SCOTT'S POST-BAG

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 92, 15 October 1932, Page 22

SCOTT'S POST-BAG

LETTERS FROM "DI VERNON "

AND THE SWAN OF

LICHFIELD

(By "Ajax")

Sir Walter's Post-Bag: More Stories and Sidelights from His Unpublished Letter-Books. "Written (sic) and Selected by Wilfred Partington. London: John Murray. Published price, 16s. [2nd Kotico.] The Countess Purgstall, nee Jane Cranstoun, to whom my notes last week must have shown to the discerning that I. had completely lost my heart, had a good deal-more to say to Scott in 2799. Her.notepaper, says. Air. Partington, is as extensive as the Count's domains, and has-to be: folded even in the large quarto Letter-Books. Its flowiug script is now faint and yellow with age; but the reader ■warms at the old burning enthusiasm. "Heaven knows I never questioned your affection, or feared you would refuse me new proofs of it," she begins; "yet such is the electric charm of your penmanship, that I declare to God I am such an idiot that I can not look at your Letter jet without crying." She is nearly blind •with eye trouble: all the same follows (sic) nearly 3000 words of love, pride, and i:nriva)led news. The Countess proceeds to say that she had been- trying to find a story or two for Scott, who had been contributing to "Monk" Lewis's "Tales of Terror." but that her efforts had been '■'without the shadow of success." There is not a ghost, 1 am sure, -. she adds, between this and Turkey, but what lias played all his tricks on Tweed-side. 'Xhe only difference'is, they are still seen Jiere by everybody almost every night. ;Ar.'convincing account of some of the family ghosts follows which belies her ■confession of ill success. '.<--.•■.■■■* s ■ -::- The Count's great-grandmother, says the Countess Purgstall, was taken away by the Devil while she was supping in a large Company one night. Her picture is beautiful, and her story perhaps sad enough. Another of the family, with all her Diaments on, was handed by said Gentleman as if .to her Carriage; but the street open'd and swallow'd them up: and no.jjower can hide the opening which, is before; the house in Gratz even unto this day. . .'.v Our Chaplain, had been visiting not long ago, and coming through the skirt of a forest rather late, he had just time to throw himself (flat) down when the Earl passed—which is always done, for the wind that carries him is so strong that unless.you lie down (remember) you are carried away, and huut with the rest Internally." That "remember" is really very pretty. * . * «■ Interesting references to the Opera and to '; the 19 Theatres which the Countess found in activity-in Paris are included in the same letter. The Opera she declares 'to be "beautiful, as far lief ore London, as London is before a Pantomime at the Circus/ but the comedy at the most popular of the theatres was jight down to the pantoinimq level. The opening scene depicted the perfect happiness of a King and all his -Court, "and all their happiness consisted in eating." Each wore a sort of helmet on his head composed of his favourite article of diet —the King a dead turkey, the Prime Minister a goose, and so on. *■■ • ♦ ' ■ .# . . Tke Plot of the play, the Countess continues, was an inchanted King which made ■whoever ;wore it mad. You can 'easily imagine the Merit of the piece—or rather the Actors—which, consisted in doing comical things when they were Mad, leaping over chairs and tables,, standing on the shoulders of others, and such like Witticisms which almost burst the House with laughing. .. . . It is also easy to imagine that Drury Lane or even a circus pantomime might lavo;done as well. "■ : * . . * . * At this point the editorial dots in- > die ate a gap in the quotation, and then follow what are apparently the last words-of the letter:— 0 write me about your London journey; and what j'ou are doing now; and what sort of .room you write in; and if you let'Mrs.'-S. sit beside.you.. I would enjoy every thing, down to the colour of your coat. I hope you feel, my dear Friend, for; words can never express, how truly I am yours. How simple and tender and intimate and"moving it. is! Scott must surely have felt what she wished him to feel, for- we; can all feel it even, in the cold print of sonic 130 years later.' »."*.* ' But these are the last of the Countess Purgstall's -words that Mr. Partirigton quotes, and apparently they aie the last that she ever wrote to Scott. Something happened after this letter came, to • hand,: says Mr: Partitigtan;..some-~ thing ': we' shall' never know for a certainty. There is no more of her remarkable correspondence. This "romantic ■ creature," as Lockhart in his superior manner describes her, passes out of the Letter-Books—as many more are to come and go. The rest of the story lacks nothing of. the. drama of her life. The Count came within the evil orbit of Napoleon; and died after suffering captivity. -Their ■ only son also died prematurely. The Countess would have returned to her •dear ,and.distant Edinburgh had she not sworn that her should repose beside those of-her child. And so she lived ...on for' seventeen years in solitary state in a far country. Her vow was fulfilled;: and. with her—if we accept Basil Halls not improbable theory—passed the original', of Scotfs greatest heroine Di Vernon..... In a. foot-note Mr. Partington adds that if : : the; Countess "was not the original for .Di, she was at all events worthy of" the honour," and I do not think that anybody who has read the letters • that he quotes will contradict him. A remarkable contrast to the Countess Purgstall is presented by another of; Scott's lady correspondents—Miss' Anna. Seward, better known, in these days,, perhaps, as the Swan of Lichfield./'ln 1807 at the age. of 60 she made a. will disposing of her writings for rpublication after her death. Shejhad, writes Mr. Partington, kept copies of her Gargantuan correspondence, now a curiosity in the literature of Letters; and a selection of it in twelve volumes ("it does not include a. twelfth part of my. epistolary writing") was bequeathed to the guiltless and embarrassed publisher Constable. On the : "broad shoulders of the equally guiltless and embarrassed Scott" ■was to fall another heavy load, alleviatedto ■ some extent by the accompanying legacy of £200. • * * , TJitb bequest, writes Miss Seward to Scott, consists of my writings in verse •which have passed the Press, together t , with those that are-yet unpublished. Also 4 collection of Juvenile Letters, from the year 1762 to June, 1768 [when she was between-the ages of 15 and 21] together gun. five Sermons and a Critical Disser-

in small Octavo, with an Engraving prefixed, taken by one of our best London artists from Ecnnney's Picture of mo drawn in 1786. , . . I cou'd wish that the heavy disposition of the hair, which the fashion of that period dictated, might in the engraving be altered to a more light aud picturesque form such as is now worn aud which never can appear over-charged or ungraceful. . . . And now, dear Sir, a long and last Adieu, Anna Seward.

If the Swan of Avon had shown as much care in the preservation and publication^ of his -works as the Swan of Lichfield did with hers, the world would have gained more than it did from the edition of her "Poetical Works" which Scott brought out in ISIO, and the critics would have been saved a lot of trouble. It is even possible that if Shakespeare had left a "Gargantuan correspondence" and a portrait behind him they would have been, worth as much at Sotheby's today as was the MS of "Alice in Wonderland" a few years ago!