“In this state of things Mr. Leslie brings an action against Mr. Blackwood for certain articles, of the author of which I do not even at this moment
know or suspect the name, and which I had never seen except in the magazine. .
. . Mr. Leslie, however, claps my name into the summons as
author or editor of these articles, and in particular of an article signed
Olinthus Petre. It is not agreeable for
an advocate to be a party in any case of this sort, so I desired my agent to
tell me his opinion. It was (and I acted upon it) that he himself ought to
write to Mr. Leslie’s agent, stating how the thing
stood, and threatening, unless my name was withdrawn, to bring a counter
action. The name was withdrawn accordingly, and here is the story which has
brought me the honour of being
| 258 | LIFE OF J. G. LOCKHART. |
“I have written the above for your satisfaction, not for his. What I expect of you is that you will, without delay, talk over the whole affair with Traill, and one or both of you go to this Mr. Scott (or whoever the editor may be) if not, to the publisher, and ask for the author.
“If he is not forthcoming, or if Scott himself be the author, you will dictate according to your own discretion, which I can trust better than my own, an apology to be inserted in the front page of his next magazine, and wherever else I please. If there is any difficulty about this, it remains only that you fix a day for the man to meet me at York, or any other place half way between Edinburgh and London.—Ever affectionately yours,
