Page:A history of booksellers, the old and the new.djvu/160

126 126 CONSTABLE, CADELL, AND BLACA*. left the firm, and now that it was found that the new Quarterly did not in the least damage the value of the old one, a reconciliation could not but take place between men who had formerly been so friendly, and on the publication of the Lady of the Lake, Constable willingly gave the Ballantynes the value of his experience and trade knowledge, though he was not directly interested in the work. The new poem was published just before the season for excursions, and thousands rushed off at once to view the scenery of Loch Katrine ; and it is a well- ascertained fact that from the date of the appearance of this volume, assisted by subsequent of his publica- tions, the post-horse duty in Scotland rose in an extraordinary degree. Scott now found out that his move to the Ballan- tynes had not been attended with the success he expected. John Ballantyne proved but an irregular hand at book-keeping, and James was too much addicted to good cheer (or Lockhart sadly belies him) to be really serviceable as a business man. In vain did Scott write amusing letters of remonstrance ; the publisher's business was neglected, and the firm, as booksellers, fell into difficulties. Constable was ap- pealed to, and, finally, for 2000 consented to pur- chase most of the stock, and a complete business reconciliation was effected between him and Scott. The Ballantynes, however, still maintained their printing house, in which Scott was secretly the prin- cipal proprietor, and at which he insisted that all his own works should at all times, no matter who the publisher, be printed. About the year 1805 Scott had written a third part of a novel, which was advertised by John Ballantyne,