RIDING. 261 



In conformity to this practice, Sir Walter Scott used 

 to produce twenty-four pages of quarto manuscript be- 

 tween the time of rising, and ten o'clock in the morning, 

 when the court opened, and at which time his office re- 

 quired his presence. This was closely written, in a 

 small hand, and ready for the press. It is probable, 

 however, that no authorities were consulted during this 

 time, and that he previously had the matter all ready in 

 his mind, otherwise such performances, if continued for 

 any length of time, must be considered as little less than 

 miraculous. 



We have cited Scott, to show the necessity, and the 

 practice of active amusements in a man of letters, be- 

 cause his writings are generally known, and because it 

 might be supposed by some, that the great number of 

 his productions, and the rapidity with which they fol- 

 lowed each other, precluded the possibility of his spend- 

 ing any considerable portion of time in bodily exercise, 

 whereas we see, that this was, at least for a time, the 

 very means by which he was enabled to perform such 

 extraordinary mental efforts. Nor was Scott an ex- 

 ception in this respect to the practice of other British 

 authors, and especially those of Scotland, who, what- 

 ever their ages, or offices may be, are in the habit of 

 making play a part of their daily duties. 



But notwithstanding Scott understood so well the 

 principles which ought to govern students with respect 

 to muscular exercise, and for a long time reduced them 

 to practice, still his pecuniary embarrassments forced 

 him to such unparalleled mental exertions, as finally to 

 affect the cerebral and nervous functions in such a man- 

 ner as to induce a morbid condition of the whole system, 

 from which he never recovered. So that the noble 

 part by which he distinguished the age iri which he liv- 

 ed, finally became the instrument by which he was des- 

 tined to perish. A striking commentary on the princi- 

 ple, that the equilibrium of the nervous, and muscular 

 systems cannot be deranged with impunity. 



It has been, not unaptly observed, by more than one 

 of our Trans- Atlantic brethren, on visiting this country, 

 and noticing our manners and habits, that " the Ameri- 

 cans are very complete masters of the art of working. 



