Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 51.djvu/94

 apology. Purdie became his shepherd, then his bailiff, and remained till death an attached friend.

Scott now resolved, as he says (Introd. to the Lay), that literature should be his ‘staff, but not his crutch.’ He desired to be independent of his pen, though giving up hopes of the highest legal preferments. He applied, therefore, through Lord Dalkeith (2 Feb. 1805), to Lord Melville for an appointment, which he succeeded in obtaining in the following year. Lockhart thinks (ib. ch. xv. p. 36) that, besides the Buccleuch interest, a hint of Pitt's, who had expressed admiration of the ‘Lay,’ may have been serviceable. George Home, one of the ‘principal clerks of the quarter session,’ was becoming infirm; and, as there was no system of retiring pensions, Scott was associated in the office, on the terms of doing the duty for nothing during Home's life and succeeding to the position on his death. Some formal error having been made in the appointment, Scott went to London to obtain its rectification, and was afraid that upon the change of government advantage might be taken of the mistake. His fears were set at rest by Lord Spencer, then at the home office, and the appointment was gazetted on 8 March 1806. Scott was for the first time received in London as a literary lion, and made the acquaintance of Joanna Baillie, ever afterwards a warm friend. The duties of his clerkship occupied him from four to six hours daily for four days a week during six months of the year, and, though partly mechanical, required care and businesslike habits and the study of law papers at home. It brought him into close connection with his colleagues, the children of the several families all calling the other fathers ‘uncle.’ Soon afterwards he wrote a song, which James Ballantyne sang at a public dinner (27 June 1806), to commemorate the failure of Melville's impeachment. He desired, as Lockhart thinks (ib. ch. xv.), to show that his appointment had not interfered with his political independence. The words ‘Tally-ho to the Fox!’ used at a time when Fox's health was beginning to collapse, gave deep offence; and some friends, according to Cockburn (Memorials, p. 217), were permanently alienated. The particular phrase was of course used without ungenerous intention, and Scott paid a compliment to Fox's memory in ‘Marmion’ soon afterwards. But he was now becoming a keen partisan. Lockhart observes that during the whig ministry his tory feelings were ‘in a very excited state,’ and that he began to take an active part as a local manager of political affairs. When Jeffrey playfully complimented him on a speech before the faculty of advocates, Scott burst into tears, and declared that the whigs would leave nothing of all that made Scotland Scotland.

Ballantyne had removed to Edinburgh at the end of 1802, and set up a press in the precincts of Holyrood House (, ch. xi.). It was called the Border Press, and gained a reputation for beauty and correctness. Soon after the publication of the ‘Lay,’ Ballantyne, who had already received a loan from Scott, found that more capital was needed; Scott (ib. ch. xiv.) thought it imprudent to make a further advance, but agreed at the beginning of 1805 to become a partner in the business. The connection was a secret; and Scott, whose writings were now eagerly sought by publishers, attracted many customers. He arranged that all his own books should be printed by Ballantyne, while as a printer he became more or less interested in the publishing speculations. Scott's sanguine disposition and his generous trust in other authors led him also to suggest a number of literary enterprises, some very costly, and frequently ending in failure. Money had to be raised; and Scott, who seems to have first taken up Ballantyne somewhat in the spirit of a border-chief helping one of his clan, soon caught the spirit of commercial speculation. The first scheme which he proposed was for a collection of British poets, to be published by Constable. A similar scheme, in which Thomas Campbell was to be the editor, was in the contemplation of some London publishers. After some attempts at an alliance, Scott's scheme was given up; but he took up with great energy a complete edition of Dryden. In 1805 he was also writing for the ‘Edinburgh Review,’ and had made a beginning of ‘Waverley’ (ib. ch. xiv.). The name was probably suggested by Waverley Abbey, near Farnham, which was within a ride of Ellis's house where he had been recently staying. The first few chapters were shown to William Erskine (ib. ch. xxii. p. 202), and upon his disapproval the task was dropped for the time. Scott now adopted the habits which enabled him to carry out his labours. He gave up his previous plan of sitting up late, rose at five, dressed carefully, was at his desk by six, and before the family breakfast had ‘broken the neck of the day's work.’ A couple of hours afterwards he finished the writing, and was his ‘own man’ by noon. At Ashestiel he rode out, coursed with his greyhounds or joined in ‘burning the water,’ as described in ‘Guy Mannering.’ He answered every letter the same day, and thus got through a surprising