The Scottish cavalier Author:James Grant Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: anxious citizens gathered at their windows and outside-stairs,. conversing in subdued tones on those " coming events" which were already casting their shadows be... more »fore. As Walter passed, their voices died away, and many a lowering eye was bent upon him, while not a few shouted injurious epithets, and chanted " Lillibulero bullenala," the Marseillaise hymn of the Scottish revolutionists. The arcades or piazzas in the High-street were crowded by a noisy mob. The whole city seemed on tip-toe from the High-riggs to the Palace Gate, and many an eye was turned to where, like stars upon the west and northern hills, the answering balefires threw abroad the light of alarm. No man had yet dared to assume the blue cockade of the Covenant; but the faces of the " sour-featured Whigs " were become radiant with hope in anticipation of their coming triumph and revenge. Guarded by Buchan's musketeers, the Scottish train of artillery was drawn up near the Tron, wheel to wheel, limbered and ready for service ; while cavalier officers, with their waving plumes and scarfs, guardsmen, and dragoons in their flashing armour, galloped hurriedly from street to street. Women were wailing, and soldiers crowding and revelling in and around the hostels and taverns, and the whole city was one scene of universal confusion, noise, and dismay. Followed by six of his splendidly accoutred cavaliers, Claverhouse (now Major-General Viscount Dundee) dashed up from the palace at full gallop. All shrunk back as he swept forward on some mission of importance to the duke of Gordon, " the cock of the north," who commanded in the castle of Edmburgh, and, fired by the gallant air of Claverhouse, Walter felt his heart glow with ardour for the military splendour of the coming day. CHAPTER XXXII. THE MABCH FOE ENBLAND....« less