'Troth, man, I have small doubt that he
will,' quoth the king, 'I gave him the schedule of her
worldly substance, which you delivered to us in the council,
and we allowed him half an hour to chew the cud upon that.
It is rare reading for bringing him to reason. I left Baby
Charles and Steenie laying his duty before him, and if he
can resist doing what _they_ desire him, why I wish he would
teach _me_ the gate of it. O Geordie, Jingling Geordie, it
was grand to hear Baby Charles laying down the guilt of
dissimulation, and Steenie lecturing _on_ the turpitude of
incontinence.' 'I am afraid,' said George Heriot, more
hastily than prudently, 'I might have thought of the old
proverb of Satan reproving sin.' 'Deil hae our saul,
neighbour,' said the king, reddening, 'but ye are not blate!
I gie ye licence to speak freely, and by our saul, ye do not
let the privilege become lost, _non utendo_--it will suffer
no negative prescription in your hands.
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