William Godwin: his Friends and Contemporaries
Ch. XI. 1824-1832
Edward Bulwer Lytton to William Godwin, 1 April 1830
“My Dear Sir,—In an
article in the N. M.
Magazine, called the ‘Lounger,’ you will see the few
observations I have made on your book. My desire was, not to praise it,
so much as to tempt
others to read it. I should have
said much more, had I not heard there was to be a review by some other person
in the same number. I perceive that there is one. You will forgive the
frankness with which I have said I differ from you on some points, and you will
smile at the freedom with which the disciple of one
school talks of the ‘errors’ of the master
of another.
“I am happy to hear on all sides the praises and
increasing popularity of your book, ‘Cloudesley.’ Bentley told me it was selling surprisingly
well, and I hear in another quarter that the sale has already far surpassed
that of ‘Mandeville.’
“I trust you will find all this true, and with great
respect and increased admiration, believe me, my dear Sir, very sincerely
yours,
Richard Bentley (1794-1871)
London bookseller who in 1819 partnered with his brother Samuel (1785-1868) and in 1829
formed an unhappy partnership with Henry Colburn that was dissolved in 1832.
New Monthly Magazine. (1814-1884). Founded in reaction to the radically-inclined
Monthly Magazine,
the
New Monthly was managed under the proprietorship of Henry
Colburn from 1814 to 1845. It was edited by Thomas Campbell and Cyrus Redding from
1821-1830.