The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1899-05-05
SIR WALTER SCOTT AND WINES
His Moderate Drinking Undoubtedly
Cut on His Life nt Least
Ten Years.

drank freely, and no one thought ther,
was any harm in it. In his early you'll
he seems to have been somewhat reck
less, but throughout his entire life he
was for the most part, self-restrained
and moderate At table where his 60
cial gifts shone so brilliantly, he knew
the exhilarating effect of wine, and
ayailed himself Of it. After his mis-
fortunes, the energy with which he
struggled to clear off the mountain of
debt for wh.rh he had become liable
was prodigious, and the tasks which he
piled on his poor brain were incessant
and overwhelming. It 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 honest man again. And in the
midst Of ii all he showed such patience.
such generosity, such affection for his
family and friends, that he more one
studies him in these terri5le trials. the
more is one constrained % respect and
love him.
His journal, published for the frs;
time in 1891, gives us a near view OF his
manner Of life. There is much TO adj
mire, much TO instruct, a 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 a brain so
overwrought. the use of alcohol must
have been perlous; but rhe continued
use of it, eFen in moderate quantity.
after the warnings which he repeated
ly received, was full of peril. In Nav.
1929, he had an attack Of which Lock
hart says that ii gave his family
great alarm, and which for some davs
he himself regarded with the darkest
representations. 1t was in fact. the
precursor of apoplexy" Sir Walter
called ii shaking hands with death" |
Bleeding relieved him. hut he went /
on as usual. attending dinners to pub I
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
l was heated during the night" but
which he followed up by the all day la
Dor OF Sabbath, June /, already referred
TO. Eight days after, he says, June 8.
Il drank two glasses Of champagne.
which have muddled my brains for tie
day. a collapse of his animal spirits
required stimulant. July g. Treated
myself, being considerably tagged, with
a glass Of poor Glengarry's super-exce-
ent whisky" But his ordinary die,
Vas very restricted, especially in wire
md spirits. lie got through the win
er, although a nervous twitchingabout
he mouth. especially when he was agi-
ated, told that the enemy was not far
way. In spring he tells how he at
empted to converse with a lady, "I
suffered, said one word in
lace Of another, did all but speak; and
Inle and Violet Lockhart were much
larmed." Bleeding again relieved him, v
nd in two or three dayg he was in his
sual health; but in November 1s3O)
e had a third and more serious attack.
he history Of which be thus describes:
had for a long time taken only one
imbler of whisky and water without
le slightest reinforcement. Thisnight
took very little drop, not so much as
bumper glass of whisky altogether.
made no difference to my head that
could discover, but when went to the
'awing-room l sank stupid upon the
)cr. lay a minute or two, was not
und, luckily. gathered myself up, and
1t to my bed As Mrs. Cole r
Us: Lackadayl a thin.hleful upsets y
e. " Notwithstanding this warning, y
e whisky and water is persevered in.
ough in smaller quantity February
1881, while his strength is steadily
ling. Occasional intervals Of i'm {
ovement there were, but these were :
ly liable to throw him off his guard.
In the beginning of 1881 he felt him.
4 improving, and he seems to have
ought that he might take more lib
y with himself. Mr.. Lockhart thus
scribes an unhappy incident that
)k place In April, 1891: "Sir Walters
end Lord Meadowbank, had come TO
botsford as usual when on the Jed
rgh circuit, and he would fain make \
effort to receive the judge in some
ng of the old style of the place; he
lecied several of the neighboring III
ltry TO dinner, and tried to bear his
nted part in the conversation. Feel ID
his strength and spirits tagging. he
5 tempted to violate his physicians
actions, and took two or three glass
of champagne, not having tasted
e for several months before. On re-
ng to his dressing-room he had a Sc
e shock Of apoplectic paralysis, and
t his bed, under the surgeon hands.
several days" Life. vol. vii, p.
rom that time his life was little bot
than a protracted misery, and the
dence abroad which followed ter
ated in a fifth and hnal attack at
,eguen. on the 9th day CT June, 1882. Lo.
b which place he was with great O'
Guilty brought to London and there clO
r to Abbotsford, where he died Sep ke'
Der q. 1892, at the comparatively
= age Of 6l. ~,
e have confined ourselves to a sim II
statement Of facts drawn from Pt
is own journal and LCckhart's 5 life.
be 81 from us TO cast a shadow on
character of the illustrious man, So
in his manner Of life simply con-
led TO the habits Of lie time. But