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The causes of Sir Walter Scott's ascendancy are to be found in the
goodness of his heart, the integrity of his conduct, the romantic
and picturesque accessories and atmosphere of his life, the fertile
brilliancy of his literary execution, the charm that he exercises,
both as man and artist, over the imagination, the serene, tranquilizing
spirit of his works, and, above all, the buoyancy, the happy freedom of
his genius.
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He was not simply an intellectual power, he was also a human and gentle
comforter. He wielded an immense mental force, but he always wielded it
for good, and always with tenderness. It is impossible to conceive of
his ever having done a wrong act, or of any contact with his influence
that would not inspire the wish to be virtuous and noble. The scope
of his sympathy was as broad as are the weakness and need of the human
race. He understood the hardship in the moral condition of mankind and
he wished and tried to relieve it.
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His writings are full of sweetness and cheer, and they contain nothing
that is morbid--nothing that tends toward surrender or misery. He
did not sequester himself in mental pride, but simply and sturdily,
through years of conscientious toil, he employed the faculties of a
strong, tender, gracious genius for the good of his fellow-creatures.
The world loves him because he is worthy to be loved, and because
he has lightened the burden of its care and augmented the sum of its
happiness.