about it! Now, after this, what confidence can we have in
anything that this man will say or profess! I confess I am sadly
mortified at my own credulousness. John I always considered as no better
than a swindler, but James I put some trust and confidence in. You
judged more accurately, for you always said that 'he was a damned
cunning fellow!' Well, there is every appearance of your being right;
but his cunning (as it never does) will not profit him. Within these
three years I have given him nearly L1,400 for printing, and in return
have only received empty professions, made, to be sure, in the most
dramatic manner. Trite as the saying is, honesty is always the best
policy; and if we live a little longer, we shall see what will be the
end of all their cunning, never-ending labyrinths of plots and schemes.
Constable is the proper person for them; set a thief to catch a thief:
Jonathan Wild will be fully a match for any of the heroes of the
'Beggar's Opera.' My blood boils when I think of them, and still more
when I think of my allowing myself so long to keep my eyes shut to what
I ought to have seen long ago. But the only apology I make to myself is,
that one does not wish to think so ill of human nature. There is an old
Scotch proverb, 'He has need o' a lang spoon that sups wi' the De'il,'
and since we are engaged, let us try if we can partake of the broth
without scalding ourselves. I still hope that we may; and however much
my feelings revolt at having any connection in future with them, yet I
shall endeavour to the best of my power to repress my bile, and to turn
their own tricks against themselves. One in business must submit to many
things, and swallow many a bitter pill, when such a man as Walter Scott
is the object in view. You will see, by this day's Edinburgh papers,
that the copartnery of John Ballantyne & Co. is formally dissolved.
Miller told me that, before James Ballantyne could get his wife's
friends to assent to the marriage, Walter Scott was obliged to grant
bonds and securities, taking upon himself all the engagements of John
Ballantyne & Co., as well as of James Ballantyne & Co.; [Footnote:
Lockhart says, in his "Life of Scott," that "in Feb., 1816, when James
Ballantyne married, it is clearly proved, by letters in his handwriting,
that he owed to Scott more than L3,000 of personal debt."] so that, if
there was any difficulty on their part, he bound himself to fulfil the
whole. When we consider the lar