WALTER SCOTT.—­First in order of the new romantic poets was Scott, alike renowned for his Lays and for his wonderful prose fictions; at once the most equable and the most prolific of English authors.

Walter Scott was born in Edinburgh, on the 15th of August, 1771.  His father was a writer to the signet; his mother was Anne Rutherford, the daughter of a medical professor in the University of Edinburgh.  His father’s family belonged to the clan Buccleugh.  Lame from his early childhood, and thus debarred the more active pleasures of children, his imagination was unusually vigorous; and he took special pleasure in the many stories, current at the time, of predatory warfare, border forays, bogles, warlocks, and second sight.  He spent some of his early days in the country, and thus became robust and healthy; although his lameness remained throughout life.  He was educated in Edinburgh, at the High School and the university; and, although not noted for excellence as a scholar, he exhibited precocity in verse, and delighted his companions by his readiness in reproducing old stories or improving new ones.  After leaving the university he studied law, and ranged himself in politics as a Conservative or Tory.

Although never an accurate classical scholar, he had a superficial knowledge of several languages, and was an industrious collector of old ballads and relics of the antiquities of his country.  He was, however, better than a scholar;—­he had genius, enthusiasm, and industry:  he could create character, adapt incident, and, in picturesque description, he was without a rival.

During the rumors of the invasion of Scotland by the French, which he has treated with such comical humor in The Antiquary, his lameness did not prevent his taking part with the volunteers, as quartermaster—­a post given him to spare him the fatigue and rough service of the ranks.  The French did not come; and Scott returned to his studies with a budget of incident for future use.

TRANSLATIONS AND MINSTRELSY.—­The study of the German language was then almost a new thing, even among educated people in England; and Scott made his first public essay in the form of translations from the German.  Among these were versions of the Erl Koenig of Goethe, and the Lenore and The Wild Huntsman of Buerger, which appeared in 1796.  In 1797 he rendered into English Otho of Wittelsbach by Steinburg, and in 1799 Goethe’s tragedy, Goetz von Berlichingen.  These were the trial efforts of his “’prentice hand,” which predicted a coming master.

On the 24th of December, 1797, he married Miss Carpenter, or Charpentier, a lady of French parentage, and retired to a cottage at Lasswade, where he began his studies, and cherished his literary aspirations in earnest and for life.