Walter £6000 to edit a new edition of the "Library" in twenty-five volumes, to be issued in a more attractive form, with twenty-five volumes of a "Select "Library of English Poetry," but the negotiation was never carried into effect. Scott did not believe that the old novelists could be made to pay in a serial form. BLACK DWARF, THE. 66 (1816) Nov. ix. 1-217 This was the first of the two novels forming the first series of "Tales of My "Landlord." Anonymity on anonymity was practised by Sir W. Scott. Not content with reserving as a secret the fact of his authorship of the " Waverley 'Novels," he would not permit the "Tales of My Landlord" to appear even as" By the Author of Waverley," and they were published by a new publisher. With this tale begin the Jedediah Cleishbotham series, comprising "The Black Dwarf," "Old Mortality," "The Heart of Midlothian," "The "Bride of Lammermoor," "A Legend of Montrose,” ""Count Robert of "Paris," and "Castle Dangerous." Again a brilliant success was achieved, and Scott wrote that "Jedediah carried the world before him," and in six weeks nine thousand copies were sold; but "notwithstanding the silence of "the title-page and the change of the publishers, and the attempt which had "certainly been made to vary the style both of delineation and of language, "all doubts whether they were or were not from the same hand with "Waverley' had worn themselves out before the lapse of a week." But Scott held up the mask, declaring even to his publisher Murray that he "did "not claim that paternal interest in them which his friends did him the credit "to assign him." The events of "The Black Dwarf" are laid in 1708, in the time of Queen Anne. The prototype of the Dwarf was a David Ritchie, a native of Tweeddale, who was not quite three and a half feet high, of whom many particulars are given, Nov. ix. pp. xvii.-xxvi. The novel was reduced to one volume, having regard to the unpleasant characteristics of the Dwarf, though originally designed to occupy two. BOADEN, JAMES: KEMBLE, JOHN PHILIP, MEMOIRS OF THE LIfe of. This formed the Introduction to a richly embellished quarto in two volumes, entitled “Border Antiquities of England and Scotland, comprising Specimens of Architecture, Sculpture, etc." It contains large additions to the information previously embodied in the "Minstrelsy." BRAYBROOKE, RICHARD, LORD: PEPYS, SAMUEL, MEMOIRS OF. (1826) 94 Pr. xx. See Pepys. BRIDAL OF TRIERMAIN, THE; or, THE VALE OF ST. JOHN: A LOVER'S This was published anonymously, and the critics, e.g., the Reviewer of the Quarterly, declared that the diction reminded them of a rhythm and cadence heard before; "but the sentiments, descriptions, and characters have "qualities that are native and unborrowed." In the opinion of some, the unknown writer equalled if not surpassed the "Great Magician," and lo!" after "three or four years this and some other works published anonymously turned "out to be the master's own compositions." This poem was written at the same time as the poet was writing "the important poem 'Rokeby,' a new ex"periment" in writing two poems at one time, while also editing Swift's works in nineteen volumes. It was intended to publish the two at one time, but this idea was abandoned. At the suggestion of William Erskine, Lord Kinedder, and in order to "mystify," Scott's Preface was "written over" by Erskine with Greek quotations, etc., and the deception succeeded till Scott removed the veil. A sketch of this poem, avowedly written as "an imitation of a living poet," was published in the Edinburgh Annual Register for the year 1809. When separately issued in 1813 it had been completed and largely rewritten. BRIDE OF LAMMERMOOR, THE. 2 vols. (1819) Nov. xiii. and xiv. 235-392. This was the first of the two novels forming the third series of "Tales of "My Landlord." This series was written in the paroxysms of great sickness, by which most of the friends of the author feared that his life would be sacrificed. The "Bride" was "not only written but published before "Scott was able to rise from his bed," and he assured James Ballantyne, the printer, that "when it was first put into his hands in a complete shape, "he did not recollect one single incident, character, or conversation it con"tained." He remembered, indeed, the incidents of the story, but "not a "single character woven by the romancer, not one of many scenes and points "of humour, nor anything with which he was connected as the writer of the "work." Commenting on the death of heroines, Scott said, "Of all the murders that "I have committed in that way-and few men have been guilty of more-there "is none that went so much to my heart as the poor Bride of Lammermoor;' "but it could not be helped—it is all true." The novel is founded on events which occurred in the year 1700, in the time of William III., in the history of the Honourable Janet Dalrymple, the daughter of James, first Viscount Stair, and sister of John, first Earl of Stair, who was the chief author of the disgraceful massacre of Glencoe. Her mother was Dame Margaret Ross. Apart from dramatic versions, the capabilities of this story for the stage are exquisitely realized in Donizetti's delightful opera, "Lucia di Lammermoor." BUCCLEUCH AND QUEENSBERRY, CHARLES, DUKE OF (1772-1819), This was published in the Edinburgh Weekly Journal in 1819. It is a warm-hearted eulogy of a good man who loved his country and won the hearts of all his tenants. In 1817 he abstained from going to London for the season and remained on his estates so as to employ nine hundred and forty-seven persons, exclusive of his regular establishment, on extensive improvements, and in that manner to afford relief to many poor families in that severe year. BUNYAN, JOHN (1628-1688), LIFE OF. BY SOUTHEY, ROBERT. (1830) Pr. xviii. 74 See Southey. BÜRGER, GOTTFRIED AUGUSTUS (1747-1794). TRANSLATIONS OF "LENORE" and "THE WILD HUNTSMAN.” 291-318. See Lenore and Wild Huntsman. (1796) Po. vi. BYRON, LORD (1788-1824): CHILDE HAROLD'S PILGRIMAGE; CANTO Pr. iv. 351 III. (1816) This article appeared in the Quarterly Review of October, 1816 (vol. xvi.). It was written at a time when, as Lord Byron said in later years, "all the "world and his wife were trying to trample on him," and it required great courage to speak favourably of the popular scapegoat. Lord Byron fully recognized the service done to him in a letter he wrote to Scott in January, 1822. BYRON, LORD: CHILDE HAROLD'S PILGRIMAGE; CANTO IV. (1818) Pr. xvii. 337 This splendid recognition of a splendid Canto, fuller "of deep thought "and sentiment though with less of passion" (see page 357) than Cantos I.-III., is amusingly characterized by Sir W. Scott in a letter to Lord Buccleuch (see Lockhart's "Life," vol. vi. p. 6) "as one of a series of miscel"laneous trash" put together for various motives, which he details, the motive for this particular article being "the love of myself, I believe, or, what is the "same thing, the love of £100, which I wanted for some odd purpose." BYRON, LORD, DEATH OF. (1824) Pr. iv. 343 This was first published in the Edinburgh Weekly Journal of 1824. Scott on the day the intelligence of Byron's death reached Edinburgh went from the Court of Session to the printing office, and there dictated this article to James Ballantyne, and it was inserted without correction or revisal except by Ballantyne. CALEDONIAN SKETCHES. BY CARR, SIR JOHN. (1809) Pr. xix. 160 See Carr. CALEDONIANS, PICTS, AND SCOTS, ANNALS OF. (1829) Pr. xx. 301 See Ritson. CAMPBELL, THOMAS (1777-1844): GERTRUDE OF WYOMING. (1809) Pr. xvii. 267 This review appeared in the Quarterly Review for May, 1809. It enforces the two views Sir Walter is known to have very strongly entertained: first, that Campbell was alarmed at his own reputation; and, second, that poetry should not be too carefully and frequently revised and amended. CARR, SIR JOHN (1772-1832): CALEDONIAN SKETCHES. (1809) Pr. xix. 160. This review appeared in the first number of the Quarterly in February, 1809. It opens with an amusing account of an unsuccessful action for libel Sir John Carr had brought against the editor of a satiric work, entitled "My "Pocket-Book," written by Edward Dubois in ridicule of Carr's work entitled "The Stranger in Ireland." When Scott read the book complained of he first thought the action was not for libel, but for piracy in wholesale appropriations of other writers' paragraphs. The real cause of action was in the innuendoes of a caricature print used as a frontispiece. Scott hoped that he would not be sued for libel, as his severe review was not, "in the engravers' sense of the word, adorned with "cuts." CASTLE DANGEROUS. (1831) Nov. xlvii., 243-466; and xlviii., I-146. The period of the story is about 1306-7, in the time of Edward I. It is the second of the two stories forming the fourth series of the "Tales of My "Landlord." The incidents are derived from the ancient metrical chronicle of "The Bruce," by Archdeacon Barbour, and from the "History of the Houses "of Douglas and Angus," by David Hume, of Godscroft. They relate to the wars between Edward I., of England, and Bruce, of Scotland. The castle of the Black Douglas was so often "won back by its ancient lords, and with "such circumstances of valour and cruelty, that it bears in the north of England the name of the Dangerous Castle." The novel deals with the third capture of the castle from the English. See This was Sir W. Scott's last effort in fiction. He had told the outline of the story, in print, many years before in his "Essay on Chivalry." Pr. vi. p. 36. (1804) Pr. xvii. CHATTERTON, THOMAS (1752-1770): WORKS OF. (1804) 215. This essay appeared in the Edinburgh Review of April, 1804. The remarks on the extraordinary literary imposture of the Rowley poems are interesting reading, although many volumes have been written on the subject since Sir W. Scott's review of the first collected edition of this remarkable youth's poems, whose "life and death will be the lasting honour and the "indelible disgrace of the eighteenth century." Some of the principal impostures indulged in by Chatterton are usefully collected at pp. 232–234. CHAUCER, GEOFFREY, LIFE OF (1328-1400). BY GODWIN, WILLIAM. (1804) Pr. xvii. 55 See Godwin. CHILDE HAROLD'S PILGRIMAGE: CANTOS III. and IV. BY BYRON, LORD. (1816 and 1818). Pr. iv., 351; and Pr. xvii., 337 See Byron. CHIVALRY, ESSAY ON. (1818) Pr. vi. I In 1812 Constable acquired the copyright of the " Encyclopædia Britannica," and in 1814 was preparing to publish a Supplement to that work for which Scott furnished two essays,-those on Chivalry and the Drama. The substance of these essays has since been incorporated with modifications into the text of the "Encyclopædia." This essay is included in the Chronological List of the author's writings under the date of 1814, but was first published in the Supplement in 1818. The writer received £100 for it. The essayist treats of his subject under three heads: p. 10, the general nature and spirit of the institution of chivalry; p. 49, the special forms and laws of the order; and p. 106, the causes of the decay and extinction of chivalry. CHRONICLE OF SCOTTISH POETRY FROM THE 13TH CENTURY TO THE UNION OF THE CROWNS, WITH A GLOSSARY. (1803.) See Sibbald. |