u, you have given existence to a third--Ever your faithful
servant,

John MURRAY.

[Footnote 45: The late James Boswell, Esq., of the
Temple--second son of _Bozzy_.]

[Footnote 46: The Honorable William Lamb--now Lord
Melbourne.]

To this cordial effusion Scott returned the following answer. It was
necessary, since he had fairly resolved {p.125} against compromising
his incognito, that he should be prepared not only to repel the
impertinent curiosity of strangers, but to evade the proffered
congratulations of overflowing kindness. He contrived, however, to do
so, on this and all similar occasions, in a style of equivoque which
could never be seriously misunderstood:[47]--

[Footnote 47: [Even such keen observers as Murray and
Blackwood had their intervals of doubt regarding the
authorship of the Novels. In June, 1816, Blackwood
writes: "There have been various rumors with regard to
Greenfield being the author, but I never paid much
attention to it; the thing appeared to me so very
improbable.... But from what I have heard lately, and
from what you state, I now begin to think that
Greenfield may probably be the author." And only a month
after the date of his letter to Scott, here given,
Murray writes to Blackwood:--

"I can assure you, but _in the greatest confidence_,
that I have discovered the author of all these Novels to
be Thomas Scott, Walter Scott's brother. He is now in
Canada. I have no doubt but that Mr. Walter Scott did a
great deal to the first Waverley Novel, because of his
anxiety to save his brother, and his doubt about the
success of the work. This accounts for the many stories
about it. Many persons had previously heard from Mr.
Scott, but you may rely upon the certainty of what I
have told you." By this time Blackwood is firm in the
faith of Scott's authorship; but Bernard Barton writes
to Murray that he has heard that James Hogg is the
author of _Tales of my Landlord_, and that he has had
intimation from himself to that effect; while Lady