158 SKCRKT MEMORANDUMS. 



neration I had received from the different periodicals for " the deeds 

 I had done," until some time after. I eventually found a spare 

 minute, and the account was booked. 



To Reviews, Notices, fyc. of the " Rise of Liberty," varying from nine 

 inches to afoot and a half: 



. s. d. 



From the Capital Commodore ---110 paid. 



Ditto, the Brazen Face 0140 paid. 



Ditto, the High Scotch Republican - - 15 paid. 

 Ditto, the New Twaddler ----0126 



Ditto, (a long shot) the Dog and Gun -142 paid. 



Ditto, the Old Square 0106a bill. 



Ditto, the Independent Depositary - - 14 paid. 



Ditto, the London Brassrazor - - - 15 paid. 



I had proceeded thus far, when I was startled by a postman's 

 knock ! Another order for critiques, no doubt ! I tore open the 

 note. It was from Mr. Wimble, who, by some most extraordinary 

 coincidence, or absolute treachery in the editor, had discovered that 

 I was the writer of the article in Brazenface ! The contents of his 

 letter I must leave to be conjectured. I cannot bring myself to 



transcribe it. 



******** 



It was a great satisfaction to me, in laying my head upon my 

 pillow, that I was not so bad as Mr. Wimble thought. He little knew 

 of my method of neutralization of the habitual wound-and-balsam 

 system I had adopted as a salvo to my conscience ; and I could not 

 let him into my secret. But I had, in fact, only embodied myself 

 in the general routine. Had I riot written those critiques, the very 

 same sort of things would have been done collectively. I had merely 

 acted the part of a successful dramatist, according to my profession 

 of a literary Advocate, &c. 



* * * * * * 



I am now in the decline of life, and a bachelor of course. I could 

 never afford to get married. No contributor, who lived by it, ever 

 could. I have seen very hard service in my time, and am beginning 

 to be exceedingly sick of my profession. All the various grades of 

 magazine-writer have I arduously worked through excepting only 

 the lowest of all ; which, strange at it may appear, contains the 

 fewest in number : I allude to those gentlemen who pay to have their 

 communications inserted. This, in most cases, is really no more than 

 just, as their papers are generally a great detriment to the magazine. 

 It would be invidious to give examples ; but I will merely observe 

 that those who are " dabs" in the art of " shooting flying/' are 

 not always the best qualified lo add to the circulation of a good 

 periodical. 



As for me, I am well nigh sick of my life. I have as much busi- 

 ness as I can do ; but I no longer take any interest in doing it, be- 

 yond the means of getting bread and cheese and a glass of wine on 

 Sunday. At the age of fifty-two, man is no longer " brisk as a 



