Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

368 WILLIAM BLACKWOOD.
He had heard of the verses in your Cork papers, which it seems
have annoyed young Walter sadly. They are written by a
corporal in the troop, whose name is William Simpson, and the
initials being the same, the sin of these execrable verses is all
laid to poor Walter's door.
It was not for some time after that Maginn's name
was known, notwithstanding that he made himself
instantly remarkable as bringing Mr Blackwood
into a libel case while still he had scarcely settled
into his seat as one of the staff of the Magazine,
the article on Professor Leslie, referred to in the
letter nominally from Christopher North, and one
of the first of any importance contributed by him,
having plunged the Magazine once more into legal
difficulties.
None of the previous threats of this kind had, so
far as I am aware, ever been carried into court, ex-
cept that of Mr J. G. Dalyell ; and the culprits in
these cases were at all events well-knovni men, old
friends and powerful supporters. R. T. S. was at the
very outset of his career, and known to nobody ; but
he too sheltered behind the steady personality of the
publisher, without even a word of reproach from that
much-tried man. So early an alarm might well have
broken the newly formed bond, but there is nothing
but the warmest cordiality in Mr Blackwood's first
letter on the subject to the veiled prophet of
Cork :—
W. Blackwood to B. T. S.
Edinburgh, 22nd March 1820.
I look forward with pleasure to the happiness of seeing you
here, and I can only say that you will meet with friends
—