Page:A history of booksellers, the old and the new.djvu/208

172 172 JOHN MURRAY. producing against it any effectual opposition, unless it arise from you, sir, and from your friends. Should you, sir, think the idea worthy of encouragement I should, with equal pride and willingness, engage my arduous exertions to promote its success; but as my object is nothing short of producing a work of the greatest talent and importance, I shall entertain it no longer, if it be not so fortunate as to obtain the high patron- age which I have thus, sir, taken the liberty to solicit. " Permit me to add, sir, that the person who thus addresses you is no adventurer, but a man of some property, including a business that has been esta- blished for nearly half a century. I therefore trust that my application will be attributed to its proper motives, and that your goodness will at least pardon its intrusion. " I have the honour to be, Sir, &c., &c, "JOHN MURRAY." Canning read the letter, and though for the present it was put away in his desk unanswered, the contents were not forgotten, for a few years before this he had heard Murray's name mentioned in a very honourable way. Some Etonians, among them Canning's nephew, had started a periodical called the Miniature, which brought them some fame, but left them under a pecu- niary loss. Murray, with his usual good nature, and with something of the tact which afterwards made him so many powerful friends, took all copies off their hands, paid all their expenses, and though he found little demand for the work, offered to print a new edition. This was a trait of character that, with a clear-headed, far-seeing man like Canning, would pro- bably go far, As yet, however, the Principal Secre-