The edition of Scott, which was his own favorite, was issued
in Edinburgh in forty-eight volumes, from 1829 to 1833. Scott
wrote new prefaces and notes for this edition. Another is the
Border edition, with introductory essays and notes by Andrew
Lang (forty-eight volumes, 1892-1894). The recent editions of
Scott are numerous for, despite all criticisms of his careless
style, he holds his own with the popular favorites of the day.
Of his poems a good edition was edited by William Minto in two
volumes, in 1888. _The Life of Scott_ by his son-in-law, J.G.
Lockhart, is the standard work. This was originally issued in
seven volumes but Lockhart was induced to condense it into one
volume, which gives about all that the ordinary reader cares
for. This may be found in Everyman's library. Scott's
_Journal_ and his _Familiar Letters_, both edited by David
Douglas, contain much interesting material. The best short
lives of Scott are by R.H. Hutton in the English Men of
Letters series and by George Saintsbury in the Famous Scots
series. Among the best sketches and estimates of Scott are by
Andrew Lang in _Letters to Dead Authors_; Sir Leslie Stephen
in _Hours in a Library_; Conan Doyle in _Through the Magic
Door_; Walter Bagehot in _Literary Studies_; Stevenson in
_Gossip on Romance_ and in _Memoirs and Portraits_, and S.R.
Crockett in _The Scott Country_. _Abbotsford_, by Washington
Irving, gives the best personal sketches of Scott at home.