The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-02-27

-Ano NhnuerDllL Will,
New YORK, Feb 23, 1877.
The incorrect statements which often 90
the rounds of the press may awaken emile
when they deserve no higher attention.
Sometimes, however, they call for correc-
tion. have lately noticed an article, by
Rev. Robert II. Williams, which appeared
in religious paper (the O5server) and which
is likely to give an erroneous impression.
1t is on the rapidity of composition attain
ed by some authors, and Mr.. Williams tells
the reader that Walter Scott wrote some
thing in two days for which he received
$1,000. l desire much to know what that
work was, and will thank MIR. Williams to
mention its title. Until this is done l shall
not give credence to the statement.
FACTS IN THE CASE.
The most remarkable instances which l
can find of high pay rapidly earned by
Scotts pen was In case so peculiar that
1t is worth special notice. 1t illustrates
his overlooking kindness as well as his YER
satility Of composition. l refer to Scot,s
''sermon's. The facts are these: He had
in his service as amsnueusis a young d.
vinity student who was required to produce
two sermons by given time. The youth
was so appalled, by the magnitude OF the
task that he could not pen page. Scott
noticed his distress, and having learned its
cause said, "never mind, my good young
friend, leave this matter to me, and will
write for you couple of sermons that shall
pass muster" The next morning Scott
handed HIM two discourses. The students
mind being thus relieved he was able to
write, and he afterwards prepared two SER
mons since he could not honestly offer
Scotts, but he kept the latter as memorials
of his employers kindness. Some years
afterward the student was in London, and
was in painful straits. 1t was necessary
that he should raise Gl80, and in his dis.
tress he remembered the sermons. He
wrote to Sir Walter for permission to put
them in the hands of q publisher. This
was at once granted, and the sum of $3.50
was paid for them. This is the highest
price on record for sermons, and it is also
the largest pay earned by literary services
in the brief space of one day. The SER
mons were very inferior, as might be ex-
pected, but they awakened curiosity. The
public desired to know what kind OF SER
mon the poet aud novelist could write.
ANOTHER INSTANCE.
This is found in Woodstock, +" for which
Scott receiy ed the best pay witch had, up
to that time, been earned by any writer.
The book is also remarkable as an instance
of the most rapid novel writing ever known.
IL was written in three months, during
which Scott WIS much of the time in court
-having recently failed Such was tue
intense interest in the author at that line
that "Woodst' elk" brought the enormous
sum OF fS 229. being at the rate of more
than Gl00 day during its composition
Scott himself was surprised, and exclaim-
ID, "a matchless sale for less than three
months work :"
JOHNSON.
Mr.. Williams Informs his readers that
johnson prepar, forty-eight octave print
ed pages at one sitting. 1 again express
my desire to know the name Of the work
referred to The reader of johnson will
learn that, with the exception of his dc
| tionary, his writings are Of fragmentary
| character. Rasselas is his Longest tale,
| and this, as Tradition says, was written du-
| ring week IN order to aid in burying his
mother This is the nearest approach to
the above mentioned statement.
Ivy.
Mr.. Williams also mentions as another
instance of literary fecundity the fact that
"Livy wrote 142 books" The questions
may here be suggested, what are books
| If volumes of ordinary size he meant, the
idea conveyed is highly incorrect. The
| fact is Livy wrote his history of Rome in
| lag books, or annaes, as he called them,
of which only lhirty-five are extant. To
mention these as distinct works seems as
incorrect as 1t would be to say that Milton
| wrote twelve books, meaning paradise
Lost"
Mr.. Williams is correct in mentioning as
another illustration of rapid composition
that Byron wrote his "Corsair" in ten days.
He could have given, however, much
more remarkable instance of rapdity in the
"Bride of Abydos." The "Corsair' con-
tains nearly 900 lines, while the "Bride
of Abydos" contains 1900. AS the latter
was written in four days it indicates a much
faster movement of Pegasus than the for
mer. The "Corsair was written in Lon
don in 1914, the author then being twenty
six. The bride of Abydos" was written
few weeks previously. Their popularity
was remarkable, and $4,000 copies of the
"Corsair" were sold in week. These pro-
ductions indicate the great intellectual
powers of the poet, but they also suggest
the fact that his mind was volcanic. II
| gave great eruptions, and then sank into
| quietude After the two exhibitions above
referred to he remained quiet for nearly
| seven months, when another outbuIst took
place, and Lara" delighted the world.
| The poet then had a rest for more than a
year, when the "Siege of Corinth" appear
| ed, and this was the end of his oriental po-
etry. These outbursts occurred during
three years of dissipated life, and they mark
the occasional efforts of genius to get the
mastery of depraved nature. They are
tremendous conflicts between the beautiful
and the vile, in which the latter triumphed.
No one who reads them can imagine till he
refers to the poets contemporary letters,
that these poems were written by the chief
rake and r0ue of London, whose heart, In
stead of being among the exquisite scenes
which he describes, was really among the
stews of the metropolis. They contain the
finest descriptions Of moonlight in our Ian
gusge, and are rich in occasional illusions
to classic scenes, one of which l cannot but
quote
.The winds are high and Heiles tide
Rolls darkly heavlng 10 the main,
| And nights desc nding shadows hide
The field with blood lie iewed In vain,
The desert OF old Prlsm's pride,