diting the letters and writing the Life, and Moore in his diary says
that he considered this offer perfectly liberal. Nothing, he adds, could
be more frank, gentleman-like, and satisfactory than the manner in which
this affair had been settled on all sides.

CHAPTER XVII

SCOTT'S NOVELS--BLACKWOOD AND MURRAY

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 us to go back to the year 1814, when,
as is related in a previous chapter, he had associated himself with
William Blackwood as his Edinburgh agent.

Blackwood, like Murray, was anxious to have a share in the business of
publishing the works of Walter Scott--especially the novels teeming from
the press by "The Author of 'Waverley.'" Although Constable and the
Ballantynes were necessarily admitted to the knowledge of their
authorship, to the world at large they were anonymous, and the author
still remained unknown. Mr. Murray had, indeed, pointed out to Mr.
Canning that "Waverley" was by Walter Scott; but Scott himself trailed
so many red herrings across the path, that publishers as well as the
public were thrown off the scent, and both Blackwood and Murray
continued to be at fault with respect to the authorship of the "Waverley
Novels."

In February 1816 Ballantyne assured Blackwood that in a very few weeks
he would have something very important to propose. On April 12
following, Blackwood addressed the following letter to Murray, "most
strictly confidential"; and it contained important proposals:

_Mr. W. Blackwood to John Murray_.

MY DEAR MURRAY,

Some time ago I wrote to you that James Ballantyne had dined with me,
and from what then passed I expected that I would soon have something
very important to communicate. He has now fully explained himself to me,
with liberty to inform you of anything he has communicated. This,
however, he entreats of us to keep most strictly to ourselves, trusting
to our honour that we will not breathe a syllable of it to the dearest
friends we have.

He began by telling me that he thought he had it now in his power to
show me how sensible he was of the services I had done him, and how
anxious he was to accomplish that union of interests which I had so long
been endeavouring to bring about. Till now he had only made professions;
now he would act. He said that he was empowered to offer me, along