A Publisher and His Friends Memoir and Correspondence of John Murray; with an Account of the Origin and Progress of the House, 1768-1843

In considering the career of John Murray, the reader can hardly fail to be struck with the remarkable manner in which his personal qualities appeared to correspond with the circ...

Mr. Murray had for long been desirous of publishing a journal which should appear more frequently than once a quarter, more especially after the discontinuance of his interest i...

The publication of a Tory Review was not the result of a sudden inspiration. The scheme had long been pondered over. Mr. Canning had impressed upon Mr. Pitt the importance of se...

Me. Disraeli's earliest appearance as an author had been with the novel of "Vivian Grey," published after a brief visit to Germany while he was still in his eighteenth year. Two...

In November 1840 a tall athletic gentleman in black called upon Mr. Murray offering a MS. for perusal and publication. George Borrow had been a travelling missionary of the Bibl...

About the beginning of 1819 the question of publishing the letters and reminiscences of Lady Hervey, grandmother of the Earl of Mulgrave, was brought under the notice of Mr. Mur...

Lord Byron informed Mr. Murray, on October 12, 1817, that he had written "a poem in or after the excellent manner of Mr. Whistlecraft (whom I take to be Frere)"; and in a subseq...

On January 2, 1815, Lord Byron was married to Miss Milbanke, and during the honeymoon, while he was residing at Seaham, the residence of his father-in-law Sir Ralph Milbanke, he...

The account of Mr. Murray's dealings with Lord Byron has carried us considerably beyond the date at which we left the history of his general business transactions, and compels u...

Scott's "poor Irish friend Maturin," referred to in the previous chapter, was a young Irish clergyman, who was under the necessity of depending upon his brains and pen for the m...

While Mr. Gifford was marshalling his forces and preparing for the issue of the first number of the _Quarterly_, Mr. Murray was corresponding with James Ballantyne of Edinburgh...

No attempt has here been made to present a strictly chronological record of Mr. Murray's life; we have sought only so to group his correspondence as to lay before our readers th...

We must now revert to the beginning of 1812, at which time Mr. William Miller, who commenced business in Bond Street in 1791, and had in 1804 removed to 50, Albemarle Street, de...

The book trade between England and America was in its infancy at the, time of which we are now writing, and though Mr. Murray was frequently invited to publish American books, h...

I was much surprised to-day to learn from Lockhart by letter that some scruples were in circulation among some of the respectable among the supporters of the _Quarterly Review_...

The most important publishing firm with which Mr. Murray was connected at the outset of his career was that of Archibald Constable & Co., of Edinburgh. This connection had a con...

Owing to the intimate relations which were now established between Murray and Lockhart, the correspondence is full of references to Sir Walter Scott and to the last phases of hi...

The publishing house of Murray dates from the year 1768, in which year John MacMurray, a lieutenant of Marines, having retired from the service on half-pay, purchased the bookse...

In 1817 Mr. Murray published for Mr. Hallam his "View of the State of Europe during the Middle Ages." The acquaintance thus formed led to a close friendship, which lasted unbrok...

During Mrs. Murray's absence in Edinburgh, the dwelling-house at 50, Albemarle Street was made over to the carpenters, painters, and house decorators. "I hope," said Mr. Murray...

The public has long since made up its mind as to the merits of Colonel Napier's "History of the Peninsular War." It is a work which none but a soldier who had served through the...

The origin of Mr. Murray's connection with Lord Byron was as follows. Lord Byron had made Mr. Dallas [Footnote: Robert Charles Dallas (1754-1824). His sister married Captain Geo...

John Murray the Second--the "Anax of Publishers," according to Lord Byron--was born on November 27, 1778. He was his father's only surviving son by his second marriage, and bein...

During the year in which the _Quarterly_ was first given to the world, the alliance between Murray and the Ballantynes was close and intimate: their correspondence was not confi...

It had for some time been evident, as has been shown in a previous chapter, that Gifford was becoming physically incapable of carrying on the Editorship of the _Quarterly Review...

We have already seen that Mr. Murray had some correspondence with Thomas Campbell in 1806 respecting the establishment of a monthly magazine; such an undertaking had long been a...

In 1827 or 1828 Mr. Hanson, the late Lord Byron's solicitor, wrote to Murray, enquiring, on behalf of the executors, whether he would be willing to dispose of his interest in th...

Thomas Campbell appeared like a meteor as early as 1799, when, in his twenty-second year, he published his "Pleasures of Hope." The world was taken by surprise at the vigour of...

Scott was now beginning to suffer from the terrible mental and bodily strain to which he had subjected himself, and was shortly after seized with the illness to which reference...

In July 1838 Mr. W.E. Gladstone, then Tory member of Parliament for Newark-upon-Trent, wrote to Mr. Murray from 6 Carlton Gardens, informing him that he has written and thinks o...

A good understanding was now established between Mr. Murray and his editor, and the _Quarterly_ went on improving and gradually increased in circulation. Though regular in the i...

Mr. Murray was twenty-nine years old at the time of his marriage. That he was full of contentment as well as hope at this time may be inferred from his letter to Constable three...

Murray's desire to start a new periodical--Benjamin Disraeli--Projected morning paper--Benjamin Disraeli's early career and writings--Letters to Murray about "Aylmer Papillon"--...

South American speculation--Captain Head, R.E.--His rapid rides across the Pampas--His return home and publication of his work--Results of his mission--Mr. Disraeli and Mr. Powl...

Thomas Campbell--His early works--Acquaintance with Murray--"Selections from the British Poets"--Letters to Murray--Proposed Magazine--And Series of Ancient Classics--Close frie...

Lady Hervey's Letters--Mr. Croker's letter about the editing of them--Horace Walpole's Memoirs--Mr. Murray's correspondence with Lord Holland--The Suffolk papers, edited by Mr....

Murray's and Ballantyne's joint enterprises--Financial difficulties--Murray's remonstrances--Ballantyne's reckless speculations--And disregard of Murray's advice--Revival of Mur...

Napier's "History of the Peninsular War"--Origin of the work--Col. Napier's correspondence with Murray--Publication of Vol. I.--Controversy aroused by it--Murray ceases to publi...

Washington Irving--His early dealings with Murray--He comes to England--His description of a dinner at Murray's--"The Sketch Book"--Published in England by Miller--Afterwards un...

Murray purchases the remainder of Byron's Poems--Leigh Hunt's "Recollections"--Moore selected as the biographer of Byron--Collection of Letters and Papers--Lockhart and Scott's...

Lord Byron's marriage--Letters from Mr. Murray during the honeymoon--Mr. Fazakerly's interview with Bonaparte--Byron's pecuniary embarrassments--Murray's offers of assistance--"...

Murray's removal to Albemarle Street--Miller's unfriendly behaviour--Progress of the _Quarterly_--Miscellaneous publications --D'Israeli's "Calamities of Authors"--Letters from...

Murray's drawing-room in Albemarle Street--A literary centre--George Ticknor's account of it--Letter from Gifford--Death of his housekeeper Nancy--First meeting of Byron and Sco...

Meeting of Murray and Ballantyne at Boroughbridge--Walter Scott's interest in the new _Review_--Publication of the first number of the _Quarterly_ --Scott's proposed "Secret His...

Lord Byron's first acquaintance with Mr. Murray--Mr. Dallas's offer to Cawthorn and Miller--Murray's acceptance of "Childe Harold"--Byron's visits to Fleet Street--Murray's lett...

Works published by Murray and Blackwood jointly--Illness of Scott--Efforts to help the Ettrick Shepherd--Murray's offers of assistance--Scott reviews the "Wake"--Hogg's house at...

The first John Murray--An Officer of Marines--Retires from Active Service--His marriage--Correspondence with William Falconer--Falconer's death--Murray purchases Sandby's busine...

Charles Maturin--His early career--His early publications--And application to W. Scott--Performance of "Bertram" at Drury Lane--Published by Murray--"Manuel, a Tragedy"--Murray'...

Gifford's failing health--Difficulty of finding a successor--Barrow's assistance--Gifford's letter to Mr. Canning--Irregularity of the numbers--Southey's views as to the Editors...

Canning's early schemes for a Penny Newspaper--The _Anti-Jacobin_--The _Edinburgh Review_--John Murray's letter to Mr. Canning--Walter Scott's assistance--Southey's letter to Sc...

John Murray the Second--"The Anax of Publishers"--His start in business--Murray and Highley--Dissolution of the partnership--Colman's "John Bull"--Mr. Joseph Hume--Archibald Con...

The editorship of the _Quarterly_--Mr. Lockhart appointed--Letter from Sir W. Scott, giving his opinion of Lockhart's abilities and character--Letters from Mr. Lockhart--Mr. Cro...

Increasing friendship between Murray and Gifford--Gifford's opinion of humorous articles--Mr. Pillans--Gifford's feeble health--Murray's financial difficulties--Remonstrates wit...

Archibald Constable & Co.--Alexander Gibson Hunter--The _Edinburgh Review_--Murray's early associations with Constable--Dispute between Longman and Constable--Murray appointed L...

Mr. Hallam--Sir H. Ellis's "Embassy to China"--Correspondence with Lady Abercorn about new books--Proposed _Monthly Register_--Mr. Croker's condemnation of the scheme--Crabbe's...