Story of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Revised, with Additions, Incl. the Autobiography (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1894. Excerpt: ... Autobiography--continued. LIFE AT HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETION OF LEGAL STUDIES. 'Y father did not trust our education solely flfcf to our High School lessons. Wo had a tutor? at home, a young man of excellent disposition, and a laborious student. He was bred to the Kirk, but unfortunately took such a very strong turn to fanaticism, that ho afterwards resigned an excellent living in a seaport town, merely because he could not persuade the mariners of the guilt of setting sail of a Sabbath, in which, by the bye, he was less likely to be successful, as, cceteris paribus, sailors, from an opinion that it is a fortunate omen, always chose to weigh anchor on that day. The calibre of this young man's understanding may be judged of by this anecdote; but in other respects he was a faithful and active instructor; and from him chiefly I learned writing and arithmetic. I repeated to him my French lessons, and studied with him my themes in the classics, but not classically. I also acquired, by disputing with him--for this he readily permitted--some knowledge of school divinity and Church history, and a great acquaintance' in particular with the old books describing the early history of the Church of Scotland, the wars and sufferings of the Covenanters, and so forth. I, with a head on fire for chivalry, was a Cavalier, my friend was a Eoundhead; I was a Tory, and lie was a Whig. I hated Presbyterians, and admired Montrose with his victorious Highlanders; he liked the Presbyterian Ulysses, the dark politic Argyll; so that we never wanted subjects of dispute, but our disputes were always amicable. In all these tenets there was no real conviction on my part, arising out of acquaintance with the views or principles of either party; nor had my antagonist address enough to turn t...