“For ne'er
Was flattery lost on poet's ear:
A simple race! they waste their toil
For the vain tribute of a smile.”

—  Walter Scott, The Lay of the Last Minstrel

Canto IV, conclusion
The Lay of the Last Minstrel (1805)

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Walter Scott photo
Walter Scott151
Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet 1771–1832

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