in London, in a very
sumptuous edition,--though some of the plates have an oldish look--are
much commended in nearly all the reviews, and civilly treated even by
Fraser, who once described Watts as a fellow "of some talent in writing
verses on children dying of colic, and a skill in putting together
fiddle-faddle fooleries, which look pretty in print; in other respects
of an unwashed appearance; no particular principles, with well-bitten
nails, and a great genius for back-biting." Watts some twenty years
since had a controversy with Robert Montgomery who wrote _Satan_, in
such a manner as very much to please his hero (a difficult task in
biography), and one of the subjects of protracted and sharp discussion
concerned the names of the disputants. Watts maintained that the author
of "Hell," "Woman," "Satan," &c., was the son of a clown at Bath, named
Gomery; and in return Montgomery, who, allowing that as Watts was the
lawfully begotten son of a respectable nightman of the name of Joseph
Watts, he had a fair title to the patronymic, denied that he had any
claim to the gothic appellation of Alaric. "The man's name," said
Montgomery, "is Andrew." This was a great while ago, and the quarrels of
the time are happily forgotten. Watts is now fifty-seven years old, and
age has sobered him, and given him increase of taste, both as to scandal
and to writing verses. There are some extremely pretty things in this
book (which may be found at Putnam's).

* * * * *

THE STOWE MSS., including the unpublished diaries and correspondence of
George Grenville, have been bought by Mr. Murray. The diary reveals, it
is said, the secret movements of Lord Bute's administration, the private
histories of Wilkes and Lord Chatham, and the features of the early
madness of George III.; while the correspondence exhibits Wilkes in a
new light, and reveals (what the Stowe papers were expected to reveal)
something of moment about _Junius_. The whole will form about four
volumes, and will appear among the next winter's novelties.

* * * * *

The copyrights, steel plates, wood-cuts, stereotype plates, &c. of
_Walter Scott's works, and of his life, by Lockhart_, were to be sold in
London, by auction, on the 26th March. This property belonged to the
late Mr. Cadell of Edinburgh. The copyright of "Waverly" has five years
more to run, and that of the works generally does not terminate for
twenty