ss of the Review. I would join you," said he,
addressing himself to me, "but I drink no wine; if I am a Brahmin with
respect to meat, I am a Mahometan with respect to wine."

So the son and I drank success to the Review, and then the young man
asked me various questions; for example--How I liked London?--Whether I
did not think it a very fine place?--Whether I was at the play the night
before?--and whether I was in the park that afternoon? He seemed
preparing to ask me some more questions; but, receiving a furious look
from his father, he became silent, filled himself a glass of wine, drank
it off, looked at the table for about a minute, then got up, pushed back
his chair, made me a bow, and left the room.

"Is that young gentleman, sir," said I, "well versed in the principles of
criticism?"

"He is not, sir," said the publisher; "and, if I place him at the head of
the Review ostensibly, I do it merely in the hope of procuring him a
maintenance; of the principle of a thing he knows nothing, except that
the principle of bread is wheat, and that the principle of that wine is
grape. Will you take another glass?"

I looked at the decanter; but not feeling altogether so sure as the
publisher's son with respect to the principle of what it contained, I
declined taking any more.

"No, sir," said the publisher, adjusting himself in his chair, "he knows
nothing about criticism, and will have nothing more to do with the
reviewals than carrying about the books to those who have to review them;
the real conductor of the Review will be a widely different person, to
whom I will, when convenient, introduce you. And now we will talk of the
matter which we touched upon before dinner: I told you then that I had
changed my mind with respect to you; I have been considering the state of
the market, sir, the book market, and I have come to the conclusion that,
though you might be profitably employed upon evangelical novels, you
could earn more money for me, sir, and consequently for yourself, by a
compilation of Newgate lives and trials."

"Newgate lives and trials!"

"Yes, sir," said the publisher, "Newgate lives and trials; and now, sir,
I will briefly state to you the services which I expect you to perform,
and the terms I am willing to grant. I expect you, sir, to compile six
volumes of Newgate lives and trials, each volume to contain by no manner
of means less than one thousand pages; the remuneration which you will
receive