1 LETTERS OF 1828 {October 1828 continued) TO CHARLES KIRKPATRICK SHARPE (11-1)DEAR CHARLES,—This accompanies four or five miniatures (11-1)not on tin but on card.1 I will be happy if you (11-1)recognize among them that fause loon Gleed Argyle. I do (11-1)not think I have any others. The South Sea being (11-1)rather too like the God of Gardens to travel in his prudish (11-1)natulibus as Win Jenkins saith 2 hath cased himself in a (11-1)pair of timber breeks and waits on [you] via carrier. I have (11-1)also to return several books of yours on the subject of (11-1)good breeding which I will send also per carrier duly (11-1)packd. (11-1)I have lost a memorandum which you gave me of the (11-1)persecutions of my grandfathers grandfather the first (11-1)Laird of Raeburn which you quote in the Introduction (11-1)to Kirkton page vii note.3 If you can give me copies of (11-1)the Acts of council you will oblige me much or it will be 2 LETTERS OF 1828 (11-2)the same thing if you refer to the dates on the record. (11-2)I have a letter from William McDougal a brother of (11-2)Raeburns wife (not the Laird of Makerston but a younger (11-2)brother) reprobating the despyteful usage of his relations (11-2)and expressing his wish to recommend Raeburns case (11-2)to Lauderdale & to his own Colonel. In great haste (11-2)to save Coach Your nain man WALTER SCOTT (11-2)5 October ABBOTSFORD [1828] [Nat. Lib. Scot.] TO JOHN GIBSON, JUNIOR, W.S. (11-2)MY DEAR SIR,—Your kind letter 1 has lain too long (11-2)unanswerd owing to my having been absent in (11-2)Dumfriesshire where I had the pleasure to hear our young (11-2)Duke make a very good appearance on the first at a l828 SIR WALTER SCOTT 3 (11-3)dinner given by the gentlemen of the county. I think he (11-3)will speak well if he practises now and then. (11-3)I inclose my Policy for the purpose you mention. All (11-3)my premises are of stone and slated perfectly secure (11-3)against ordinary accidents & water at command. A small (11-3)sum 300 or 400 might cover the offices. (11-3)I also inclose a letter from the Glass Company. It (11-3)would not be convenient to me to pay up 100 as required (11-3)though I will manage to do it if the Trustees think fit. (11-3)Perhaps the best way is to sell. (11-3)As to Longmans people they act rather on too selfish (11-3)a plan to be good publishers for a popular author. But I (11-3)would not like to have a lawsuit about the Reprint though (11-3)I think their plan unreasonable. You can talk it over with (11-3)Cadell &c. I do not owe any thing to that great House. (11-3)On the contrary they have been large gainers in every (11-3)transaction with your humble Servant & I think Napoleon (11-3)might have been much better managed by more liberal (11-3)publishers. But lawsuits are always discreditable and (11-3)inconvenient particularly in literary matters.1 I hope (11-3)you may be able to make some arrangement. (11-3)The new edition is I think like to do well. Cadell (11-3)proposes to raise the price to 6/ instead of 5/ per volume (11-3)which with the valuable engravings will leave it one of (11-3)the cheapest books going & considerably augment our (11-3)profits. I have learnd this indirectly from James Ballantyne (11-3)so it must not be mentiond to any one till he broaches (11-3)the proposal himself. (11-3)I wish the Arbiter would knock off the rest of this (11-3)business in one way or other. I do not greatly care (11-3)which. The pretext of disposing of the Manuscripts as (11-3)Constables property seems absurd. He broke through (11-3)by misfortune or choise it signifies little the only condition (11-3)attachd to the lodging them in his hands & told Mr Cowan (11-3)distinctly I was the author and that he had the copies (11-3)which made my acknowledging them a matter of necessity. 4 LETTERS OF 1828 (11-4)We are all well here and Anne begs kind Compliments (11-4)to Mrs Gibson. We have the great pleasure to hear that (11-4)Johnie Lockhart is recovering his health a blessing for (11-4)which I cannot be sufficiently thankful as it was one I (11-4)never ventured to hope for. (11-4)The marriage of Miss Morritt is entirely off. It is (11-4)singular Sir A.1 should have so misunderstood his own (11-4)circumstances for Morritt was prepared to do all that (11-4)could have been expected & more. He wishes to know (11-4)his debt to you will [you] be so good as mention the (11-4)amount to me and it will be instantly remitted. I am (11-4)sorry the matter has gone off in this manner but it was (11-4)imperative on Mr Morritt. (11-4)I have nothing to add but that I always [remainder of (11-4)the letter cut out] (11-4)ABBOTSFORD 6th October 1828 [Walpole] TO ROBERT CADELL (11-4)My DEAR SIR,—I send you back the sample. It is I (11-4)think very handsome but perhaps the gilding side is too (11-4)gaudy. One thing is often neglected i.e. the placing (11-4)the golden lines paralel with the edges of the board— (11-4)the binders should be warnd about this. I revised the (11-4)sett of proofs & sent them to J. B. It is needless to say (11-4)the utmost must be done for correctness. Gardiner 2 is (11-4)throughout spelld Gardner which is inaccurate. There is (11-4)a verbal error in the sheets which I noticed to Ballantyne. (11-4)I did not mark it and have not time to read over the (11-4)whole again to recover as it is visible to any reader. (11-4)I am also anxious about the placing of the notes. You (11-4)know we were not fixd in our resolution where to put (11-4)them till we last met here and therefore in my copy sent 1828 SIR WALTER SCOTT 5 (11-5)the printer the places are not always properly markd. (11-5)But the general rule to be followd is—No notes except (11-5)such as are merely glossarial or otherwise brief notices (11-5)necessary to explain the text, are to be placed at the foot (11-5)of the page. All others are to have a brief title which title (11-5)is to [be] repeated at foot of page & the note itself thrown (11-5)to the end of Chapter just as they are referd to and (11-5)disposed in Chapter VII p. 56 which is the right model of (11-5)the matter. This practice must be observed in all cases. (11-5)*J. B. has given me such a dash of criticism that I have (11-5)laid by the Maid of the Mist for a few days but I am (11-5)working hard meanwhile at the Illustrations so no time (11-5)is lost.* (11-5)I have received the 100 receipt for which I am much (11-5)obliged to you. (11-5)I inclose a letter to Maitland Street and one to J. B. (11-5)Yours very truly WALTER SCOTT 1 (11-5)ABBOTSFORD 8th October [1828] (11-5)I have sent the Quaigh to Lord Leveson Gower for his (11-5)approbation & farther instructions. Mr Mackay should (11-5)have mentiond the price. It is I think very tasteful. [Stevenson] TO MRS. HUGHES (11-5)MY DEAR MRS. HUGHES,—I sent to the Residence in (11-5)Amen Corner not one book " as big as all dis cheese " (11-5)but some score or two of Books as big as a score of Trulls 2: 6 LETTERS OF 1828 (11-6)they form the continuation of the translations of which (11-6)you were kind enough to accept the first series. (11-6)About these novels you know my feelings are something (11-6)like those of Macbeth (11-6)I am afraid to think on what I've done (11-6)Look on't again I dare not—— (11-6)As however the course of things have return'd them to be (11-6)my property I have thoughts (though it is a great secret) (11-6)of making a revised edition with some illustrations. (11-6)Amongst them I think of inserting the account of the (11-6)affair of Cumnor Hall from Ashmole's antiquities of (11-6)Berkshire. But to this I would like to ad[d] some notice (11-6)of their present state & of any traditions which may be (11-6)still current about them & for this material addition I (11-6)must trust to Mr. John Hughes' and your kindness as (11-6)also for something no great matter what about Wayland (11-6)Smith's Stone.