P. S.--I do not see how my silence can be considered as imposing on the public. If I give my name to a book without writing it, unquestionably that would be a trick. But, unless in the case of his averring facts which he may be called upon to defend or justify, I think an author may use his own discretion in giving or withholding his name. Harry Mackenzie never put his name in a title-page till the last edition of his works; and Swift only owned one out of his thousand-and-one publications. In point of emolument, everybody knows that I sacrifice much money by withholding my name; and what should I gain by it, that any human being has a right to consider as an unfair advantage? In fact, only the freedom of writing trifles with less personal responsibility, and perhaps more frequently than I otherwise might do. W. S. I am not able to give the exact date of the following reply to one of John Ballantyne's expostulations on the subject of _the secret_:-- "No, John, I will not own the book-- I won't, you Picaroon. When next I try St. Grubby's brook, The A. of Wa--shall bait the hook-- And flat-fish bite as soon, As if before them they had got The worn-out wriggler WALTER SCOTT." Footnotes of the Chapter XXVII. [46: The late Sir John Marjoribanks of Lees, Bart.] [47: The inscription for this tankard was penned by the late celebrated Dr. James Gregory, Professor of the Practice of Physic in the University of Edinburgh; and I therefore transcribe it. GUALTERUM SCOTT DE ABBOTSFORD VIRUM SUMMI INGENII SCRIPTOREM ELEGANTEM POETARUM SUI SECULI FACILE PRINCIPEM PATRIÆ DECUS OB VARIA ERGA IPSAM MERITA IN CIVIUM SUORUM NUMERUM GRATA ADSCRIPSIT CIVITAS EDINBURGENSIS ET HOC CANTHARO DONAVIT A. D. M.DCCC.XIII.] [48: _2d King Henry IV._ Act V. Scene 3.] [49: A good many French officers, prisoners of war, had been living on parole in Melrose, and the adjoining villages; and Mr. and Mrs. Scott had been particularly kind and hospitable to them.] [50: The battle of Toulouse.] [51: Sir Adam Ferguson, who had been taken prisoner in the course of the Duke of Wellington's retreat from Burgos.] [52: The names which he particularly mentions are those of the late Matthew Weld Hartstonge, Esq., of Dublin, Theophilus Swift, Esq., Major Tickell, Thomas Steele, Esq., Leonard Macnally, Esq., and the Rev. M. Berwick.]