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tleman's country solicitors, was the cause of much delay; but as soon after the receipt of Lord Eldon's letter, the cause was decided, the old lady fancied her missive had had its effect, and thought he had after all looked to the matter in some way, and had somehow done something to frighten the legal men to bring it to a close. Grammar School, Norton. WILLIAM R. BELL.

ANGELS VISITS.-Campbell wrote the Pleasures of Hope when very young, and he may possibly have been indebted to Blair's Grave for the expression

Like Angel visits few and far between;

yet both Blair and Campbell may have derived the sentiment from an earlier writer, John Norris, who died in 1711, in whose Transient Delights, occur these linesHow fading are the joys we doat upon Like apparitions seen and gone: But those which soonest take their flight Are the most exquisite and strongLike Angel visits short and bright, Mortality's too weak to bear them long. Woburn, May 2.

AMADIS DE GAULA.

B. B. W.

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EARLY MERCHANT'S MARKS.

The merchants of the middle ages, however wealthy, rival the dignity of the gentry, they therefore universally were not permitted to assume heraldic insignia, and thus adopted symbolic devices, as marks to distinguish their bales of merchandise, and these marks are at times found delineated on shields, resembling in form those upon which the heralds emblazoned their representative is found decorated with frequently a very ingenious fancies. Hence many an old tomb and church window amalgamation of threaded forms and tracery, at times so complex as almost to baffle elucidation.

The enclosed inscription and merchant's mark is a mural memorial brass, 1586, in the church of St. Mary Magdalene, in Old Fish Street. No name is mentioned, but I presume it commemorates Thomas Berry, Fishmonger, who " gave a messuage in Southwark, called the Red Cross, with its appurtenances to the poor of the parish for ever."

In God the Lord put all your truste
Repente your former wicked waies
Elizabeth our Quene most iuste
Blesse her o Lorde in all her daies
So Lord encrease good Councelers
And preachers off his holie worde
Mislike off all papistes desiers

O Lord cut them off with thy sworde
How small soever the gifte shalbe
Thanke God for him who gave it thee

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Ten necessary Queries touching the Personal Treatie; also a right description of a Cavalier; with some drops to quench the Fiery Bull of Colchester, by JAMES TASWELL, a True Lover of King, Parliament, Truth and Peace, 1648. I have read the copy at the British Museum, but that does not shew who was meant by the Fiery Bull ? May 13. ENQUIRER.

As the tract is evidently written by a royalist, possibly the designation of the Fiery Bull' applies to Fairfax, who refused all personal treaty with the besieged commanders.

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WILLIS'S CURRENT CURRENT NOTES.

No. LXVI.]

"Takes note of what is done-
By note, to give and to receive."-SHAKESPEARE.

WHO WROTE THE WAVERLEY NOVELS?

When nearly five-and-twenty years have elapsed since the decease of the reputed author of the Waverley Novels, the stillness of the grave is at length disturbed by the appearance of some uselessly detractive inquiries, the purport of which is professedly to prove that Scott's brother Thomas Scott was the writer of The Antiquary, a considerable contributor to other novels, and that many admirable characters and delineations were the every day productions of his singularly gifted wife, Bessie Scott; and that Walter Scott, simply conducted them through the press, and had no claim, or at best only an assumed one, to the being considered the author. These inquiries have been submitted to the discernment of the admirers of Sir Walter Scott, in a pamphlet entitled

Who Wrote the Waverley Novels? being an Investigation into certain Mysterious Circumstances attending their production, and an Inquiry into the Literary Aid which Sir Walter Scott may have received from other persons, 1856, pp. 88.

The bases on which Mr. Fitzpatrick founds this investigation, are the on dit printed in the Morning Chronicle, May 23, 1817-Mr. Walter Scott is said to be the author of the critique in the Tales of my Landlord' in the Quarterly Review, and it is insinuated in the concluding paragraph, that his brother is the writer of the novels which have made so strong an impression on the public mind. Also, the very remarkable letter' as Mr. Fitzpatrick terms it, that is said to have appeared in the Quebec Herald, July 15, 1820. The letter dated York, observe not New York, Dec. 12, 1818, com

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Investigation, p. 50.-The admission here said to have been made by Scott, is repudiated by his flat denial that Thomas Scott wrote the whole or any part of the novels; and again in a letter to Richardson, Jan. 18, 1819, Scott, in reference to the attempt made by the wife of one of the Edinburgh judges to ascertain the author of the Waverley Novels, wrote-"I gave in dilatory defences, under protestation, to add and eik; in plain words I denied the charge; and as she insisted to know who else could write these novels, I suggested Adam Ferguson, as a person having all the information and capacity necessary for that purpose." Ibid. p. 30. The fact was, there were so many concomitant circumstances all tending to prove Scott the anthor of the novels, that in the face of his broad denial, it was difficult to know in what manner to treat his assertions.

VOL. VI.

[JUNE, 1856.

often assisted by Mrs. Scott, and the works were generally revised by his brother Walter before going to press. "The Antiquary" I can answer for particularly, because Mr. Thomas Scott told me himself that he wrote it, a very few days after it appeared in this country. Any person who had the least intimacy with the paymaster would at once recognise him as the author of these celebrated works. The same native humour, the same cast of expression, and that intimate acquaintance with Scottish manners and the Scottish annals, which are almost in every page of those works, could be traced in his conversation by any person of the least observation. Besides this, I have often heard Mrs. Scott describe the very originals from whom the principal characters are drawn. The Antiquary himself was an intimate acquaintance of the paymaster; his name I have now forgotten, but he lived in Dumfries, and that finely drawn character, Dominie Sampson was an old college acquaintance. Flora M'Ivor's character was written by Mrs. Scott herself. I have seen several of the manuscripts, in Mr. Scott's possession, of his other works, but I do not recollect seeing any of the novels in manuscript except the Antiquary. I am pretty certain that it is his own handwriting.

The letter has been adopted at length, simply to aver that it is wholly untrue. Walter's younger brother Thomas was the helter-skelter devil-may-care fellow of the lot, his rattling loquacious vivacity, at all times seemed conclusive that he alone monopolised all the genius and spirit of the family, while Walter was apparently of a dull temperament, his youth did not exhibit the dawn even, of the sunshine of the after-day that was to eternise the distinction of his family, and to render familiar as household words to future generations the characters and language of his Scottish descriptive poems and novels. Those who entertain any doubts as to Walter Scott being the author of the Waverley Novels, should first learn the peculiarities in position and disposition of that singularly extraordinary man and writer, before they too readily adopt a false conclusion. Nothing of Thomas Scott remains in his writing to establish any or the smallest claims to his being a contributor wholly or in part to the Waverley Novels; doubtless the persons who figured in the novels, were as well known to Thomas as to Walter, and when they became public property by their peculiarities being graphically delineated in the printed novels, 'the Scotts' pleasurably stated that they too knew them personally. Let this also be remembered, that Thomas Scott, was a reckless bon vivant, and as regards the interests of the family, it was well the Atlantic divided them—his excesses for the last four or five years of his life precluded his holding the pen with any steadiness, and Bessie Scott at her desk, was more often busied on the official papers of her husband, than in writing letters, however

I

joyously indited, to her brother-in-law, the now questioned author of Waverley.* Yet, it cannot be denied, that much of what is now passing was originally promulgated by the assertions and prevarications of Walter Scott. When the natural furor of his intellect streamed forth, he found it difficult to restrain himself within ordinary bounds, he wrote, and once for all, if he attempted to amend, he injured what he had written, the stream became more muddy than before, and once printed, the subject was rarely honoured by himself with a re-perusal no matter whatever his after professions of editorial revision were, like the cobbler's wife that went unshod, his writings lacked the promised revisal, however they might be called for or suggested. It was not in him to bear the being thwarted; in matters of business his probity was ever unquestionable, but in literary points, he held all assertions as fictions, he could disguise truth in a joke, and reduce a moral axiom to a bon-mot.

His earlier poems from their novelty were highly attractive, and his Lady of the Lake carried off the public acclaim by storm, but

No morning sun lasts a whole day; the public appetite cloyed, and Rokeby, published early in 1813, was comparatively a failure: its success was unequivocally acknowledged to be greatly inferior to the Lady of the Lake. It was even said that Rokeby was only entitled to notice from its having the name of the author on the title page. The Bridal of Triermain, without his name, followed in March, 1813, and passed wholly unnoticed. He determined on abandoning poetry for prose, and by publishing anonymously, or under a pseudonyme, divert the public attention from himself, and in the autumn of 1813, having found the fragment of Waverley that had been thrown aside since 1805, the manuscript having at that time been unfavourably commented on by a critical friend, he finished it according to his own conception, and the following is Scott's own version of its appearance:

Waverley was published in 1814, and as the title page was without the name of the author, the work was left to

A correspondent to Current Notes writes-My mind has long ago been made up on the question, and certainly I should dislike being drawn into any controversy on the point at issue, considering that such a step would swallow up most unprofitably very much precious time.

Scott possessed marvellous facility in writing, and when we learn he kept at it, four, five, or six hours a day, what he did is only consistent with such labour.

He was one of a remarkable family. The mother, now deceased, of an intimate friend of mine, was full cousin to Sir Walter. She had borne him when he was a child in her arms, and though she was far advanced in life, and by no means was either a learned, or what is called a book read woman, yet I have heard her relate anecdote and family occurrences in such a copious yet perfectly correct manner, that it was truly wonderful. A short-hand writer might have taken down and printed every word she spoke, and the most fastidious proof-reader could not possibly have improved what she said, or detected a single false or redundant word in the whole.

win its way in the world without any of the usual recommendations. Its progress was for some time slow; but after the first two or three months, its popularity increased in a degree which must have satisfied the expectations of the author had these been far more sanguine than he ever en

tertained.

Great anxiety was expressed to learn the name of the author, but on this no authentic information could be attained. My original motive for publishing the work anonymously was the consciousness that it was an experiment on the public taste, which might very probably fail, and therefore there was no occasion to take on myself the personal risk of discomfiture. For this purpose, considerable precautions were used to preserve secrecy. My old friend and schoolfellow, Mr. James Ballantyne, who printed these novels, had the exclusive task of corresponding with the author, who thus had not only the advantage of his professional talents, but of his critical abilities. The original manuscript, or as it is technically called copy was transcribed by confidential persons under Mr. Ballantyne's eye, nor was there an instance of treachery during the many years in which these precautions were resorted to, although various individuals were employed at different times. Double proof sheets were regularly printed off. One was forwarded to the author by Mr. Ballantyne, and the alterations which it received by his hand, were copied upon the

other proof sheet for the use of the printers, so that even

the corrected proofs of the author were never seen in the as made the most minute investigation was entirely at fault. Among other unfounded reports, it has been said that the copyright was during the book's progress through the press, offered for sale to various booksellers in London at a very inconsiderable price. This was not the case. Messrs. Constable and Cadell who published the work, were the only persons acquainted with the contents of the publication, and they offered a large sum for it, while in the course of printing, which however was declined, the author not choosing to part with the copyright.

printing office, and thus the curiosity of such eager inquirers

wrote "Waverley is the best and most interesting Byron, in a letter to Murray, dated July 24, 1814,

novel I have redde since I don't know when." The evade detection, were however on the right scent-"We reviewers, notwithstanding all Scott's endeavours to

have heard this romance ascribed to a bard of the first order, and there seems to be sufficient internal evidence to warrant a belief that the report is accurate." The fact appears to have escaped Mr. Fitzpatrick, that the son of Joseph Strutt the antiquary, then and since loudly asserted Scott produced Waverley from the manuscripts which his father had submitted to him for perusal. One among the many reasons which are urged why Scott was not the author of the Waverley Novels, is, that at Abbotsford he was hospitable in the highest degree, and so fully entered into all their field diversions and other amusements, that he himself seemed more the votary of pleasure than as one solicitous of the opportunity of retirement, for his literary avocations, yet this apparent waste of time was but assumed, and intended to baffle even the closest observer, for while Waverley was passing through the press, in his letter to James Bal

New Monthly Magazine, Sept. 1814, p. 156.

lantyne, dated Sept. 2, 1813, he thus bitterly complained of these obstructions-" My temper is nearly worn to a hair's breadth. The intruder of yesterday hung on me till twelve to-day. When I had just taken my pen, he was relieved like a sentry leaving guard, by two other lounging visitors."

Scott's Pegasus was ever on the wing; from his first placing his foot on the soil of Abbotsford, it was with him a castle in the air-an aërial vision that imbued even his day and night dreams, it engulphed all his gains, and was the ever greedy insatiate cormorant that was constantly craving: his building, purchasing and planting, was the impelling power to constant exertion; he could not hesitate to reflect, and his castellated creation, while it drew from his labours a sum exceeding 50,000l., rendered, as in most similar ventures, but a poor requital; the produce of the estate being, it is said, never more than 700l. per annum. The pen, though dipped in liquid gold, could not write off or cancel the every-day demand upon his energies a partner or participator in the printing-office of the Ballantynes, he became involved in their embarrassments, the whirl of events led to his forestalling coming profits on writings, only projected not written, bills were drawn, frequently on maturity, only to be renewed, and counterpoised by similar accommodations on the other side. Something had to be prepared, without his name, if the work was not sufficiently attractive with it—hence the application of every reserve and endeavour to preclude discovery-but the material, the flow of writing and the spirit was the same, and those to whom he asserted he was not the author were not convinced. To remove their scepticism, he has said that other persons were the real Simon Pure; driven at bay by friends who were not thus to be bamboozled, he has persisted; till unwilling to offend, matters passed on, those who knew him ceased to question, since no satisfactory result followed, and he was but too glad to escape by any one assuming the position, to which none save himself was justly entitled.

to Mr. French's "Parallel Passages," Mr. Fitzpatrick seems to consider as not Scott's-The parties who probably sent the rough sketch for filling up and revision, were alone competent to write its historical introduction.* With the Parallel Passages before him, it is surprising Mr. Fitzpatrick should thus run a tilt against all apparent probability. Mr. French, who seems fully aware of the ungracious position he had assumed, writes:

Guy Mannering is said to have been written with extreme rapidity, occupying the author only a few weeks in its composition; and this circumstance has given colour to the assertion that Scott is not the exclusive author; but when it is seen that the novel is in reality only an adaptation-in the same way in which modern English dramas are adapted from the French-the wonder caused by the rapid execution vanishes. But, another still remains! Who can fail to marvel at the masterly skill with which crude materials have been worked into one of the most delicious tales in modern literature?

sive-None but those who would detract from his transThe answer to this is sufficiently prompt and conclucendent merit. Scott, like Raffaelle and Michael Angelo who painted from nature, did not disdain to borrow ideas from the most crude and inherent objects, hence in after ages the Madonnas of the one charm and delight the observer, while the Last Judgment of the other, enforces the grandeur of awe and reverence.

appear

Scott, in the introduction to Guy Mannering, details some of the sources from which the material was derived, but as Mr. French observes-there does not rowed his plot from the events of real life. That omission, Mr. French purports to supply by Parallel Passages from the Memoirs of an Unfortunate Young Nobleman, printed in 1743-7, in three volumes, duod., and from the Gentleman's Magazine, 1744, in juxta-position with others from Guy Mannering. With this course no one can quarrel, for to what after all does it amount? That Scott read for a subject, and passing the matter through the alembic of his brain, refined it to the gold in which it now appears. But the Memoirs referred to by Mr. French, are not in the library at Abbotsford-there is, however, Fortune's Favourite: containing Memoirs, etc., of Jacobo Anglicano, a Young Nobleman, 1744, 8vo., with this manuscript note by Scott-The Annesley Case introduced into Peregrine Pickle.' Here, then, is the source, and not the Memoirs, as supposed by Mr. the Gentleman's Magazine is also in the library, and with Smollett's writings Scott was fully

the most distant hint that the author had bor

Scott's Lord of the Isles was announced in November, 1814, as the Prince of the Isles, to be ready at Christmas; it was published in quarto in January, 1815, but he again found that not even the name of Bruce 'could compensate in the public estimation the want of what had been the most captivating charm of his earliest productions-the development of new powers, and styles of versification. And in the following month, February, not only was a cheaper edition, in 8vo., announced, but it was soon followed by Guy Mannering, or the Astro-French; loger, by the Author of Waverley, of which there were announcements in December, 1814. Mr. Fitzpatrick observes, Scott in his Introduction to Guy Mannering says that he looked about for a name and a subject, and from this observation we may infer that such was his invariable habit when commencing a fictitious narrative. The practice is, I believe, usual among authors.* Guy Mannering, however, notwithstanding his reference

Investigation, p. 80.

conversant.

It is idle to pursue discussion further. Mr. Fitzpatrick will fail in producing anything to attach establishing claims for his protegées, the Scott's-no simple wreath will be culled by him to set amidst the grass of two uninscribed and forgotten graves, to indicate that genius sleeps below; and the perusal of his Investigation will only impress upon the reader some emotions of

* Investigation, p. 61.

surprise that his good sense was not exercised in discriminating fact from falsehood; and that even Colonel W. -'s evidence which Mr. Fitzpatrick considers more striking than Dr. G's, goes no further than the suppositious impression that neither Thomas Scott nor his wife wrote any of the novels, but that they assisted their brother in supplying anecdotes and traits of character.* Scott, like the potter, seized the most earthy matter, and skilfully moulding it to the forms his mind indicated, gave to all that beauty, elegance and durability, which will ever create admiration, and ennoble his name among the literary celebrities of the British Empire.

SCOTT'S ALTERATIONS AND CORRECTIONS. The following memoranda relative to Sir Walter Scott and his works, may be deemed not unworthy of a place in your Current Notes.

The manuscript of Waverley commences with chap. V., and contains somewhat more than half the printed work: it was purchased for forty guineas by James Hall, Esq., brother of Capt. Basil Hall, and by him presented to the Library of the Faculty of Advocates. At the commencement is inserted the following letter from Sir Walter's son-in-law, addressed to Mr. Hall.

Sussex Place, Regent's Park. May 17, 1850. My dear Hall.-No Saducee can dare to question the authenticity of your autograph of Waverley. I am fortunate enough to possess the Rob Roy, and even between those two, the hand had changed a good deal. In your manuscript it is exactly as in that of Marmion.

Ever yours, J. G. LOCKHART. Upon looking over 'the original manuscript' in the well known handwriting of Scott, a person can hardly help smiling at the idea that it was merely a copy of Thomas Scott's original, made for the purpose of deception. Such is, I think, one of the charges brought against the reputed author. If it was made with that object, it is the cleverest piece of deception of the kind that ever was manufactured. It is written on differently sized paper, is full of corrections and re-corrections, alterations and interlineations. If any unbiassed person would examine it, as deposited in the library of the Faculty of Advocates, they would indubitably admit that it possesses every appearance of authenticity.

Many of the alterations are not improvements, for instance, Balmawhapple interrupts the Baron's French chanson by striking up

It's up Glenbarchans braes I gaed,
And ow'r the bent of Killiebrair;
And mony a weary cast I maid

To cùitlet the moor-fools tail.

In a note to the edition revised by the author, Sir Walter tells us this fragment was the induction of Macdonald, the author of the tragedy of Vimonda. The next is his own.

Investigation, pp. 47, 48. + Kittle, i. e.,.to tickle.

If up there sprang a gude black cock,
To whistle him down wi' a slug in his dock,
And clink him into my lunzie poke,
Right seldom wad I fail.

These lines in the printed edition stand thus-
If up a bonny black cock should spring,
To whistle him down with a slug in his wing,
And strap him on to my lunzie string,
Right seldom would I fail.

The lines substituted are inferior to the original naturally be expected to flow from the vulgar lips of the verses, which are coarse but vigorous, and such as might "horse louper," Laird though he was.

In Scott's Lady of the Lake are these lines—
Foxgloves and night shade, side by side;
Emblems of punishment and pride.

hending the meaning of this passage addressed a letter A gentleman who had some difficulty in compreof enquiry to the author, who thus responded :—

Sir, I am honored with your letter, and am highly flattered by a gentleman of your classical attainments having found pleasure in my poetical attempts, and having thought any part of them worthy of the beautiful latin dress you have honored my highland damsel with.

I fear I shall lose in your good opinion, by frankly confessing that I am unable to give any satisfactory solution as to the two lines, tho' my attention has been frequently called to them by similar enquiries. My poetry has always passed from the desk to the press in the most hurried manner possible, so that it is no wonder I am sometimes puzzled to explain my own meaning.

In the present case, protesting always that I shall have the benefit of any better explanation which a friendly commentator may find out for me; I incline to think that I must have confused the night-shade with hemlock, used you

know, for the execution of criminals, and so far therefore

an emblem of punishment; and that the fox-glove from its determined erect figure and decisive colour, might be no bad emblem of pride.

I am afraid this will hardly satisfy my fair admirer, being one degree worse than Bardolph's solution of the word "accommodate."

Indeed, I have sometimes thought of altering or omitting the lines, which are nonsense as they stand, but I have always forgot to do so, and esteem myself fortunate in my negligence, since it has procured me the honor of your correspondence.

I am, sir, your obliged humble servant, Abbotsford, Melrose, WALTER SCOTT. October 20, 1812.

These lines, nevertheless, in the revised edition of the Poems, dated Abbotsford, April, 1830, stand as originally printed, without any comment or explanation. Edinburgh, June 4. JAMES MAIDMent.

M. Augustine Thierry, the historian of the Conquest of England by the Normans, died in his seventieth year, at Paris, on Thursday, May 22.

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