J. G. Lockhart: Life of Walter Scott

Rebelling, as usual, against circumstances, Scott seems to have turned with renewed ardour to his literary pursuits; and in that same October, 1796, he was “prevailed on,” as he playfully expresses it, “by the request of friends, to indulge his own vanity, by publishing the translation of Lenore, with that of the Wild Huntsman, also from Bürger, in a thin quarto.” The little volume, which has no author’s name on the titlepage, was printed for Manners and Miller of Edinburgh. The first named of these respectable publishers had been a fellow-student in the German class of Dr Willich; and this circumstance probably suggested the negotiation. It was conducted by William Erskine, as appears from his postscript to a letter addressed to Scott by his sister, who, before it reached its destination, had become the wife of Mr Campbell (Colquhoun) of Clathick (and Kellermont)—in after-days Lord Advocate of Scotland. This was another of Scott’s dearest female friends—the humble home which she shared with her brother during his early struggles at the bar, had been the scene of many of his happiest hours; and her letter affords such a pleasing idea of the warm affectionateness of the little circle, that I cannot forbear inserting it.

Mr Erskine writes on the other page—“The poems are gorgeous, but I have made no bargain with any bookseller. I have told M. and M. that I won’t be satisfied with indemnity, but an offer must be made. They will be out before the end of the week.” On what terms the publication really took place, I know not.

His obligations to this lady were indeed various—but I doubt, after all, whether these were the most important. He used to say, that she was the first woman of real fashion that took him up; that she used the privileges of her sex and station in the truest spirit of kindness; set him right as to a thousand little trifles, which no one else would have ventured to notice; and, in short, did for him what no one but an elegant woman can do for a young man, whose early days have been spent in narrow and provincial circles. “When I first saw Sir Walter,” she writes to me, “he was about four or five-and-twenty, but looked much younger. He seemed bashful and awkward; but there were from the first such gleams of superior sense and spirit in his conversation, that I was hardly surprised when, after our acquaintance had ripened a little, I felt myself to be talking with a man of genius. He was most modest about himself, and showed his little pieces apparently without any consciousness that they could possess any claim on particular attention. Nothing so easy and good-humoured as the way in which he received any hints I might offer, when he seemed to be tampering with the King’s English. I remember particularly how he laughed at himself, when I made him take notice that ‘the little two dogs,’ in some of his lines, did not please an English ear accustomed to ‘the two little dogs.’”

Nor was this the only person at Mertoun who took a lively interest in his pursuits. Harden entered into all the feelings of his beautiful bride on this subject; and his mother, the Lady Diana Scott, daughter of the last Earl of Marchmont, did so no less. She had conversed, in her early days, with the brightest ornaments of the cycle of Queen Anne, and preserved rich stores of anecdote, well calculated to gratify the curiosity and excite the ambition of a young enthusiast in literature.

JAMES BALLANTYNE.

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Lady Diana soon appreciated the minstrel of the clan; and, surviving to a remarkable age, she had the satisfaction of seeing him at the height of his eminence—the solitary person who could give the author of Marmion personal reminiscences of Pope.*

On turning to James Ballantyne’s Memorandum (already quoted), I find an account of Scott’s journey from Rosebank to Edinburgh, in the November after the Ballads from Bürger were published, which gives an interesting notion of his literary zeal and opening ambition at this remarkable epoch of his life. Mr Ballantyne had settled in Kelso as a solicitor in 1795; but not immediately obtaining much professional practice, time hung heavy on his hands, and he willingly listened, in the summer of 1796, to a proposal of some of the neighbouring nobility and gentry respecting the establishment of a weekly newspaper,† in opposition to one of a democratic tendency, then widely circulated in Roxburghshire and the other Border counties. He undertook the printing and editing of this new journal, and proceeded to London, in order to engage correspondents and make other necessary preparations. While thus for the first time in the metropolis, he happened to meet with two authors, whose reputations were then in full bloom—namely, Thomas Holcroft and William Godwin—the former a popular dramatist and, novelist; the latter, a novelist of far greater merit, but “still more importantly distinguished,” says the Memorandum before me, “by those moral, legal, political, and religious heterodoxies, which his talents enabled him to present to the world in a very captivating man-

* Mr Scott of Harden’s right to the peerage of Polwarth, as representing, through his mother, the line of Marchmont, was allowed by the House of Lords in 1835.

† The Kelso Mail.

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ner. His Caleb Williams had then just come out, and occupied as much public attention as any work has done before or since.” “Both these eminent persons,” Ballantyne continues, “I saw pretty frequently; and being anxious to hear whatever I could tell about the literary men in Scotland, they both treated me with remarkable freedom of communication. They were both distinguished by the clearness of their elocution, and very full of triumphant confidence in the truth of their systems. They were as willing to speak, therefore, as I could be to hear; and as I put my questions with all the fearlessness of a very young man, the result was, that I carried away copious and interesting stores of thought and information; that the greater part of what I heard was full of error, never entered into my contemplation. Holcroft at this time was a fine-looking, lively man, of green old age, somewhere about sixty. Godwin, some twenty years younger, was more shy and reserved. As to me, my delight and enthusiasm were boundless.”

After returning home, Ballantyne made another journey to Glasgow for the purchase of types; and on entering the Kelso coach for this purpose—“It would not be easy,” says he, “to express my joy on finding that Mr Scott was to be one of my partners in the carriage, the only other passenger being a fine, stout, muscular, old Quaker. A very few miles re-established us on our ancient footing. Travelling not being half so speedy then as it is now, there was plenty of leisure for talk, and Mr Scott was exactly what is called the old man. He abounded, as in the days of boyhood, in legendary lore, and had now added to the stock, as his recitations showed, many of those fine ballads which afterwards composed the Minstrelsy. Indeed, I was more delighted with him than ever; and, by way of reprisal, I opened on him my London budget collected

BALLADS FROM BÜRGER.

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from Holcroft and Godwin. I doubt if Boswell ever showed himself a more skilful Reporter than I did on this occasion. Hour after hour passed away, and found my borrowed eloquence still flowing, and my companion still hanging on my lips with unwearied interest. It was customary in those days to break the journey (only forty miles) by dining on the road, the consequence of which was that we both became rather oblivious; and after we had re-entered the coach, the worthy Quaker felt quite vexed and disconcerted with the silence which had succeeded so much conversation. ‘I wish,’ said he, ‘my young friends, that you would cheer up, and go on with your pleasant songs and tales as before: they entertained me much.’ And so,” says Ballantyne, “it went on again until the evening found us in Edinburgh; and from that day, until within a very short time of his death a period of not less than five-and-thirty years I may venture to say that our intercourse never flagged.”

The reception of the two ballads had, in the mean time, been favourable, in his own circle at least. The many inaccuracies and awkwardnesses of rhyme and diction to which he alludes in republishing them towards the close of his life, did not prevent real lovers of poetry from seeing that no one but a poet could have transfused the daring imagery of the German in a style so free, bold, masculine, and full of life; but, wearied as all such readers had been with that succession of feeble, flimsy, lackadaisical trash which followed the appearance of the Reliques by Bishop Percy, the opening of such a new vein of popular poetry as these verses revealed would have been enough to produce lenient critics for far inferior translations. Many, as we have seen, sent forth copies of the Lenore about the same time; and some of these might be thought better than

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Scott’s in particular passages; but, on the whole, it seems to have been felt and acknowledged by those best entitled to judge, that he deserved the palm. Meantime, we must not forget that Scotland had lost that very year the great poet Burns, her glory and her shame. It is at least to be hoped that a general sentiment of self-reproach, as well as of sorrow, had been excited by the premature extinction of such a light; and, at all events, it is agreeable to know that they who had watched his career with the most affectionate concern were among the first to hail the promise of a more fortunate successor. Scott found on his table, when he reached Edinburgh, the following letters from two of Burns’s kindest and wisest friends:

The anticipations of these gentlemen, that Scott’s versions would attract general attention in the south, were not fulfilled. He himself attributes this to the

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contemporaneous appearance of so many other translations from Lenore. “In a word,” he says, “my adventure, where so many pushed off to sea, proved a dead loss, and a great part of the edition was condemned to the service of the trunkmaker. This failure did not operate in any unpleasant degree either on my feelings or spirits. I was coldly received by strangers, but my reputation began rather to increase among my own friends, and on the whole I was more bent to show the world that it had neglected something worth notice, than to be affronted by its indifference; or rather, to speak candidly, I found pleasure in the literary labours in which I had almost by accident become engaged, and laboured less in the hope of pleasing others, though certainly without despair of doing so, than in a pursuit of a new and agreeable amusement to myself.”*

On the 12th of December Scott had the curiosity to witness the trial of one James Mackean, a shoemaker, for the murder of Buchanan, a carrier, employed to convey money weekly from the Glasgow bank to a manufacturing establishment at Lanark. Mackean invited the carrier to spend the evening in his house; conducted family worship in a style of much seeming fervour; and then, while his friend was occupied, came behind him, and almost severed his head from his body by one stroke of a razor. I have heard Scott describe the sanctimonious air which the murderer maintained during his trial preserving throughout the aspect of a devout person, who believed himself to have been hurried into his accumulation of crime by an uncontrollable exertion of diabolical influence; and on his copy of the “Life of James Mackean, executed 25th January, 1797,” I find the following marginal note:—

“I went to see this wretched man when under sentence of death, along with my friend, Mr William Clerk, advocate. His great anxiety was to convince us that his diabolical murder was committed from a sudden impulse of revengeful and violent passion, not from deliberate design of plunder. But the contrary was manifest from the accurate preparation of the deadly instrument, a razor strongly lashed to an iron bolt, and also from the evidence on the trial, from which it seems he had invited his victim to drink tea with him on the day he perpetrated the murder, and that this was a reiterated invitation. Mackean was a good-looking, elderly man, having a thin face and clear grey eye; such a man as may be ordinarily seen beside a collection-plate at a seceding meeting-house, a post which the said Mackean had occupied in his day. All Mackean’s account of the murder is apocryphal. Buchanan was a powerful man, and Mackean slender. It appeared that the latter had engaged Buchanan in writing, then suddenly clapped one hand on his eyes, and struck the fatal blow with the other. The throat of the deceased was cut through his handkerchief to the back bone of the neck, against which the razor was hacked in several places.”

Among the common tastes which served to knit these friends together, was their love of horsemanship, in which, as in all other manly exercises, Skene highly excelled; and the fears of a French invasion becoming every day more serious, their thoughts were turned with corresponding zeal to the project of organizing a force of mounted volunteers in Scotland. “The London Light-horse had set the example”—(says Mr Skene)—“but in truth it was to Scott’s ardour that this force in the North owed its origin. Unable, by reason of his lameness, to serve amongst his friends on foot, he had nothing for it but to rouse the spirit of the moss-trooper, with which he readily inspired all who possessed the means of substituting the sabre for the musket.”

“The part of quartermaster,” says Mr Skene, “was properly selected for him, that he might be spared the rough usage of the ranks; but, notwithstanding his infirmity, he had a remarkably firm seat on horseback, and in all situations a fearless one: no fatigue ever seemed too much for him, and his zeal and animation served to sustain the enthusiasm of the whole corps, while his ready ‘mot à rire,’ kept up, in all, a degree of good humour and relish for the service, without which, the toil and privations of long daily drills would not easily have been submitted to by such a body of gentlemen. At every interval of exercise, the order, sit at ease, was the signal for the quartermaster to lead the squadron to merriment; every eye was intuitively turned on ‘Earl Walter,’ as he was familiarly called by his associates of that date, and his ready joke seldom failed to raise the ready laugh. He took his full share in all the labours and duties of the corps, had the highest pride in its progress and proficiency, and was such a trooper himself, as only a very powerful frame of body and the warmest zeal in the

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cause could have enabled any one to be. But his habitual good humour was the great charm, and at the daily mess (for we all dined together when in quarters) that reigned supreme.”

Earl Walter’s first charger, by the way, was a tall and powerful animal named Lenore. These daily drills appear to have been persisted in during the spring and summer of 1797; the corps spending moreover some weeks in quarters at Musselburgh. The majority of the troop having professional duties to attend to, the ordinary hour for drill was five in the morning; and when we reflect, that after some hours of hard work in this way, Scott had to produce himself regularly in the Parliament House with gown and wig, for the space of four or five hours at least, while his chamber practice, though still humble, was on the increase—and that he had found a plentiful source of new social engagements in his troop connexions—it certainly could have excited no surprise had his literary studies been found suffering total intermission during this busy period. That such was not the case, however, his correspondence and note-books afford ample evidence.

His friend, Charles Kerr of Abbotrule, had been residing a good deal about this time in Cumberland: indeed, he was so enraptured with the scenery of the lakes as to take a house in Keswick with the intention of spending half of all future years there. His letters to Scott (March, April, 1797) abound in expressions of wonder that he should continue to devote so much of his vacations to the Highlands of Scotland, “with every crag and precipice of which,” says he, “I should imagine you would be familiar by this time; nay, that the goats themselves might almost claim you for an acquaintance;” while another district lay so near him at least as well qualified “to give a swell to the fancy.”

Riding one day with Ferguson, they met, some miles from Gilsland, a young lady taking the air on horseback, whom neither of them had previously remarked, and whose appearance instantly struck both so much, that they kept her in view until they had satisfied themselves that she also was one of the party at Gilsland. The same evening there was a ball, at which Captain Scott produced himself in his regimentals, and Ferguson also thought proper to be equipped in the uniform of the Edinburgh Volunteers. There was no little rivalry among the young travellers as to who should first get presented to. the unknown beauty of the morning’s ride; but though both the gentlemen in scarlet had the advantage of being dancing partners, their friend succeeded in handing the fair stranger to supper—and such was his first introduction to Charlotte Margaret Carpenter.

She was the daughter of Jean Charpentier, of Lyons, a devoted royalist, who held an office under Government,* and Charlotte Volere, his wife. She and her only brother, Charles Charpentier, had been educated in the Protestant religion of their mother; and when their father died, which occurred in the beginning of the Revolution, Madame Charpentier made her escape with her children, first to Paris, and then to England, where they found a warm friend and protector in the late Marquis of Downshire, who had, in the course of his travels in France, formed an intimate acquaintance with the family, and, indeed, spent some time under their roof. M. Charpentier had, in his first alarm as to the coming Revolution, invested £4000 in English securities—part in a mortgage upon Lord Downshire’s estates. On the mother’s death, which occurred soon after her arrival in London, this nobleman took on himself the character of sole guardian to her children; and Charles Charpentier received in due time, through his interest, an appointment in the service of the East India Company, in which he had by this time risen to

* In several deeds which I have seen, M. Charpentier is designed “Ecuyer du roi.” What the post he held was I never heard.

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the lucrative situation of commercial resident at Salem. His sister was now making a little excursion, under the care of the lady who had superintended her education, Miss Jane Nicolson, a daughter of Dr Nicolson, Dean of Exeter, and granddaughter of William Nicolson, Bishop of Carlisle, well known as the editor of “The English Historical Library.” To some connexions which the learned prelate’s family had ever since his time kept up in the diocese of Carlisle, Miss Carpenter owed the direction of her summer tour.

Scott’s father was now in a very feeble state of health, which accounts for his first announcement of this affair being made in a letter to his mother; it is undated;—but by this time the young lady had left Gilsland for Carlisle, where she remained until her destiny was settled.

Scott remained in Cumberland until the Jedburgh assizes recalled him to his legal duties. On arriving in that town, he immediately sent for his friend Shortreed, whose memorandum records that the evening of the 30th September, 1797, was one of the most joyous he ever spent. “Scott” (he says) “was sair beside himself about Miss Carpenter we toasted her twenty times over and sat together, he raving about her, until it was one in the morning.” He soon returned to Cumberland; and the following letters will throw light on the character and conduct of the parties, and on the nature of the difficulties which were presented by the prudence and prejudices of the young advocate’s family-connexions. It appears that, at one stage of the business, Scott had seriously contemplated leaving the bar at Edinburgh, and establishing himself with his bride (I know not in what capacity) in one of the colonies.

“Has it never happened to you, my dear Miss Christy, in the course of your domestic economy, to meet with a drawer stuffed so very, so extremely full, that it was very difficult to pull it open, however desirous you might be to exhibit its contents? In case this miraculous event has ever taken place, you may somewhat conceive from thence the cause of my silence, which has really proceeded from my having a very great deal to communi-
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cate; so much so, that I really hardly know how to begin. As for my affection and friendship for you, believe me, sincerely, they neither slumber nor sleep, and it is only your suspicions of their drowsiness which incline me to write at this period of a business highly interesting to me, rather than when I could have done so with something like certainty—Hem! Hem! It must come out at once—I am in a very fair way of being married to a very amiable young woman, with whom I formed an attachment in the course of my tour. She was born in France—her parents were of English extraction—the name Carpenter. She was left an orphan early in life, and educated in England, and is at present under the care of a Miss Nicolson, a daughter of the late Dean of Exeter, who was on a visit to her relations in Cumberland. Miss Carpenter is of age, but as she lies under great obligations to the Marquis of Downshire, who was her guardian, she cannot take a step of such importance without his consent—and I daily expect his final answer upon the subject. Her fortune is dependent, in a great measure, upon an only and very affectionate brother. He is Commercial Resident at Salem in India, and has settled upon her an annuity of L.500. Of her personal accomplishments I shall only say, that she possesses very good sense, with uncommon good temper, which I have seen put to most severe trials. I must bespeak your kindness and friendship for her. You may easily believe I shall rest very much both upon Miss R. and you for giving her the carte de pays, when she comes to Edinburgh. I may give you a hint that there is no romance in her composition—and that though born in France, she has the sentiments and manners of an Englishwoman, and does not like to be thought otherwise. A very slight tinge in her pronunciation is all which marks the foreigner. She is at pre-
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sent at Carlisle, where I shall join her as soon as our arrangements are finally made. Some difficulties have occurred in settling matters with my father, owing to certain prepossessions which you can easily conceive his adopting. One main article was the uncertainty of her provision, which has been in part removed by the safe arrival of her remittances for this year, with assurances of their being regular and even larger in future, her brother’s situation being extremely lucrative. Another objection was her birth; ‘Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?’ but as it was birth merely and solely, this has been abandoned. You will be more interested about other points regarding her, and I can only say that—though our acquaintance was shorter than ever I could have thought of forming such a connexion upon—it was exceedingly close, and gave me full opportunities for observation—and if I had parted with her, it must have been for ever, which both parties began to think would be a disagreeable thing. She has conducted herself through the whole business with so much propriety as to make a strong impression in her favour upon the minds of my father and mother, prejudiced as they were against her, from the circumstances I have mentioned. We shall be your neighbours in the New Town, and intend to live very quietly; Charlotte will need many lessons from Miss R. in housewifery. Pray show this letter to Miss R. with my very best compliments. Nothing can now stand in the way except Lord Downshire, who may not think the match a prudent one for Miss C.—but he will surely think her entitled to judge for herself at her age, in what she would wish to place her happiness. She is not a beauty, by any means, but her person and face are very engaging. She is a brunette—her manners are lively, but when necessary, she can be very serious. She was baptized and educated a Protestant of the
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Church of England. I think I have now said enough upon this subject. Do not write till you hear from me again, which will be when all is settled. I wish this important event may hasten your return to town. I send a goblin story, with best compliments to the misses, and ever am, yours affectionately,

Walter Scott.

“The Erl-King.

(The Erl-King is a goblin that haunts the Blade Forest in Thuringia,
—To be read by a candle particularly long in the snuff.)

O, who rides by night thro’ the woodland so wild?

It is the fond father embracing his child;

And close the boy nestles within his loved arm,

To hold himself fast, and to keep himself warm.

‘O father, see yonder! see yonder!’ he says;

‘My boy, upon what doest thou fearfully gaze?’

‘O, ’tis the Erl-King with his crown and his shroud.’—

‘No, my son, it is but a dark wreath of the cloud.’

(The Erl-King speaks.)

‘O, come and go with me thou loveliest child,

By many a gay sport shall thy time be beguiled;

My mother keeps for thee full many a fair toy,

And many a fine flower shall she pluck for my boy.’

‘O father, my father, and did you not hear

The Erl-King whisper so low in my ear?’—

‘Be still my heart’s darling, my child, be at ease,

It was but the wild blast as it sung thro’ the trees.’

Erl-King.

‘O wilt thou go with me, thou loveliest boy?

My daughter shall tend thee with care and with joy;

She shall bear thee so lightly thro’ wet and thro’ wild,

And press thee, and kiss thee, and sing to my child.’

‘O father, my father, and saw you not plain,

The Erl-King’s pale daughter glide past thro’ the rain?’—

‘O yes, my loved treasure, I knew it full soon,

It was the grey willow that danced to the moon.’

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Erl-King.

‘Oh come and go with me, no longer delay,

Or else, silly child, I will drag thee away.’—

‘Oh father! Oh father! now, now keep your hold,

The Erl-King has seized me—his grasp is so cold!’

Sore trembled the father, he spurr’d thro’ the wild,

Clasping close to his bosom his shuddering child;

He reaches his dwelling in doubt and in dread,

But, clasp’d to his bosom, the infant was dead!”—

“You see I have not altogether lost the faculty of rhyming. I assure you there is no small impudence in attempting a version of that ballad, as it has been translated by Lewis. All good things be with you.

W. S.”

To Walter Scott, Esq., Advocate, Edinburgh.

“London, October 15, 1797.

“Sir,

“I received your letter with pleasure, instead of considering it as an intrusion. One thing more being fully stated would have made it perfectly satisfactory, namely, the sort of income you immediately possess, and the sort of maintenance Miss Carpenter, in case of your demise, might reasonably expect. Though she is of an age to judge for herself in the choice of an object that she would like to run the race of life with, she has referred the subject to me. As her friend and guardian, I in duty must try to secure her happiness, by endeavouring to keep her comfortable immediately, and to prevent her being left destitute, in case of any unhappy contingency. Her good sense and good education are her chief fortune; therefore, in the worldly way of talking, she is not entitled to much. Her brother, who was also left under my care at an early period, is excessively fond of her; he has no person to think
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of but her as yet; and will certainly be enabled to make her very handsome presents, as he is doing very well in India, where I sent him some years ago, and where he bears a very high character, I am happy to say. I do not throw out this to induce you to make any proposal beyond what prudence and discretion recommend; but I hope I shall hear from you by return of post, as I may be shortly called out of town to some distance. As children are in general the consequence of an happy union, I should wish to know what may be your thoughts or wishes upon that subject. I trust you will not think me too particular; indeed I am sure you will not, when you consider that I am endeavouring to secure the happiness and welfare of an estimable young woman whom you admire and profess to be partial and attached to, and for whom I have the highest regard, esteem, and respect. I am, Sir, your obedient humble servant,

Downshire.”

To the Same.

“Carlisle, Oct. 22.

“Your last letter, my dear sir, contains a very fine train of perhaps, and of so many pretty conjectures, that it is not flattering you to say you excel in the art of tormenting yourself. As it happens, you are quite wrong in all your suppositions. I have been waiting for Lord D.’s answer to your letter, to give a full answer to your very proper enquiries about my family. Miss Nicolson says, that when she did offer to give you some information, you refused it—and advises me now to wait for Lord D.’s letter. Don’t believe I have been idle; I have been writing very long letters to him, and all about you. How can you think that I will give an answer about the house until I hear
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from London?—that is quite impossible; and I believe you are a little out of your senses to imagine I can be in Edinburgh before the twelfth of next month. O, my dear sir, no—you must not think of it this great while. I am much flattered by your mother’s remembrance; present my respectful compliments to her. You don’t mention your father in your last anxious letter—I hope he is better. I am expecting every day to hear from my brother. You may tell your uncle he is commercial resident at Salem. He will find the name of Charles C. in his India list. My compliments to Captain Scott. Sans adieu,

C. C.”

To the Same.

“Carlisle, Oct. 25.

“Indeed, Mr Scott, I am by no means pleased with all this writing. I have told you how much I dislike it, and yet you still persist in asking me to write, and that by return of post. O, you really are quite out of your senses. I should not have indulged you in that whim of yours, had you not given me that hint that my silence gives an air of mystery. I have no reason that can detain me in acquainting you that my father and mother were French, of the name of Charpentier; he had a place under government; their residence was at Lyons, where you would find on enquiries that they lived in good repute and in very good style. I had the misfortune of losing my father before I could know the value of such a parent. At his death we were left to the care of Lord D., who was his very great friend, and very soon after I had the affliction of losing my mother. Our taking the name of Carpenter was on my brother’s going to India, to prevent any little difficulties that might have occurred. I hope now you are pleased. Lord D. could have given you every information, as he has been ac-
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quainted with all my family. You say you almost love him, but until your almost comes to a quite, I cannot love you. Before I conclude this famous epistle, I will give you a little hint—that is, not to put so many must in your letters—it is beginning rather too soon; and another thing is, that I take the liberty not to mind them much, but I expect you mind me. You must take care of yourself; you must think of me, and believe me yours sincerely,

C. C.”

To the Same.

“Carlisle, Oct. 26.

“I have only a minute before the post goes, to assure you, my dear sir, of the welcome reception of the stranger.* The very great likeness to a friend of mine will endear him to me; he shall be my constant companion, but I wish he could give me an answer to a thousand questions I have to make—one in particular, what reason have you for so many fears you express? Have your friends changed? Pray let me know the truth—they perhaps don’t like me being French. Do write immediately—let it be in better spirits. Et croyez-moi toujours votre sincere

C. C.”

To the Same.

“October 31st.

“. . . . All your apprehensions about your friends make me very uneasy. At your father’s age prejudices are not easily overcome—old people have, you know, so much more wisdom and experience, that we must be guided by them. If he has an objection on my being French, I excuse him with all my heart, as I don’t love them myself. O how all these things plague me—when will it end? And to complete the matter, you talk of
* A miniature of Scott.

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going to the West Indies. I am certain your father and uncle say you are a hot heady young man, quite mad, and I assure you I join with them; and I must believe, that, when you have such an idea, you have then determined to think no more of me. I begin to repent of having accepted your picture. I will send it back again, if you ever think again about the West Indies. Your family then would love me very much—to forsake them for a stranger, a person who does not possess half the charms and good qualities that you imagine. I think I hear your uncle calling you a hot heady young man. I am certain of it, and I am generally right in my conjectures. What does your sister say about it? I suspect that she thinks on the matter as I should do, with fears and anxieties for the happiness of her brother. If it be proper, and you think it would be acceptable, present my best compliments to your mother; and to my old acquaintance Captain Scott I beg to be remembered. This evening is the first ball—don’t you wish to be of our party? I guess your answer—it would give me infinite pleasure. En attendant le plaisir de vous revoir, je suis toujours votre constante

Charlotte.”

To the Same.

“The Castle, Hartford, October 29, 1797.

“Sir,

“I received the favour of your letter. It was so manly, honourable, candid, and so full of good sense, that I think Miss Carpenter’s friends cannot in any way object to the union you propose. Its taking place, when or where, will depend upon herself, as I shall write to her by this night’s post. Any provision that may be given to her by her brother, you will have settled upon
MISS CARPENTER. 281
her and her children; and I hope, with all my heart, that every earthly happiness may attend you both. I shall be always happy to hear it, and to subscribe myself your faithful friend and obedient humble servant,

Downshire.”

(On the same sheet.)

“Carlisle, Nov. 4.

“Last night I received the enclosed for you from Lord Downshire. If it has your approbation, I shall be very glad to see you as soon as will be convenient. I have a thousand things to tell you; but let me beg of you not to think for some time of a house. I am sure I can convince you of the propriety and prudence of waiting until your father will settle things more to your satisfaction, and until I have heard from my brother. You must be of my way of thinking.—Adieu.

C. C.”

Scott obeyed this summons, and I suppose remained in Carlisle until the Court of Session met, which is always on the 12th of November.

To W. Scott, Esq., Advocate, Edinburgh.

“Carlisle, Nov. 14th,

“Your letter never could have come in a more favourable moment. Any thing you could have said would have been well received. You surprise me much at the regret you express you had of leaving Carlisle. Indeed, I can’t believe it was on my account, I was so uncommonly stupid. I don’t know what could be the matter with me, I was so very low, and felt really ill: it was even a trouble to speak. The settling of our little plans—all looked so much in earnest—that I began reflecting more seriously than I generally do, or
282 LIFE OF SIR WALTER SCOTT.
approve of. I don’t think that very thoughtful people ever can be happy. As this is my maxim, adieu to all thoughts. I have made a determination of being pleased with every thing, and with every body in Edinburgh; a wise system for happiness, is it not? I enclose the lock. I have had almost all my hair cut off. Miss Nicolson has taken some, which she sends to London to be made to something, but this you are not to know of, as she intends to present it to you. * * * * I am happy to hear of your father’s being better pleased as to money matters; it will come at last; don’t let that trifle disturb you. Adieu, Monsieur, j’ai l’honneur d’etre votre tres humble et tres

Obeissante

C. C.”

“Carlisle, Nov. 27th.

“You have made me very triste all day. Pray never more complain of being poor. Are you not ten times richer than I am? Depend on yourself and your profession. I have no doubt you will rise very high, and be a great rich man, but we should look down to be contented with our lot, and banish all disagreeable thoughts. We shall do very well. I am very sorry to hear you have such a bad head. I hope I shall nurse away all your aches. I think you write too much. When I am mistress I shall not allow it. How very angry I should be with you if you were to part with Lenore. Do you really believe I should think it an unnecessary expense where your health and pleasure can be concerned? I have a better opinion of you, and I am very glad you don’t give up the cavalry, as I love any thing that is stylish. Don’t forget to find a stand for the old carriage, as I shall like to keep it, in case we should have to go any journey; it is so much more
MISS CARPENTER. 283
convenient than the post chaises, and will do very well till we can keep our carriage. What an idea of yours was that to mention where you wish to have your bones laid! If you were married, I should think you were tired of me. A very pretty compliment before marriage. I hope sincerely that I shall not live to see that day. If you always have those cheerful thoughts, how very pleasant and gay you must be.

“Adieu, my dearest friend, take care of yourself if you love me, as I have no wish that you should visit that beautiful and romantic scene, the burying-place. Adieu, once more, and believe that you are loved very sincerely by

C. C.”

“Dec. 10th.

“If I could but really believe that my letter gave you only half the pleasure you express, I should almost think, my dearest Scott, that I should get very fond of writing merely for the pleasure to indulge you—that is saying a great deal. I hope you are sensible of the compliment I pay you, and don’t expect I shall always be so pretty behaved. You may depend on me, my dearest friend, for fixing as early a day as I possibly can; and if it happens to be not quite so soon as you wish, you must not be angry with me. It is very unlucky you are such a bad housekeeper—as I am no better. I shall try. I hope to have very soon the pleasure of seeing you, and to tell you how much I love you; but I wish the first fortnight was over. With all my love, and those sort of pretty things—adieu.

Charlotte.

P.S. Etudiez votre Francais. Remember you are to teach me Italian in return, but I shall be but a stupid scholar. Aimez Charlotte.”

284

LIFE OF SIR WALTER SCOTT.

“Carlisle, Dec. 14th.

***** “I heard last night from my friends in London, and I shall certainly have the deed this week. I will send it to you directly; but not to lose so much time, as you have been reckoning, I will prevent any little delay that might happen by the post, by fixing already next Wednesday for your coming here, and on Thursday the 21st, Oh, my dear Scott—on that day I shall be yours for ever. C. C.

“P.S. Arrange it so that we shall see none of your family the night of our arrival. I shall be so tired, and such a fright, I should not be seen to advantage.”

To these extracts I may add the following from the first leaf of an old black-letter Bible at Abbotsford:—

“Secundum morem majorum hæc de familiâ Gualteri Scott, Jurisconsulti Edinensis, in librum hunc sacrum manu suâ conscripta sunt.

“Gualterus Scott, filius Gualteri Scott et Annæ Rutherford, natus erat apud Edinam 15mo die Augusti, A. D. 1771.

“Socius Facultatis Juridicæ Edinensis receptus erat 11mo die Julii, A. D. 1792.

“In ecclesiam Sanctæ Mariæ apud Carlisle, uxorem duxit Margaretam Charlottam Carpenter, filiam quondam Joannis Charpentier et Charlottæ Volere, Lugdunensem, 24to die Decembris, 1797.”

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Robert Burns (1759-1796) Scottish poet and song collector; author of Poems, chiefly in the Scottish Dialect (1786).

Charles Carpenter (1772-1818) The brother of Lady Scott; after service in the East India Company (1789) he was Commercial Resident at Salem in India.

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Jean François Charpentier (d. 1790 c.) Of Lyon, the father of Lady Scott. The dates of his birth and death are not known, though J. G. Lockhart reports that he died shortly after the French Revolution.

Élie Marguerite Charpentier [née Volère] (d. 1788) The mother of Lady Scott; she married Jean François Charpentier about 1769.

William Clerk (1771-1847) Edinburgh lawyer, the son of John Clerk of Eldin and brother of Lord Eldin (1757-1832); he was Clerk of the Jury Court (1815) and a friend of Sir Walter Scott. He is said to be the model for Darsie Latimer in Redgauntlet.

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Mary Ann Colquhoun [née Erskine] (d. 1833) The sister of William Erskine (1769-1822) and early friend of Walter Scott; in 1796 she married the Scottish MP Archibald Campbell (later Colquhoun).

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Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) English novelist and miscellaneous writer; author of Robinson Crusoe (1719), Moll Flanders (1722) and Roxanna (1724).

Martin Antoine Del Rio (1551-1608) Flemish theologian, lawyer, and philologist who published a book on witchcraft.

John James Edmonstone of Newton (1771 c.-1840) Scottish advocate and friend of Walter Scott; he was Sheriff of Bute (1799-1818).

William Erskine, Lord Kinneder (1768-1822) The son of an episcopal clergyman of the same name, he was a Scottish advocate and a close friend and literary advisor to Sir Walter Scott.

Adam Ferguson (1723-1816) Professor of philosophy at Edinburgh University; author of An Essay on the History of Civil Society (1767) and other historical and philosophical works.

Sir Adam Ferguson (1771-1855) Son of the philosopher and classmate and friend of Sir Walter Scott; he served in the Peninsular Campaign under Wellington, afterwards living on his estate in Dumfriesshire.

Sir William Forbes of Pitsligo, seventh baronet (1773-1828) Edinburgh banker, the son of Walter Scott's friend William Forbes, sixth baronet of Pitsligo (1739-1806). In 1797 he married Scott's early love, Williamina Belsches.

William Fuller (1670-1733) Government agent, pamphleteer, and conspiracy theorist who invented Jacobite plots.

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Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1749-1832) German poet, playwright, and novelist; author of The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774) and Faust (1808, 1832).

James Gordon of Craig (1767-1852) Scottish advocate (1790), son of John Gordon of Craig; he was Sheriff Clerk of Aberdeenshire.

Arthur Hill, second marquess of Downshire (1753-1801) The son of Wills Hill, first marquess (d. 1793); educated at Eton, he was MP for Lostwithiel (1774-80) and Malmesbury (1780-84).

Thomas Holcroft (1745-1809) English playwright and novelist; a friend of William Godwin indicted for treason in 1794; author of The Road to Ruin (1792). His Memoirs (1816) were completed by William Hazlitt.

Homer (850 BC fl.) Poet of the Iliad and Odyssey.

Hugh Hume, third earl of Marchmont (1708-1794) He was a Scottish representative peer, a book collector, and the friend of Alexander Pope and the Duchess of Marlborough.

August Wilhelm Iffland (1759-1814) German actor, dramatist, and critic.

Charles Jenkinson, first earl of Liverpool (1729-1808) MP, secretary of the treasury (1763-65), secretary-at-war (1778), president of the Board of Trade (1786); he was created earl in 1796.

Robert Banks Jenkinson, second earl of Liverpool (1770-1828) The son of the first earl (d. 1808); he was Tory prime minister, 1812-1827, succeeding Spencer Percival.

Charles Kerr of Abbotrule (1767-1821) Writer to the Signet, the son of Patrick Kerr; he was apprenticed to Walter Scott's father; after misadventures he succeeded to his estate in 1791.

Sir John Lauder, second baronet, Lord Fountainhall (1646-1722) Scottish jurist, MP, and commentator who resisted the Union.

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James M'Kean (d. 1797) Scottish shoemaker executed in Glasgow for the spectacular murder of the carrier James Buchanan.

Colin Mackenzie of Portmore (1770-1830) Scottish advocate; he was Principal Clerk of Session (1804-08) and Deputy Keeper of the Signet (1820-28). He was a schoolmate and friend of Sir Walter Scott.

James Macpherson (1736-1796) Scottish poet who attributed his adaptations of Gaelic poetry to the blind bard Ossian; author of the prose epics Fingal (1761) and Temora (1763).

Jakob Maier (1739-1784) German playwright, author of Sturm von Boxberg (1778).

Charles Maitland (1769-1820) The son of Captain Hon. Frederick Lewis Maitland of Rankeillour; he was an officer in the 17th Light Dragoons.

Alexander Manners (d. 1825) Edinburgh bookseller in partnership with Robert Miller from 1794 to 1825. He was an acquaintance of Walter Scott.

Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) Elizabethan poet and dramatist, author of The Jew of Malta and Dr. Faustus.

Robert Miller (1828 fl.) Edinburgh bookseller; he was the partner of Alexander Manners (1794-1807) and afterwards his successor.

Jane Nicolson (1755-1831) Companion of Charlotte Carpenter prior to her marriage to Walter Scott. Lockhart's account of her parentage appears to be inaccurate.

William Nicolson, bishop of Derry (1655-1727) English divine and antiquary educated at Queen's College, Oxford; he was bishop of Carlisle, and bishop of Derry (1718).

Ossian (250 fl.) Legendary blind bard of Gaelic story to whom James Macpherson attributed his poems Fingal and Temora.

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Alexander Pope (1688-1744) English poet and satirist; author of The Rape of the Lock (1714) and The Dunciad (1728).

Sir William Rae, third baronet (1769-1842) Educated at Edinburgh University, he was Lord Advocate (1819-30, 1834-35) and MP for Anstruther (1819-26), Harwich (1827), Buteshire (1830, 1833-42) and Portarlington (1831-32). He was a close friend of Sir Walter Scott.

John Ramsay of Ochtertyre (1736-1814) Scottish antiquary and acquaintance of Robert Burns and Walter Scott.

David Ritchie (1740 c.-1811) The original of Scott's Black Dwarf; Scott visited him at his cottage in Peebleshire in the summer of 1797.

George Robinson (1758-1825) The son of William Robinson, merchant of Banff; he was Writer to the Signet (1784) and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer (1815-25).

Claud Russell (1769-1846) The son of John Russell of Roseburne; he was an Edinburgh accountant.

Christian Rutherford (1759-1819) The daughter of Professor John Rutherford by his second wife; she was the half-sister of Anne, mother of Sir Walter Scott (who referred to her as “Miss Critty”).

Janet Rutherford (1753-1812) The daughter of Professor John Rutherford by his second wife; she was the half-sister of Anne, mother of Sir Walter Scott.

Anne Scott [née Rutherford] (1739 c.-1819) Walter Scott's mother, the daughter of Professor John Rutherford who married Walter Scott senior in 1755.

Anne Scott (1772-1801) Walter Scott's younger and only sister; an earlier sister of the same name had died in childhood.

Diana Scott [née Hume Campbell] (1735-1827) The daughter of the third earl of Marchmont; in 1754 she married Walter Scott, eleventh laird of Harden. She was an early patroness of Walter Scott.

Harriet Scott, Lady Polwarth [née Bruhl] (1772-1853) Daughter of Count Hans Moritz von Bruhl and Alicia Maria Carpenter; in 1795 she married Hugh Scott of Harden, afterwards sixth baron Polwarth. She was maid-of-honour to Caroline, Princess of Wales.

Henry Scott, third duke of Buccleuch (1746-1812) The son of Francis Scott, styled earl of Dalkeith (1721-1750), he succeeded his grandfather in the dukedom. He was an improver and close friend of Henry Dundas.

Hugh Hepburne- Scott of Harden, sixth baron Polwarth (1758-1841) He inherited Harden in 1793, assumed the name of Hepburne in 1820, and became sixth baron Polwarth in 1835.

John Scott (1769-1816) Walter Scott's elder brother who served in the 73rd Regiment before retiring to Edinburgh in 1810.

Lady Margaret Charlotte Scott [née Carpenter] (1770-1826) The impoverished daughter of French parents who married Walter Scott in 1797.

Robert Scott of Rosebank (1739-1804) The uncle of Sir Walter Scott; he was a naval officer who retired to Rosebank near Kelso in 1771.

Walter Scott (1729-1799) Walter Scott's father, son of Robert Scott of Sandyknowe; he was Writer to the Signet in Edinburgh.

Sir Walter Scott, baronet (1771-1832) Scottish poet, novelist, antiquary, biographer, editor, and sheriff.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) The Bard of Avon.

Robert Shortreed (1762-1829) Sheriff-substitute of Roxburghshire; he was a ballad-collector and close friend of Sir Walter Scott.

James Skene of Rubislaw (1775-1864) A life-long friend of Sir Walter Scott, who dedicated a canto of Marmion to him.

Thomas Somerville (1741-1830) Minister of Jedburgh; he was educated at Edinburgh University and published The History of Great Britain during the Reign of Queen Anne (1798) and other works. He was a friend of Sir Walter Scott.

William Somerville (1771-1860) Scottish physician, son of the historian Thomas Somerville and friend of Sir John Barrow and John Murray, husband of the writer Mary Fairfax Somervillle; he was physician to Chelsea Hospital (1819-38).

Philip Stanfield (d. 1688) He was convicted of patricide in a case where the corpse bled upon the touch of the supposed murderer.

Franz Guolfinger, Ritter von Steinsberg (1757-1833) German playwright; his tragedy Otto von Wittelsbach was published in 1783.

Dugald Stewart (1753-1828) Professor of moral philosophy at Edinburgh University (1785-1809); he was author of Elements of the Philosophy of the Human Mind (1792-93).

Helen D'Arcy Stewart [née Cranstoun] (1765-1838) The daughter of George Cranstoun (d. 1788); she was a Scottish poet and, after becoming the second wife of Dugald Stewart in 1790, a noted Edinburgh hostess.

William Taylor of Norwich (1765-1836) Translator, poet, and essayist; he was a pupil of Anna Letitia Barbauld and correspondent of Robert Southey who contributed to the Monthly Magazine, the Monthly Review, the Critical Review, and other periodicals.

Virgil (70 BC-19 BC) Roman epic poet; author of Eclogues, Georgics, and the Aenead.

Anthony Florian Madinger Willich (1800 fl.) Physician, translator, and language instructor; he is possibly related to the printer Charles Madinger Willich (d. 1867).

Anthony Wood (1632-1695) English antiquary, the compiler of the Athenae Oxonienses (1692-92).

Alicia Maria Wyndham, countess of Egremont [née Carpenter] (d. 1794) The daughter of George Carpenter, second Baron Carpenter of Killaghy; in 1751 she married Charles Wyndham, second Earl of Egremont, and in 1767 Hans Mortiz Graf von Brühl. She was Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Charlotte.

The Kelso Mail and Border Gazette. (1797-). A Tory newspaper founded and edited by James Ballantyne in response to the Whig paper at Kelso, the British Chronicle: or Union Gazette. The proprietor was George Jerdan (d. 1849), brother of William Jerdan.

The Spectator. (1711-1714). Essays from the Spectator, conducted by Addison and Steele, were collected in five volumes and frequently reprinted.

A Compendious or Briefe Examination of certayne ordinary Complaints of diuers of our Country Men in these our Dayes. (London: Thomas Marshe, 1581). “This was written in 1549; sometimes attributed to John Hales but more probably by Sir Thomas Smith.”—STC.

Gerat Barry (d. 1646) A Discourse of Military Discipline, devided into three Boockes. (Bruxells: Widowe of Jhon Mommart, 1634).

Gottfried August Bürger (1747-1794) “Lenore” in Göttingen Musenalmanach. (1774). Translated by Walter Scott, among others.

Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) Every-body's Business, is No-body's Business; or, Private Abuses, Publick Grievances: exemplified in the Pride, Insolence, and exorbitant Wages of our Women-servants, Footmen, &c.. (London: T. Warner, 1725). By “Andrew Moreton.”

William Fuller (1670-1733) A Plain Proof of the true Father and Mother of the Pretended Prince of Wales: by several Letters written by the late Queen in France, the Earle of Tyrconnel, Lord Deputy of Ireland, the Dutchess of Powis, Governess to the Pretended Prince, Mr. Sarroll, the Queens Secretary, and Father Lewis Sabran, Chaplain & Tutor to the Prince. (London: 1700).

William Godwin (1756-1836) Things as they are; or, the Adventures of Caleb Williams. 3 vols (London: B. Crosby, 1794). Godwin's first and most successful venture into gothic fiction.

Sir John Lauder, second baronet, Lord Fountainhall (1646-1722) Chronological Notes of Scottish Affairs, from 1680 till 1701; being chiefly taken from the Diary of Lord Fountainhall. (Edinburgh: A. Constable and Co., 1822). Edited by Sir Walter Scott.

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781) Nathan der Weise. Ein Dramatisches Gedicht. in fünf Aufzügen. (1779).

Jakob Maier (1739-1784) Fust von Stromberg. Ein Schauspiel in fünf Aufzügen. (Mannheim: 1782).

Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. (London: 1604). The significantly different "B-text" was published in 1616.

William Nicolson, bishop of Derry (1655-1727) The English Historical Library, or, a Short View and Character of most of the Writers now extant, either in Print or Manuscript. 2 vols (London: Abel Swall, 1696).

Thomas Percy, bishop of Dromore (1729-1811) Reliques of Ancient English Poetry: consisting of Old Heroic Ballads, Songs, and other Pieces of our Earlier Poets, (chiefly of the Lyric Kind.) Together with some few of Later Date. 3 vols (London: J. Dodsley, 1765). The first major collection of ballad poetry, long reprinted.

William Reid (1764-1831) Life of James M'Kean, executed 25th January, 1797. (Glasgow: 1797). Not in WorldCat, though there were reportedly five editions.

Sir Walter Scott, baronet (1771-1832) “The Black Dwarf” in Tales of my Landlord. 4 vols (Edinburgh: W. Blackwood, 1816). Published with The Old Mortality.

Sir Walter Scott, baronet (1771-1832) The Bridal of Triermain, or, the Vale of St. John: in Three Cantos. (Edinburgh: John Ballantyne, 1813). Anonymous, by Sir Walter Scott.

Sir Walter Scott, baronet (1771-1832) The Chase and William and Helen. Two Ballads. (Edinburgh: Manners and Miller, 1796). Walter Scott's first publication.

Sir Walter Scott, baronet (1771-1832) “The Erl-King” in Scots Magazine. Vol. 64 (January 1802): 72. After Goethe's German.

Sir Walter Scott, baronet (1771-1832) “Essay on Fairies” in Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, consisting of historical and romantic Ballads, collected in the southern Counties of Scotland, with a few of modern date, founded upon local Tradition. 3 vols (Edinburgh: Longman and Rees, 1802-1803). With material contributed by John Leyden.

Sir Walter Scott, baronet (1771-1832) “Essay on the Imitation of Popular Poetry” in Poetical Works. 12 vols (Edinburgh: R. Cadell, 1833-34). Reprinted from Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border.

Sir Walter Scott, baronet (1771-1832) Marmion; a Tale of Flodden Field. (Edinburgh: Constable, 1808). A narrative poem set in the sixteenth century; the six cantos are introduced by epistles addressed to William Stewart Rose, James Marriot, William Erskine, James Skene, George Ellis, and Richard Heber.

Sir Walter Scott, baronet (1771-1832) Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, consisting of Historical and Romantic Ballads, collected in the Southern Counties of Scotland, with a few of modern date, founded upon Local Tradition. 3 vols (Edinburgh: Longman and Rees, 1802-1803). A collection of border ballads collected by Walter Scott with extensive introductions and notes, modeled on Percy's Reliques of Ancient English Poetry.

Sir Walter Scott, baronet (1771-1832) St. Ronan's Well. 3 vols (Edinburgh: Constable & Co, 1824).

Sir Walter Scott, baronet (1771-1832) “William and Helen” in The Chase and William and Helen. Two Ballads. (Edinburgh: Manners and Miller, 1796). A free translation of the “Leonore” by Gottfried Augustus Bürger.

Thomas Somerville (1741-1830) The History of Great Britain during the Reign of Queen Anne. With a Dissertation concerning the Danger of the Protestant Succession; and an Appendix, containing Original Papers. (London: A. Strahan; and T. Cadell Jun. and W. Davies, 1798).

William Robert Spencer (1770-1834) Leonora. Translated from the German of Gottfried Augustus Bürgher. (London: J. Edwards, and E. and S. Harding, 1796). Illustrated by Lady Diana Beauclerk. There were rival versions by Walter Scott and William Taylor of Norwich.

Franz Guolfinger, Ritter von Steinsberg (1757-1833) Otto von Wittelsbach. Trauerspiel in fünf Aufzügen. (Berlin: 1783). Adapted from the play of the same name by Joseph Marius Babo.

INFORMATION FROM TEI HEADER

Source Description:

Author: Lockhart, J. G. (John Gibson), 1794-1854

Title: Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Bart. 7 vols (Edinburgh: Robert Cadell, 1837).

Electronic Edition:

Series: Lord Byron and his Times: http://lordbyron.org

Encoding Description: Any dashes occurring in line breaks have been removed. Obvious and unambiguous compositors’ errors have been silently corrected.

Markup and editing by: David Hill Radcliffe

Completed January 2011

Publication Statement:

Publisher: Center for Applied Technologies in the Humanities, Virginia Tech

Availability: Published under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License