Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

MURRAY AND SCOTT. 77
It is characteristic of Blackwood's modesty and
self-restraint that these are the only direct congrat-
ulations we find on his part. Mr Murray wrote in
a much more efiusive tone to Scott, and his letter
has found a place both in Lockhart's ' Life ' and
in the ' Book of Murray.' It is—besides being, no
doubt, a very genuine expression of his own delight
and triumph—a clever attempt to "draw" the author,
who, however, was too old a bird to be beguiled. The
London publisher begins by thanking Mr Scott— " although
I dare not address you as the author of
certain Tales (which, however, must be written either
by Walter Scott or the devil ") for at least his influ-
ence with the author, to which " I am indebted for
the essential honour of being one of their publishers " ;
and offers him " most hearty thanks—not divided,
but doubled—alike for my worldly gain therein, and
for the great acquisition of professional reputation
which their publication has already procured me " :
J. Murray to Walter Scott.
As to delight, I believe I could, under any oath that could
be proposed, swear that I never had experienced such great
and unmixed pleasure in my life as the reading of this exquisite
work has afforded me ; and if you witnessed the wet
eyes and quivering cheeks with which, as the author's chamberlain,
I receive the unanimous and vehement praise of them
from every one who has read them, or heard the curses of
those whose needs my scanty supply would not satisfy, you
might judge of the sincerity with which I now entreat you
to assure the author of the most complete success. After this
I could throw all the other books I have in the press into the
Thames, for no one will either read them or buy. Lord Holland
said, when I asked his opinion, " Opinion ! we did not one of us
go to bed all night, and nothing slept but my gout."