[Footnote: Letters on
the Author of Waverly; Rodwell and Martin, London, 1822.] Of those
letters, and other attempts of the same kind, the Author could not
complain, though his incognito was endangered. He had challenged the
public to a game at bo-peep, and if he was discovered in his
'hiding-hole,' he must submit to the shame of detection.
Various reports were of course circulated in various ways; some founded
on an inaccurate rehearsal of what may have been partly real, some on
circumstances having no concern whatever with the subject, and others on
the invention of some importunate persons, who might perhaps imagine that
the readiest mode of forcing the Author to disclose himself was to assign
some dishonourable and discreditable cause for his silence.
It may be easily supposed that this sort of inquisition was treated with
contempt by the person whom it principally regarded; as, among all the
rumours that were current, there was only one, and that as unfounded as
the others, which had nevertheless some alliance to probability, and
indeed might have proved in some degree true.
I allude to a report which ascribed a great part, or the whole, of these
Novels to the late Thomas Scott, Esq.
Pages:
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46