Page:Scott - Tales of my Landlord - 3rd series, vol. 4 - 1819.djvu/55

 camp marshalled into tertias, (whilk we call regiments), and officered and commanded by those of their own feminine, and regulated by a commander-in-chief, called in German Hureweibler, or, as we would say vernacularly, Captain of the Queans. True it is, they were persons not to be named as parallel to your ladyship, being such quæ quæstum corporibus faciebant, as we said of Jean Drochiels, at Mareschal-College, the same whom the French term curtisannes and we in Scottish"

"The lady will spare you the trouble of further exposition. Captain Dalgetty," said his host, somewhat sternly; to which the clergyman added, "that such discourse better befitted a watch-tower guarded by profane soldiery than the board of an honourable person, and the presence of a lady of quality."

"Craving your pardon, Domine or Doctor, aut quocunque alio nomine gaudes, for I would have you to know I have studied polite letters," said the unabashed envoy,