Charles Lever, His Life in His Letters Volume I Part 11

_To Mr James M'Glashan._

"Brussels, _Nov_. 1, 1839.

"I have thought so much over the idea of 'The Irish' that I send you a list of subjects conveying my idea of the thing which would, I am sure, beat 'Lorrequer' to sticks. Could I talk the matter over with you I could better explain my thoughts, but 'The French' will sufficiently convey the shape, style, and intention of the publication. Write me your full opinion on this matter, but do not mention it except to some well-judging friend till we think more about it. The ill.u.s.trations should be of the most graphic kind, and the descriptive part as narrative and touchy as possible. I am so full of it that I can think of nothing else.

"List of subjects for 'The Irish, Painted by Themselves': The Irish Artist (only think of Sharpe!), The Country Dancing Master, The Medical Student, The Irish Fellow, T.C.D., The Irish Widow, The Irish Author, The Common Council Man, The Auctioneer, The Irish Beggar, The Irish Lawyer, The Priest, The Boarding-House Keeper, The Hedge Schoolmaster, The Doctor, The Sporting Gentleman, Country Attorney, Popular Preacher, The Hackney-car Man, The Dublin Dandy, The Favourite Actor, The Dublin Belle."

_To Mr James M'Glashan._

"_Nov_. 12, 1839.

"I sincerely hope that long ere this your withers have been unwrung, and that my friend, Dr Graves, has restored you to the rank of a biped. G.o.d forgive you! what a dreadful thing it might have been to die with such a sin on your soul, for sending me the two last proofs. When did you hear that I was reading Job? They are, indeed, awful: the No. 9 has several blunders, and I am resolved to make the public look to you and yours for them in the preface. See to No. 10 with all the accuracy possible, for in the Mag. it is perfectly unintelligible. (Colonel) Addison has reviewed that splendid book 'Africa,' and you can insert it as a notice.

You ask for No. 11. But No. 11 is not begun!! Nor how it is to be do I yet know. The whole is to be dedicated to His Excellency, Sir H.

Seymour, Minister Plenipotentiary, &c. I have been, for domestic causes, unable to write or read, and scarcely had any time to eat these ten days. Now, however,------

"Don't refer to me as the writer except among your friends."

_To Mr James M'Glashan._

"Brussels, _Nov_. 1838.

"My intention as regards my new book is to continue 'A Tour on the Continent' with articles originally written in the D. L. G., ent.i.tled 'The Log-Book of a Rambler,' taking the Rhine for a starting-point, thence diverging to the fashionable watering-places into Germany, the universities, galleries, &c., giving sketchy and anecdotic descriptions of new places and things as I pa.s.s; thence to Dresden, Vienna, Prague, Munich, Paris, Brussels, &c., ill.u.s.trating each trait of foreign manner by an essay or tale as it strikes me, all as much in the slap-dash style of 'Lorrequer' as to bear his name, and be called, if you approve of it, 'Harry Lorrequer's Log; or, A Six Months' Leave.' This I intend to be my _grand ouvrage_, and esteem it a dead bargain at 300, which you must give me first. I purpose that you will not be a loser by me, and will make it all that my poor talents can do. In this proposal I hesitate not to say that I am certain that I am not overrating what I can fairly look for. I am very much fatigued and overworked just now, and being pressed besides, can only add that I am ever yours truly."

_To Mr James M'Glashan_.

"_Nov_. 29, 1839.

"Since I last wrote I have had four applications from Bentley, Colburn, Lardner, &c., to write something in the style of 'Harry Lorrequer,'

but longer and more pathetic. They order a book, as they would their breeches. This speaks well for the success of 'Lorrequer.' I wonder that any of these great men knew the whereabouts of so humble a man as Charles Lever."

_To Mr Alexander Spencer_.

"Brussels, _Nov_. 29,1839.

"I write in great haste to ask of you to explain away a blunder I have just been guilty of. I have received an offer from Bentley to write a new work to be called 'The Irish Dragoon,' in the 'Lorrequer' _facon_.

The plan appeared to me, the more I reflected upon it, one promising success, and I this morning wrote to M'Glashan explaining how I stood, and told him that for auld langsyne, &c, I wished he might be the publisher if the thing was likely to be profitable,--mentioning that about 40 per No. of the 'Lorrequer' size would be 'the chalk.' Now I made a miscalculation, for I find that Bentley's terms would be equal to 50 a No.; and although I should like to do the civil thing by M'G., yet I am too poor a man to do it at this price. Tell him all this, and say besides that I by no means put it upon him to deal at all--that I merely would say this: You know how 'Lorrequer' has or has not told with the publics--your present experience enables you to say whether you can, with a reasonable chance of sufficient profit give this sum or not--and your answer can be yea or nay at once. My wish is--consistently with what I owe to me and mine--to serve him."

_To Mr James M'Glashan._

"Dec. 11, 1839.

"Without wasting either your time or my own by expressing surprise at the tone of your last letter, I shall as clearly as possible reply to its contents. First--I sent from this, four days previous to the despatch of the preface and dedication of 'Lorrequer,' the whole of No. 11, minus such pages as I intended to add to the proof, and which I hoped to do with more effect by that time. I therefore wound up the story with such small abilities as I possess, neither huddling the catastrophe, as you are pleased to imply, nor in any manner injuring the success of a work in which, I would humbly think, my interest is scarcely inferior to your own. As I am very far from wishing any hasty expression to escape me, I shall not allude to the paragraph of your letter concerning the moneyed advantages you speak of for a different termination, but proceed to clause 2. I am not willing to extend the work to 15 numbers. My reasons shall be quite at your service if you care for them."

_To Mr Alexander Spencer._

"Brussles, _Dec_ 18, 1839.

"The post which brought your letter conveyed also one from M'Glashan in a very angry tone, half implying that my new book was withdrawing my interest in 'Lorrequer,' and evidently savage that I was getting at the London market. I answered sharply to each section of the epistle, expressed my sorrow for offering him what suited Bentley to take, and a.s.sured him that my credit as author, _tant peu qu'il sait_, was quite as dear to me as his pence as bookseller could ever be to him. Result a most handsome and apologetic letter from him ascribing his petulance to ill health, and accepting my new book at 50 per No.--the whole to run to 12 to 20 Nos.--i.e., 600 to 1000. Not bad after all, and better than more solid productions, which pay little and are read less.

"Will you then see M'G., to whom I have written accepting his money for 'The Dragoon,' and add, what I have not, that I was, on the arrival of his letter, actually concluding one to Bentley in acceptance of his offer for the MS., but that as _gage d'amitie_ between us, I have stood by him and rejected the ill.u.s.trious d.i.c.k. This from you will conclude the pacific relations so eminently necessary between the fiery and tiger natures of author and publisher, whose business is not 'to die,' but to squabble everlastingly.

"The lost MS. of 'Lorrequer' is, it seems, come to hand, but not before I rewrote or rather wrote another finale. This cost me four sleepless nights and a fit of gout from chagrin and champagne, necessary to bring me up to the scribbling paroxysm.

"What my new book is to run upon I have not as yet the least notion, but trust to chance and after dinner--for invention; and last, not least, to the moneyed stimulus--for material....

"I have been exceedingly gay--dining at the Emba.s.sy and elsewhere, and thinking of everything save book-making. However, as I have not ten pounds in the house, and owe about a hundred, I must haul my wind and bear up in time.

"On second thoughts it will be right for M'Glashan not to advertise 'The Dragoon' by t.i.tle in the last number of 'Lorrequer,'--only 'a new work by Harry Lorrequer.' This, as regards my previous negotiations with Bentley, is necessary."

_To Mr Alexander Spencer_.

"Brussels, _Christmas Day_, 1839.

"I wish with all my heart that we (meaning John* among the number) could eat our plum-pudding together. If that day ever arrives, G.o.d knows. It is strange enough how few--very few--early friends can be found within the ring-fence of a Xmas fire when the pursuits of after-life have laid hold on them. We three are a striking instance of it....

* His brother, the Rev. John Lever.--E. D.

"I meditate a trip to Ireland about April....

"Doctoring here is at zero, the whole world of English travellers having flocked southwards. Though the printing-press stands to me, the physic bottle does not. Since August last, when I returned home, I have not received 50, and have spent 350. The 'Dragoon' must fight me through this."

_To Mr Alexander Spencer._

"Brussels, _Jan_, 10, 1840.

"The new Postage Act will be a sorer blow to you than even to her Majesty's Exchequer--but from very opposite causes. As I learn it comes into operation on the 12th, I start for the post with it.

"All kinds of misfortunes and delays have befallen my unlucky MSS. of late, and whether the public is ever to see the end of 'Harry Lorrequer'

is more than I can tell. But whatever the faults of the F. O. be, M'Glashan's agent in London has also his share in the calamity, being the stupidest _gauche_ that ever existed.