Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

LIBERAL SENTIMENTS. 291
which has lately been reprinted by the Messrs Blackwood
in a very attractive new edition, and is, in many
respects, a most amusing book. There are, in fact,
certain analogies between its shrewd simplicity and
astuteness and the wonderful picture of gentle King
Jamie, which a little later came from the greater
artist's hand. One can imagine Scott's laugh and
cordial statement of the suggestion he had found in
the cunning and the fun of the humble hero—a sug-
gestion no doubt overstated in his large and generous
way.
The few words which head the following letter are
liberal for the time and place in which they were
written. Silvio Pellico has been tamed down into a
book for the schoolroom, a first lesson in lucid Italian,
without the difficulties either of the archaic or the too
modern ; but in those days he was a rebel, a revolu-
tionary—such a being as a High Tory, under whatever
difference of foreign circumstances he might
exist, could scarcely forgive :
I like Pellico : he is a Liberal : but an Italian need not be
a slave to the aristocracies. The book is a very interesting one.
I should like to see no politics in the December number, if
possible. I have not done anything, nor has it been possible. I
have not even an introductory lecture for Tuesday ; but I wish
to arrange for next week, and then I shall begin to arrange the
Spenser. The Anthology will end the Magazine. I have most
of the materials for it ready ; and if it is of any consequence,
can send to the printers eight or ten or twelve pages to be
putting into type on Monday. I shall also do a Morning
Monologue, what I wrote of the other day being useless. These
are my three articles : Byron, Pellico (?), Barrington, will make
six—all good and light and amusing ; and three or four more as
good or better, and also light and amusing, would make a lively
—