"King Solomon's Mines"
net. Some matter which had not appeared in the Edinburgh edition was included.
Leading features of the edition, which was completed in 1907, were Mr. Gosse's graceful Preface, his Introductions to the various works, his bibliographical notes, and a series of plates—portraits of Stevenson, scenes connected with his life, and other subjects of interest to Stevenson's admirers. Mrs. Stevenson and Mr. Lloyd Osbourne lent willing assistance, and the difficulties inherent to such a project were thus readily overcome.
There is a curious parallelism between the publishing history of "King Solomon's Mines" and of "Treasure Island." In neither case had the author any great faith in the success of his creation; and "sundry publishers," Sir Rider Haggard says, "turned up their experienced noses" at "King Solomon's Mines" before it was offered to Cassell's. Stevenson, as we have seen, was overjoyed at the prospect of getting £100 for his story, and would probably have accepted that sum even if it had been unaccompanied by a royalty; Rider Haggard nearly accepted a small sum for the copyright of his book, and, as he himself tells the story, only elected to publish on the royalty system on the unsolicited advice of a subordinate member of the staff while the latter's principal was giving instructions for the agreement to be drawn up.
Again, it was W. E. Henley who brought the story to Cassell's and strongly recommended acceptance. Mr. W. W. Hutchings, who at that time was assistant to John Williams, the acting Chief Editor, writes: "There seems to have been a fine consistency about Henley's manner of offering MSS. to the House, I recollect his hobbling into Williams's room one afternoon in 1886 and flinging the MS. of 'King Solomon's Mines' down on the table with a half-defiant' There's a good thing for you!' Williams took home the MS. that evening and found that Henley was right."
Both books, too, are fortunate in their titles. "King Solomon's Mines" has, it is true—so its author says—
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