Near scenery of "The Black Dwarf" and "St. Ronan's Well" is Neidpath Castle, where lived "The Maid of Neidpath," of whose love and of whose sad death at Peebles he wrote. Smailholme Tower, haunt of his childhood and scene of "The Eve of Saint John," is described on pages 313-15; and on page 310 Cauldshiels Loch, associated with his plaintive lines, — "The sun upon the Weirdlaw Hill, In Ettrick's vale, is sinking sweet." In the same region is the Rhymer's Glen (page 310), where, on "Huntlie Bank," prophetic "Thomas lay, like one awakened from a dream;" and "Tweed River," along which linger the unearthly songs of the mystic White Lady of Avenel. Far on the southern border, his lines, composed in 1799, tell us to "Go sit old Cheviot's crest below;" and at Harden, a scene in the "Lay," is recalled the story of the "Reiver's Wedding," written in 1802. In the great hill-country westward is still the animating influence of the old war-call : · : "March, march, Ettrick and Teviotdale, March, march, Eskdale and Liddesdale, And in the same wild region is many a lonely spot that might be imagined the scene of "The Shepherd's Tale" of Covenanter's Trials, "In persecution's iron days, When the land was left by God;" or of a very different story, the elopement of a "ladie” “wi Jock of Hazeldean;" or the week's shooting and fishing, after which Scott wrote the lines, "On Ettrick Forest's mountains dun 'Tis blithe to hear the sportsman's gun." At the confluence of the Ettrick and the Yarrow is a spot celebrated in a song written in 1815, published in 1826 “with Music in Mr. G. Thomson's Collection," and entitled "On the Lifting of the Banner of the House of Buccleuch, at a Great Foot-ball Match on Carterhaugh." The chorus is very spirited: — "Then up with the Banner, let forest winds fan her, The "English novels" in the Waverley series contain much excellent poetry, but not many passages that have definite local associations. Chepstow Castle in South Wales was the scene of a ballad, "The Norman Horse-shoe." An old cathedral city in North Wales was, also, scene of another short poem on an event too characteristic of early Christian times in Britain, pathetically yet powerfully told in "The Monks of Bangor's March," beginning, "When the heathen trumpet's clang Round beleaguer'd Chester rang, Veiled nun and friar gray March'd from Bangor's fair Abbaye;" and closing with recital of "the long procession's " tragic end :— "Bangor! o'er the murder wail! "Never shall thy priests return; The pilgrim sighs and sings for thee, O miserere, Domine!" Wide as the lands of Scott, indeed, are spread attaching memories of his verses. St. Cloud suggests those written at Paris, Sept. 5, 1815: "Soft spread the southern summer night Her veil of darksome blue: Ten thousand stars combined to light The terrace of Saint Cloud." "The Dance of Death" over Belgian grain-fields brings to mind how "Night and morning were at meeting A spirited and "literal translation of an ancient Swiss ballad upon the battle of Sempach, fought 9th July, 1386," and the crowning victory of the Swiss war for independence, reanimates the shores of the lake that gave name to the action. It is hardly possible, however, to mention in this chapter even the names of all the flowers of verse with which Scott's imagination has rendered many a spot more lovable; or to refer, except collectively, to those charming passages of his "anonymous verses of "old plays," or "old ballads," mottoes to chapters of his prose fictions, that disclose so much of his inner feeling and life. His numerous miscellaneous poems, also, do not require here detail of description, although worthy of it in any form of essay upon his works. The quantity and the quality of these is surprising. One of them may be named for a peculiarity: it is "The Search after Happiness; or, the Quest of Sultaun Solimaun," a long composition that is one of the very few by Scott containing an Irish character, a species that appears to have been no greater favorite with him than with Shakspeare. Another poem, that appeared in 1822, when George IV. visited Edinburgh, shows many features of Scott's nature. It is headed "Carle, now the King's come, being new words to an auld spring," and tells with great spirit how "The news has floun fræ mouth to mouth, The North for ance has bang'd the South; Carle, now the King's come!" It may, indeed, be considered an adequate representative of Scott's minor poems, as well as of his tastes, disposition, and principles; abounding as it does in legend, history, topography, pomp and stir, intense Scotticism and his political belief, - toryism, quite likely; but, nevertheless, sturdy loyalty that any man may honestly feel for the embodied authority of his country, a loyalty that, through life, animated Scott. L. SCOTT'S LIFE, 1816-1832; HIS CHARACTER. THE END. THE HE history of the last sixteen years of Scott's life has already been partly told or illustrated as the course of the imaginary tour has been traced in this book. His chief home during this period, Abbotsford, has been described between the 301st and 312th pages. Places with which he was most intimately associated in his "own romantic town," Edinburgh, are mentioned in the twenty-ninth chapter, and similar localities in London on pages 417 to 420. The region to which he made his last long excursion in Scotland (July, 1831) is, with his journey, sketched on pages 200 and 201. The story of his last earthly resting-place, Dryburgh Abbey, is told on pages 316 to 321; of his great memorial cross at Edinburgh on pages 261 to 263; of the monument to his memory at Selkirk on page 294; of that at Glasgow on page 187, and of that at Perth on page 235. While the chapters that precede this final one have contained accounts of the scenery and objects chiefly associated with his life, and with his compositions, some comprehensive and yet brief review is wanted of the culminating period of his career. And this retrospect may be made here, before some parting thought of both his genius and his character. The year 1816, Mr. Lockhart informs us, has, in Scott's life, "left almost its only traces in the successive appearance of nine volumes, which attest the prodigal genius, and hardly less astonishing industry, of the man." Early in January were published in an octavo, “Paul's Letters to his Kinsfolk,” shaped mostly from those written by Scott to his family, during his tour on the Continent in 1815, and relating to contemporary European affairs. In the spring, Mr. Terry, the actor, produced a dramatic rendering of “Guy Mannering," that "met with great success on the London boards.” "The Antiquary" (Chapter xxvi.) was published in three volumes during May. At this time he was occasionally composing passages of "Harold the Dauntless" (Chapter xv.), "which he seems to have kept before him for two years as a congenial play thing, to be taken up whenever the coach brought no proof-sheets to jog him as to serious matters." He had also "undertaken to write the historical department of the Edinburgh Register' for 1814." This "sketch," occupying three hundred and sixty-four pages, large octavo, appeared in October, 1816. During the spring, "he felt no hesitation," Mr. Lockhart continues to inform us, "about pledging himself to complete . . . four new volumes of prose romances, and his 'Harold the Dauntless' also, . . . between the April and the Christmas of 1816." The former works appeared on the first of December, under the general title of the "Tales of my Landlord, First Series," consisting of "The Black Dwarf" (Chapter xxxii.) and "Old Mortality" (Chapter xxii.). Mr. John Murray (the publisher at London) has recorded the effect that the latter produced on him and on metropolitan literary authorities. "I believe," he wrote to Scott, "I might, under any oath that could be proposed, swear that I never experienced such unmixed pleasure as the reading of this exquisite work has afforded me. . . . Lord Holland said, when I asked his opinion: 'Opinion! we did not one of us go to bed last night, — nothing slept but my gout.' Frere, Hallam, Boswell [Jr.], Lord Glenbervie, William Lamb, all agree that it surpasses all the other novels. Gifford's estimate is increased at every perusal. Heber says there are only two men in the world, Walter Scott and Lord Byron." But sufficient account has already been given in these chapters of the wonderful industry and creative power of Scott. His position as an author and as a man at this time may be enough to describe here; and then, more briefly, the story of the closing of his career may be told. Scott had attained rank among the most distinguished poets of Britain, and in popular estimate was the second of those living. His greater poems had become well known by the world. He was the supposed, perhaps the almost universally supposed, "Great Unknown" and "Author of "Waverley."" That remarkable work of fiction had created a new era in romantic literature. "Guy Mannering," "The Antiquary," and two "Tales of my Landlord" were perpetuating the interest aroused by the event. His historical compositions had recognized value. His zeal, labor, knowledge, and productions in departments of antiquarian research, had great and appreciated merit. In law, offices, and the various business of life, he was active, honest, respected. In society, from royalty to |