_Mr. Lockhart to John Murray_.
MY DEAR _SIR_,
Sir W. Scott has already agreed to furnish Dr. Lardner's "Cyclopaedia"
with one vol.--"History of Scotland"--for L1,000, and he is now at this
work. This is grievous, but you must not blame me, for he has acted in
the full knowledge of my connection with and anxiety about the Family
Library. I answered him, expressing my great regret and reminding him of
Peterborough. I suppose, as I never mentioned, nor well could, _money_,
that Dr. Lardner's matter appeared more a piece of business. Perhaps you
may think of something to be done. It is a great loss to us and gain to
them.
Yours truly,
J.G.L.
After the failure of Ballantyne and Constable, Cadell, who had in former
years been a partner in Constable's house, became Scott's publisher, and
at the close of 1827 the principal copyrights of Scott's works,
including the novels from "Waverley" to "Quentin Durward," and most of
the poems, were put up to auction, and purchased by Cadell and Scott
jointly for L8,500. At this time the "Tales of a Grandfather" were
appearing by instalments, and Murray wrote to the author, begging to be
allowed to become the London publisher of this work.
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