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Rh resistible. But is there much really to quarrel about? Gosse himself is not quite so sure of his ground. He says that if Europe will have nothing of Walter Scott, his own England may keep him for herself, exulting in her possession of him as the author of the most perfect style in the national literature, as a writer who never wrote a word that was morbid, impertinent, mean, or low, as the most perfect exemplification of the English gentleman.

Gentleman, yes, but poet?

Scott's poetic vein, never gushing with a very copious flow, soon was clogged by his essentially prosaic temperament. Even when he was writing in verse, there was little of the poet's inspiration in him, as may be verified by recalling any one of the most famous passages of his poems. Here is what he says of the Last Minstrel:

Or savour this decription of Melrose Abbey:

Quite as superficial is the art of his prose novels, replete with characters and cases known in the jargon of Latin critics as "interesting." Think of all the adventures, mysteries, duels, battles, intrigues, hairbreadth escapes, bandits, beautiful women, jolly friars,