“While you know what satisfaction it would have given me to have seen you here, I am very sensible of the more weighty reasons which you urge for preferring to stay at Rokeby for some time. I only hope you will remember that Scotland has claims on you, whenever you shall find your own mind so far at ease as to permit you to look abroad for consolation; and if it should happen that you thought of being here about our time of vacation, I have my time then entirely at my own command, and I need not say, that as much of it as could in any manner of way contribute to your amusement, is most heartily at yours. I have myself at present the melancholy task of watching the declining health of my elder brother, Major Scott, whom, I think, you have seen.
| 402 | LIFE OF SIR WALTER SCOTT. |
“My literary occupation is getting through the
press the Letters of Paul, of
whose lucubrations I trust soon to send you a copy. As the observations of a
bystander, perhaps you will find some amusement in them, especially as I had
some channels of information not accessible to every one. The recess of our
courts, which takes place to-morrow, for three weeks, will give me ample time
to complete this job, and also the second volume of Triermain, which is nearly finished,—a strange
rude story, founded partly on the ancient northern traditions respecting the
Berserkers, whose peculiar habits, and fits of martial frenzy, make such a
figure in the Sagas. I shall then set myself seriously to the Antiquary, of which I have only
a very general sketch at present; but when once I get my pen to the paper it
will walk fast enough. I am sometimes tempted to leave it alone, and try
whether it will not write as well without the assistance of my head as with it.
A hopeful prospect for the reader. In the mean while, the snow, which is now
falling so fast as to make it dubious when this letter may reach Rokeby, is
likely to forward these important avocations, by keeping me a constant resident
in Edinburgh, in lieu of my plan of going to Abbotsford, where I had a number
of schemes in hand in the way of planting and improving. I believe I told you I
have made a considerable addition to my little farm, and extended my domains
towards a wild lake, which I have a good prospect of acquiring also. It has a
sort of legendary fame; for the persuasion of the solitary shepherds who
approach its banks, is, that it is tenanted by a very large amphibious animal,
called by them a water-bull, and which several of them pretend to have seen. As
his dimensions greatly exceed those of an otter, I am tempted to think with
Trinculo, ‘This is the devil,
and no monster.’ But, after all, is it not strange, that as to
almost all
| THE CAULDSHIELS LOCH. | 403 |
“About a fortnight ago, we had a great foot-ball match in Selkirkshire, when the Duke of Buccleuch raised his banner (a very curious and ancient pennon) in great form. Your friend Walter was banner-bearer, dressed like a forester of old, in green, with a green bonnet, and an eagle feather in it; and, as he was well mounted, and rode handsomely over the field, he was much admired by all his clansmen.
“I have thrown these trifles together, without much
hope that they will afford you amusement; but I know you will wish to know what
I am about, and I have but trifles to send to those friends who interest
themselves about a trifler. My present employment is watching, from time to
time, the progress of a stupid cause, in order to be ready to reduce the
sentence into writing, when the court shall have decided whether
Gordon of Kenmore or MacMichan of
Meikleforthhead be the superior of the lands of Tarschrechan and
Dalbrattie, and entitled to the feudal casualities payable forth thereof, which
may amount to twopence sterling, once in half a-dozen of years. Marry, sir,
they make part of a freehold quali-
| 404 | LIFE OF SIR WALTER SCOTT. |
