New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-02
WALTER SCOTS JOURNAL.


literary remains were placed OF the dlspoSal OF MS
| oo,.ir-.aw. lIr. John Gibson Lockhart In writ
;ru the life of his fa,her-ln-law, Mr. Lockhaft
| made free use Of the journal, but, as he says,
by regard for the feelings of living PERSONS
| be omitted much and made mnny alterations.
printing, i'm fact, no chapter OF the diary III iui''
There is. at this distance Of time, reason why
| the whole of the journal should not he puolished'
and bv the permission Of Mrs. Maxwell Scott 1t
now appears exactly as Scott left It, In the pres
ont edition the notes of Mr.. Lockhart have been
| retained for the parts of the journal which he
used in his Life and further annotatons have
! hecn added. together with extracts from the
I Life from James SlScne OF Rubisaws unpuo-
Nshed "reminiscences, and from unpublished letters
of Scott and various contemporaries. The Journal,
~ H. stands is full of interesting glimpses into the
| great authors mind, and reveals In strlklhS
| manner the ineXtingushabc buoyancy with when
| he encountered misfortune, the iron perseverance
with which he set himself to GEAR away the noun
,oip of debt with which he found himself burdened
when his best Years had passed, the keen sense 'i
| honor and duty which marked even ms mos'
nryate communngs with himself, ana INC gay
| Lumor which characterized him whenever the
| clouds parted for o moment and permitted 'hc
sunshine to pass
The Journal is written with certain aoahuon'
| ar
itv it is perhaps liable to be thought perilously
| near TO coarseness in some of its expressions
We have reached time when distinguished authors
do not often Use bad language and meuth-iilling
oaths habtually in their private diaries but IL
must be remembered that other times-other
manners: and while man in writing Tor pup
| LEGATION could DC more refined and particular IMAM
Sir Walter Scott society in his day tolerated
| and used a kind of language which at present IL
recgated to the iliteratc His purpose in Keeping
| Journal evidently was to free his mind unrcstraih-
edIy and there can be no question that he carrcu
ont this purpose, for IN setting down Ills opinions
| of mon and events lie never hcsitatcs at employ
| jng the roundest and most vehement expressions
in the vcrnacular and when he is angry or dis
| gusted he emphasizes his feelings In the most
unmistakable way. Many of these bursts are IN
deed extremely characteristic and tell more OF the
man than could the most carefully worded ana
| beautifully moiuatcd sentences. But they are
not adapted to indiscrminatc citation, ana In the
selection of extracts from the Journal IL VIII nc
! necessary to pass them over.
The Journal was begun in 1925, and not long
before the BEGINNING Of the troubles which
eventually sadded him with debt amounting to
$3.50. OOO-which, without a days delay, he set
himself to clear of by his pen. In November OF
this wear we find him writing "The general dis
tress in the city has affected ii. and K Hurst
and Robinson, Constable's great agents. Should
they co. it is not likely that Constable can stand,
and such an event would lead to great distress
and perplexity on the part Of j. H. James Bal-
lantyne) and myself Thank God, have enough
at least to pay forty shlings in the pound, tax
! ing matters ut the very worst But much dis
! tress and inconvenience must he the consequences
| had a lesson in 1914 which should have done
/ .t.,,,.I .un1
! il from my mind But this is time for journal
ling, or moralizing either. Necessity is like
sour-faced cook-maid, and a turn-spit whom she
| has noggcd ere now, till he mounted his wheel
! The hoggings were before long TO become con-
tinuous but the great heart of Scott could not
| be crushed by misfortune, however colossal.
| Scott suffered one of the inevitable penalties OF
distinction as the following extract shows:
| People make me the oldest requests. 1t is not
unusual for OXonian or Cantab, who has odtrun
! 10 me for the loan OF $40. $50. or el0O. \ captain
Of the Danish naval service writes 10 me, that being
transport himself to colombia to offer his services in
assisting to free that province. he had dreamed
his dream by contrlrics begin 10 aud like Joseph
surface. that too good character t. ircon,cn,ent
for generosity. but suspect owe It to Icing supposed,
a. Pun saws q those whom lIeaycn has blessed
with afuencc." Not too much Of that neither. my
dear petitioners though may thank myself that your
| ideas are not correct.
r. r. Gillies was a writer of talent, but
| cxtravagant habits. Scott gives curious story
of how this author once failed to secure a pub
Usher:
His last effort failed owing to a curious reason
He had made some TRANSACTIONS from the German which
he does extremely twcll-ior give him idea, and he
wants choice Of good words-and Loclliart had
got Constable 10 offer some sort OF terms for them
| 4. p c. has always though possessing beautiful
power OF handwriting, had some within or other about
| ,ifltin ATS oil nd
for months in The imitation of one or other of his
friends. At present he has renowned this amusement
and chooses to write with brush upon large cartridge
paper, somewhat in the Chinese fashi0nS0 when his
arrived on the shoulders Of two portcrs in immense
bales Jolly bibopolist backed out Of the treaty
Is creature that IS, or would be thought of magma
ton all compact and Is Influenced by strange Whlins
has been cruelty plundcred of money, which no now
wants sadly
Here is on amusing touch on IIogg, the Ettrick
Shepherd:
December 12.-IIogg came to breakfast this morn
ing. having taken and brought for his companion the
Gaiasl!es bard. David Thomson, a. to meeting OF
~ dyea pSs Th s, S TS a Ges
owfe swcct-answcred by Thomson that Moores ear or
notes, forget which, were finely strung They arc
mine Just recght.s it reminded Of Queen Iess,
Queen Mary was taller than her, and; extracting an
| answer in the affirmative, she replied. Then your
Queen is too tall. for am just the proper height
On the first intmation of his ruin--whch, how
ever, proved rather prematurc-hc communcd thus
with himself in his diary:
December Is BalIontync called on me this morn
ing. emit lila suprema dies. Ny extremity is come
Cadcl has received letters from London which all but
positively announce the failure of Hurst * Robinson
| so that Constable d co. must follow, and must 60
with poor James Bailntyne for company. suppose 1t
viii involve my all But If they leave me $500, can
still make Ii II 900 81 200 year. And If they
tae my salaries OF 81 300 and e30O. they cannot but
| gve something out Of them. | have been rash in
anticipating funds to buy land, but then made from
| "a 600 10 10000 year and land my temptation
| think nobody can lose peany-that Is one comfort
Men will think pride has had lal Let them indulge
their pride in thinking that my fall makes them
! higher seems at least | have the satisfaction
10 rccOect that my prosperity has been OF advantage
| 10 many, and that at least will forgive my
transient wealth account OF the innocence OF In
tenti0ns and real wish TO do good to the DOOR,
This news will make sad hearts at Darnck and in the
cottages OF Abbotsfor which do not nourish the least
! hone of preserving 1t has been my Dcilah and SO
have often termed it and the recollection OF the
| .I,n | nlanfa the I havo