e de ---- looked archly round when, having
extravagantly praised a new novel, he pronounced that it was the worst
of all the bad ones of the author.

---- will become a popular man, and have to thank me for it. How angry
would he be if he knew the service I have rendered him, and how quickly
would he contradict all I said in his favour! ---- reminds me of the
Englishman of whom it was said, that so great was his love of
contradiction, that when the hour of the night and state of the weather
were announced by the watchman beneath his window, he used to get out
of bed and raise both his casement and his voice to protest against the
accuracy of the statement.

Read _Pelham_; commenced it yesterday, and concluded it to-day. It is a
new style of novel, and, like all that is very clever, will lead to
many copyists. The writer possesses a felicitous fluency of language,
profound and just thoughts, and a knowledge of the world rarely
acquired at his age, for I am told he is a very young man.

This work combines pointed and pungent satire on the follies of
society, a deep vein of elevated sentiment, and a train of
philosophical thinking, seldom, if ever, allied to the tenderness which
pierces through the sentimental part. The opening reminded me of that
of _Anastatius_, without being in the slightest degree an imitation;
and many of the passages recalled Voltaire, by their wit and terseness.

I, who don't like reading novels, heard so much in favour of this
one--for all Paris talk of it--that I broke through a resolution formed
since I read the dull book of ----, to read no more; and I am glad I
did so, for this clever book has greatly interested me.

Oh, the misery of having stupid books presented to one by the author!
----, who is experienced in such matters, told me that the best plan in
such cases was, to acknowledge the receipt of the book the same day it
arrived, and civilly express the pleasure anticipated from its perusal,
by which means the necessity of praising a bad book was avoided. This
system has, however, been so generally adopted of late, that authors
are dissatisfied with it; and, consequently, a good-natured person
often feels compelled to write commendations of books which he or she
is far from approving; and which, though it costs an effort to write,
are far from satisfying the _exigeant amour propre_ peculiar to
authors.

I remember once being present when the merits of a book were canvassed.
One pers