“After such a length of silence between us, and, I
grant on my part, so unwarrantable, I think I see your face of surprise on
recognising this MS., and hear you exclaim—What strange wind has blown a letter
from Linton? I
must say, that although both you and my good
| 348 | LIFE OF SIR WALTER SCOTT. |
“But now, quitting self, I need not tell you how
greatly I was delighted at the success of the Lady of the Lake. I dare say you are by this time
well tired of such greetings—so I shall only say, that last spring I was so
fortunate as to get a reading of it, when in the lines of Torres Vedras, and
thought I had no inconsiderable right to enter into and judge of its beauties,
having made one of the party on your first visit to the Trossachs; and you will
allow, that a little vanity on my part on this account (every thing
considered), was natural enough. While the book was in my possession, I had
nightly invitations to evening parties! to read and
illustrate passages of it; and I must say that (though not conscious of much
merit in the way of recitation) my attempts to do justice to the grand opening
of the stag-hunt, were always followed with bursts of applause—for this Canto
was the favourite among the rough sons of the fighting Third Division. At that
time supplies of various kinds, especially any thing in the way of delicacies,
were very scanty; and, in gratitude, I am bound to declare, that to the good
offices of the Lady, I owed many a nice slice of ham,
and rummer of hot punch, which, I assure you, were amongst the most welcome
favours that one officer could bestow on another during the long rainy nights
of last January and February. By desire of my messmates of the Black-cuffs, I
some time ago sent a commission to London for a copy of the music of the
Boat-Song, ‘Hail to the Chief,’ as
per-
| LETTER FROM CAPT. ADAM FERGUSON—1811. | 349 |
