Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

408 WILLIAM BLACKWOOD.
the clouds. The letter, which belongs to the spring of
1819, is without date, except that of " Highgate" :
S. T. Coleridge to W. Blackvjood.
Business which I could neither foresee nor evade deprived
me both of the time and the disengaged mind which I had in
intention appropriated to your service. It was, however, of
such a kind as I must have discharged one time or other, and
" all clear behind " is a good signal to march onward upon. On
the receipt of your letter, and of the Magazine (for which accept
my thanks), I waited on Mr Davies, the having been introduced
to whom I regard as an obligation, I do indeed feel myself
much obliged to you for having made me acquainted with a
man of such genuine worth, and so much unostentatious good
sense. Besides, I am always glad to have any one of my pre-
judices counteracted or overset, for I look upon them as so
many puny heresies, and every dislike I am converted from, the
better Catholic I am : and I honestly confess that my experi-
ence has tinged my opinions concerning the Trade with a rather
sombre dye. God forbid that I should at any time or under
any provocations have been guilty of so unchristian a thought,
as to doubt that a Bookseller might be a truly good and honourable
man ; but still I am ashamed to say my belief was more
strong in the Posse than the Esse thereof. Perhaps your experi-
ence of authors has been tit-for-tat with mine of your Brother-
hood, and I trust we may both proceed as we have begun in
making converts of each other in relation to our two selves at
least. So leaving this half-earn est chit-chat, I come to the busi-
ness of this letter. I informed you, my dear sir, that as to scissors
and scraps, I have none in the first place, and secondly, they
would neither answer my purpose nor yours in the present state
of things. If I enter into any connection with your Magazine, it
must be such a one as will justify me in devoting two-thirds
of my time and—to one at least of my monthly communica-
tions—the utmost of my powers in my most genial moods.
The scheme upon which a Magazine should be conducted
(and if so conducted would, I am convinced, outrun all rivalry)
shall be communicated first to Messrs Cadell & Davies, and
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