Page:The Lay of the Last Minstrel - Scott (1805).djvu/266

 bloud by them, prevented that which they should have drawn one from the other. For they, seeing Mr Howel's face besmeared with blood, by heaving up his wounded hand, they both run to embrace him; and having searched his hurts, they bound up his hand, with one of his garters, to close the veins which were cut, and bled abundantly. They brought him home, and sent for a surgeon. But this being heard at court, the king sent one of his own surgeons; for his majesty much affected the said Mr Howel.

"It was my chance to be lodged hard by him; and four or five dayes after, as I was making myself ready, he came to my house, and prayed me to view his wounds; 'for I understand,' said he, 'that you have extraordinary remedies on such occasions, and my surgeons apprehend some fear that it may grow to a gangrene, and so the hand must be cut off.' In effect, his countenance discovered that he was in much pain, which he said was insupportable, in regard of the extream inflammation. I told him I would willingly serve him; but if haply he knew the manner how I would cure him, without touching or seeing him, it may be he would not expose himself to my manner of curing, because he would think it, peradventure, either ineffectual, or superstitious. He replied, "The wonderfull things which many have related unto me of your way of medecinement, makes me nothing doubt at all of its efficacy; and all that I have to say unto you is comprehended in the Spanish proverb, Hagase el milagro y hagalo Mahoma, let the miracle be done though Mahomet do it."