"Simply, that I was in the ante-room when she had audience, and heard
the king say, to my great perplexity, '_Pulchra sane puella;_' and
Maxwell, who hath but indifferent Latin ears, thought that his Majesty
called on him by his own name of Sawney, and thrust into the presence,
and there I saw our Sovereign James, with his own hand, raising up the
lassie, who, as I said heretofore, was travestied in man's attire. I
should have had my own thoughts of it, but our gracious Master is
auld, and was nae great gillravager amang the queans even in his
youth; and he was comforting her in his own way and saying,--'Ye
needna greet about it, my bonnie woman, Glenvarlochides shall have
fair play; and, indeed, when the hurry was off our spirits, we could
not believe that he had any design on our person. And touching his
other offences, we will look wisely and closely into the matter.' So I
got charge to take the young fence-louper to the Tower here, and
deliver her to the charge of Lady Mansel; and his Majesty charged me
to say not a word to her about your offences, for, said he, the poor
thing is breaking her heart for him."
"And on this you have charitably founded the opinion to the prejudice
of this young lady, which you have now thought proper to express?"
said Lord Glenvarloch.
"In honest truth, my lord," replied Sir Mungo, "what opinion would you
have me form of a wench who gets into male habiliments, and goes on
her knees to the king for a wild young nobleman? I wot not what the
fashionable word may be, for the phrase changes, though the custom
abides.
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