<P> Although the book was a huge and lasting commercial success in both Britain and the United States, it did not find favour with contemporary critics . The introductory letters to Scott's friends, which open each canto, were dismissed as unwarranted intrusions . A hero as flawed as Marmion was also unwelcome at this time and the story was criticised for its obscurity . Francis Jeffrey published a particularly harsh review in the Edinburgh Review . Jeffrey observed that much of the verse was' flat and tedious'; he accused Scott of simply showing off his historical erudition . He also objected to the anachronism of the chivalric code and opposed the warlike sentiments of the introductory epistles . Ultimately, however, the public enthusiasm for Scott's work was undimmed and the poem remained popular for over a century . </P> <P> The stanzas telling the story of "young Lochinvar", excerpted from Canto V, particularly caught the public imagination and were widely published in anthologies, and learned as a recitation piece . </P> <P> One of the most quoted excerpts from Scottish poetry is derived from Canto VI, XVII: </P> <P> Oh, what a tangled web we weave When first we practise to deceive! </P>

Who wrote oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive