evil instincts lead him to treat as
hostile whatever he cannot comprehend. I met Smith once
during his stay in Edinburgh,[64] and had, what I seldom
have with any one in society, a high quarrel with him. His
mode of travelling had been from one gentleman's seat to
another, abusing the well-known hospitality of the Highland
lairds, by taking possession of their houses, even during
their absence, domineering in them when they were present,
and not only eating the dinner of to-day, but requiring that
the dinner of to-morrow should also be made ready and
carried forward with him, to save the expense of inns. All
this was no business of mine, but when, in the middle of a
company consisting of those to whom he had owed this
hospitality, he abused the country, of which he knew
little--the language, of which he knew nothing--and the
people, who have their faults, but are a much more harmless,
moral, and at the same time high-spirited population, than,
I venture to say, he ever lived amongst--I thought it was
really too bad, and so e'en took up the debate, and gave it
him over the knuckles as smartly as I could. Your pamphlet,
therefore, fed fat my ancient grudge against him as well as
the modern one, for you cannot doubt that my blood boiled at
reading the report of his speech. Enough of this gentleman,
who, I think, will not walk out of the round in a hurry
again, to slander the conduct of individuals.

[Footnote 64: Scott's meeting with this Mr. Smith
occurred at the table of his friend and colleague,
Hector Macdonald Buchanan. The company, except Scott and
Smith, were all, like their hospitable landlord,
Highlanders.]

I am at present writing at our head-court of freeholders--a
set of quiet, unpretending, but sound-judging country
gentlemen, and whose opinions may be very well taken as a
fair specimen of those men of sense and honor, who are not
likely to be dazzled by literary talent, which {p.165} lies
out of their beat, and who, therefore, cannot be of partial
counsel in the cause; and I never heard an opinion more
generally, and even warmly expressed, than that your
triumphant vindication brands Smith as a slanderer in all
time coming. I think you may not be displeased to know this