Series 1 > Journals of Sir John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall, with his observations on public affairs and other memoranda, 1665-1676

XVI
JOURNAL OF JOHN LAUDER
rejected1 the law that is and retaining the history, would be highly
interesting. I am sure you are entitled to expect2 on all accounts
and not interruption from me in a task so honorable, and I 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 “ 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 I
see he had omitted it. I will cause him send it by the Ferry
Carrier.
* I beg to assure you that I 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
I intended to do so, but the thing had gone out of my head. I
leave Edinr in July, should you come after the 12 of that month
may I hope to see you at Abbotsford, which would be very agree¬
able, but if you keep your purpose of being here in the beginning
of June I hope you will calculate on dining here on Sunday 2d at
five o’clock. I 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 May,3 sufficiently shows the extent of the
dilemma he found himself thrown into. It is full of strange con¬
tradictions. He talks of “printing rather than publishing ” a book
which was publickly advertised and publickly sold. He assures me
that he believed that it was Fountainhall’s Life, and not his works
I meant to publish, though the former part of the correspondence
between us must have made him fully aware that it was the works
I had in view; and he unwittingly proves to me immediately
afterwards that he had not altogether forgotten that it was the
works I had taken in hand to publish, for he says, “ I expected to
see you before I should have thought of publishing the letter
on the Revolution, and hoped to whet your almost blunted purpose
about doing that and some other things yourself.” And again
1 sic for rejecting. 2 A word is omitted, perhaps ‘assistance.’
3 sic for 22nd May.