Beautiful Britain
Abbotsford
London
Adam & Charles Black
Soho Square W
1912
CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I. From Cartleyhole to Abbotsford
II. The Creation of Abbotsford
III. Scott at Abbotsford
IV. The Wizard's Farewell to Abbotsford
V. The Later Abbotsford
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
1. The Gateway, Abbotsford . . . . . . Frontispiece
2. The Eildon Hills and River Tweed
3. The Cross, Melrose
4. Sir Walter Scott's Desk and 'Elbow Chair' in the Study, Abbotsford
5. Jedburgh Abbey
6. Sir Walter's Sundial, Abbotsford
7. Darnick Tower
8. The Dining-Room, Abbotsford
9. The Garden, Abbotsford
10. The Entrance-Hall, Abbotsford
11. Dryburgh Abbey
12. Abbotsford from the River Tweed
CHAPTER I
FROM CARTLEYHOLE TO ABBOTSFORD
Thousands of persons from all parts of the worldvisit Abbotsford annually. There is no diminutionin the pilgrimage to this chief shrine of theBorder Country, nor is there likely to be. Scott'sname, and that of Abbotsford, are secure enoughin the affections of men everywhere.
It is scarcely necessary to recall that Scott onboth sides of his house was connected with theBorder Country—the 'bold bad Border' of a dayhappily long dead. He would have been a reiverhimself, more than likely, and one of its namelessbards to boot, had he lived before the Border feltthe subdued spirit of modern times. A descendantof Wat of Harden, linked to the best blood of theBorder, and with every phase of his life redolent ofthe Border feeling, history has had no difficulty inclaiming Sir Walter Scott as the most representativeBorder man the world has seen. He wasnot born in the Border Country, but practically allhis life was spent there. He came to the Border asickly, delicate child, between his third and fourthyear, and for threescore years and one he seldom leftit for any lengthened interval. Edinburgh was thearena of much of his professional career. But hewas happiest, even amid the m