LOCKHART's LIFE OF SCOTT.
THE second volume of this biography commences with the pub- lication of the Lay of the Last Minstrel, in 1804; and ends with the beginning of Scow's acquaintance with BYRON, in 1812. The main intermediate incidents in authorship, are the composition and publication of Marmion, the Lady of the Lake, and Don Roderick; the .editi .ns of DRYDEN and other literary plans of a species of trading character ; SCOTT'S share in the establishment of the Quar- terly Review ; and the several attempts at Waverley. In lire, the Most striking events are his partnership with BALLANTYNE ; his connexion with CONSTABLE ; his appointment to the office of Clerk of Session; the numerous connexions his reputation enabled him to form; his visits to London ; and the purchase of the fatal Abbotsford. To any one who knew nothing of' Scorr but what he had gained from the perusal of the earlier editions of' his works, it is probable that the first volume of Mr. LOCKHART'S work would be the most interesting. We must confess, however, that we prefer the second, as fresher, anal consequently more attractive in its matter ; and as eahibiting, Semr in a new light in Ilia m tturer years and when his character was forme.l. Mr. LOCKH tar, moreover, appears to have improved in tly■ execution of his task' and it would be dillicult to praise too highly the impartial spirit with which he has gane about it.
Like CLIVE anal BECEFORD, SCOTT might furnish a madern instance to a future Jtivax Si. of the evils that spring foam ea inordinate desire of wealth; and one of the most interesting points of the volume is the account of the manner in which, at the very dawn of his popularity, he laid the foundatioa of Ins future ills, and the slow but certain way itt which they wrangled him. Shortly after the publication or the Lay of the Last 'Vinci rel, he entered into a secret partnership with BALLANTYNE the printer; it being decided that every bookseller must employ BALLA NTYNS to print any thing that Seam. wrote. What such conduct in common trade would be called, we do not stop to inquire; but we will quote Mr. Loom SRT'S judicious observations on the prudence of the thing, and a letter of Scarfs to show the way in which he
pitched business.
It is an old saying, that wherever there is a secret there must be something wrong anal dearly did he 'my the penalty for the mystery in which he had chosen to involve this transaction. It was his rule, front the begioning, that whatever he wrote or edited most be printed at that press; anal had he catered for it only as author and sole editor, all had been well ; but !UPI the booksellers known has direct pecuniary imerest in keeping up and extending, the orcupation of those types, they woolit have taken into accoaut his lively imaginLtioa and sanguine temperament, as well as his taste and judgment, and considered, far more deliberately than they tam often did, his multifarious recommend ati my of new literal) schemes, coupled though these were with some dim understinding find, if the Ballantyne 'DVSS were employed, his own literary skill woold be at his friend's disposal for the general superintendence of the undertaking. On the other hand, Scott's suggestions were in many cases, perhaps in the Iii ijority of them conveyed through Ballantyne, whose habitual deference to his a opinion induced 'him tat ;pivot:ate them with enthusiastic zeal ; and the printer, who had thus pledged his personal mithority for the merits of the proposed scheme, must have felt himself L at to the bookseller, and could haidly refuse with decency to take a certain share of the pecuniary risk, by allowing the time and method of his own payment to be regulated according to the employer's conve- nience. Hence, by degrees, was woven a web of entanglement from which neither Ballantyne nor his adviser had any meansof escape, except only in that indomitable spirit, the mainspring of personal industry altogether unparalleled, to which, thus set in motion, the world owes its most gigantic monument of literary genius. The following is the first letter I have found of Scott to his PARTNER. The Mr. Foster mentioned in the beginning of it was a literary gentleman who had proposed to take on himself a considerable share in the annotation of some of the new editions then on the carpet ; among others one of Dryden.
TO MR• JAMES BALLANTENE, PRINTER, EDINBURGH.
Ashestiel, 12th April 1805.
" Dear Ballantyne—I have duly received your two favours, also Foster's. Ile still bowls about the expense of printing, but I think we shall finally settle. His argument is that you print too fine, alias too dear. I intend to stick to my answer, that I know nothing of the matter; but that settle it how you and he will, it must be printed by von, or can be no concern of mine. This gives you an advantage in driving the bargain. As to every thing else, I think we shall du, and I will endeavour to set a few volumes aguing on the plan you pro.
pose.
" I have imagined a very superb work. What think you of a complete edi- tion of Initish Poets, ancient and modern? Johnson's is imperfect anal out of lariat ; so is Bell's, which is a Lilliputian thing ; and Anderson's, the most complete in point of number, is most contemptible in enecution both of the edi- tor and printer. There is a scheme for you! At least a hundred volumes, to be published at the rate of ten a year. I cannot, however, be ready till Mid- sumtner. If the booksellers will give me a decent allowance per volume, say thirty guineas, I shall hold myself well paid on the writing hand. This is a dead secret.
" I think it quite right to let Dole have a share of Thompson ;-/- but he is hard anal slippery, so settle your bargain fast and firm—no loop-holes. I ant glad you have got some elbow-roatu at last. t'oivan will come to, or we will find some tit place in time. If not, we must build—necessity has no law. I arc nothing to hinder you from doing Tacitus, with your correctness of eye; and I congratidate you on the fair prospeet before us. When you have time you will make out a list of the debts to he discharged at Whitsunday, that we may see what cash we shall have in bank. Our bookkeeping may be very simple ; an accurale cash-book and ledger is nil that is necessary ; and I think I know enough of the matter to assist at making the balance. sheet. " lit short, with the assistaiwe of a little cash, I have no doubt things will go on d inert-ride. If yoo could take a little pleasuring, I wish you could come
here and ate us in all the glories of a Scottish spring. Yours truly, " W. Stove."
Upon his Tory politics we observed in our last notice: and, notwithstanding all commonplace sayings about his moderation, they seem to have been displayed boldly and like a partisan. He first discontinued writing for the Edinburgh on account of its poli- tics; he then struck his name off the list of subscribers; in order to show his party that he felt no gratitude to the Whigs for a favour they had conferred upon him, he wrote a scurrilous Tory song, full of personalities, and without any redeeming wit or point; he assisted in planning the Quarterly for the special put-pose of a party organ : and here is an instance of how deeply fanatic his party feelings were, excited perhaps by personal vanity. Scott's Tory feelings appear to have been kept in a very excited state during the whole of this short reign of the Whigs. He then, for the filet time, mingled keenly in the details of county politics, canvassed electors, harangued meetings; and, in a word, made himself conspicuous as a leading instrument of bis party; more especially as an indefatigable local manager, wherever the Parliamentary interest of the Buecleuch family was in peril. But he was, in truth, earnest and serious in his belief that the new rulers of the country were • A bookseller in Edinburgh.
A projected edition of the works of the author of the Seasons.
tlispeettl to abolish many of its most valtiable institutions ; and he regarded with special jealousy certain schemes of innovation with respect to the courts of law and the administration of justice, which were set on foot by the Crown Officers for Scotland. At a debate of the Faculty of Advocates on some of these pro- rsitions, he made a speech much longer than any he had ever before delivered JO that assembly ; and several who heard it have assured rte, that it had a flow and energy of eloquence for which those who knew him best had been quite un- prepared. When the meeting biole up, he walked across the Mound, on his way to Castle Street, between 51r..itffiey and another of his Reforming friends, who complimented him on the rhetorical powers he bad been displaying, and would willingly have treated the subject-matter of the discussion playfully. But his feelings had been moved to an extent far beyond their apprehension : he cschtimed, "No, no, 'tis no laughing mutter; little by little, whatever your wishes may be, you will destroy and undermine, until nothing of what makes Seritlahd Scotland shall remain." And so saying, he turned round to conceal his agitation ; but not until 111r. Jeffrey SSW tears gushing down his cheek,— resting his head until be recovered hintself on the wall of the Mound. Seldom, Reyes, in his more advanced age, did any feelings obtain such mastery.
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