American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1822-08-09
FROM THE COLUMBIAN oBsERvERs
THE AUTHOR Or WAVERLY.

THE AUTHOR Or WAVERLY.
That w. Scott is not the author of the WAIVER
lily Novels, is proved--because he never withheld
his name from the title page Of two penny ballad
Of his own composition Witness his Don Rode
rick, and the battles of Waterloo. &C.. and gladly
would he openly wear that wreath of fame, which
by superstition and implication, now adorns his brow
in reference to these efforts oil ingenuity. But
Dr. Greenfield undoubtedly is the author.
1t seems taken for granted, that w Scott
is the author of these romances, the Tales of my
Landlord, and the subsequent works OF similar
kind, which are all attributed to the same pen
But so far as have heard, Sir w Scott has not
directly owned it, but is either silent eyades the
question when it is asked.
Occasionally he has denied it. Once in particu
lar-havins dined in company with the then Prince
Regent, when the toass were going round after
dinner, the Prince observed tina; SCOTS glass was
not full, and pointing to it, said, that it is not the
Lapel Hen Sir w. Scott being thus particularly
noticed. considered himself called upon to say
something, and, with much preface and apology
denied that he was the author oil the recent roman
ces from which the alluslon was taken.
II Sir w. Scott refuses the honour, who then, it
may DE asked. is their author? Some have gone so
far in his praise as to assert roundy, that no othef
man in the present day, is capable of producing
such works and with such facility, too, as w
Scott. On the other hand, many men, (and nc
mean men either) assert as bold that he never
wrote sentence OF them.
1t shall be my endeavour to show who really is
the author | am aware that it will not now be ar
easy task to persuade the public against theft
preconceived opinion from Sir w. Scott in favour
OF any other however capable he may be proved
to be; for the question with the public frequently
is who is the writer? rather than what is written?
But hope the difficulty will cease, when | men
ton the name Of one who was so eminent in the
Church, and in the Republic of Letters, being
colleague with the late DR.. Blair, in the Higf
Church, Edinburgh, tbut much younger man
and who was also at the same time, professor o
Natural Philosophy, and Rhetoic--a man of yer,
superior talents and atanments, and highly es-
'eemed by all who were acquainted with him
Literary men of standing, and some of his pupils
who are now in London, can bear witness of this
About % years ago, he left Edinburgh, and ha
ever since been in retirement.
Although he has lived in privacy so long, he ha
| not been inactive. which the reviews and hi
anonymous works might amply T. stify
Having no official duties TO oc' upy his time, hi
mind from intense study, on abstruse subjects
would occasionally turn for relaxation to lighte
Themes
When he was engaged in the composition of tn
| ce ebrated Tales of my Landlord, and his othe
I poPuidi WI NO. HS ftotCu PiifotSiy VIZ coo'h an
west of Scotland, and also the parts of Englan
where some of these scenes are laid, to obtain
more accurate knowledge Of some facts on whcl
history is either silent obscure
| Out of the materials thus collected, his fertil
imagination and great literary skill have produced
Tor the amusement and qualification of the public
works surprising those of similar kind of any O
| bis contemporaries.
In short, without further preface, shall ventur
to assert without much fear oil contradiction, tha
the mysterious author of Waverly, X OBJ Roy, an
the Antiquary. of the aIes of My Landlord
Ivanhoe, sc is no other than DR.. Greenfield
Some of the works were fit for publication 70
several wears before they made their appearance
which may account in some measure, for the un
exampled rap'dty with which they followed eacl
other from the Press. EUsEBIUs.