seventeen Irving left school and began to study for the bar. But his
health, which had always been delicate, made it necessary for him to
take a long rest from study, and he accordingly left America for two
years of travel abroad. It was after his return home that he brought out
his Knickerbocker history, a work which made him so famous that when he
returned to England some time afterwards he found himself very well
known in the best literary circles. The results of this second visit are
found in the volumes comprising the _Tales of a Traveller_; _Bracebridge
Hall_; _Geoffrey Crayon's Sketch-Book_, and other miscellany, in which
occur charming descriptions of English country life, delightful ghost
stories, the famous description of an English Christmas, and the
immortal legend of _Rip Van Winkle_. One of Irving's most interesting
chapters in this collection is that of his visit to the haunts of Robin
Hood, whose exploits had so fascinated him as a boy that he spent his
entire holiday money in obtaining a copy of his adventures. _Abbotsford_
is an account of a visit that Irving paid to Sir Walter Scott. It is a
charming revelation of the social side of Scott's character, who
welcomed Irving as a younger brother in art, became his guide in his
visits to Yarrow and Melrose Abbey, and took long rambling walks with
him all around the country made so famous by the great novelist. Irving
recalled as among the most delightful hours of his life those walks over
the Scottish hills with Scott, who was described by the peasantry as
having "an awfu' knowledge of history," and whose talk was full of the
folklore, poetry, and superstitions that made up the interest of the
place.

In the evening they sat in the drawing-room, while Scott, with his great
hound, Maida, at his feet, read to him a scrap of old poetry, or a
chapter from King Arthur, or told some delightful bit of peasant
fairy-lore like that of the black cat which, on hearing one shepherd
tell another of having seen a number of cats dressed in mourning
following a coffin, sprang up the chimney in haste exclaiming, "Then I
am king of the cats!" and vanished to take possession of his vacant
kingdom. From this time on Irving's life was one of constant literary
labor for many years, all of which were spent abroad. His works on the
history of Spain, the companions of _Columbus_ and the _Alhambra_, were
compiled during his residence in Spain, where he had access to the
national a