The poetical works of Sir Walter Scott, with memoir of the author.

8 INTRODUCTION TO THE
more, WVilliam Erskine, (a Scottish judge, by the
title of Lord Kinedder,) I agreed to write the
little romantic tale called the' Bridal of Triermain; " but it was on the condition, that he should
make no serious effort to disown the composition, if
report should lay it at his door. As he was more
than suspected of a taste for poetry, and as I took
care, in several places, to mix somethingl which
might resemble (as far as was in my power) my
friend's feeling and manner, the train easily caught,
and two large editions were sold. A third being
called for, Lord Kinedder became unwilling to aid
any longer a deception which was going farther than
he expected or desired, and the real author's name
was given. Upon another occasion, I sent up another of these trifles, which, like schoolboy's kites,
served to show how the wind of popular taste was
setting. The manner was supposed to be that of
a rude minstrel, or Scald, in opposition to the
"Bridal of Triermain," which was designed to belong rather to the Italian school. This new fugitive piece was called " Harold the Dauntless;"
and I am still astonished at my having committed
the gross error of selecting the very name which
Lord Byron had made so famous. It encountered
rather an odd fate. My ingenious firiend, Mr
James Hogg, had published, about the same time,
a work called the "Poetic Mirror," containing
1 [, Harold the Dauntless" was first published in a small
12mo volume, December, 1816.]