“There was at this time a circulating library at Edinburgh, founded, I believe, by the celebrated Allan Ramsay, which, besides containing a most respectable collection of books of every description, was, as might have been expected, peculiarly rich in works of fiction.  I was plunged into this great ocean of reading without compass or pilot; and unless when some one had the charity to play at chess with me, I was allowed to do nothing save read, from morning to night.  As my taste and appetite were gratified in nothing else, I indemnified myself by becoming a glutton of books.  Accordingly, I believe, I read almost all the old romances, old plays, and epic poetry, in that formidable collection, and no doubt was unconsciously amassing materials for the task in which it has been my lot to be so much employed.

“At the same time, I did not in all respects abuse the license permitted me.  Familiar acquaintance with the specious miracles of fiction brought with it some degree of satiety, and I began by degrees to seek in histories, memoirs, voyages and travels, and the like, events nearly as wonderful as those which were the works of the imagination, with the additional advantage that they were, at least, in a great measure true.  The lapse of nearly two years, during which I was left to the service of my own free will, was followed by a temporary residence in the country, where I was again very lonely, but for the amusement which I derived from a good, though old-fashioned, library.  The vague and wild use which I made of this advantage I cannot describe better than by referring my reader to the desultory studies of Waverley in a similar situation; the passages concerning whose reading were imitated from recollections of my own."[5]

    [5] General Preface, &c.

STUDIES IN THE LAW.

Upon the re-establishment of his health, Scott returned to Edinburgh, and resumed his studies in the law, which had been interrupted by illness.  He states his progress to have been neither slow nor unsatisfactory, though by others he is said to have been an indolent student.  He speaks of his “severe studies” occupying the greater part of his time, and amidst their dulness he seems to have underrated the incidents of his private life, which he afterwards related to the world with some share of self-satisfaction.

He appears to have succeeded tolerably in his legal lucubrations; for, in 1792, he was called to the bar as an advocate.  He established himself in good style in Edinburgh, but had little practice; though the accounts of his progress are somewhat contradictory.  That he passed much of his time in acquiring other than professional knowledge is more certain, though he rarely attempted composition.  Mr. Chambers, with all his diligence and advantages for research, (and they are very meritorious and considerable,) “has not been able to detect any fugitive pieces of Sir Walter’s in any of the periodical publications of the day, nor even any attempt to get one intruded (?) unless the following notice in Dr. Anderson’s Bee for May 9, 1792, refers to him:—­’The Editor regrets that the verses of W.S. are too defective for publication.’”