But you shall suffer no wrong. We will ourselves look into
your case."
"Ay, ay," answered the king, "he hath made _appellatio ad Casarem_--we
will interrogate Glenvarlochides ourselves, time and place fitting;
and, in the meanwhile, have him and his weapons away, for I am weary
of the sight of them."
In consequence of directions hastily given, Nigel was accordingly
removed from the presence, where, however, his words had not
altogether fallen to the ground. "This is a most strange matter,
George," said the Prince to the favourite; "this gentleman hath a good
countenance, a happy presence, and much calm firmness in his look and
speech. I cannot think he would attempt a crime so desperate and
useless."
"I profess neither love nor favour to the young man," answered
Buckingham, whose high-spirited ambition bore always an open
character: "but I cannot but agree with your Highness, that our dear
gossip hath been something hasty in apprehending personal danger from
him."
"By my saul, Steenie, ye are not blate, to say so!" said the king. "Do
I not ken the smell of pouther, think ye? Who else nosed out the Fifth
of November, save our royal selves? Cecil, and Suffolk, and all of
them, were at fault, like sae mony mongrel tikes, when I puzzled it
out: and trow ye that I cannot smell pouther? Why, 'sblood, man,
Joannes Barclaius thought my ingine was in some measure inspiration,
and terms his history of the plot, Series patefacti divinitus
parricidii; and Spondanus, in like manner, saith of us, Divinitus
evasit.
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