Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

PLAN OF UNWRITTEN CONTRIBUTIONS. 415
relative proportion, and this again only as a subject of appre-
hension for the future rather than of complaint for the past.
For Blackwood and Sir Walter's novels have been my comforters
in many a sleepless night when I should but for them
have been comfortless. I assure you that were I a man in
easy circumstances I should need no pecuniary motive to be a
frequent contributor, and the liberal terms you offered me
might well be thought to supply that motive, my circumstances
being what, alas ! they are. But the fact is that, from what-
ever cause, -it is out of my power to write anything for the
press, except with the full effort of my mind, or to send off
anything that is not the lest I can make it. The consequence
is that I compose and write three pages for every one that
goes to the Printer, so that I could very well afford to give the
Publisher all that I send, if he would pay me for all that,
though written with the same care and effort, I keep behind.
But before I proceed, let me ask you one question occasioned
by the L'envoy of your last number respecting the plethora of
' Maga.' Are your existing stores so abundant as to supersede
the wish for any contributions at present ? Do not, I entreat
you, my dear sir, imagine that I shall be wounded by your
frankly telling me so, if so it be.
I speak now therefore only on the supposition that a certain
number of articles with my name would be, if not serviceable,
at least acceptable. I have at present—first : and this I dare
avow that I should send in confident anticipation of its receiv-
ing the admirable Christopher's suffrage as original, amusing,
and suited to the spirit of the Magazine—a critique expository
and vindicatory of Francis Eabelais' great work. 2. Ditto on
the Don Quixote. The first is divided into three chapters,
each of which, so far as I can calculate, will supply about
a third of one of your sheets. 3. An article entitled, A
Sequel to the Catholic Bill and the Free Trade measure, or
What is to be done now ? 4. A Lyrical Tale, 250 lines. 5.
Three or four other poems, altogether about the same number
of lines. If I did not think them creditable to me, or if my
Friends thought otherwise, I would not offer them to you.
Here we come to an abrupt conclusion, and whether