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The Heart of Mid-Lothian THE HEART OF MID-LOTHIAN By Walter Scott An Electronic Classics Series Publication The Heart of Mid-Lothian by Sir Walter Scott is a publication of The Electronic Classics Series. This Portable Document file is furnished free and without any charge of any kind. Any person using this document file, for any purpose, and in any way does so at his or her own risk. Neither the Pennsylvania State University nor Jim Manis, Editor, nor anyone associated with the Pennsylvania State University assumes any responsibility for the material contained within the document or for the file as an electronic transmission, in any way. The Heart of Mid-Lothian by Sir Walter Scott, The Electronic Classics Series, Jim Manis, Editor, PSU- Hazleton, Hazleton, PA 18202 is a Portable Document File produced as part of an ongoing publication project to bring classical works of literature, in English, to free and easy access of those wishing to make use of them. Jim Manis is a faculty member of the English Department of The Pennsylvania State University. This page and any preceding page(s) are restricted by copyright. The text of the following pages are not copyrighted within the United States; however, the fonts used may be. Cover Design: Jim Manis; image courtesy Wikimedia Commons Copyright © 2009 - 2013 The Pennsylvania State University is an equal opportunity university. Sir Walter Scott THE HEART OF MID-LOTHIAN By Walter Scott TALES OF MY LANDLORD COLLECTED AND ARRANGED BY JEDEDIAH CLEISHBOTHAM, SCHOOLMASTER AND PARISH CLERK Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet OF GANDERCLEUGH. (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832) Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons 3 The Heart of Mid-Lothian PROVENANCE OF ILLUSTRATIONS Subject or Title Original Drawing Etching Effie and Geordie Sir J. E. Millais R. Macbeth-Raeburn Tolbooth, Cannongate Photo Etching by: John Andrew & Son Co. The Porteous Mob Wal. Paget Ad. Lalouze The Laird in Jeanie’s Cottage Hugh Cameron H. Macbeth-Raeburn “Jeanie—I say Jeanie woman!” Original Etching by: George Cruikshank St. Anthony’s Chapel Photo Etching by: John Andrew & Son Co. Muschat’s Cairn Sam Bough B. Dammon Jeanie and Effie R. Herdman H. Macbeth-Raeburn Jeanie and the Laird of Dumbiedykes Wal. Paget V. Focillon Jeanie in the Outlaws Hut Wal. Paget A. Mongin Madge and Jeanie Wal. Paget H. W. Batley A “Summat” to Eat and Drink Original Etching by: Georg Cruikshank Jeanie and Queen Caroline Wal. Paget F. Huth The Captain of Knockdunder Original Etching by: Georg Cruikshank Death of Sir George Staunton Wal. Paget Ad. Lalouze Jeanie Dean’s Cottage Photo Etching by: John Andrew & Son Co. 4 Sir Walter Scott MID-LOTHIAN Hear, Land o’ Cakes and brither Scots, Frae Maidenkirk to Johnny Groat’s, If there’s a hole in a’ your coats, I rede ye tent it; A chiel’s amang you takin’ notes, An’ faith he’ll prent it! Burns. THE HEART OF 5 The Heart of Mid-Lothian for the want of the Tales, and may grumble as they choose: we have Taggy by the tail, and, if we have influ- EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION TO THE HEART ence to keep the best author of the day, we ought to do OF MID-LOTHIAN. it.”—[Archibald Constable, iii. 104.] Though contemplated and arranged for, “The Heart of SCOTT BEGAN to work on “The Heart of Mid-Lothian” Mid-Lothian” was not actually taken in hand till shortly almost before he had completed “Rob Roy.” On Nov. after Jan. 15, 1818, when Cadell writes that the tracts and 10, 1817, he writes to Archibald Constable announcing pamphlets on the affair of Porteous are to be collected for that the negotiations for the sale of the story to Messrs. Scott. “The author was in great glee … he says that he Longman have fallen through, their firm declining to feels very strong with what he has now in hand.” But there relieve the Ballantynes of their worthless “stock.” “So was much anxiety concerning Scott’s health. “I do not at you have the staff in your own hands, and, as you are all like this illness of Scott’s,” said James Ballantyne to on the spot, can manage it your own way. Depend on it Hogg. “I have eften seen him look jaded of late, and am that, barring unforeseen illness or death, these will be afraid it is serious.” “Hand your tongue, or I’ll gar you the best volumes which have appeared. I pique myself measure your length on the pavement,” replied Hogg. “You on the first tale, which is called ‘The Heart of Mid- fause, down-hearted loon, that ye are, you daur to speak Lothian.’” Sir Walter had thought of adding a romance, as if Scott were on his death-bed! It cannot be, it must not “The Regalia,” on the Scotch royal insignia, which had be! I will not suffer you to speak that gait.” Scott himself been rediscovered in the Castle of Edinburgh. This story complains to Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe of “these damned he never wrote. Mr. Cadell was greatly pleased at oust- spasms. The merchant Abudah’s hag was a henwife to them ing the Longmans— “they have themselves to blame when they give me a real night of it.” 6 Sir Walter Scott “The Heart of Mid-Lothian,” in spite of the author’s chief fault I have to find relates to the reappearance malady, was published in June 1818. As to its reception, and shocking fate of the boy. I hear on all sides ‘Oh, I and the criticism which it received, Lockhart has left do not like that!’ I cannot say what I would have had nothing to be gleaned. Contrary to his custom, he has instead, but I do not like it either; it is a lame, huddled published, but without the writer’s name, a letter from conclusion. I know you so well in it, by-the-by! You grow Lady Louisa Stuart, which really exhausts what criti- tired yourself, want to get rid of the story, and hardly cism can find to say about the new novel. “I have not care how.” Lady Lousia adds that Sir George Staunton only read it myself,” says Lady Louisa, “but am in a would never have hazarded himself in the streets of house where everybody is tearing it out of each other’s Edinburgh. “The end of poor Madge Wildfire is most hands, and talking of nothing else.” She preferred it to pathetic. The meeting at Muschat’s Cairn tremendous. all but “Waverley,” and congratulates him on having Dumbiedikes and Rory Beau are delightful. I dare made “the perfectly good character the most interest- swear many of your readers never heard of the Duke of ing. … Had this very story been conducted by a com- Argyle before.” She ends: “If I had known nothing, and mon hand, Effie would have attracted all our concern the whole world had told me the contrary, I should have and sympathy, Jeanie only cold approbation. Whereas found you out in that one parenthesis, ‘for the man was Jeanie, without youth, beauty, genius, warns passions, mortal, and had been a schoolmaster.’” or any other novel-perfection, is here our object from Lady Louisa omits a character who was probably as beginning to end.” Lady Louisa, with her usual frank- essential to Scott’s scheme as any—Douce Davie Deans, ness, finds the Edinburgh lawyers tedious, in the intro- the old Cameronian. He had almost been annoyed by duction, and thinks that Mr. Saddletree “will not enter- the criticism of his Covenanters in “Old Mortality,” “the tain English readers.” The conclusion “flags”; “but the heavy artillery out of the Christian Instructor or some 7 The Heart of Mid-Lothian such obscure field work,” and was determined to “tickle positively vanished from the library” (the Advocates’ off” another. There are signs of a war between literary Library). “Neither book nor receipt is to be found: surely Cavaliers and literary Covenanters at this time, after the they have stolen it in the fear of the Lord.” The truth discharge of Dr. McCrie’s “heavy artillery.” Charles seems to have been that Cavaliers and Covenanters were Kirkpatrick Sharpe was presented by Surtees of racing for the manuscripts wherein they found smooth Mainsforth with a manuscript of Kirkton’s unprinted stones of the brook to pelt their opponents withal. Soon “History of the Church of Scotland.” This he set forth after Scott writes: “It was not without exertion and to edite, with the determination not to “let the Whig trouble that I this day detected Russell’s manuscript dogs have the best of it.” Every Covenanting scandal (the account of the murder of Sharpe by one of the and absurdity, such as the old story of Mess David murderers), also Kirkton and one or two others, which Williamson— “Dainty Davie”—and his remarkable Mr. McCrie had removed from their place in the library prowess, and presence of mind at Cherrytrees, was raked and deposited in a snug and secret corner.” The Cov- up, and inserted in notes to Kirkton. Scott was Sharpe’s enanters had made a raid on the ammunition of the ally in this enterprise. “I had in the persons of my for- Cavaliers. “I have given,” adds Sir Walter, “an infernal bears a full share, you see, of religious persecution . row on the subject of hiding books in this manner.” for all my greatgrandfathers were under the ban, and I Sharpe replies that the “villainous biographer of John think there were hardly two of them out of jail at once.” Knox” (Dr. McCrie), “that canting rogue,” is about to “I think it would be most scandalous to let the godly edite Kirkton.
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