ow his exceeding carefulness, and
the consequences--the disastrous consequences, I might say--to both of
us. I have already mentioned, that, in the progress of revision, I had
probably written the book, not twice, but twenty times over; and this I
believe to be true. I had grown too fastidious, over-anxious, nervous,
and fidgety. I could not endure the coming together of the same or
similar sounds,--_d_s and _t_s, for example, or _v_s and _f_s,--and
wrote some pages or paragraphs at least forty or fifty times over to
prevent this, and thereby sacrificed all freedom and naturalness. When
Mr. Blackwood wrote me, therefore, as follows, it only served to confirm
me in my evil habit,--a disease, in fact,--and the result was further
alterations and corrections, so numerous and so troublesome, though
trivial in themselves, that, in going through the press, the printer
himself, Mr. Spottiswood, got alarmed, and charged accordingly.

On the 14th of April he writes me at length about the book. "I wished
also, before writing you, to be able to give you the opinion of my
friend whose remarks I formerly sent you. In some things I agree with
him, in others I do not; but I think it best you should judge yourself
as to all that he says. I also enclose you a note from another friend,
whose judgment I value more than that of any one I know, almost." Here
follows a string of suggestions, most of which I took advantage of, in
carrying this, my third complete copy of the work, through the press. No
wonder it grew more and more artificial, as it grew more and more
strange and euphonious.

He continues,--"I have read the manuscript again very carefully," (the
third time,--a manuscript of three volumes!) "and I do think you have
improved the work very much. I cannot again venture to suggest anything
to you, even if I could, (which I am very doubtful of,) because you give
yourself so much labor, and any crude ideas of mine may perhaps be more
injurious than useful. You must yourself feel best what is necessary,
and to your own judgment everything must be left. I have therefore put
up the manuscript with this, as it must be printed under your own eye in
London. All that I would advise you to do is, _to go over the manuscript
before sending it to the printer, and correct it as you would do a
proof_; for, should any material alterations occur to you, you can
easily make them on the blank pages....

"I suppose you would wish the work to be printe