Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-07-29


iupatieoce Of fifteen without being allowed for
verai weeks speak or to move lest motion ex
crcise might retard his cure. IL was whilst i'm this
state ut inaccn rather than of suffering that he
allowed because no other enjoyment was accessible,
w. dcvour al will whatever books OF fiction came with
L. his reach.
.'rhorc was ut this time circulating library in
Edmbnrgh, founded believe by the celebrated Allan
Ramsay, which besides, containing most respccta-
BIZ collection of books of every description Was as
raighi have boon expected, peculiarly rich in works
Of fiction. II exhibited specimens Of every kind from
the of chiva,Ty and the ponderous oios of
Cirrus and CassandTa, down TO the most approved
works of latcr times. was plunged into this great
at reading without compass or pilot: and unless
wheh some one had the charity to play chess with
Inc, was allowed TO DO nothing save read from
morning To night. | was in kindness and pitv,-
Which was perhaps erroneous however NATURAL
Prrnitt1i 10 select any subject of study at nv
pleasure, upon the same principle that the humors
o children are INDUCED to keep them out of mis-
cncl. AS my taste aud appetite were grs,i:icd in
hnthng else Unidentified myself. by becoming u
Elatton OF books. Accordingly, believe read al.
most all the romances, old plays, and epic poetry in
shat formidable collection; and, no doubt was uncon-
sc:ousiy aniass'ng materials for the task in which il
hos occh my lot To be so much cmployed."-Gcnerat
preface. D. v.
The pcrusal of romance, after the first novelty
was over, brought with it, it always does a
s'rong mind. taste for somethinr more RATIONAL and
voyages and travels attracted his undivided at
'cntlou. These in their turn gave way his years
advanced, to the common anusements of young men.
o. he law which he had chosen. For some years
e continued To study with diligence the Scottish
har; until happily for the world, the SUCCESS of few
ballads opened the sealed fountains of his former
ncishts and converted pains taking lawyer into
follower of literature. So far back as the wear 1900
Sir Walter Scott had planned and even commenced.
prose work OF fction the only completed chapter
OF which he has given In the Appendix to the Gene
raj Preface. HIS debut a novelist did No, take
place tai fourteen years after, although Wavcry wa:
III part written in 1905.
Navcrley was published in 1914, nine years after
- hud DecH begun The copyright not, rs had
hccn reported, offered TO the London booksellers,
IN Tact TO any bookseller, the author being dctcrmn-
ca 10 Keep 1t lin his own hands. II published
wihout q name; IL can hardly, however, be said
That 1t was left To find its way without any of The
usual recommendations. II reviewed by Mr..
jeffrey, aud eioquenly and warmly euloazet; and
though not immediately given to Sir Walter by gcn-
cral readers, there cuuId be little doubt, from the
tenor OF one paragraph of the criticism that the ro
viewer meant 1T should be. In fact, Notwithstanding
AL The pains taken avoid disclosure, and all the
rnnors that circulated, we never, after the first
Twelve months, met one person of any reading that
seriously doubted the authors identity. OF the mo-
lives and means Tor concealng his from his
reade, Sir w alter gives Interesting and amusing
account.
My original motive for publishing the work anony-
in"usy, was The CONSCIOUSNESS that 1t cXpe-
Ieht on the public taste, which might very probably
fail, and therefore there no risk of dscoinfturc
For this purpose, consdera bic precautions were used
TO preserve secrecy My old friend and schoolfelIow
Novels,
the exclusive task of corresponding with the author
who thus had not ouly the advantage of his profess
sona talents, but also of his critical abilities. The
original manuscrlpt, 1t is technically called
copy, transcribed under mr. Ballautyne's eve
by confidential T-srsons; there instance oil
treacheTy during the uany years in which these prc
cNtlois were resorted to, although various ndiyl-
nai5 were employed at different times. Donhlo prnof
sheets were regularly printed of. One was forward
cd TO the author by Mr.. Baliantyne; and the alter
ailons which 1t received were, by his own hand, |
cot tln ntl,s e., Al.
printers so that the corrected proofs of the au
thor were never seen III the printing office"
We have said, that the fact Of Sir Walters being
the author of the Novels n OF long doubted by
any person of reading: there were, however a few
who, while they allowed that the poetry, with much
OF the filing up, his, yet insisted that the ground
work oi the tale was another's. Various persons
were from uine To time pointed out this ''otler"
and amongst these have often heard an q cler-
gymsn Of Edinburgh mentioned The late Dugald
Stewart, while nc extraordinarily denied the truth of
that rumoF, admitted, from his own knowledge Of
tho man, that such works might not uurcasonabIy
have been expected from the pen of d.. &. had
1t been employed in such department Of htera- |
tutc. more prevalent report gave the Wavcrley
Novels to Sir Walters brother Capt Thomas Scott
An able critic III the Quarterly Review 1.-THE late Mr.
Erskine of Knnedder.) advered to this if we reco-
iect rightly, IN reviewing Old Morslity; and in do
ing so, announced the true author in nearly direct
terms. Sir Wotcr himself also mentions il; and
states to his readers the following fact which is pref
~ conclusive Of the dispute.
i We oHpindI manuscripts arc still III existence
and entirely written orrescorerens) in the authors
own hand, excepting during the years 1913 and 1919
when, being affected with illness he was obi
gcd to employ the assistance of friendly
IL was not, however, without sono reason that
Captain SCOTS mime has been connected with 70.
maUce writing: for though wapt of health prevented
hun from entering on the task, he had actually planned
work of fiction, 20 the completion of which in the
Judgment of Sir Walter, he every way compc-
tent; and he had chosen his hero. The Auec-
doie "A characteristic one, and told in Sir Walters
best manncr--whch influenced Captain SCOTS
choice, we ebsll give entire. II forms the third
Appendix to the General Preface, from which we
have so largely quoted; the first consisting Of two
fragments OF unfinished tales and the second Of the
!onrti aud fifth chapters Of the last volume Of Queen
{for mn. u Capt. SCOTS intention, Sir
Walter ,emarks, "to represent hs youthful acquain-
TANGO t'Green BreeksD MS emigrating to America,
aud cncountering tho dangers md hardsbips of the
Now World with the same daunilcss spirit which he
had dIsnlaNnd Whom q how In hia nniiun cnnnirr