“Having now heard every one’s opinion about our ‘Tales of my Landlord,’ I feel competent to assure you that it is universally in their favour.  There is only ‘Meg Merrilies’ in their way.  It is even, I think, superior to the other three novels.  You may go on printing as many and as fast as you can; for we certainly need not stop until we come to the end of our, unfortunately, limited 6,000....  My copies are more than gone, and if you have any to spare pray send them up instantly.”

On the following day Mr. Murray wrote to Mr. Scott: 

John Murray to Mr. Scott.

December 14, 1816.

DEAR SIR,

Although I dare not address you as the author of certain Tales—­which, however, must be written either by Walter Scott or the devil—­yet nothing can restrain me from thinking that it is to your influence with the author of them that I am indebted for the essential honour of being one of their publishers; and I must intrude upon you to offer my most hearty thanks, not divided but doubled, alike for my worldly gain therein, and for the great acquisition of professional reputation which their publication has already procured me.  As to delight, I believe I could, under any oath that could be proposed, swear that I never experienced such great and unmixed pleasure in all my life as the reading of this exquisite work has afforded me; and if you witnessed the wet eyes and grinning cheeks with which, as the author’s chamberlain, I receive the unanimous and vehement praise of them from every one who has read them, or heard the curses of those whose needs my scanty supply would not satisfy, you might judge of the sincerity with which I now entreat you to assure the author of the most complete success.  After this, I could throw all the other books which I have in the press into the Thames, for no one will either read them or buy.  Lord Holland said, when I asked his opinion:  “Opinion? we did not one of us go to bed all night, and nothing slept but my gout.”  Frere, Hallam, and Boswell; Lord Glenbervie came to me with tears in his eyes.  “It is a cordial,” he said, “which has saved Lady Glenbervie’s life.”  Heber, who found it on his table on his arrival from a journey, had no rest till he had read it.  He has only this moment left me, and he, with many others, agrees that it surpasses all the other novels.  Wm. Lamb also; Gifford never read anything like it, he says; and his estimate of it absolutely increases at each recollection of it.  Barrow with great difficulty was forced to read it; and he said yesterday, “Very good, to be sure, but what powerful writing is thrown away.”  Heber says there are only two men in the world, Walter Scott and Lord Byron.  Between you, you have given existence to a third.

Ever your faithful servant,

JOHN MURRAY.

This letter did not effectually “draw the badger.”  Scott replied in the following humorous but Jesuitical epistle: