Statements concerning Sir Walter Scott 287 



The following are the particulars from Gillies' Recollections of 

 Sir Walter Scott. Eeprinted in 1837 from Fraser^s 

 Chapter V., 1811. 



His dinner hour being so early as half-past four, there was ample 

 time for conversation, and for a few minutes, I remember, it turned 

 on ghosts and apparitions. 



" The most awkward cire-nmstance about well -authenticated hob- 

 goblins," said he, "is that they, for the most part, come and disappear 

 without any intelligible object or purpose except to frighten people, 

 which, with all due deference, seems rather foolish. 



" Very many persons have either seen a ghost or something like 

 one, and I am myself among the number; but my story is not a 

 jot better than others I have heard, which, for the most part, were 

 very inept. The good stories are sadly devoid of evidence ; the 

 stupid ones only are authentic. 



"There is a particular turning of the highroad through the forest 

 near Ashestiel, at a place which affords no possible means of conceal- 

 ment ; the grass is smooth and always eaten bare by the sheep ; there 

 is no heather, or underwood, nor cavern in which any mortal being 

 could conceal himself. Towards this very spot I was advancing one 

 evening on horseback — please to observe it was before dinner, and not 

 long after sunset, so that I ran no risk either of aeemg double or 

 wanting sufficient light for my observations. 



" Before me, at the distance of about a quarter of a mile, there 

 stood a human figure, sharply enough defined by the twilight. I 

 advanced ; it stalked about with a long staff in its hand, held like 

 a wand of oflice, but only went to and fro, keeping at the same 

 corner till, as I came within a few yards, my friend all in an instant 

 vanished. 



" I was so struck with his eccentric conduct that, although Mrs 

 Scott was then in delicate health, and I was anxious to get home 

 to a late dinner, I could not help stopping to examine the ground 

 all about, but in vain ; he had either dissolved into air or sank into 

 the earth, where I well knew there was no coal-pit to receive him. 

 Had he lain down on the green sward, the colour of his drapery, 

 which was dusky brown, would have betrayed him at once, so that 

 there was no practicable solution of the mystery. 



" I rode on, and had not advanced above fifty yards when, on 

 looking back, my friend was there again, and even more clearly 

 visible than before. ' Now,' said I to myself, ' 1 most certainly have 

 you ! ' so wheeled about and spurred Finella ; but the result was as 

 before, he vanished instantaneously. I must candidly confess I had 

 now got enough of the phantasmagoria; and whether it were from 

 a love of home, or a participation in my dislike of this very stupid 

 ghost, no matter, Finella did her best to run away, and would by 

 UQ means agree to any further process of investigation. 



