Classic Authors: Sir Walter Scott

Sir Walter Scott never dreamed of becoming an author. In fact, he already had a successful career in law when he stumbled upon his life's passion: writing. He began by collecting stories from the Border country in his native Scotland, and ended as the country's most beloved poet. The kind man earned respect not only for his writing, but also for his character. He treated all with respect, humor and generosity. But it was his courage that made Sir Walter Scott a legend.

Walter Scott was born into one of the oldest clans in Scotland. His family enjoyed a respected position in the community, although they were neither wealthy nor particularly distinguished. Walter's father, stern and pious, served as a lawyer. His mother, Anne, was more lighthearted. Anne bore 12 children, half of whom died in infancy. On August 15, 1771, Walter took his place as the second of the surviving six children.

When Walter was two years old, he contracted poliomyelitis, a disease which left him with a deformed leg. While he convalesced, Walter read voraciously. He pored over fiction, history, travel, adventure, biography, and poetry. He especially enjoyed hearing stories and ballads about his ancestors, who were prominent in squabbles along the Scottish/English border. Although Walter's leg never completely healed, he refused to let it slow him down. He ran, climbed and fought with the best of his young friends.

At 13 years old, Walter entered college. After two years at Edinburgh University, he decided to follow his father's path and study law. He began as an apprentice in his father's firm when he was still a teenager. Walter soon found that a career in law paid little but taught him much about human nature. In his spare time, he drilled with the Royal Edinburgh Light Dragoons, drank with his comrades, and fell in love with several unattainable women. In the summers, Walter and his friend, Robert Shortreed, explored the Border country, looking for ancient ballads which had been passed down from generation to generation.

In his late 20s, Walter decided it was time to find himself a bride. He traveled to nearby Bath, where he became charmed with a lovely French orphan named Charlotte Carpenter. They married, and established themselves in Edinburgh. There, they enjoyed a happy, upper-class life, in which they enjoyed entertaining and being entertained in fashionable homes.

In the early 1800s, Walter compiled the Border tales that he had been gathering into a book titled The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, which became immensely popular. Two more volumes followed, the last of which appeared in 1803. Despite his success, Walter still thought of his writing as a hobby. He did not consider it seriously until he was kicked by a horse. While recovering, he began a long poem, which appeared as "The Lay of the Last Minstrel." The piece became an instant bestseller, earning Water Scott a solid place among his literary contemporaries.

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