In this way Scott would make the habits and peculiarities of even the
dumb animals about him subjects for humorous remark or whimsical story.

Our evening was enlivened also by an occasional song from Sophia Scott,
at the request of her father. She never wanted to be asked twice, but
complied frankly and cheerfully. Her songs were all Scotch, sung
without any accompaniment, in a simple manner, but with great spirit
and expression, and in their native dialects, which gave them an
additional charm. It was delightful to hear her carol off in sprightly
style, and with an animated air, some of those generous-spirited old
Jacobite songs, once current among the adherents of the Pretender in
Scotland, in which he is designated by the appellation of "The Young
Chevalier."

These songs were much relished by Scott, notwithstanding his loyalty;
for the unfortunate "Chevalier" has always been a hero of romance with
him, as he has with many other staunch adherents to the House of
Hanover, now that the Stuart line has lost all its terrors. In speaking
on the subject, Scott mentioned as a curious fact, that, among the
papers of the "Chevalier," which had been submitted by government to
his inspection, he had found a memorial to Charles from some adherents
in America, dated 1778, proposing to set up his standard in the back
settlements. I regret that, at the time, I did not make more particular
inquiries of Scott on the subject; the document in question, however,
in all probability, still exists among the Pretender's papers, which
are in the possession of the British Government. In the course of the
evening, Scott related the story of a whimsical picture hanging in the
room, which had been drawn for him by a lady of his acquaintance. It
represented the doleful perplexity of a wealthy and handsome young