a son only thirteen years of age (the present Duke), over whose interests, both as regarded his education and his estates, Scott watched as jealously as if they had been those of his own son. Many were the anxious letters he wrote to Lord Montague as to his "young chief's" affairs, as he called them, and great his pride in watching the promise of his youth. Nothing can be clearer than that to Scott the feudal principle was something far beyond a name; that he had at least as much pride in his devotion to his chief, as he had in founding a house which he believed would increase the influence-both territorial and personal-of the clan of Scotts. The unaffected reverence which he felt for the Duke, though mingled with warm personal affection, showed that Scott's feudal feeling had something real and substantial in it, which did not vanish even when it came into close contact with strong personal feelings. This reverence is curiously marked in his letters. He speaks of "the distinction of rank" being ignored by both sides, as of something quite exceptional, but it was never really ignored by him, for though he continued to write to the Duke as an intimate friend, it was with a mingling of awe, very different indeed from that which he ever adopted to Ellis or Erskine. It is necessary to remember this, not only in estimating the strength of the feeling which made him so anxious to become himself the founder of a house within a house,— of a new branch of the clan of Scotts, but in estimating the loyalty which Scott always displayed to one of the least respectable of English sovereigns, George IV.,—a matter of which I must now say a few words, not only because it led to Scott's receiving the baronetcy, but because it forms to my mind the most grotesque of all the threads in the lot of this strong and proud man. CHAPTER XIIL SCOTT AND GEORGE IV. THE first relations of Scott with the Court were oddly enough, formed with the Princess, not with the Prince of Wales. In 1806 Scott dined with the Princess of Wales at Blackheath, and spoke of his invitation as a great honour. He wrote a tribute to her father, the Duke of Brunswick, in the introduction to one of the cantos of Marmion, and received from the Princess a silver vase in acknowledgment of this passage in the poem. Scott's relations with the Prince Regent seem to have begun in an offer to Scott of the Laureateship in the summer of 1813, an offer which Scott would have found it very difficult to accept, so strongly did his pride revolt at the idea of having to commemorate in verse, as an official duty, all conspicuous incidents affecting the throne. But he was at the time of the offer in the thick of his first difficulties on account of Messrs. John Ballantyne and Co., and it was only the Duke of Buccleuch's guarantee of 40007.—a guarantee subsequently cancelled by Scott's paying the sum for which it was a security-that enabled him at this time to decline what, after Southey had accepted it, he compared in a letter to Southey to the herring for which the poor Scotch clergyman gave thanks in a grace wherein he described 66 even this, the very least of Providence's mercies." it as In March, 1815, Scott being then in London, the Prince Regent asked him to dinner, addressed him uniformly as Walter, and struck up a friendship with him which seems to have lasted their lives, and which certainly did much more honour to George than to Sir Walter Scott. It is impossible not to think rather better of George IV. for thus valuing, and doing his best in every way to show his value for, Scott. It is equally impossible not to think rather worse of Scott for thus valuing, and in every way doing his best to express his value for, this very worthless, though by no means incapable king. The consequences were soon seen in the indignation with which Scott began to speak of the Princess of Wales's sins. In 1806, in the squib he wrote on Lord Melville's acquittal, when impeached for corruption by the Liberal Government, he had written thus of the Princess Caroline : "Our King, too—our Princess,-I dare not say more, sir,— For my part I'll spare not To beauty afflicted a tribute to give; Fill it up steadily, Drink it off readily, Here's to the Princess, and long may she live." But whoever "stood up " for the Princess's right, certainly Scott did not do so after his intimacy with the Prince Regent began. He mentioned her only with severity, and in one letter at least, written to his brother, with something much coarser than severity; but the king's similar vices did not at all alienate him from what at 1 Lockhart's Life of Scott, vi. 229-30. CHAPTER XIIL SCOTT AND GEORGE IV. THE first relations of Scott with the Court wer enough, formed with the Princess, not with the Pr Wales. In 1806 Scott dined with the Princess of W Blackheath, and spoke of his invitation as a great h He wrote a tribute to her father, the Duke of Brunc in the introduction to one of the cantos of Marmion, .. received from the Princess a silver vase in acknowledgn of this passage in the poem. Scott's relations with 1. Prince Regent seem to have begun in an offer to Scott the Laureateship in the summer of 1813, an offer which. Scott would have found it very difficult to accept, so strongly did his pride revolt at the idea of having to commemorate in verse, as an official duty, all conspicuous incidents affecting the throne. But he was at the time of the offer in the thick of his first difficulties on account of Messrs. John Ballantyne and Co., and it was only the Duke of Buccleuch's guarantee of 40007.-a guarantee subsequently cancelled by Scott's paying the sum for which it was a security-that enabled him at this time to decline what, after Southey had accepted it, he compared in a letter to Southey to the herring for which the poor Scotch clergyman gave thanks in a grace wherein he described 66 even this, the very least of Providence's mercies." it as to apeal at the P squib be wo peached for compe had written the a moment with that great orator and wit; Deing the fountain of honour, there was so of which the king was certainly the I do not think it was very easy for two inging from such a person to have flowed George justly prided himself on Sir ing been the first creation of his reign, ent showed that the poet was the founhonour for the king, than the king was o came to Edinburgh in 1822, it was Sir ed virtually as the master of the cerewhom it was chiefly due that the visit was it was then that George clad his substantial rst time in the Highland costume-to wit, artans-and was so much annoyed to find by a wealthy alderman, Sir William Fone and done likewise, and, in his equally Tartans, seemed a kind of parody of ay on which the king arrived, Tuesday, 822, was also the day on which Scott's nd, William Erskine, then Lord KinScott went on board the royal yacht, y received by George, had his health in a bottle of Highland whiskey, and w of devoted loyalty entreated to be glass out of which his Majesty had The request was graciously acceded ted on Scott's behalf, that on reaching ore his friend Crabbe the poet, he sat rift, and crushed it to atoms. One was really thinking more even of more of Erskine, than of the royal |