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Summary of the Speech:

Trevelyan, speaking as an Englishman with Scottish ancestry, expressed deep admiration for Walter Scott, not just as a writer, but as a man of integrity, resilience, and moral courage. He recounted personal experiences that connected him to Scotland and Scott’s landscapes, especially the Borders, and spoke with reverence of Scott’s unique ability to humanise history.

The core of Trevelyan’s speech focused on Scott’s revolutionary impact on the writing and understanding of history. He credited Scott with creating the historical novel and fundamentally changing how people engage with history. Trevelyan compared Scott favourably to Gibbon and other traditional historians, arguing that Scott brought history to life with vivid characterisation and cultural specificity.

Trevelyan celebrated Scott’s ability to present diverse historical figures and settings with nuance and empathy. He praised Scott’s Scottish novels, especially Jeanie Deans’ story in The Heart of Midlothian, as exemplars of literary artistry and moral insight. He ended his toast with stirring quotations from Scott’s work, particularly Jeanie’s plea for her sister’s life, to highlight Scott’s deep emotional resonance and moral force.

Key Points of Interest

1. Scott’s Transformation of History: Trevelyan argued that Scott’s influence on historical writing was greater than that of any professional historian since Herodotus. He inspired a move from abstract generalisations to richly imagined, lived history.
2. Contrast with Gibbon: Where Gibbon offered precise but detached generalisations, Scott gave passionate, vivid portrayals of real people in real contexts. Trevelyan compared Gibbon’s prose to a Parthenon frieze and Scott’s to stained glass.
3. Characterisation of Cromwell: Trevelyan praised Scott’s portrayal of Cromwell in Woodstock as nuanced and multi-dimensional, the first attempt to truly humanise him after a century of myth and bias.
4. Scott’s Scottishness: Trevelyan emphasised that Scott was at his best when writing about his own people, the Scots. He captured their dialect, wit, and moral integrity better than anyone before or since.
5. Critique and Admiration: While acknowledging Scott’s unevenness and occasional carelessness, Trevelyan celebrated his genius. He saw Scott as the originator of the rich, character-driven historical novel later perfected by writers like Robert Louis Stevenson.
6. Emotional and Moral Power: Jeanie Deans’ speeches were singled out as moments of profound “native eloquence”—not mere rhetoric, but soul-stirring sincerity. Trevelyan argued that only someone with Scott’s deep love of the people could have written such lines.
7. Cultural Preservation and National Identity: Trevelyan ended with reflections on Britain’s role in preserving humane values and cultural memory, noting Scott’s legacy as a moral and spiritual architect of modern Britain.

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Subsidiary Toasts Summary

1. “The Imperial Forces” – Proposed by the Chairman, Professor George Trevelyan

Trevelyan opened with a solemn reflection on the importance of military strength in maintaining peace, particularly amid growing international tensions in 1937. He praised the Scots Greys, particularly noting the enduring symbolic value of cavalry and Scott’s historic defence of Scottish traditions, including military heritage. He linked the modern Territorial Army to the Volunteer Corps of 1797, to which Scott himself had belonged with great personal commitment.

2. Response by Major W. H. Mackenzie

Major Mackenzie, a Territorial officer, responded with an informed and heartfelt defence of the Territorial Army’s role. He noted:

• A renewed government focus on the military and the increasing provision of modern equipment.
• The War Minister, Mr Hore-Belisha, had recently addressed a historic conference at Gleneagles, indicating unprecedented recognition of the Territorials’ significance.
• Edinburgh then housed 14 voluntary units, including artillery, infantry, engineers, medical corps, and air/naval equivalents.
• He dispelled the myth that armies cause war, arguing instead that they are responses to past conflicts, not initiators of future ones.
• Importantly, he said Scott would recognise the spirit of volunteerism in the modern Territorial soldier, even if the horses and bright uniforms were gone.

3. “The City of Edinburgh” – Proposed by Mr A. G. Erskine Hill, K.C., M.P.

Erskine Hill paid tribute to Edinburgh’s historical and cultural stature, particularly through the lens of Sir Walter Scott’s literature, with special attention to The Heart of Midlothian. He explained the historical and civic significance of the Tolbooth (which became synonymous with the city), and offered a witty aside about its connection to Edinburgh’s football teams.

He praised the city for maintaining a balance between the romantic and the practical—from the Castle and Royal Mile to Princes Street’s banks and printers. He encouraged the preservation of historic exteriors while updating interiors, and speculated on what Scott might think of the modern city’s changes, including the loss of architectural character and distinctive local personalities.

4. Response by The Right Honourable Sir Louis S. Gumley, Lord Provost of Edinburgh

Sir Louis responded with charm and humour:

• He welcomed being part of the dinner and acknowledged the toast warmly.
• Reflected on Edinburgh’s phenomenal growth: from 138 acres in Scott’s day to over 32,000 acres, and from 33 councillors to 71, with population nearing half a million.
• He light-heartedly defended Scottish legal traditions, especially the use of 15-person juries, over the English preference for 12.
• In closing, he joked about returning next year out of office—still happy to pay for dinner, wine and cigars.

5. “The Chairman” – Proposed by Professor J. Dover Wilson

Wilson delivered a highly personal tribute to Trevelyan, his old friend and esteemed historian:

• He recalled Trevelyan’s impact as a Cambridge lecturer and their mutual admiration for history and Scott.
• He told an amusing anecdote about sharing a train journey (and a book) with Sir Austen Chamberlain, underscoring Trevelyan’s literary influence.
• Wilson described Trevelyan as a guardian of British heritage, through his work as a historian, head of the National Trust, and president of the Youth Hostel Movement.
• He ended with the famous lines from The Lay of the Last Minstrel, affirming Trevelyan as a patriotic voice in the spirit of Sir Walter Scott.

Interesting Points to Note

• Historical Resonance: Scott was continually invoked not only as a writer but as a figure embodying military, civic, and national values.
• Military Tensions: The speeches are shadowed by the looming threat of war in Europe (1937), offering a fascinating insight into pre-WWII concerns.
• Civic Identity: The blending of Edinburgh’s romantic heritage with its modern development was a recurring theme—still relevant today.
• Political and Literary Legacy: Trevelyan’s connection to Macaulay, and his work in national preservation and education, positioned him as a living embodiment of Scott’s ideals.

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