of late that you are so much better. I hope during the winter, if we
have any, to send you many amusing books to shorten the tediousness of
time, and charm away your indisposition. Mrs. Murray is still up and
well, and desires me to send her best compliments to you and Mrs.
Turner.

Ever yours faithfully,

J. MURRAY.

Mr. Turner thanked Mr. Murray for his letter, and said that if he
proceeded with his intentions he would adopt his advice. "I have always
found Longman very kind and honourable, but I will not offer him now
what you think it right to decline."

During Gifford's now almost incessant attacks of illness, Mr. Croker
took charge of the _Quarterly Review_. The following letter embodies
some of his ideas as to editing:

_Mr. Croker to John Murray_.

BRIGHTON, _March_ 29, 1823.

DEAR MURRAY,

As I shall not be in Town in time to see you to-morrow, I send you some
papers. I return the _Poor_ article [Footnote: "On the Poor Laws," by
Mr. Gleig.] with its additions. Let the author's amendments be attended
to, and let his termination be inserted _between_ his former conclusion
and that which I have written. It is a good article, not overdone and
yet not dull. I return, to be set up, the article [by Captain Procter]
on Southey's "Peninsular War." It is very bad--a mere _abstracted
history of the war itself_, and not in the least a _review of the book_.
I have taken pains to remove some part of this error, but you must feel
how impossible it is to change the whole frame of such an article. A
touch thrown in here and there will give some relief, and the character
of a _review_ will be in some small degree preserved. This cursed system
of writing dissertations will be the death of us, and if I were to edit
another number, I should make a great alteration in that particular. But
for this time I must be satisfied with plastering up what I have not
time to rebuild. One thing I would do immediately if I were you. I would
pay for articles of _one_ sheet as much as for articles of two and
three, and, in fact, I would _scarcely_ permit an article to exceed one
sheet. I would reserve such extension for matters of great and immediate
interest and importance. I am delighted that W. [Footnote: Probably
Blanco White.] undertakes one, he will do it well; but remember the
necessity of _absolute secrecy_ on this point, and indeed on all others.
If you were to publish such names as Cohen and Croker and Collinson and
Coleridg