APRIL.

_April_ 2.--Mr. Henry Liddell, eldest son of Lord Ravensworth, arrived

here. I like him and his brother Tom very much. They are what may be

termed fine men. Young Mackenzie of Cromarty came with him, who is a

fine lad and sings very beautifully. I knew his father and mother, and

was very glad to see him. They had been at Mertoun fishing salmon, with

little sport.

_April_ 3.--A letter from the Lord Chief Commissioner, reporting Lord

Palmerston and Sir Herbert Taylor's letters in Charles's favour. Wrote a

grateful answer, and resolved, that as I have made my opinion public at

every place where I could be called on or expected to appear, I will not

throw myself forward when I have nothing to say. May the Lord have mercy

upon us and incline our hearts to keep this vow!

_April_ 4.--Mr. Liddell and Hay Mackenzie left us this morning. Liddell

showed me yesterday a very good poem, worthy of Pope or Churchill, in

old-fashioned hexameters, called the [_illegible_]. He has promised me a

copy, for it is still being printed. There are some characters very well

drawn. The force of it belies the character of a Dandie, too hastily

ascribed to the author. He is accomplished as an artist and musician,

and certainly has a fine taste for poetry, though he may never cultivate

it.[445] He promises to bring his lady--who is very clever, but pretty

high, they say, in the temper--to spend a day or two with us after

leaving Edinburgh.

_April_ 5.--This fifth day of April is the March fair at Selkirk. Almost

every one of the family goes there, Mr. Laidlaw among others. I have a

hideous paralytic custom of stuttering with my pen, and cannot write

without strange blunders; yet I cannot find any failure in my intellect.

Being unable to write to purpose with my own hand, this forenoon was a

sort of holiday to me. The third volume of _Count Robert_ is fairly

begun, but I fear I shall want stuff to fill it, for I would not

willingly bombast it with things inappropriate. If I could fix my mind

to the task to-day, my temper, notwithstanding my oath, sets strong

towards politics, where I would be sure of making a figure, and feel I

could carry with me a great part of the middle-class, who wait for a

shot between wind and water--half comic, half serious, which is a better

argument than most which are going. The regard of my health is what

chiefly keeps me in check. The provoking odium I should mind much less;

for there will always be as many for as against me, but it would be a

foolish thing to take flight to the next world in a political gale of

wind. If Cadell gave me the least encouragement I would give way to the

temptation. Meantime I am tugging at the chain for very eagerness. I

have done enough to incense people against me, without, perhaps, doing

so much as I could, would, or should have done.

_April_ 6.--I have written to Alva and Lord Elgin, explaining why I

cannot, as they encourage me to do, take upon me the cause of the

public, and bell-the-cat with the reformers. I think I have done enough

for an individual.

I have more than half dictated the third volume to Mr. Laidlaw; but I

feel the subject wants action, and that a little repose will be very

necessary. Resolve to-morrow shall be a resting-day. I have not had one

this long time. I had a letter from Croker, advising a literary

adventure--the personal history of Charles Edward.[446] I think it will

do. Rode to Melrose and brought home the letters from the post-office.

_April_ 8,--I took leave of poor Major John Scott,[447] who, being

afflicted with a distressing asthma, has resolved upon selling his house

in Ravenswood, which he had dressed up with much neatness, and going

abroad to Jamaica. Without having been intimate friends, we were always

affectionate relations, and now we part, probably never to meet in this

world. He has a good deal of the character said to belong to the family.

Our parting with mutual feeling may be easily supposed.

_April_ 9.--This being Saturday, I expect the bibliopolist and

typographer about two o'clock, I suppose, when I shall have much to

journalise. Failures among the trade are alarming, yet not if we act

with prudence. _Nous verrons_.

Mr. Cadell and J. Ballantyne, with the son of the latter. Their courage

is much stouter than I apprehended. Cadell says he has lost £1000 by bad

debts, which is less than he expected, by bad times coming on at this

time. We have been obliged to publish the less popular part of the

Waverley Novels. At present I incline to draw a period after 48 volumes,

and so close the publication. About nine or ten volumes will then

conclude our _Magnum Opus_, so called, and Mr. Cadell thinks we shall

then begin the Poetical Works, in twelve volumes, with illustrations by

Turner, which he expects to rise as far as 12,000. The size is to be

that of the Waverley Novels.

_April_ 10.--I had a letter from Mr. Cowan, Trustee for

Constable's creditors, telling that the manuscripts of the Waverley

Novels had been adjudged to him, and offering them to me, or rather

asking my advice about the disposal of them. Answered that I considered

myself as swindled out of my property, and therefore will give no

consent to any sale of the pillage.[448] Cadell says he is determined to

get the MSS. from Cowan. I told him I would give him the rest of the

MSS., which are in my own hand, for Mr. Cadell has been very friendly to

me in not suffering me to want money in difficult times. We are not

pushed by our creditors, so can take our own time; and as our plans

prosper, we can pay off debt. About two o'clock enter two gentlemen in

an open carriage, both from Makerstoun, and both Captains in the Navy.

Captain Blair, a son of the member for Ayrshire, my old friend the Laird

of Blair. Just as they retreat, Mr. Pontey is announced. I was glad to

see this great forester. He is a little man, and gets along with an air

of talent, something like Gifford, the famous editor of the _Quarterly_.

As in his case mental acuteness gave animation to that species of

countenance which attends personal deformity. The whole of his face was

bizarre and odd, yet singularly impressive. We walked round, I with

great pain, by the Hooded Corbies' seat, and this great Lord of the

woodland gave the plantation great approbation. He seems rather

systematic in pruning, yet he is in a great measure right. He is

tolerably obstinate in his opinions. He dined, leaving me flattered with

his applause, and pleased with having seen him.

_April_ 11.--This day I went, with Anne and Miss Jane Erskine,[449] to

see the laying of the stones of foundation of two bridges in my

neighbourhood over Tweed and the Ettrick. There was a great many people

assembled. The day was beautiful, the scene romantic, and the people in

good spirits and good-humour. Mr. Paterson[450] of Galashiels made a

most excellent prayer; Mr. Smith[451] gave a proper repast to the

workmen, and we subscribed sovereigns apiece to provide for any

casualty. I laid the foundation-stone of the bridge over Tweed, and Mr.

C.B. Scott[452] of Woll that of Ettrick. The general spirit of

good-humour made the scene, though without parade, extremely

interesting.

_April_ 12.--We breakfasted with the Fergusons, after which Anne and

Miss Erskine walked up the Rhymer's Glen. I could as easily have made a

pilgrimage to Rome with pease in my shoes unboiled. I drove home, and

began to work about ten o'clock. At one o'clock I rode, and sent off

what I had finished. Mr. Laidlaw dined with me. In the afternoon we

wrote five or six pages more. I am, I fear, sinking a little, from

having too much space to fill, and a want of the usual inspiration which

makes me, like the chariot wheels of Pharaoh in the sands of the Red

Sea, drive heavily. It is the less matter if this prove, as I suspect,

the last of this fruitful family.

_April_ 13.--Corrected a proof in the morning. At ten o'clock began

where I had left off at my romance. Mr. Laidlaw agrees as to the portion

of what we are presently busy with. Laidlaw begins to smite the rock for

not giving forth the water in quantity sufficient. I remarked to him

that this would not profit much. Doing, perhaps, twelve pages a day will

easily finish us, and if it prove dull, why, dull it must be. I shall,

perhaps, have half a dozen to make up this night. I have against me the

disadvantage of being called the Just, and every one of course is

willing to worry me. But they have been long at it, and even those works

which have been worst received at their appearance now keep their ground

fairly enough. So we'll try our old luck another voyage.

It is a close, thick rain, and I cannot ride, and I am too dead lame to

walk in the house. So, feeling really exhausted, I will try to sleep a

little.

My nap was a very short one, and was agreeably replaced by Basil Hall's

Fragments of Voyages. Everything about the inside of a vessel is

interesting, and my friend has the great sense to know this is the case.

I remember when my eldest brother took the humour of going to sea, James

Watson[453] used to be invited to George Square to tell him such tales

of hardships as might disgust him with the service. Such were my poor

mother's instructions. But Captain Watson could not render a sea life

disgusting to the young midshipman or to his brother, who looked on and

listened. The account of assistance given to the Spaniards at Cape

Finisterre, and the absurd behaviour of the Junta, are highly

interesting--a more inefficient, yet a more resolved class of men than

the Spaniards were never conceived.

_April_ 14.--Advised by Mr. Cadell that he has agreed with Mr. Turner,

the first draughtsman of the period, to furnish to the poetical works

two decorations to each of the proposed twelve volumes, to wit, a

frontispiece and vignette to each, at the rate of £25 for each, which is

cheap enough considering these are the finest specimens of art going.

The difficulty is to make him come here to take drawings. I have written

to the man of art, inviting him to my house, though, if I remember, he

is not very agreeable, and offered to transport him to the places where

he is to exercise his pencil. His method is to take various drawings of

remarkable places and towns and stick them all together. He can

therefore derive his subjects from good accurate drawings, so with

Skene's assistance we can equip him. We can put him at home on all the

subjects. Lord Meadowbank and his son, Skene and his son, Colonel

Russell and his sister, dined with us.[454]

_April_ 15.--Lord Meadowbank, etc., went to Newark with me, and returned

to dine with the foregoing. Charming day.

_April_ 16.--Lord Meadowbank went to the circuit and our party to their

various homes. By the bye, John Pringle and his brother of Haining dined

with us yesterday. Skene walks with me and undertakes readily to supply

Turner with subjects. Weather enchanting. About 100 leaves will now

complete _Robert of Paris_. Query, will it answer? Not knowing, can't

say. I think it will.

_Sunday_ 16_th_ [17_th_] _April to Sunday_ 24_th_ of the same month

unpleasantly occupied by ill [health], and its consequences, a distinct

shock of paralysis affecting both my nerves and spine, though beginning

only on Monday with a very bad cold. Dr. [Abercrombie] was brought out

by the friendly care of Cadell, but young Clarkson had already done the

needful--that is, had bled and blistered severely, and placed me on a

very restricted diet. Whether these precautions have been taken in time

I cannot tell. I think they have, though severe in themselves, beat the

disease. But I am alike prepared,

"Seu versare dolos, seu certæ occumbere morti."[455]

I only know that to live as I am just now is a gift little worth having.

I think I will be in the Secret next week unless I recruit greatly.

_April_ 27.--They have cut me off from animal food and fermented liquor

of every kind, and would press upon me such trash as panada and the

like, which affect my stomach.

This I will none of, but quietly wait till my ordinary diet is

permitted, and thank God I can fast with any one. I walked out and found

the day delightful; the woods are looking charming, just bursting forth

to the tune of the birds. I have been whistling on my wits like so many

chickens, and cannot miss any of them. I feel, on the whole, better than

I have yet done. I believe I have fined and recovered, and so may be

thankful.

_April_ 28 and 29.--Walter made his appearance, well and stout, and

completely recovered of his stomach complaints by abstinence. He has

youth on his side, and I in age must submit to be a Lazarus. The medical

men persist in recommending a seton. I am no friend to these risky

remedies, and will be sure of the necessity before I yield consent. The

dying like an Indian under torture is no joke, and, as Commodore

Trunnion says, I feel heart-whole as a biscuit. My mind turns to

politics. I feel better just now, and so I am. I will wait till Lockhart

comes, but that may be too late.