THE TEE'D BALL On the morrow, from the justices' private room, where none could see me, I heard the verdict given in and judgment rendered upon James.

The Duke's words I am quite sure I have correctly; and since that famous passage has been made a subject of dispute, I may as well commemorate my version.

Having referred to the year '45, the chief of the Campbells, sitting as Justice-General upon the bench, thus addressed the unfortunate Stewart before him: "If you had been successful in that rebellion, you might have been giving the law where you have now received the judgment of it; we, who are this day your judges, might have been tried before one of your mock courts of judicature; and then you might have been satiated with the blood of any name or clan to which you had an aversion." "This is to let the cat out of the bag, indeed," thought I.And that was the general impression.

It was extraordinary how the young advocate lads took hold and made a mock of this speech, and how scarce a meal passed but what some one would get in the words: "And then you might have been satiated." Many songs were made in that time for the hour's diversion, and are near all forgot.

I remember one began: What do ye want the bluid of, bluid of?
Is it a name, or is it a clan, Or is it an aefauld Hielandman, That ye want the bluid of, bluid of?
Another went to my old favourite air, _The House of Airlie_, and began thus: It fell on a day when Argyle was on the bench, That they served him a Stewart for his denner.
And one of the verses ran: Then up and spak the Duke, and flyted on his cook, I regaird it as a sensible aspersion, That I would sup ava', an' satiate my maw, With the bluid of ony clan of my aversion.
James was as fairly murdered as though the Duke had got a fowling-piece and stalked him.