for the ‘completion of Abbotsford’ (Lockhart, ch. liv.) The masonry was finished and the roof being placed in October 1822 (ib. ch. lvii.–lviii.). He amused himself by introducing gas, then a novelty, the glare from which was, as Lockhart thinks, bad for his health, and a bell-ringing device, which was a failure. During 1824 he was occupied in personally superintending the decorations. Most of the furniture was made on the spot by local carpenters and tailors, to whom Scott showed his usual kindness. ‘He speaks to every man,’ said one of them, ‘as if he were a blood relation.’ The painting was carried out by a young man whom Scott had judiciously exhorted to stick to his trade instead of trying to rival Wilkie, and who prospered in consequence. At the end of 1824 the house was at last finished, and a large party assembled at Christmas. On 7 Jan. 1825 there was a ball in honour of Miss Jobson of Lochore, a young lady with 60,000l. who, on 3 Feb. following, was married to Scott's son Walter. Scott had bought a captaincy for his son for 3,500l. He now settled the estate of Abbotsford upon the married pair, in accordance with the demands of her guardian.
The whole expenditure upon Abbotsford is estimated by Sir J. Gibson Craig at 76,000l. (Letter to Miss Edgeworth). In the summer Scott made a tour in Ireland, visited his son, then quartered at Dublin, and Miss Edgeworth, who accompanied him to Killarney. He was everywhere received with an enthusiasm which made the journey, as he said, ‘an ovation.’ He visited the ‘ladies of Llangollen’ on his way home, and met Canning at the English lakes. A grand regatta, with a procession of fifty barges, was arranged upon Windermere, in which Wilson acted as ‘admiral’ and Wordsworth joined the party. Scott reached Abbotsford on 1 Sept., and soon heard the first news of approaching calamity.
Scott's mode of life involved a large expenditure, but he was also making apparently a very large income. The production of novels had been going on more rapidly than ever; though after ‘Ivanhoe’ there was a decline, of which he was not fully aware, in their circulation. He had begun the ‘Monastery’ before concluding ‘Ivanhoe.’ It was published in March 1820, and the ‘Abbot’ followed in September. He agreed with the public that the first was ‘not very interesting,’ and admitted that his supernatural machinery was a blunder. The ‘Abbot’ was suggested by his visits to Blair Adam, the seat of Chief Commissioner William Adam [q. v.], in sight of Lochleven Castle. The Blair Adam Club, consisting of a few of Adam's friends, met at his house to make antiquarian excursions, and Scott attended the meetings regularly from 1816 to 1831. ‘Kenilworth,’ which had much success, appeared in January, and the ‘Pirate’ in December 1821. During the autumn he composed a series of imaginary ‘private letters’ supposed to be written in the time of James I. On the suggestion of Ballantyne and Lockhart that he was throwing away a good novel, he changed his plan, and wrote the ‘Fortunes of Nigel,’ which appeared in May 1822. ‘Peveril of the Peak’ appeared in January, ‘Quentin Durward’ in June, and ‘St. Ronan's Well’ in December 1823. ‘Quentin Durward’ was coldly received in England, though its extraordinary power was recognised after it had been received in France with an enthusiasm comparable to that which had greeted ‘Ivanhoe’ in England. In talking over the French excitement, Laidlaw told Scott that he was always best on his native heath. This, as Lockhart thinks, suggested ‘St. Ronan's Well,’ published December 1823, his only attempt at a novel of society. The experiment has been generally regarded as in this respect a failure, and James Ballantyne injured the story by inducing Scott to yield to his notions of propriety. The English sale showed a falling off, but in Scotland it was well received. The people of Innerleithen judiciously identified their well with that of St. Ronan's, attracted sightseers, and set up the St. Ronan's border games, where Hogg presided with the support of Scott. In June 1824 appeared ‘Redgauntlet,’ which was ‘somewhat coldly received.’ The magnificent tale of Wandering Willie, which probably gives the best impression of Scott's power of story-telling, and the autobiographical interest of the portraits of his father, himself, and his friend, W. Clerk (‘Darsie Latimer’), give it a peculiar interest. The ‘Tales of the Crusaders’ appeared in June 1825, and though ‘The Betrothed’ is an admitted failure, its companion, ‘The Talisman,’ showed enough of the old spirit to secure for the two ‘an enthusiastic reception.’
This series of novels was produced under circumstances which had serious consequences for Scott's future. ‘Kenilworth’ was the last novel in which John Ballantyne had a share of the profits. The later novels were all published by Constable on terms which greatly affected Scott's position. Constable had printed at once ten thousand copies of ‘Rob Roy,’ whereas the first edition of its predecessor had been only two thousand, and a second impression of three thousand copies had been required in a fortnight. A
