Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Bart.
Walter Scott to John Ballantyne, 29 April 1816
“Abbotsford, April 29, 1816.
“James has
made one or two important mistakes in the bargain with Murray and Blackwood. Briefly as follows:
“1stly. Having only authority from me to promise 6000
copies, he proposes they shall have the copyright for
ever. I will see their noses cheese first.
“2dly. He proposes I shall have twelve months’
bills—I have always got six. However, I would not stand on that.
“3dly. He talks of volumes being put into the
publishers’ hands to consider and decide on. No such thing; a bare
perusal at St John Street* only.
“Then for omissions—It is not stipulated that we supply the paper and print of successive
editions. This must be nailed, and not left to understanding. Secondly, I will
have London bills as well as Blackwood’s.
“If they agree to these conditions, good and well. If
they demur, Constable must be instantly
tried; giving half to the Longmans, and
we drawing on them for that moiety, or
Constable lodging their bill in
our hands. You will understand it is a four volume touch—a work totally
different in style and structure from the others; a new cast, in short, of the
net which has hitherto made miraculous draughts. I do not limit you to terms,
because I think you will make them better than I can do. But he must do more
than others, since
* James
Ballantyne’s dwelling-house was in this street,
adjoining the Canongate of Edinburgh. |
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| 20 | LIFE OF SIR WALTER SCOTT. | |
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he will not or cannot print with us. For every point but
that, I would rather deal with Constable than any one; he
has always shown himself spirited, judicious, and liberal. Blackwood must be brought to the point instantly; and whenever he
demurs, Constable must be treated with, for there is no
use in suffering the thing to be blown on. At the same time, you need not
conceal from him that there were some proposals elsewhere, but you may add,
with truth, I would rather close with him. Yours truly,
W. S.
“P.S.—I think Constable should jump at this affair; for I believe the
work will be very popular.”
James Ballantyne (1772-1833)
Edinburgh printer in partnership with his younger brother John; the company failed in the
financial collapse of 1826.
John Ballantyne (1774-1821)
Edinburgh publisher and literary agent for Walter Scott; he was the younger brother of
the printer James Ballantyne.
William Blackwood (1776-1834)
Edinburgh bookseller; he began business 1804 and for a time was John Murray's Scottish
agent. He launched
Blackwood's Magazine in 1817.
Archibald Constable (1774-1827)
Edinburgh bookseller who published the
Edinburgh Review and works
of Sir Walter Scott; he went bankrupt in 1826.
Thomas Norton Longman (1771-1842)
A leading London publisher whose authors included Southey, Wordsworth, Scott, and
Moore.
John Murray II (1778-1843)
The second John Murray began the
Quarterly Review in 1809 and
published works by Scott, Byron, Austen, Crabbe, and other literary notables.
