The enormous sale of the novels brought Scott large sums, some £76,000 of which he spent on Abbotsford, completed as a baronial castle in 1824. He entertained lavishly, bought land to enlarge his estate, and was generous in his gifts to rela tives and fellow authors. In 1820 he was made a baronet. He became, however, deeply involved in the affairs of his print ers and publishers, and when in 1823 these failed, Scott was ruined. While the publishers went into bankruptcy, Scott personally assumed the liabilities of £117,000 of Ballantyne & Co., and set to work to earn money to pay the credi tors in full. Scarcely had he begun this colossal task when Lady Scott died. His life was clouded further by fears for the life of his grandson, John Hugh Lock hart, who was suffering from a mortal disease. Nevertheless, he kept heroically at work, earned £8,228 with "Woodstock" (1826) in three months, and £18,000 with his "Life of Napoleon" in nine volumes. "Tales of a Grandfather" (1828-1830) followed, and with the "Chronicles of the Canongate" (1827) and an edition of his works with autobiographical prefaces en abled him to raise nearly £40,000 in two years. He went on with "The Fair Maid of Perth" (1828) and "Anne of Geier stein" (1829), but in 1830 was interrupted by a stroke of paralysis. When he re sumed with "Count Robert of Paris" (1831) a decline in his powers was un mistakable. A second and third attack followed, but he toiled on, and even found time for political activity. After finish ing "Castle Dangerous" (1831) he was taken to Naples in the hope of prolonging his life, and there heard of the death of his grandson. In the following spring, on his return journey, he was again struck down by paralysis, and was brought home half unconscious. They carried him to Abbotsford, where he died within sound of his beloved Tweed, on Sept. 21, 1832. He was succeeded in the
baronetcy by his eldest son Walter, on whose death in 1847 the title became ex tinct. Scott's life insurance and his copy rights were sufficient to settle the unpaid balance of his obligations, so he may be regarded as having won his heroic fight to clear his name and estate from debt.
Scott's struggle to the death to pay what was due to his creditors is typical of the most fundamental trait in his character. From his ancestry or from the age of chivalry to which he gave so romantic a devotion he caught the spirit of honor which he carried into the mazes of modern business. For the rest he was a loyal friend, a generous enemy, a warm partisan without personal rancor, a de voted patriot. In spite of his romanti cism, his character had a basis of solid common sense, and his broad sympathy and hearty humor made his contact with his fellows human and healthy. These qualities pervaded his work. His poetry is vivacious and picturesque, seldom pas sionate or lofty; his prose admirably suited to a born story teller with a keen observation of the variety if not the subtlety of human nature. In his fiction he professed no higher motives than the providing of wholesome entertainment, and the awakening of patriotism and an interest in the past. These purposes he achieved with brilliant success; for few writers have given more harmless pleas ure, or have aroused in more readers a curiosity about former ages, or have cre ated so large a company of imaginary characters. He succeeded best with figures that could be drawn in strong colors, least with normal young men and women. He was a great artist in the picturesque. Among men of letters it is hard to find a truer man.