Publications of the Scottish History Society, Vol. 36 | Page 5

will calculate
on dining here on Sunday 2d at five o'clock. I will get Sharpe to meet
you who knows more about L'd Fountainhall than any one.--I am with
great penitence, dear Sir Thomas, your very faithful humble servant,
'WALTER SCOTT.'
[12] sic for rejecting.
[13] A word is omitted, perhaps 'assistance.'
'N.B.--The foregoing letter from Sir Walter, written in answer to mine

of the 25th May,[14] sufficiently shows the extent of the dilemma he
found himself thrown into. It is full of strange contradictions. He talks
of "printing rather than _publishing_" a book which was publickly
advertised and publickly sold. He assures me that he believed that it
was _Fountainhall's Life_, and not his works I meant to publish, though
the former part of the correspondence between us must have made him
fully aware that it was the works I had in view; and he unwittingly
proves to me immediately afterwards that he had not altogether
forgotten that it was the works I had taken in hand to publish, for he
says, "I expected to see you before I should have thought of publishing
the letter on the Revolution, and hoped to whet your almost blunted
purpose about doing that and some other things yourself." And again
afterwards--"it would have been easy to have written to enquire into
your intentions, indeed I intended to do so, but the thing had gone out
of my head." Why did you intend to write to me, Sir Walter, about
intentions which you have said you were unconscious had any
existence? But who can dare to be angry with Sir Walter Scott? Who
could be savage enough to be angry with the meanest individual who
could write with so much good nature and bonhommie as he displays in
his letter? Had one particle of angry feeling lurked in my bosom against
him, I should have merited scourging. My answer was as follows....'
[14] sic for 22nd May.
Sir Thomas was unable to accept Sir Walter's invitation, but proposed
to call on him, and received the following reply:--
'My dear Sir Thomas,--I am much mortified at finding that by a
peremptory message from my builder at Abbotsford, who is erecting an
addition to my house, I must set out there to-morrow at twelve. But we
must meet for all that, and I hope you will do me the honour to
breakfast here, though at the unchristian hour of _Nine o'clock_, and if
you come as soon after eight as you will, you will find me ready to
receive you. I mention this because I must be in the court at Ten. I hope
this will suit you till time permits a longer interview. I shall therefore
expect you accordingly.--Yours very sincerely,
WALTER SCOTT.
'_Castle Street, Friday_'
'It gives me sincere regret that this unexpected news[15] prevents my
having the pleasure of receiving you on Monday.'

[15] This word doubtful. It is indistinctly written.
Sir Thomas proceeds in his narrative:--
'N.B.--I kept my appointment accurately to the hour and minute, and
found the Great Unknown dashing off long foolscap sheets of what was
soon to interest the eyes, and the minds, and the hearts of the whole
reading world; preparing a literary food for the voracious maw of the
many-headed monster, every mouth of which was gaping wide in
expectation of it. He received me most kindly, though I could not help
secretly grudging, more than I have no doubt he did, every moment of
the time he so good-naturedly sacrificed to me. He repeated in words,
and, if possible, in stronger terms, the apologies contained in his letter.
I offered him my Manuscript and my humble services. He insisted that
he would not rob me of the fruits of my pious labours. "As I know
something of publishing," said he, with an intelligent smile on his
countenance, "I shall be able to give you some assistance and advice as
to how to bring the work properly and respectably out." I thanked him,
and ventured to entreat that he would add to the obligation he was
laying me under by giving me a few notes to the proposed publication.
In short, the result of an hour's conversation was that he undertook to
arrange everything about the publication with a bookseller, and to give
me the notes I asked, and, in fact, to do everything in his power to
assist me, and I left him with very great regret that a matter of business
prevented me from accepting of his pressing invitation to breakfast.
Before parting, he wrote for me the ensuing letter to Mr. Kirkpatrick
Sharpe, which I was deprived of an opportunity of delivering by the
shortness of my visit to Edinburgh.'
Sir Thomas soon afterwards completed his transcript, and on 7th June
1823 he wrote:--