brute. Pray you excuse all this
palaver,--

"These little things are great to little men."

Our harvest is almost all in, but as farmers always grumble
about something, they are now growling about the lightness
of the crop. All the young part of our household are wrapt
up in uncertainty concerning the Queen's illness--for--if
her Majesty parts cable, there will be no Forest Ball, and
that is a terrible prospect. On Wednesday (when no post
arrives from London) Lord Melville chanced to receive a
letter with a black seal by express, and as it was of course
argued to contain the expected intelligence of poor
Charlotte, it sold a good many ells of black cloth and
stuffs before it was ascertained to contain no such
information. Surely this came within the line of high
treason, being an imagining of the Queen's death.

Ever yours truly,

Walter SCOTT.

P. S.--Once more _anent_ the colts. I am indifferent about
color; but, _caeteris paribus_, would prefer black or brown,
to bright bay or gray. I mention two off--as {p.273} the
age at which they can be best judged of by the buyer.

Of the same date I find written in pencil, on what must have been the
envelope of some sheriff's-process, this note, addressed to Mr.
Charles Erskine, the Sheriff-Substitute of Selkirkshire:--

September 10, 1818.

DEAR CHARLES,--I have read these papers with all attention
this morning--but think you will agree with me that there
must be an Eke to the Condescendence. Order the Eke against
next day.--Tom leaves with this packet a blackcock, and
(more's the pity) a gray hen. Yours,

W. S.

And again he thus writes by post to James Ballantyne:

ABBOTSFORD, September 10, 1818.

DEAR JAMES,--I am quite satisfied with what has been done as
to the London bills. I am glad the presses move. I have been
interrupted sadly since my return by tourist gazers. This
day a confounded pair of Cambridge boys have robbed me of
two good hours, and you of a sheet of copy--though whether a
good sheet or no, deponent saith not. The story is a dismal
one, and I doubt sometimes whether it will bear working out
to much length after all.