e
had no other. After what has passed on your Lordship's side, however, I
feel that it would be inconsistent with my own character to embarrass
you any longer, and I therefore release your Lordship at once from any
promise or supposed understanding whatever regarding this publication,
and remain, my Lord,

Your Lordship's humble Servant,

JOHN MURRAY.

The Bishop of Llandaff seems to have thought better of the matter, and
in Mr. Murray's second letter to him (January 1, 1840) he states that,
after his Lordship's satisfactory letter, he "renews his engagement as
publisher of Lord Dudley's 'Letters' with increased pleasure." The
volume was published in the following year, but was afterwards
suppressed; it is now very scarce.

Mrs. Jameson proposed to Mr. Murray to publish a "Guide to the
Picture-Galleries of London." He was willing to comply with her request,
provided she submitted her manuscript for perusal and approval. But as
she did not comply with his request, Mr. Murray wrote to her as follows:

_John Murray to Mrs. Jameson_.

_July_ 14, 1840

MY DEAR MADAM,

It is with unfeigned regret that I perceive that you and I are not
likely to understand each other. The change from a Publisher, to whose
mode of conducting business you are accustomed, to another of whom you
have heard merely good reports, operates something like second
marriages, in which, whatever occurs that is different from that which
was experienced in the first, is always considered wrong by the party
who has married a second time. If, for a particular case, you have been
induced to change your physician, you should not take offence, or feel
even surprise, at a different mode of treatment.

My rule is, never to engage in the publication of any work of which I
have not been allowed to form a judgment of its merits and chances of
success, by having the MSS. left with me a reasonable time, in order to
form such opinion; and from this habit of many years' exercise, I
confess to you that it will not, even upon the present occasion, suit me
to deviate.

I am well aware that you would not wish to publish anything derogatory
to the high reputation which you have so deservedly acquired; but
Shakespeare, Byron, and Scott have written works that do not sell; and,
as you expect money for the work which you wish to allow me the honour
of publishing, how am I to judge of its value if I am not previously
allowed to read it?

Mrs. Jameson at length subm