Vol. 2 1 1808 TO LADY MINTO 1 (2-1)DEAR LADY MINTO,-Mr. Constable will send your (2-1)Ladyship tomorrow two copies of Marmion properly (2-1)packed up-One splendid which I hope the Governor (2-1)General will do me the honor to accept & one of a (2-1)subordinate description for my brother-in-law Carpenter. (2-1)I also inclose a few lines to Lord Minto with my little (2-1)offering of grateful remembrance. (2-1)As your Ladyship flattered me by expressing a wish for (2-1)an early perusal I send my own copy the only one yet (2-1)finished. I have promised to shew some part of it [to] a (2-1)friend tomorrow evening but if your Ladyship wishes to (2-1)have it returned to finish the perusal on the fast day when (2-1)it will be like " stolen waters " or " bread eaten in secret" (2-1)I will have the honor to return it on Thursday morning (2-1)if you will be so good as spare it me tomorrow about (2-1)6 o'clock. Believe me with great respect Your Ladyship's (2-1)most Obedient Very humble Servt (2-1)WALTER SCOTT (2-1)EDINR. Tuesday [1808] [Owen D. Young] TO CHARLES KIRKPATRICK SHARPE (2-1)[Jan.] A.D. 1808 (2-1)DEAR SHARPE,-Lady Louisa Stuart is with us tonight (2-1)if you will look in any time after seven. I am anxious to 2 LETTERS OF l808 (2-2)congratulate you upon your safe delivery.1 The first (2-2)literary child always gives most trouble & anxiety (2-2)Believe me Yours always W. SCOTT (2-2)CASTLE STREET Thursday. (2-2)Charles K. Sharpe Esq. 5 Charlotte Square [Hornel] TO JOHN BALLANTYNE, JUNR. (2-2)[1808] (2-2)DEAR SIR,-I have your note for 200,, and I think it (2-2)will be very right to bring all these sums together when (2-2)I have been able to complete my advance. I rather (2-2)think it will be impossible for me to do so to the proposed (2-2)extent till next Summer. What I should wish would be (2-2)to see the Concern which is in so flourishing a state (2-2)proceed from blossom to fruit or without a metaphor I (2-2)would like to advance as much as may secure us (in general (2-2)at least) from the necessity of temporary expedients and (2-2)admit of my drawing my proportion of the profits which (2-2)at present must necessarily go to discharge these burthens. (2-2)The payment of the Copy Money of Marmion will put (2-2)this in my power even to a larger extent than you desired. (2-2)But till this is received I see little chance of my being (2-2)able to contribute above an odd hundred or two which (2-2)I expect from India.-I am therefore anxious about the (2-2)progress of this work and wish it to be set up with speed. (2-2)Constable informs me that the paper is daily expected and (2-2)that you may set up a sheet or two in the mean time. I (2-2)therefore send the Introduction to Canto I and will send (2-2)the Canto itself on Monday. I am with regard Yours truly (2-2)CASTLE STREET Saturday W SCOTT (2-2)Private. Mr. John Ballantyne Junior. [Signet Library] 1808 SIR WALTER SCOTT 3 TO J. W. ADAM (2-3)SIR,-I have the honour to acknowledge your polite (2-3)letter and to return you my best thanks for the flattering (2-3)opinion which you have been pleased to express of my (2-3)literary efforts. (2-3)My time has been lately employed upon the poem to (2-3)which you allude ; but as it does not give any historical (2-3)account of the unfortunate Battle of Flodden, being in (2-3)truth merely a poetical romance terminated by that (2-3)memorable event, I have not felt myself called upon to (2-3)make any minute researches into the circumstances of the (2-3)defeat: nor do I at present remember any thing corresponding (2-3)to the circumstance which you enquire about. (2-3)If I should happen to light upon any thing likely to be (2-3)useful to you in establishing your right to the arms and (2-3)chieftainship of your family I will have great pleasure (2-3)in communicating it and I am with great respect Sir (2-3)your obliged and obedt. Servant WALTER SCOTT (2-3) EDINBURGH 12 Jany. 1808. [Owen D. Young] TO LADY LOUISA STUART (2-3)EDINBURGH, 19th January 1808 (2-3)I AM much flattered. Dear Lady Louisa, by your kind (2-3)and encouraging remembrance. Marmion is, at this (2-3)instant, gasping upon Flodden field, and there I have (2-3)been obliged to leave him for these few days in the death (2-3)pangs. I hope I shall find time enough this morning to (2-3)knock him on the head with two or three thumping (2-3)stanzas. I thought I should have seen Lady Douglas (2-3)while she was at Dalkeith, but all the Clerks of Session (2-3)(excepting myself, who have at present no salary) are (2-3)subject to the gout, and one of them was unluckily visited (2-3)with a fit on the day I should have been at the Duke's, so (2-3)I had his duty and my own to discharge.-Pray, Lady 4 l808 LETTERS OF (2-4)Louisa, don't look for Marmion in Hawthornden or (2-4)anywhere else, excepting in the too thick quarto which (2-4)bears his name. As to the fair De Lally,1 I beg her (2-4)pardon with all my heart and spirit; but I rather think (2-4)that the habit of writing novels or romances, whether (2-4)in prose or verse, is unfavourable to rapid credulity ; at (2-4)least these sort of folks know that they can easily make (2-4)fine stories themselves, and will be therefore as curious (2-4)in examining those of other folks as a cunning vintner (2-4)in detecting the sophistication of his neighbour's claret (2-4)by the help of his own experience. Talking of fair ladies (2-4)and fables reminds me of Mr. Sharpe's ballads, which (2-4)I suppose Lady Douglas carried with her to Bothwell. (2-4)They exhibit, I think, a very considerable portion of (2-4)imagination, and occasionally, though not uniformly, (2-4)great flow of versification. There is one verse, or rather (2-4)the whole description of a musical ghost-lady sitting (2-4)among the ruins of her father's tower, that pleased me (2-4)very much. But his language is too flowery and even (2-4)tawdry, and I quarrelled with a lady in the first poem (2-4)who yielded up her affection upon her lover showing his (2-4)white teeth.2 White teeth ought to be taken great care (2-4)of and set great store by ; but I cannot allow them to be (2-4)an object of passionate admiration-it is too like subduing (2-4)a lady's heart by grinning. Grieved am I for Lady (2-4)Douglas's indisposition, which I hope will be short, and (2-4)I am sure will be tolerable with such stores of amusement (2-4)around her. Last night I saw all the Dalkeith family (2-4)presiding in that happy scene of mixed company and (2-4)Babylonian confusion, the Queen's Assembly. I also l808 SIR WALTER SCOTT 5 (2-5)saw Mr. Alison there. I hope your ladyship has not (2-5)renounced your intention of coming to Edinburgh for a (2-5)day or two, and that I shall have the honour to see you. (2-5)We have here a very diverting lion and sundry wild (2-5)beasts ; but the most meritorious is Miss Lydia White,1 (2-5)who is what Oxonians call a lioness of the first order, (2-5)with stockings nineteen-times-nine dyed blue, very lively, (2-5)very good-humoured, and extremely absurd. It is very (2-5)diverting to see the sober Scotch ladies staring at this (2-5)phenomenon. I am, with great respect, your ladyship's (2-5)honoured and obliged WALTER SCOTT [Lockhart] TO ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE (2-5)[1808] (2-5)DEAR SIR,-The volumes of Swift (besides the first) (2-5)which are wanting in the copy sent me are the 7th. 8th. (2-5)and 18th. I should be glad to have them as soon as (2-5)possible & also the Examiner which is become most (2-5)essential. I cannot find it in the Advocates Liby. Yours (2-5)truly W. S. (2-5)Mr. Constable [Stevenson] TO LADY ABERCORN (2-5)EDINBURGH, 22d January l808 (2-5)DEAR LADY MARCHIONESS,-I have at length got a (2-5)copy of Burns's Love-Letters to Clarinda 2 the little publication (2-5)which I mentioned to your Ladyship at Dumfries. It is (2-5)rather too heavy for an ordinary frank. I have therefore (2-5)addressed it under cover to Lord Gastlereagh, who will 6 LETTERS OF l808 (2-6)I presume take care of it for your Ladyship.