called it, into this remote district, in company with Mr. Shortreed, Sheriff-substitute of Roxburghshire. They explored every glen, and examined every ruined peel, and Scott thus gathered materials for his Border Minstrelsy, and at the same time became acquainted with the primitive character of a class of people whom he has immortalised in Guy Mannering.

Some interest had been excited in Edinburgh by an essay on the German drama, read by Mr. Henry Mackenzie, at a meeting of the Royal Society in 1788. Soon after the publication of that paper, Scott and some of his companions formed a class for the study of the German language; and Scott was so far successful, that, in 1796, he translated two poems, Lenore and the Wild Huntsman, into English verse. These attracted the notice of Mr. Lewis, whose romance of "The Monk" was then very popular, and he engaged Scott to contribute some translations to his "Tales of Wonder," which appeared in 1801. In the meantime, Scott had married Miss Carpenter, the daughter of a French refugee. He had been on a visit to the lakes of Cumberland, in the summer of 1797, and on his way home called at Gilsland, a place he has rendered famous by the story of St. Ronan's Well. Here he met the young lady, and the marriage took place in the December following. Scott now hired a cottage at Lasswade, on the Esk, about six miles from Edinburgh, where he spent some happy summers. Here he wrote his spirited ballads of Glenfinlas, St. John's Eve, and the Grey Brother.

The year 1799 was an eventful one in Scott's history. Early in the year his father died. He had suffered from a series of paralytic shocks under which mind as well as body gave way, and the scene of the elder Croftangry's sick-room, described in the Chronicles of the Canongate, is said to have been an exact copy of what took place under the roof of Scott's own father. In the autumn of this year Scott called at Kelso on his return from an excursion into Liddesdale, and there he found that an old school-fellow, Mr. James Ballantyne was the printer and

editor of a weekly paper, the Kelso Mail. Scott showed to his friend two or three pieces which were intended for Lewis' collection. Ballantyne was much pleased with them, and regretted that Lewis' work was so long in making its appearance. At parting, Scott asked his old friend why he did not try to get some bookseller's work to keep his type in use when not wanted for the paper. Ballantyne thought the idea worth consideration, and ultimately it was agreed that he should print a few of the ballads which Scott had been showing him, just as a specimen. Twelve copies were accordingly printed, and Scott was so pleased with the type, that he said "I have been for years collecting old Border ballads, and I think I could, with little trouble, put together such a selection from them as might make a neat little volume, to sell for four or five shillings. I will talk to some of the booksellers about it when I get to Edinburgh, and if the thing goes on, you shall be the printer." In December of this year, Scott was appointed Sheriff-depute of Selkirkshire, with a salary of £300 per annum.

The Border Minstrelsy became a bulkier work than Scott anticipated; but it was printed by Ballantyne. The first two volumes appeared in 1802, and a third volume the year after. The work was well received: upwards of forty of the pieces had never before been published, and of the rest, Scott, having in his possession a variety of copies, was able to give more perfect editions than had ever appeared before. The whole was enriched with notes and introductory essays, which added materially to the value of the work. In preparing it for the press, Scott received great assistance from John Leyden, whose untimely death in India, in 1811, was a great grief to all those friends who had watched with interest his early struggles with poverty, and the rich promise which his writings afforded. Apart from its intrinsic value, the minstrelsy of the Scottish Border is interesting to us as showing the source from which Scott derived the materials for his chivalrous romances. Shortly after the appearance of this publication Ballantyne removed to Edinburgh.

In 1804, our author's uncle, Captain Scott, died, and left his nephew a small estate, which was sold for £5000. This sum, when invested, together with his salary as sheriff and his wife's annuity, raised Scott's income to nearly £1000, independently of what he might derive from his practice. He was thus in easy circumstances, and could devote himself to literature without having to depend upon it. About this time he left Lasswade and took the lease of Ashestiel, a house pleasantly situated on the south bank of the Tweed, a few miles from Selkirk. Here he made the acquaintance of Mungo Park, who at that time had given up practice as a surgeon, and was living in his native cottage on the banks of the Yarrow. He paid a farewell visit to Scott, and slept at Ashestiel, when about to visit Africa for the last time.

In 1805, the Lay of the Last Minstrel appeared, and its success at once determined Scott to make literature the main business of his life. In the following year, through the aid of his powerful friends, he procured an appointment to one of the principal clerkships of the Court of Session, worth about £1300 per annum; but the emoluments were not received by him until six years afterwards, when his predecessor died. But the combined duties of the clerkship and sheriffship were not heavy, and left him a good deal of leisure; besides, he was always an early riser. When at Ashestiel he usually rose at five, and by six was at his desk. Breakfast took place between nine and ten, and by that time he had done enough "to break the neck of the day's work." After breakfast a couple of hours were devoted to his study. By one o'clock he was on horseback, ready for an excursion, and the evenings were generally spent in social converse with his family and friends. Of course, during session time, he resided generally in Edinburgh, and his division of time was then different. His literary work, then, was performed chiefly before breakfast, with the assistance of such evening hours as he could rescue from the consideration of Court papers and his social engagements.

In 1808, Marmion, the finest of Scott's chivalrous tales,

appeared. The description of the battle of Flodden, which it contains, is considered one of the most spirited passages in the whole range of English poetry. Two years later was published the Lady of the Lake, the most beautiful and romantic of his poems. In succeeding years he produced the Vision of Don Roderick, Rokeby, the Bridal of Triermain, the Lord of the Isles, and other stories. The favour with which these productions were received by the public, the handsome income of which he was already in the receipt, and the prospect of a further increase from his clerkship, justified him in his hopes of becoming a landed proprietor, and of founding a family that might vie with the ancient Border names. The lease of Ashestiel was nearly run out. He therefore made large purchases of land on the banks of the Tweed, near Melrose; drained and planted the bleak moorland, enlarged the farm-house into a magnificent mansion, and changed the name from that of Clarty Hole to Abbotsford. The purchase, draining, planting of the grounds and garden, together with the rebuilding of the house, did not cost much less than £60,000—an immense sum, which Scott trusted to pay out of his books. He left Ashestiel in 1811, and removed to Abbotsford. The necessary alterations immediately commenced, but the mansion was not completed until some years later.

The poems which succeeded the Lady of the Lake are not equal to it in literary merit, and the author's popularity with the public showed signs of falling off. Byron, with his impassioned poetry, was becoming the favourite of society. Scott, however, showed neither jealousy nor despondency, and he accidentally struck upon another line of writing, which was still more popular than his poetical romances. The success of Miss Edgeworth's "Pictures of Irish Life" had some time before this stimulated Scott to attempt a portraiture of Scottish manners in the form of a prose narrative. About seven chapters were written, but, in consequence of the unfavourable opinion of a friend, it was laid aside. Eight years afterwards, when rummaging the drawers of an old cabinet in

search of fishing tackle, the author found the old manuscript, and he determined to finish it; and the second and third volumes were actually written in three weeks. The story, under the title of Waverley, was published in 1814, and was received by the public with an enthusiasm which surprised and gratified the author.

The story was published anonymously; in fact, the author was half ashamed of it. "In truth," said he, in writing to a friend, "I am not sure it would be considered quite decorous for me, as a clerk of Session, to write novels." However, the success was far too gratifying not to induce the author to renew the attempt, and no fewer than eighteen novels, comprising about sixty volumes, appeared in eleven years. Guy Mannering was the next to appear, and this was followed by the Antiquary, Old Mortality, Rob Roy, the Heart of Midlothian, and the Bride of Lammermoor. In Ivanhoe,

which was published in 1819, the author struck a new vein, and it was received throughout England with more clamorous delight than any of the Scotch novels had been. All this time there was a mystery about the authorship of the Waverley Novels, which served to pique public curiosity. Scott was strongly suspected by many to be the "Great Unknown," but it was not until 1827 that he threw off all disguise.

In the meantime, Scott had been busy with other literary work besides his tales and poems. He contributed to the Edinburgh Review when it was first established; and when the violence of its political articles prevented him from continuing his contributions, he took an active part in establishing the Quarterly. He edited the works of Dryden and Swift, and wrote prefaces to Ballantyne's collection of the English novelists. In 1820, he was made a baronet; his mansion was now completed, and he endeavoured to revive the customs and hospitalities of old times at Abbotsford. His children were grown up and settled in life; he was surrounded by troops of friends, and was honoured and respected in all ranks of society. He had now reached the pinnacle of