1926

Our President in 1926 was:

Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch

He proposed the Toast to Sir Walter at our 27th Annual Dinner on Friday 26th November 1926 in the North British Station Hotel.

Download the [transcript] or read the [bulletin]

Summary of the Speech:

Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, speaking as the club’s President, offered a heartfelt and eloquent toast to Sir Walter Scott, despite recovering from illness. He compared Scott to Shakespeare and Homer, observing that while little is known of Shakespeare's personal life, Scott’s character and deeds are extensively recorded—something Quiller-Couch greatly appreciated.


He described Scott not as a mystical figure but as a man of vitality, clarity, and moral integrity—a romantic and learned gentleman whose life and writings radiated sincerity and inspiration. He recounted a personal pilgrimage through Scott’s Border country, vividly imagining Scott riding down hills on horseback, embodying the spirit of the land.


Three main themes underpinned his toast:

  1. Scott's profound learning: Quiller-Couch emphasised Scott’s deep scholarship, placing him in intellectual dialogue with Shakespeare and noting their shared imaginative power.
  2. Scott’s romantic influence: He lamented the neglect of Scott in modern literary education and celebrated his lasting contribution to Romantic literature, alongside Robert Louis Stevenson.
  3. Scott’s irrepressible vitality: He admired Scott’s physical courage, humour, and spiritedness, even during hardship. Quiller-Couch closed with a moving image of Scott at the end of his life, writing during a storm in Edinburgh, echoing the force of nature that was his creative drive.

He concluded by offering a toast to Scott as an enduring model of imagination, nobility, and the ideal Scottish gentleman.


Interesting Points:

  • Comparison with Shakespeare: Quiller-Couch questioned whether we’d want to know more about Shakespeare’s life, suggesting that mystery preserves myth. In contrast, Scott’s life is open and fully knowable—a virtue, not a loss.
  • Homeric courage: He aligns Scott’s blend of simplicity and gallantry with Homeric heroes, suggesting that Scott’s laughter and energy were part of his moral strength.
  • Pilgrimage through the Borders: His personal journey through Scott country—evocative and poetic—demonstrates his reverence and emotional connection to Scott.
  • Critique of academia: He criticises scholars and schoolmasters for neglecting Scott in discussions of Romanticism and singles out an anecdote of a lecturer omitting both Scott and Byron from a course on the Romantic movement.
  • Link to Stevenson: He presents Stevenson as Scott’s literary heir and a defender of romance against the tide of realism in the 1890s.
  • Final anecdote of Scott: The image of Scott writing through illness and storm in Atholl Crescent while composing Count Robert of Paris, and composing verse for a chapter motto on the spot, powerfully illustrates Scott's enduring creative flame.

Download the [transcript] or read the [bulletin]

  • List of Members Present

    The Annual Dinner of the Club was held in the North British Station Hotel, on Friday, 26th November 1926, when Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch presided over a company numbering about 230. The croupiers were Sir Alexander K. Wright, Mr Walter T. Watson, K.C., and Mr J. H. Thin. Among those present were—Lord Provost Alexander Stevenson, Lord Sands, Lord St Vigeans, Rear-Admiral H. W. Bowring, D.S.O., Sir Patrick J. Ford, M.P., Sir Robert Greig, Sir David Paulin, Sir Joseph Dobbie, Rev. Dr James Black, Rev. Dr Harry Miller, Rev. Dr Macintosh, Professor Lorrain Smith, Professor Grierson, Professor Ashworth, Mr W. L. Bonney (the American Consul), Dr Alexander Darling, Dr Nasmyth, Mr William C. Johnston, D.K.S., Mr W. B. Wilson, Mr William Bonnar, Mr W. Home Cook, Mr Andrew Grierson, Dr William Low, Mr Kenneth Sanderson, Mr E. A. Savage, Mr John Hogben, Mr Gemmell Hutchison, R.S.A., Mr J. Milne Henderson, Dr Archibald Milne, Mr W. King Gillies, Mr William Greenhill, Mr J. J. Herdman, Mr James Milligan, W.S., Honorary Secretary, and Mr Elliot R. Smail, Honorary Treasurer.

Subsidiary Toasts Summary

1. Toast to "The Imperial Forces"
  Proposed by Sir Patrick J. Ford, M.P.

  • Ford connected Scott’s romantic vision of war with the reality of self-sacrifice and discipline in the armed forces.
  • Quoted Scott’s stirring lines—“One crowded hour of glorious life…*”—as embodying the spirit of noble service.
  • Argued that military service stands not for material gain but for ideals: discipline, sacrifice, and national integrity.
  • Highlighted Scott’s own military involvement despite disability (Edinburgh Light Horse).
  • Praised the ethos of pride in one’s duty as a model for civic and industrial life.
  • Coupled the toast with the name of Admiral H. W. Bowring, who responded.


2. Toast to "The City of Edinburgh"
  Proposed by Mr Will. Y. Darling, C.B.E.

  • Described Scott as “pre-eminently a great Edinburgh man,” placing him among national heroes and thinkers.
  • Argued Edinburgh had not sufficiently commemorated Scott in place names beyond Abbotsford Crescent/Park and Waverley Station/Hotels.
  • Urged the Lord Provost to name new streets—e.g., Marmion Avenue, Rokeby Square, Kenilworth Street—to honour Scott’s legacy and inspire young minds.
  • Suggested naming the scenic drive between the Braid Hills and Blackford Hill as “Sir Walter Scott’s Drive.”

Response by Lord Provost Alexander Stevenson:

  • Defended the city's record, citing the Scott Monument (established within 10 days of Scott’s death) as a powerful tribute.
  • Evoked vivid images of Scott walking Princes Street and the West Meadows, grounding Scott’s presence in local memory.
  • Called on citizens to engage more deeply with civic life and keep Edinburgh a city worthy of Scott’s legacy.


3. Toast to "The Chairman" (Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch)
  Proposed by Rev. Dr James Black

  • Celebrated Sir Arthur's presence, especially given his ill health, and praised his deeply personal and human portrait of Scott.
  • Called him one of the few truly versatile writers—novelist, critic, editor, poet, professor, anthologist, and mentor.
  • Commended his gentle, generous approach to literary criticism and his successful completion of Stevenson’s St Ives.
  • Concluded warmly, thanking Sir Arthur for his lifelong literary contributions and dignified leadership of the Club.


Notable Highlights & Interesting Points:

  • Literary Depth in the Military Toast: Ford’s address moved beyond patriotic platitudes to explore the spiritual justification of military service, linking Scott’s poetic sensibility with a philosophy of duty.
  • Darling’s Plea for Commemoration: A heartfelt and civic-minded suggestion to more fully integrate Scott’s legacy into Edinburgh’s street names—something still relevant today.
  • A Living Memory of Scott: Lord Provost Stevenson’s recollections painted a tangible image of Scott walking through 19th-century Edinburgh, beautifully bridging past and present.
  • Affection for “Q”: The Rev. Black’s tribute to Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch stood out as a warm, humorous, and reverent sketch of a literary polymath—a rare glimpse into the affection felt for “Q” by his peers and readers.
  • Programme Details: The evening also featured songs by Miss Margaret Stewart and recitations by Mr J. Augustus Beddie, with Mr J. W. Cowie as accompanist, highlighting the club’s blend of cultural and ceremonial traditions.

Download the [Subsidiary Toasts] to read in full. 

*Whilst originally credited to Scott (used as a Title of a Chapter in Old Mortality) it is actually from the poem "The Call" by Thomas Osbert Mordaunt.