The Works of Lord Byron: Letters and Journals, Volume 2

CORRESPONDENCE WITH WALTER SCOTT.

The following is Walter Scott’s reply to Byron’s letter of July 6, 1812: 

“Abbotsford, near Melrose, 16th July, 1812.

“MY LORD,—­I am much indebted to your Lordship for your kind and friendly letter; and much gratified by the Prince Regent’s good opinion of my literary attempts.  I know so little of courts or princes, that any success I may have had in hitting off the Stuarts is, I am afraid, owing to a little old Jacobite leaven which I sucked in with the numerous traditionary tales that amused my infancy.  It is a fortunate thing for the Prince himself that he has a literary turn, since nothing can so effectually relieve the ennui of state, and the anxieties of power.

“I hope your Lordship intends to give us more of ‘Childe Harold’.  I was delighted that my friend Jeffrey—­for such, in despite of many a feud, literary and political, I always esteem him—­has made so handsomely the ‘amende honorable’ for not having discovered in the bud the merits of the flower; and I am happy to understand that the retractation so handsomely made was received with equal liberality.  These circumstances may perhaps some day lead you to revisit Scotland, which has a maternal claim upon you, and I need not say what pleasure I should have in returning my personal thanks for the honour you have done me.  I am labouring here to contradict an old proverb, and make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, namely, to convert a bare ‘haugh’ and ‘brae’, of about 100 acres, into a comfortable farm.  Now, although I am living in a gardener’s hut, and although the adjacent ruins of Melrose have little to tempt one who has seen those of Athens, yet, should you take a tour which is so fashionable at this season, I should be very happy to have an opportunity of introducing you to anything remarkable in my fatherland.  My neighbour, Lord Somerville, would, I am sure, readily supply the accommodations which I want, unless you prefer a couch in a closet, which is the utmost hospitality I have at present to offer.  The fair, or shall I say the sage, Apreece that was, Lady Davy that is, is soon to show us how much science she leads captive in Sir Humphrey; so your Lordship sees, as the citizen’s wife says in the farce, ‘Thread-needle Street has some charms,’ since they procure us such celebrated visitants.  As for me, I would rather cross-question your Lordship about the outside of Parnassus, than learn the nature of the contents of all the other mountains in the world.  Pray, when under ’its cloudy canopy’ did you hear anything of the celebrated Pegasus?  Some say he has been brought off with other curiosities to Britain, and now covers at Tattersal’s.  I would fain have a cross from him out of my little moss-trooper’s Galloway, and I think your Lordship can tell one how to set about it, as I recognise his true paces in the high-mettled description of Ali Pacha’s military court.

“A wise man said—­or, if not, I, who am no wise man, now say—­that there is no surer mark of regard than when your correspondent ventures to write nonsense to you.  Having, therefore, like Dogberry, bestowed all my tediousness upon your Lordship, you are to conclude that I have given you a convincing proof that I am very much

“Your Lordship’s obliged and very faithful servant,

“WALTER SCOTT.”

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