country, the monks removed to Rippon for a season; and it was in return from thence to Chester-le-Street, that, passing through a forest called Dunholme, the saint and ⚫ his carriage became immoveable at a place named Wardlaw, or Wardilaw. Here the saint chose his place of residence; and all who have seen Durham must admit, ⚫ that, if difficult in his choice, he evinced taste in at length 'fixing it.'

The following story is prefixed to a ballad, called Græme and Bewick, in the Border Minstrelsy*:- The quarrel of 'the two old chieftains, over their wine, is highly in cha'racter. A minstrel, who flourished about 1720, and is • often talked of by the old people, happened to be perform6 ing before one of these parties, when they betook them'selves to their swords. The cautious musician, accustomed 'to such scenes, dived beneath the table. A moment after, ' a man's hand, struck off with a back-sword, fell beside him. The minstrel secured it carefully in his pocket, as 'he would have done any other loose moveable; sagely 'observing, the owner would miss it sorely next morning.'

In a note on the third canto of Marmion, we are entertained with the narrative of a conflict maintained by an officer and his servant against an apparition. How the

⚫ combat terminated,' says the author, I do not exactly remember, and have not the book by me; but I think the 'spirit made to the intruders on his mansion the usual pro

posal, that they should renounce their redemption; which 'being declined, he was obliged to retreat.'

The following description, among many others in the same style, occurs in Paul's Letters. "A good bluff quar' ter-master of dragoons complained to me of the discom

Vol. ii. part 2.

forts which they experienced from the condition to which 'the country had been reduced, but in a tone and manner ' which led me to conjecture, that my honest friend did not 'sympathise with the peasant, who had been plundered of 'his wine and brandy, so much as he censured the Prussians ' for leaving none for their faithful allies.

"O noble thirst!—yet greedy to drink all."

"In the meanwhile, it is no great derogation from the dis6 cipline of the English army to remark, that some old 'schoolboy practices were not forgotten; and that where 'there occurred a halt, and fruit-trees chanced to be in the 'vicinity, they instantly were loaded like the emblematic 'tree in the frontispiece to Lily's Grammar, only with 'soldiers instead of scholars; and surrounded by their ' wives, who held their aprons to receive the fruit, instead ❝ of satchels, as in the emblem chosen by that learned gram'marian.'-Letter XI.

In the novels, almost every comic passage, of the narrative kind, is characterized by this burlesque rotundity of diction. I will offer a specimen from the scene where Caleb Balderstone, after stealing the cooper's wild-fowl, (an incident related with incomparable humour,) is overtaken on the road by his foreman. I have heard somewhere a • story of an elderly gentleman, who was pursued by a bear ' that had gotten loose from its muzzle, until completely • exhausted. In a fit of desperation, he faced round upon 6 Bruin, and lifted his cane; at the sight of which the in•❝stinct of discipline prevailed, and the animal, instead of

tearing him to pieces, rose upon his hind-legs, and in'stantly began to shuffle a saraband. Not less than the

I

joyful surprise of the senior, who had supposed himself in the extremity of peril from which he was thus unexpectedly relieved, was that of our excellent friend Caleb, when he ❝ found the pursuer intended to add to his prize, instead of bereaving him of it. He recovered his latitude, however, instantly, so soon as the foreman, stooping from his nag, where he sat perched betwixt the two barrels, whispered ' in his ear, If ony thing about Peter Puncheon's place 'could be airted their way, John Girder would mak it better to the Master of Ravenswood than a pair of new 'gloves,' &c.-Bride of Lammermoor, Vol. I. ch. 12.

6

Baillie Macwheeble, when dining with the Baron of Bradwardine, either out of more respect, or in order to preserve that proper declination of person, which showed a sense that he was in the presence of his patron-sat upon the edge of his chair, placed at three feet distance from 'the table, and achieved a communication with his plate by projecting his person towards it in a line which obliqued 'from the bottom of his spine, so that the person who sat opposite to him, could only see the foretop of his riding periwig. This stooping position might have been incon❝venient to another person, but long habit made it, whether • seated or walking, perfectly easy to the worthy Baillie. In the latter posture, it occasioned, no doubt, an unseemly projection of the person toward those who happened to 'walk behind; but those being at all times his inferiors, ❝ (for Mr. Macwheeble was very scrupulous in giving place 'to all others), he cared very little what inference of con❝ tempt or slight regard they might derive from the circum'stance. Hence, when he waddled across the court to and 'from his old grey pony, he somewhat resembled a turn

spit walking upon its hind legs.'-Waverley, Vol. I. c. 11.

It may be observed, from some of the examples just quoted, that the two authors exactly resemble each other in their manner of relating a short story. I confine the parallel at present to short stories, because the main narrative of the novels themselves is formed upon too expanded a scale, is too diffuse, too dramatic, and too much ornamented to bear comparison with those brief sketches of popular tradition which are scattered through the notes and prefaces of the author of Marmion for the mere purpose of illustration. We may, however, match this latter class of stories with some brief episodical narratives which now and then occur in the novels, and the result will, I think, favour my criticism. Such are the Legend of Martin Waldeck*, the narrative of Allan M'Aulay's feud with the Children of the Mist†, and the beautiful tale of Lord Ravenswood and the Naiad, in The Bride of Lammermoor ‡.

Nor should it pass unnoticed, that the concise historical and political summaries presented by the author of Marmion, in his capacities of biographer and editor, bear in all respects a close resemblance to those with which the novelist is accustomed to usher in his learned and imposing fictions.

Among other peculiarities of style common to both these authors, I regret to mention their extreme negligence, and frequent offences against the simplest and most general rules of composition. This is indeed an age in which many persons write well, but few revise carefully; and it must be owned, that the authors of Waverley and Marmion are alike pre-eminent in their generation as good writers and

*Antiquary, vol. ii. ch. 3.

† Legend of Montrose, fifth chapter.

+ Vol, i. ch. 5.

as careless revisers. To particularize their transgressions in this respect would be as irksome to myself as I am sure it would be displeasing to you; nor should I have thought such faults worth notice if they had been only of the common magnitude and frequency. I am no mighty hunter' after tautologies and cacophonies, but in the present instance, even if we shut our eyes to these blemishes, it is impossible not to see that worse remain behind. A few quiet escapes of national idiom might well have been excused (and our authors are not very often to blame on this head), but who can be patient when Queen Elizabeth herself utters Scoticisms, and her courtiers adopt the fashion*? It may be urged, that all these inaccuracies of style should be forgiven for the excellence and richness of the matter; but this argument may be turned the contrary way. We expect more nicety of hand from the sculptor who works upon a vase of

* Tressilian and Varney,' says the Queen, are near your persons:--you will see that they attend you at Kenilworth. And as we will then have both Paris and Menelaus within our 'call, so we will have this same fair Helen also,' &c.-Kenilworth, vol. ii. ch. 4. The will' in Italics appears to be used Scoticè for shall: if not, the sentence is at least extremely uncouth, I judged as much as that he was mad,' said Nicholas Blount, . . . ' whenever I saw him with these damned boots."Kenilworth, vol. iii. ch. 6. 'Whenever' for as soon as ever, and 'these' for those; the said boots not being then in the speaker's presence. A similar use of 'whenever' occurs in The Abbot, vol. iii. ch. 2. And will' is used for shall'.in the letter to Captain Clutterbuck, (Introduction to the Monastery). 'I have 'never seen, and never will see, one of their faces, and notwithstanding, I believe that as yet I am better acquainted with them than any man who livęs.'