Maitland Club > Works of Sir Thomas Urquhart

240 EK2K.YBAAAYPON.
to ladyes which was incumbent on them, to be performed in the discharge of a visite ;
then wheeling neatly about to fetch another careere, he discreetly represented to them
all the necessary circumstances at such a visit observable, and how the infringing of the
meanest title or particle of any one thereof, would quite disconcert the mutual harmony
it should produce, and bring an unspeakable disparagement to the credits and honors of
all guilty of the like delinquency. In amplifying hereof, and working upon their passions,
he let go so many secret springs, and inward resorts of eloquence, that being all perswaded
of the unseasonableness of the time, and unreasonableness of the suit, none of them, for a
thousand ducats that night, would have adventured to make any further progress in that
after which a little before they had been so eager, so profound was the character of
reverence toward that lady, which he so insinuatingly had imprinted into the hearts of
them all ; wherefore they, purposing to insist no longer upon the visionary design, did
cast their minds on a sudden upon another far more haire-brained consideration ; when
the Prince to one of his chief gentlemen said, We will do this good fellow no wrong ;
yet before we go hence, let us try what courage is in him, that after we have made
him flee for it, we may to-morrow make one excuse for all, to the lady whom he serv-
eth. Do not you see, sayes he, how he dandleth the sword in his hand, as if he were
about to braveer us, and how he is decked and trimm'd up in his cloaths, like another
Hector of Troy, but I doubt if he be so martial, he speaks too well to be valiant ; he
is certainly more Mercurial then military, therefore let us make him turn his back,
that we may spie if, as another Mercury, he hath any wings on his heels. This fool-
ish chat no sooner was blattered out to the ears of three of his gentlemen that were
nearest to him, but the sudden drawing of their swords, though but in jest, made the
other six who heard not the Prince, as if they had bin mad to adventure the rashness
wherewith the spirit of wine had inspired them, against the prudensequal and invinci-
ble fortitude of the matchless Crichtoun ; who not being accustomed to turn his back
to those that had any project against his brest, most manfully sustained their encoun-
ter ; which, although furious at first, appearing nevertheless unto him, because of the
odds of ten to one, not to have been in earnest, he for twenty several bouts did but
ward their blows, and pary with the fort of his sword, till by plying the defensive part
too long, he had received one thrust hi the thigh and another in the arme ; the trick-
ling of his blood from the wounds whereof prompted his heroick spirit, as at a des-
perate stake to have at all or none, to make his tith outvy their stock, and set upon
them all. In which resolution, when from the door whereat he stood he had lanehed
forth tliree paces in the court, having lovely Pomponacio behind him, to give him
warning in case of surprisal in the reer, and all his ten adversaries in a front before
him, who, making up above a quadrant of that periphery whereof his body was the
center, were about, from the exterior points of all their right shoulder-blades, alongst
the additional line of their armes and tucks, to lodge home to him so many truculent
semi-diameters, he retrograding their intention, and beginning his agency where they