Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-11-18
NREBECCA OF IyANHOE."
Washington Irvfng's First and Only
Love.

From the San Francisco Chronicle.l
The Chronicle recently printed the
following vagrant item under the per.
sonal head:
" Miss Grundy says the original oi
Sir Walter Scott's Rebecca, in the
novel of " Ivanhoe, was a Philadel-
phia Jewess, whose picture Washing
ton Irving showed to Scott.
This publication has called from a
well-informed correspondent some in
teresting particulars of the part taken
by Irving in supplying Scott with this
interesting literary picture from real
life, including the American authors
love, disappointment, and the mutual
vows of celibacy taken by himself and
the lady who loved but was not per-
mitted to wed him, and who is repro
duced in Scott charming character of
Rebecca. Our correspondent has his
information from relative of the lady
in question, and the already known
facts leave but little room to doubt
that these freshly published details
are substantially correct. The story,
as our correspondent relates it, is as
follows:
Washington Irving, in early life, be-
came acquainted with very intelIi-
gent and beautiful Jewess in Phila-
phia by the name of Rebecca Gratz.
This acquaintance ripened into love,
in which both shared, and irving pro-
posed marriage, and was accepted on
condition that the parents of the lady
would consent to the union of their
daughter with GENTLE. The Hebrew
religion forbade such marriage, and
though the parents esteemed the suitor
highly they could not bring their minds
to consent to violation of so sacred
regulation of their faith. The attach
ment was so strong between the lady
and Irving that nothing but their ele-
waited sense of the duty of child to
parental authority kept them from
They resolved, however,
that in sentiment they would remain |
true to each other through life and |
never wed.
1t was during this state of their re-
lations that Irving made his first visit |
to Sir Walter Scott. The latter had |
already made for himself an undying
reputation as an author, and the form
er, with his literary productions, had
attracted the attention of the Wiz
ard of the North" who was at that
time incubating in his mind that won
derful story of Ivanhoe." Personal
intercourse with Irving so won upon
Scott's confidence that he sketched to
him the plan of the story, confessing
- 4ba On mo @;voo +bo4 bo Gala 4bo woo1
IF a heroine other than Rowena.
Lrving's heart and head were full of
MS romantic love for Rebecca Gratz,
and he modestly proffered to furnish
Scott with heroine, many of the incl
1ents connected with whom should be
Drawn from real life. The offer was
and Irvings Rebecca, mutu-
llly pledged with him to unwedded
earthly fidelity, stood as the model of
he immoratal Rebecca of Ivanhoe."i
Scott, of course, adapted to the ext
yencies of his story, but the great ideal
IS furnished by Irving was unchanged.
1t is known to every one that Irving
never was married, and those who were
intimate with him knew also, or believ-
ID, that the cause of it was an early
attachment, about which a cloud of
mystery hung, rendering him insensi-
Die to the Establishments and charms
If other women, by whom he was
highly esteemed, and in the breasts of
ome it was supposed warmer senti-
net existed. Rebecca Grantz, gedtle
md loving, with heart and hand ever
,pen to suffering sorrow, remained
rue to her plighted faith, and, like
irving, died, undwedded.