"Can ye tell me now, Bailie, you that understands the law, what gude will it do me to answer ony o' your questions ?" "Good ?--no good certainly, my friend, except that giving a true account of yourself, if you are innocent, may entitle me to set you at liberty." "But it seems mair reasonable to me now, that you, Bailie, or anybody that has anything to say against me, should prove my guilt, and no to be bidding me prove my innocence." "I don't sit here," answered the magistrate, "to dispute points of law with you.

I ask you, if you choose to answer my question, whether you were at Ringan Aikwood, the forester's, upon the day I have specified ?" "Really, sir, I dinna feel myself called on to remember," replied the cautious bedesman.
"Or whether, in the course of that day or night," continued the magistrate, "you saw Steven, or Steenie, Mucklebackit ?--you knew him, I suppose ?" "O, brawlie did I ken Steenie, puir fallow," replied the prisoner;--"but I canna condeshend on ony particular time I have seen him lately." "Were you at the ruins of St.Ruth any time in the course of that evening ?" "Bailie Littlejohn," said the mendicant, "if it be your honour's pleasure, we'll cut a lang tale short, and I'll just tell ye, I am no minded to answer ony o' thae questions--I'm ower auld a traveller to let my tongue bring me into trouble." "Write down," said the magistrate, "that he declines to answer all interrogatories, in respect that by telling the truth he might be brought to trouble." "Na, na," said Ochiltree, "I'll no hae that set down as ony part o' my answer--but I just meant to say, that in a' my memory and practice, I never saw ony gude come o' answering idle questions." "Write down," said the Bailie, "that, being acquainted with judicial interrogatories by long practice, and having sustained injury by answering questions put to him on such occasions, the declarant refuses." "Na, na, Bailie," reiterated Edie, "ye are no to come in on me that gait neither." "Dictate the answer yourself then, friend," said the magistrate, "and the clerk will take it down from your own mouth." "Ay, ay," said Edie--"that's what I ca' fair play; I'se do that without loss o' time.

Sae, neighbour, ye may just write down, that Edie Ochiltree, the declarant, stands up for the liberty--na, I maunna say that neither--I am nae liberty-boy--I hae fought again' them in the riots in Dublin--besides, I have ate the King's bread mony a day.

Stay, let me see.

Ay--write that Edie Ochiltree, the Blue-Gown, stands up for the prerogative--( see that ye spell that word right--it's a lang ane)--for the prerogative of the subjects of the land, and winna answer a single word that sall be asked at him this day, unless he sees a reason fort.