"EDINBURGH, 5 _June_ 1829."
The Messrs. Hay Allan subsequently took the names of John Sobieski
Stuart (who assumed the title of Comte d'Albanie) and Charles Edward
Stuart. John Sobieski died in 1872, and Charles Edward in 1880. The
"original" of Sir Richard Forrester's manuscript was never submitted to
the inspection of the Deputy Register, as suggested by Scott; but it was
published in a very handsome shape a dozen years later, and furnished a
text for an article in the _Quarterly_, in which the authenticity of the
book, and the claims of the author and his brother, were unsparingly
criticised by the late Professor Skene of Glasgow.--See "The Heirs of
the Stuarts" in _Quarterly Review_, vol. lxxxii.
[334] _Ante_, vol. i. p. 91, 92.
[335] There are so few of "Darsie Latimer's" letters preserved that the
following may be given relating to the _Bride of Lammermoor_:--
"EDIN. _Sept_. 1, 1829.
"MY DEAR SIR WALTER,--I greet you well (which, by the way, is the proper
mode of salutation in this cursed weather, that is enough to make us all
greet). But to come to my proposal, which is to forward to you a
communication I had within these few days from Sir Robert Horne
Dalrymple Elphinstone.
"After expressing the great pleasure the perusal of your notes to the
new edition of the Novels had given him, he adds: 'I wish you would give
him a hint of what I formerly mentioned to you regarding my
great-grandaunt and your own relative, the unfortunate Bride of
Lammermoor. It was first mentioned to me by Miss Maitland, the daughter
of Lady Rothes (they were the nearest neighbours of the Stair family in
Wigtownshire), and I afterwards heard the tradition from others in that
country. It was to the following effect, that when, after the noise and
violent screaming in the bridal chamber, comparative stillness
succeeded, and the door was forced, the window was found open, and it
was supposed by many that the lover (Lord Rutherford) had, by the
connivance of some of the servants, found means, during the bustle of
the marriage feast, to secrete himself within the apartment, and that
soon after the entry of the married pair, or at least as soon as the
parents and others retreated and the door was made fast, he had come out
from his concealment, attacked and desperately wounded the bridegroom,
and then made his escape by the window through the garden. As the
unfortunate bride never spoke after having uttered the words mentioned
by Sir Walter, no light could be thrown on the matter by them. But it
was thought that Bucklaw's obstinate silence on the subject favoured the
supposition of the chastisement having been inflicted by his rival. It
is but fair to give the unhappy victim (who was by all accounts a most
gentle and feminine creature) the benefit of an explanation on a
doubtful point.'
"So far my worthy friend, who seems a little jealous of the poor bride's
reputation. I send you his note, and you can make what you like of it. I
am intending a little jaunt to his country, and we mean to visit sundry
old castles in Aberdeenshire, and wish you were of the party. I have
heard nothing of Linton [cognomen for Sir Adam Ferguson] this summer. I
hope you have been passing your time agreeably.--With best compliments
to all friends, I remain, my dear Sir Walter, ever yours,
"WM. CLERK."
[336] Written by William Mudford, born 1782, died 1848.
[337] _Twelfth Night_, Act III. Sc. 4
[338] See _Life_, vol ix. pp. 325-6.
[339] The last reference in the Journal to his old friend Lady Jane
Stuart, who died on the following October.
[340] Now in the rooms of the Royal Society, Edinburgh.
[341] _Annals of the Peninsular War_. 3 vols. 8vo, 1829.
[342] _Memoirs of General Miller in the Service of the Republic of
Peru_. 2 vols. 8vo, 1829.
[343] Mr. Lockhart had written on June 6:--"Moore is at my elbow and
says he has not the face to bother you, but he has come exactly to the
part where your reminiscences of Lord Byron would come in; so he is
waiting for a week or so in case they should be forthcoming." And Moore
himself had previously reminded Sir Walter of his promise.
_April 25th_, 1829.
"My DEAR SCOTT,--It goes to my heart to bother you, knowing how bravely
and gloriously you are employed for that task-mistress--Posterity. But
you may thank your stars that I have let you off so long. All that you
promised me about Mrs. Gordon and Gicht, and a variety of other things,
is remitted to you; but I positively _must_ have something from you of
your recollections personally of Byron--and that as soon as possible,
for I am just coming to the period of your acquaintance with him, which
was, I think, in the year 1814. Tell me all the particulars of the
presents you exchanged, and if his letters to you are really _all_ lost
(which I will still hope is not the case); try, as much as possible,
with your memory
'To lure the tassel gentles back again.'
"You will have seen by the newspapers the sad loss my little circle of
home has experienced, a loss never to be made up to us in this world,
whatever it may be the will of God in another. Mrs. Moore's own health
is much broken, and she is about to try what Cheltenham can do for her,
while I proceed to finish my printing in town. It would be far better
for me to remain in my present quiet retreat, where I am working quite
alone, but the devils beckon me nearer them, and I must begin in a few
days. Direct to me, under cover to Croker--you see I take for granted
you will have a packet to send--and he will always know where to find
me.
"My kindest remembrances to Miss Scott, and believe me ever, my very
dear friend, your truly and affectionate,
"THOS. MOORE."
The "memoranda" were not acknowledged by Moore till Oct. 31, when he
wrote Scott as follows:--
"MY DEAR SCOTT,--I ought to blush 'terrestrial rosy-red, shame's proper
hue' for not sooner acknowledging your precious notes about Byron. One
conclusion, however, you might have drawn from my silence, namely, that
I was satisfied, and had all that I asked for. Your few pages indeed
will be the best ornament of my book. Murray wished me to write to you
(immediately on receipt of the last MS. you sent me) to press your
asking Hobhouse for the letter of your own (in 1812) that produced
Byron's reply. But I was doubtful whether you would like to authorise
the publication of this letter, and besides it would be now too late, as
the devils are in full hue and cry after my heels.
"Health and prosperity to you, my dear friend, and believe me, ever
yours most truly,
"THOMAS MOORE."
[344] Burns.
[345] _Merry Wives_, Act I. Sc. 3.
[346] Mr. Skene at this time was engaged upon a series of etchings,
regarding which he had several letters from Sir Walter, one of which may
be given here:--
"MY DEAR SKENE,--I enclose you Basil Hall's letter, which is very
interesting to me; but I would rather decline fixing the attention of
the public further on my old friend George Constable. You know the
modern rage for publication, and it might serve some newsmen's purpose
by publishing something about my old friend, who was an humourist, which
may be unpleasing to his friends and surviving relations.
"I did not think on Craignethan in writing about Tillietudlem, and I
believe it differs in several respects from my Chateau en Espagne. It is
not on the Clyde in particular, and, if I recollect, the view is limited
and wooded. But that can be no objection to adopting it as that which
public taste has adopted as coming nearest to the ideal of the place. Of
the places in the _Black Dwarf,_ Meiklestane Moor, Ellislie,
Earnscliffe, are all and each _vox et, praeterea nihil_. Westburnflat
once was a real spot, now there is no subject for the pencil. The
vestiges of a tower at the junction of two wild brooks with a rude
hillside, are all that are subjects for the pencil, and they are very
poor ones. Earnscliffe and Ganderscleuch are also visions.
"I hope your work is afloat[B] and sailing bobbishly. I have not heard
of or seen it.
"_Rob Roy_ has some good and real subjects, as the pass at Loch Ard, the
beautiful fall at Ledeard, near the head of the lake. Let me know all
you desire to be informed without fear of bothering. Kindest compliments
to Mrs. Skene and the young folks.--Always yours entirely, WALTER
SCOTT."
[B] Twenty numbers of this work were published in 1828 and 1829 under
the title of "A Series of Sketches of the existing Localities alluded to
in the Waverley Novels," etched from original drawings by James Skene,
Esq.
[347] A copy of this rather rare book is still in the Abbotsford
Library. Its title is "Colonel Wm. Francklin's Military Memoirs of
George Thomas, who by extraordinary talents and enterprise rose from an
obscure situation to the rank of General in the service of the Native
Powers in the N.W. of India," 4to, Calcutta, 1803.
[348] The poem of this name is attributed to King James I. of Scotland,
but Dr. Irving in his _History of Scottish Poetry_ says the earliest
edition known to him dates only from 1663.
[349] Professor of Logic in the University of Edinburgh from 1775 till
1792, when he resigned his chair and became Keeper of the State Paper
Office, and Historiographer to the East India Company in London. He
wrote several elaborate and valuable reports for the Government, which,
though printed, were never published; among others, one in 1799, in 2
vols. 8vo, "On the Union between England and Scotland: its causes,
effects, and influence of Great Britain in Europe." In the previous year
he also prepared another on the arrangements made for repelling the
Armada, and their application to the crisis of 1798. This able man
returned to Scotland, and died in Falkland about two years before Scott
visited the place.
[350] An account of the finding of this seal (which was thought to be
that of Joan of Beaufort, wife of James I.) at Kinross, in April 1829,
is given in the _Archæologia Scotica,_ vol. iv. p. 420.