Page:A history of booksellers, the old and the new.djvu/163

CONSTABLE, CAD ELL, AND BLACK. 129 Dnrward, and St. Ronaris Well, in 1823 ; Red Gaunt- let, in 1824; and Woodstock, in 1825. The vast amount of business arising from these publications, produced in Constable's mind a convic- tion that he was a wealthy and prosperous man. Though never possessed of much free capital, he saw around him every day such proofs of an enlarging amount of stock, that nothing less than the demon- stration of figures a demonstration he cordially hated could have given him greater assurance of his affluent condition. Like Scott, he, too, was intoxi- cated with success. He had a magnificent way of transacting all business, and living rather like a princely father of letters, than a tradesman aiming at making them subservient to his use, he was led into an expenditure beyond his means. Another error lay in his yielding to Scott's desire for money, and the means of raising money by pre- payment for literary work yet to be accomplished. Of Scott's profits on his works, Lockhart makes the following statements : " Before Sir Walter went to London, in November, 1821, he concluded another negotiation of importance with the house of Constable and Co. They agreed to give, for the remaining copy- right of the four novels published between December, 1819, and January, 1821 to wit Ivanhoe, The Monas- tery, The A bbot, and Kenilworth the sum of five thou- sand guineas. The stipulation about not revealing the author's name under a penalty of ,2000, was repeated. By these four novels, the fruits of scarcely more than a twelve months' labour, he had already cleared at least 10,000 before this bargain was completed. . . . I cannot pretend to guess what the actual state of Scott's pecuniary affairs was at the time when John