Page:A history of booksellers, the old and the new.djvu/265

WILLIAM BLA CKWOOD. 229 more especially in the United States, that a reprint of it was regularly published there every month. Mr. John Blackvvood took counsel with the American lawyers, obtained an American contributor, and then threatened the Yankee publisher with all the terrors of the law, if the number were pirated as usual a successful step, for ever since that date a tribute tithe has been regularly paid for the right of republication. A branch house was started in London ; the firm was also increased by the return from India of William Blackwood, who was a major in the Indian army. In 1848 Lord Lytton commenced the " Caxtons," and novel after novel from his pen appeared in Maga to be anonymously successful even to the day of his death. For a period of twenty-five years, some of the finest novels and life-pictures in the language have made their first way to public favour through the medium of the magazine ; and Mrs. Oliphant and George Eliot owed their first encouragement to the discernment of Mr. John Blackwood. That Maga is still facile princeps of the monthly literature is evident enough even from a bare mention of latest ventures, from the talent of "Earl's Dene" and the wit of the " Battle of Dorking." Alison's " History of Europe " very soon proved its worth in the eyes of 'the public ; and among other more recent successes of the house we may mention the novels of George Eliot, particularly " Middle- marsh," which came out in an altogether novel form. As we shall not have another chance of returning to modern magazine literature, we may not inappropriately close the chapter with a short account of one or two of the most successful of the high-class publications. It was not to be expected that the marvellous sue-