Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

104 WILLIAM BLACKWOOD.
was absurd. They had neither spirit nor energy for
the position ; and soon, according to the tale, they
lost even the care and industry which might have
made it possible for the sober periodical to go on. So
early as the second number Mr Blackwood's patience
gave way, and his propensity to interfere, to take,
as he himself explained it, " an interest in the literary
part of his business," irritated the editors, who made
an attempt to keep the publisher " in his place," which
was not very successful. He whom even the spell of
' Waverley ' could not silence, was not likely to respect
the autocracy of a couple of incapable editors ; and
when the third number came out he could bear it
no longer. He gave notice accordingly, which was
strictly in order, by the terms of the agreement, that
with the sixth number the existing arrangements
must come to an end. He describes the situation in
the following letter to Messrs Baldwin, Cradock, &
Co., in London, who were among the number of his
agents there :
—
Edinburgh, 23d Jvly 1817.
I am sorry to inform you that I have been obliged to resolve
upon stopping the Magazine with No. 6. I have been much
disappointed in my editors, who have done little in the way
of writing or procuring contributions. Ever since the work
began I have had myself almost the whole burden of procuring
contributions, which by great exertions I got from my own
friends, while at the same time I had it not in my power to
pay for them, as by our agreement the editors were to furnish
me with the whole of the materials, for which and their editorial
labours they were to receive half of the profits of the work.
I found this would never do, and that the work would soon
sink, as I could not permit my friends (who have in fact made
the work what it is) to go on in this way for any length of
time. Besides the labour and anxiety it cost me, it has com-