I got home last night shrivelled with the cold like an autumn
leaf, but sound in wind and limb. I have seen and talked over all our matters
with our friend (Scott), and had the happiness to find that his confidence in us
both is even increased by the coherence of our views in all particulars. . . .
During our conversation I impressed him as strongly as I could respecting the
importance of the first number of the Review, and found him as energetic and warm
as yourself could wish. He even said that such was his sense of the duty which
he had himself undertaken, that he wrote his articles with a degree of anxiety
and care, which he fears may rather have injured than aided their effect. He
complains much of the difficulty he found in getting those who had engaged to
write to fulfil their engagement; but seems to regard this as necessarily
attending every new plan. On the whole, he thinks your commencement is likely
to be auspicious, and your progress great. Whether there is any hope that he
may be in town in time to be useful to your
| 142 | MEMOIRS OF JOHN MURRAY |
