SCOTT, DAVID, author of a History of Scotland, was born near Haddington, in 1675, and became a lawyer in Edinburgh. After the Revolution, he was for some time imprisoned for his Jacobite principles. His History was published in 1727 in folio, but is now little known. He died at Haddington in 1742.

SCOTT, HELENUS, M.D., an able physician, the son of a clergyman, was born at Dundee, and received his grammatical education there. He studied at Aberdeen and Edinburgh for the medical profession, and, after visiting London, travelled as far as Venice, with the intention of proceeding overland to Bombay; but the want of money compelled him to return to England, where he married. Shortly after he obtained an appointment in the East Indies, and having written an entertaining Romance, styled 'The Adventures of a Rupee,' he sent it to a friend in London, and it was published in one small volume in 1782. During his residence in India, he acquired a considerable fortune by his practice. He died on his voyage to New South Wales, November 16, 1821. SCOTT, SIR WALTER, baronet, a distinguished poet and the most celebrated novelist of his day, born at Edinburgh, August 15, 1771, was the third child of Mr. Walter Scott, writer to the signet, the son of Mr. Robert Scott, farmer at Sandyknowe in Roxburghshire, lineally descended from the Scots of Harden. For the pedigree of the family, see p. 410 of this volume). His mother, Anne Rutherford, was the daughter of Dr. John Rutherford, professor of the practice of medicine in

was an officer first in the navy, and afterwards in the East India Company's service. Another brother, John, major in a foot regiment, was obliged to retire from the army on account of his health. Thomas, the next brother to Sir Walter, a writer to the signet like his father, was for some years factor to the marquis of Abercorn, but died in Canada in 1822, in the capacity of paymaster to the 70th regiment. The youngest brother, Daniel, died on his return from the West Indies, in 1806.

The house in which the novelist was born stood at the head of the College wynd, a narrow alley leading from the Cowgate to the gate of the old college of Edinburgh, and was long since pulled down to make way for the new university. While yet a child of three years old, Sir Walter was removed, on account of his delicate health, to the farm of his paternal grandfather at Sandy knowe, situated near the bottom of Leader water, among the romantic hills of Roxburghshire. In the neighbourhood stands the deserted and ruined border fort of Smailholm Tower. In the fourth year of his age he was taken to Bath for the benefit of his health, where he spent about a twelvemonth, and acquired the rudiments of reading at a day-school kept by an old dame. He then returned to Edinburgh, and thereafter went back to Sandyknowe, where he chiefly resided till his eighth year, and where he stored his mind with much of that traditionary lore which he afterwards introduced with such admirable effect into his writings. At this time he spent half-a-year with an aunt at Kelso, where he attended a school, kept by a Mr. Launcelot Whale, and had for schoolfellows, James and John Ballantyne, the printers, with whom he afterwards became so closely associated. In 1779 he was sent to the second class of the High school of Edinburgh, at that time superintended by Mr. Luke Fraser, and two years afterwards was transferred to the rector's class, then taught by Dr. Alexander Adam, but he never was in any way remarkable for his proficiency