More important to him than any literary friendship was his partnership with James Ballantyne, the printer, whom he had known from his youth.  This in the end proved unfortunate, and nearly ruined him; for Ballantyne, though an accomplished man and a fine printer, as well as enterprising and sensible, was not a safe business man, being over-sanguine.  For a time, however, this partnership, which was kept secret, was an advantage to both parties, although Scott embarked in the enterprise his whole available capital, about L5000.  In connection with the publishing business, soon added to the printing, with James Ballantyne’s brother John as figure-head of the concern,—­a talented but dissipated and reckless “good fellow,” with no more head for business than either James Ballantyne or Scott,—­the association bound Scott hand and foot for twenty years, and prompted him to adventurous undertakings.  But it must be said that the Ballantynes always deferred to him, having for him a sentiment little short of veneration.  One of the first results of this partnership was an eighteen-volume edition of Dryden’s poems, with a Life, which must have been to Scott little more than drudgery.  He was well paid for his work, although it added but little to his fame, except for intelligent literary industry.

Before the Dryden, however, in the same year, 1808, appeared the poem of “Marmion:  A Tale of Flodden Field,” which was received by the public with great avidity, and unbounded delight.  Jeffrey wrote a chilling review, for which Scott with difficulty forgave him, since with all his humility and amiability he could not bear unfriendly or severe criticism.

In a letter to Joanna Baillie, Scott makes some very sensible remarks as to the incapability of such a man as Jeffrey appreciating a work of the imagination, distinguished as he was:—­

“I really have often told him that I think he wants the taste for poetry which is essentially necessary to enjoy, and of course to criticize with justice.  He is learned with the most learned in its canons and laws, skilled in its modulations, and an excellent judge of the justice of the sentiments which it conveys; but he wants that enthusiastic feeling which, like sunshine upon a landscape, lights up every beauty, and palliates if it cannot hide every defect.  To offer a poem of imagination to a man whose whole life and study have been to acquire a stoical indifference towards enthusiasm of every kind, would be the last, as it would surely be the silliest, action of my life.”

As stated above, it was about this time that Scott broke off his connection with the Edinburgh Review.  Perhaps that was what Jeffrey wished, since the Review became thenceforth more intensely partisan, and Scott’s Toryism was not what was wanted.

It is fair to add that in 1810 Jeffrey sent Scott advance proofs of his critique on “The Lady of the Lake,” with a frank and friendly letter in which he says:—­