e
obliterated the memory of such parts of his life as friends would wish
to forget."
I have nothing to add to this interesting passage, except that Joanna
Baillie's tragedy of The Family Legend being performed at one of the
theatres during Scott's stay in town, Lord Byron accompanied the
authoress and Mr. and Mrs. Scott to witness the representation; and
that the vase with the Attic bones appears to have been sent to Scott
very soon after his arrival in London, not, as Mr. Moore had gathered
from the hasty diction of his Reminiscences, at some "subsequent
period of their acquaintance." {p.033} This is sufficiently proved by
the following note:--
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE LORD BYRON, ETC., ETC.
PICCADILLY, MONDAY.
MY DEAR LORD,--I am not a little ashamed of the value of the
shrine in which your Lordship has enclosed the Attic relics;
but were it yet more costly, the circumstance could not add
value to it in my estimation, when considered as a pledge of
your Lordship's regard and friendship. The principal
pleasure which I have derived from my connection with
literature has been the access which it has given me to
those who are distinguished by talents and accomplishments;
and, standing so high as your Lordship justly does in that
rank, my satisfaction in making your acquaintance has been
proportionally great. It is one of those wishes which, after
having been long and earnestly entertained, I have found
completely gratified upon becoming personally known to you;
and I trust you will permit me to profit by it frequently,
during my stay in town. I am, my dear Lord, your truly
obliged and faithful
Walter SCOTT.
It was also in the spring of 1815 that Scott had, for the first time,
the honor of being presented to the Prince Regent. His Royal Highness
had (as has been seen from a letter to Joanna Baillie, already quoted)
signified, more than a year before this time, his wish that the poet
should revisit London--and, on reading his Edinburgh Address in
particular, he said to Mr. Dundas, that "Walter Scott's charming
behavior about the laureateship had made him doubly desirous of seeing
him at Carlton House." More lately, on receiving a copy of The Lord of
the Isles, his Royal Highness's librarian had been commanded to write
to him in these terms:--
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