THE

FORTUNES OF NIGEL.

Knifegrinder. Story? Lord bless you! I have none to tell, sir. Poetry of the Antijacobin.

EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION

ΤΟ

THE FORTUNES OF NIGEL.

SCOTT's literary activity about the time when "The Pirate" appeared, and "The Fortunes of Nigel" were on the stocks, was remarkable, even for him. Though his fertility as a novelist amazed his age, in our time it would be in itself nothing very remarkable. In seventeen years (1814-1831) he produced twenty-four novels. A glance at the catalogues of recent authors' work will show that this rate has often been exceeded. But the successful modern novelist has often no other occupation, whereas, in addition to social demands on his time, and his duties as a landlord, a forester, and a magistrate, Scott was busy with editing old English classics, with the writing of biographies, and with other studies.

On Sept. 24, 1821, Constable wrote to Lockhart from Brighton, with a number of suggestions. First there was the "Library of British Novelists," a gift of Scott's to John Ballantyne, now dead. Sir Walter was writing biographies of the novelists, and their works were added in a small type, like a newspaper.” This was unattractive and unsuccessful, but Scott's biographies composed "two little piratical duodecimos,” issued by a Paris bookseller, and read in that form by Lady Louisa Stuart. They are now published among his Miscellaneous Prose Works. Constable proposed