New-York tribune., 1893-12-03

|
| 'Madoc' was published.
It will be observed that Jeffrey is here credited
| with love and admiration lor poeuS' i"o
years later with the cutting up OF Mar''''o"
still fresh in his memory, Scott wrote to Joanna
J Baie:
| I hasten to tell you that never entertained
for second notion so very ss,ans1 or rS o.u ~
| I conceive how so absurd and causeess rumor
| should have arisen ! have great per-
sonal regard for him, ana hgh estiiia.Ioi u, , mis
| talents | have seldom known man WIN
| equal readiness Of ideas, or power OF expressing
| them. But had no reason to be so very rhuch
| gratifed by his review of Mar1noh as 10 pro-
! pitiate him by a dedication of any work OF
mine. / have no fault TO find with his express
| ing his sentiments frankly and fairly upon ihe
| poem. yet | think he might without derogaton
| to his impartaty, have couched them IN
| language rather more civil to personal
| friend. and ! believe he would have thought
| twice before he had given himself that AR OF
! superiority in where | had any chance
| Of defending myself. Besides. i really nave
| often told him that l think he wants the taste
| for poetry which is essentially necessary TO en-
| JOY and of course to criticise. it with justice.
He is learned with the most learned in its canons
| and laws. skilled in its modulation. and an ex-
cellent judge of the justice of the sentiments
! which it conveys. but he wants that enthusiastic
| feeling which. like sunshine upon a landscape.
| lights ND every beauty and palliates If IL cannot
| hide every defect To offer a poem of imag-
| nation to man whose whole life and study
has been to acquire a stoica indifference toward
ii would surely be the sillicst. action OF my me-
This is really my opinion of Jeffrey. not formed
| yesterday nor upon any codness between u.s.
| for there has been none. He has been pos
sessed Of 1t these several years. and it certainly
| never made the least difference between us; but
| | neither him. nor have the least incllna-
| tion to offer him. such a mark OF regard as the
| dedication Of any work, past, present, or 10
come.
| Two years more and Scott's Lady Of the
Lake" was out. and Jeffrey's review was ready
to be published. Again the little critic did as
he had done before with Scotland with
Southey. too for that matter. He submitted
| his article for the poets approval or disap-
proval. But whereas in the case of Mar
| mion the two men read the criticism together
and dined in apparent harmony, now Jenrey
felt obliged to write to Scott and to inclose
proofsheets Of his article on the Lady Of the
Lake" He evidently did this with some reluc-
tance having" he said, told the truth. ac-
cording to my oath of office" But he wen: on
to make amends as fully as he could for the
past:
l now sensible that there were needless
asperties in my review of Marmon. ana
from the hurry in which ! have been forced
to write | dare say there may be some mere
also. have bungled your poetical characters
too. by beginning my sketch on scale 100
large for my canvas. and the mere unskliulness
| of thesexecution, fear, has given 1t something
the air of carlcature But | think you nave
generosity enough TO cOnstruc me righty III
stating all these things and to believe me when
| say that | am sincerely proud both of your
genius and your glory and that value your
friendship more highly than most either OF my
literary or political opinions Ana now pre-
sumng that this article will break no squares
between us, I have two favors to askwone'
that you would If possible. ane mere , on s,5-
can ladies. who are very much your admirers;
and the other. that you would dine here again
on Thursday with Jack Murray and TWO irlehdS
Of sydney Smith, who Just returned from
the Highlands
The mystery in which the authorship Of the
novels was shrouded is shown throughout the
letters In these volumes from the time they began
to appear. In frequent letters TO Lady Aber-
corn Scott showed his desire that she should
understand his relation to the books which eX-
cited the wonder Of the public. But his
language. we'll as that of her replies, Is such
that it could not have been clearly understood
by contemporaries One would almost think
that Scott had formed the plan Of a prose ro-
nance and had conGded ii to Lady Abercorn
long before he abandoned the poetic field. In
one Of his letters to her in 1906 he wrote: 81
have grand work In contemplation. but so dis
tant so distant that the distance between Edin-
burgh and Stanmore is nothing to 1t. This Is
a Highland romance Of Love, Magic and War.
founded upon the manners OF our mountaineers,
with my stories about whom your Ladyship was
so much interested" Another friend who was
allowed to divine the secret was Lady Louisa
Stuart and her numerous letters are filled with
admring criticism, bright mirror OF the
fances awakened In the minds Of people in
those days by the works Of the Great Tn
known" The friend whom Scott trusted from
the outset in the matter was Robert Morritt, OF
Rokeby whom he seems TO have met for the
first time in 1908 or MIN the poet wrote to
= NJ,
Payne Knight, deep in Grecian lore, Of course.
which led him some years ago to visit the very
ground where Troy stood" When 1.-The Bridal
of Trierman' appeared Scott and MOrrItt laid
careful plans to have II reviewed. That was In
1873 and Scott wrote cautiously to Lady Aber-
corn: Jeffrey lauds it highly, / am Informed.
and Is one day to throw it at my head. But
later he wrote somewhat mournfully to Morrtt:
Il fear our match has missed fire. and Trier-
main will not be reviewed.; and Morritt re-
piled: Il feared for the success Of your scheme
Of 'Triermain.' from all I heard in London
There was a strong suspicion of the author, and
some OF those who knew you best were not to
be deceived" Thus it went not only with the
first book, but with all the rest; and yet Scott
did manage to keep his countenance over the
matter, and people never were quite sure until
they were told.
tendancy in these volumes is the growth OF
Abbotsford. From the day OF the first purchase
almost every step in the progress OF Scotts
plan for founding family with title and wealth
Is alluded to- 1t Is when he turns 10 ths
theme that the great romancer really INDUCES
his fancy to his own delight. chart OF the
property. given in the second volume, shows
how anxiously he studied every detail OF his
estate. 1t was the joy, and yet the fatal burden
OF his life. The first volume Of the collection
Of friendly letters has for frontispece por-
trait taken from the bust by Chantry Those
who love Scott will not find their affection d.
mnshed by the private and often confidential
writing here disclosed.