Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-12-15

800 'S CSlIC ulIl W tufc I'D
his commission, and granted the projection re-
CURED for the family of Invcrnatyle. The
chieftain himself lay concealed in a cave near
his own house, before which a small body OF
regular soldiers was encampsd. He could
hear their IN steI-roll called every morning.
and their drums beat TO quarters at night, and
not u change OF the s%entinels escaped him.
As il Was suspected that he was lurking some
where on the property, his family were close
~ watched, and compelled TO use the utmost
%prccauiion in supplying HIM with food. One
OF his daughters, a child Of eight or ten years
old, vas employed. as the agent least likely TO
BIO suspected. She was an instance, among
others, that a time Of danger ami difficulty,
creates a premature sharpness Of intellect.
She made herself acquainted among the SOL
diers, till size became so familiar 10 them, that
her motions escaped their notice; and her prac-
tee WAS, TO stroll away in'oihe neighborhood
OF the cave, and leave whsth Member Stppt Of
food she carried for that purpose, under some
remarkable stone, or tlie root Of some tree,
where her father might find it as he crcpt by
night from his lurking-place. Times became
mildcr, and my excellent friend was relieved
from prescription by the Act Of Indemnity.
Such is the interesting story which ! have rath-
or injured than improved, by the manner in
which it is told in Wavcrley. This incident,
with several other circumstances illustrating
the tales in question, was communicated by
me to my late lamented friend, William Frs
kline, IA Scottish Judge, by the title of Lord
kInedder) who afterwards reviewed, with far
too much partiality, the Tales ofmy Landlord,
for the Quarterly Review Of January 1917. In
the same article are contained other ~illustra-
tons Of the novels, with which | supplied my
accomplished friend, who took The trouble TO
write the review. The reader who is DESTROYS
of such information, will find the original Of
Meg Merrilies, and l believe of one or two
other person1ges Of the same cast of ~clarac-
ter, in the article referred TO. | may also
mention, that the tragic and savage circurn-
stances which are represented as preceding the
birth of Allan Mae Aulay, in the Legend Of
Moni.ose, really happened in the family Of
Stewart of Ardvoirloci,. The wager about the
cand!csiicks, whose place was su piled by
Highland torch. bearers, was laid and won by
one Of the Mac Donalds Of Kcppoch.
There can be but little amusement in win
moving out the few grains Of truth which nre
contained in this mass of empty fctior. |
may, however, before Diminishing the subject,
allude TO the various localities which have been
affixed TO some of the scenery introduced into
those novels, by which, for example, VOLS
Hope is identified with Fast. Castle, in Rcr-
wickshire; Tillietudlcm' with Draphanc, in
Clydesdale; ano the valley IN the onastcry,
called Glendearg, with the dale of Allan, above
Lord summerville's villa, near Mellosc. |
can only say. that, in these and other instan-
ccs, l had no purpose OF describing any partic-
uIar local spot; and the resemblance must
therefore be Of that general kind which neccs-
sarily exists betwixt scenes of he same char
actcr. The iron-bound coast Of Scotland, az
fords upon IFS hcadlands and promontorics If
ty such castles as Wolfs-IIopo; every country
has a valley more or less resembling Glen
dcarg; and if castles like Tillietudlem. or
mansions like the Baron of Bradwardinc's are
now less frequently 10 be met with, il is owing
10 the rage of indiscriminate destruction, which
has removed or ruined SO many monuments Of
antiquity. when they were not protected by
their ina situation. The scraps Of po-
ctry which have been in most cases tackled to
the beginning OF chapters in these novels, arc
quoted either from reading or from
memory, bur, in the general case, are pure in
%vention. | found il too troublesome 10 turn 10
the collection of the British poets 10 discover
opposite mo;,os, and, in the situation of the
theatrical mcchanist, who, when the white pa
per, which represented his shower %. snow was
exhausted, continued the storm by showing
brown, | drew on my memory as Ion. as |
could, and when that failed, oked it out with
invention. believe that IN sOno cases, where
actual names arc affixed to the supposed quo
tations. it would be to little purpose TO 9 ok
them in the works Of the authors referred to.
And now the reader may expect me, while in
the confessional, 10 cxrllin the motives why |
have so long persisted in disclaiming the works
Of which / am now writing. To tins II would
be difficult TO give any other reply, save that
r - NT.z ma H. ,,,Ar mr. 4a..rt.
of the time. | hope it will not be construed
into ingratitudo TO the public, TO whose indul-
gencc ] have owed much more than to any
merit of my own, if | confess that | am, and
have been, more Indifferent to success, or TO
failure, as an author, than may he the case
with others, who feel more strongly The pass
ion for literary f,mc, probably because they
are Justly conscious of a better title 10 II. Ii
was not until | had attained the age of thirty
years, that ! made any serious attempt NJ dis
tinguishing myself as an author; aud at that
period mems hopes, desires, and wishes, have
usually acquired something Of n decisive char
actor, and are not eagerly aud easily diverted
into a new channel. When ] made the dis
covery-tor TO nc il was onc-that by anus
ing myself with composition, which | FELT a de-
lighiful occupation, l could also give pleasure
10 others, and became aware that literary pur-
suits were likely to engage IN future, a consld-
cradle portion Of my time, | felt some alarm
that I might acquire those habits Of jealousy
and frc,iulncss, which have lcsscnod and even
degraded, the character Of tho children Of inn
u gin,tion, and rendered HEN, ny petty squab-
blco and mutual irriiabiity, the laughing
stock Of the people Of tho world. I resolved,
therefore, in this respect, to guard my breast
(perha,,s an uniri-ndly critic may add, my
brow,) with triple brass, and as much as pos
siblc 10 avoid resting my thoughts and wishes
upon literary success. lest ; should cndangei