“I had written all the foregoing botheration,
intending to send it by a wounded friend going home to Scotland, when, to my no
small joy, your parcel, enclosing Don
Roderick, reached me. How kind I take it your remembering old
Linton in this way. A day or two
after I received yours I was sent into the Alentejo, where I remained a month,
and only returned a few days ago, much delighted with the trip. You wish to
know how I like the Vision; but as you can’t
look for any learned critique from me, I shall only say that I fully entered
into the spirit and beauty of it, and that I relished much the wild and
fanciful opening of the introductory part; yet what particularly delighted me
were the stanzas announcing the approach of the British fleets and armies to
this country, and the three delightful ones descriptive of the different
troops, English, Scotch, and Irish; and I can assure you the Pats are, to a
man, enchanted with the picture drawn of their countrymen, and the mention of
the great man himself. Your swearing, in the true character of a minstrel,
‘shiver my harp and burst its every chord,’ amused me
not a little. From being well acquainted with a great many of the situations
described, they had of course the more interest, and ‘Grim
Busaco’s iron ridge’ most happily paints the appearance of
that memorable field. You must know that we have got with us some bright
geniuses, natives of the dear country, and who go by the
name of ‘the
| 350 | LIFE OF SIR WALTER SCOTT. |
“I am most happy to hear that the Club* goes on in the old smooth style. I am afraid, however, that now * * * has become a judge, the delights of Scrogum and The Tailor will be lost, till revived perhaps by the old croupier in the shape of a battered half-pay officer. Yours affectionately,
