ever,

R. L. S.

Copied it myself.

TO THOMAS STEVENSON

_La Solitude, Hyeres, April 19, 1884._

MY DEAR FATHER,--Yesterday I very powerfully stated the _Haeresis
Stevensoniana_, or the complete body of divinity of the family
theologian, to Miss Ferrier. She was much impressed; so was I. You are a
great heresiarch; and I know no better. Whaur the devil did ye get thon
about the soap? Is it altogether your own? I never heard it elsewhere;
and yet I suspect it must have been held at some time or other, and if
you were to look up you would probably find yourself condemned by some
Council.

I am glad to hear you are so well. The hear is excellent. The Cornhills
came; I made Miss Ferrier read us _Thrawn Janet_, and was quite bowled
over by my own works. _The Merry Men_ I mean to make much longer, with a
whole new denouement, not yet quite clear to me. _The Story of a Lie_ I
must rewrite entirely also, as it is too weak and ragged, yet is worth
saving for the Admiral. Did I ever tell you that the Admiral was
recognised in America?

When they are all on their legs this will make an excellent collection.

Has Davie never read _Guy Mannering_, _Rob Roy_, or _The Antiquary_? All
of which are worth three _Waverleys_. I think _Kenilworth_ better than
_Waverley_; _Nigel_, too; and _Quentin Durward_ about as good. But it
shows a true piece of insight to prefer _Waverley_, for it _is_
different; and though not quite coherent, better worked in parts than
almost any other: surely more carefully. It is undeniable that the love
of the slap-dash and the shoddy grew upon Scott with success. Perhaps it
does on many of us, which may be the granite on which D.'s opinion
stands. However, I hold it, in Patrick Walker's phrase, for an "old,
condemned, damnable error." Dr. Simson was condemned by P. W. as being
"a bagful of" such. One of Patrick's amenities!

Another ground there may be to D.'s opinion; those who avoid (or seek to
avoid) Scott's facility are apt to be continually straining and
torturing their style to get in more of life. And to many the extra
significance does not redeem the strain.

DOCTOR STEVENSON.

TO W. E. HENLEY

_La Solitude, Hyeres, April 20th, 1884._

I have been really ill for two days, hemorrhage, weakness, extreme
nervousness that will not let me lie a moment, and damned sciatica o'
nights; but to-day I am on the recovery. Time; for I was miserable. It
is not oft