Waverley

“‘And, Edward, my dear boy, remember also that you are the last of that race, and the only hope of its revival depends upon you […] but you will remember your duty to God, the Church of England, and the—’ (this breach ought to have been supplied, according to the rubric, with the word ‘king;’ but as, unfortunately, that word conveyed a double and embarrassing sense, one meaning de facto and the other de jure, the knight filled up the blank otherwise)—‘the Church of England, and all constituted authorities.’”

Sir Everard tells this to Edward just before he is to leave for Scotland. This quote emphasizes Edward’s role in the Waverley family and how much their reputation depends upon him. The aside from the narrator in the latter half of this quote also satirizes the argument between the Jacobites and Hanoverians and foreshadows the contention about who the rightful king of Britain should be.

“But in Scotland it was utter darkness; and, excepting a sorrowful, scattered, and persecuted remnant, the pulpits were abandoned to Presbyterians, and, he feared, to sectaries of every description. It should be his duty to fortify his dear pupil to resist such unhallowed and pernicious doctrines in church and state as must necessarily be forced at times upon his unwilling ears.”

This quote highlights Edward’s tutor’s views about the Scots and how his political and religious convictions make him prejudiced. Mr. Pembroke’s remarks to Edward about Scotland align with some contemporary assumptions about the country and its people, and this quote shows the kind of stereotyping Edward was exposed to before learning firsthand about the Scots.

“The truth was, that the vague and unsatisfactory course of reading which he had pursued, working upon a temper naturally retired and abstracted, had given him that wavering and unsettled habit of mind which is most averse to study and riveted attention.”

In this quote, the narrator describes how Edward’s military training is not of interest to him due to the way he was educated. As his mind is often “wavering and unsettled,” Edward cannot focus or have passion for the job he is given, leading him to visit Bradwardine. Throughout the novel, Scott recalls Edward’s early education to show how it affects his behavior.

“The Baron, indeed, only cumbered his memory with matters of fact, the cold, dry, hard outlines which history delineates. Edward, on the contrary, loved to fill up and round the sketch with the colouring of a warm and vivid imagination, which gives light and life to the actors and speakers in the drama of past ages. Yet with tastes so opposite, they contributed greatly to each other’s amusement.”

Edward and Bradwardine are opposites who become good friends, highlighting the theme of Tolerance and Understanding in the Face of Political Upheaval addressed throughout the novel. Neither man lets their political opinions of the other get in the way of their relationship, something Edward had witnessed firsthand with his father and uncle. The Baron’s tolerance leads Edward to sympathize with him in turn, negating many of the beliefs about the Scots he was taught at Waverley-Honour.

“It seemed like a dream to Waverley that these deeds of violence should be familiar to men’s minds, and currently talked of as falling within the common order of things, and happening daily in the immediate vicinity, without his having crossed the seas, and while he was yet in the otherwise well-ordered island of Great Britain.”

This quote underscores Edward’s initial romanticization of Scotland. When he hears Rose’s stories about the attacks on Tully-Veolan and the local Highlanders, Edward is reminded of his romances and the stories of heroism he had heard from his Aunt Rachel. Though Edward unlearns many of his presumptions about Scotland throughout the novel, he continues to romanticize it, particularly the nature and culture of the Highlands.

“Indeed he was anxious, so far as he could without affectation, to remove the opinion which Evan seemed to entertain of the effeminacy of the Lowlanders, and particularly of the English.”

In contrast to the presumptions Edward initially had about the Highlanders, his interest in tolerance and understanding leads him to want the Highlanders to see his people more accurately as well. This also shows how contemporary prejudices were not just national but often regional, and as Edward seeks a better understanding of all parts of Scotland he feels the need to convince Evan of the truth about his friends and family in the Lowlands and England.

“He had now time to give himself up to the full romance of his situation. Here he sate [sic] on the banks of an unknown lake, under the guidance of a wild native, whose language was unknown to him, on a visit to the den of some renowned outlaw, a second Robin Hood, perhaps, or Adam o’ Gordon, and that at deep midnight, through scenes of difficulty and toil, separated from his attendant, left by his guide. What a variety of incidents for the exercise of a romantic imagination, and all enhanced by the solemn feeling of uncertainty at least, if not of danger! The only circumstance which assorted ill with the rest was the cause of his journey—the Baron’s milk-cows! this degrading incident he kept in the background.”

This quote explicitly mentions Edward’s obsession with the romantic nature of the Highlands. Edward details many characteristics of contemporary romanticism, such as the wild and natural setting, the unique and complicated characters, and the feeling of uncertainty. Yet the tone of the narration in this quote also satirizes Edward’s romanticism, mocking his excitement at the prospect of danger and juxtaposing it with the inciting incident of the cattle theft.

“No; he that steals a cow from a poor widow, or a stirk from a cotter, is a thief; he that lifts a drove from a Sassenach laird is a gentleman-drover. And, besides, to take a tree from the forest, a salmon from the river, a deer from the hill, or a cow from a Lowland strath, is what no Highlander need ever think shame upon.”

Evan tells this to Edward when he asks about Donald Bean Lean’s thievery and how it has the support of the local clan chief. This emphasizes the difference in culture and law in the Highlands, as well as the reasoning for some of their prejudice against the Lowlanders and English. This recalls Edward’s reference to Robin Hood in the previous quote, showing how this thievery was considered just and equitable.

“She had not learned to substitute the gloss of politeness for the reality of feeling. When settled in the lonely regions of Glennaquoich, she found that her resources in French, English, and Italian literature were likely to be few and interrupted; and, in order to fill up the vacant time, she bestowed a part of it upon the music and poetical traditions of the Highlanders, and began really to feel the pleasure in the pursuit which her brother, whose perceptions of literary merit were more blunt, rather affected for the sake of popularity than actually experienced.”

This early description of Flora depicts her as a scholar and shows her true passion for her clan. Though her character is often simplified to a love interest for Edward, descriptions such as these show the nuance and depth of her character and how compassionate she is toward the feelings of others.

“Shall this be a long or a short chapter? This is a question in which you, gentle reader, have no vote, however much you may be interested in the consequences; just as you may (like myself) probably have nothing to do with the imposing a new tax, excepting the trifling circumstance of being obliged to pay it.”

This quote is characteristic of the narrator’s tone, which is often satirical when addressed to the reader. Though not the primary focus of the novel, Scott infuses comedy throughout Waverley, particularly through narration, which sometimes makes fun of the act of narration in general.

“Reason asked, was it worth while to disturb a government so long settled and established, and to plunge a kingdom into all the miseries of civil war, for the purpose of replacing upon the throne the descendants of a monarch by whom it had been wilfully forfeited?”

As Edward’s principles and convictions waver between sides, this quote is one of the first times when he considers the validity of what has been told to him by someone else. At this point in the novel, Edward is neither Jacobite nor Hanoverian, though he is heavily influenced by Fergus and his ideas. Yet here Edward questions the justice of the Jacobite cause, wondering about the outcome rather than just the present state of the uprising.

“This was too much. Beset and pressed on every hand by accusations, in which gross falsehoods were blended with such circumstances of truth as could not fail to procure them credit,—alone, unfriended, and in a strange land, Waverley almost gave up his life and honour for lost, and, leaning his head upon his hand, resolutely refused to answer any further questions, since the fair and candid statement he had already made had only served to furnish arms against him.”

Edward thinks this when he is being questioned by Melville, who skillfully gets the Englishman to reveal incriminating things about himself. This is one of the first points in the novel where Edward’s privileges and connections fail him, showing him a completely different reality than the one he experienced at Waverley-Honour. This also further prejudices him against the Hanoverians, continuing to push him toward becoming a Jacobite.

“Rejected, slandered, and threatened upon the one side, he was irresistibly attracted to the cause which the prejudices of education and the political principles of his family had already recommended as the most just. These thoughts rushed through his mind like a torrent, sweeping before them every consideration of an opposite tendency,—the time, besides, admitted of no deliberation,—and Waverley, kneeling to Charles Edward, devoted his heart and sword to the vindication of his rights!”

This quote reveals Edward’s feelings when the prince asks him to join the Jacobite cause. It reveals how Edward is not motivated to become a Jacobite by his own beliefs, but by the beliefs of his family, his perceived treatment by the British, and the exigency of the situation. Though Edward takes a firm stand in this chapter, it is not because of his convictions.

“This Fergus had foreseen from the beginning. He really loved Waverley, because their feelings and projects never thwarted each other; he hoped to see him united with Flora, and he rejoiced that they were effectually engaged in the same cause. But, as we before hinted, he also exulted as a politician in beholding secured to his party a partizan of such consequence; and he was far from being insensible to the personal importance which he himself gained with the Prince from having so materially assisted in making the acquisition.”

This highlights Fergus’s political nature and how it sometimes leads him to be selfish. However, the phrasing of this quote highlights Fergus’s feeling that uniting Flora and Edward is a selfless act, despite it having good consequences for him. By bringing Edward into the Jacobite cause, Fergus knows that it will boost his image in the eyes of the prince.

“Here, then, was a military spectacle of no ordinary interest or usual occurrence. The two armies, so different in aspect and discipline, yet each admirably trained in its own peculiar mode of war, upon whose conflict the temporary fate at least of Scotland appeared to depend, now faced each other like two gladiators in the arena, each meditating upon the mode of attacking their enemy.”

This quote highlights the differences between the tactical approaches of the British military and the Highland army once they meet. Stereotypes of Highlanders often came from their seemingly wild acts in battle, yet here Scott treats the approaches of both sides with equal respect and dignity. Additionally, this description foreshadows the end of the uprising as historians suggest that the Battle of Culloden was won by the British because they had memorized the Highlanders’ tactics and used them against their adversaries.

“There was so much dignity in Colonel Talbot’s manner, such a mixture of military pride and manly sorrow, and the news of Sir Everard’s imprisonment was told in so deep a tone of feeling, that Edward stood mortified, abashed, and distressed in presence of the prisoner who owed to him his life not many hours before.”

This quote highlights Edward’s embarrassment and how his conflicted emotions about Talbot lead him to question his convictions yet again. While he feels he owes it to the Jacobites to treat Talbot like a prisoner, Edward also feels guilty as Talbot is only in this situation because of him. He is also conflicted by the fact that while he saved Talbot’s life, this is what Talbot was trying to do for him when he came to Scotland.

“Nay, I cannot tell what to make of you, […] you are blown about with every wind of doctrine. Here have we gained a victory unparalleled in history, and your behaviour is praised by every living mortal to the skies, and the Prince is eager to thank you in person […] and you, the preux chevalier of the day, are stooping on your horse’s neck like a butter-woman riding to market, and looking as black as a funeral!”

This quote comes shortly after the Jacobites’ victory over the British army when Fergus notices that Edward is not reacting as he expected. Fergus’s feelings in this quote underscore Edward’s wavering and inability to pick a side and show how his internal battle is perceived by others. Though Edward does not deny the accuracy of this description, he is somewhat hurt by Fergus’s inability to see the nuance of the situation and how his interactions with British soldiers have affected him.

“He had regained his natural manner, which was that of an English gentleman and soldier, manly, open and generous, but not unsusceptible of prejudice against those of a different country, or who opposed him in political tenets.”

This is another satirical comment of the narrator’s addressing Colonel Talbot’s manner. Though he admits that he is manly and gentlemanly, the narrator implies that this, along with Talbot’s prejudices towards the Scots, is characteristic of an English gentleman and soldier. However, this description also contrasts with that of the other English gentleman and soldier in this scene, showing how Edward’s lack of prejudice is unique in comparison to others like him.

“If the cause I have undertaken be perilous, there would be the greater disgrace in abandoning it.”

Edward tells this to Talbot in one of their discussions about the justice of the uprising. This continues to show how Edward is not fighting for the Jacobites because he necessarily believes in the cause but because he sees it as a romantic adventure from which he cannot escape. Reminiscent of the stories of heroics and chivalry of his childhood, Edward intends to continue to support the cause rather than abandoning it solely for his safety.

“He felt himself entitled to say firmly, though perhaps with a sigh, that the romance of his life was ended, and that its real history had now commenced. He was soon called upon to justify his pretensions by reason and philosophy.”

Edward feels this after he is lost in the battle and must go into hiding from the British military. This quote signals a major shift in Edward’s character and shows how his experiences have led him to consider the philosophical nature of the preceding events rather than viewing them in a solely romantic light. The language of this quote also emphasizes that Edward’s decision is firm despite his feelings of regret, showing another major change in his character from his previously wavering convictions.

“Such was the reasoning of those times, held even by brave and humane men towards a vanquished enemy. Let us devoutly hope that, in this respect at least, we shall never see the scenes or hold the sentiments that were general in Britain Sixty Years Since.”

The narrator addresses this to the audience just after Talbot denies Edward’s last request to help Fergus, continuing to show his prejudices against him. Not only does this explicitly note how Talbot’s prejudices “were general in Britain Sixty Years Since,” but also how Scott wishes to move forward from this time with tolerance and understanding. Though he describes Talbot as a brave and humane man, Scott focuses on the injustice and lack of mercy in his reasoning, implying to his readers that Britain can be more sympathetic in the future.

“‘For you, poor ignorant man,’ continued the Judge, ‘who, following the ideas in which you have been educated, have this day given us a striking example how the loyalty due to the king and state alone is, from your unhappy ideas of clanship, transferred to some ambitious individual who ends by making you the tool of his crimes.’”

The judge at their trial tells this to Evan just after he asks to trade his life and the lives of other clan members for that of Fergus, showing the great respect and reverence Fergus has as chief of the clan. The judge’s remark highlights his lack of understanding or sympathy for Highland culture, thinking that the loyalty of everyone in Britain is only “‘due to the king and state alone.’” This shows how the prejudices against the Highlanders are caused by a willful misunderstanding of their culture as the judge equates Evan’s love and loyalty to his chief and kinsman with ignorance.

“There is no European nation which, within the course of half a century or little more, has undergone so complete a change as this kingdom of Scotland.”

This statement in the postscript of the novel succinctly highlights one of Scott’s purposes for writing Waverley and his focus on the theme of Preserving Highland Culture and Character. He notes that the postscript should have been a preface, yet knowing that readers would be more connected to the stories and characters by the postscript, Scott uses this chapter to address this idea that might have seemed more taboo or even radical earlier in the novel.