Scott, W: Betrothed; Chronicles of the Canongate; The Highla

Excerpt from The Betrothed; Chronicles of the Canongate; The Highland Widow; The Talisman; Castle Dangerous

The Tales of the Crusaders was determined upon as the title of the following series of these novels, rather by the advice of the few friends Whom death has now rendered still fewer, than by the Author's Own taste. Not but that he saw plainly enough the interest which might be excited by the very name of the Crusades; but he was conscious, at the same time, that that interest was of a character which it might be more easy to create than to satisfy, and that by the mention of so magnificent a subject each reader might be induced to call up to his imagination a sketch so extensive and so grand that it might not be in the power of the Author to fill it up, who would thus stand in the predicament of the dwarf bringing with him a standard to measure his own stature, and Showing himself, therefore, says Sterne, a dwarf more ways than one.

It is a fact, if it were worth while to examine it, that the publisher and author, however much their general interests are the same, may be said to differ so far as title-pages are concerned; and it is a secret of the tale-telling art, if it could be termed a secret worth knowing, that a taking title, as it is called, best answers the purpose of the book-seller, Since it often goes far to cover his risk, and sells an edition not unfrequently before the public have well seen it. But the author ought to seek more permanent fame, and wish that his work, when its leaves are first cut Open, should be at least fairly judged of. Thus many of the best novelists have been anxious to give their works such titles as render it out of the reader's power to conjecture their contents, until they should have an opportunity of reading them.

All this did not prevent the Tales of the Crusaders from being the title fixed on and the celebrated year of projects (1825) being the time of publication, an introduction was prefixed according to the humor of the day.

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