Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-01-06
johnson and Macau:ay.

JohnsCn's method was 10 thoroughly thick
GU. bis sutj:ct bsfrs be put pen to paper. not
only ID its salient points, bat word for word
as It was TO appesr in prot. which must have
been great effort OF mem ry to gin with.
Dir. TroVeiyau gives the following account of
how Mac,ulaY wrote bis history "As 5000 ss
hH had gcs iuo bis head any particular episode,
|: bis history. he you'd sit down and write of
ths Whclo Story at q hesdlong pace, tkaclirg
10 tho oCtliDts uuder the gepisl and audacious
impulse OF FRS: conception, eud SECURING in
BLACK aud white each idea and epilhst, aud turn
OF phtss,, as IL f,Wad straight from his busy
brain to his rarid fpg;ra. His manuscript, at
IBIS stage, TO ths eyes OF a:y one but himsslf,
ap2oarsd to consist OF clllmn after column cf
d,s1ts apC furnishes, 10 which straight line
With hsl!-ttrMed letter g. each end and
another 10 the middle did duty for word.
: As eceu es Macauay had flushed his
rouph dts't be began to 6lt il 10 at the rate of
S sides ef Ecolscap every morning, written in
SC l'rGe haad end Sith such multitude of
erssues. tbs. the whole six pages were on an
average compressed into Two pages of Print
Ibis portlcn be called bis task" aud he was
never q1to easy unless be compated it daily
More be seldom soughs 10 accomplish for he
hat lGarnsd by lor 6 experience that this was ss
much as be I'D 40 al his best, and except at
bis b'ss he never would write at ALL" He new
Ell "rGto except ne was in the tunor, ard
stopped as sotn as h's thoughts ceased to h1w
ttsE lie nsVe. slloTtd sentence TO pass nm
IL! 1t was as good 50 be GOULD Ike il. Il,
would recast q chapter to obtain more lucid
arfaogem=ns, and reco1s!Euo: o paragraph Ter
:he sake of ooo ply 8 roks or,p. Illustration.
Hn 10 ttv; o.. b,c A., coripifop oE hol
massacre OF GlCocoe, and then expressed dis
sa;lsttel,u at the result. There c.uld be 90
moro uo;eble eotithess to this elaborate
uchcd than that ef Sir Walter Scott He
Wroie with marvellous rapidity; his pen VAS
nsVer stopped by the w2pt of q word. If
did not me readily he lett 8 blank spico and
sped on TO tho rest. Correction was dlsiastefu
10 him, and IS tho ideas A we'd from his brsiu
they Wer5 get down AID never altered. lie
cJu!d write while chilCr,n we're playiog about
the room, and amid conversation or almost auy
els u b rs ii h1s; CO. F,nois Ksmble, 10 the
"RecUrds OF Nv Gitlhocd." tells a good story
10 illustration Of this " cso never forge, the
dcectip'ion Sir y lem Fe,gusson gsvs ma of q
nornlug be had passed Tltn Scnt at Abbots-
tcrd. which at that tim, was still ucfuisbed,
swarnlos with oA.psoters, painters. masons.
and b:ick'eyars aud sutrouoded With all the
dirt aud dlSorderly dsoOmtr; lDseparsble from
tho process of house bulldog. The room they
sss In Wrs 10 The 7cughest cJnditlon which &C.
uistad of their occupying il st aIl-.he raw,
neT chimney smoked iutol,rnb'Y. Out of doors
the plucs Was one m 1873 ef br cks, mortar. eclf-
teliicg, liiee. eud slatts, A heavy mist stroud
ed tbs whole landscape of lovely Tweedside,
a distilled 10 @ o1lL aid ptr i,tant drizz'e,
Maids, ths We l.! oloved s.sg-hound, kept i'd
getting ia aod Gu. Of the room, Waller Scolt
o7cry Eve minutes czelsiming, 'Ea, Adm, tho
pu,r bcasi's just wcagyin to get ou';' or, Eh,
Adsm, the pur creature just crying to come
iu;' whco Sir Adam would open the door to the
raH, chilly air f,r the Wet, muddy hound exi.
or enir,oo,. while Scott. with his ftc, swollen
will srieyous toothscbs apd ono hand press
ed hard to his cheek. with the other was writ
leg the nimitaoly humorous opening chapters
OF The Antiquatg.' which he passed scross
the table saect BY sheet to bis friend. saying,
N'W, Adam, dye thirk thal' do "-1he
Arqoy.