PREFACE-3
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I the on to explain that I found myself peculiarly un?tted for the situation offered to me, not merely by my political opinions, but by the very stitution and habits of my mind. "My whole course of life," I observed, "has been<q></q> desultory, and I am un?tted for any periodically recurring task, or any stipulated labor of body or mind. I have no and of my talents, such as they are, and have to watch the varyings of my mind as I would those of a weathercock. Practid training may bring me more into rule; but at present I am as useless fular service as one of my own try Indians or a Don Cossack."I must, therefore, keep oy much as I have begun; writing when I , not when I would. I shall occasionally shift my residend write whatever is suggested by objects before me, or whatever rises in my imagination; and hope to write better and more copiously by and by.
I am playing the egotist, but I know er way of answering your proposal than by showing what a very good-for-nothing kind of being I am. Should Mr. stable feel ined to make a bargain for the wares I have on hand, he will ence me to further enterprise; and it will be something like trading with a gypsy for the fruits of his prowlings, who may at oime have nothing but a wooden bowl to offer, and at aime a silver tankard."
In reply, Scott expressed regret, but not surprise, at my deing what might have proved a troublesome duty. He then recurred to the inal subject of our correspondence; entered into a detail of the various terms upon which arras were made between authors and booksellers, that I might take my choice; expressing the most encing ?dence of the success of my work, and of previous works which I had produced in America. "I did no more," added he, "thahe trenches with stable; but I am sure if you will take the trouble to write to him, you will ?nd him disposed to treat your overtures with every degree of attention. Or, if you think it of sequen the ?rst place to see me, I shall be in London in the course of a month, and whatever my experience and is most heartily at your and. But I add little to what I have said above, except my ear reendation to stable to enter into the iation."*
* I ot avoid subjoining in a note a succeeding paragraph of Scotts letter, which, though it does not relate to the main subject of our correspondence, was too characteristiark>.</mark>be emitted. Some time previously I had sent Miss Sophia Scott small duodeeri editions of her fathers poems published in Edinburgh in quarto volumes; showing the "nigromancy" of the Ameri press, by which a quart of wine is jured into a pint bottle. Scott observes: "In my hurry, I have not thanked you in Sophias name for the kind attention which furnished her with the Ameri volumes. I am not quite sure I add my own, since you have made her acquainted with much more of papas folly than she would ever otherwise have learned; for I had taken special care they should never see any of those things during their earlier years. I think I have told you that Walter is sweeping the ?rmament with a feather like a maypole and iing the pavement with a sword like a scythe--in other words, he has bee a whiskered hussar ih Dragoons."
Before the receipt of this most obligier, however, I had determio look to no leading bookseller for a launch, but to throw my work before the public at my own risk, a sink or swim acc to its merits. I wrote to that effect to Scott, and soon received a reply:
"I observe with pleasure that yoing to e forth in Britain. It is certainly not the very best way to publish on ones own apt; for the booksellers set their face against the circulation of such works as do not pay an amazing toll to themselves. But they have lost the art of altogether damming up the road in such cases betweehor and the public, which they were once able to do as effectually as Diabolus in John Bunyans Ho>９９lｉｂ?</a>ly War closed up the windows of my Lord Uandings mansion. I am sure of ohing, that you have only to be known to the British public to be admired by them, and I would not say so unless I really was of that opinion.
"If you ever see a witty but rather local publication called Blackwoods Edinburgh Magazine, you will ?nd some notice of your works in the last he author is a friend of mio whom I have introduced you in your literary capacity. His name is Lockhart, a young man of very siderable talent, and who will sooimately ected with my family. My faithful friend Knickerbocker is to be examined and illustrated. stable was extremely willing to enter into sideration of a treaty for your works, but I foresee will be still more so when
Your name is up, and may go
From Toledo to Madrid.
------And that will soohe case. I trust to be in London about the middle of the month, and promise myself great pleasure in once again shaking you by the hand."
The ?rst volume of the Sketch-Book ut to press in London, as I had resolved, at my own risk, by a bookseller unknown to fame, and without any o></a>f the usual arts by which a work is trumpeted into notice. Still some attention had been called to it by the extracts which had previously appeared ierary Gazette, and by the kind word spoken by the editor of that periodical, and it was getting into fair circulation, when my worthy bookseller failed before the ?rst month was over, and the sale was interrupted.
At this juncture Scott arrived in London. I called to him for help, as I was stig in the mire, and, more propitious than Hercules, he put his own shoulder to the wheel. Through his favorable representations, Murray was quickly io uake the future publication of the work which he had previously deed. A further edition of the ?rst volume was struck off and the sed volume ut to press, and from that time Murray became my publisher, dug himself in all his dealings with that fair, open, and liberal spirit which had obtained for him the well-merited appellation of the Prince of Booksellers.
Thus, uhe kind and cordial auspices of Sir Walter Scott, I began my literary career in Europe; and I feel that I am but discharging, in a tri?ing degree, my debt of gratitude to the memory of that goldeed man in aowledging my obligations to him. But who of his literary poraries ever applied to him for aid or sel that did not experiehe most prompt, generous, and effectual assistance?
W. I.
SUNNYSIDE, 1848.
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