Two letters [1846] to JCG re printing of her plays, and recommending Nicol.
Transcriptions:
1) Monday night, 11 o’clock.
My dear Jane I have been longer than I intended giving you the information derived from Nicol about the choice of a publisher as on one day I was confined to the house with a bad head ache & since that, my back has been so painful I have not been able to walk. I am at this moment enduring the penance of a hip-bath, & as the stewing is to be prolonged for ¾ of an hour, I will devote part of it to telling you what I have settled with Mr.N. I pressed him hard to prevail on Bentley, Cockburn or Murray to give your composition to the world, but he said they made a practice of publishing nothing excepting their own, or what they purchase from Authors, whose estatation has been established. The next best terms therefore seemed to be, that I should accept his offer to let Wright of 60, Pall Mall & Simken & Marshall be the publishers. Between them there is no fear of yr. play being well-circulated among the Trade, and as Wright has published several very popular plays & has a shop in the best position to attract the notice of persons who are likely to become purchasers, I hope you will not be greatly disappointed that the other people could not be enlisted in yr. service, neither must you be vexed if it takes a considerable time to recommend it to the public. I waited while Nicol opened the covers & ran his eye over yr. MS partly to form an opinion as to the number of proof sheets he should send, and partly to judge of its merits - he says he shall send you 4 separate proofs; & as to the composition - it was evident the author was well practised in the composition of plays & both knew & executed his business well. Nicol you should know is altogether a literary person & a good authority as a Critic: - till recently he was bookseller to the Royal Family, not a printer
I trust James has had no return of his attacks of indigestion, & that yr. Aunt is recovering from her anxieties & fatigue. Pray make our love & best wishes acceptable to them & with like feelings towards yourself, Believe me always, Yours most truly, R. Buchanan Dunlop.
I have an early appointment with some Lawyers tomorrow morning or should have deferred writing you to a more convenient opportunity & to enable me to do so more fully. I fear my prospects of returning to London are cut off, at all events till Decr. 1847
2) My dear Jane The enclosed arrived this morning & shall be sent on tomorrow by the first post. I opened the cover to ascertain if there were any orders for me, but I have refrained from reading either this or the preceding sheets so I can offer no opinion in reply to Nicol’s question even were I competent so to do: it is enough for me that I find him saying he is much interested & pleased with it as he goes on from sheet to sheet - that the language is good as well as the Metre & the passions well painted.
I trust your Aunt continues to suffer less from her burn & that James is also better. Emma has a bad cold, & I am perfection barring a feeling of considerable languor from the effects of Dr.Chambers’ punishing remembrance.
With our united kind Love to you all, I am ever, Yours most sincerely - in haste RBD Sunday night
Will you reply to Nicol’s suggestions through me or direct? I saw by your note that you encouraged N. in sending you further points [?] as they occurred to him & I added my request to him for the like service