Page:The Story of the House of Cassell (book).djvu/82

The Story of the House of Cassell

The provincial papers followed suit. One of them reprimanded Lord Brougham for his lamentable violation of the proprieties of publishing, and reproved "the Imperial author" for passing over Mr. Murray, Messrs. Longman, "and the great dignitaries of Paternoster Row," and giving his patronage to "a firm which has never yet given a book of high standing to the world"!

All this farrago of nonsense was destroyed in due course by the London Review, which related the facts as they were:

"Private letters from Paris speak of the large paper edition of Vol. I of the Emperor's 'Vie de César' as being ready. The number of copies which the Emperor thinks of giving away to the crowned heads of Europe and the principal officers of State is about 1,500. Paragraphs have appeared in several contemporaries reflecting somewhat on the good taste of the French Emperor in selecting Messrs. Cassell, Petter and Galpin as the publishers of his 'Vie de César,' when such old and famous firms as Messrs. Longman and Murray represented the highest interests of English literature. We beg to say that the matter of publication was one of open competition, the highest bidder for the privilege receiving the appointment, and that Mr. Smith, Mr. Brown, or anybody else in Paternoster Row might have become the publisher if sufficient money had been offered. The publishing arrangements were left entirely to M. Henri Plon, the Paris publisher, who, from a strictly commercial point of view, listened to that money offer which was highest."

Upon this the Guardian hastened to withdraw as "without foundation" the suggestion that Lord Brougham had anything to do with the matter, and apologized "for the imputation . . . against so respectable and influential a firm."

The business had now reached great dimensions. Cassell was its spring and inspiration. But he had the defects of his qualities. For the patient organization of a huge business concern he had no special capability. This he was content to leave to Petter and Galpin, and to the able men of business on the staff. His spirit was

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