Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-12-04

companion. At meals, he " ats behind his m a,er's
char, aud no, untrcfucntiy puts his paw upon lis
shoulder to remind him OF bis presence; follows him
through the day in his drives aud walks; d,zes M
his sido while he writes; and completes his tour of
duty by guarding him while h. slceps,--his led be-
ing bear skin couch. AT break Of day he apain
arouscs his master with gentle paw, knowing well
that he has work To do, IN which the whole " ord
interested, and not the least, The canine race oil
Whose virtues he himself has o0en sat stne mo.
del. In truth, l,"k upon this dog with equal re.
poet and kndupss az ''part and parcel" OF thc
novels, himself Until breakfast time tina, is 20,
about two hours, SIR Walter writes, aud about n n
equal time after it, which brings him to III O'clock
after which, lie calls hmsclta freeman. writing no
more that day, unless pcrchauce in The lomr even
ings of winter. On leaving his study this day. he
immediately proposed to your sisters u drive
through his plantations, of which he in Justly
proud, and as far as Mclruse; TO which they as You
may suppose, well pleased, acceded. His 4norn-
ngs dress accords with his simple rural habits: Il
wcil-worn grcen hunting coat, with ample flaps
aud pockets, tia, cloth cap, aud an oitused whis.
tie pendau; from his button hole, agree well with
the large frame and manly figure though slight
stoop of one whom you might take to be Scot
ish laird of high degree, and simple tastcs,--of
ono who was beginning to feel The weight Of yeara,
without having lost tine taste or enjoyment If tho
more active sports Of youth. In tuis guisc SEQ
him now setting forth in his low-s"cled open
baronche, accompanied by your sisters and followed
Nv HiS ucep-rlOuthcd flvOrUe and TWO OtnfTS oil M
nor breed. On visiting fhc scarcely percepliblc
ruins of the early Melrosc OH tho heights, no cx-
pahStcd, they tell me. good hunorcdy on the taste
Of the lazy monks, ho could prefer tn" fat lands
oil the valley To such heart stirring scenes; and OH
passing at a little distance Il Scotch laSsie, knee.
deep in tho river, fishing, he sld whether in joke
or earnestly "Ihcre stand my Die Vernon" But
must not de;raud them OF tho pleasure of tell
ing ct their drive, which they describe all de-
iighttul from his attentive kinencss and his un-
How pT MI nd hal nI in,
To every spot they visited, individual of noto of
whom they Glanced to speak.
On his return | met him i'm the library; rs he
approached he handed me from among a packet ot,
letters JUS, received. small hard roll OF parch
ment tied with cord, and secured by lutnp ot raw
waA. open H." said he, ST will be something to
tell, that Republican dared to break tho seal of
a wit at the King" "at the ORDERS" would have
added, ''of one whom kings delighted to honor"
but has modesiy aweh me, and dared not. 1t was
Il VII: for the general election, Parliament being
dissolved by the Kings death, and wes addressed
10 hm AS high sheriff Of Selkrkshire, -tEo style
ana f"rni ot II have continued unchanged, he tells
me, from ho tune OF the earliest Edward: and
hence It's rude accompaniment. a reformed Par
iamcnt, however, will doubt order all that
much better.
Remembering the dash of superstition which Inc
invariably gives 10 his tictions 'and VIII ch always
seemed TO me to be CT amino, | took occasion To
ask, ai'er several surprising narratives given by
han of individuals possessing the power of second
sight, whether tie had in the course of his life met
with any such which could not ba nationally ex-
planned! He paused core moments before he an
swcred, II cannot say that have" STILL howe
yer, whsthcr by natural or carly association, lin.
gcrng respect for suci, fears, say belief in
thcni often appears in him. And now, indeed
could 1t be otherwise, VIII mind of such prcpon-
derating ina gnwtion, of which crcdulity II mean
in pouiic sense) must be OF it's highest Gle
ments. That mind must believe in Che real of
lis own Creations ar it could not give them life,
and cannot therefore Judge harshy the illusions Of
other men. or Cocridge he qnoted with applause
the answer, "fhat he had seen too many ghosts o
believe in thrm and then, in reference TO that way
ward writer, said, "!Ic is ending, still begin
ning could ho be tied to his chair, and TO a water
diet, lie would be the greatest genius living"
One evening sat in the library alone on
some NC nii"n of present he had received, he o..
pened q cabinet and brought out n store of them
:ings seals, snuff boxes, Miniatures, &c. withou,
number, each had It's own little story. On show
ing us splendid gold snuff box presented To him
by the King, George w., with his likeness on the
lad, he said, "a pTince,y return for little bool,
which the King had requested of him" But on
one triHc he seemed 10 set peculiar value: 1T was
an Antique stone ring found at the Highlands of
Scotland, believed TO be of Cartha renian uripin
and commonly called the Adder's Stone, of which
lie SAID there were but three known, those owners
he then enumerated, to each of which, by popular
superstition, rare virtues Gro attributed aud more
especially 10 drop ono from the hand portendeti
: a.
ganst such an event, 10 this att lched 4
small silver chain, which to be slipped over tn,
fingers as security. He took the pracaution,
observed, in his own case, and your sister re
ctived it froG' him, he said in an apoogeiic wav
he puts the cham her fingers, Permit me
before -ntwisting ii from his hand
Upon my introducing the subject of the pr ntcd
edi'ions OF his works in America, lie spoke of
literary property as literary nsn cannot but
speak, viz. as one of its mast sacred forIns-and
in turn spoke | was sure the feelinrs of INV com.
trymen, in saying that in proportion to our adn,i
ration OF his works, was regret at The made
q"acy OF our laws to secure to HIM his Tightiul re
turns. son one occasion ''said ne" after irving
in vain to prevent their bribery of souc one huv.
ing acccs to the press in order to remind the pub
fishers In your country, tina they were tresepass
ing on others property, | sent to my printer d
sheet utterly unsuitable, the conclusion TO one
of my novels just pubshing--whic sheet was
Immediately cancelled soon had reason &c
believe the surreptiiiOus copy sent off" "Now
this" said he al cali fair trick" but seriously
he continued, 81 think it is but just and becoming
thata common language should make common co
pyrighi, as is now tho Ivy treaty between the
RUSSIAN and Austrian dominioDs."
As wo had lust returned from tour to I.och Ia
trinc, and the abode of the McGregors, with Ro!
Roy and tho Lady Of the Lake in Our hands, os on
most faithful guide books, this was an obyiou.
theme; he entered upon it freely, and when hi.
heart was warmed, it only wanted that should hav,
had (as Boswell says ia short hand or ii long hand
to have added another tale to those Of Old Mortality
Or with but slight addition Of melody another can
to 10 the Lady of the Lake. Rob Roy is after at
on" of Sir Volt RS choicest heroes, he pridcd him
self in showing 10 his armoury the light short gun
That hrfimcd Freebooter. On our mcntioninp th,
Inn at the fro,ocks, Then" said he "vo,, 60 u
my friend Stewart Chc host the grandson Of tina
Swan of Brigiands' who paid with his Iifo for hi
tender heart towards poor Rob Roy, he cut the bel
and lei him Slip. he my authority for that fact
Bnt details must reserve Tor our long winter eve
nngs If Heaven isploased TO bring MS togolhc
again; in tho Iroaniine, close my long narrative
On tho second Day sent for post horses fearing