Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-11-02
SCOTS UNwRuTTEN BOOKS.
HAS Latest Literary Project Was n
Peculiar One.

From the Peoples Friend.
In a recent number of Chambers Journal
an article headed Some Cnwritten Books"
disposed OF the unfulflled literary projects
o. Walter Scott. as follows:
Sir Walter Scott's latest literary pro-
Jcct conceived DIT Naples in the last year
Of his life. was to edit Mother Goose's
Tales, with antiquarian and NEUROLOGICAL
notes; and one must regret that the curious
ard out-of-the-way learning of Scott was
lot TO be devoted to that purpose. The
abandonment of his contemplated Lives Of
Peterborough and John Duke of Argyle
vas less serious"
This paragraph, il is obvious, IS based ex-
cit siFeiy upon Lockhart. Yet information
about Scouts unwritten books should be
sought less IN Lock hart, admirable h!og-
rapny though II be, than an publications Of
l'ore recent date. In Locknart il is told
how Scout. i'm the winter of Isls-lg con-
ceived the iuea-destined not to be realized
OF joining the Duke of Buccleuch and Can
tam Adam Ferguson an long tour on the
continent, and how, on the 18th OF January,
1919 ne actually wrote to Ferguson, then
already in Portugal: Il am not AT all sure
whether L shall not come TO Lisbon and
surprise you. instead OF going 10 Italy by
S"ltzerland-that is, providing the state OF
SPAN VIII allow me, without any unreason-
able danger OF my throat, 10 get from LIS
Don TO Madrid, and thence to Gibraltar" In
all this there is no mention of a literary
project. But when one turns from Lock-
mart 10 the biography of Constable the
puphsher, one nnds scott, on the 9Th of
November, lS1S-ten weeks before writing
10 FerguSson-had signed an agreement 10
write New Travels on the Continent a
sort OF continuation Of "PauPs Letters"
which was TO be issued in three volumes
octave, and for which he was to receive A
deposit OF Slo.UU, TO be ultimately in
creased TO half the profits. To this agree
iheht ne mad, however. attached the condi-
non mat IN case either from health or
the necessity OF attending court of session
OF any circumstance of Intervening diff
cuity, l. md myself unable to fulnll my
PURPOSE OF going upon the continent 1
S De AT liberty from the engagement"
30. though he kept the project in mind for
several months. he. nevertheless ultimate
iy abandoned it,
IN It's place he conceived project for A
,ioNei IN letters on the model Of ''Humph-
ies Cunker. etc. On this project he ac-
lrdHy SET TO work. but, again changing his
Nigel '-''ee vi
Three years later in February. 1s2a. he
received letter from Constable Inform
ing ing MN that work under the title of
focihontas would make the fortunes
OF US all In her story Scott took much
interest. but he doubted his knowledge Of
ai.d n NE. In good hands" he wrote
focahontas would make a capitaI story
Ut IL must be written by some one who
hIoWs america and Indian manners more
, IMAM lhey can be acquired from
DOCKS. IL ought to be united with th. story
Oh Whalley. the regcde who appeared
suadeniy eeeing then in hiding, when a
certain village was attacked by the Euro
peans' rallied the Europeans. fought like a
stout old Roundhead as he vas 80, 80,
me enemy. and was never seen again I
LINK washington Irving could make some
.n,ne Out OF this So Scott dismis.et
| . .Wos,: and in its place began
IL was In the same year. and for the
same reason-namely. to write "Wood-
stockf-that he abandoned a plan for
s .y OF the rebellion OF HIS. to be called
Der"entwater, and also a plan for a
story OF the Armada, to be called '.Eftiipp-
nam. he must have found ..Derwenf
water and "Effingham" titles after his
neart. ana that he failed, after all. to make
use OF them is little surprising, of ALI
Scott unwrittep books. however. :.PopuIar
Supersuton and New Travels on m.
continent came nearest accomnlisbnsn,