Waverley, and thus competing with himself
not only in periodical literature, but in the highest of the time, was
an object for which, as John Ballantyne shrewdly guessed, Constable
would have made at that moment almost any sacrifice. When, therefore,
the haughty but trembling bookseller--"The Lord High Constable" (as he
had been dubbed by these jesters)--signified his earnest hope that the
second Tales of my Landlord were destined to come out under the same
auspices with Rob Roy, the plenipotentiary answered with an air of
deep regret, that he feared it would be impossible for the author to
dispose of the work--unless to publishers who should agree to take
with it _the whole_ of the remaining stock of "John Ballantyne and
Co.;" and Constable, pertinaciously as he had stood out against many
more modest propositions of this nature, was so worked upon by his
jealous feelings, that his resolution at once gave way. He agreed on
the instant to do all that John seemed to shrink from asking--and at
one sweep cleared the Augean stable in Hanover Street of unsalable
rubbish to the amount of L5270! I am assured by his surviving partner,
that when he had finally {p.205} redisposed of the stock, he found
himself a loser by fully two thirds of this sum.

Burthened with this heavy condition, the agreement for the sale of
10,000 copies of the embryo series was signed before the end of
November, 1817; and on the 7th January, 1818, Scott wrote as follows
to his noble friend:--

TO THE DUKE OF BUCCLEUCH, ETC., ETC.

MY DEAR LORD DUKE,--I have the great pleasure of enclosing
the discharged bond which your Grace stood engaged in for
me, and on my account. The accommodation was of the greatest
consequence to me, as it enabled me to retain possession of
some valuable literary property, which I must otherwise have
suffered to be sold at a time when the booksellers had no
money to buy it. My dear Lord, to wish that all your
numerous and extensive acts of kindness may be attended with
similar advantages to the persons whom you oblige, is
wishing you what to your mind will be the best recompense;
and to wish that they may be felt by all as gratefully as by
me, though you may be careless to hear about that part of
the story, is only wishing what is creditable to human
nature. I have this moment your more than kind letter, and
congratulate your Grace that, in one s