pray your opinion anent that particular before we proceed
farther.«
    »Why, he is Prince Regent,« answered Mac-Ivor, with laudable composure of
countenance; »and in the court of France all the honours are rendered to the
person of the Regent which are due to that of the King. Besides, were I to pull
off either of their boots, I would render that service to the young Chevalier
ten times more willingly than to his father.«
    »Ay, but I talk not of personal predilections. However, your authority is of
great weight as to the usages of the court of France: and doubtless the Prince,
as alter ego, may have a right to claim the homagium of the great tenants of the
crown, since all faithful subjects are commanded, in the commission of regency,
to respect him as the king's own person. Far, therefore, be it from me to
diminish the lustre of his authority, by withholding this act of homage, so
peculiarly calculated to give it splendour; for I question if the Emperor of
Germany hath his boots taken off by a free baron of the empire. But here lieth
the second difficulty. - The Prince wears no boots, but simply brogues and
trews.«
    This last dilemma had almost disturbed Fergus's gravity.
    »Why,« said he, »you know, Baron, the proverb tells us, It's ill taking the
breeks off a Highlandman, - and the boots are here in the same predicament.«
    »The word caligæ, however,« continued the Baron, »though I admit, that, by
family tradition, and even in our ancient evidents, it is explained lie BOOTS,
means, in its primitive sense, rather sandals; and Caius Cæsar, the nephew and
successor of Caius Tiberius, received the agnomen of Caligula, a caligulis, sive
caligis levioribus, quibus adolescentior usus fuerat in exercitu Germanici
patris sui. And the caligæ were also proper to the monastic bodies; for we read
in an ancient Glossarium, upon the rule of St Benedict, is the Abbey of St.
Amand, that caligæ were tied with latchets.«
    »That will apply to the brogues,« said Fergus.
    »It will so, my dear Glennaquoich; and the words are express: Caligæ dictæ
sunt quia ligantur; nam socci non ligantur, sed tantum intromittuntur; that is,
caligæ are denominated from the ligatures wherewith they are bound; whereas
socci, which may be analogous to our mules, whilk the English denominate
slippers, are only slipped upon the feet. The words of the