ings. You see what it is to laugh at the superstitions of a gentleman-usher, as I think you do somewhere. The whirligig of time brings about his revenges.' "Adieu, my dear Southey; my best wishes attend all that you do, and my best congratulations every good that attends you-yea even this, the very least of Providence's mercies, as a poor clergyman said when pronouncing grace over a herring. I should like to know how the prince received you; his address is said to be excellent, and his knowledge of literature far from despicable. What a change of fortune even since the short time when we met! The great work of retribution is now rolling onward to consummation, yet am I not fully satisfied-pereat istethere will be no permanent peace in Europe till Buonaparte sleeps with the tyrants of old. My best compliments attend Mrs Southey and your family. Ever yours, "WALTER SCOTT." To avoid returning to the affair of the laureateship, I have placed together such letters concerning it as appeared important. I regret to say that, had I adhered to the chronological order of Scott's correspondence, ten out of every twelve letters between the date of his application to the Duke of Buccleuch, and his removal to Edinburgh on the 12th of November, would have continued to tell the same story of pecuniary difficulty, urgent and almost daily applications for new advances to the Ballantynes, and endeavours, more or less successful, but in no case effectually so, to relieve the pressure on the bookselling firm by sales of its heavy stock to the great publishing houses of Edinburgh and London. Whatever success these endeavours met with, appears to have been due either directly or indirectly to Mr Constable; who did a great deal more than prudence would have warranted, in taking on himself the results of its unhappy adventures,-and by his sagacious advice, enabled the distressed partners to procure similar assistance at the hands of others, who did not partake his own feelings of personal kindness and sympathy. "I regret to learn," Scott writes to him on the 16th October, "that there is great danger of your exertions in our favour, which once promised so fairly, proving finally abortive, or at least being too tardy in their operation to work out our relief. If any thing more can be honourably and properly done to avoid a most unpleasant shock, I shall be most willing to do it; if not-God's will be done! There will be enough of property, including my private fortune, to pay every claim; and I have not used prosperity so ill, as greatly to fear adversity. But these things we will talk over at meeting; mean while believe me, with a sincere sense of your kindness and friendly views, very truly yours, W. S." I have no wish to quote niore largely from the letters which passed during this crisis between Scott and his partners. The pith and substance of his, to John Ballantyne at least, seems to be summed up in one brief postscript:-" For God's sake, treat me as a man, and not as a milch-cow!" The difficulties of the Ballantynes were by this time well known throughout the commercial circles not only of Edinburgh, but of London; and a report of their actual bankruptcy, with the addition that Scott was engaged as their surety to the extent of L.20,000, found its way to Mr Morritt about the beginning of November. This dear friend wrote to him, in the utmost anxiety, and made liberal offers of assistance in case the catastrophé might still be averted; but the term of Martinmas, always a critical one in Scotland, had passed before this letter reached Edinburgh, and Scott's answer will show symptoms of a clearing horizon. I think also there is one expression in it which could hardly have failed to convey to Mr Morritt that his friend was involved, more deeply than he had ever acknowledged, in the concerns of the Messrs Ballantyne. "To J. B. S. Morritt, Esq. Rokeby Park. 'Edinburgh, 20th November, 1813. "I did not answer your very kind letter, my dear Morritt, until I could put your friendly heart to rest upon the report you have heard, which I could not do entirely until this term of Martinmas was passed.. I have the pleasure to say that there is no truth whatever in the Ballantynes' reported bankruptcy. They have had severe difficulties for the last four months to make their resources balance the demands upon them, and I, having the price of Rokeby, and othor monies in their hands, have had considerable reason for apprehension, and no slight degree of plague and trouble. They have, however, been so well supported, that I have got out of hot water upon their account. They are winding up their bookselling concern with great regularity, and are to abide hereafter by the printing-office. which, with its stock, etc., will revert to them fairly. "I have been able to redeem the offspring of my brain, and they are like to pay me like grateful children. This matter has set me a thinking about money more seriously than ever I did in my life, and I have begun by insuring my life for L. 4000, to secure some ready cash to my family should I slip girths suddenly. I think my other property, library, etc., may be worth about L.12,000, and I have not much debt. c Upon the whole, I see no prospect of any loss whatever. Although in the course of human events I may be disappointed, there certainly can be none to vex your kind affectionate heart on my account. I am young, with a large official income, and if I lose any thing now, I have gained a great deal in my day. I cannot tell you, and will not attempt to tell you, how much I was affected by your letter-so much, indeed, that for several days I could not make my mind up to express myself on the subject. Thank God! all real danger was 'yesterday put over—and I will write, in two or three days, a funny letter, without any of those vile cash matters, of which it may be said there is no living, with them nor without them. Ever yours, most truly, WALTER SCOTT." All these annoyances produced no change whatever in Scott's habits of literary industry. During these anxious months of September, October, and Noyember, he kept feeding James Ballantyne's press, from day to day, both with the annotated text of the closing volumes of Swift's works, and with the MS. of his Life of the Dean. He had also proceeded to mature in his own mind the plan of the Lord of the Isles, and executed such a portion of the First Canto as gave him confidence to renew his negociation with Constable for the sale of the whole, or part of its copyright. It was, moreover, at this period, that, looking into an old cabinet in search of some fishing-tackle, his eye chanced to light once more on the Ashestiel fragment of Waverley.—He read over those introductory chapters-thought they had been undervalued -and determined to finish the story. All this while, too, he had been subjected to those interruptions from idle strangers, which, from the first to the last, imposed so heaxy a tax on his celebrity; and he no doubt received such guests with all his usual urbanity of attention. Yet I was not surprised to discover, among his hasty notes to the Ballantynes, several of tenour akin to the following specimens :— "Sept. 2d, 1813. "My temper is really worn to a hair's-breadth. The intruder of yesterday hung on me till twelve to-day. When I had just taken my pen, he was relieved, like a sentry leaving guard, by two other lounging visiters; and their post has now been supplied by some people on real business." Again 66 'Monday Evening. "Oh James-oh James-Two Irish dames I groaning send one sheet I've penned- A scrap of nearly the same date to his brother Thomas may be introduced, as belonging to the same state of feeling. **** "Dear Tom, I observe what you say as to Mr ; and as you may often be exposed to similar requests, which it would be difficult to parry, you can sign such letters of introduction as relate to persons whom you do not delight to honour short, T. Scott; by which abridgement of your name I shall understand to limit my civilities." It is proper to mention, that, in the very agony of these perplexities, the unfortunate Maturin received from him a timely succour of L.50, rendered doubly acceptable by the kind and judicious letter of advice in which it was enclosed; and I have before me ample evidence that his benevolence had been extended to other struggling brothers of the trade, even when he must often have had actual difficulty to meet the immediate expenditure of his own family. All this, however, will not surprise the reader. Nor did his general correspondence suffer much interruption; and, as some relief after so many painful details, I shall close the narrative of this anxious year by a few specimens of his miscellaneous communications. "To Miss Joanna Baillie, Hampstead. "MY DEAR MISS BAILLIE,I have been a vile lazy correspondent, having been strolling about the country, and indeed a little way into England, for the greater part of July and August; in short, aye skipping here and there,' like the Tanner of Tamworth's horse. Since I returned, I have had a gracious offer of the laurel on the part of the Prince Regent. You will not wonder that I have declined it, though with every expression of gratitude which such an unexpected compliment demanded. Indeed, it would be high imprudence in one having literary reputation to maintain, to accept of an offer which obliged him to produce a poetical exercise on a given theme twice a-year; and besides, as my loyalty to the royal family is very sincere, I would not wish to have it thought mercenary. The public has done its part by me very well, and so has Government: and I thought this little literary provision ought to be bestowed on one who has made literature his sole profession. If the Regent means to make it respectable, he will abolish the foolish custom of the annual odes, which is a drudgery no person of talent could ever willingly encounter-or come clear off from, if he was so rash. And so, peace be with the laurel 'Profaned by Cibber and contemned by Gray.' I was for a fortnight at Drumlanrig, a grand old chateau which has descended, by the death of the late Duke of Queensberry, to the Duke of Buccleuch. It is really a most magnificent pile, and when embosomed amid the wide forest scenery, of which I have an infantine recollection, must have been very romantic. But old Q. made wild devastation among the noble trees, although some fine ones are still left, and a quantity of young shoots are, in despite of the want of every kind of attention, rushing up to supply the place of the fathers of the forest from whose stems they are springing. It will now I trust be in better hands, for the reparation of the castle goes hand in hand with the rebuilding of all the cottages, in which an aged race of pensioners of Duke Charles, and his pious wife, Kitty, blooming, young and gay,’—have, during the last reign, been pining into rheumatisms and agues, in neglected poverty. "All this is beautiful to witness; the indoor work does not please me so well, though I am aware that, to those who are to inhabit an old castle, it becomes often a matter of necessity to make alterations by which its tone and character are changed for the worse. Thus a noble gallery, which ran the whole length of the front, is converted into bedrooms-very comfortable, indeed, but not quite so magnificent; and as grim a dungeon as ever knave or honest man was confined in, is in some danger of being humbled into a wine-cellar. It is almost impossible to draw your breath, when you recollect that this, so many feet under ground, and totally bereft of air and light, was built for the imprisonment of human beings, whether guilty, suspected, or merely unfortunate. Certainly, if our frames are not so hardy, our hearts are softer than those of our forefathers, although probably a few years of domestic war, or feudal oppression, would bring us back to the same casehardening both in body and sentiment. "I meant to have gone to Rokeby, but was prevented by Mrs Morritt being unwell, which I very much regret, as I know few people that deserve better health. I am very glad you have known them, and I pray you to keep up the ac-quaintance in winter. I am glad to see by this day's paper that our friend Terry has made a favourable impression on his first appearance at Covent-Garden-he has got a very good engagement there for three years, at twelve guineas a-week, which is a handsome income. This little place comes on as fast as can be reasonably hoped; and the pinasters are all above the ground, but cannot be planted out for twelve months. My kindest compliments-in which Mrs Scott always joins--attend Miss Agnes, the Doctor, and his family. Ever, my dear friend, yours most faithfully, WALTER SCOTT." "To Daniel Terry, Esq., London. 66 Abbotsford, 20th October, 1813. You will easily believe that I was greatly pleased to hear "DEAR TERRY, from you. I had already learned from The Courier (what I had anticipated too strongly to doubt for one instant) your favourable impression on the London pub lic. I think nothing can be more judicious in the managers than to exercise the 4 . various powers you possess, in their various extents. A man of genius is apt to be limited to one single style, and to become per force a mannerist, merely because the public is not so just to its own amusement as to give him an opportunity of throwing himself into different lines; and doubtless the exercise of our talents in one unvaried course, by degrees renders them incapable of any other, as the over use of any one limb of our body gradually impoverishes the rest. I shall be anxious to hear that you have played Malvolio, which is, I think, one of your coups-demaître, and in which envy itself cannot affect to trace an imitation. That same charge of imitation, by the way, is one of the surest scents upon which dunces are certain to open. Undoubtedly, if the same character is well performed by two individuals, their acting must, bear a general resemblance-it could not be well performed by both were it otherwise. But this general resemblance, which arises from both following nature and their author, can as little be termed imitation, as the river in Wales can be identified with that of Macédon. Never mind these dunderheads, but go on your own way, and scorn to laugh on the right side of your mouth, to make a difference from some ancient comedian who, in the same part, always laughed on the left. Stick to the public-be uniform in your exertions to study even those characters which have little in them, and to give a grace which you cannot find in he author. Audiences are always grateful for this-or rather-for gratitude is as much out of the question in the Theatre, as Bernadotte says to Boney it is amongst sovereigns-or rather, the audience is gratified by receiving pleasure from a part which they had no expectation would afford them any. It is in this view that, had I been of your profession, and possessed talents, I think I should have liked often those parts with which my brethren quarrelled, and studied to give them an effect which their intrinsic merit did not entitle them to. I have some thoughts of being in town in spring (not resolutions, by any means); and it will be an additional motive to witness your success, and to find you as comfortably established as your friends in Castle Street earnesly hope and trust you will be. "The summer-an uncommon summer in beauty and serenity-has glided away from us at Abbotsford, amidst our usual petty cares and petty pleasures. The childrens' garden is in apple-pie order, our own completely cropped and stocked, and all the trees flourishing like the green bay of the Psalmist. I have been so busy about our domestic arrangements, that I have not killed six hares this season. Besides, I have got a cargo of old armour, sufficient to excite a suspicion that I intend to mount a squadron of cuirassiers. I only want a place for my armoury; and, thank God, I can wait for that, these being no times for building. And this brings me to the loss of poor Stark, with whom more genius has died than is left behind among the collected universality of Scottish architects. O, Lord!--but what does it signify?-Earth was born to bear, and man to pay (that is lords, nabobs, Glasgow traders, and those who have wherewithal)-so wherefore grumble at great castles and cottages, with which the taste of the latter contrives to load the back of Mother Terra? I have no hobby-horsical commissions at present, unless if you meet the Voyages of Captain Richard or Robert Falconer, in one volume- cowheel, quoth Sancho'-I mark them for my own. Mrs Scott, Sophia, Anne, and the boys, unite in kind remembrances. Ever yours truly, W. SCOTT." "To the Right Hon. Lord Byron, 4, Bennet Street, St James's, London. "Abbotsford, 6th Nov. 1813. "MY DEAR LORD," I was honoured with your Lordship's letter of the 27th September, and have sincerely to regret that there is such a prospect of your leaving Britain, without my achieving your personal acquaintance. I heartily wish your Lordship had come down to Scotland this season, for 1 have never seen a finer, and you might have renewed all your old associations with Caledonia, and * The letter in question has not been preserved in Scott's collection of correspondence. This leaves some allusions in the answer obscure. |