[196] Born 1752, died 1832; Master of the Rolls from 1801 to 1817.
[197] The _Magnum Opus_ was dedicated to George IV.--J.G.L.
[198] Whose son afterwards married Dora, Wordsworth"s daughter.
[199] At the last sitting Northcote remarked, "You have often sat for your portrait?"
"Yes," said Sir Walter; "my dog Maida and I have sat frequently--so often that Maida, who had little philosophy, conceived such a dislike to painters, that whenever he saw a man take out a pencil and paper, and look at him, he set up a howl, and ran off to the Eildon Hill. His unfortunate master, however well he can howl, was never able to run much; he was therefore obliged to abide the event. Yes, I have frequently sat for my picture."--Cunningham"s _Painters_, vol. vi. pp.
125-6.
[200] See _ante_, May 1st, p. 170, note.
[201] Mr. Ellis, afterwards created Baron Dover, was the author of _Historical Inquiries into the Character of Lord Clarendon_. 8vo, Lond., 1827.
[202] Sir F. Chantrey was at this time executing his _second_ bust of Sir Walter--that ordered by Sir Robert Peel, and which is now at Drayton.--J.G.L.
[203] Lady Sh.e.l.ley of Maresfield Park. Mr. Lockhart says the young lady was Miss Sh.e.l.ley, who became in 1834 the Hon. Mrs. George Edgc.u.mbe.
[204] Scott had dined at Holland House in 1806, but in consequence of some remarks by Lord Holland in the House of Lords in 1810, on Thomas Scott"s affairs, there had apparently been no renewal of the acquaintanceship until now.
[205] See _Miscellaneous Prose Works_, vol. iv. p. 20.
[206] David Hinves, Mr. W. Stewart Rose"s faithful and affectionate attendant, furnished Scott with some hints for his picture of Davie Gellatly in _Waverley_.
Mr. Lockhart tells us that Hinves was more than forty years in Mr.
Rose"s service; he had been a bookbinder by trade and a preacher among the Methodists.
"A sermon heard casually under a tree in the New Forest contained such touches of good feeling and broad humour that Rose promoted the preacher to be his valet on the spot. He was treated more like a friend than a servant by his master and by all his master"s intimate friends. Scott presented him with all his works; and Coleridge gave him a corrected (or rather an altered) copy of _Christabel_ with this inscription on the fly-leaf: "Dear Hinves,--Till this book is concluded, and with it _Gundimore_, a poem by the same "author," accept of this _corrected_ copy of _Christabel_ as a _small_ token of regard; yet such a testimonial as I would not pay to any one I did not esteem, though he were an emperor.
""Be a.s.sured I will send you for your private library every work I have published (if there be any to be had) and whatever I shall publish. Keep steady to the FAITH. If the fountainhead be always full, the stream cannot be long empty.--Yours sincerely, S.T. COLERIDGE.
""11 _November_ 1816, _Mudford.""--Life,_ vol. iv. pp. 397-8.
Hinves died in Mr. Rose"s service _circa_ 1838, and his master followed him on the 30th April 1843, a few weeks after his friend Morritt.
[207] An a.n.a.lysis of these letters was published by Mr. Lockhart in the _Life_, vol. vi. pp. 346-386.
[208] Created Earl of Leicester in 1837.
[209] It is worth noting that Sir Walter first wrote "grasp"--and then deleted the word in favour of the technical term--"fathom."
[210] W. Withers had just published a _Letter to Sir Walter Scott exposing certain fundamental errors in his late Essay on Planting_,--Holt: Norfolk, 1828.
[211] A deep pool in the Tweed, in which Scott had had a singular nocturnal adventure while "burning the water" in company with Hogg and Laidlaw. Hogg records that the crazy coble went to the bottom while Scott was shouting--
"An" gin the boat were bottomless, An" seven miles to row."
The scene was not forgotten when he came to write the twenty-sixth chapter of _Guy Mannering_.
[212] This refers to the splendid edition of Walton and Cotton, edited by Nicolas, and ill.u.s.trated by Stothard and Inskipp, published in 1836 after nearly ten years" preparation, in two vols. large 8vo.
[213] Sir William Scott, Lord Stowell, died 28th January 1836, aged ninety.
[214] Moore writes: "On our arrival at Hampton (where we found the Wordsworths), walked about,--the whole party in the gay walk where the band plays, to the infinite delight of the Hampton _blues_, who were all _eyes_ after Scott. The other scribblers not coming in for a glance. The dinner odd; but being near Scott I found it agreeable, and was delighted to see him so happy, with his tall son, the Major," etc. etc,--_Diary_, vol. v. p. 287.
[215] The author of _Evelina_ died at Bath in 1840, at the age of eighty-eight. Subsequent to this meeting with Scott she published memoirs of her father, Dr. Burney (in 1832). It is stated that for her novel _Camilla_, published in 1796, she received a subscription of 3000 guineas, and for the _Wanderer_, in 1814, 1500 for the copyright. This was the year in which _Waverley_ appeared, for the copyright of which Constable did not see his way to offer more than 700.
[216] This item refers to money which had belonged to Lady Scott"s parents.
[217] It contains half of Chancellor Clarendon"s famous collection--the other half is at Bothwell Castle.
[218] William Elliot Lockhart of Cleghorn and Borthwick-brae, long M.P.
for Selkirkshire.
[219] Weare, Thurtell, and the rest were professed gamblers. See _ante_, July 10, 1826, and _Life_, vol. viii. p. 381.
[220] The first volume had just been published in 1828. The book was completed in 6 vols. in 1840.
JUNE.
_June_ 1.--We took leave of our friends at Rokeby after breakfast, and pursued our well-known path over Stanmore to Brough, Appleby, Penrith, and Carlisle. As I have this road by heart, I have little amus.e.m.e.nt save the melancholy task of recalling the sensations with which I have traced it in former times, all of which refer to decay of animal strength, and abatement if not of mental powers, at least of mental energy. The _non est tanti_ grows fast at my time of life. We reached Carlisle at seven o"clock, and were housed for the night. My books being exhausted, I lighted on an odd volume of the _Gentleman"s Magazine_, a work in which, as in a p.a.w.nbroker"s shop, much of real curiosity and value are stowed away and concealed amid the frippery and trumpery of those reverend old gentlewomen who were the regular correspondents of the work.
_June_ 2.--We intended to walk to the Castle, but were baffled by rainy weather. I was obliged to wait for a certificate from the parish register--_Hei mihi_!! I cannot have it till ten o"clock, or rather, as it chanced, till past eleven, when I got the paper for which I waited.[221] We lunched at Hawick, and concluded our pilgrimage at Abbotsford about nine at night, where the joyful barking of the dogs, with the sight of the kind familiar faces of our domestics, gave us welcome, and I enjoyed a sound repose on my own bed. I remark that in this journey I have never once experienced depression of spirits, or the _tremor cordis_ of which I have sometimes such unpleasant visits.
Dissipation, and a succession of trifling engagements, prevent the mind from throwing itself out in the manner calculated to exhaust the owner, and to entertain other people. There is a lesson in this.
_June_ 3, [_Abbotsford_].--This was a very idle day. I waked to walk about my beautiful young woods with old Tom and the dogs. The sun shone bright, and the wind fanned my cheek as if it were a welcoming. I did not do the least right thing, except packing a few books necessary for writing the continuation of the Tales. In this merry mood I wandered as far as Huntly Burn, where I found the Miss Fergusons well and happy; then I sauntered back to Abbotsford, sitting on every bench by the way, and thus
"It grew to dinner in conclusion."
A good appet.i.te made my simple meal relish better than the magnificent cheer which I have lately partaken of. I smoked a cigar, slept away an hour, and read Mure of Auchendrane"s trial, and thus ended the day. I cannot afford to spend many such, nor would they seem so pleasant.
_June_ 4, [_Edinburgh_].--The former part of this day was employed much as yesterday, but some packing was inevitable. Will Laidlaw came to dinner, of which we partook at three o"clock. Started at half-past four, and arrived at home, if we must call it so, at nine o"clock in the evening. I employed my leisure in the chaise to peruse Mure of Auchendrane"s trial, out of which something might be coopered up for the public.[222] It is one of the wildest stories I ever read. Something might surely be twisted out of it.
_June_ 5.--Cadell breakfasted; in great spirits with the success of the _Fair Maid of Perth_. A disappointment being always to be apprehended, I too am greatly pleased that the evil day is adjourned, for the time must come--and yet I can spin a tough yarn still with any one now going.
I was much distressed to find that the last of the Macdonald Buchanans, a fine lad of about twenty-one, is now decidedly infected by the same pulmonary complaint which carried off his four brothers in succession.
This is indeed a cruel stroke, and it is melancholy to witness the undaunted Highland courage of the father.
I went to Court, and when I returned did some work upon the Tales.
"And now again, boys, to the oar."
_June_ 6.--I have determined to work sans intermission for lost time, and to make up at least my task every day. J. Gibson called on me with good hopes that the trustees will authorise the _grand opus_ to be set afloat.[223] They are scrupulous a little about the expense of engravings, but I fear the taste of the town will not be satisfied without them. It is time these things were settled. I wrought both before and after dinner, and finished five pages, which is two above bargain.