The Sun.
London, England, 1833-08-15 00:00:00

The MARRIAGE of SIR WALTER SCOTT

(From Chambers's Edinburgh Journal.)
When the late Marquis of Downshire, abort 50
years ago, was about to proceed upon his travels, he
begged some letters of introduction, amongst others,
from the Rev. Mr. Burd, Dean of Carlisle, who had
been his early friend. 'I his gentleman tomniuni-
cated to his Lordship one letter, recommending bim
to the favourable notice of almost his only conti-
nental acquaintance, Monsieur Charpentier, of Paris,
an individual who held the lucrative office of pro-
vider of post-horses to the Royal Family of France.
The unhappy result of this new association was the
elopement of Madame Charpentier, a very beautiful
woman, in company with his Lordship. The only
step taken by the husband in this case was to trans-
mit his two children, a boy and girl, to his frail
wife, with a desire, signified or implied, that she
would undertake the duty of bringing them tip.
The children accordingly lived some years with
their mother, under the general protection of Lord
Downshire, till at length the lady died, and the
young nobleman found himself burdened with a re-
sponsibility which he probably had not calculated
upon at the time of his quitting Paris. However,
he placed the girl in a French convent for her edu-
cation, and soon after had the boy sent out on a
lucrative appointment to India, his name having
been preciously changed, on his naturalization as a
British subject, to Carpenter. It was a stipulation
before the young man received his appointment,
that two hundred pounds of his annual salary
should fall regularly every year to his sister, of
whose support Lord Downshire was thus cleared,
though he continued to consider himself as
her guardian. Miss Carpenter in time returned to
London, and was placed under the charge of a
governess named Mi•s Nicholson, who, however,
could not prevent her from forming an attachment
to a youthful admirer, whose addresses were not
agreeable to the Marquis. His Lordship, having
learned that a change of scene was necessary, wrote
hastily to Mr. Burd, requesting him to seek for a
cottage in his own neighbourhood among the Corn-
belland lakes, fit for the reception of two young
lades, who could spend two hundred a-year. Mr.
Burd, having made the desired inquiries, wrote
to inform his Lordship that there was such a
place near his own house, but that it would
require a certain time to put it into repair.
He heard no more of the matter, till, a few
dabs after, as he and Mrs. Burd were on the point
of set ring out for Gilsland Wells, on account of tl.e
delicate health of the latter individual, they were
surprised by the arrival of two young ladies at their
door in a post chaise, being the persons alluded to
by the Marquis. His Lordship had found it
convenient to send them off to the care of Mr.
Burd, even at the hazard of the house not being
ready for their reception. This was at the end of
the month of August, or beginning of Sep-
tember, 1797. The dilemma occasioned by
the unexpected arrival of the young ladies was
of a very distressing kind, and Mrs. Burd
was afraid that It would, for one thing, put a stop
to her intended expedition to Gilsland. Her
husband, however, &ally eetermitied that their
journey thither should still hold good, and that, to
place her guests above inconveni nee, they should
join the parry proceeding to the Spa.
Having duly at rived at Gilslami, which is situated
near the borders of Scotland, they took up their re-
sidence at the inn, where, according to the custom
of such places, they were placed, as the latest guests,
at the bottom of the table. It chanced that a
young aicotch gentleman had arrived the same
afternoon, though only as a passing traveller,
and he, being also placed at the bottom of the
table came into close cootact with the parry of Mr.
Burd. Enough of conversation took place during
dinner to let the latter individuals understand that
the gentleman was a Scotchman, and this was in
itself the cause of the acquaoltanice being pro-
'rant d. Mr-. Burd was intimate with a Scotch
military gentleman, a Major Ridddl, whose regi,
meat was therm in .3cothmnd ; and as there had been
a collision between the military and the people at
Tranent, on account of the Militia Act [the Tranent
riots took place August 28, 1797], she was anxious
to know if her friend had been among those present,
or if he had licensed hurt. After dinner, therefore,
as they were rising from table, Mrs. Burd requested
her husband to ask the Sco cli gentleman if he
knew anything of the late riots, and par iculatly if a
Mjor Riddell had been cor.cerned in the supi easing
them. To these questions, it W 33 found that the
stranger knew Major Riddell intimately, and he
was able to assure them, in very courteous terms,
that his friend was quite well. From a desire to
prolong the conversation on this point, the Burds
invited their informant to drink tea with them in
their own room, to which he very readily consented,
notaithstanding that he had previously ordered his
horse to be brousht to the door in order to proceed
upon his journey. At tea, their common acquaintance
with Major Riddell furnished much pleasant conver-
sation, and the parties became so agreeable to each
other, that in a sub-event walk to the Wells, the
stranger still accompanied Mr. Burd's par y.
He had now ordered his horse back to the stable,
and talked no more of continuing his journey. It
may be early imagined that a desire of discussing the
ie was not 110 IV the sole bond of union betwee

the parties. Mr. Scott—fur so he gave his name—
had breo impres.ed, during the earlier part of the
evening, with the elegant and fascinaringappearance
of M Sc Carpenter, and it was on her account that
he was lingering at Gdsland. Of this young lady,
tt as ill be observed, he could have previously knovtn
: she was hardly known even to the re-
speetible persons under whose protection she ap-
peared to be living. She was simply a lovely
woman, and a young poet was struck with her
charms.

Next day Mr. Scott was still found at the Wells
—and the next—and the next—in short, every day
fur a fortnight. He was as much in the company
of Mr. Burd and his family as the equivocal founda-
tion of their acquairrance would allow; and by
affecting an intention of speedily visiting the lake,,
he even contrived to obtain an invitation to the
dean" country house in that part of England. In
the course of this fortnight, the impression made
upon his heat by the young Frenchwoman was

gradually deepened- ; and it is not improbable, no--
,ithstanding the girlish love affair in which Miss
Carpenter had been rect.ntly engaged, that the effect
was already in some degree reciprocal. He only
tore himself away in consequence of a call to attend
recta n imperative matters of business at Edinburgh.
It was not long ere he made his appearance at
Mr. Burd's house, where, though the dean had only
contemplated a passing visit, as from a tourist, he
contrived to enjoy another twilight of Miss Car-
penter's society. In order to gi,,e a plausible ap-
pearance to his intercourse with the young lady, he
was perpetually talking to her in French, for the
ostensible purpose of perfecting his pronunciation
of that language under the instructions of one to
whom it was vernacular. Though delighted with
the lively conversation of the young Scotchman,
Mr. and Mrs. Burd could not now help feeling un-
easy about his proceedings, being apprehensive as to
the construction which Lord Ddh.eoywmknsnihesistrveNs
oo epritt:ost
upon them, as well as upon
otfheair ownstil conduct
lmorepaitifiiirli
athdemiattoicinoguaioptaetricsoon
of
ff whihsomwart
kseiinidti,rnaesi,ltisnd'eveedr,e'hiefrproessapiobiliesibility was more onerous
and delicate. In this di:emma, it was resolved by
Mrs. Burd to mite to a friend in Edinburgh, in
order to learn something of the character and status
of their guest. The answer returned was to n
to theot
effect, that Mr. Scott was a respectable youhotaifgd
bniheiaen::
and rising at the bar. It chanced at the same time
he
that one of Scott's female friends, who
did
hearingo eve however,
of entertainsome l
ov e thisadv e
tit
ure respectfulin htileoht
ion
entangled at Gdsland, wrote to this very Mrs. !turd
wish whom
hosmucslht ea
wasthig
n":lll"faldint'eldWhitalr kind inquiring
goif a it
she
hail
heard
g
lady was it who was going to take Natty Scyootiul?'"
The poet soon after found means to conciliate ,