I received two days ago a letter from Mr. Gifford highly approving of the
particulars of the plan which I had sketched for the Review. But there are two
points to be considered. In the first place, I cannot be in town as I proposed,
for the Commissioners under the Judicial Bill, to whom I am to act as clerk,
have resolved that their final sittings shall be held here, so that I have now no chance of being in London before spring.
This is very unlucky, as Mr. Gifford proposes to wait for
my arrival in town to set the great machine a-going. I shall write to him that
this is impossible, and that I wish he would, with your assistance and that of
his other friends, make up a list of the works which the first number is to
contain, and consider what is the extent of the aid he will require from the
North. The other circumstance is, that Mr. Gifford pleads
the state of his health and his retired habits as sequestrating him from the
world, and rendering him less capable of active exertion, and in the kindest
and most polite manner he expresses his hope that he should receive very
extensive assistance and support from me, without which he is pleased to say he
would utterly despair of success. Now between ourselves (for this is strictly
confidential) I am rather alarmed at this prospect. I am willing, and anxiously
so, to do all in my power to serve the work; but, my dear sir, you know how
many of our
| 114 | MEMOIRS OF JOHN MURRAY |
These considerations cannot, however, operate upon the first number, so pray send me a list of books, and perhaps you may send some on a venture. You know the department I had in the Edinburgh Review. I will sound Southey, agreeable to Mr. Gifford’s wishes, on the Spanish affairs. The last number of the Edinburgh Review has given disgust beyond measure, owing to the tone of the article on Cevallos’ exposé. Subscribers are falling off like withered leaves.
I retired my name among others, after explaining the reasons both to Mr. Jeffrey and Mr. Constable, so that there never was such an opening for a new Review. I shall be glad to hear what you think on the subject ot terms, for my Northern troops will not move without pay; but there is no hurry about fixing this point, as most of the writers in the first number will be more or less indifferent on the subject. For my own share, I care not what the conditions are, unless the labour expected from me is to occupy a considerable portion of time, in which case they might become an object. While we are on this subject, I may as well mention that as you incur so large an outlay in the case of the Novels, I would not only be happy that my remuneration should depend on the profits of the work, but I also think I could command a few hundreds to assist in carrying it on.
By the way, I see ‘Notes on Don
Quixote’ advertised. This was a plan I had for enriching our
collection, having
| SCOTT AND THE ‘EDINBURGH REVIEW.’ | 115 |
I think our friend Ballantyne is grown an inch taller on the subjects of the ‘Romances.’
Gifford is much pleased with you personally.
