See also: Walter Scott (homonymy), Scott

Sir Walter Scott (August 15th 1771 with Edinburgh - September 21st 1832 with Abbotsford) is a Poète and Scottish writer . One of most famous the authors Scot with David Hume, Adam Smith, Robert Burns or Robert Louis Stevenson, it is traditionally called the “Magician of North” ( Wizard off the North ). It is also, with Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley or Keats, one of the most famous figures of the British Romantisme. Father of the Historical novel, it contributed to forge a romantic image of the Scotland and sound history. It is with him, in particular, that one owes the return of the use of the Tartan and the Kilt, whose port had been prohibited by act of the Parlement in 1746.

Biography

Youth

Scott belong to a former family of the area border of Scotland depend on the house of Buccleuch. The father of the writer, Walter Scott (1729 - 1799) is a middle-class man of Edinburgh, which bought the load of “ Writer off the Signet ” (i.e. a Procureur, for the France of the Ancien Mode) in 1755. His/her mother, Anne Rutherford, are the girl of a professor of medicine at the university. The couple has twelve children, of which John (who will become major in the army), Anne (which will die in 1801, after having been crippled all its life), Thomas (which will be treasurer payer of a regiment of the army and will die in the Canada in 1823), Daniel (who will die in dishonor in 1806). Ninth child (and fourth among the six which will not die in low age), Walter, is born the August 15th 1771 with Edinburgh in the old workings (Wynd College), rather unhealthy.

In 1772 - 1773, in eight month, a Poliomyelitis, badly neat, makes it lame of the right leg. To save it, one sends it food to the great outdoors in his grandfather Robert Scott (former sailor and tradesman of cattle who broke with the traditional opinions of the family while becoming, of jacobite, whig and presbytérien) in Sandyknowe, in the Roxburghshire, where he saw 1773 with 1775 with his grandmother, his aunt Jenny and an old maidservant, Alison Wilson. There, he discovers the world of his ancestors, reads its first poem (a popular ballade), is indignant at the account of the English reprisals of 1745. In 1775 - 1776, one sends it with his aunt to water of Bath; in the passing, he sees London, learns how to read, his uncle Robert (returned of the the Indies) takes along it to the Théâtre to see Shakespeare. In 1777, to died of his/her grandfather, it returns to Edinburgh. Of return to Edinburgh, it makes a new stay with Sandyknowe, where it visits the field of Bataille of Prestonpans and listens to the accounts of an old soldier, Dalgetty (of which the name will appear in a Legend of Montrose ). Although passionately jacobite, it suffers from the English defeats of the war of America. In his parents, it devours the books: poets, Shakespeare, stories; his/her mother supports her literary tastes.

Of 1779 with 1783, after being prepared there by a particular professor, it studies with the High School of Edinburgh, where it follows during two years the courses of certain Fraser, especially famous for its whiplashes, then of Alexander Adam, author of the Roman Antiquités , which gives him the taste of the history. It expresses remarkable gifts for the Latin . It reads enormously: Homère, the Arioste, Boiardo, the Cup, Ossian (which he does not like), Spenser, the Reliques off Ancient poetry of Percy (1765), History of the knights of Midsummer's Day of Jerusalem of Vertot (1726), Henry Fielding, Samuel Richardson, Tobias Smollett, of the Romance Gothics, the books of hawking, the stories, the accounts of voyage. In 1783, it spends a few months to the countryside with his/her aunt and attends the school of Kelso, where it becomes acquainted with James and John Ballantyne.

Then, of 1783 with 1786, it studies the Droit to the Université of Edinburgh. It has difficulties with the Greek , follows the courses of Dugald Stewart, is initiated with logic and the history. At 13 years, it enters a cabin of the Franc-maçonnerie (his/her father itself was initiated in 1755). In March 1786, his/her father, who wants to make a man of law of it (lawyer or Procureur) takes it in training in his study; Scott hates this activity but subjects good heart. An internal bleeding obliges it shortly after to keep the bed during several weeks. It continues to read much: Italian , French (the blue library, the Library of the Novels, Calprenède, Miss de Scudéry, Joinville, Froissart, Brantôme), of Spanish (Cervantes). When its health improves, with one of his companions, it begins its first historical excursions around Edinburgh. He undertakes to copy a collection of popular songs, attends a collector of old books and of old manuscripts, meets men of letters of Edinburgh (Robert Burns, Adam Ferguson), explores the Highlands with his/her father or of the comrades, collects old or recent anecdotes (on Rob Roy for example) and discovers the historic sites and picturesque.

Of 1789 with 1792, it supplements its studies of right to the university, where it follows a teaching of moral Philosophie exempted by Dugald Stewart, of universal history, of Civil law, Scottish right (with David Hume, the nephew of the philosopher). This last matter enthusiasm; it is fascinated by what it looks like a capital element of the culture and traditional company of the Scotland, whose legal building built during the centuries guarantees its identity. It ties friendships major and durable (W. Clerk, Adam Ferguson, the son of the philosopher), adheres to clubs where it is made known like “antique dealer” and scholar, explores with horse, during its holidays, the moved back areas of the Border and the Liddesdale, is initiated with all the aspects of the Scottish Folklore and with all the vestiges of its national history. In 1792, at twenty-two years, it supports (in Latin) its thesis of right, How to have the corpses of the criminals , then enters to the bar, like his/her father, where his/her colleagues call it malicieusement “Duns Scott” of the name of John Duns Scot, Théologien English of the medieval time, which wrote in Latin, and becomes lawyer in 1792. Between 1793 and 1795, it endeavors to gain lawsuits and to increase extremely low incomes. At the same time, during its holidays, it continues its voyages of “antique dealer” and of folklorist, records anecdotes on the important facts of Rob Roy, visits the castle and the site of Craighall (Tully-Veolan, the castle of the baron de Bradwardine, in Waverley ), as well as the castle of Glamis, meets Old Mortality, which it will remember in his novel, collects lost ballades and even tries to make excavations. In addition, opposed to the French revolution and close to the ideas of Edmund Burke, it takes part in the maintenance of law and order and engages in a militia to fight against the partisans of the revolutionary ideals in Great Britain. The protection of the duke of Buccleuch enables him to become Adjudant. At that time, also, he knows an unhappy passion for Williamina Beshes (a five year old young girl its junior and a social status definitely easier which is let like, before getting excited of another, William Forbes de Pitsligo, wire of a banker to which it becomes engaged in October 1796); Scott, which feels betrayed, in is very affected.

Poet

At the 25 years age, it starts to write, composes the Battle song of the Midlothian (1792), its first work. Then, reached by the vogue of German poetry, he learns the German language and translated (anonymously) from the poems of Bürger, the Germanic dramas (like Götz von Berlichingen of Goethe in 1799) and from the poetic adaptations. The December 24th 1797, it marries with Carlisle the young woman, with whom it will have four children: Charlotte Sophia (born in October 1799), Walter (born in October 1801), Anne (born in February 1803) and Charles (born in December 1805). The couple settles with Edinburgh, George Street, in the “modern” district, like the parents of Scott, before joining North Castle Street in 1798. The summer, it rents a cottage with Lasswade. Scott, bound by convictions and fidelity to the Establishment Tory, in particular with Henry Dundas (future Lord Melville), with the duke of Buccleuch and his/her son, is made name in 1799 Shérif F (a kind of itinerant examining magistrate) of the county of Selkirk. Its functions, which do not prevent it from working with the bar of Edinburgh, round its incomes.

In 1802, it makes known while publishing three volumes of Ballade S Scottish, songs of ménestrels of border Scottish , which gathers all the popular poems of the south of the Scotland which enchanted its childhood, of the Ballade S collected thanks to an immense work and original imitations of Scott which works on manuscripts of the Moyen-âge and traverses Liddesdale to listen reciting, while achieving its military duties in the body of the volunteers of the Middlothian Yeomenry County . The book is published by James Ballantyne, who published a newspaper with Kelso and settles with Edinburgh. To the same time, Scott binds with the popular poet Hogg (known as “the shepherd of Ettrick”) and with William Wordsworth.

In 1804, it publishes Sir Tristrem , a version (which it considers purer than the continental versions) of the Romance of Tristan of which it discovered the manuscript, and that it believes of Thomas d' Erceldoune, said Thomas Rhymer. It adapts and completes the medieval manuscript. In addition, starting from 1803, it collaborates in the Revue of Edinburgh (in spite of its color whig), published by Archibald Constable and directed by france Jeffrey. To approach Selkirk, he initially thinks of raising the ruins of the castle of Scott with Auld Watt, then rents the field of Ashestiel, which will be its residence of summer during long years. The state of its finances improves with the heritage of his/her uncle Robert Scott. In 1805, it joins Ballantyne, which seeks capital to develop its Imprimerie and receives half of two thirds of the benefit of the Ballantyne firm, which will know years of great prosperity. The same year, in December, a fourth child, Charles, the day sees.

Between 1807 and 1810, Scott is with the apogee of its glory like poet. It publishes Marmion or the Bataille of Flodden Field in 1808, poem narrative whose Stance 17 of song VI is particularly known; then, in 1810, the very popular the Lady of the lake , long poem whose intrigue is in Highlands and who brings back two thousand Guineas to him; passages translated into German will become libretto of the Ave Maria of Schubert. When it goes to London, it is celebrated like a prince of the mode. In same time, at the price of an immense work, it publishes traditional English (its editions of Dryden and Swift are monuments of scholarship). faithful Tory, it breaks with the Revue of Edinburgh (a polemic opposes it to Jeffrey in connection with Fox and of the English intervention in Spain) and between with the Quarterly Review , founded in 1809, of color tory. In the same way, it gives up Constable (too much whig) to get along with the London editor Murray.

In 1811 appears the Vision of Rodéric, the last king goth of Spain , Spanish poem nourished of allusions to the English policy and the victories in Spain. The same year, Scott carries out its wish expensive: to become a laird. It buys, for 150 pounds, a cottage of four parts, Cartley Hole Farm, on the edges of the Tweed, between Kelso and Melrose, which it increases and which will become Abbotsford. Immediately, it begins projects of enlarging, of embellishment, purchases of grounds and plantations of trees which will occupy it eleven years.

In 1813, it publishes anonymously Rokeby and the Marriage of Triermain .

The novelist of Scotland

In 1813, it takes again a novel outlined in 1805, Waverley , which it anonymously publishes at Constable, in July 1814. The work is an immense success. In this work, Scott describes the adventures of a young English who, by love for the girl of a chief of Scottish clan, retouve interfered with the revolt jacobite 1745. During the summer, it makes the turn of the Scotland by the sea, of Edinburgh to Greenock, aboard yacht of Robert Stevenson (the large father of the novelist), inspector of the headlights. In addition, it writes for the Encyclopædia Britannica (begun again by Constable) three articles on the “knighthood”, the “theater” and the “novels epic or idyllic”. In 1815, Scott publishes back-to-back (under its name) a poem, the Lord of the islands , and a second novel (anonymously), Guy Mannering , whose history is towards 1790. In front of the passion of the public for the poems of Lord Byron, whose immense success of Childe Harold (1812), it gives up the Poésie to primarily devote to the Romance . It goes to London, where it has a long conversation with Byron, in the editor John Murray. It is received by the Régent which calls it Walter and carries a toast to “the author of Waverley ”. Then it goes on a journey on the continent, where it visits the field of Bataille of Waterloo and remains with Paris, where it is accommodated by Wellington, Lord Castlereagh and the tsar. It leaves an account of its voyage in the Lettres of Paul and in the Battle of Waterloo (published with the profit of the widows and the orphans of the battle in 1815). In 1816 appears to the Antique dealer , the Romance preferred of Scott, whose intrigue proceeds in 1804. But its needs for money worsen, to increase Abbotsford, and he wants to only escape the supervision from the Constable. Also publishes it (always under anonymity) a new series of novels in the editor London Murray and its Scottish correspondent Blackwood, under the title the Tales of my host , of which the first series includes/understands the black Dwarf and Old Mortality (which describes the repression of the Puritains under Charles II in 1679). The fictitious editor is a caricatural character, Jedediah Cleishbotham, sexton and schoolmaster in Gandercleuch, which is judicious to publish the work of a certain Peter Pattieson. In January 1817, Scott publishes its last length Poème, Harold Intrepid the , then share, during the summer, through the Scotland to visit the sites which will be evoked in the novel to which he works, Rob Roy . With Abbotsford, during the summer, it receives the visit of Washington Irving, which will leave a long account of this stay.

In 1818 appears Rob Roy , with the mention “by the author of Waverley”. In this Romance, it evokes the historical figure of Rob Roy and the revolt jacobite of 1715. Playing of the competition which opposes its editors, Scott agree to give to Constable the second series Contes of my host , provided that it takes again all the unsold stock of Ballantyne. This second series includes/understands the Heart of Midlothian (1818), which leaves the riot Porteous, which took place with Edinburgh in 1736, and described the tour of a girl of the people, Jeanie Deans, to save his/her sister, marked Infanticide. The same year, it assists with emotion with the redécouverte Regalia of Scotland , badges of the royalty Scot which had disappeared for hundred years. Although he blames his predilection for the horrors (made fun by Edgar Poe), Scott collaborates in the Blackwood' S Magazine , rival of the Edinburgh Review .

At that time, it reaches an exceptional level of popularity and fortune (at least: 10000 £ of annual income) in Europe. In 1819, appears the third series of the Contes of my host at constable, Been engaged of Lammermoor , a Romance black with the manner of Romeo and Juliette evoking the love of two young people belonging to enemies families, in the Scotland towards 1669, and a Legend of Montrose (which describes the Scotland and the Highlands under Charles I {{er}}, during the civil war). Suffering more and more from its leg and gallstones, under the effect of strong amounts of Laudanum, Scott dictates in John Ballantyne and William Laidlaw her novels in a kind of fright. When its health condition improves, he affirmed in Ballantyne to discover the episodes of them at the same time as the readers, so much opium disturbed its memory. The same year, it receives the title of baronnet and obtains a commission of officer for his oldest son, Walter, who will be Cornette at the hussards.

The historical novel

The December 24th 1819, a few days before the death of his/her mother, Scott, which up to that point described the recent past of the Scotland, makes appear its first true historical novel with the evocation of the England of the 12th century in Ivanhoé. In less than two weeks, the first pulling of: 10000 specimens is exhausted. Follow the Abbot (on Marie Stuart) and the Monastery in 1820, then Kenilworth (which tell the history of Elisabeth and Amy Robsart) and the Pirate (which takes for backdrop the life in the the Orkneys in 1724) in 1821. In 1820, it makes a stay with London to receive new king George IV her title of Baronnet (the March 30th). It is made make a portrait by Thomas Lawrence and a bust by Chantrey. His/her daughter Sophia Marie, the April 29th, with John Gibson Lockhart, a young writer tory, family friend since several years, which will be the biographer of Scott. John Ballantyne publishes a collection of novelists; Scott is given the responsability to write a test on each one of them; it starts with a Vie of Fielding , then that of Smollett .

In 1822, Scott publishes two Romance S: Adventures of Nigel and Peveril of the Peak historical and two poems: The Halidon Hill and Mac Duff' S Cross-country race . The same year George IV makes an official visit in Scotland (he is the first king of England to pose the foot on the Scottish ground since the 17th century). Scott organizes the demonstrations of welcome to Edinburgh: it makes appear the clans, finds their antique order of precedence, disciplines the competitions. Covered by a Tartan (whose it starts again the fashion) with the colors of the Campbell, it accompanies everywhere the king (who covered a Kilt). The king makes it congratulate by Robert Peel. Scott benefits from it to claim the restoration of the Scottish peerages (removed after the insurrections jacobites) and the return to Edinburgh of the giant gun Mons Meg (seized by the English in 1746), appeared in 1824, which describes the final crushing of the conspiracies in favor of the Stuart in 1767. In the same way, the intrigue of the Water of Saint-Ronan , for once, is at the 19th century. In 1825, Scott Marie her son, now Captain, with a heiress and gives him the property of Abbostford (against an annual rent to pour). It begins a new series of novels: the Stories of the time of the Crusades , whose two accounts, Been engaged the and the Talisman , appear the same year. In addition, Constable creates a collection of books at a cheap rate (the Constable' S Miscellaneous ) appearing every month: the first will be the Life of Napoleon of Scott.

Last years

However, while it gathers its documentation, for this work, the London associates of Constable know financial problems. Its two editors, Constable and Ballantyne, fall in their turn, involving Scott in their ruin. In February 1826, it is found with: 117000 pounds of debts. Refusing to make bankruptcy, very as much as the idea, launched by some of its amirateurs, of a national subscription, it succeeds in saving its goods, but engages its feather, is made ensure on the life the profit of its creditors, sells with the biddings his house of Castle Street, with Edinburgh, mortgage the pieces of furniture and the field of Abbotsford, congédie the majority of its servants and gives up any other income that its functions. He writes a novel on Cromwell and the future Charles II at the end of the First English revolution, Woodstock (sold for: 8000 pounds with Longman), then takes again the Life of Napoleon . At the same time, it publishes a Pamphlet, the Lettres of Malachi Malagrowther , to defend the Scottish banks, threatened to lose the right to make circulate their own tickets. The polemic is worth several political enmities to him, but the government moves back. The May 15th 1826, his wife dies.

In October, it leaves to Paris in company his Anne daughter to make a study trip, which must supplement the many documents placed at its disposal by the British government, for its Vie of Napoleon . He is unanimously celebrated. In 1820, the Traduction of the Romance Ivanhoé had created an extraordinary passion, which had launched the fashion of the historical novel, and an agreement had been made between its editor of London and that of the street of Saint-Germain-of-meadows (allowing each one of its books simultaneously to appear with London and Paris, with the Traduction of Auguste-Jean-Baptist Defauconpret). At the time of his stay, one exploits Ivanhoé , a music of Rossini, with the Opera, Louis XI with Péronne (adapted Quentin Durward ) with the French Theater, Leicester of Scribe and Auger (drawn from the Château of Kenilworth ) and the white Lady (a Adaptation inspired at the same time by the Monastère and Guy Mannering ) with the Op3era Comique. It is even received by the king Charles X.

In 1827, for the first time, Scott recognizes, during a dinner and in answer to a toast, which it is the “Big unknown”. At the beginning of the summer appears in nine volumes the Life of Napoleon , who creates polemic with general Gourgaud (who misses finishing in duel), the first series of the Chroniques of Canongate , a collection of Mélanges and refunds more: 35000 pounds. In 1828, it continues to produce abundantly, publishes the continuation of the Chroniques (the Romance the Pretty Girl of Perth , who is located in Scotland at the end of the 14th century), starts to make appear the Contes of a grandfather (a Histoire of Scotland dedicated to its grandson John Hugh Lockhart), whose publication continues until in 1831. Moreover, he undertakes, in the editor Cadell, a complete republication of his Romance S, the Waverley Novels (edition about which Scott speaks as being its Magnum Opus ; he writes a general Préface (where he explains the reasons and the practical moalities of his years of anonymity) which will appear in 1829 and takes again all his novels, that it methodically enriches by notes.

In 1829, its second wire engages a career in the Diplomatie. Assisted his girl Anne, it publishes Anne de Geierstein , which is a business success, writes a drama, the Tragedy Ayrshire , drawn from a fact various from the 17th century, another part, the House of Aspen and starts its Histoire of Scotland . However, work exhausts it, and its health is degraded; he suffers in particular from acute crises of Rhumatisme and problems of sight. The February 15th 1830, it has a serious attack of Apoplexie, from which it goes back. One second crisis intervenes in November. The same year, it publishes the fourth series of the Contes of a grandfather and his Lettres on the Démonologie and the Sorcellerie . But, weakened, it must cancel its load of “Clerk off the Court off Session”. He refuses the proposals of stations or sinecures of the ministry (whig). It remains to him: 60000 pounds of debts.

After the revolution of 1830, it organizes the reception with Edinburgh of Charles X, which took refuge with the Palais of Holyrood, remains of his ancestors Stuart. In November, it is victim of a new attack, the more so as the political agitation for the electoral reform creates sharp concerns to him. Deeply preserving, near to the tories, it tries to be opposed to this bill (which will be adopted in 1832), which aims at modifying electoral cutting (unchanged since the time of the Tudor) with better representing the big cities and making disappear the rotted Bourgs, and multiplies the meetings. The adopted reform, it is persuaded that the French revolution will cross the Manche and will destroy the last traditions of the the United Kingdom. In spite of its prestige, he is violently decried at an electoral meeting with Jedburgh.

Obsessed by these fears, overworked by work, weakened by the disease, it fears, in addition, to lose its genius. Its new novel, the Count Robert of Paris , advances with difficulty, and it must rewrite it. It undergoes a new attack in April 1831. For its last novel, the dangerous Castle , which is located in the castle of Douglas, it goes on an ultimate journey through the Scotland. Unloaded with Naples the December 27th 1831, two months after its departure of Portsmouth, it visits Rome (where it is inclined in front of the tomb of the last of the Stuart), then rests some time with Tivoli and Frascati. To return in England, it decides to descend the the Rhine. Nevertheless, in June 1832, it is struck by a new crisis and unloads with Nimègue, in a serious condition. When it arrives at London, it is almost unconscious and almost dumb man and becomes animated only while hearing about Abbotsford and the Scotland. Brought back in boat to Abbotsford, he dies of Paralysie in the September 21st 1832. He is buried the 26 in the ruins of the Abbaye of Dryburgh, where already his Charlotte wife rests.

With its death, it still had: 54000 pounds. Its heirs negotiate with Cadell the transfer of its royalty, for whom the editor pours: 33000 pounds.

Posterity

Scott was a precursor for two major tendencies which continued with time: the Historical novel, it had innumerable imitateurs at the 19th century, and the culture of the Highlands of the Scotland, it created the Tartan S of the clans. In its honor, the central station of Edinburgh was named Waverley in 1854 and its image appears on the tickets issued by the Banque of Scotland. A monument with its name is also with Edinburgh. Especially, Scott deploys all its talents of storyteller in his novels, not hesitating to pass from one scene to the other of the Sublime to the Grotesque (according to the definition of Victor Hugo in the foreword of Cromwell ), to make alive the reality of the time that it describes. Moreover, its novels are marked by the Bilinguisme, with passages in English and others in broad Scots . Itself spoke the language about the Lowlands, marked by the English and the Scandinavian , contrary to the to speak Celtic about the Highlands, the Scottish Gaelic .

After having been an immense success during all the 19th century, the work of Walter Scott fell somewhat into the lapse of memory after the First World War, being relegated to the Littérature of childhood and youth, in expurgées versions. The tone is given as of traditional E. Mr. Forster, Aspects of the novel (1927), which contributes to the désamour with regard to Scott, described like an awkward author with the neglected style, building wobbly intrigues. Since the bicentenary of its birth, its work knows a Net renewed interest. In France, its Romance S is the subject thus of an edition in prestigious the Bibliothèque of the Pleiad to the Gallimard editions.

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