"
"Your Highness speaks like a Christian king," said the prior; "but
you bear the sword as well as the sceptre, and this present evil
is of a kind which the sword must cure."
"Hark ye, my lords," said the Prince, looking up as if a gay thought
had suddenly struck him. "Suppose we teach these savage mountaineers
a strain of chivalry? It were no hard matter to bring these two
great commanders, the captain of the Clan Chattan and the chief
of the no less doughty race of the Clan Quhele, to defy each other
to mortal combat. They might fight here in Perth--we would lend
them horse and armour; thus their feud would be stanched by the
death of one, or probably both, of the villains, for I think both
would break their necks in the first charge; my father's godly
desire of saving blood would be attained; and we should have the
pleasure of seeing such a combat between two savage knights, for the
first time in their lives wearing breeches and mounted on horses,
as has not been heard of since the days of King Arthur."
"Shame upon you, David!" said the King. "Do you make the distress
of your native country, and the perplexity of our councils, a
subject for buffoonery?"
"If you will pardon me, royal brother," said Albany, "I think that,
though my princely nephew hath started this thought in a jocular
manner, there may be something wrought out of it, which might
greatly remedy this pressing evil."
"Good brother," replied the King, "it is unkind to expose Rothsay's
folly by pressing further his ill timed jest.
Pages:
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253