Chapter 4 PREFACE-3

I then went 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 constitution and habits of my mind. "My whole course of life," I observed, "has been desultory, and I am un?tted for any periodically recurring task, or any stipulated labor of body or mind. I have no command of my talents, such as they are, and have to watch the varyings of my mind as I would those of a weathercock. Practice and training may bring me more into rule; but at present I am as useless for regular service as one of my own country Indians or a Don Cossack.

"I must, therefore, keep on pretty much as I have begun; writing when I can, not when I would. I shall occasionally shift my residence and 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 no better way of answering your proposal than by showing what a very good-for-nothing kind of being I am. Should Mr. Constable feel inclined to make a bargain for the wares I have on hand , he will encourage me to further enterprise; and it will be something like trading with a gypsy for the fruits of his prowlings, who may at one time have nothing but a wooden bowl to offer, and at another time a silver tankard."

In reply, Scott expressed regret, but not surprise, at my declining what might have proved a troublesome duty. He then recurred to the original subject of our correspondence; entered into a detail of the various terms upon which arrangements were made between authors and booksell , that I might take my choice; expressing the most encouraging con?dence of the success of my work, and of previous works which I had produced in America. "I did no more," added he, "than open the trenches with Constable 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 consequence in the ?rst place to see me, I shall be in London in the course of a month, and whatever my experience can command is most heartily at your command. But I can add a little to what I have said above, except my earnest recommendation to Constable to enter into the negotiation."*

* I cannot 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 characteristic to be emitted. Some time previously I had sent Miss Sophia Scott small duodecimos American edition of her fathers poems published in Edinburgh in quarto volumes; showing the "nigromancy" of the American press, by which a quart of wine is conjured 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 American volumes. I am not quite sure I can add my own, since you have made her acquainted with much more of papas folly than she would ever otherwise have learned; 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 indenting the pavement with a sword like a scythe--in other words, he has b ecome a whiskered hussar in the 18th Dragoons."

Before the receipt of this most obliging letter, however, I had determined to look to no leading bookseller for a launch, but to throw my work before the public at my own risk, and let it sink or swim according to its merits. I wrote to that effect to Scott, and soon received a reply: "I observe with pleasure that you are going to come forth in Britain. It is certainly not the very best way to publish on ones own accompt; for the booksellers set their face against the circulation of such works as do not pay an amazing toll to But they have lost the art of altogether damming up the road in such cases between the author and the public, which they were once able to do as effectively as Diabolus in John Bunyans Holy War closed up the windows of my Lord Understandings mansion. I am sure of one thing, 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 number: the author is a friend of mine, to whom I have introduced you in your literary capacity. His name is Lockhart, a young man of very considerable talent, and who will soon be intimately connected with my family. My faithful friend Knickerbocker is to be next examined and illustrated. Constable was extremely willing to enter into consideration 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 soon be the 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 was put to press in London, as I had resolved, at my own risk, by a bookseller unknown to fame, and without any of 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 in the Literary Gazette, and by the kind word spoken by the editor of that periodic, 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 sticking in the mire, and, more propitious than Hercules, he put his own shoulder to the wheel. Through his favorable representations, Murray was quickly induced to undertake the future publication of the work which he had previously declined. A further edition of the ?rst volume was struck off and the second volume was put to press, and from that time Murray became my publisher, conducting himself in all his dealings with that fair , open, and liberal spirit which had obtained for him the well-merited appeal of the Prince of Booksellers.

Thus, under the 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 golden-hearted man in acknowledging my obligations to him. But who of his literary contemporaries ever applied to him for aid or counsel that did not experience the most prompt, generous, and effective assistance? WI SUNNYSIDE, 1848.