_History of Scotland. By Sir Walter Scott, Bart._ Vol. I.
The rapid and sketchy page just quoted from _Blackwood's Magazine_ will
illustrate the high ground which periodical literature is daily
attaining in this country. Of this ascendancy, the volume before us is
indeed a fine specimen, and one of which we have reason to entertain a
national pride. We know it to be a common practice with publishers on
the continent to produce long works volume by volume, so that Dr.
Lardner's plan is by no means novel; but we should also bear in mind
that, compared with our family and cabinet libraries, the majority of
similar foreign works are mere flimsy productions; and the _Encyclopedie
Methodique_, published in monthly volumes, in Paris, both in quantity
and execution, will not reach our literary standards of 1829. As Dr.
Lardner's plan is well known, it need not here be repeated; neither need
we remark upon the high qualifications of Sir Walter Scott, as an
historian of Scotland. An extract shall speak for itself; and perhaps we
cannot do better than select one of the battle-pieces, which has all the
vividness of the finest historical painting: say