[BORN at Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, Nov. 4, 1771, and was the son of a Moravian preacher; was educated at the Fulneck School, Yorkshire, apprenticed to a grocer, but ran away in 1789, and in 1792 became clerk to Joseph Gales, a famous journalist of Sheffield, who having been accused of treason was compelled to escape to the United States. Montgomery then founded the Sheffield Iris, a paper devoted to peace and reform principles, which he edited thirty-one years, 1794-1825. He began in early youth to write poetry, in which he won great popularity. In 1835 he received a pension, and declined the professorship of rhetoric at Edinburgh. Died at Sheffield, April 30, 1854. Mr. Montgomery is best known as a hymn writer and devotional poet.]

[WALTER SCOTT, the son of a Writer to the Signet, was born in Edinburgh on August 15, 1771, and was educated at the High School and the College. In 1792 he became an advocate, but soon began to occupy himself seriously with literature, publishing in 1799 a translation of Goethe's Goetz von Berlichingen, and in 1802 his Border Minstrelsy. As Sheriff of Selkirkshire he went in 1804 to live at Ashestiel on the banks of the Tweed, and there produced The Lay of the Last Minstrel, 1805; Marmion, 1808; The Lady of the Lake, 1810; Don Roderick, 1811: Triermain and Rokeby, 1813. Át his new house at Abbotsford he wrote The Lord of the Isles, 1815; and Harold the Dauntless, 1817. Before these last two were published Waverly appeared, and henceforth Scott wrote no more poetry, save a few short lyrics, ending with his Farewell to the Muse, 1822. He was made a baronet in 1820, but in 1826 commercial disaster came upon him, and his last ten years were a time of struggle and overwork. He died at Abbotsford, September 21, 1836.]

THE OLD MINSTREL.
[Introduction to Lay of the Last Minstrel.]
THE way was long, the wind was cold,
The Minstrel was infirm and old;
His withered cheek, and tresses gray,
Seem'd to have known a better day;
The harp, his sole remaining joy,
Was carried by an orphan boy.
The last of all the Bards was he,
Who sung of Border chivalry;
For, welladay! their date was fled,
His tuneful brethren all were dead;

And he, neglected and oppress'd,
Wish'd to be with them, and at rest.
No more on prancing palfrey borne,
He caroll'd, light as lark at morn;
No longer courted and caress'd,
High placed in hall, a welcome guest,
He pour'd to lord and lady gay,
The unpremeditated lay:

Old times were changed, old manners

gone;

A stranger filled the Stuarts' throne;
The bigots of the iron time

Had call'd his harmless art a crime.