A Publisher and His Friends

Publisher and His Friends, A

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Title: A Publisher and His Friends Memoir and Correspondence of
John Murray; With an Account of the Origin and Progress of the House,
1768-1843
Author: Samuel Smiles
Release Date: January 31, 2004 [EBook #10884]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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PUBLISHER AND HIS FRIENDS ***

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A PUBLISHER AND HIS FRIENDS
MEMOIR AND CORRESPONDENCE OF JOHN MURRAY
WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE
HOUSE, 1768-1843

BY THE LATE SAMUEL SMILES, LL.D.
CONDENSED AND EDITED BY THOMAS MACKAY
WITH PORTRAITS

1911

PREFACE
When my Grandfather's Memoirs were published, twenty years ago,
they met with a most favourable and gratifying reception at the hands
of the public. Interest was aroused by the struggle and success of a man
who had few advantages at the outset save his own shrewd sense and
generous nature, and who, moreover, was thrown on his own resources
to fight the battle of life when he was little more than a child.
The chief value of these volumes, however, consists in the fact that
they supply an important, if not an indispensable, chapter in the literary
history of England during the first half of the nineteenth century. Byron
and Scott, Lockhart, Croker, George Borrow, Hallam, Canning, Gifford,
Disraeli, Southey, Milman are but a few of the names occurring in
these pages, the whole list of which it would be tedious to enumerate.
It may be admitted that a pious desire to do justice to the memory of
John Murray the Second--"the Anax of Publishers," as Byron called
him--led to the inclusion in the original volumes of some material of
minor importance which may now well be dispensed with.
I find, however, that the work is still so often quoted and referred to
that I have asked my friend Mr. Thomas Mackay to prepare a new
edition for the press. I am convinced that the way in which he has
discharged his task will commend itself to the reading public. He has
condensed the whole, has corrected errors, and has rewritten certain
passages in a more concise form.

I desire to acknowledge my debt to him for what he has done, and to
express a hope that the public may extend a fresh welcome to "an old
friend with a new face."
JOHN MURRAY.
December, 1910.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I
JOHN MACMURRAY OR MURRAY
The first John Murray--An Officer of Marines--Retires from Active
Service--His marriage--Correspondence with William
Falconer--Falconer's death--Murray purchases Sandby's business--John
Murray's first publications--His writings--Mr. Kerr--Thomas Cumming
goes to Ireland on behalf of Murray--Prof. J. Millar--Mr.
Whitaker--Defence of Sir R. Gordon--Ross estate--His controversy
with Mr. Mason--The Edinburgh booksellers--Creech and Elliot--Dr.
Cullen--The second John Murray--His education--Accident to his
eye--Illness and death of the elder John Murray

CHAPTER II
JOHN MURRAY (II.)--BEGINNING OF HIS PUBLISHING
CAREER--ISAAC D'ISRAELI, ETC.
John Murray the Second--"The Anax of Publishers"--His start in
business--Murray and Highley--Dissolution of the
partnership--Colman's "John Bull"--Mr. Joseph Hume--Archibald
Constable--John Murray a Volunteer--The D'Israeli family--Isaac

D'Israeli's early works--"Flim-Flams"--Birth of Benjamin
D'Israeli--Projected periodical the "Institute"--The
"Miniature"--Murray's acquaintance with Canning and Frere

CHAPTER III
MURRAY AND CONSTABLE--HUNTER AND THE
FORFARSHIRE LAIRDS--MARRIAGE OF JOHN MURRAY
Archibald Constable & Co.--Alexander Gibson Hunter--The
_Edinburgh Review_--Murray's early associations with
Constable--Dispute between Longman and Constable--Murray
appointed London Agent--He urges reconciliation between Constable
and Longman--Mr. Murray visits Edinburgh--Engaged to Miss
Elliot--Goes into Forfarshire--Rude Hospitality--Murray's
marriage--The D'Israelis

CHAPTER IV
"MARMION"--CONSTABLES AND BALLANTYNES--THE
"EDINBURGH REVIEW"
Murray's business prospects--Acquires a share of "Marmion"--Becomes
London publisher of the _Edinburgh Review_--Acquaintance with
Walter Scott--Constable's money transactions--Murray's
remonstrance--He separates from Constable--The Ballantynes--Scott
joins their printing business--Literary themes

CHAPTER V
ORIGIN OF THE "QUARTERLY REVIEW"

Canning's early schemes for a Penny Newspaper--The
_Anti-Jacobin_--The _Edinburgh Review_--John Murray's letter to Mr.
Canning--Walter Scott's assistance--Southey's letter to Scott--Review
of "Marmion" in the _Edinburgh_--Murray's conditions--Meeting with
James Ballantyne at Ferrybridge--Visit to Scott at Ashestiel--Letters to
Scott--Scott's letters to Murray, Ellis, and Gifford on the
_Quarterly_--Arrangements for the first number--Articles by
Scott--James Mill--Mrs. Inchbald--Dr. Thomas Young

CHAPTER VI
THE "QUARTERLY" LAUNCHED
Meeting of Murray and Ballantyne at Boroughbridge--Walter Scott's
interest in the new _Review_--Publication of the first number of the
Quarterly --Scott's proposed "Secret History of the Court of James
I."--Portcullis copies--"Old English Froissart"--Opinions of the
_Quarterly_--Scott's energy and encouragement--Murray's
correspondence with Mr. Stratford Canning--Murray's energy--Leigh
Hunt--James Mill--Gifford's unpunctuality--Appearance of the second
number--Mr. Canning's contributions--Appearance of No. 3--Letters
from Mr.