might render him a very useful recruit. He thus communicates his views to Thomas Scott, on the 19th November, and, as might be expected, the communication is fuller and franker than any other on the subject: — "To Thomas Scott, Esq., Douglas, Isle of Man. "Dear Tom, "Owing to certain pressing business, I have not yet had time to complete my collection of Shadwell* for you, though it is now nearly ready. — I wish you to have all the originals to collate with the edition in 8vo. But I have a more pressing employment for your pen, and to which I think it particularly suited. You are to be informed, but under the seal of the strictest secrecy, that a plot has been long hatching by the gentlemen who were active in the Anti-jacobin paper, to countermine the Edinburgh Review, by establishing one which should display similar talent and independence, with a better strain of politics. The management of this work * Mr T. Scott had meditated an edition of Shadwell's plays,which, by the way, his brother considered as by no means meriting the utter neglect into which they have fallen, chiefly in consequence of Dryden's satire. * was much pressed upon me; but though great prospects of emolument were held out, I declined so arduous a task, and it has devolved upon Mr Gifford, author of the Baviad, with whose wit and learning you are well acquainted. He made it a stipulation, however, that I should give all the assistance in my power, especially at the commencement; to which I am, for many reasons, nothing loth. Now, as I know no one who possesses more power of humour or perception of the ridiculous than yourself, I think your leisure hours might be most pleasantly passed in this way. Novels, light poetry, and quizzical books of all kinds, might be sent you by the packet; you glide back your reviews in the same way, and touch, upon the publication of the number (quarterly), ten guineas per printed sheet of sixteen pages. If you are shy of communicating directly with Gifford, you may, for some time at least, send your communications through me, and I will revise them. We want the matter to be a profound secret till the first number is out. If you agree to try your skill I will send you a novel or two. You must understand, as Gadshill tells the Chamberlain, that you are to be leagued with Trojans that thou dreamest not of, the which for sport *This circumstance was not revealed to Mr Murray. I presume, therefore, the invitation to Scott must have proceeded from Mr Canning. sake are content to do the profession some grace;' and thus far I assure you, that if by paying attention to your style and subject you can distinguish yourself creditably, it may prove a means of finding you powerful friends were anything opening in your island. Constable, or rather that Bear his partner, has behaved to me of late not very civilly, and I owe Jeffrey a flap with a fox-tail on account of his review of Marmion, and thus doth the whirligig of time bring about my revenges.'t The late articles on Spain have given general disgust, and many have given up the Edinburgh Review on account of them. 66 My mother holds out very well, and talks of writing by this packet. Her cask of herrings, as well as ours, red and white, have arrived safe, and prove most excellent. We have been both dining and supping upon them with great gusto, and are much obliged by your kindness in remembering us. Yours affectionately, W. S." I suspect, notwithstanding the opinion to the contrary expressed in the following extract, that the preparations for the new journal did not long escape the notice of either the editor or the publishers of the Edinburgh Review. On receiving the celebrated * 1st K. Henry IV. Act II. Scene 1. * Declaration of Westminster on the subject of the Spanish war, which bears date the 15th December 1808, Scott says to Ellis- "I cannot help writing a few lines to congratulate you on the royal declaration. I suspect by this time the author is at Claremont, for, if I mistake not egregiously, this spirited composition, as we say in Scotland, fathers itself in the manliness of its style. It has appeared, too, at a most fortunate time, when neither friend nor foe can impute it to temporary motives. Tell Mr Canning that the old women of Scotland will defend the country with their distaffs, rather than that troops enough be not sent to make good so noble a pledge. Were the thousands that have moulderea away in petty conquests or Liliputian expeditions united to those we now have in that country, what a band would Moore have under him! . . . . . Jeffrey has offered terms of pacification, engaging that no party politics should again appear in his Review. I told him I thought it was now too late, and reminded him that I had often pointed out to him the consequences of letting his work become a party tool. He said he did not care for the consequences-there * Scott's friend had mentioned that his cousin (now Lord Seaford) expected a visit from Mr Canning, at Claremont, in Surrey; which beautiful seat continued in the possession of the Ellis family, until it was purchased by the crown, on the marriage of the Princess Charlotte of Wales, in 1816. were but four men he feared as opponents.' 'Who All were these?'' Yourself for one.'-' Certainly you pay me a great compliment; depend upon it I will endeavour to deserve it.' 6 Why, you would not join against me?'' Yes I would, if I saw a proper opportunity: not against you personally, but against your politics. You are privileged to be violent.' -'I don't ask any privilege for undue violence. But who are your other foemen?'-' George Ellis and Southey.' The fourth he did not name. this was in great good-humour; and next day I had a very affecting note from him, in answer to an invitation to dinner. He has no suspicion of the Review whatever; but I thought I could not handsomely suffer him to infer that I would be influenced by those private feelings respecting him, which, on more than one occasion, he has laid aside when I was personally concerned." As to Messrs Constable and Co., it is not to be supposed that the rumours of the rival journal would tend to soothe those disagreeable feelings between them and Scott, of which I can trace the existence several months beyond the date of Mr Murray's arrival at Ashestiel. Something seems to have occurred before the end of 1808 which induced Scott to suspect, that among other sources of uneasiness had been a repentant grudge in the minds of those booksellers as to their bargain about the new edition |