Of all the disgraces that attach to "England in the eye of foreigners, who ad"mire Pope more than any of our poets, 66 (though it is the fashion to under-rate "him among ourselves,) the greatest per"haps is, that there should be no place as"signed to him in Poets' Corner. I have "often thought of erecting a monument to "him at my own expense in Westminster 66 Abbey, and hope to do so yet. But he 66 was a Catholic, and, what was worse, puz"zled Tillotson and the Divines. That ac"counts for his not having any national "monument. Milton, too, had very nearly "been without a stone; and the mention of "his name on the tomb of another was at 66 one time considered a profanation to a "church. The French, I am told, lock up "Voltaire's tomb. Will there never be an "end to this bigotry? Will men never learn "that every great poet is necessarily a reli 66 gious man?-so at least Coleridge says.” "Yes," replied Shelley; "and he might maintain the converse,-that every truly religious man is a poet; meaning by poetry the power of communicating intense and impassioned impressions respecting man and Nature." When I entered the room, Lord Byron was devouring, as he called it, a new novel of Sir Walter Scott's. "How difficult it is," said he, "to say 66 any thing new! Who was that volup tuary of antiquity, who offered a reward "for a new pleasure? Perhaps all nature' "and art could not supply a new idea. 66 "This page, for instance, is a brilliant one; it is full of wit. "much of it is original. But let us see how This passage, for "instance, comes from Shakspeare; this "bon mot from one of Sheridan's Comedies; "this observation from another writer(nam 66 'ing the author): and yet the ideas are "new-moulded,-and perhaps Scott was not aware of their being plagiarisms. It is a "bad thing to have too good a memory." 66 "I should not like to have you for a "critic," I observed. "Set a thief to catch a thief," reply. 999 was the "I never travel without Scott's Novels," said he "they are a library in themselves— : "a perfect literary treasure. I could read "them once a-year with new pleasure." I asked him if he was certain about the Novels being Sir Walter Scott's? "Scott as much as owned himself the "author of Waverley' to me in Murray's shop," replied he. 66 VOL. II. "I was talking to him D "about that novel, and lamented that its "author had not carried back the story 66 nearer to the time of the Revolution. "Scott, entirely off his guard, said, ‘Ay, "I might have done so, but'-There he 66 stopped. It was in vain to attempt to "correct himself: he looked confused, and "relieved his embarrassment by a preci<< pitate retreat. "On another occasion I was to dine at Murray's; and being in his parlour in the "morning, he told me I should meet the 6 "author of Waverley' at dinner. He had "received several excuses, and the party 66 66 was a small one; and, knowing all the people present, I was satisfied that the "writer of that novel must have been, and "could have been, no other than Walter "Scott. "He spoiled the fame of his poetry by "his superior prose. He has such extent "and versatility of powers in writing, that, "should his Novels ever tire the public, “which is not likely, he will apply himself "to something else, and succeed as well. "His mottoes from old plays prove that "he, at all events, possesses the dramatic faculty, which is denied me. And yet I 66 66 am told that his 66 Halidon Hill' did not justify expectation. I have never met with "it, but have seen extracts from it." "Do you think," asked I, "that Sir Walter Scott's Novels owe any part of their reputation to the concealment of the author's name ? " 66 66 "No," said he: "such works do not gain or lose by it. I am at a loss to know his reason for keeping up the incognito,—but |