[212] "Seldom has any political measure called forth so strong and so universal an expression of public opinion. In every city and in every county public meetings were held to deprecate the destruction of the one pound and guinea notes."--_Annual Register_ (1826), p. 24. [213] Alex. Young of Harburn, a steady Whig of the old school, and a steady and esteemed friend of Sir Walter's.--J.G.L. [214] See _Life_, vol. iv. pp. 146-148. [215] Henry Weber died in 1818. [216] See Life of Bonaparte. _Miscellaneous Prose Works_, vol. xi. pp. 346-351.--J.G.L. [217] _Plays on the Passions_, 2 vols. 8vo, Lond. 1802, vol. ii. pp. 211-215. [218] He had, however, snatched a moment to write the following playful note to Mr. Sharpe, little dreaming that the sportive allusion to his return in May would be so sadly realised:-- "MY DEAR CHARLES,--You promised when I _displenished_ this house that you would accept of the prints of Roman antiquities, which I now send. I believe they were once in some esteem, though now so detestably smoked that they will only suit your suburban villa in the Cowgate when you remove to that classical residence. I also send a print which is an old favourite of mine, from the humorous correspondence between Mr. Mountebank's face and the monkey's. I leave town to-day or to-morrow at furthest. When I return in May I shall be Bachelor Bluff, bachelor Bluff, Hey for a heart that's rugged and tough. I shall have a beefsteak and a bottle of wine of a Sunday, which I hope you will often take share of,--Being with warm regard always yours, WALTER SCOTT."--Sharpe's _Correspondence_, vol. ii. pp. 359-60. [219] Apropos of the old Scotch lady who had surreptitiously pocketed a silver spoon, one of a set of a dozen which were being passed round for examination in an auction room. Suspicion resting on her, she was asked to allow her person to be searched, but she indignantly produced the article, with "Touch my honour," etc. [220] The _Attorneys_ of Aberdeen are styled _advocates_. This valuable privilege is said to have been bestowed at an early period by some (sportive) monarch.--J.G.L. [221] This clever book was published in 1814: at the same time as _Waverley_. Had it contained nothing else than the sketch of Bran, the great Irish wolf-hound, it would have commended itself to Scott. The authoress died in 1859. [222] It is worth noting that a quarter of a century after Sir Walter had written these lines, we find Macaulay stating that, in his opinion, "there are in the world no compositions which approach nearer perfection." Scott had already criticised Miss Austen in the 27th No. of the _Quarterly_. She died in 1817. [223] "I return no more,"--see _Mackrimmon's Lament_ by Scott.--_Poetical Works_, vol. xi. p. 332. [224] Published as far back as 1792. An appreciative criticism on Mrs. Smith's works will be found in Scott's _Miscellaneous Prose Works_, vol. iv. pp. 58-70. [225] See this Journal, 2 December last.