The Sun.
London, England, 1832-09-27 00:00:00

SIR WALTER SCOTT.

Sir Walter Scott, as we mentioned on Tuesday, has
died the victim of his z-alous desires and excessive exer-
tions to pay his debts. His remarkably robust frame and
resolute mind could not stand before the Herculean task
which he undertook, in the latter years of his life, fir the
sake of satisfying the demands of his creditors and gratify.
ing his own feelings of independence.
From the immense range of his studies—from his pro-
found acquisitions in several difficult branches of know.
ledge—from the rapid succession of those acknowledged
works, which appeared from his pen with a prodigal pro-
fusion, of which (taking into account their excellence)
the world has seen no example—from the numerous paths
in which we can trace his brilliant course in reviews and
periodical literature—from his extensive correspondence
with nearly all the most celebrated literary characters of
Ertrope, of a large portion of which the world (we are
happy to state) must soon be put in possession—from all
these occupations and producti,ns of his mind, it must be
at once seen that his life, from his first appearance as an
author, 30 years ago, up to 1826, must have been one
of uncommon labour. But there is an immense difference
between voluntary labour, prompted by inclination, and
endured with buoyant spirits, and a task imposed by
duty, and executed for profit. His early works appeared
the fruits of relaxation from official labour, or of hours
stolen from social or domestic enjoyment. They never
gave him the habits, or imposed upon him the hardships,
of a recluse student. The world never knew that he had
a work on hand, by his abstinence from its pleasures, or
his inability to attend to its interests. He was never re-
strained from a dinner party, or a country excursion,—
from a meeting with his friends at a hunt or at a ball, by
the professed necessity of devoting himself to literary la-
bours. While he continued the " Great Unknown "of
the Waverley novels, his toils were as unknown, from the
noise which was made about them, as those of the bene-
volent Brownie in his country, which performs the task of
the peasant in thrashing his corn while he himself is
asleep. The greatest part of Marmion is said to have
Lt en composed at the table of the Court of Session, to
which he was clerk, in the intervals of recording the pro-
ceedings or drawing out the orders of that tribunal. His
works were sold to booksellers without any affectation of
superior finish, and the money, which lie thought lightly
won, was liberally and generously spent.
• '

But the case was altered when, after his losses with
Constable, he had to labour for creditors, or for bread,—
to save his family from want, or to relieve his affairs from
embarrassment. The❑ tho midnight oil shone on a tasked
page,—then the image of " the printer's devil" haunted
him as a sign of a dun,—then his worn-out faculties could
not always be braced for a new day's exertion by " kind
nature's calm restorer." Hence, no doubt, the paralysis
with which he was attacked nearly two years ago, and
from which he never recovered the full vigour of his mas-
terly intellect. In saying this, we mean no reflection on
his creditors, for whom he wrought; nor on his family,
who permitted the exertion. Indeed, we know that when,
while on his way to Naples last year, his friends pressed
upon him the necessity of not exerting himself, and of not
allowing the objects which surrounded him to excite his
strained imagination, he replied—" You may as well put
a kettle of water on the fire, and bid it not boil."
When we mentioned on Tuesday that the profit of
these immense labours, in revising and explaining his
works, had answered the demands of his creditors, " though
they had left nothing for his family or children," we find
that we had greatly miscalculated the amount of his obli-
gations as well as the proceeds of the sale of his works,
though extraordinary. He has paid the debt of nature
before he could ply that of his more forbearing creditors.
After devoting all his property to the former purpose,—
with the exclusion of Abbotsford, which is entailed on his
eldest son,—his estate will still be 60,0001. or 80,0001.

in debt. To meet this, his only available asstts are his
household furniture, his books, a few unfinished manu-
scripts and letters, which will compose ten volumes of cor-
respondence with nearly all the distinguished literary cha-
racters of his time. These, of course, will be given to his
creditors, as directed by his will; but his unmarried
daughter, who accompanied him to Italy, and the younger
branches of his family, will thus be left without a farthing
of pecuniary interest in the munificent and glorious legacy
which their illustrious father has left to his country and
to mankind.

Even the paternal estate of Abbotsford—which is richer
in classical recollections than in landed or material value—
can be brought to the hammer by the creditors of Sir
Walter, and sold to an Edinburgh haberdasher. Its li-
brary and collection of curiosities, the gifts of so many
illustrious persons, may be disposed of to the highest bid.
der—its ornaments may be pulled down, and no memorial
he left of the great author of Waverley and the great
" Last Minstrel" in the place which he delighted to adorn,
and in the neighbourhood of those border scenes on which
he has conferred immortal celebrity.
We have already stated that Abbotsford is entailed on
Sir Walter's eldest son, but as the illustrious Baronet
was not solvent (though be thought himself so) at the
time when the entail was made (namely, at the
marriage of Mr. Seat), the deed of entail, of course,
beca-ne invalid, and the property had hitherto re-
mained untouched, only on an undertaking from Sir
Walter, that if he was ultimately unable to pay 20 shil-
lings in the pound, this last sacrifice was to be made to the
law, and to his honourable resolution to answer all de-
tnands, but not till this inability had been established by
his death in a state of insolvency. Such is now the me-
lancholy fact, and we mention it for the purpose of asking
whether the admirers of this great author—many of whom
would undertake a pilgrimage to Abbotsford, were the
rites of pilgrimage still fashionable—whether, we say, his
admirers—and they are as numerous as his innumerable
readers—will permit this entail t t be broken, and this
property to be sold to the highest bidder ? In our opinion
it ought to be bought up by public subscription, and

handed over to his family, on condition that it should re-
main exactly as it was left by its celebrated possessor, to
attract and gratify the worshippers of genius. flalf-a-
guinea, or even half-a-crown, from one-fiftieth part of his
admirers, would accomplish the object, though it were
made a condition that none but admirers should he ad-
mitteil to the honour of enrolling their names on the list
of contributors.

Seotchrnen, at any rate, ought not to permit the sacri•

lege of which we have been speaking,—they ought not to
permit the profanation of not only receiving " buyers and
sellers" into the temple of genius,but selling the very sanctuary
itself. To their country, even in a political and commer-
cial point of view, he has been a benefactor to an extent
not to be estimated. A great capitalist, who would have
established arts or manufactures i❑ their land to the an-
nual amount of millions, could not have raised so much
the value of their property, or increased so much the sum
of their wealth. But the larger and wealthier community
on this side of the Tweed, who hailed each new work of
the author of Waver/ey with a fervour not exceeded by his
own townsmen, should likewise vindicate their gratitude to
their literary benefactor by their more liberal donations.
In making these remarks on the state of Sir Walter

Scott's affairs, and particularly in suggesting a general
subscription among the admirers of his genius, to pay off
his debts, and to provide for his family, we can assure
our readers that we have had no communicatio❑ with any
of his relatives, and that we have taken counsel only of
our own feelings of admiration and sense of gratitude.
We should be ashamed to see any one of this illustrious
man's children on the pension list; and yet if an admiring
world do not come forward, and embody their feelings in

something more than barren praise or empty regrets, it
should seem to be a duty of the Government—which ad-
vised the creation of his title, and has so largely profited
in all foreign countries by the extension of his fame—to
step in and rescue his family from distress by some grant
of money from the public purse. When it was appre-
hended, about three months ago, that he would die in the
metropolis, it was, we understand, the intention of Go-
vernment to have defrayed the charges of a public funeral.
Could they offer him `°a stone" at a great expense, and
leave his unprovided children without bread ? '— Times.

LAUNCELOT BAUGH ALLEN, Esq., the late
Magistrate of Union Hall Police-office, has accepted the
invitation contained in a requisition, numerously and re-
spectably signed, and has announced himself accordingly a
candidate for the representation of the borough of South-
wark, occasioned by the death of the late Mr. CALVERT.
LIVERPOOL COTTON MARKET, TUESDAY.
—2,000 hales of cotton are the estimated sales of the (lay,
and consist of 100 Pernams at 9i-11. and 10p.; 30 Egyp-
tians at 911. ; and 1,800 in uplands and Orleans from 61,1.
to sd.

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LIVERPOOL CORN MARKET, TUESDAY.-
At this morning's market there was a very slender atten-
dance of deale rs, and although the show of samples of new
grain was not large, w heat was forced with the same de-
termination as at the end of last week, at 6s. 3d. to 6s. 91
for undried, and 6s. Sd. to 7s. and up to 7s. 2d. for prime
prepared ; for old wheat it was next to impossible to get
an offer, and where any were made for choice lots they
were accepted. Old oats went off slowly at 2s. 2d. to
2s. 4d., and for prime 2s. sd. ; new were not plentiful,
and brought in retail 2s. 6d. to 2s. 7d. per 45 lb. Bar-
ley, beans, and malt, without change, but flour was 2s.
lower, the best Irish now being sold at 455., and sold at
475. New Oatmeal 255. to 258. 6d., and old 20s. to 22a.
For bonded grain no inquiries, and kw for Hour.