New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-05


The memoirs of John Murray possess a double
interest; they set forth the manner and method
by which a man Of signal capacity built up great
publishing house, and they illustrate the literary
life Of England during the first half of the present
century through this publishers correspondence
with famous men of letters at the same tmo
throwing new light upon the characters and
habits Of these distinguished correspondents. The
arrangement adopted by DR.. Smiles may not sat
isfy those who look for continuous narrative
His object being not only to relate the principal
events in the life of John Murray, but to give the
correspondence which really constituted so large
q part of that life, he has chosen TO complete
number of episodes each by itself, and without
much reference to consecutiveness, so that tne
reader is carried backward and forward, al
times in a rather rather bewildering way. The
plan, however has it's distinct advantages In the
case, for example, of important negotiations with
authors such as Byron or Scott 1t is clearly
better that these negotiations and all which relates
TO them should be brought into one focus so that
they can be considered as a whole. than thai the
details should be scattered over long periods. sep
arated the from the other to the dissipation OF
the general effect and to the confusion of the
reader. 1t is possible that something Is
lost in the compression of the narrative concerning
House but though enough is related to indicate
that fuller biography of this enterprising and
sagacious publisher would have been highly in
teresting the founding Of the House is necessarily
Introductory to the history Of that Murray the
Second who raised it to the first rank, who gath
cred about him so noble company OF men OF
letters and whose character and conduct so justly
earned for him the title of Prince Of Publishers
The House was founded by John MacMurray, or
Murray, in 176S. The founder was Scotch
Lieutenant of Marines, who had retired on half
pay and though he entered upon the business 0,
bookselhng and publishing without any knowl-
edge or experience. and with very little capital,
his native sagacity such that he soon acquired
O solid standing and established valuable con-
nection. Among his literary friendships was that
with Isaac D'Israeli the first instalment OF whose
"Curiosities of Literature" he published The
bond between the Murrays and the Disraelis held
firm for many years. and was only loosened at last
by a transaction in which Benjamin Disraeli fig
ures in a mysterious and somewhat dubious aspect
The elder Murray also published Milford's
Greece and-to his sorrow-Lavater's Physl-
ognomy" for that work entailed loss upon his
estate of $500. But DR.. Smiles has shown that
the two Murrays were much alike in their char
acters. The father established in his day the
Eberality, the judgment, the enterprise which
were to be displayed in larger scale and upon a
broader field by the son. Indeed, it is a constant
source of surprise that with small capital the
elder Murray should have achieved so much, but
it must be remembered that in the eighteenth
century the competition in publishing was COM
paratively feeble. and that if the market was mar
rover the opportunities for bold adventure were
more frequent than at present. The younger
Murray suffered. during his boyhood. serious
xrrifi afo q
penknife into the childs right eye. the sight of
which was completely destroyed. His cousin,
Robert Cooke said once that Mr.. Murray could
see sharper with one eye than most other people
with two" but the loss must have been a serious
one to him, notwithstanding. When his father
died he was only fifteen, consequently too young
20 enter into business. and former employe OF the
House was made partner in order to carry on
the business. Hghley, this partner and manager,
was careless and incompetent. and when John
Murray came of age and entered the business he
was not long in realizing this. Nevertheless. he
let the management stand for four years longer
when he dissolved the partnership and determined
thenceforth to reign alone.
The time was not propitious for literary enter
prises for money was very scarce. invasion was
threatened by Napoleon. business was dead. and
credit tottering. Murray himself was unable to
90 to Edinburgh to see Constable because of his
military duties, "-he being ensign in the Sd
Regiment of Royal London Volunteers, and much
occupied with drills and reviews At this time
all books and other merchandise sent from Edin-
burgh to London by sea had to be guarded against
the attacks of privateers by armed vessels Among
the early works published by Murray was a
Memoir of Taleyrand" of course mainly fcti-
hous-of which he was not very proud, and which
ue disposed of as soon as possible. refusing then
to sell any more copies. Archibald Con-
stable had founded The Edinburgh Review" with
the support Of jeffrey, Brougham, Sydney Smith,
Francis Homer, Dr. Thomas Brown, Lord Murray,
and other distinguished writers, and it had won
its way rapidly from the first. Murray, through
his publishing and bookselling connections with
Constable, became the London publisher Of the
Edinburgh" though he reluctant for some
time to take it, because the previous London agent,
Longman, had quarrelled with the Edinburgh
house Murray endeavored to mediate between
them, but vainly.
The publication Of "Marmion" in 1908 brought
Murray into intimate connection with Walter
Scott The success of the Lay of the Last
Minstrel emboldened Constable TO offer the poet
E1 900 for "Marmion" very shortly after it was
begun, and before he had seen line of the
manuscript. 1t was price," Scott said, =" that
made mems hair stand on end" Constable offered
one-fourth of the copyright TO Miller OF Aldo
marlest., and one-fourth TO Murray Both eagerly
accepted the proposal, and Murray wrote that
they both viewed it as honorable, profitable and
glorious TO be concerned in the publication of a
new poem by Walter Scott" Marmion proved
great success Before the arrival of the vol
umes from Edinburgh Murray had sold 1900
copies at his trade sale. The first edition was ont
of print in less than a month. and second edi-
ton of 5000 was ordered to be printed, of which
Murray at once subscribed for 1900 copies. The
book went on from edition to edition and proved
to be one of the greatest publishing successes OF
the day."
Longman had refused TO give up the agency OF
The Edinburgh Review" in London, claiming
property rights in it, and litigation was threatened
when Jeffrey and the staff and contributors OF