Edinburgh Under Sir Walter Scott

The Edinburgh of Walter Scott's infancy was still the old, romantic, medieval city. It was almost wholly confined within the city wall, a result of the adherence to customs sanc...

'The way is long, my children, long and rough-- The moors are dreary, and the woods are dark; But he that creeps from cradle on to grave Unskilled save in the velvet course of f...

Political Lawyers--Politics an 'accident' in Scott's History--Early Days at the Bar--Peter Peebles--_The Mountain_--Anecdote of Scott and Clerk--The German Class--Friendship wit...

Visit of Richardson and Cockburn to Abbotsford--Sir Walter at Home--Anecdote of Cranstoun--Patterson's Anecdotes--The Burke and Hare Murders--Anecdote of Cockburn--Dr. Knox--Cat...

The 'Meadows' one Hundred Years ago--A Resort of great Men--_Vixerunt fortes_--Their Intimacy and Quarrels--Hume and Ferguson--Home, the happy--His boundless Generosity--Sympath...

The 'Young Men of Edinburgh'--Their Whiggery--Anecdote of Jeffrey and Bell--James Graham, Author of _The Sabbath_--Sydney Smith--His Liking for Scotland--Whig Dread of Wit--Lord...

Description of St. Cecilia's Hall--Concerts--Old-fashioned Contempt for 'Stars'--Former Assembly Rooms--The George Street Rooms--Scott and the old Social Ways--Simplicity and Fr...

Topics of Talk--Religion--Scott's Freedom from Fanaticism--Dilettantism of the 'liberal young Men'--Politics--Basis of Scott's Toryism--Cockburn's Anecdote of Table-talk--Men of...

More Men of the Old School--Dr. Erskine--Scott on Church Disputes--His Admiration of Erskine's Character--Anecdote of Erskine's Walk to Fife--Professor Ferguson--His _History of...

Strongest 'Impressions' from the Waverley Novels--Special Charm of Death of the old Lawyer in Chrystal Croftangry's Recollections--Death of Walter Scott the Elder--The 'very sce...