Page:A history of booksellers, the old and the new.djvu/367

327 AND JAMES NISBET. 327 copyright of his authors upon highly advantageous terms, often added a liberal bonus when the work proved profitable. " To such a degree," says his bio- grapher, " did his generosity overflow, that one estima- ble man, 'whose praise is in all the churches/ felt constrained to put the curb on his publisher's largesse. r I shall agree to accept one hundred pounds, and no more,' commences one of his legal agreements." Such conduct had its reward, for, says Mr. Wallace, " notwithstanding the humble position which James Nisbet occupied as a mere shopkeeper, so high was the estimation in which he was held as a philanthropist and a churchman that he was occasionally honoured by pressing invitations from families in the higher ranks of life, to visit them at their country seats" the lesson drawn from such amazing condescension by the biographer being, " Him that honoureth I will honour " and accordingly Nisbet went for a whole week to Tollymore Park, and naturally writes from there : " What a blessed thing it is to be a Christian." The curious chapter in which this visit is recorded is headed, " Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord." Among the numerous authors with whom Nisbet was connected was Edward Irving, for whom he pub- lished " Discourses on Daniel's Vision of the Four Beasts," and other books. Irving, by far the greatest orator and most eloquent speaker of our later times, " was for long enshrined in the warm recesses of Nisbet's heart, and Nisbet not only sat under him, but contributed 21,000 to the Regent's Square Church. But the love of truth was in Nisbet stronger than earthly affection, and soon the gift of speaking with unknown tongues was discovered." " Last Sabbath,"