TRANSLATIONS AND MINSTRELSY.--The study of the German language was then almost a new thing, even among educated people in England; and Scott made his first public essay in the form of translations from the German. Among these were versions of the _Erl König_ of Goethe, and the _Lenore_ and _The Wild Huntsman_ of Bürger, which appeared in 1796. In 1797 he rendered into English _Otho of Wittelsbach_ by Steinburg, and in 1799 Goethe's tragedy, _Götz von Berlichingen_. These were the trial efforts of his "'prentice hand," which predicted a coming master. On the 24th of December, 1797, he married Miss Carpenter, or Charpentier, a lady of French parentage, and retired to a cottage at Lasswade, where he began his studies, and cherished his literary aspirations in earnest and for life. In 1799 he was so fortunate as to receive the appointment of Sheriff of Selkirkshire, with a salary of £300 per annum. His duties were not onerous: he had ample time to scour the country, ostensibly in search of game, and really in seeking for the songs and traditions of Scotland, border ballads, and tales, and in storing his fancy with those picturesque views which he was afterwards to describe so well in verse and prose. In 1802 he was thus enabled to present to the world his first considerable work, _The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border_, containing many new ballads which he had collected, with very valuable local and historical notes. This was followed, in 1804, by the metrical romance _of Sir Tristrem_, the original of which was by Thomas of Ercildoune, of the thirteenth century, known as _Thomas the Rhymer_: it was he who dreamed on Huntley bank that he met the Queen of Elfland, And, till seven years were gone and past, True Thomas on earth was never seen. The reputation acquired by these productions led the world to expect something distinctly original and brilliant from his pen; a hope which was at once realized.