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Summary of the Speech:

Viscount Haldane opened with a reflection on shared Scottish heritage and identity, invoking the deep emotional and cultural ties that bind Scots to their history, particularly through figures like Walter Scott. He spoke warmly and humorously about Scott’s own advice on chairing a dinner (from Scott’s Journals), contrasting the robust drinking culture of Scott’s time with the more temperate habits of the modern age.

The core of Haldane’s speech celebrated Scott as the supreme interpreter of the Scottish character. He praised Scott’s ability to capture the full range of Scottish life and spirit—from nobility to peasantry, from the Highlands to the Lowlands, and from comic figures like Andrew Fairservice to heroic ones like Jeanie Deans. Haldane argued that no foreigner could fully grasp the cultural resonance Scott holds for Scots, whose lived experience aligns so deeply with Scott’s fictional worlds.

He dismissed attempts to abridge or sanitise Scott’s work, defending the Waverley Novels in their full, sometimes flawed, original form. Scott, he declared, was not primarily a poet but a master of fiction—one whose narratives provide a sense of inevitability and truth. Drawing on Goethe and St. Beuve, Haldane emphasised Scott’s disinterested genius: a writer who could portray human experience authentically without injecting himself into his creations.

He closed with a charming anecdote about a Treasury official being swayed from a bureaucratic decision upon realising he stood across from the very window where Scott had written the Waverley Novels—evidence of Scott’s enduring power to inspire even the most unlikely hearts. The toast concluded with a solemn pledge to “The Immortal and Imperishable Memory of Walter Scott.”

Interesting Points

1. Scott’s Dinner Maxims: Haldane humorously referenced Scott’s own rules for chairing a dinner—including encouraging quick circulation of the wine to "incline people to be pleased." It offered a playful insight into Scott’s convivial personality.
2. Scott as a National Mirror: Haldane powerfully asserted that Scott encompassed the whole of Scottish identity, more so than Burns or Knox, reflecting every nuance of its character.
3. Critique of Abridgement: Haldane’s disdain for the idea of abridging Scott’s novels was intense and heartfelt. His analogy comparing it to abridging the Shorter Catechism was particularly striking.
4. Use of Continental Critics: Referencing Goethe and St. Beuve lent authority and international recognition to Scott’s genius, strengthening Haldane’s central argument.
5. Treasury Anecdote: The tale of the fiscal official moved by proximity to Scott’s former window added levity and warmth, while underlining the poet’s mythic stature.
6. Literary Judgment: Haldane candidly admitted that Scott’s poetry (with some exceptions) would not secure his legacy. His enduring fame, he insisted, rests on the novels.
7. Final Toast in Silence: The silent toast added a reverent and deeply Scottish note of communal respect, showing the spiritual significance Scott holds for his admirers.

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Subsidiary Toasts Summary

1. The Services
   Proposed by Sheriff Jameson, who questioned the label "Imperial Forces" but praised the Navy and urged for Army reforms, not mere change. He stressed the importance of peace-time preparedness, referencing the Russo-Japanese War and Japan’s success as a lesson for Britain.
2. Colonel Carey, replying for the Highland Light Infantry (formerly the 74th), echoed these sentiments and spoke of Japan’s preparedness and Britain's need for similar unity and readiness.
3. Literature
   Proposed by Mr J. D. Stuart Sim, who presented previously unpublished letters of Sir Walter Scott. These personal and insightful letters span 1802–1814 and touch on:
4. Family updates and finances
5. Literary success (notably his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border)
6. His views on politics, war, and Napoleon
7. The purchase of Abbotsford and early references to its future transformation
8. A declined offer of the Poet Laureateship from the Prince Regent
   These excerpts provided a unique window into Scott’s life, revealing his wit, pragmatism, and loyalty to Scottish life.
9. Guest Response
   Professor Hume Brown reflected on Scott's wide literary sympathies, claiming Scott was no literary "jealous god" but embraced many forms and traditions. He proposed the idea that in literature, polytheism (wide taste) is true religion, highlighting Scott’s admiration for writers as diverse as Spenser, Johnson, Byron, and Wordsworth.
10. The City of Edinburgh
    Toasted by Mr Crabb Watt, K.C., who described the city as an inspiration central to Scott’s identity and literature. He connected its historical grandeur with Scott’s status as an interpreter of Scottish tradition.
    Lord Provost Sir Robert Cranston, in reply, praised Edinburgh’s beauty, educational prestige, and global cultural standing. He also called for a message of sympathy to be sent to the Duke of Connaught following a recent accident.
11. The Chairman
    Proposed by Sir George Douglas, who reflected on the Club’s tradition of inviting men of action rather than scholars to speak—echoing Scott’s own preference for practical minds. He placed Mr Haldane among such company, praising his political and philosophical contributions and the elegant delivery of his earlier toast.
12. Chairman’s Response
    Mr Haldane, with humour and patriotism, closed the evening, referencing ten o’clock closing and quoting Burns (“Tam maun ride”). He acknowledged the Scottish spirit of the gathering and joked about venturing into the "midnight breezes" with nothing but courage—and perhaps John Barleycorn—as company.
13. Musical & Artistic Contributions
14. Mr Dambmann’s band provided music throughout the dinner.
15. Mr Robert Burnett sang several songs.
16. The menu, designed by James Hay, featured a portrait of Mr Haldane and a Scott scene by T. Marjoribanks Hay.

Interesting Highlights

• Scott’s Private Letters: Mr Stuart Sim’s reading of unpublished Scott letters offered vivid, firsthand glimpses into Scott’s domestic life, finances, political insights, and early Abbotsford ambitions.
• Refusal of Poet Laureateship: Scott’s turning down of the position, out of a desire for independence from court ties, underscores his principled nature.
• Abbotsford Vision: The earliest descriptions of his plans for Abbotsford show his deep attachment to the land and its symbolism.
• Literary Inclusivity: Professor Hume Brown’s celebration of Scott’s wide literary taste reinforced Scott’s relevance and universal appeal.
• Edinburgh as Muse: Crabb Watt’s tribute to Edinburgh’s impact on Scott underscored the symbiosis between city and author.

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