Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Bart.
Walter Scott to J. B. S. Morritt of Rokeby, 12 October 1812
“Abbotsford, 12th October, 1812.
“I have this morning returned from Dalkeith House,
to which I was whisked amid the fury of an election tempest, and I found your
letter on my table. More on such a subject cannot be said among friends who
give each other credit for feeling as they ought.
“We peregrinated over Stanmore, and visited the
Castles of Bowes, Brough, Appleby, and Brougham with great interest. Lest our
spirit of chivalry thus excited should lack employment, we found ourselves,
that is, I did, at Carlisle, engaged in the service of
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distressed ladies, being no other
than our friends Lady Douglas and
Lady Louisa Stuart, who overtook us
there, and who would have had great trouble in finding quarters, the election
being in full vigour, if we had not anticipated their puzzle, and secured a
private house capable of holding us all. Some distress occurred, I believe,
among the waiting damsels, whose case I had not so carefully considered, for I
heard a sentimental exclamation—‘Am I to sleep with the
greyhounds?’ which I conceived to proceed from Lady
Douglas’s suivante, from the exquisite sensibility of tone with which
it was uttered, especially as I beheld the fair one descend from the carriage
with three half-bound volumes of a novel in her hand. Not having in my power to
alleviate her woes, by offering her either a part or the whole of my own
couch—‘Transeat,’
quoth I, ‘cum cæteris
erroribus.’
“I am delighted with your Cumberland admirer,* and
give him credit for his visit to the vindicator of
Homer; but you missed one of another description, who passed
Rokeby with great regret, I mean General John
Malcolm, the Persian envoy, the Delhi resident, the poet, the
warrior, the polite man, and the Borderer. He is really a fine fellow. I met
him at Dalkeith, and we returned together;—he has just left me, after drinking
his coffee. A fine time we had of it, talking of Troy town, and Babel, and
Persepolis, and Delhi, and Langholm, and Burnfoot;† with all manner of
episodes about
* This alluded to a ridiculous hunter of lions, who,
being met by Mr Morritt in the
grounds at Rokeby, disclaimed all taste for picturesque beauties, but
overwhelmed their owner with Homeric Greek; of which he had told
Scott. † Burnfoot is the name
of a farm-house on the Buccleuch estate, not far from Langholm, where
the late Sir John Malcolm and
his distinguished brothers were born. Their grandfather had, I believe,
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| 18 | LIFE OF SIR WALTER SCOTT. | |
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Iskendiar Rustan, and Johnnie Armstrong. Do you know, that poem of
Ferdusi’s must be beautiful. He
read me some very splendid extracts which he had himself translated. Should you
meet him in London, I have given him charge to be acquainted with you, for I am
sure you will like each other. To be sure I know him little, but I like his
frankness and his sound ideas of morality and policy; and I have observed, that
when I have had no great liking to persons at the beginning, it has usually
pleased Heaven, as Slender says, to
decrease it on further acquaintance. Adieu, I must mount my horse. Our last
journey was so delightful that we have every temptation to repeat it. Pray give
our kind love to the lady, and believe me ever yours,
Lady Frances Douglas [née Scott] (1750-1817)
The daughter of Francis Scott, earl of Dalkeith (1721-1750); in 1783 she became the
second wife of Archibald, Lord Douglas. She resided at Bothwell Castle and was the friend
of Sir Walter Scott and other literati.
Lady Lucy Douglas [née Graham] (1751-1780)
The daughter of William Graham, second Duke of Montrose; in 1771 she married Archibald
James Edward Douglas, first Baron Douglas of Douglas
Ferdowsi (935-1020)
Persian poet; author of the
Shahnameh, “The Epic of Kings.”
Sir John Malcolm (1769-1833)
Indian administrator and diplomat; author of
Political History of
India (1811); his life of Clive was posthumously published in 1836.
Lady Louisa Stuart (1757-1851)
The youngest child of John Stuart, third earl of Bute; she corresponded with Sir Walter
Scott. Several volumes of her writings and memoirs were published after her death.
