Page 20 - Four Famous American Writers: Washington Irving, Edgar Allan Poe, James Russell Lowell, Bayard Taylor

He immediately went to London and set to work on the "Sketch Book," and
during the next dozen years wrote the greater number of his more famous

works.

CHAPTER IX

FRIENDSHIP WITH SIR WALTER SCOTT

While he was worrying over the failure of his business, Irving was

fortunate enough to make some distinguished literary friendships. He had
already helped to introduce Thomas Campbell’s works in the United States,

and had written a biography of Campbell; one of the first things he did,
therefore, after reaching Liverpool, was to go to see the English poet.

It was not until a little later that he became acquainted with Sir Walter
Scott, who was the literary giant of those times. In 1813 Henry Brevoort,

one of Irving’s most intimate boyhood friends, had presented to Scott a
copy of the "History of New York," and Scott had written a letter of thanks
in which he said, "I have been employed these few evenings in reading the

annals of Diedrich Knickerbocker aloud to Mrs. S, and two ladies who are
our guests, and our sides have been absolutely sore with laughing. I think,

too, there are passages which indicate that the author possesses powers of a
different kind."

Irving, too, had been a great admirer of Scott’s "Lady of the Lake."
Campbell gave him a letter of introduction to the bard, and in a letter to his

brother, Irving gives a delightful description of his visit to Abbotsford,
Scott’s home.

"On Saturday morning early," says he, "I took a chaise for Melrose; and on
the way stopped at the gate of Abbotsford, and sent in my letter of

introduction, with a request to know whether it would be agreeable for Mr.
Scott to receive a visit from me in the course of the day. The glorious old
minstrel himself came limping to the gate, and took me by the hand in a

way that made me feel as if we were old friends; in a moment I was seated