[ThereappearedinTheScotsMagazineforFebruary1st，1814，anannouncement，that`Waverley；or，’tisSixtyYearsSince，anovel，in3
vols。12mo，’wouldbepublishedinMarch。AndbeforeScottcameintoEdinburgh，atthecloseoftheChristmasvacation，onthe12thofJanuary，Mr。Erskinehadperusedthegreaterpartofthefirstvolume，andexpressedhisdecidedopinionthatWaverleywouldprovethemostpopularofallhisfriend’swritings。TheMS。wasforthwithcopiedbyJohnBallantyne，andsenttopress。’’
InalettertohisfriendJ。B。S。MorrittofRokeby，datedJuly9，1814，SirWaltersays：-
Now，togofromoneimportantsubjecttoanother，Imustaccountformyownlaziness，whichIdobyreferringyoutoasmallanonymoussortofanovel，inthreevolumes，Waverley，whichyouwillreceivebythemailofthisday。ItwasaveryoldattemptofminetoembodysometraitsofthosecharactersandmannerspeculiartoScotland，thelastremnantsofwhichvanishedduringmyownyouth，sothatfewornotracesnowremain。
Ihadwrittengreatpartofthefirstvolume，andsketchedotherpassages，whenImislaidtheMS。，andonlyfounditbythemerestaccidentasIwasrummagingthedrawersofanoldcabinet；andItookthefancyoffinishingit，whichIdidsofast，thatthelasttwovolumeswerewritteninthreeweeks。’’
Again，inasubsequentnote，headds-
AstoWaverley，IwillplaySirFretfulforonce，andassureyouthatIleftthestorytoflaginthefirstvolumeonpurpose；thesecondandthirdhaverathermorebustleandinterest。Iwished(withwhatsuccessHeavenknows)toavoidtheordinaryerrorofnovelwriters，whosefirstvolumeisusuallytheirbest。ButsinceithasservedtoamuseMrs。Morrittandyou_usqueabinitio，_Ihavenodoubtyouwilltolerateitevenuntotheend。’’
Theabovestatementrespectingthetimeoccupiedinthecompositionofthetwolastvolumesisborneoutbythefollowinganecdote，toldbyhisfutureson-in-law，J。G。Lockhart：-
HappeningtopassthroughEdinburghinJune1814，IdinedonedaywithWilliamMenzies(afterwardsJudgeattheCapeofGoodHope)，whoseresidencewastheninGeorgeStreet，situatedveryneartoandwithinsightofthebackwindowsofScott’shouseinNorthCastleStreet。Itwasapartyofveryyoungpersons，mostofthem，likeMenziesandmyself，destinedfortheBarofScotland，allgayandthoughtless，enjoyingthefirstflushofmanhood，withlittleremembranceoftheyesterday，orcareofthemorrow。
Whenmycompanion’sworthyfatheranduncle，afterseeingtwoorthreebottlesgoround，leftthejuvenilestothemselves，theweatherbeinghot，weadjournedtoalibrarywhichhadonelargewindowlookingnorth-wards。
Aftercarousinghereforanhourormore，Iobservedthatashadehadcomeovertheaspectofmyfriend，whohappenedtobeplacedimmediatelyoppositetomyself，andsaidsomethingthatintimatedafearofhisbeingunwell。`No，’saidhe，`Ishallbewellenoughpresently，ifyouwillonlyletmesitwhereyouare，andtakemychair；forthereisaconfoundedhandinsightofmehere，whichhasoftenbotheredmebefore，andnowitwon’tletmefillmyglasswithagoodwill。’Irosetochangeplaceswithhimaccordingly，andhepointedouttomethishandwhich，likethewritingonBelshazzar’swall，disturbedhishourofhilarity。`Sincewesatdown，’hesaid，`Ihavebeenwatchingit-itfascinatesmyeye-itneverstops-pageafterpageisfinishedandthrownonthatheapofMS。，andstillitgoesonunwearied-andsoitwillbetillcandlesarebroughtin，andGodknowshowlongafterthat。Itisthesameeverynight-Ican’tstandasightofitwhenIamnotatmybooks。’-`Somestupid，dogged，engrossingclerk，probably，’exclaimedmyself，orsomeothergiddyyouthinoursociety。`No，boys，’saidourhost，`Iwellknowwhathanditis-’tisWalterScott’s。’Thiswasthehandthat，intheeveningsofthreesummerweeks，wrotethetwolastvolumesofWaverley。’’-Fromthe_MemoirsofSirWalterScott_by
=TotheKing’sMostGraciousMajesty。=
=Sire=-TheAuthorofthisCollectionofWorksofFictionwouldnothavepresumedtosolicitforthemyourMajesty’saugustPatronagewereitnotthattheperusalhasbeensupposedinsomeinstancestohavesucceededinamusinghoursofrelaxation，orrelievingthoseoflanguor，pain，oranxiety，andthereforemusthavesofaraidedthewarmestwishofYourMajesty’sheart，bycontributinginhoweversmalladegreetothehappinessofyourPeople。
TheyarethereforehumblydedicatedtoyourMajesty，agreeablytoyourGracious
Aboon，above。
Haggis，aScotchpuddingmadeofmincedmeat，oatmeal，onions，etc。
Hallan，partitionatthedoorway。
Hantle，agoodmany。
HeckandManger，toliveinprodigalityandunconcern，reckless。
Her，_Highland，_my，Hernainsel，_Highland，_himself。
Hership，plunder。
