“Salmonia”—­Anecdote of Lord Nelson—­The Duke of Wellington—­Murray’s offer to Scott for a History of Scotland—­Sale of Sir W. Scott’s copyrights—­Murray’s offer for “Tales of a Grandfather”—­Scott’s reply—­Scott’s closing years—­Murray’s resignation of his one-fourth share of “Marmion”—­Scott’s last contributions to the Quarterly—­His death—­Mr. John Murray’s account of the Theatrical Fund Dinner

CHAPTER XXVII

NAPIER’S “PENINSULAR WAR”—­CROKER’S “BOSWELL”—­“THE FAMILY LIBRARY” ETC.

Napier’s “History of the Peninsular War”—­Origin of the work—­Col.  Napier’s correspondence with Murray—­Publication of Vol.  I.—­Controversy aroused by it—­Murray ceases to publish the work—­His letter to the Morning Chronicle—­The Duke of Wellington’s Despatches—­Croker’s edition of “Boswell’s Johnson”—­Correspondence with Croker, Lockhart, etc.—­Publication of the book—­Its value—­Letter from Mrs. Shelley—­Mr. Henry Taylor’s “Isaac Comnenus”—­“Philip van Artevelde”—­“The Family Library” and the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge—­The progress of “The Family Library”—­Milman’s “History of the Jews”—­Controversy aroused by it—­Opinion of the Jews

CHAPTER XXVIII

MOORE’S “LIFE OF BYRON”

Murray purchases the remainder of Byron’s Poems—­Leigh Hunt’s “Recollections”—­Moore selected as the biographer of Byron—­Collection of Letters and Papers—­Lockhart and Scott’s opinion of the work—­Publication of the first volume of Byron’s “Life”—­Mrs. Shelley’s letter—­Publication of the second volume—­Letters from Mrs. Somerville and Croker—­Capt.  Medwin’s Conversations—­Pecuniary results of Lord Byron’s “Life”—­Reviews of Moore’s works in the Quarterly—­Moore on Editors—­Complete edition of “Byron’s Works”—­Letters from Countess Guiccioli and Sir R. Peel—­Thorwaldsen’s statue of Lord Byron—­Refused at Westminster Abbey, but erected in Trinity College Library, Cambridge

MEMOIRS OF JOHN MURRAY

CHAPTER I

JOHN MACMURRAY OR MURRAY

The publishing house of Murray dates from the year 1768, in which year John MacMurray, a lieutenant of Marines, having retired from the service on half-pay, purchased the bookselling business of William Sandby, at the sign of the “Ship,” No. 32, Fleet Street, opposite St. Dunstan’s Church.

John MacMurray was descended from the Murrays of Athol.  His uncle, Colonel Murray, was “out” in the rising of 1715, under the Earl of Mar, served under the Marquis of Tullibardine, the son of his chief, the Duke of Athol, and led a regiment in the abortive fight of Sheriffmuir.  After the rebellion Colonel Murray retired to France, where he served under the exiled Duke of Ormonde, who had attached himself to the Stuart Court.