ry man," he says, "to whom I felt that I could talk about
myself and my petty concerns with the confidence and freedom that I
would to an old friend--nor was I deceived. From the first moment that
I mentioned my work to him in a letter, he took a decided and
effective interest in it, and has been to me an invaluable friend."
(Vol. I, p. 456.) At this time Scott asked Irving to accept the
editorship of a political newspaper in Edinburgh, an offer which
Irving of course refused. (_Fam. Let._, Vol. II, p. 60; _Life of
Irving_, Vol. I, pp. 441-2, and Vol. III, pp. 272-3.) Scott called the
_Sketch Book_ "positively beautiful." He was by some people supposed
to be the author. In this connection it was said of him that his "very
numerous disguises," and his "well-known fondness for literary
masquerading, seem to have gained him the advantage of being suspected
as the author of every distinguished work that is published." (Letter
by Lady Lyttleton, in _Life of Irving_, Vol. II, p. 21.)]

[Footnote 335: _Lockhart_, Vol. III, p. 131; _Life of Irving_, Vol. I,
p. 240.]

[Footnote 336: _Lockhart_, Vol. IV, p. 161.]

[Footnote 337: _Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft_, Letter II.]

[Footnote 338: _Constable's Correspondence_, Vol. III, p. 199.]

[Footnote 339: _Lockhart_, Vol. V, pp. 100-104.]

[Footnote 340: Vol. I, p. 371.]

[Footnote 341: _Journal_, Vol. I, p. 359; _Lockhart_, Vol. V, p. 100.
See also _Journal_, Vol. II, pp. 483-4.]

[Footnote 342: Review of Hoffmann's novels, _Foreign Quarterly
Review_, July, 1827.]

[Footnote 343: _Lockhart_, Vol. IV, p. 19.]

[Footnote 344: M. Maigron says, speaking of the vogue of Scott in
France: "On peut affirmer meme que, de 1820 a 1830, aucun nom francais
ne fut en France aussi connu et aussi glorieux." (_Le Roman Historique
a l'Epoque Romantique_, p. 99. See also pp. 100-133.)]

[Footnote 345: The phrase is quoted from Scott's article on the _Life
and Works of John Home_, in which it is applied to Home's critical
work. The same idea occurs frequently in Scott's books, as indicating
one of the finest graces of life. It was one which Sir Walter was
foremost in practicing in all his social relations.]

[Footnote 346: He was talking about Pope. See the _Recollections_, by
R.P. Gillies, _Fraser's_, xii: 253 (Sept., 1835).]

[Footnote 347: Review of _The Battles of Talavera_, _Quarterly_,
November, 1