"Ay, ay," continued the monarch; "take them to you per aversionem,
bairns--the one pouch stuffed with petitions, t'other with
pasquinadoes; a fine time we have on't. On my conscience, I believe
the tale of Cadmus was hieroglyphical, and that the dragon's teeth
whilk he sowed were the letters he invented. Ye are laughing, Baby
Charles?--Mind what I say.--When I came here first frae our ain
country, where the men are as rude as the weather, by my conscience,
England was a bieldy bit; one would have thought the king had little
to do but to walk by quiet waters, per aquam refectionis. But, I kenna
how or why, the place is sair changed--read that libel upon us and on
our regimen. The dragon's teeth are sown, Baby Charles; I pray God
they bearna their armed harvest in your day, if I suld not live to see
it. God forbid I should, for there will be an awful day's kemping at
the shearing of them."
"I shall know how to stifle the crop in the blade,--ha, George?" said
the Prince, turning to the favourite with a look expressive of some
contempt for his father's apprehensions, and full of confidence in the
superior firmness and decision of his own counsels.
While this discourse was passing, Nigel, in charge of a pursuivant-at-
arms, was pushed and dragged through the small town, all the
inhabitants of which, having been alarmed by the report of an attack
on the king's life, now pressed forward to see the supposed traitor.
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