Many of the proof-sheets still existing show that the author and the printer remained the best of friends, even under the pressure of financial troubles, till the unfortunate differences arose in regard to the political views of the _Weekly Journal_. They leave no doubt that James Ballantyne by his courageous and unprejudiced criticism pointed out many an error which the reviewers would have seized upon with eagerness. Referring again to this subject, Mr. Lang, in his “Life of Lockhart,” says: “Why, one is inclined to ask, why with Lockhart at his side did Scott turn to Ballantyne for criticism? The truth probably is that in Ballantyne, comparatively uneducated and ignorant of things which one supposes everybody to know, Scott thought he had a measure of the ordinary taste, and a judge who would never veil his actual opinion, nor ‘seek for a glossy periphrase.’” “Comparatively uneducated and ignorant of things!” This is said of one who not only passed but practised as a solicitor, and whom Scott himself—surely a sufficient judge of his ability—recommended for the editorship of a proposed new paper (November 1819), as “a thoroughly well-principled, honourable man.... He writes a good enough style, and has often been happy in his opening articles.” Even stronger testimony regarding James Ballantyne and the _Weekly Journal_ occurs in an entry in Scott’s “Journal” (December 18, 1825), “for sure they cannot find a better editor.”[38] Moore[39] describes Scott’s marvellous labour and power of composition, as well as the extent to which he had carried the art of book-making. “Besides writing his history of Scotland for Dr. Lardner’s ‘Encyclopædia,’” he observes, “he is working at the prefaces for the re-publication of the Waverley Novels, the ‘Tales of a Grandfather,’ and has still found time to review Tytler, which he has done out of the scraps and chips of his other works. A little while ago he had to correct some of the proofs of the History of Scotland, and, being dissatisfied with what was done, he nearly wrote it over again, and sent it up to the editor. Some time after, finding another copy of the proofs, he forgot that he had corrected them before, and he re-wrote these also and sent them up, and the editor is at this moment engaged in selecting from the two corrected copies the best parts of each.” In spite of all the printer’s care and personal supervision, however, Sir Walter sometimes had the chance of giving James “a Roland for his Oliver,” as the following letter testifies:— “DEAR JAMES,—I return the sheets of ‘Tales,’ with some waste of ‘Napoleon’ for ballast. Pray read like a lynx, for with all your devoted attention things will escape. Imagine your printing that the Douglases, after James II. had dirked the Earl, trailed the royal safe-conduct at the _tail_ of a _serving man_, instead of the _tail_ of a _starved mare_.”