Sir Walter Scott. 587 



He found the young ladies not ill informed, and exceedingly agreeable ; and 

 the song and the dance seemed to form the invariable termination of their 

 busy days. I must not forget his admiration at the principal article of this 

 laird's first course ; namely, a gigantic haggis, borne into the hall in a wicker 

 basket by two half-naked Celts, while the piper strutted fiercely behind them, 

 blowing a tempest of dissonance." Vol. i. p. 139 142. 



The winter of 1788 may be said to have decided Scott's future 

 career, and to have paved the way for his desertion of a profession 

 for which his own habits seemed never to have fitted him. In his 

 attendance on the civil-law lectures in the university he became ac- 

 quainted with many students of the higher ranks, to whom his powers 

 of conversation, his literary predilections, and political opinions united 

 him in the bands of fellowship; and he henceforward determined on 

 pursuing the highest path of forensic exertions. That the future 

 poet acquired the most regular habits from his connexion with his 

 aristocratic friends, cannot be said ; but whatever the effect of their 

 company on his character may have been, his companions, one and 

 all, were struck with wonder at the liveliness of his conversation, the 

 variety of his knowledge, the portentous tenacity of his memory, and, 

 scarcely less, at his feats of personal agility and prowess. About 

 the end of June 1792 Scott passed his law examinations to the 

 great satisfaction of his father (the prototype of Mr. Saunders Fair- 

 ford in Redgauntlet), and then retired to spend a rural vacation 

 amid the scenery afterwards so celebrated in his Border Minstrelsy. 



During Scott's first year at the Scottish bar, having little employ- 

 ment except such as came from his father's office, he amused himself 

 partly with the light-hearted mirth of himself and his companions 

 and partly also with the graver study of the German language, which 

 was then only beginning to be studied for its literature. The fol- 

 lowing summer was scarcely less important than the preceding, if 

 at least his wanderings be considered with respect to their influence 

 on his future works ; for he at this time got the first sketch of his 

 Rob Roy's retreat from the father of the present Lord Abercrombie 

 the scenery of Tulty Veolan in Waverly ; and he now for the first 

 and only time saw Peter Patterson the Old Mortality. From this 

 tour we must call our readers to refresh him with a rather piquant 

 professional anecdote. 



" Scott returned in time to attend the October assizes at Jedburgh, on which 

 occasion he made his first appearance as counsel in a criminal court ; and had 

 the satisfaction of helping a veteran poacher and sheepstealer to escape 

 through some of the meshes of the law. ' You're a lucky scoundrel/ Scott 

 whispered to his client, when the verdict was pronounced. ' I'm just o' your 

 mind,' quoth the desperado, ' and I'll send ye a maukin (a hare) the morn, 

 man/ I am not sure whether it was at these assizes or the next in the same 

 town that he had less success in the case of a certain notorious housebreaker. 

 The man, however, was well aware that no skill could have baffled the clear 

 evidence against him, and was, after his fashion, grateful for such exertions 

 as had been made in his behalf. He requested the young advocate to visit 

 him once more before he left the place. Scott's curiosity induced him to 

 accept this invitation, and his friend, as soon as they were alone together in 

 the condemned cell, said, ' I am very sorry, sir, that I have no fee to offer you 

 so let me beg your acceptance of two bits of advice which may be useful 



