ce, and I had a letter from Donald Horne,
by commission of the creditors, to express their sense of my exertions
in their behalf. All this is consolatory.

_January_ 28.--I am in the scrape of sitting for my picture, and had to
repair for two hours to-day to Mr. Colvin Smith--Lord Gillies's nephew.
The Chief Baron[122] had the kindness to sit with me great part of the
time, as the Chief Commissioner had done on a late occasion. The picture
is for the Chief Commissioner, and the Chief Baron desires a copy. I
trust it will he a good one. At home in the evening, and wrote. I am
well on before the press, notwithstanding late hours, lassitude, and
laziness. I have read Cooper's _Prairie_--better, I think, than his _Red
Rover_, in which you never get foot on shore, and to understand entirely
the incidents of the story it requires too much knowledge of nautical
language. It's very clever, though.[123]

_January_ 29.--This day at the Court, and wrote letters at home, besides
making a visit or two--rare things with me. I have an invitation from
Messrs Saunders and Otley, booksellers, offering me from L1500 to L2000
annually to conduct a journal; but I am their humble servant. I am too
indolent to stand to that sort of work, and I must preserve the
undisturbed use of my leisure, and possess my soul in quiet. A large
income is not my object; I must clear my debts; and that is to be done
by writing things of which I can retain the property. Made my excuses
accordingly.

_January_ 30.--After Court hours I had a visit from Mr. Charles Heath,
the engraver, accompanied by a son of Reynolds the dramatist. His object
was to engage me to take charge as editor of a yearly publication called
_The Keepsake,_ of which the plates are beyond comparison beautiful, but
the letter-press indifferent enough. He proposed L800 a year if I would
become editor, and L400 if I would contribute from seventy to one
hundred pages. I declined both, but told him I might give him some
trifling thing or other, and asked the young men to breakfast the next
day. Worked away in the evening and completed, "in a way and in a
manner," the notes on _Guy Mannering_. The first volume of the
_Chronicles_ is now in Ballantyne's hands, all but a leaf or two. Am I
satisfied with my exertions? So so. Will the public be pleased with
them? Umph! I doubt the bubble will burst. While it is current, however,
it is clear I should stand by it. Each novel of three volumes brings
L