Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Bart.
Walter Scott to George Ellis, 8 July 1809
“Edinburgh, July 8, 1809.
“We reached home about a fortnight ago, having
lingered a little while at Rokeby Park, the seat of our friend Morritt, and one of the most enviable places I
have ever seen, as it unites the richness and luxuriance of English vegetation
with the romantic variety of glen, torrent, and copse which dignifies our
northern scenery. The Greta and Tees, two most beautiful and rapid rivers, join
their currents in the demesne. The banks of the Tees resemble, from the height
of the rocks, the glen of Roslin, so much and justly admired. The Greta is the
scene of a comic romance,* of which I think I remember giving you the outline.
It concerns the history of a ‘Felon Sowe,’—
‘Which won’d in Rokeby wood, Ran endlong Greta side,’ |
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* Scott printed
this Ballad in the Notes to his poem of Rokeby. |
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bestowed by Ralph of Rokeby on the
freres of Richmond—and the misadventures of the holy fathers in their awkward
attempts to catch this intractable animal. We had the pleasure to find all our
little folks well, and are now on the point of shifting quarters to Ashestiel.
I have supplied the vacancy occasioned by the death of poor old Camp with a terrier puppy of the old shaggy Celtic
breed. He is of high pedigree, and was procured with great difficulty by the
kindness of Miss Dunlop of Dunlop; so I
have christened him Wallace, as the donor is a
descendant of the Guardian of Scotland. Having given you all this curious and
valuable information about my own affairs, let me call your attention to the
enclosed, which was in fact the principal cause of my immediately troubling
you.” * * *
Keith Dunlop (1772-1858)
The fourth daughter of John Dunlop of Dunlop. She was an acquaintance of Walter Scott.
She was the “blooming Keith” of Burns's “New Year's Day” (1790).
George Ellis (1753-1815)
English antiquary and critic, editor of
Specimens of Early English
Poets (1790), friend of Walter Scott.
