The Republican., 1899-03-23
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SIR WALTER SCOTT AND WINES
His Moderate Driuking Undoubtedly
Cut on His Life at Least
Ten Years.


less, but throughout his entire life he
was, for the most part, self-restrained
and moderate. At table, where his So
cial gifts shone SO brilliantly, he knew
the exhilarating effect cf wine, and
availed himself of it, After his mis-
fortunes, the energy with which he
struggled to clear off the, mountain of
debt for which he had become liable
was prodigious, and the tasks which he
piled on his poor brain were incessant
and overwhelming. 1t was a magnif-
cent spectacle-his struggle to owe no
man anything; to free himself from the
avalanche under which he seemed hope
lessly buried, and stand before the
world an homes, man again. And in the
midst of it all he showed such patience,
such generosity, such affection for his
family and friends, that :he more one
studies him in these terriole trials, the
more is one constrained % respect and
love him.
His journal, published for the first
time in 1891, gives us near view of his
manner of life. There is much to ad-
mire, much to instruct, few things to
regret, and much to pity in the dis
closures of his journal.
We must regret his practice in the
use of wine and spirits. To brain so
overwrought, the use of alcohol must
have been perilous; but the continued
use of it, even in moderate quantity,
after the warnings which he repeated
ly received, was full of peril. In May,
1929, he had an attack Of which Lock
hart says that it gave his family
great alarm, and which for some days
he himself regarded with the darkest
representations. 1t was. in fact, the
precursor of apopleXy." Sir Walter
called it shaking hands with death"
Bleeding relieved him, but he went
on as usual, attending dinners to pub
lie characters Can odd way of testi-
flying respect, by eating, drinking and
roaring') and private dinners, as al
Craigcrook, on May 81, where he took
"rather a glass of wine TOO much, for
I was heated during the night" cut
which he followed up by The all day la
Dor of Sabbath, June 1, already referred
to. Eight days after, he says, June 8,
81 drank two glasses of champagne,
which have muddled my brains for tie
day A collapse of his animal spirits
required stimulant. July 5. Treated
myself, being considerably tagged, with
glass Of poor Glengarry's super-excel-
lent whisky" But his ordinary die;
was very restricted, especially in wine
and spirits. He got through the win
ter, although a nervous twitching about
the mouth, especially when he was agi-
tated, told that the enemy was not far
away. In spring he tells how he at
tempted to converse with lady, II
stammered, suffered, said one word in
place of another, did all but speak; and
Anne and Violet Lockhart were much
alarmed" Bleeding again relieved him.
and in two or three days Re was in his
usual health; but in November (1S30)
he had third and more serious attack,
the history of which he thus describes:
81 had for long time taken only one
tumbler of whisky and water without
the slightest reinforcement. Thisnight
l took very little drop, not SO much as
a bumper glass of whisky altogether
1t made no difference to my head that
l could discover, but when went to the
drawing-room l sank stupid upon the
floor. l lay minute or two, was not
found, luckily. gathered myself up, and
got to my bed. AS Mrs. Cole
says: 'Lackaday! thir.hleful upsets
me-" Notwithstanding this warning,
the whisky and water is persevered III,
though in smaller quantity (February
%, 1S3D, while his strength is steadily
failing. Occasional intervals of i'm
provement there were, but these were
only liable to throw him off his guard
In the beginning of 1881 he felt him
self improving, and he seems to have
thought that he might take more ib-
erty with himself. Mr.. Lockhart thus
describes an unhappy incident that
took place in April, 1881: "Sir Walters
friend, Lord Meadowbank, had come to
Abbotsford as usual when on the Jed
burgh circuit, and he would fain make
an effort to receive the judge in some
thing of the old style of the place; he
collected several of the neighboring
gentry to dinner, and tried to bear his
wonted part in the conversation. Feel
ing his strength and spirits tagging, he
was tempted to violate his physicians
directions, and took two or three glass
es of champagne, not having tasted
wine for several months before. On re-
tiring to his dressing-room he had Sc
we're shock of apoplectic paralysis, and
kept his bed, under the surgeons shands,
for several days" (Life, vol. vii, p.
477.)
From that time his life was little bet
ter than protracted misery, ana the
residence abroad which followed ter
minated in a fifth and final attack at
Nineguen, on the 9th day cf June, 1882,
from which place he was with great
difficulty brought to London and there
after to Abbotsford, where he died Sep
tember 81, 1882, at the comparatively
early age of 61.
We have confined ourselves to a sim
pie statement of facts drawn from
Scott's own journal and LOckhart's life.
Far be it from us to cast 4 shadow on
the character of the illustrious man,