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Summary of the Speech:

Sir Donald MacAlister opens with humour and humility, likening his return to Scotland after time in England to a penitent Brahman undergoing purification. He positions his toast to the memory of Sir Walter Scott as the second part of a symbolic return home, the first having been a tribute to Robert Burns.

He reflects on the challenge of saying something new about Scott and chooses a personal approach, drawing on his connection with Sir Thomas Watson, the physician who cared for Scott during his final illness. MacAlister shares Watson’s reflections on Scott’s literary influence and vitality, particularly during Scott's last journey to Abbotsford, highlighting the almost miraculous energy Scott showed upon seeing his homeland again.

MacAlister discusses Watson’s admiration for Scott's writing style—clear, natural, and powerful—and passes on his advice to young writers: "Read Sir Walter, and read him again." He also touches on the evolution of medical education, with Watson as an advocate for the Scottish university model, where liberal arts and science were combined, contrasting with the more fragmented English system.

The speech includes fond recollections of Scott’s voyage to the Hebrides and the Northern Lighthouse expedition, with a notable story of Scott’s unexpected visit to a cave on MacAlister’s ancestral land in Skye, where Scott delighted two young relatives of his family. This connection adds a personal and familial pride to the speaker's admiration for Scott.

He also draws a compelling comparison between Scott’s travel diaries and those of Dr Johnson, praising Scott’s natural, intuitive descriptions over Johnson’s more laboured prose.

Towards the end, MacAlister reflects on Scott's potential emigration to India in 1810—a real possibility—and imagines how devastating it would have been for Scottish literature and identity if Scott had not remained. He concludes with a powerful, almost poetic tribute to Scott’s enduring influence and moral example.

Interesting Points Worth Mentioning

1. Scott’s Vitality in Decline:
2. A poignant moment is the recounting of Scott’s physical reaction to seeing Abbotsford again: despite being frail, the sight of home brought a surge of strength. Sir Thomas Watson felt the muscles firm under his hand—a vivid symbol of Scott’s deep connection to place and nation.
3. Literary Advice from a Physician:
4. Watson’s writing advice—“Read Sir Walter, and read him again. He taught us young fellows how to write frankly”—is a testament to Scott’s influence beyond literature, extending even to scientific writing.
5. Legacy of Scottish Medical Education:
6. MacAlister defends the Scottish model of medical education and recounts Watson’s delight in the character Gideon Gray (from The Surgeon's Daughter) being both a surgeon and an M.A.—a model for the well-rounded doctor.
7. Personal Anecdote from Skye:
8. Scott’s spontaneous cave visit and his kindness to two young MacAlisters (with almonds, raisins, and cannon fire) show the author's charm and ability to connect across generations.
9. Scott and Stevenson: Shared Ancestry:
10. MacAlister notes that Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson were both descendants of “Auld Watt of Harden,” musing on how Stevenson would have relished this romantic connection had he known of it earlier.
11. Contrast Between Scott and Johnson:
12. The speech includes a brilliant comparison: Scott’s writing lets “the things shine through the words,” while Johnson’s prose is coloured by his own temperament, requiring interpretation. MacAlister favours Scott’s transparent, unaffected style.
13. The India What-If:
14. In 1810, Scott considered leaving for India. Had he gone, MacAlister speculates, the world would have been vastly poorer. The imagined loss reinforces Scott’s significance as a national and literary figure.

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Subsidiary Toasts Summary

Following the principal toast to “The Memory of Sir Walter Scott,” the subsidiary toasts celebrated other significant themes and contributors:

1. "The Imperial Forces"
2. Proposed by: Mr George Lorimer
3. Reply by: Brigadier-General Sir J. Hanbury Williams
4. "Literature"
5. Proposed by: Rev. Dr Kelman
6. Dr Kelman expressed deep reverence for literature, stating he'd rather write a perfect page of English than win all Napoleon’s victories or make Newton’s discoveries.
7. He described literature as the “secret that reveals the spirit within” and praised Scott for transmitting a clean, wholesome vitality through his work.
8. He voiced concern over modern decadence and moral laxity, referencing a loss of seriousness in replacing the Ten Commandments with more cynical values.
9. Response to "Literature" Toast by 
10. Reply by: Mr A. E. W. Mason (novelist and MP)
11. Mason said his personal aim in writing had been to extract inner truths from simple things.
12. He praised Scott, Balzac, and Stevenson as the three most influential authors of their time:
13. Scott for his dramatic dialogue and humanising of everyday characters from the past.
14. Balzac for doing the same within contemporary French society.
15. Stevenson for his radiant courage and literary insight, despite chronic illness—an enduring spirit of youth in all his work.
16. "The City of Edinburgh"
17. Proposed by: Sir David Paulin
18. Reply by: The Lord Provost
19. Toast to the Chairman
20. Proposed by: Sir Ludovic J. Grant
    

• Additional Notes:
• The menu card was artistically designed by James Hay, featuring a portrait of the President and a sketch of the Devil’s Beef-Tub by T. Marjoribanks Hay, R.S.W.
• Entertainment included a musical selection by Mr Dambmann’s Band and songs by Mr George Campbell.

Interesting Points

• Dr Kelman’s moral earnestness stands out—he wasn’t merely praising Scott’s artistry but his ethical clarity and the moral upliftment literature can offer.
• Mason’s literary trio (Scott, Balzac, Stevenson) creates an unexpected international lineage of influence. His defence of Stevenson, especially his resilience in illness, is heartfelt and prescient.
• The inclusion of artistic and musical elements, like the Devil’s Beef-Tub sketch and the live band, paints a vivid picture of Edwardian club culture—where literature, music, and visual arts were celebrated together.
• The Devil’s Beef-Tub sketch is a nod to Scott’s Borderland landscapes, perhaps referencing Redgauntlet, adding a thematic coherence to the dinner's visuals.

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