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neighbourhood；　it　was　given　out　in　the　local　papers　that　he　was　a

man　of　high　connections；　and　he　was　besought　on　all　sides　for　his

〃custom。〃　　But　he　speedily　undeceived　his　new　neighbours。　　〃We　are

not　great　people　at　all；〃　he　said：　〃we　are　only　common　honest

peoplepeople　that　pay　our　debts。〃



Hazlitt；　who　was　a　thoroughly　honest　though　rather　thriftless　man；

speaks　of　two　classes　of　persons；　not　unlike　each　otherthose

who　cannot　keep　their　own　money　in　their　hands；　and　those　who

cannot　keep　their　hands　from　other　people's。　　The　former　are

always　in　want　of　money；　for　they　throw　it　away　on　any　object　that

first　presents　itself；　as　if　to　get　rid　of　it；　the　latter　make

away　with　what　they　have　of　their　own；　and　are　perpetual　borrowers

from　all　who　will　lend　to　them；　and　their　genius　for　borrowing；　in

the　long　run；　usually　proves　their　ruin。



Sheridan　was　one　of　such　eminent　unfortunates。　　He　was　impulsive

and　careless　in　his　expenditure；　borrowing　money；　and　running　into

debt　with　everybody　who　would　trust　him。　　When　he　stood　for

Westminster；　his　unpopularity　arose　chiefly　from　his　general

indebtedness。　　〃Numbers　of　poor　people；〃　says　Lord　Palmerston　in

one　of　his　letters；　〃crowded　round　the　hustings；　demanding　payment

for　the　bills　he　owed　them。〃　　In　the　midst　of　all　his

difficulties；　Sheridan　was　as　lighthearted　as　ever；　and　cracked

many　a　good　joke　at　his　creditors'　expense。　　Lord　Palmerston　was

actually　present　at　the　dinner　given　by　him；　at　which　the

sheriff's　in　possession　were　dressed　up　and　officiated　as　waiters



Yet　however　loose　Sheridan's　morality　may　have　been　as　regarded

his　private　creditors；　he　was　honest（so　far　as　the　public　money

was　concerned。　　Once；　at　dinner；　at　which　Lord　Byron　happened　to

be　present；　an　observation　happened　to　be　made　as　to　the

sturdiness　of　the　Whigs　in　resisting　office；　and　keeping　to　their

principleson　which　Sheridan　turned　sharply　and　said：　〃Sir；　it

is　easy　for　my　Lord　this；　or　Earl　that；　or　the　Marquis　of　t'other；

with　thousands　upon　thousands　a　year；　some　of　it　either　presently

derived　or　inherited　in　sinecure　or　acquisitions　from　the　public

money；　to　boast　of　their　patriotism；　and　keep　aloof　from

temptation；　but　they　do　not　know　from　what　temptation　those　have

kept　aloof　who　had　equal　pride；　at　least　equal　talents；　and　not

unequal　passions；　and　nevertheless　knew　not；　in　the　course　of

their　lives；　what　it　was　to　have　a　shilling　of　their　own。〃　　And

Lord　Byron　adds；　that；　in　saying　this；　Sheridan　wept。　（16）



The　tone　of　public　morality　in　money…matters　was　very　low　in　those

days。　　Political　peculation　was　not　thought　discreditable；　and

heads　of　parties　did　not　hesitate　to　secure　the　adhesion　of　their

followers　by　a　free　use　of　the　public　money。　　They　were　generous；

but　at　the　expense　of　otherslike　that　great　local　magnate；　who；



　　　　　　　　　〃Out　of　his　great　bounty；

　　　　　　Built　a　bridge　at　the　expense　of　the　county。〃



When　Lord　Cornwallis　was　appointed　Lord…Lieutenant　of　Ireland；　he

pressed　upon　Colonel　Napier；　the　father　of　THE　Napiers；　the

comptrollership　of　army　accounts。　　〃I　want；〃　said　his　Lordship；

〃AN　HONEST　MAN；　and　this　is　the　only　thing　I　have　been　able　to

wrest　from　the　harpies　around　me。〃



It　is　said　that　Lord　Chatham　was　the　first　to　set　the　example　of

disdaining　to　govern　by　petty　larceny；　and　his　great　son　was　alike

honest　in　his　administration。　　While　millions　of　money　were

passing　through　Pitt's　hands；　he　himself　was　never　otherwise　than

poor；　and　he　died　poor。　　Of　all　his　rancorous　libellers；　not　one

ever　ventured　to　call　in　question　his　honesty。



In　former　times；　the　profits　of　office　were　sometimes　enormous。

When　Audley；　the　famous　annuity…monger　of　the　sixteenth　century；

was　asked　the　value　of　an　office　which　he　had　purchased　in　the

Court　of　Wards；　he　replied：…　〃Some　thousands　to　any　one　who　wishes

to　get　to　heaven　immediately；　twice　as　much　to　him　who　does　not

mind　being　in　purgatory；　and　nobody　knows　what　to　him　who　is　not

afraid　of　the　devil。〃



Sir　Walter　Scott　was　a　man　who　was　honest　to　the　core　of　his

nature　and　his　strenuous　and　determined　efforts　to　pay　his　debts；

or　rather　the　debts　of　the　firm　with　which　he　had　become　involved；

has　always　appeared　to　us　one　of　the　grandest　things　in　biography。

When　his　publisher　and　printer　broke　down；　ruin　seemed　to　stare

him　in　the　face。　　There　was　no　want　of　sympathy　for　him　in　his

great　misfortune；　and　friends　came　forward　who　offered　to　raise

money　enough　to　enable　him　to　arrange　with　his　creditors。　　〃No！

〃said　he；　proudly；　〃this　right　hand　shall　work　it　all　off！〃　　〃If

we　lose　everything　else；〃　he　wrote　to　a　friend；　〃we　will　at　least

keep　our　honour　unblemished。〃　（17）　　While　his　health　was　already

becoming　undermined　by　overwork；　he　went　on　〃writing　like　a

tiger；〃　as　he　himself　expressed　it；　until　no　longer　able　to　wield

a　pen；　and　though　he　paid　the　penalty　of　his　supreme　efforts　with

his　life；　he　nevertheless　saved　his　honour　and　his　self…respect。



Everybody　knows　bow　Scott　threw　off　'Woodstock；'　the　'Life　of

Napoleon'　（which　he　thought　would　be　his　death　（18））；　articles　for

the　'Quarterly；'　'Chronicles　of　the　Canongate；'　'Prose

Miscellanies；'　and　'Tales　of　a　Grandfather'all　written　in　the

midst　of　pain；　sorrow；　and　ruin。　　The　proceeds　of　those　various

works　went　to　his　creditors。　　〃I　could　not　have　slept　sound；〃　he

wrote；　〃as　I　now　can；　under　the　comfortable　impression　of

receiving　the　thanks　of　my　creditors；　and　the　conscious　feeling　of

discharging　my　duty　as　a　man　of　honour　and　honesty。　　I　see　before

me　a　long；　tedious；　and　dark　path；　but　it　leads　to　stainless

reputation。　　If　I　die　in　the　harrows；　as　is　very　likely；　I　shall

die　with　honour。　　If　I　achieve　my　task；　I　shall　have　the　thanks　of

all　concerned；　and　the　approbation　of　my　own　conscience。〃　（19）



And　then　followed　more　articles；　memoirs；　and　even　sermons'The

Fair　Maid　of　Perth；'　a　completely　revised　edition　of　his　novels；

'Anne　of　Geierstein；'　and　more　'Tales　of　a　Grandfather'until　he

was　suddenly　struck　down　by　paralysis。　　But　he　had　no　sooner

recovered　sufficient　strength　to　be　able　to　hold　a　pen；　than　we

find　him　again　at　his　desk　writing　the　'Letters　on　Demonology　and

Witchcraft；'　a　volume　of　Scottish　History　for　'Lardner's

Cyclopaedia；'　and　a　fourth　series　of　'Tales　of　a　Grandfather'　in

his　French　History。　　In　vain　his　doctors　told　him　to　give　up　work；

he　would　not　be　dissuaded。　　〃As　for　bidding　me　not　work；〃　he　said

to　Dr。　Abercrombie；　〃Molly　might　just　as　well　put　the　kettle　on

the　fire　and　say；　'Now；　kettle；　don't　boil；'〃　to　which　he　added；

〃If　I　were　to　be　idle　I　should　go　mad！〃



By　means　of　the　profits　realised　by　these　tremendous　efforts；

Scott　saw　his　debts　in　course　of　rapid　diminution；　and　he　trusted

that；　after　a　few　more　years'　work；　he　would　again　be　a　free　man。

But　it　was　not　to　be。　　He　went　on　turning　out　such　works　as　his

'Count　Robert　of　Paris'　with　greatly　impaired　skill；　until　he　was

prostrated　by　another　and　severer　attack　of　palsy。　　He　now　felt

that　the　plough　was　nearing　the　end　of　the　furrow；　his　physical

strength　was　gone；　he　was　〃not　quite　himself　in　all　things；〃　and

yet　his　courage　and　perseverance　never　failed。　　〃I　have　suffered

terribly；〃　he　wrote　in　his　Diary；　〃though　rather　in　body　than　in

mind；　and　I　often　wish　I　could　lie　down　and　sleep　without　waking。

But　I　WILL　FIGHT　IT　OUT　IF　I　CAN。〃　　He　again　recovered

sufficiently　to　be　able　to　write　'Castle　Dangerous；'　though　the

cunning　of　the　workman's　hand　had　departed。　　And　then　there　was

his　last　tour　to　Italy　in　search　of　rest　and　health；　during　which；

while　at　Naples；　in　spite　of　all　remonstrances；　he　gave　several

hours　every　morning　to　the　composition　of　a　new　novel；　which；

however；　has　not　seen　the　light。



Scott　returned　to　Abbotsford　to　die。　　〃I　have　seen　much；〃　he　said

on　his　return；　〃but　nothing　like　my　own　housegive　me　one　turn

more。〃　　One　of　the　last　things　he　uttered；　in　one　of　his　lucid

intervals；　was　worthy　of　him。　　〃I　have　been；〃　he　said；　〃perhaps

the　most　voluminous　author　of　my　day；　and　it　IS　a　comfort　to　me　to

think　that　I　have　tried　to　unsettle　no　man's　faith；　to　corrupt　no

man's　principles；　and　that　I　have　written　nothing　which　on　my

deathbed　I　should　wish　blotted　out。〃　　His　last　injunction　to　his

son…in…law　was：　〃Lockhart；　I　may　have　but　a　minute　to　speak　to

you。　　My　dear；　be　virtuousbe　religiousbe　a　good　man。

Nothing　else　will　give　you　any　comfort　when　you　come　to　lie　here。〃



The　devoted　conduct　of　Lockhart　himself　was　worthy　of　his　great

relative。　　The　'Life　of　Scott；'　which　he　afterwards　wrote；

occupied　him　several　years；　and　was　a　remarkably　successful　work。

Yet　he　himself　derived　no　pecuniary　advantage　from　it；　handing

over　the　profits　of　the　whole　undertaking　to　Sir　Walter's

creditors　in　payment　of　debts　which　he　was　in　no　way　responsible；

but　influenced　entirely　by　a　spirit　of　honour；　of　regard　for　the

me