Walter Scott was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1771, of an old Border
family. Up to the age of four he was rather feeble, an attack of fever
having left him with a shrunken right leg. This disability, though it
did not prevent his becoming a strong, sturdy man, still gave him ample
leisure for wide reading while he was young. In high school and at the
University of Edinburgh he was not known as a scholar, though he was
popular with his companions, especially as a storyteller. In obedience
to his father's wishes he took up law and toiled unenthusiastically at
this profession for some years. Some trips of his into the Scotch
Highlands led him to make a collection of old ballads, published in
_Border Minstrelsy_ (1802). From this time on he devoted himself
exclusively to literature. His first important original poem, _The Lay
of the Last Minstrel_, came out in 1805, followed by _Marmion_ (1808),
_The Lady of the Lake_ (1810), _The Vision of Don Roderick_ (1811), and
others of less merit. He had about this time become a silent partner in
the printing firm of Ballantyne Brothers, contributing largely to the
capital. In 1812 he purchased a farm on the river Tweed and built the
famous house Abbotsford. The estate was an unprofitable investment, as
it led him into extravagances apparently justified by an increasing
income but really based on a false optimism.
In 1814 Scott wrote _Waverley_, the first of the long series of novels
which made him distinguished as a prose-writer. From this time on his
major work was in prose. He recognized without envy that Byron was
beating him on his own ground in poetry, and accordingly changed to a
field where success was surer. He was apparently prospering financially
when, in 1827, the firm of which he was a member went into bankruptcy,
largely because of poor business management, and he was left shouldered
with a debt of about $600,000. Undaunted he set to work at the age of
fifty-five to satisfy his creditors, and book after book poured from his
pen until in four years he had paid off $270,000. The effort, however,
was too much for his health; he broke down, and, after a short visit to
Italy, died at Abbotsford in 1832.
Scott's character was almost wholly admirable. He was manly,
courageous, faithful, and generous. Always popular, he was a lavish
entertainer in his prosperous days. He did his work cheerfully and bore
up without complaint against misfortune and suffering such as few men
are called upon to endure.
As a poet he was fluent, vigorous, and spirited, but usually paid little
attention to form and polish. He made no effort to become a careful
writer; but this is sometimes compensated for by a certain robustness
which most of his verses possess. His poetical genius is best shown in
narrative, where the movement is rapid and the action full of exciting
moments. If his poems lack intense passion and deep meditation, they are
at least picturesque and interesting.
J. G. Lockhart, Scott's son-in-law, is the author of the most complete
biography. A good shorter life is that by R. H. Hutton in the English
Men of Letters Series.