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Summary of the Speech:

Sir John Simon, then Attorney-General and President of the Club for the year, opened with a warm expression of gratitude, tempered by self-deprecating humour about being an Englishman asked to honour Scotland’s greatest literary son. He described his northward journey as a kind of pilgrimage, noting how the landscape of the Borders and Edinburgh itself are steeped in Scott’s presence—from Melrose and Kelso to Portobello Sands and Waverley Station.

Simon’s central argument was that Walter Scott unified Scotland through art, achieving by the pen what kings and statesmen had struggled to do by policy. Scott’s sympathetic and vivid portrayals of every tier of Scottish society—Highland chieftains, Lowland farmers, city bailies, servants, and noblewomen—helped forge a shared cultural identity rooted in compassion, character, and storytelling.

Simon explored Scott’s complex identity: a man of letters who yearned for a soldier’s life. Scott’s lameness kept him from a military career, but that thwarted desire energised his writing. Simon cited Scott’s own words about hearing “a regiment of soldiers tramping through my brain” and drew comparisons to other great writers whose physical ailments influenced their literary paths.

He told a compelling anecdote linking General Wolfe’s famous wish to be the author of Gray’s Elegy rather than the conqueror of Quebec, which Scott had heard directly from Professor John Robison of Edinburgh and recorded in a letter to Southey. The moment served to highlight Scott’s reverence for literature and his sense of its power.

Simon went on to discuss Scott’s literary qualities:

• His fidelity to Scottish tradition, minstrelsy, and folklore.
• His romantic imagination, favouring Ariosto over Homer, and Gothic elements over classical precision.
• His creation of globally accessible, recognisably Scottish heroes, even in foreign settings (The Talisman, Quentin Durward).
• His ability to infuse even historical fiction with timeless, universal human character.

Scott’s influence abroad, Simon noted, was revolutionary. He cited Victor Hugo, Balzac, Mérimée, de Vigny, Goethe (who personally praised Scott in a letter), and Dumas (who famously confused England and Scotland but admired both Shakespeare and Scott).

Simon celebrated Scott’s unspoiled humility and literary generosity—his “extraordinary exuberance”—mentioning the oft-quoted lines about “one crowded hour of glorious life” (actually misattributed, which Scott merely tucked into a chapter heading in Old Mortality). He remarked how Scott, despite his fame, retained a sense of humour, modesty, and a love for dubious characters like Borderers and Highland rogues.

The speech ended with a moving image from Dr John Brown’s description of Scott in 1810: robust, ruddy, powerful despite his limp—"a Liddesdale store farmer come of gentle blood." Simon concluded with a rousing call to reaffirm the Club’s “ancient fealty” to Scott and to honour the man who was, as Byron put it, “the most open, the most honourable, and the most amiable.”

Interesting Points Worth Highlighting

• The Unity of Scotland Through Story: Simon claimed that Scott’s portrayal of all Scottish classes created a sense of national unity more enduring than any political union.
• The Wolfe Anecdote: A gem of historical-literary connection, showing how Scott became a living vessel of Britain’s cultural memory.
• Scott’s Global Influence: His writing ignited a romantic revolution in European literature; Goethe’s and Dumas’s tributes reveal the breadth of his impact.
• Romantic Over Classical: Scott’s resistance to Greek study and his favouring of Ariosto over Homer signal his break with neoclassicism and his pioneering of a more emotionally rich, character-driven style.
• Scott’s Modesty and Self-Awareness: He called himself a poor writer of heroes, better suited to morally complex figures like Borderers or Highland raiders.
• Imagery of Scott in Life: Dr John Brown’s vivid sketch—lame yet vigorous, a powerful figure on Edinburgh’s streets—personalised Scott in a way few literary tributes do.

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Subsidiary Toasts Summary

1. The King and The Royal Family
   These loyal toasts were formally honoured at the beginning of the dinner.
2. The Imperial Forces
   Proposed by: Sir George Douglas, Bart.
   Responded to by: Brigadier-General Wintour, C.B.
   Sir George remarked that Walter Scott’s literary brilliance flourished especially when writing of war, arms, and soldiers—just as Byron was inspired by women. Wintour echoed the sentiment, observing that Scott’s martial spirit may have helped shape Scotland’s traditional admiration for military service.
3. Literature
   Proposed by: Rev. Dr Fisher
   Responded to by: Mr Ian Hay Beith
   Dr Fisher argued for the soul-shaping value of literature. Even those who only read newspapers or admired Marie Corelli might be good citizens, but they missed the deeper joys literature offers. It brings ordinary readers into the company of history’s master minds.
4. Mr Beith (later the celebrated novelist "Ian Hay") recalled his schooldays as a "fag" at Fettes for Sir John Simon. He gave a humorous yet pointed speech, critiquing literary censorship. He claimed books banned by booksellers often became bestsellers, and advocated that the public, not libraries or the press, should be the judge of taste. He encouraged critics to ignore poor literature rather than amplify it through denunciation.
5. The City of Edinburgh
   Proposed by: The Marquis of Linlithgow
   Responded to by: Lord Provost Inches
   Linlithgow upheld the importance of tradition in progress, asserting that Scots abroad retained strong ties to Edinburgh, enriching—not diminishing—their citizenship in other Dominions.
   Lord Provost Inches affirmed that the city’s Corporation was committed to preserving both the beauty and traditions of Edinburgh.
6. The Chairman (Sir John Simon)
   Proposed by: Rev. Dr Heard (his old Headmaster)
   Sir John Simon responded with gratitude. The evening concluded with the National Anthem.

Interesting Points Worth Noting

• Literary Censorship Debate (1913-style): Ian Hay’s commentary feels strikingly modern—arguing that banning books often boosts their popularity, and that the public should be its own censor. He advocated for silence rather than sensationalist condemnation, which feels ahead of its time.
• Scott’s Soldierly Image: Both Sir George Douglas and Brigadier-General Wintour reinforced the idea—also echoed in Simon’s main toast—that Scott’s love for soldiering shaped both his fiction and his persona. This military idealism, despite his lameness, was a defining trait.
• Marie Corelli Mention: A sly literary jab—Corelli was a bestselling but critically derided author. Dr Fisher’s comment gently pokes fun at her popularity while making a broader point about taste and the deeper value of literary engagement.
• Fettes School Connection: The bond between Ian Hay and Sir John Simon adds a personal note to the evening. Their school connection decades earlier lent warmth and humour to the otherwise formal proceedings.
• Artistic Contributions: The evening was visually enhanced by a specially designed menu card featuring a portrait of Sir John Simon and a sketch by T. Marjoribanks Hay, R.S.W., adding a touch of Edinburgh artistry to the event.
• Live Music: The programme included songs by Miss Kate Wallace and Mr Gordon Brown, with piano accompaniment by Mr J. W. Cowie—a reminder of how music, literature, and civic pride all merged in these cultural dinners.

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