The correspondence of this date is full of remonstrances from Murray against the financial unpunctuality of his Edinburgh correspondents.

I have some arrangements with Murray, which are likely to prove more profitable than any former speculations ...

" CHAPTER VIII MURRAY AND GIFFORDRUPTURE WITH CONSTABLE

Mr. Gifford to John Murray.

The never-ending imposition of accommodation bills sent for acceptance had now reached a point beyond endurance, having regard to Murray's credit.

Gifford writes to Murray about this article: "I have not seen Canning yet, but he is undoubtedly at work by this time.

Occasionally, when some friction arose from the editorial pruning of Southey's articles, or when Mr. Murray remonstrated with the exclusion or inclusion of some particular article, Mr. Gifford became depressed, or complained, "This business begins to get too heavy for me, and I must soon have done, I fear."

"Murray offers me a thousand guineas for my intended poem in blank verse, and begs it may not be a line longer than "Thomson's Seasons"!

He afterwards looked in from time to time, while the sheets were passing through the press, fresh from the fencing rooms of Angelo and Jackson, and used to amuse himself by renewing his practice of "Carte et Tierce," with his walking-cane directed against the book-shelves, while Murray was reading passages from the poem, with occasional ejaculations of admiration; on which Byron would say, "You think that a good idea, do you, Murray?"

To Mr. Dallas he wrote (September 23, 1811): "I will be angry with Murray.

On April 29, 1814, he wrote to Mr. Murray: Lord Byron to John Murray.

MURRAY'S REMOVAL TO 50, ALBEMARLE STREET

Murray at once entered into an arrangement with Miller, and in a letter to Mr. Constable of Edinburgh he observed: John Murray to Mr. A. Constable.

I trust that your family are well, and remain, dear Sir, Your obliged and faithful Servant, JOHN MURRAY.

When it came out, Murray got an early copy of the novel; he read it, and sent it to Mr. Canning, and wrote upon the title-page, "By Walter Scott."

During her absence, Mr. Murray wrote to her two or three times a week, and kept her au courant with the news of the day.

On August 13 Mr. Murray informs his wife that "Lord Byron was here yesterday, and I introduced him to Blackwood, to whom he was very civil.

All this, however, is matter for serious consideration and for future consultation, in which your voice shall have its rightful influence...." Mr. Murray was under the necessity of postponing his visit to France.

John Murray to Mrs. Murray.

What makes the steward, Joe Murray, an interesting object to me, is that the old man has seen the abbey in all its vicissitudes of greatness and degradation.

In return for the publishing business sent to him from London, Blackwood made Murray his agent for any new works published by him in Edinburgh.

Mr. Murray paid at this time another visit to Abbotsford.

" CHAPTER XI MURRAY'S DRAWING-ROOMBYRON AND SCOTTWORKS PUBLISHED IN 1815

Hazlitt, in the above pamphlet, also attacks Murray, Croker, Canning, Southey, and others whom he supposed to be connected with the Review.]

This was his Amoret, who is said to have been Lady Sophia Murray.