-- Guy
Mannering "Terry-fied." -- Death of Major John Scott. --
Letters to Thomas Scott. -- Publication of the Antiquary. --
History of 1814 for the Edinburgh Annual Register. --
Letters on the History of Scotland Projected. -- Publication
of the First Tales of My Landlord by Murray and Blackwood.
-- Anecdotes by Mr. Train. -- Quarterly Review on the Tales.
-- Building at Abbotsford Begun. -- Letters to Morritt,
Terry, Murray, and the Ballantynes.

1816.

The year 1815 may be considered as, for Scott's peaceful tenor of
life, an eventful one. That which followed has left almost its only
traces in the successive appearance of nine volumes, which attest the
prodigal genius, and hardly less astonishing industry of the man.
Early in January were published Paul's Letters to his Kinsfolk, of
which I need not now say more than that they were received with lively
curiosity, and general, though not vociferous applause. The first
edition was an octavo, of 6000 copies; and it was followed, in the
course of the next two or three years, by a second and a third,
amounting together to 3000 more. The popularity of the novelist was at
its height; and this admitted, if not avowed, specimen of Scott's
prose must have been perceived, by all who had any share of
discrimination, to flow from the same pen.

Mr. Terry produced, in the spring of 1816, a dramatic {p.095} piece,
entitled Guy Mannering, which met with great success on the London
boards, and still continues to be a favorite with the theatrical
public. What share the novelist himself had in this first specimen of
what he used to call "the art of _Terryfying_," I cannot exactly say;
but his correspondence shows that the pretty song of the Lullaby[30]
was not his only contribution to it; and I infer that he had taken the
trouble to modify the plot, and rearrange, for stage purposes, a
considerable part of the original dialogue. The casual risk of
discovery, through the introduction of the song which had, in the mean
time, been communicated to one of his humble friends, the late Mr.
Alexander Campbell,[31] editor of Albyn's Anthology--(commonly known
at Abbotsford as, by way of excellence, _The Dunniewassal_,)--and
Scott's suggestions on that difficulty will amuse the reader of the
following letter:--

[Footnote 30: See Scott's _Poetical Works_ (Ed. 1834),
vol. xi. p. 317 (Cambridge Ed. p. 425).]