The poetical works of Sir Walter Scott ... Notes & life of the author.

MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOIL
SmR WALTER SCOTT was born in Edinburgh on the 15th
of August, 1771, the same day which gave birth to Napoleon
the Great. The father of Sir Walter was a writer to the
Signet; a man of extensive business, of integrity, sincerity,
and benevolence of disposition; and for along time he was an
elder in the church of Old Grey Friars. He died in the 70th
year of his age. His paternal grandfather was Mr. Robert
Scott, farmer, at Sandyknow, in the vicinity of Smailholm
Tower, in Roxburghshire. Dr. John Rutherford, maternal grandfather of the subject of this memoir, and one of
the pupils of Boerhaave, was the first professor of physic
in the university of Edinburgh, to which office he was elected
in 1727, and which he resigned in 1766.
"I was (says Scott) an uncommonly healthy child; but
had nearly died in consequence of my nurse being ill of a
consumption, which she chose to conceaL The woman was
dismissed, and I was consigned to a healthy peasant, and
showed every sign of health until I was about eighteen
months old. One night, however, I exhibited a great reluctance to be put to bed; and after being chased round
the room, I was with difficulty consigned to my dormitory.
In the morning I was affected with fever; and in the course
of three days afterwards, it was discovered I had lost the
power of my right leg." The most able physicians were
consulted; and by the advice of his grandfather, Dr. Rutherford, Scott was ultimately sent to reside at the farm-house
of Sandy-know, the residence of his paternal grandfather.
Sir Walter remained lame for life; but his activity among
his school.-fellos was nevertheless remarkable; for, according to Scott's own account, he was as mischievous as the
wildest urchin of his acquaintance. In his fourth year he
was sent to Bath, in the care of his aunt, where he remained
about a year. By this time his health had become a good
deal confirmed by that imperceptible exercise to which he
had been subjected by the good sense of his grerniather;
and although his limb was much shrunken and contracted,
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