Chapter 17 - Page 2

out of courtesy, the man-catcher to search through his dominions,
quite certain that they would take little by their motions; for Duke
Hildebrod is a most judicious potentate.--Go back, you bastard, and
bring us word when all is quiet."

"And who may Duke Hildebrod be?" said Lord Glenvarloch.

"Nouns! my lord," said the Templar, "have you lived so long on the
town, and never heard of the valiant, and as wise and politic as
valiant, Duke Hildebrod, grand protector of the liberties of Alsatia?
I thought the man had never whirled a die but was familiar with his
fame."

"Yet I have never heard of him, Master Lowestoffe," said Lord
Glenvarloch; "or, what is the same thing, I have paid no attention to
aught that may have passed in conversation respecting him."

"Why, then," said Lowestoffe--"but, first, let me have the honour of
trussing you. Now, observe, I have left several of the points untied,
of set purpose; and if it please you to let a small portion of your
shirt be seen betwixt your doublet and the band of your upper stock,
it will have so much the more rakish effect, and will attract you
respect in Alsatia, where linen is something scarce. Now, I tie some
of the points carefully asquint, for your ruffianly gallant never
appears too accurately trussed--so."

"Arrange it as you will, sir," said Nigel; "but let me hear at least
something of the conditions of the unhappy district into which, with
other wretches, I am compelled to retreat."

"Why, my lord," replied the Templar, "our neighbouring state of
Alsatia, which the law calls the Sanctuary of White-friars, has had
its mutations and revolutions like greater kingdoms; and, being in
some sort a lawless, arbitrary government, it follows, of course, that
these have been more frequent than our own better regulated
commonwealth of the Templars, that of Gray's Inn, and other similar
associations, have had the fortune to witness. Our traditions and
records speak of twenty revolutions within the last twelve years, in
which the aforesaid state has repeatedly changed from absolute
despotism to republicanism, not forgetting the intermediate stages of
oligarchy, limited monarchy, and even gynocracy; for I myself remember
Alsatia governed for nearly nine months by an old fish-woman. 'I hen
it fell under the dominion of a broken attorney, who was dethroned by
a reformado captain, who, proving tyrannical, was deposed by a
hedgeparson, who was succeeded, upon resignation of his power, by Duke
Jacob Hildebrod, of that name the first, whom Heaven long preserve."

"And is this potentate's government," said Lord Glenvarloch,