hand
against the carle, until we can take some order about his affairs."
"Alas!" insisted the goldsmith, "if it like your Majesty, your own
pacific government, and your doing of equal justice to all men, has
made main force a kittle line to walk by, unless just within the
bounds of the Highlands."
"Well--weel--weel, man," said the perplexed monarch, whose ideas of
justice, expedience, and convenience, became on such occasions
strangely embroiled; "just it is we should pay our debts, that the
young man may pay his; and he must be paid, and _in verbo regis_ he
shall be paid--but how to come by the siller, man, is a difficult
chapter--ye maun try the city, Geordie."
"To say the truth," answered Heriot, "please your gracious Majesty,
what betwixt loans and benevolences, and subsidies, the city is at
this present----"
"Donna tell me of what the city is," said King James; "our Exchequer
is as dry as Dean Giles's discourses on the penitentiary psalms--_Ex
nihilo nihil fit_--It's ill taking the breeks aff a wild Highlandman--
they that come to me for siller, should tell me how to come by it--the
city ye maun try, Heriot; and donna think to be called Jingling
Geordie for nothing--and _in verbo regis_ I will pay the lad if you
get me the loan--I wonnot haggle on the terms; and, between you and
me, Geordie, we will redeem the brave auld estate of Glenvarloch.
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