Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-08-12
WALTER SCOTT.
From " Letters from, Edinburgh" in th
North .american RevisLo.

North .american Revisio.
! should think there was no man in
this profane world so often asked after as
Walter Scott, and no traveller ever lands
In sweet Edinburg without enauiring
where nc can be seen In a small, DARK
room, where one Of the courts of sessions
is held, there is to be seen every morn
ing IN term time, sitting at little table
and keeping the records Of the court, a
stout, broad shouldered, brawriy and some
what iieshy man-with light hair, light
complexion, eyes between blue and grey,
thick nose, round fat face rather sleepy
expression, covered with ragged black
gown. His lame leg stuck under the ia
bic, the other spraw'iag out in such a
manner as no leg, lame or not lame, ever
ought to be. Such man for sooth as
one might swear, heaven had marked out
--as an honest good natured soul, though
rather stupid withal-a most loyal subject,
mt to guz2le port and porter, pay taxes
and driI.k'' God save the King" Not
one poetic line or ray of genius in his face,
except very slight indling Of the eye,
to redeem the immortal bust of the author
OF the Lay OF the last Minstrel from the
staring, thoughtless, besotted, Multitude
Mr.. Scott is now about forty five. years old,
descended from rather an obscure family
IN Lorland, and when young, he says, that
the old men used to take him upon their
knees, call him little Watty, and tell him
border stories and legendary tales, while
his brothers were gone to work priyi
lege which his lameness gave him. Some
of these philosophers, who are in the habit
of making a" moral" to their fables, NAV
very possibly find out, that the world has
gained another great poet, because Walter
Scott was born with one leg shorter than
the other. 1t may be SO Waiter Scott
was married some time since to Guern-
sey lady, an Legitimate daughter of the
late Duke of DevOnshire with whom he
was said to have received 1OO,O00l. The
lady was borne in Guernsey, and speaks
yillainous broken. English. Among her
virtues is that of unsParing fury against
all unfortunate wretches who criticise her
husbands works and it is said, that when
the review of Marmion was published in
the Edinburg Review, she was very near
boxing the Editors ears at dinner. where
she soon after happened to meet him.
Mr.. Scott has also some other bless
iAs, which rarely fall to the fortune of a
Pet. He is the sheriff of county. com
mits to prison, and hangs with great spri-
rit and quite vulgar dexterity ne is
moreover clerk Of the court before men
toned. These two situations rive him
800 or 1000l. year besides he had for
Marmion 1000 guineas, 1000 for the Lady.
and 5000 for Rokeby and he has also
been the editor of several extensive works.
Though MIR. s. is exposed to a con-
slant thrOng of people with letters of in
PRODUCTION, his houses ofresort in Edin-
burg are not very numerous, and he con-
fines himself chiefly to some of the cboi-
cest of the ministerial party; he is him
self jealous to the last ditch for church
and king. A disgust with its politics
made him leave the Edinburg Review, in
which he has written some pleasant arti-
cles. In his manner he is very mild and
apparently without any vanity.
and the only aGectatiOn he has consists IN
the effort be makes not to appear a poet.
He has great deal of humor, and his
is principally made up of an
ecdotes he is not, however, what they
call either elegant or brilliant in company,
but then he is cheerful and never obtriI-
sive upon the whole, one of the last per-
sons you would suspect to be Walter
Scott.