’As for Milne’s notes, there are many of them that I think worth preservation as describing and identifying the individuals of whom Fountainhall wrote, although his silly party zeal makes him, like all such partizans of faction, unjust and scurrilous.

’I have only to add that the Manuscript is with Mr. Thomson for the purpose of collation, and that I am sure Constable will be glad to treat with you on the subject of publication, and that I will, as I have always been, be most ready to give any notes or illustrations in my power, the only way I suppose in which I can be useful to the publication.  The idea of retrenching the law cases, which originates with Thomson, promises, if you entertain it, to remove the only possible objection to the publication, namely the great expense.  My address for the next four months is, Abbotsford, by Melrose, and I am always, dear Sir Thomas, very much your faithful, humble servant,

  WALTER SCOTT.

  ’Edin’r, 10 July 1823.’

Again on 27th November 1823:—­

’Dear Sir Thomas,—­I have sent the Manuscript to Mr. Macbean, Charlotte Square, as you desire.  It is a very curious one and contains many strange pictures of the times.  Our ancestors were sad dogs, and we to be worse than them, as Horace tells us the Romans were, have a great stride to make in the paths of iniquity.  Men like your ancestor were certainly rare amongst them.  I had a scrap some where about the murder of the Lauders at Lauder where Fountainhall’s ancestor was Baillie at the time.  After this misfortune they are said to have retired to Edinburgh.  Fountainhall’s grandfather lived at the Westport.  All this is I hope familiar to you, I say I hope so, for after a good deal of search I have abandoned hope of finding my memorandum.

  ’I have seen Constable who promises to send me the sheets as they are
  thrown off, and any consideration that I can bestow on them will be a
  pleasure to, dear Sir Thomas, your most obedient servant,

  WALTER SCOTT.

  ’Edin’r, 2d December.’

The last letter on the subject, written apparently by Mr. Cadell, is as follows:—­

  ’Edinburgh, 28 July 1824.

   ’Dear Sir,—­We duly received your much esteemed letter of 16 instant,
  and beg to assure you that we are as willing as ever to do what we
  stated last year in bringing out your MS. in a creditable way.  The
  reason, and the only reason of delay, has been the indisposition of Mr.
  Constable, who has from last November till about a month ago been unable
  to give his time to business.

’Having communicated your letter to him we beg now to state that we shall take immediate steps for getting the work expedited.  The MS. is still in Mr. Thomson’s hands, but we shall see him on the subject forthwith.  It is proposed to print the work in 2 vols. octavo handsomely, the number 500 copies.—­We remain, sir, with much respect, your most,

  ARCH.  CONSTABLE & Co.