INTRODUCTION xix

Scottish Literature, but Fountainhall would be a work rather too
heavy for our limited funds, although few can be concerned which
would come more legitimately under the purpose of our association,
which is made in order to rescue from the chance of destruction
the documents most essential to the history and literature of
Scotland.

1 We are having a meeting on the 4th July, when 1 will table
the subject, and if we possibly C&n assist in bringing out the worthy
Judge in good stile, we will be most ready to co-operate with
your pious endeavours to that effect. I should wish to hear from
you before that time what you would wish to be done in the
matter respecting the size, number of the impression, and so
forth. \Vbatever lies in my limited power will be gladly
contributed by, dear sir, your very faithful servant,

`YALTER SCOTT.

`Castle Street, 18 June 1825:

And in answer to further inquiry he again wrote on

10th July 1823

DEAR SIR THo,.IAs,- Y OU are too easily alarmed about the
fate of your ancestors. 1 did not mean it would not be published
-far less that I would not do all in my power to advance the
publication-but only that the size and probable expense of the
work, with the limited sale for articles of literature only interesting
to the Scottish Antiquaries, rendered the Booksellers less willing
to adopt the proposal than they seemed nt first. However 1
thought it as well to wait until Constable himself came down from
London, as 1 had only spoken w ith his partner, and 1 have since
seen him, and find him well disposed to the undertaking. 1 told
him 1 would give with the greatest pleasure any assistance in my
power in the way of historical illustration, and that 1 conc1uded
that y ou, to w hom the work unquestionably belongs, would con-
tribute a life of the venerable Lawy er and some account of his
family, ~Ir. Thomson has promised to look through the Manu-
script and collate it w ith that of hir. Maule. and is of opinion
(as I am) that it would be very desirable to retrench all the mere
law questions which are to be found in the printed folios. Indeed
the Editors of those two volumes had a purpose in view directly
opposed to ours, for they wished to omit historical and domestic
anecdotes and give the law cases as unmixed as possible, while it
would be our object doubtless to exclude the mere law questions