Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-08-14
Walter scott.

The centennial celebration of the birth OF
Walter Scott took place in Edinburgh on the 9th
inst. This was six days in advance of the hum
dredth anniversary of Scotts birth day; but
the British Association for the advancement of
Science was in session there from August I'd to
August 9th, and it was resolved that this meet
ing should close with the centennial festivities.
1t was a great day in that city. We are told
that 100000 strangers were present. On the
same day there were celebrations III Glasgow
and Aberdeen. On the 18th inst. tomorrow
this centennial will be celebrated in many
places in Great Britain and the United States.
In this city, it will be celebrated under the
supervision of the St. Andrews Benevolent So
ciety. There will be supper at the Bay State
house, with speeches and singing, as announced
in their advertisement All admirers of the
great poet and novelist are invited to join them.
The St. Andrews Society is not likely to fail on
such an occasion as this; and we may feel as
sured that the celebration will be a success.
Walter Scott was born Aug. IS, 1771, in Edin-
burgh. He died September 81, 1882 His
father was lawyer, and he was trained to this
profession; but his taste and the promptings of
his predominant faculty led him to other work,
and made him what we see in his works and in
the story of his life. His earliest literary ven
lures were translations from the German,-The
Buerger Ballads, published in 1895, and Goethe's
Goetz Won Berchingen, published in 1893.
His first successful work was the "Lay Of the
Last Minstrel" published in 1905. This had
great sale, and was followed by nine other poet
ical stories, among them "The Lady of the
Lake" ''Marmion," the Lord of the Isles"
The last of these poems, Harold the Dauntless,
was published in 1917. These productions were
wonderfully successful; and they placed Scott
among the foremost men in English literature.
He stood without rival among living English
poets, until Byron arose 10 fame. Nevertheless,
the best of these poems were really pOetcal |
novels Such, for instance, is the Lady of the |
Lake, which so many have read, and which so |
many still read, with admiration.
Scotfs first novel, "Waverley, or IT'S Sixty |
Years Since" was published in July, 1914, with
out the authors name; and, for long time, |
those which followed were known only as works |
by "the author of Waverley;" and they are still |
the "Waverley Novels" He had now found |
the work to which his faculty was best adapted, |
and the success was very great The authors |
name was first made known to the public in |
1927; but, before this time, he was generally |
believed to be the author. OF those who were |
old enough to read and admire "Waverley,"
when it first appeared, not many are now living. |
1t was followed, in 1915 and 1916, by "Guy Man |
nering," "The Antquary," cold Mortality"
and "The Black Dwarf" "Rob Roy" and "The
Heart of Mid Lothian" came next. '1vanhoe"
was published in 1919. He wrote twenty-seven
of these novels, the last, castle Dangerous"
being published in 1881, the year previous to his
death. "Wayerley" was the first great novel
written in the English language. Novels were
written in the previous century, but none that
deserve to be mentioned in comparison with the
great works of Scott. Since he appeared they
have been produced in very great abundance;
and now we have Thackeray and Dickens, with
a countless host of interior novel writers.
Scott was one of the most prolific OF writers.
He produced many works besides the poems and
novels, such as the "Tales of Grand Father"
"Life of Napoleon" and great many shorter
works. As a man he was irreproachable and
greatly beloved If he had done less work, he
might have lived longer; and he might not have
been driven to overwOrk, if he had not been am
bilious to build and enjoy Abbottsford. The
condition of mind which moved him to build
Abbottsford was similar to that which qualified
and disposed him to write "Ivanhoe." For him
the feudal times had a charm which did much
10 make him what he was. Itdirected his facul-
ty and influenced his life. How much would be
withdrawn from English literature, and from
the agencies that form our minds, if the name,
works, and influence, of Scott, could disappear
entirely. The hundredth anniversary of his birth
demands the celebration which has been pre-
pared for it. We hope it will be celebrated with
due appreciation of his character and influence,
and with cordial admiration, here and through
out the civilized world