that in addition to this, he shall receive from me the sum of L200 annually, merely as the editor.  This, Sir, is much more than I can flatter myself with the return of, for the first year at least; but it is my intention that his salary shall ever increase proportionately to the success of the work under his management.  The editor has a most arduous office to perform, and the success of the publication must depend in a great measure upon his activity.

I am, dear Sir, Your obliged and faithful Servant,

John Murray.

It will be observed from this letter, that Mr. Murray was aware that, besides skilful editing, sound and practical business management was necessary to render the new Review a success.  The way in which he informs Mr. Scott about Gifford’s proposed review of “Juvenal” and “Persius,” shows that he fully comprehended the situation, and the dangers which would beset an editor like Gifford, who lived for the most part amongst his books, and was, to a large extent, secluded from the active world.

On the same day Scott was writing to Murray: 

Mr. Scott to John Murray.  Edinburgh, November 15, 1808.

Dear Sir,

I received two days ago a letter from Mr. Gifford highly approving of the particulars of the plan which I had sketched for the Review.  But there are two points to be considered.  In the first place, I cannot be in town as I proposed, for the Commissioners under the Judicial Bill, to whom I am to act as clerk, have resolved that their final sittings shall be held here, so that I have now no chance of being in London before spring.  This is very unlucky, as Mr. Gifford proposes to wait for my arrival in town to set the great machine a-going.  I shall write to him that this is impossible, and that I wish he would, with your assistance and that of his other friends, make up a list of the works which the first number is to contain, and consider what is the extent of the aid he will require from the North.  The other circumstance is, that Mr. Gifford pleads the state of his health and his retired habits as sequestrating him from the world, and rendering him less capable of active exertion, and in the kindest and most polite manner he expresses his hope that he should receive very extensive assistance and support from me, without which he is pleased to say he would utterly despair of success.  Now between ourselves (for this is strictly confidential) I am rather alarmed at this prospect.  I am willing, and anxiously so, to do all in my power to serve the work; but, my dear sir, you know how many of our very ablest hands are engaged in the Edinburgh Review, and what a dismal work it will be to wring assistance from the few whose indolence has left them neutral.  I can, to be sure, work like a horse myself, but then I have two heavy works on my hands already, namely, “Somers” and “Swift.”  Constable had lately very nearly relinquished the latter work, and I now