OUT OF THE FULLNESS OF THE HEART TIIE MOUTH SPEAKETIL
WE read in the Fortunes of Nigel, that when Master George Her- riot, anxious to ascertain the truth regarding the alleged contume- lious rejection of Lord Glenvarloch's supplication by King James, cross-questioned Richie Moniplies relative to the mode of pre- sentation, the following fact was elicited- " When you gave your master's petition to his Majesty, gave you nothing with it ?"
Ou what should I give wi' it, ye ken Master George ?"
" That is what I desire and insist to know," replied his interrogator. " Wed, then, I mini not free to say, that mav be 1 might not just slip into the King's hand a wee bit sifflication of mine ain, along with toy lord's—just to save his Majesty trouble, and that he might consider them Leith at once."
Master George Herriot's perseverance, however, forced Riehie to make a further admission- -a Alai I conclude, Master Page, that you took care to present your own supplication before your master's ? "
" Troth did I not," answered Moniplios, " I thought to have given my lord's first, as was reason gide ; and besides that it wad have redd the gate for my sin little bill. But what wi' the dirdum an' confusion, an' the loupin here and there of the skeigh brute of a horse, I believe I crammed them baith into his hand cheek by jowl, an' may be my filo was bunemost."
Honest Weide had a warns heart to his master—he was indeed a man of "moni-plies," and affection for -Lord Glenvarloch was snugly wrapped up in one of them : but still, self, like his " sifflication," was " bunemost ;" and hence the indecorous postponement of his master's business to his own. Greater men than Richic Moniplies, (although he attained the dignity of Knight, at a later period, as certain Reformed Mayors have recently done,) have beets guilty of a greater aoarderie. For example, there are her most gracious Majesty's most devoted Ministers : nothing keeps them in office but personal friendship for their Sovereign. They were long ago sick of the trade of statesmanship : they felt an awkward con- sciousness that in taking office they had buckled to a task beyond their powers : they "went out." But her Majesty found she could isot abide the Tories; and out of pure, devoted attachment to her, having previously resigned office, they resigned themselves to their fate and took it up again. But even these unparalleled martyrs of self-denial think of themselves at times, and that too to the post- ponement of more important matters. A form of' prayer and thanksgiving was prescribed to the Church by the Privy Council a few weeks ago ; but her Majesty's faithful Ministers, being at the moment sorely galled by adverse divisions on Lord STANLEY'S Bill, instead of dwelling (its the prayer) with due horror on OxFostn, pistol-bullets, or even the King of Hanover, request the devout congregations throughout the land to pray for "grace to lay to heart the great dangers WE arc in by OUR UNHAPPY DIVISIONS." If there be any truth in the doctrine of honest Cassio, that " the lieutenant shall be saved before the ancient," what a sensation (humanly speaking) must have been excited when this prayer was " recorded in Heaven's chancery," by the outrecuidance of her Majesty's self-immolating friends !
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