What oath?
Why, you said here’s the devil to pay!
Ha—ha—ha—and there’s thirteen-pence for you to pay.
You be darned!
An’ there’s thirteen-pence more for you, my lad—ha—ha—ha—
The officer now drew near the individual he was ordered to remove; but he did so as if a little afraid of his man—who stood up face to face with the judge, and planted his foot as if he knew of no power on earth able to move him, declaring he would’nt budge a peg, now they’d come to that; for the house they were in had been paid for out of the people’s money, and he’d as much right there as they had; but havin’ said what he had to say on the subject, and bein’ pooty considr’ble easy on that score now, if they’d mind their business he’d mind his; and if they’d behave, he would.
Very well, said the chief judge, who knew the man to be a soldier of tried bravery. Very well! you may stay where you are; I thought we should bring you to your senses, neighbour Joe.
Here the stranger broke away from the crowd and leaped upon the platform, and setting his teeth and smiting the floor with a heavy iron-shod staff, he asked the judges why they did not enforce the order? why with courage to take away life, they had no courage to defend their authority. How dare ye forgive this man! said he; how dare you bandy words with such a fellow! What if you have been to the war with him? Have ye not become the judges of the land? With hardihood enough to undertake the awful representation of majesty, have ye not enough to secure that majesty from outrage?
We know our own duty sir.
No such thing sir! you do not—if you do, it shall be the worse for you. You are afraid of that man—