Mr. Murray not only published the works of others, but became an author himself.  He wrote two letters in the Morning Chronicle in defence of his old friend Colonel (afterwards Sir) Robert Gordon, who had been censured for putting an officer under arrest during the siege of Broach, in which Gordon had led the attack.  The Colonel’s brother, Gordon of Gordonstown, wrote to Murray, saying, “Whether you succeed or not, your two letters are admirably written; and you have obtained great merit and reputation for the gallant stand you have made for your friend.”  The Colonel himself wrote (August 20,1774):  “I cannot sufficiently thank you, my dear sir, for the extraordinary zeal, activity, and warmth of friendship, with which you so strenuously supported and defended my cause, and my honour as a soldier, when attacked so injuriously by Colonel Stuart, especially when he was so powerfully supported.”

Up to this time Mr. Murray’s success had been very moderate.  He had brought out some successful works; but money came in slowly, and his chief difficulty was the want of capital.  He was therefore under the necessity of refusing to publish works which might have done something to establish his reputation.

At this juncture, i.e. in 1771, an uncle died leaving a fortune of L17,000, of which Mr. Murray was entitled to a fourth share.  On the strength of this, his friend Mr. Kerr advanced to him a further sum of L500.  The additional capital was put into the business, but even then his prosperity did not advance with rapid strides; and in 1777 we find him writing to his friend Mr. Richardson at Oxford.

John Murray to Mr. Richardson.

DEAR JACK,

I am fatigued from morning till night about twopenny matters, if any of which is forgotten I am complained of as a man who minds not his business.  I pray heaven for a lazy and lucrative office, and then I shall with alacrity turn my shop out of the window.

A curious controversy occurred in 1778 between Mr. Mason, executor of
Thomas Gray the poet, and Mr. Murray, who had published a “Poetical
Miscellany,” in which were quoted fifty lines from three passages in
Gray’s works.

Mr. Murray wrote a pamphlet in his own defence, and the incident is mentioned in the following passage from Boswell’s “Life”: 

“Somebody mentioned the Rev. Mr. Mason’s prosecution of Mr. Murray, the bookseller, for having inserted in a collection only fifty lines of Gray’s Poems, of which Mr. Mason had still the exclusive property, under the Statute of Queen Anne; and that Mr. Mason had persevered, notwithstanding his being requested to name his own terms of compensation.  Johnson signified his displeasure at Mr. Mason’s conduct very strongly; but added, by way of showing that he was not surprised at it, ‘Mason’s a Whig.’  Mrs. Knowles (not hearing distinctly):  ’What! a prig, Sir?’ Johnson:  ‘Worse, Madam; a Whig!  But he is both!’”