As to the scene and period of action, little more was required for my purpose than the absence of established law and government, so that the agents might be at liberty to act on their own impulses.

Nevertheless, I do remember, that having a wish to colour the manners in some degree from local history more than my knowledge enabled me to do, I read Redpath's _History of the Borders_, but found there nothing to my purpose.

I once made an observation to Sir W.Scott, in which he concurred, that it was difficult to conceive how so dull a book could be written on such a subject.

Much about the same time, but a little after, Coleridge was employed in writing his tragedy of _Remorse_; and it happened soon after that, through one of the Mr.
Pooles, Mr.Knight, the actor, heard that we had been engaged in writing plays, and, upon his suggestion, mine was curtailed, and (I believe, with Coleridge's) was offered to Mr.Harris, manager of Covent Garden.
For myself, I had no hope, nor even a wish (though a successful play would in the then state of my finances have been a most welcome piece of good fortune), that he should accept my performance; so that I incurred no disappointment when the piece was _judiciously_ returned as not calculated for the stage.

In this judgment I entirely concurred; and had it been otherwise, it was so natural for me to shrink from public notice, that any hope I might have had of success would not have reconciled me altogether to such an exhibition.