Mrs. Impey, an intelligent person, likes music, and particularly Scotch airs, which few people play better than Mrs. Lockhart and Miss Louisa Adam. Had a letter from Mr. William Upcott, London Institution, proposing to me to edit an edition of Garrick's Correspondence, which I declined by letter of this day. Thorough decided downfall of rain. Nothing for it but patience and proof-sheets.
_August_ 30.--The weather scarce permitted us more licence than yesterday, yet we went down to Lochore, and Walter and I perambulated the property, and discussed the necessity of a new road from the south-west, also that of planting some willows along the ditches in the low grounds. Returned to Blair-Adam to dinner.
_Abbotsford, August_ 31.--Left Blair at seven in the morning. Transacted business with Cadell and Ballantyne, but our plans will, I think, be stopped or impeded by the operations before the Arbiter, Mr. Irving, who leans more to the side of the opposite [party] than I expected. I have a letter from Gibson, found on my arrival at Abbotsford, which gives rather a gloomy account of that matter. It seems strange that I am to be bound to write for men who have broken every bargain with me.
Arrived at Abbotsford at eight o'clock at night.
FOOTNOTES:
[307] By Middleton, 1697.
[308] The Hector of Germanie, or the Palsgrave Prime Elector. An Honourable History by William Smith. 4to, 1615.
[309] Two London playhouses.--See Knight's _Biography of Shakespeare_.
[310] Molière's _La Princesse d'Élide_ (Prologue).
[311] See Crabbe's Tale of _The Struggles of Conscience_.--J.G.L.
[312] _Tales of a Grandfather_, Miscell. Prose Works, vol. xxiii. p. 72.
[313] See _Tales of the Genii_. _The Talisman of Oromanes_.
[314] Eldest daughter of William Fraser of Balnain.--See Burgon's _Life of P.F. Tytler_, 8vo, Lond. 1859. Mrs. Tytler died in London, aged eighty-four, in 1837.
[315] Alexr. Fraser Tytler, 1747-1813. Besides his acknowledged works, Lord Woodhouselee published anonymously a translation of Schiller's _Robbers_ as early as 1792.
[316] Henry Cranstoun, elder brother of Lord Corehouse and Countess Purgstall. He resided for some years near Abbotsford, at the Pavilion on the Tweed, where he died in 1843, aged eighty-six. An interesting account of Countess Purgstall is given by Basil Hall, who was with her in Styria at her death in 1835. This very early friend of Scott's was thought by Captain Hall to have been the prototype of Diana Vernon--"that safest of secret keepers."--See _Schloss Hainfeld_, 8vo, Lond. 1836.
[317] The property of Gattonside had been purchased in 1824 by George Bainbridge of Liverpool, a keen angler, author of _The Fly Fisher's Guide_, 8vo, Liverpool, 1816.
[318] Lady Anna Maria Elliot, see _ante_, p. 133.
[319] W. Scott of Maxpopple.
[320] In the fairy tale of Countess D'Aulnoy--_Fortunio_.
[321] See Johnson's _Rambler_, Nos. 204 and 205.
[322] Afterwards Sir Philip Crampton. "The Surgeon-General struck Sir Walter as being more like Sir Humphry Davy than any man he had met, not in person only, but in the liveliness and range of his talk."--_Life_, vol. viii. p. 23.
[323] Gaelic for "old women."
[324] William Douglas, fourth Duke of Queensberry, succeeded, on the death of his kinsman, Duke Charles, in 1778. He died in 1810 at the age of eighty-six, when his titles and estates were divided between the Duke of Buccleuch, Lord Douglas, the Marquis of Queensberry, and the Earl of Wemyss.
See Wordsworth's indignant lines beginning:
"Degenerate Douglas, oh the unworthy Lord";
also _George Selwyn and his Contemporaries_, 4 vols. 8vo, Lond. 1843-4.
[325] Alexander, tenth Earl of Home, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth, daughter of Henry, third Duke of Buccleuch.
[326] Charles, second son of Archibald Lord Douglas.
[327] James Thomas, Viscount Stopford, afterwards fourth Earl of Courtown, and his wife, Lady Charlotte, sister of the then Duke of Buccleuch, at that time still in his minority. Lady Charlotte died within eighteen months of this date.
[328]
"Thus Kitty, beautiful and young, And wild as colt untamed."
Prior's _Female Phaeton_.
Catherine Hyde, daughter of Henry Earl of Clarendon, and wife of Charles Duke of Queensberry. She was the friend of Gay, and her beauty, wit, and oddities have been celebrated in prose and rhyme by the wits and poets of two generations. Fifty-six years after Prior had sung her "mad Grace's" praises, Walpole added those two lines to the Female Phaeton--
"To many a Kitty Love his car, will for a day engage, But Prior's Kitty, ever fair, obtained it for an age."
She died at a great age in 1777. For her letter to George II. when forbid the Court, see Agar Ellis, _Historical Inquiries_, Lond. 1827, p. 40.
[329] Ballad on young Rob Roy's abduction of Jean Key, Cromek's _Collections_.--J.G.L.
[330] See Letter to C.K. Sharpe, from Drumlanrig, vol. ii. pp. 369-71.
[331] Sir Frederick Adam, son of the Chief Commissioner--a distinguished soldier, afterwards High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands, and subsequently Governor of Madras; he died in 1853.
[332] Mr. Richard Sharp published in 1834 a very elegant and interesting little volume of _Letters and Essays, in Prose and Verse_.--See _Quarterly Review_, 102.--J.G.L. He had been Member of Parliament from 1806 to 1820, and died on the 30th of March 1835 at the age of seventy-six.
SEPTEMBER
_September_ 1.--Awaked with a headache, which the reconsideration of Gibson's news did not improve. We save _Bonaparte_ however, and that is a great thing. I will not be downcast about it, let the worst come that can; but I wish I saw that worst. It is the devil to be struggling forward, like a man in the mire, and making not an inch by your exertions, and such seems to be my fate. Well! I have much to comfort me, and I will take comfort. If there be further wrath to come, I shall be glad that I bear it alone. Poor Charlotte was too much softened by prosperity to look adverse circumstances courageously in the face. Anne is young, and has Sophia and Jane to trust to for assistance.
_September_ 2.--Wrote this morning, but only two pages or thereabouts. At twelve o'clock set out with Anne and Walter to visit at Makerstoun, but the road between Makerstoun and Merton being very bad, we drove, I dare say, thirty miles in going and coming, by a circuitous route, and only got home at half-past seven at night. Saw Lady Brisbane Makdougall, but not Sir Thomas.[333] Thought of old Sir Henry and his older father Sir George. Received a box of Australian seeds, forwarded by Andrew Murray, now head-gardener to the Governor, whom I detected a clever boy, among my labourers in 1812, and did a little for him. It is pleasant to see men thrive and be grateful at the same time, so good luck to "Andrew Mora," as we called him.
_September_ 3.--Made up my necessary task for yesterday and to-day also, but not more, writing very heavily. Cousin Archie Swinton came to dinner. We had a dish of cousinred of course--and _of auld lang syne_.[334]
_September_ 4.--Archie Swinton left us this morning early. I wrote from seven to half-past two; but, partly that I had five proof-sheets to correct, partly that like old John Fraser[335] "I was not very cleever to-day." I made out but a page and a half.
_September_ 5.--Wrote task and half a page more. Terry arrived and brought with him a Mr. Bruce, from Persia, with an introduction, forsooth, from Mr. Blackwood. I will move a _quo warranto_ against this species of introduction; and the good gentleman is to be here, he informs me, for two days. He is a dark, foreign-looking man, of small stature, and rather blunt manners, which may be easily accounted for by his having been in the East for thirty years. He has a considerable share of information, and made good play after dinner.
_September_ 6.--Walter being to return to Ireland for three weeks set off to-day, and has taken Surtees and Charles with him. I fear this is but a wild plan, but the prospect seemed to make them so happy that I could not find in my heart to say "No" sufficiently peremptorily. So away they all went this morning to be as happy as they can. Youth is a fine carver and gilder. Went down to Huntly Burn, and dawdled about while waiting for the carriage to bring me back. Mr. Bruce and Colonel Ferguson pottered away about Persia and India, and I fell asleep by the fireside. Here is a fine spate of work--a day diddled away, and nothing to show for it! I must write letters now, there is nothing else for it. But--yaw--yaw--I must take a nap first. I had a letter from Jem Ballantyne, plague on him! full of remonstrance, deep and solemn, upon the carelessness of _Bonaparte_. The rogue is right too. But as to correcting my style to the
"Jemmy jemmy linkum feedle"
tune of what is called fine writing, I'll be d----d if I do. Drew £12 in favour of Charles for his Irish jaunt; same time exhorted him to make himself as expensive to Walter, in the way of eating and drinking, as he could. Mr. and Mrs. Impey arrived to dinner.
_September_ 7.--Mr. Bruce, the bastinadoed, left us this morning promising wine from Shiraz and arms from India. From our joint observation he must be a half-caste, probably half an Arab. He told us of his having been taken by pirates in the Arabian Gulf, and having received two thousand bastinadoes on the soles of his feet, after which he was buried in a heap of dung by way of cure. Though the matter was certainly serious enough to the sufferer, yet it excited our suppressed, or scarce suppressed, mirth. Alas! let never traveller tell any distress which borders on the ludicrous if he desires to excite the sympathy of the audience.