xvi JOURNAI. OF JOHN LAUDER

rejected 1 the law that is and retaining the history, would be highly
interesting. 1 am sure you are entitled to espect:l on all accounts
and not interruption from me in a taak so honorable, and 1 hope
you will spare me a day in town to talk the old Judge's affairs over.
The history of the Bass should be a curious one. You are of course
aware of the anecdote of one of your ancestors insisting on having
the CI auld craig back again."

'Constable undertook to forward to you a copy of the Notes
with my respects, and it adds to my piggish behaviour that 1
see lie had omitted it. I will cause him send it by the Ferry
Carrier.

Il I beg to assure you that 1 am particularly sensible of the kind
and accomodating view you have taken of this matter, in which
I am sensible I acted very thoughtlessly because it would have
been easy to have written to enquire into your intentions. Indeed
1 intended to do so, but the thing had gone out of my head. 1 J
leave Edinr in July, should you come after the 12 of that month
may I hope to see you at Abbotsford, whieh would be very agree-
able, but if you keep your purpose of being here in the beginning
of June 1 hope you will calculate on dining here on Sunday 2d at
five o'clock. 1 will get Sharpe to meet you who knows more about
Ld Fountainhall than any one.-I am with great penitence, dear
Sir Thomas, your very faithful humble servant,

'WALTER SCOTT.'

N.B.-The foregoing letter from Sir Walter, written in answer
to mine of the 25th Nlay,3 sufficiently shows the extent of the
dilemma he found himself tlirowii into. It is full of strange con-
tradictions. He talks of_ printing rather than pnbliahing a book
which was publicklr~ advertised and pr~blickly sold. He assures me
that he believed that it was Fountaiuhall'a Life, and not his rvorks
I meant to publish, though the former part of the correspondence
between us must have made him fully aware that it was the rxorks
I had in view and he unwittingl)' proves to me immediately
afterwards that he had not altogether forgotten that it was the
ivorks 1 had taken in hand to publish, for he says, 1 expected to
see you before I should have thought of publishing the letter
on the Revolution, and hoped to mliet r~otcr alrnort blurrled purpote
about doing !leal and aonae other things yourself." And again

1 sic for rejectin~.
3 sic for 22nd :ay.

:1 ~1 ward is omitted, perhaps 'assistance.