The author and the printer often differed, and other replies of Scott to his corrector are characteristic, as the following, which appears in one of the proofs of “Woodstock”: “‘Completing’ wants a nominative,” says James. “You certainly have had the toothache,” says the author in reply; “why, it puts me in mind of the epigram when Pitt and Dundas came drunk into the House of Commons:— “‘I cannot see the Speaker, Hal, can you?’ ‘Not see the Speaker! d—n me, I see two!’” On another occasion Sir Walter says in his “Journal” (January 11, 1826): “I got proof-sheets, in which it seems I have repeated a whole passage of history which had been told before. James is in an awful stew, and I cannot blame him.... However, as Chaucer says:— “‘There is na workeman That can bothe worken wel and hastilie; This must be done at leisure parfitly.’” It must be admitted that Scott was occasionally careless, partly because he could save time by allowing others to correct his errors and inconsistencies resulting from rapid composition. For example, in “The Antiquary” he makes the sun set in the German Ocean; in the “Legend of Montrose” he uses in one place westward where it should be eastward; in “Kenilworth” the text has “In the employment both of Burleigh and Cecil,” but Burleigh and Cecil are one and the same person, and it should probably read Walsingham and Cecil; in “Anne of Geierstein” in two places Nancy is used instead of Aix. The proof-sheets of “Peveril” were sold in London some time in the middle of last century and bought by an American. They afterwards formed part of an article in _Scribner’s Magazine_ (February 1889) on Sir Walter Scott and his works, from which several of the instances are here given:— “_Proof._ ‘He was never visited by any doubt.’ Note by J. B. See p. 127, where this doubt is strongly expressed by him. Scott thereupon alters to—‘any permanent doubt.’ “_Proof._ ‘The cutler agreed.’ Note by J. B. He had gone downstairs in the last sentence. Scott hurries him back, and alters to ‘the cutler returns at this summons and agreed.’ “_Proof._ Motto to Heading to Chapter VIII. J. B. This motto is repeated in the next chapter. Scott alters to ‘My native land, good-night.—BYRON.’” So it goes on throughout, and there are also such marginal remarks by Ballantyne as these: “Imperfect;” “Incomplete;” “Incorrect;” “This is inimitable in all respects;” “Capital! there is something new under the sun;” “Unintelligible and probably incomplete;” “This is almost magnificent.”