The Life and Letters of John Gibson Lockhart
Chapter 12: 1821-25
Sir Walter Scott to the Marchioness of Stafford, 11 April 1825
“Abbotsford,2
April 11, 1825.
“My dear Lady
Stafford,—Allow me to express my sincere and most
grateful thanks for the kind manner in which your ladyship has condescended to
Lockhart’s concern. I have
heard nothing of the matter myself for several weeks and months. My friend, the
advocate, was so intolerably wise and mysterious on the subject, the last time
it was mentioned, that I vow that to be made Sheriff of all Scotland, either in
a friend’s person or my own, I could not have attempted again to
penetrate the deep and awful gloom. The game to be played is a sort of gambit
at chess. First, old Mr. Ferriar is
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| 350 | LIFE OF J. G. LOCKHART. | |
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to be permitted to resign his office of Clerk of Session
on some superannuation, the poor gentleman being upwards of eighty years old,
and having wasted eyes, years, and understanding to the last dregs in writing
the judgments of the Court of Session for thirty or forty (years). This old
horse released from the carriage, James
Fergusson, who vacates a place called a commissaryship, where he
judges of all the iniquities of marrying and not marrying, and marrying once
too often, and getting unmarried again altogether, is to be conferred on your
present Sheriff, Charles Ross.
Et puis Charles
Ross having succeeded to all these functions of marrying and
putting asunder, I have been led to entertain hopes that
Lockhart may succeed in his place. I should be
delighted in it, for it is always getting pignon sur
la vie, and I think Lord
Stafford and your ladyship would be gratified with his
acquaintance, as he is perfectly a gentleman, and with a very uncommon share of
talent and information. When this happy consummation will take place, or
whether it is likely to take place at all, I really do not know. Like the old
beggar with the blue cloak and the pikestaff, I can submit to make one bow, and
hold my hat out once, for what is not worth asking is not worth having. But I
am too old and stiff to gird up my loins and run after folks’ chariot
wheels till they give to importunity. But after all, this is only a petted way
of taking the little diplomatic secrecy which great folks observe ![]()
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on great occasions, such as
bestowing Sheriffdoms; and I dare say I am complaining without reason. Only I
cannot forget that I went expressly on purpose to Dalkeith when the Lord Advocate wished to be Sheriff of Edinburgh,
which he got entirely by my interest with the late Duke of Buccleuch, and I never kept him a moment in suspense
about the matter.”
. . . . . .
James Fergusson (1769-1842)
Scottish advocate and acquaintance of Sir Walter Scott; he was judge of the Consistorial
Court (1811) and Principal Clerk of Session (1826).
James Ferrier (1744-1829)
Scottish lawyer, the son of John Ferrier of Kirkland and father of Susan Ferrier, the
novelist; he was Principal Clerk of Session in Edinburgh (1802-26).
Sir William Fraser (1816-1898)
Scottish genealogist educated at Edinburgh University, to which he gave a generous
bequest at his death.
John Gibson Lockhart (1794-1854)
Editor of the
Quarterly Review (1825-1853); son-in-law of Walter
Scott and author of the
Life of Scott 5 vols (1838).
Sir William Rae, third baronet (1769-1842)
Educated at Edinburgh University, he was Lord Advocate (1819-30, 1834-35) and MP for
Anstruther (1819-26), Harwich (1827), Buteshire (1830, 1833-42) and Portarlington
(1831-32). He was a close friend of Sir Walter Scott.
Charles Ross (d. 1836)
Scottish advocate; he was Sheriff of Sutherland, 1816-27.
