PUBLISHERS 239 



references and quotations, represents an amount of 

 labour that can hardly be computed, and the number 

 of inaccuracies in it is insignificant. One of his own 

 copies is full of hundreds of notes in pencil, many of 

 considerable importance, additions, suggestions and 

 corrections, which, it may be hoped, will be embodied 

 some day in a new edition. 



As in the case of the Fourth Edition of " Yarrell," 

 mentioned above, Newton was provokingly slow in the 

 preparation of the " Dictionary of Birds," so much so 

 that he had a serious quarrel with his publishers about 

 the question of payment. Many of his friends were 

 persuaded that he had a good case for going to law with 

 them, but such a course was distasteful to him, and 

 after many delays the book was completed. 



It may readily be believed that Newton's habits of 

 delay were in a high degree irritating to publishers and 

 other people of business-like methods. The publication 

 of any book or pamphlet of his involved usually a 

 somewhat heated correspondence, of explanations of 

 delay on his part, and of protest on the part of the 

 exasperated and long-suffering publisher. During one 

 of these controversies, when he was in the throes of 

 publication, he wrote : 



I may use the words of Eli about his wicked sons 

 and say it is no good report that I hear of "Messrs. 

 X. and Y." ; but publishers I really believe are all 

 scoundrels alike, especially those of the highest repute. 

 One must be dumb before the shearers because one 

 can't help oneself. They keep well within the law, 

 which it is their business to know, but the law enables 

 them to fleece their victims at pleasure. I have 

 forgotten the particular incidents of the opening of the 

 6th Seal, but I know there is somewhere an uncomfort- 

 able place mentioned in which there will no doubt be 



