Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

380 WILLIAM BLACKWOOD.
having aimed at Mr Scott according to all. Mr Scott received
a ball in the lower part of his body, which remained there for
some days and kept him in a dangerous state."
Now this is one of the fairest accounts that has been pub-
lished, and as the Cockney has shown so much forbearance in
alluding to the Magazine, surely we owe him something in
return. I understand, too, that the article in Egan's book was
not written by him but by Hazlitt.
I am quite vexed at the idea of such a capital article not
being used, and more particularly just now when we stand so
much in need of something spirited and humorous. Perhaps,
however, you will be able to alter or adapt it in some other way
that it would answer better.
I need not say how very anxious I am that you may have
leisure to send me something or other for next month. It is a
most critical period of the magazine just now, and I am leaving
no stone unturned in order to have our next and some following
numbers strong and powerful.
The confidential terms upon which the pubhsher
had by this time got with his still unknown con-
tributor is proved by the very amusing letter I here
quote :
—
W. Blackwood to Balph Tuckett Scott.
Edin., 19th June 1821.
As to your blarney of my being able to do this (i.e., write
article for ' Maga ' on John Bull's letter to Lord Byron) myself, it
is really too much for me to swallow. I am vain enough of
having suggested from time to time to my friends subject-matter
for prime articles, but truly as to anything else I have no pre-
tensions to it. Your idea as to how the thing should be done
is admirable, and I wish to God you had time to fill up your
sketch. I do most cordially agree with you that / deserve
quizzing for refusing to sell 'Don Juan,' and should not be
spared in the article. The only apology I have to offer to you
is this, that it proceeded partly from pique and partly from
principle. When the book was published by Murray, I was
just on the point of breaking with him. I had not had a letter