hich the "Great Unknown"
produced works of fiction, was one of the marvels of the age; and many
attempts were made to withdraw the curtain which concealed the
mysterious author. Successive years produced at least one, and often
two, novels of a class infinitely superior to the romances of the past
age, all having reference to the manners and habits of the most
interesting and chivalrous periods of Scottish or British history,
which, in these works, were depicted with a power and vivacity
unattained by the most graphic national historians. Subsequently to the
publication of "Guy Mannering" and "The Antiquary," in 1815 and 1816,
and as an expedient to sustain the public interest, Scott commenced a
new series of novels, under the title of "Tales of my Landlord," these
being professedly written by a different author; but this resort was
abandoned as altogether unnecessary for the contemplated object. Each
successive romance by the author of "Waverley" awakened renewed ardour
and enthusiasm among the public, and commanded a circulation
commensurate with the bounds in which the language was understood. Many
of them were translated into the various European languages. In the year
1814 he had published an edition of the works of Swift, in nineteen
volumes octavo.

For some years after his marriage, Scott had occupied a cottage in the
romantic vicinity of Lasswade, near Edinburgh; but in 1804 he removed to
Ashestiel, an old mansion, beautifully situated on the banks of the
Tweed, seven miles above Selkirk, where, for several years, he continued
to reside during the vacation of the Court. The ruling desire of his
life was, that by the proceeds of his intellectual labour he might
acquire an ample demesne, with a suitable mansion of his own, and thus
in some measure realise in his own person, and in those of his
representatives, somewhat of the territorial importance of those olden
barons, whose wassails and whose feuds he had experienced delight in
celebrating. To attain such distinction as a Scottish _laird_, or
landholder, he was prepared to incur many sacrifices; nor was this
desire exceeded by regard for literary reputation. It was unquestionably
with a view towards the attainment of his darling object, that he taxed
so severely those faculties with which nature had so liberally endowed
him, and exhibited a prolificness of authorship, such as has rarely been
evinced in the annals of literary history. In 1811 he purchased, on t