coast of Scotland affords upon its headlands and promontories fifty such
castles as Wolf's-Hope; every country has a valley more or less resembling
Glendearg; and if castles like Tillietudlem. or mansions like the Baron of
Bradwardine's, are now less frequently to be met with, it is owing to the
rage of indiscriminate destruction, which has removed or ruined so many
monuments of antiquity, when they were not protected by their inaccessible
situation.--The scraps of poetry which have been in most cases tacked to
the beginning of chapters in these novels, are sometimes quoted either from
reading or from memory, but, in the general case, are pure invention. I
found it too troublesome to turn to the collection of the British poets to
discover apposite mottos, and, in the situation of the theatrical
mechanist, who, when the white paper which represented his shower of snow
was exhausted, continued the storm by snowing brown, I drew on my memory as
long as I could, and when that failed, eked it out with invention. I
believe that, in some cases, where actual names are affixed to the supposed
quotations, it would be to little purpose to seek them in the works, of the
authors referred to.--And now the reader may expect me, while in the
confessional, to explain the motives why I have so long persisted in
disclaiming the works of which I am now writing. To this it would be
difficult to give any other reply, save that of Corporal Nym--It was the
humour or caprice of the time.

It was not until I had attained the age, of thirty years that I made any
serious attempt at distinguishing myself as an author; and at that period,
men's hopes, desires, and wishes, have usually acquired something of a
decisive character, and are not eagerly and easily diverted into a new
channel. When I made the discovery,--for to me it was one,--that by amusing
myself with composition, which I felt a delightful occupation, I could also
give pleasure to others, and became aware that literary pursuits were
likely to engage in future a considerable portion of my time, I felt some