Sir walter scott

(1771–1832)

His Life and Work

Sir Walter Scott, the first great writer of historical novels, was bom in Edinburgh on August 15, 1771. His father was an Edinburgh lawyer who descended from the fighting and riding clan ofBuccleuch. He was the first of his clan to live in a city and practise" a profession. He had a large family Walteri the future writer, was the ninth of hiss twelve children. When not yet two years old, the boy fell ill with a disease that left him lame for life. His parents thought country air would be good for him, so they sent him to his grandparents' farm, called Sandy Knowe, a place where there were hills and crags and a ruined tower. Walter soon became a strong boy. In spite of his lameness he climbed the steep hills and rode his Shetland pony at a gallop. Waiter's grandparents told him thrilling tales of adventures on the Scottish border and stories of the crumbling abbeys and old castles. He learned to love the solemn history of Scotland and liked to recite Scottish ballads and poems.

When he grew older and went to school, he became very fond of reading: one of his favourite books was a collection of ballads, called "Reliques of Ancient English Poetry", edited by Bishop Percy. At the age of fifteen Scott had a chance to meet Robert Burns.

At the suggestion of his father, Scott became a lawyer and practised for fourteen years. During his business trips he visited places of famous battles and collected old ballads that were still passed on from generation to generation by word of mouth. In his wanderings Scott saw tht breaking-up of patriarchal clans, and the many thousands of peasant: who streamed along the roads towards me coal and iron regions it the south-west of Scotland to find work. The evils of the past seemec mild to him now when compared with the new oppression. Like man) writers belonging to the Romantic trend, Scott, too, felt that all tht good days were gone. He wished to record all me historical facts he knew before they were forgotten, and thus pay tribute to the past. Scott's first published work was a translation of Goethe's historical play "Gotz von Berlichingen". This work taught Scott that history is made by the people.

At the age of twenty-six Scott married, and bought a large estate at Abbotsford, not far from Edinburgh. There Scott built a fine house in the style of a castle. His house became a sort of museum of Scottish history and culture: its halls, library, and armoury were full of rare objects that had been collected by Scott. Among these were the purse of Rob Roy, old Scottish armour and weapons, stag anilers. rare pictures and books, and the cross that was carried by Mary. Queen of Scots, when she went to the scaffold.

Scott's life at Abbotsford was most regular. Rising at five, he lit his own fire and then went out to see his favourite horse. At six he was already seated at his desk. devoting all his energy to writing. By twelve o'clock he was "his own man", ready to entertain his friends, who often came to visit him. Among his guests were many famous people.

The folk ballads Walter Scott had collected were the first, poetic work he published. It was called "Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border" and consisted of three volumes; the first two were issued in 1802 and the third one in 1803. Soon after, his own romantic poems attracted the attention of the reading public. The best were "The Lay of the Last Minstrel" (1805), 'Marmion" (1808), and "The Lady of the Lake" (1810). These poems reproduce old legends and combine them with historical material. They were written with great poetic skill and accompanied by such. beautiful descriptions that-the poet became very famous. But when Byron's wonderful poems appeared, Scott, to quote hfs own words, "left the field of poetry to his rival" who by that time . was already a friend of his. He took to writing novels. It was not only a new beginning, it marked a new period in Scott's creative work. He declined the honour of poet-laureate in 1813 because he understood that writing official verses and odes on the birthdays of members of the royal family would interfere with his creative work.