Walter Scott's Diary, in a subsequent
volume of these Memoirs.--(March, 1839.)]

Towards midnight, the Prince called for "a bumper, with all the
honors, to the Author of Waverley," and looked significantly, as he
was charging his own glass, to Scott. Scott seemed somewhat puzzled
for a moment, but instantly recovering himself, and filling his glass
to the brim, said, "Your Royal Highness looks as if you thought I had
some claim to the honors of this toast. I have no such pretensions,
but shall take good care that the real Simon Pure hears of the high
compliment that has now been paid him." He then drank off his claret,
and joined in the cheering, which the Prince himself timed. But before
the company could resume their seats, his Royal Highness exclaimed,
"Another of the same, if you please, to the Author of Marmion--and
now, Walter, my man, I have checkmated you for _ance_." The second
bumper was followed by cheers still more prolonged: and Scott then
rose and returned thanks in a short address, which struck the Lord
Chief Commissioner as "alike grave and graceful." This story has been
circulated in a very perverted shape. I now give it on the authority
of my venerated friend. He adds, that having occasion, the day after,
to call on the Duke of York, his Royal Highness said to him: "Upon my
word, Adam, my brother went rather too near the wind about
Waverley--but {p.037} nobody could have turned the thing more
prettily than Walter Scott did--and upon the whole I never had better
fun."[15]

[Footnote 15: Since this narrative was first published,
I have been told by two gentlemen who were at this
dinner, that, according to their recollection, the
Prince _did not_ on that occasion run so "near the wind"
as my text represents; and I am inclined to believe that
a scene at Dalkeith, in 1822, may have been
unconsciously blended with a gentler rehearsal of
Carlton House, 1815. The Chief Commissioner had promised
to revise my sheets for the present edition; but alas,
he never did so--and I must now leave the matter as it
stands.--(1839.)]

The Regent, as was his custom with those he most delighted to honor,
uniformly addressed the poet, even at their first dinner, by his
Christian name, "Walter."

Before he left town, he again dined at Carlton House, when th