# Preface to the Third Edition explained — Waverley

> Chapter companion for Waverley by Walter Scott.

## What happens

The author addresses the public's favorable reception of the novel, acknowledges speculation about his identity, and defends his portrayal of Highlanders against accusations of unfairness, citing historical examples and a poem to illustrate the complexities of the 1745 uprising.

## Themes in this chapter

### Identity and Belonging

The author's anonymous publication and the speculation about his identity highlight themes of authorial identity and belonging to different professions or social circles.

### Honor and Duty

The defense of the Highlanders' national character and the discussion of depredations during the uprising touch on notions of honor and duty in warfare.

### Social Class and Hierarchy

The poem contrasts the behavior of 'gentlemen' and 'the baser sort' during the conflict, emphasizing class distinctions.

## Character check-ins

### Callum Beg

Mentioned as a character whose portrayal of a spirit naturally turned to daring evil has been objected to by some readers.

### Baron of Bradwardine

Referenced for his account of petty trespasses by Highlanders, used jocularly to illustrate minor depredations.

## Key lines

> He may be a writer new to publication, and unwilling to avow a character to which he is unaccustomed; or he may be a hackneyed author, who is ashamed of too frequent appearance, and employs this mystery, as the heroine of the old comedy used her mask, to attract the attention of those to whom her face had become too familiar.

The author might be a beginner reluctant to reveal his new role, or a seasoned writer hiding his identity to pique curiosity, like a masked actress in a play.

_Explains the possible reasons for the author's anonymity._

> The Author of Waverley has heard it objected to this novel, that, in the character of Callum Beg and in the account given by the Baron of Bradwardine of the petty trespasses of the Highlanders upon trifling articles of property, he has borne hard, and unjustly so, upon their national character.

Some critics have complained that the novel unfairly maligns the Highlanders through the character Callum Beg and the Baron's stories about small thefts.

_Summarizes the objection the author addresses._

> I saw a Highlander, ’twas right drole, With a string of puddings hung on a pole, Whip’d o’er his shoulder, skipped like a fole, Caus’d Maggy bann, Lap o’er the midden and midden-hole, And aff he ran.

I saw a Highlander amusingly run off with a string of puddings on a pole, leaping over a dung heap, causing a woman to curse.

_A humorous verse illustrating the type of minor theft attributed to Highlanders._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/waverley_se/chapters/preface-to-the-third-edition
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/waverley_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/waverley_se/chapters