ght to a criticism yesterday's
afternoon. Weel aware am I, that men in authority cannot appease and
quell the inordinate concupiscence of the multitude, and that in a'
stations of life there are persons who would mumpileese the retinue of
the king and government for their own behoof and eeteration, without any
regard to the cause or effect of such manifest predilections. But ye do
me no more than a judicature, in supposing that, in this matter, I am
habituated wi' the best intentions. For I can assure you, Mr Pawkie,
that no man in this community has a more literal respect for your
character than I have, or is more disposed for a judicious example of
continence in the way of public enterteenment than I have ever been; for,
as you know, I am of a constipent principle towards every extravagant and
costive outlay. Therefore, on my own account, I had a satisfaction at
seeing the abridgement which you made of our former inebrieties; but
there are other persons of a conjugal nature, who look upon such
castrations as a deficiency of their rights, and the like of them will
find fault with the best procedures."

"Very true, Mr Peevie," said I, "that's very true; but if his Majesty's
government, in this war for all that is dear to us as men and Britons,
wish us, who are in authority under them, to pare and save, in order that
the means of bringing the war to a happy end may not be wasted, an
example must be set, and that example, as a loyal subject and a
magistrate, it's my intent so to give, in the hope and confidence of
being backed by every person of a right way of thinking."

"It's no to be deputed, Provost Pawkie," replied my friend, somewhat
puzzled by what I had said; "it's no to be deputed, that we live in a
gigantic vortex, and that every man is bound to make an energetic
dispensation for the good of his country; but I could not have thought
that our means had come to sic an alteration and extremity, as that the
reverent homage of the Michaelmas dinners could have been enacted, and
declared absolute and abolished, by any interpolation less than the
omnipotence of parliament."

"Not abolished, Mr Peevie," cried I, interrupting him; "that would indeed
be a stretch of power. No, no; I hope we're both ordained to partake of
many a Michaelmas dinner thegether yet; but with a meted measure of
sobriety. For we neither live in the auld time nor the golden age, and
it would not do now for the like of you and me, Mr Peevie