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XXXI.

"SAINT RONAN'S WELL," AND ASHIESTIEL.

Eighteenth Novel of the Series, written 1823; Published December, 1823;
Author's age, 52; Time of action, about 1800.

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NE may ride most of the way from Edinburgh to Innerleithen, by rail, in an hour and a half or two hours, and find the latter a quiet, pretty, and considerably frequented watering-place, situated in a wide, meadowy, secluded valley, environed by high, green hills, and traversed by the Tweed, there a considerable river. Innerleithen is, also, a convenient and pleasant stopping-place from which to visit many delightful scenes, several of which are associated with Scott. The place itself, a mere hamlet until the latter part of the last century, has become recognized as his "St. Ronan's Well," and the place of action of most of this story. Thus rendered attractive, its healthy climate, the scenery of its environs, and its waters (resembling those of Harrowgate, and healing, though not delicious, to those unaccustomed to them), have developed it to the thriving town and interesting visiting-place one now finds it. Sundry woollen-mills also have increased its resources, if not its beauty. There is a main street, of rather new, good-looking houses, and an older street, extending up a hill-crest to the well, if the writer remembers correctly. In the former, was pointed out a square, two-story house, built of rough stones, painted slate color, with white, cut-stone quoins and window finishings; and this house was said to have been the Old St. Ronan's Inn, kept by that celebrity among landladies, Mistress Meg Dods, — elderly, maiden, strong-minded, quick-tempered, strong-prejudiced, and strongarmed, where she did according to her notions of the customs of her father before her, and where she anathematized the growing rival public-house, that she denominated the "hottel" by the "Spawell."

Mr. Frank Tyrrel opened the action of the story, at this old "Cleikum " inn, by appearing and sojourning there. He was a young gentleman with affinities to the neighborhood, and a knowledge of it then mysteriously great. He was soon described at the "Spa," and was invited to it; and thus the mixed company

there assembled became introduced to him and the world; and the author, as he states, was enabled "to display a species of society, where the strongest contrast of humorous characters and manners may be brought to bear on and illustrate each other with less violation of probability than could be supposed to attend the same miscellaneous assemblage in any other situation." Among various persons, we learn of Miss Clara Mowbray, heroine of the novel, and sister of the "Lord of the manor," Mr. John Mowbray. She invited the company to her family seat, Shaw's Castle, where, before the end of the story, not a few strange incidents occurred. Investigation rather perplexes one about the identity of this edifice. It is said to be designed from Raeburn, near St. Boswell's Green, many miles down the Tweed, and beyond Melrose. But as castellated structures abound in the vicinity of Innerleithen, the reader may possibly prefer right of private judgment, and thus be suited in the local habitation of these incidents. The story, to be sure, describes this seat as being about three miles from the village; and thus a clew is given to the archæological explorations of an inquiring sojourner at the Spa.

Besides this place, the story is associated with so few distinct localities, that it need not be described here, in order to indicate or suggest them; and this chapter may state enough by conducting the traveller to its general scene, where, if there is a long stop, or one of even a day or two, it will be a subject of local interest and desirable entertainment. There is, however, one spot prominently described in the novel, that will naturally be visited, and that may be mentioned here, the old castle of St. Ronan's, that stands "on a rising ground immediately adjoining the village," and that, with its works of circumvallation, covers more than an acre. An immense quantity of uncemented stones were used in its material construction; but imagination is required to fashion them into quite the castle of the story. The curious history of Clara Mowbray, its heroine, can there, or in any other place very adapted to reading such a history as hers, be found, as the great novelist has told it, and as Mr. Lockhart describes it, - one of "the highest efforts of tragic romance."

Along the Tweed, for a considerable distance below Innerleithen, is a narrow, pastoral vale, rather more than half a dozen miles down which, on the south bank, is ASHIESTIEL, now a strictly private residence. It was occupied by Scott from the earlier part

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of 1804 until the end of May, 1812, when he removed to Abbotsford. "A more beautiful situation for the residence of a poet could not be conceived," wrote Lockhart. "The house was then a small one, but, compared with the cottage at Lasswade, its accommodations were amply sufficient. You approached it through an old-fashioned garden, with holly hedges, and broad, green, terrace walks. On one side, close under the windows, is a deep ravine, clothed with venerable trees, down which a mountain rivulet is heard, more than seen, in its progress to the Tweed. The river itself is separated from the high bank on which the house stands, only by a narrow meadow of the richest verdure. Opposite, and all around, are the green hills. The valley there is narrow, and the aspect in every direction is that of perfect pastoral repose." "There was hardly even a gentleman's family within visiting distance." "The country all around, with here and there an insignificant exception, belongs to the Buccleuch estate; so that, whichever way he chose to turn, the bard of the clan had ample room and verge enough." "Ashiestiel," says William Howitt, "occupied as an abode a marked and joyous period of Scott's life. He was now a happy husband, the happy father of a lovely young family. Fortune was smiling on him. He held an honorable, and to him, delightful office, that of the Sheriff of the County of Selkirk; which bound him up with almost all that Border ballad country, in which he revelled as in a perfect fairy land." "He was acknowledged, though Southey, Wordsworth, Campbell, and Coleridge were now pouring out their finest productions, to be the most original and popular writer of the day." At Ashiestiel he composed "The Lay of the Last Minstrel," "Marmion," the "Lady of the Lake," and lesser works. "There was to be one fresh and higher flight, even by him, that of 'The Great Unknown,' and this was reserved for Abbotsford. There the fame of his romances began," "but here the sun of his poetic reputation ascended to its zenith. In particular, the poem of Marmion will for ever recall the memory and the scenery of Ashiestiel. The introductions to the different cantos, than which there are no poems in the English language more beautiful of their kind, are all imbued with the spirit of the place. They breathe at once the solitary beauty of the hills, the lovely charm of river, wood, and heath, and the genial blaze of the domestic hearth, on which love and friendship, and gladsome spirits of childhood, and the admiration of eager visitors to the secluded abode of The Last Minstrel,' had made an earthly paradise.”

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The house, considerably altered since Scott's time, was made out of an old Border tower. "In the room looking down the Tweed, a beautiful view, Scott wrote." In his little drawing-room here, at least on a single occasion, "he entertained three duchesses at once." Revisiting this place in 1826 (after his financial troubles), Scott wrote in his diary: "Here I passed some happy years. Did I ever pass unhappy years anywhere? None that I remember, save those at the High School, which I thoroughly detested on account of the confinement." The estate is charmingly kept, and is, or lately was, in possession of a branch of his family.

TR

XXXII.

"THE BLACK DWARF."

Fourth Novel of the Series; written 1816; Published December, 1816;
Author's age, 45; Time of action, 1708.

`RAVELLERS, while at Innerleithen, can easily visit places reputed to have witnessed some of the more important action of this story, and by there recalling it, can find not only an appropriate introduction to the Border Country that they are supposed to be approaching, but also agreeable illustration of characteristics of the last generation of those turbulent but picturesque persons who so peculiarly pertain to that region. Scott, when publishing this work, attempted, with little success, to divert from himself reputation of its authorship, in order to maintain his fancied disguise. It appeared as the First Series of the "Tales of my Landlord," and was dedicated

"To

His Loving Countrymen
whether they are denominated

Men of the South, Gentlemen of the North,
People of the West, or Folk of Fife;
These Tales,

Illustrative of Ancient Scottish manners,
and of the

Traditions of their respective districts,
are respectfully inscribed
By their friend and liege fellow-subject,
JEDEDIAH CLEISH BOTHAM."

"Harold the Dauntless," by "Walter Scott," was almost simultaneously published; but this strategy did not render the disguise more impenetrable, and the poet generally received the credit due "The Great Unknown."

The opening scene of this story introduces "The Black Dwarf" on "Mucklestane Moor," a "dreary common," "in one of the most remote districts of the south of Scotland," a tract that can be recognized as a generic description of much of the wild "Midland Border." The Dwarf, called “Elshander the Recluse," or "Cannie Elshie," had built there a stone hut, where he lived entirely alone. Halbert, or "Hobbie Elliot of the Heugh-foot," a farmer, and the young Laird of Earnscliff (the former living in that vicinity) discovered him one night, while they were returning from a hunt. Thinking him a spirit, they then and afterward watched his movements, but their investigations did not immediately dispel the mystery attending him. When the season advanced and became more genial (as we are told), he sometimes sat outside the door of his hut, and thus was one day surprised by a party on horseback. Three of the riders - young ladies — succeeded in preventing his retreat; while "the best mounted, best dressed, and incomparably the bestlooking of the three," began conversation with him. He recognized her, Isabella Vere, daughter of the Laird of Ellieslaw, and thus he began to make us acquainted with one of the secrets of the story. She soon departed with the company in which she came. In this was "a dark, stiff, and stately Sir Frederick Langley," a great favorite with her father, but not the least with her. Nevertheless, for some strange reason, he was her companion and suitor ; and she seemed doomed to become his bride. The party with which she was riding, after travelling over a rough country, came duly to the castle of her father, named like his title, Ellieslaw.

The original of this structure is said, by the wise, to be Traquair House, seat of the Earl of Traquair, across the river from Innerleithen; and if so, one, when at "St. Ronan's," may read pleasantly this story of its older stirring and picturesque times.

"Traquair House or Palace" "as it is sometimes called," says Chambers, "received its present character from John, first Earl, since whose time little has been done." "Originally it was nothing more than a border tower," to which have been added "edifices of the reign of Charles I." It stands "at the head of a green meadow, where it rises amid the trees with its back towards the river." The

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