Memoir of John Murray
John Murray to James Ballantyne, 5 December 1812
December 5th, 1812.
Gentlemen,
It is not very generous to make me take up a bill for which I
have so recently remitted you the means—at a time, too, when you know
that my recent purchase * must have swallowed up all my resources. I shall,
however,
* He had purchased the stock of Mr. Miller, of Albemarle Street, in
May 1812. |
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| 196 | MEMOIRS OF JOHN MURRAY | |
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take up the bill; and in order to make matters still more
comfortable to you (as you say you will not be in cash till after Christmas), I
herewith return you your bills due this month and in January, and I have drawn
for them, adding the £150 (your blank acceptance which I also enclose),
with interest at two and three months—which bills you will make payable
in Edinburgh and thus close the transaction. There is a balance of our old
account due to me by your own statement, which you can deduct from the
‘Voyages Imaginaires;’ and there is the freight also of Black’s ‘Life of Tasso,’ which I paid, to be
deducted also. I am sorry to say that I am under the necessity of resigning my
twelfth share in the ‘Edinburgh
Annual Register;’ for after making every effort to serve the
book, I can be of no further use; and therefore you will not consider me as
having any concern with the future publication of that work. I will thank you
to give me a list of any books which you can send me to balance the exchange of
the copies of the Register, for which I had received ‘Brewster’s Astronomy’ in
part.
I am, &c., yours,
J. M.
John Black (1777 c.-1825)
Scottish linguist, author of
The Falls of Clyde, or, the Fairies, a
Scotish dramatic Pastoral, in Five Acts (1806), and a
Life of
Torquato Tasso (1810).
William Richard Beckford Miller (1769-1844)
Albemarle-Street bookseller; he began publishing in 1790; shortly after he rejected
Byron's
Childe Harold in 1811 his stock and premises were purchased
by John Murray.
