_The Field of Waterloo_ and _Harold the Dauntless_ were both written after this time; and the mottoes and lyrics in the novels compose a delightful body of verse.

The fact seems to be that he lost zest for writing long poems, partly because of the favor with which Byron's poems were received, and his own consequent feeling of inferiority in poetic composition; partly because of his discovery of the greater ease with which he could write prose, and the greater scope it gave him.

The more ambitious attempts among the poems which he wrote after 1814 are comparative failures.

But the poetry in his nature prevented him from entirely giving over the composition of verse, and he found real delight in the occasional writing of short pieces that required no continued effort.

They were usually made to be used in the novels, for after the publication of _Guy Mannering_ novel-writing became specifically Scott's occupation.[399] The price of his success in any direction was that he was unable to keep his field to himself.