Possum etiam pergere sed non est operæ in istis diem terere, et sit mihi tempus aggredi ad cætera.Jam ergo lector optime scito te non fabulam legere et a socco ad cothurnum ascendere.CHAPTER XLI.
Possum etiam pergere sed non est operæ in istis diem terere, et sit mihi tempus aggredi ad cætera.
Jam ergo lector optime scito te non fabulam legere et a socco ad cothurnum ascendere.
Surely, exclaims our Sexagenarian, in continuance of his scraps upon the subject, I shall find in the Metropolis, booksellers of a different calibre, men of enlarged minds, liberal ideas, and ample property, who, even for their own sakes, will be glad to promote literary industry, and encourage literary talent. To the metropolis he came, and almost the first person to whom he was introduced was a Dry Bookseller.
He was an extensive publisher on all subjects, and of all parties, from the most subtle and profound speculations on mathematics and philosophy, to the humble translation from a French romance.
His own principles were immutable, nor did he take any pains to conceal them. He was of the old Presbyterian school, and had imbibed itssourest manners. Yet he was far from wanting benevolence, though he generally wore a sort of Sardonic grin on his countenance; he often shewed kindness to needy authors, was not over hard in his bargains with them, and, what is matter of no trifling importance, would often give them a dinner.
His feelings on the subject of religion, and his political opinions, may as well be let alone. His principal fault, as far as authors were concerned, was a sort of reluctance to come to a final settlement, which on some occasions, of which our friend met with one example, was deferred to the Greek Calends.
Three different works were published by the S. in conjunction with this personage. The two first were of no particular interest. They were proposed on the one part from theres angusta domi, and acceded to on the other, because, from their subjects, they offered a reasonable probability of being, in some degree, successful.
This publisher had a peculiar way of expressing his decided and peremptory rejection of any work proposed to him, and this was by one of those Sardonic grins above-mentioned, which was succeeded by a sort of sneering laugh. It was not necessary, indeed it would have been perfectly useless, to have urged the matter further. He would hardly condescend to assign motives; this was the sign of hiscondemnation. He was an honest man; there was a consistency in his principles and conduct which claimed respect. In adherence to these he was exposed to losses, great personal sacrifices, and personal sufferings. But on this subject enough has been said. Let us turn now to theFinical Bookseller.
Finical he certainly was and very finical too, but he had many good points about him, and independent of the peculiar interests of his profession, had a taste for literature, and a friendly disposition towards literary men. Unluckily he hada bit of bloodin him, and the consciousness of this rare distinction elevated him somewhat abovethe trade, among whom, however, he possessed a considerable influence and ascendency. Our friend formed a connection with him, of no mean importance, nor does he appear to have had any just cause of complaint, either with respect to his sagacity or liberality. On the occasion of their first introduction to each other, our bookseller appears to have given demonstrative testimony of both the above qualities. The undertaking proposed to his consideration, was one of no very limited extent, requiring, on the part of the author, continued labour and perseverance, and promising the publisher a tardy sale, remote advantages, and requiring, moreover, the immediate advance of no small sum of money.
In behalf of the publisher’s liberality it may be more immediately and forcibly urged, that the author was at that time an obscure, unpatronized, young man, who had given no remarkable testimony of more than common learning, and ordinary abilities. Nevertheless a mutual confidence was inspired, and the work proceeded to its successful conclusion. Till this conclusion there was no interruption of that harmony and friendship, with which the undertaking was commenced; but on this occasion the poor author, for the first time, experienced that thoughselfmight be a very honest fellow, ready to fulfil his engagements to the very letter, “partner and self” made a prodigious alteration in the matter, and threatened the compact with premature dissolution.
This same partner had not been regularly bred to the business, and indeed knew but little of the matter, but he had the money; and though he expressed the most complacent satisfaction with the undertaking itself, and great confidence in its successful execution, when he found that it must of necessity be extended beyond the limits originally proposed, he took, or pretended to take alarm, and to understand that the sum first agreed upon, was to cover all damages; in other words, that the poor author was to receive no compensation for his extra labour on two additional volumes. The matter was, however, compromised, and the parties broughttheiropus magnumto a desirable termination.
Let it not by any means be understood, that by the epithet Finical, as here applied, any disrespect is intended, or unkind feeling indulged, with respect to the individual thus imperfectly delineated. His coxcombry was of a very harmless kind, and consisted principally in his adroit and whimsical exercise of his snuff-box. It was observed on particular occasions, in his fondness of conversing about his family, and above all, in his assumed consequential importance and gestures, when any thing very rare and choice passed through his hand, which indeed was often the case.
Come we now to theopulentBookseller.—Our friend’s connection with this personage was but slight, and rather amounting to a skirmish about terms, than to any serious engagement. The house of which this bookseller was the head, had been singularly fortunate in their purchases of copy-right, and there were certain books of which they were the sole proprietors, and of which a large impression was annually called for, and which thus entailed a perpetual and hereditary opulence upon the establishment.
Among the authors, of whose works they were the publishers, were numbers of the Great, and Rich, and Powerful, from many of whom they had obtained the reputation of being very liberal.But let it be remembered, that the sum which appears considerable, when paid as a remuneration to Noble or Episcopal gentlemen, who write for amusement only, becomes relatively small, when apportioned to an author by profession, whose comforts and conveniences of life are obtained principally by the labour of his brains.
With this latter description of writers, this opulent personage had a great deal more to do, and with such he invariably attempted to drive a hard bargain. Our friend once, it appears, was about to enter into an engagement with him, of no inconsiderable magnitude: great labour and perseverance were required on one part, with the employment of three years at least, whilst a scanty and parsimonious remuneration was held out by the other. However, as the intellectual powers were then in full vigour, the ardour of literary ambition progressively increasing, and what perhaps had no small weight, a number of little people incessantly crying out for “Crowdy,” the terms, though hard, were acceded to. A professional gentleman was employed to draw up the agreement, and a time was fixed for the signatures of the different parties. But when the agreement was produced, the reader may guess the Sexagenarian’s astonishment, at perceiving a clause of which no warning had been given, purporting, that if any otherpublication, or rather translation, of the same work, should appear before the final completion and printing of the present, then the agreement was to be null and void.
A most notable example of liberality truly! A poor author was to beat his brains, confine himself to one arduous labour for two years or more, and then if a similar work, no matter whence or where, should steal from its retirement on the eve of the publication of that in question, there was to be no compensation, acknowledgment, or reward, for so much time irretrievably lost. It cannot be a matter of wonder, that the poor author left the worshipful bookseller in disgust, (for worshipful he afterwards became) and never afterwards sought a renewal of his acquaintance.
It may perhaps in some degree satisfy the reader’s curiosity, to be informed, that what was thus prudently guarded against by this cautious man of wealth, actually took place. In the course of the two years which immediately succeeded, a precisely similar work had silently advanced to its accomplishment, and was suddenly and unexpectedly announced. Whether this would have superseded the necessity of the other, or have claimed a larger share of public approbation, is a matter which cannot be determined.