successful one-volume works. Mrs. Somerville's celebrated work, entitled, "The Mechanism of the Heavens," was ushered into the world in Albermarle Street. I cannot speak with certainty as to the precise sale of the book; but I know it is very great. It has, for some time, been adopted as a class-book at Cambridge. In connexion with this work, I may mention an interesting fact—namely, that the manuscript was very carefully read over by Lord Brougham, who made repeated visits to Chelsea College, where Mrs. S. resides, for the purpose. This volume was not only exceedingly advantageous to Mrs. Somerville, in reference to the amount she received from Mr. Murray for it, but it procured her a distinction which I do not remember to have been conferred on any other lady—namely, that of being elected a "Fellow" of the Royal Society of Geneva. Nor was it in the article of reputation only that she must have been gratified with the success of the work. Its merits and celebrity procured for the authoress the handsome pension of £300 a-year from Government. This pension was settled on Mrs. So

merville by Sir Robert Peel, during his Premiership; a circumstance which was the more creditable to the right hon. baronet, as both Mrs. Somerville and her husband are decided Whigs.

Mr. Murray is not only liberal in his compensation to authors for particular works, but he pays like a prince for contributions to the "Quarterly." I believe that Mr. Southey-from whose pen the world is not likely to be ever again favoured with anything-received £50 for every article he furnished to the "Quarterly" for many years past. In 1830, Sir Walter Scott received the princely sum of £100 for an article which he contributed to the "Quarterly." This fact has been communicated to me by one who saw the cheque for the amount.

Mr. Murray, though eminently successful on the whole as a publisher, has made a number of unfortunate speculations. By the first volume of Napier's "History of the Peninsular War," though an able work, he lost somewhere about £500. By Washington Irving's "Life of Columbus," he must have lost from £1500 to £2000; and by various other works he has been

a loser to a considerable extent. But incomparably the worst speculation into which he ever entered, was that of the "Representative" morning newspaper; by which, though it only continued to be published for six months, he lost from £15,000 to £20,000.

There is one circumstance in connexion with the business in Albermarle Street which is worthy of mention—namely, that Mr. Murray never, under any circumstances, publishes any works of fiction. No writer of novels or romances, however popular he may be, need offer any work of imagination to Mr. Murray. All his books relate to matters of fact and information.

The prince of publishers has often expressed one very curious wish, though I am not aware that it has yet been gratified. He has repeatedly said, after stating that he never saw the whole of the numbers of one publication of the "Quarterly" ready for delivery on one day, that he was very desirous, and hoped some day to have the pleasure, of seeing the whole publication of some particular number ready at one time; and after having the numbers piled up in letter-press

"walls" in the warehouse, to invite the principal booksellers to a splendid banquet, surrounded by one publication of the "Quarterly." This would be an interesting incident in the annals of bibliopolism; and it is to be hoped that Mr. Clowes, the printer, and the bookbinder who "does up" the "Quarterly," will take care that no obstacles be thrown in the way by them, when Mr. Murray seriously sets about carrying his curious intention into effect.

The business in Albermarle Street is now principally conducted by Mr. Murray's son, a young man about thirty years of age, educated at Cambridge, and possessing high literary attainments. He and Mr. Brockendon, the artist, some years ago, made the tour of the South of Europe together. He is a member of the Athenæum, and also of the Geological Society.

Mr. Murray must now be upwards of sixty years of age. He is tall and well formed, and a man of gentlemanly manners and appearance.

MR. TEGG is a native of Glasgow, and still retains a good deal of the West of Scotland accent.

He is, perhaps, the wealthiest bibliopole in the United Kingdom. He is one of the few publishers who have amassed an immense fortune by their transactions in the literary market. And what is infinitely to Mr. Tegg's credit, he has acquired his princely fortune solely through the force and energy of his character as a man of business. He possessed no advantages in early life. He was cradled and brought up in humble circumstances, receiving only the rudiments of a common English education. But his great natural shrewdness taught him, soon after he had entered his teens, the importance of education to those who would pass through life with credit to themselves or advantage to their fellow-men and, therefore, he applied his mind in earnest to the acquisition, by self-tuition, of those more useful branches of learning which unpropitious circumstances had prevented his acquiring through the instrumentality of masters. By the time he had emerged from his teens, Mr. Tegg, through dint of his indomitable perseverance and energy of character, had so far cultivated his mind as to enable him to fill any ordinary situa

VOL. II.

C