Pedant

“ We only labour to stuff the memory, and leave the conscience and the understanding unfurnished and void. Like birds who fly abroad to forage for grain, and bring it home in the beak, without tasting it themselves, to feed their young; so our pedants go picking knowledge here and there, out of books, and hold it at the tongue's end, only to spit it out and distribute it abroad. And here I cannot but smile to think how I have paid myself in showing the foppery of this kind of learning, who myself am so manifest an example ”

“ On the morrow, I dragged him to an editor. The great man read, and, rising, gave Pettit his hand. That was a decoration, a wreath of bay, and a guarantee of rent.
And then old Pettit smiled slowly. I call him Gentleman Pettit now to myself. It’s a miserable name to give a man, but it sounds better than it looks in print.
“I see,” said old Pettit, as he took up his story and began tearing it into small strips. “I see the game now. You can’t write with ink, and you can’t write with your own heart’s blood, but you can write with the heart’s blood of some one else. ”

“ As the lad was going from the house, eighteen of the enemies foot were near, crying, Stand, dog. The lad ran, and, six of them pursued half a mile, and fired hard upon him; the ball went close by his head. At that time Mr. Peden continued in prayer for him alone, and with the rest, being twelve men; when praying with them, he said Lord, shall the poor lad that's gone our errand, seeking bread to support our lives, lose his? Direct the bullets by his head, however near, let them not touch him; good Lord, spare the lap of thy cloak, and cover the poor lad. ”

“ When I put the barn in order, he goes to such a place, and there be prays for the afflicted Church of Scotland, and names so many people in the furnace. He wrought the next day, and his mistress watched and overheard him praying, as the lad had said. At night she desired her husband to enquire if he was a minister, which he did, and desired him to be free with him, and he should not only be no enemy to him, but a friend. Mr. Peden said, he was not ashamed of his office ”

“ One James Kay, a solid and grave Christian, being one of them, who lives in or about the Water of Leith, told me, that Mr. Peden said to him, James, when your wife comes in, let me see her; which he did. After some discourse, he called for a drink; and when he sought a blessing, he said, Good Lord, let not James Kay's wife miss her husband, till thou return him to her in peace and safety; which we are sure will be sooner than either he or she is looking for. Accordingly, the same day month that he parted with her at Leith, he came home to her at the Water of Leith. ”

“ Only he remembered, he was once sent from the Societies in Galloway to Carrick, to call Mr. Peden to preach: When he told him for what end he was come, Mr. Peden went for some time alone; and when he came back, he said, I am sorry, Earlstoun, you are come so far in vain, for I cannot answer your desire; I can get nothing to say to your people: Nothing will convince this generation but judgments, and a surprising lump of them upon the West of Scotland. Earlstoun said, Sir, you was once legally ordained and authorised to preach the gospel, and the Lord's people's call is sufficient ”

“ O king Penda, sore have we wrought against Sigmund and his kin, and many men of his have we slain, little boots it to slay this boy or the faithful thanes who fought for him, in cold blood. Right well they wrought and soldierly against thy thanes, but an unsoldierly death wouldst thou deal to them; oh, never will the light of day seem fair to thy captain Feargus if the blood of these warriors stains the sword of his king. ”

“ The Englishman laughed in his belly.
“My father had excellent precept,” said I, “although, as you say, the Hand of God curtailed his practice.”
“Well now, my son,” said Sir Richard Pendragon, assuming a grave air, which yet did not appear a very sincere one, “he who speaks you is one whose practice the Hand of God has not curtailed. He was proficient with sword and basket in his tenderest infancy. He has played with all the first masters in Europe; he has made it a life study. With all the true principles of this inimitable art he is familiar. ”

“ Surely your king would little admire ye.”
“Hath he not slain our prince? right angry will be the king. Not one of us dare face him without this man’s head, stark though he be, for he is son to king Nechtan and it must be he who was Penda’s captain.”
“Then no hand will we have in this unknightly work; but we bid ye desist, or an ye do not we will join with Feargus, and what could we not do under so mighty a leader?” ”

“ She looked up swiftly, trying to read what lay behind the harsh repression in his tones. She felt as though he were holding something in leash—something that strained and fought against restraint.
"I'm a man—not a saint!" The memory of his renunciation at King Arthur's Castle swept over her.
"Yet I once thought you—almost that, Peter," she said slowly.
But he brushed her words aside.
"Well, I'm not. When I saw you to-day at the studio . . . God! Did you think I'd keep away? . . . Nan, did you want me to?" ”

“ So they turned the key, and opened the chest, and lo! there lay the prettiest child you ever set eyes on. So they were both glad, and were ready to keep the child, for they had no children of their own, and were so old they could now hope for none.
Now, after a little while, Peter the Pedlar began to wonder how it was no one came to woo his daughter, who was so rich in land, and had so much ready money. At last, when no one came, off he went again to the Stargazers, and offered them a heap of money if they could tell him whom his daughter was to have for a husband. ”

“ You’ve never grown up,” Jean made answer. To her he seemed a sort of Peter Pan among men.
She had been amazed—although in a sense relieved—to find how swiftly he had rallied. It seemed almost as though his intense loathing of the onset of old age and decay, of that slow cooling of passion and gradual decline of faculties which age inevitably brings, had served to reconcile him to the loss of the woman he had worshipped whilst yet there had been no dimming of her physical perfection, no blunting of the fine edge of their love. ”

“ It gleamed like a shining sword between the man and woman, as though dividing them one from the other and thrusting each into the shadows that lay on either hand.
“Garth——”
At the sound of her voice he dropped his hand to his side and came slowly back and stood beside her. His face was almost grey, and the tortured expression of his eyes seemed to hurt her like the stab of a knife.
“You must try to forgive me,” he said, speaking very low and rapidly. “I had no earthly right to tell you that I cared, because—because I can't ask you to marry me. ”

“ Descendants of John Peyton. Here, Peyton, are some things about your ancestors. Read them. Perhaps then instead of tearing down you will have an impulse to build up. I commend this book to you young people for study. It will do you no harm to think a little of those worthy men from whom you come.
[Marks the place with a card and gives the book to Peyton.
Jhansi
[Springing up.] I shall waste no time thinking of the worthy men from whom I come! If I am related [90] to a law-maker—I owe it to my soul to become a law-breaker!
Mrs. Root
You see, Bessie, what you have done. ”

“ I perceived that, after all, this was a case for Mrs. Peddar.
"The housekeeper is a most superior person—a Mrs. Peddar. She will be of more assistance to you than I can be. Will you allow me to tell her that you are here?" ”

“ Mr Peden said, after musing a little, “Let alone, you’ll never be honoured with such a death: and for what you have said against these two worthy lasses, your death will” be both sudden and surprising;” which was shortly thereafter; the man standing before the fire, smoking his pipe, dropt down dead, without speaking more.
15. In the month of June, 1682, he was in the house of James Brown Douglas, John Wilson in Lanark was with him, who suffered martyrdom in the Grass-market of Edinburgh, the next year, May 1683. ”

“ It was an effort to hold out her hand, and, when his closed around it, she felt her whole body thrill at his touch, just as it had been wont to thrill in those few, short, golden days when their mutual happiness had been undarkened by any shadow from the past. Swiftly, as though all at once afraid, she snatched her hand from his clasp.
“What have you been doing in France?” he asked. ”

“ Alexander Peden was a burning and a shining light in the dark night of Scotland's persecution. His career in the ministry of the Gospel glowed with mysterious splendor. His natural powers flashed with supernatural glints, or rather, with excessive spiritual light, by the indwelling Holy Spirit. God, through persecution, made many mighty men.
Peden was born in 1626, when King Charles was trying hard to stamp out Presbyterianism. He was twelve years old, when the Covenant renewed at Greyfriars' Church thrilled the kingdom. ”

“ He took his knife, and cut away the other knot.
36 About this time, he and James Wilson in Douglas, a singularly known man to many, was at Airdsmoss; and being together some time, without speaking, as Mr. Peden's ordinary was, when there was any extraordinary thing in his head, they came to Mr Cameron's grave, where he and other eight were buried. After sitting some time on the grave, he gave James a clap on the shoulder with his heavy hand, and said, "I am going to tell you a strange tale!" James said, "I am willing to hear it." He said; "This is a strange day, both of sinning and suffering! ”

“ In the said year 1685, he came to Welwood, to Captain John Campbell's, he having escaped out of Canongate-Tolbooth, in the month of August 1684. Being in danger every day, he resolved to go to America, and took farewel of his friends, and went aboard of a ship. Mr. Peden said to his mother, Mistress, what is become of John? She said, He is gone to America. He said, No, no! he is not gone, send for him, for he will never see America. ”

“ IN the year 1666 when the Lord's persecuted and oppresed people were gathered together for their own defence who were broken at Pentland-bills, he with Mr Welch and the laird of Glorover, in the parish of Balentrea, wire riding together in the same parish, and met upon the way a small party of the enemy's horse, and no eviting of them; the Laird fainted, fearing they would all be taken. Mr Peden seeing this, said, "Keep up your courage and confidence for God hath laid an arrest upon these men, that they shall not harm us." ”

“ Before I could make Sir Richard Pendragon’s excuses for not being present, as I felt sure, notwithstanding his quiddity, the English giant, having the blood of kings under his doublet, would have wished me to do, there came through the soft and sweet morning airs a mighty commotion. There was shouting, the blowing of horns and trumpets, and then came the loud bark of a culverin. ”

“ Why must I be so cheerful then?”
“Because,” was the reply of this audacious foreigner, “Richard Pendragon, knight of England, hero of an hundred fields, is here to make you an offer of [117] his service. This two and a quarter yards by a yard and a half of brawn and valiancy hath left a monstrous quantity of the kingly blood that flows beneath his doublet on the battle meads of Europe. How many a pretty daisy hath fed its damask on the azure blood of a Pendragon! ”

“ An old Italian woman, her dark eyes bright and glancing like a robin's, peered at him scrutinisingly. Could he see the signora? She shook her head doubtfully. Peter smiled at her—that lovable, half whimsical smile of his which so few women could resist—and the old serving woman melted. Yes, it was true—the signora had finished her siesta. Perhaps she would receive the signoré inglese. The name? A swift expression of surprise crossed her face as Peter gave his name. ”

“ There was little enough in the fragile figure, lying day after day on a couch, to rouse a man's passion. Rather, Nan's utter weakness called forth all the solicitude and ineffable tenderness of which Peter was capable—such tenderness—almost maternal in its selfless, protective quality, as is only found in a strong man—never in a weak one. ”

“ Then the kings and royal princes that were with him, finding him bent on battle, and knowing well that the Northumbrians would not begin the attack, came to Penda saying—
“We would counsel thee, O king, to wait still until Feargus and Osbert shall reach us, for of a certainty they will come: here are we face to face with a host mightier than ours.”
Then the king answered: “And hath not the host of Penda oft-times conquered hosts twice as mighty as itself, led by greatest warriors of the world? Strength lieth not in numbers, nor in big warriors or little, but in the hearts and minds of men. ”

“ Doesn't it seem incredible that they should want to go to all that trouble? But then, that's a mechanoid for you. Always making things bigger. That's why I enjoy seeing Mr. First take up flowers. Maybe he sees things our way himself."
"I don't suppose you've ever been out there, have you?"
"Out there? You mean, where the mechanoids live? Why, now that you mention it, I believe I was, once. But a long time ago—I must have been still living with my elders. It's not very enjoyable. Too big to call home, after all." With a short laugh, Paton emptied his glass again. ”

“ As the last snowy petal left its stem, leaving it looking so bare and pitiful nestling in among the leaves as though ashamed of its nakedness, a hard sob of anguish escaped his lips, for it seemed as if each petal contained a part of the soul of his loved one, and leaning his face against the sash, he [380] gave himself up to the crushing sorrow that submerged his soul and plunged him once more into black despair. ”