Waverley or 'Tis sixty years since 3 vols - in 1 Author:Walter Scott 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: APPENDIX. No. L FRVGMENT OF A ROMVNCE WHICH WAS TO HAVE BEEN ENTITLED, THOMAS THE RHYMER. CHAPTER I. The sun was nearly set behind the distant mou... more »ntains of Liddesdale, when a few of the scattered and terrified inhabitants of the village of Hersildoune, which had four days before been burned by a predatory band of English Borderers, were now busied in repairing their mined dwellings. One high tower in the centre of the village alone exhibited no appearance of devastation. It was surrounded with court walls, and the outer gate was barred and bolted. The bushes and brambles which grew around, and had even insinuated their branches beneath the gate, plainly showed that it must have been many years since It is not to be supposed that these fragment are given at possessing any intrinsic value of themselves; but there may be ome curiosity attached to them, as to the first etchings of a plate, which are acconnted interesting by those who have, in any degree, been interested in the more finished works of the artist.it had been opened. While the cottages around lay in smoking ruins, this pile, deserted and desolate as it seemed to be, had suffered nothing from the violence of the Invaders; and the wretched beings who were endeavouring to repair their miserable lints against nightfall, seemed to neglect the preferable shelter which it might have afforded them, without the necessity of labour. Before the day had quite gone down, a knight, richly armed, and mounted upon an ambling hackney, rode slowly into the village. His attendants were a lady, apparently young and beautiful, who rode by his side upon a dappled palfrey; his squire, who carried his helmet and lance, and led hia battle-horse, a noble steed, richly caparisoned. A page and four yeomen, bearing bows and quiv...« less