Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-07-03

utu pilAIleu, anu even commenced, work of
hction; the only completed chapter Of which he has
GIVEN III The Appendix to the General Preface. His
dsbut Us novelist did take place till fourteen
wears after, although HG0crfy i'll part written in
I8o5-ihe HISTORY of this admirable iau 10 too curl
OBS to be omitted or abridged.
MY carly reco!!cctions OF the Highland srenery
onu CUSTOMS inadc so favorabs TN impression lii the
poem called the Lady OF the Lake, that niu-
ecu TO think OF something Of the kind III prose.
had been good deal i'll the Highlands at Il time
when they We're much less accessible, and Inuc! less
visited than they have been Of late years; and wds
acquainted with MANY OF the Old warriors OF I7l5,
who were, Ike veterans easily induced TO rlt
Their battles over again, Cor the benefit of y iny
listener like myself. Ii naturally occurred to me- that
tue ancient traditions and high spirit OF u people Who
living III civilized age und country. retained So
strong tincturc OF manners belonging to an carly
period of society, must afford sub jec tavorab. for
iuinlce, II 1t snou.d not prove curious tale married
IL the telling.
ut vas with some idea of this kind tina, about tbs.
year 1908, threw together about one third part OF
Inc hrs volume of NaveTly. 1t was advertised to
be published by the lale Mr.. John DaIlantyn. booh
seller III Edinburgh, Under tire name OF 'Waperley
OF is FIFTY Years hince-a title afterwards altered
20 ms SiXty ears since, thai the actu4. date OF
punhcaton might be made TO correspond With the
peflod IN which the scene was laid. Having proceed,
I'D as Tar, think, as the Seventh Chapter, showed
iny work to Il critical friend whusu opinion was I'M
favorable; and having then poeticai reputation
vas unwilling to risk the loss of i: by attcmpno
new sLyie OF Composition. therefore threw aside
lhe Work had commenced, without either reluctance
Or remonstrance. l ougl; to add that thourh NV
ingenlnus trends sentence was afterwards reversed
on an appeal TO the Pablo, it canno be considered n
any inpui alton ON his good taste; for the specimen
subjected to his criticism. did extend beyond the
departure of the hero Cor Scotland and consequently
Iad not entered upon the part Of the story which was
finally found most interesting.
BE that as II may, this portion Of TIE manuscript
was iad aside IN the drawers of an old writing desk
Wcl, on my hTst coming to reside at A5bostord in
!8ll was placed III liiaocr; garret, and entirely
forgotten Thus, though | sometimes, among other
terary aFocatIons, turned my thoughts To the CON
unua'ion OF the romance which had Commenced,
yet, as could not find what had already written
alter searching such repositories as were within INV
reach anifwas too indolen, attempt to write il a.
new from memory, as often laid aside a., thoughts
OF that nature.
Phe first circumstance that awakened in Sir Wal
ter desire to finish Uareriy was the splendid
success OF bis friend, Miss Edeeworth's Novels
lie was DESTROYS III the spirit Of nationality So hon
---"5or poor aud Scotanns sake,
Same uSeJn plan or bElis TO MAKE
u 40 something which might Introduce Ter natives 10
Those OF her sister kingdom IN more favourable.
light than they had been placed hitherto end tend to
procure sympathy FOX their virtues and indulgence
!1r Their to!5ies" This Iauiabie wish was further
stimulated by circumstance that Occurred in 1907
When Dir walter was requested by Dir. Murray, the
publisher, TO correct and complete the posthumous!
WORK or Sir JosaPH STaUF, Quce.s Ua0-lI4! OF
ihat WorA Sir Walter wrote the concluding chapter
u manner SO satisfactory gave lin hopes that he
might in time become free from the craft Of romance
writing" Queen Uoo-Ifaii we have mol seen E,r
'any years. Sir Walter, attributes its failure to
aIperabundan. display O; antiquarian lore. IL an
peared to u.s. Wien we peruSed IL that Strut did not
SO mich fail from abundance Of knowledge as from
tie lack OF power However that may bGs our i,u-
thor imagined he the possibility Of AVOIDING tbn
dangers that had proved fatal u Queen IIao IIaI,
and We need OOt add that he saw correctly.
My thoughts therefore, returned more than oucc
to the tale which had actually commenced, and ac-
cdent az length threw the lost sheets in my way.
Il happened to want fisbing-tacklc for the
Use of guest, When it. occurred TO me 20 search the
old writing desk already mentioned, in which used
to keep articles Of that nature. rot access t. it
VIII some difficulty; and iii looking lines and flies
me iong-i0st manuscript presented Itself. iuinc-
fateiy set To work to complete il, ACCORDING to my
oriAua: pGrpo,c AHd here must frankly confess
ihat th% III" = la which Conducted the story scarce
~ deserved L.1 Success uiCh the romance alter
wards ottaned. The tale OF Rayerly was put to-
s5stIef with So l,ic care, That cannot boast or Ia
Ning sketcned ANY distinct Plan Of the work. Tie
Whoie t%venturc5 oi Waycry, il bis mover. mis- up
and d9wE the county, With the Highland ca.cran
lean Lean aTc managed without mach SIN! II suited
hest however, the road wanted to travel, and per-
United nc to Introduce description OF SCI nery
UDd mluners, 10 wlic. the reality rave an Interest
which The powers of the author might have other
wise failed to attain for them. And though l. have
oeen N other instances sinner in this do not
l1coiect any Of these bowels in which have lrd.s-
grcssed so widely in tho first oil tie SERIES
Waycr!y published in 1874, 1!nc years al!e. il
I'D Occn hegnu Ii@ copyright not, as las
been reported oGsca t. Jog l.Jndo1 booksellers, nor
10 fact 10 any bookseller, tie author being dc;orrni-
I'D TO keep l. in lis own hands. II was polished
without nam: l. can hardly. however, be said
nat IL wa5 "il 10 find Is way without any ol tie usu-
al accommodations. j. was reviewed By Sir Jct-
+}ey, oud ro9ncn'ly and warmly culoclzed; and tho
not immediately given to Sir Wafer by general read
c.s there could b. lc doubt, from Tie tenor of one
paragraph OF tic criticism, that tie reviewer iatcn-
ded it should be.
OF the motives AID means ior conccallg his name
from his readers Sir sitter gives an interesting and
aJn;isiDg account.
NY original motive Tor publishing the worh anon (
yrnously, lhy consciousness that was an cxpcr