but
the failures of a man of sense are always painful.

I quite agree about Napier's book. I do[114] not think that any[114] man
would venture to write so true, bold, and honest a book; it gave me a
high idea of his understanding, and makes me very anxious about his
_caractere_

Ever yours,

SYDNEY SMITH.

FOOTNOTES:

[114] One would expect either "did" or "other": but the actual
combination is a very likely slip of pen or press.

SIR WALTER SCOTT (1771-1832)

Since this little book was undertaken it has been announced,
truly or not, that the bulk of Scott's autograph letters has
been bought by a fortunate and wise man of letters for the
sum of L1500. Neither life nor literature can ever be
expressed in money value: but if one had L1500 to spend on
something not directly necessary, it is possible to imagine
a very large number of less satisfactory purchases. For as
was briefly suggested in the Introduction, Scott's
letters--while saturated with that singular humanity and
nobility of character in which he has hardly a rival among
authors of whom we know much--are distinctly remarkable from
the purely literary point of view. His published work, both
in verse and prose, has been accused (with what amount of
justice we will not here trouble ourselves to discuss)--of
carelessness in style and art. No such charge could possibly
be brought against his letters, which hit the happy mean
between slovenliness and artificial elaboration in a fashion
that could hardly be bettered. The great variety of his
correspondents, too, provides an additional attraction: for
letters indited to the same person are apt to show a certain
monotony. And Scott is equal to any and every occasion. Here
as elsewhere the "Diary" drains off a certain proportion of
matter: but chiefly for the latest period and in
circumstances scarcely happy enough for letters themselves.

The following letter was selected because of its admirable
treatment of a theme--the behaviour, responsibility, and
general _status_ of Authors as objects of public
judgment--on which an infinite amount of deplorable and
disgusting nonsense has been talked and written. It starts,
as will be seen, with the quarrel between Lord and Lady
Byron--and then generalises. Not many things show Scott's
golden equity a