4
lic feeling to an intense degree, to see venerable clergymen descending into the arena ⟨to⟩ attack the statements and sentiments of a ⟨Romancer⟩. There was reason tor this. ⟨The⟩ book was read by every body, and it ⟨contains⟩ the sentiments of toryism in their most imposing and their most apalling form—and ⟨there⟩ is much that approaches to a degree of ⟨impiety⟩ which that sober people will not bear. Nay, the religious public deemed that ⟨they⟩ saw no less than a design to ridicule the ⟨memory⟩ of the martyrs and patriots of the ⟨days⟩ of Charles II., and to vilify their holy ⟨religion.⟩ The description which he has given of ⟨the⟩ conduct and motives of the military ⟨chieftians,⟩ the personal accomplishments and the ⟨romantic⟩ gallantry with which his imagination ⟨had⟩ clothed the atrocious Claverhouse, do ⟨prove⟩ that there is too much room for the one; and the absurd balderdash and disgusting ⟨cant⟩ which he has put into the mouths of the leading preachers of that age, (and they were mean men,) do altogether show a spirit of ⟨humility⟩ and persecution not to be tamely ⟨submitted⟩ to in this enlightened age.[1]
- ↑ The clerical characters who figured in the ⟨scene⟩ presented partial in "Old Mortality," were ⟨Douglas⟩ Cargil, King, Douglas. Douglas had been offered a ⟨bishopric⟩, and the see was kept vacant some time for him ⟨by⟩ Sharp. Cargil had been the accomplished and ⟨popular⟩ minister of the Barony Kirk of Glasgow. King an ac-
