CHAPTER XVII-1816 (CONTINUED.)

The great pervading and operating principle in me at the time, as illustrated by its effects. In my persisting so long under difficulties.-In my being eager to welcome every ray of comfort, and to grasp at every prospect of hope, in order that I might be enabled to persevere still.-In the manner in which my circular was worded-In my conduct on the night before the meeting.And at the time the meeting took place, in my own house, next day.-Copy of my address, to the gentlemen then assembled.-Suddenly indisposed, and obliged to retire.-Kind reception on my return-Only one jarring stringOne solitary exception. The subsequent conduct of this person slightly alluded to. Analysis of the statement laid before, and the minute of the meeting-My own wishes overruled by the kindness, and good offices of the gentlemen present.The terms offered and acceded to by me, although hard enough, as things turned out afterwards, better at the time, or more favourable, than I could have anticipated.-A considerate and humane observation by one of the gentlemen present.-Mr -'s letter to the absentees.-My own opinion, as expressed soon after the meeting in a letter to a friend.-Flattering testimonials from absent creditors-Choice drops of a most salutary Balm.-A canker, still remains in the wound-A kind and judicious hint, from a kind and judi cious friend.-Grievous reflection. My case submitted.

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YES! It was this principle, viz. of the industrious man, being backward, I shall not say ashamed, to acknowledge himself beat, while so many of his more indolent and less energetic brethren were thriving around him, that, I believe, was partly the means of my struggling so long with such sacrifice to my ease and feelings, and in which I had so often occasion, as it were, to hope almost against hope.

It was this principle, I believe, that made me more ready to hearken, than they were to advise, when, at the late interview with my two principal creditors, they did not think it expedient that I should stop at the time.

It was this principle operating in me, in conjunction with the conviction that I still had funds enough to meet the demands of every person in full, if all went well in regard to the disposal of my stock afterwards, that my circular was worded in the manner it was.

It was this principle operating in me, with the aforesaid conviction, that, at the meeting of the few friends, on the evening before the general one, I stood so strenuously out to

be allowed to offer 20s. per pound, with the allowance of what I might consider a reasonable time; and really, I believe, I took it very much amiss, that Mr Robert Cadell, (my late friend in the business of enabling me to procure subscriptions for my present work,*) then, of the firm of Messrs A. Constable and Co., should have argued so much as he did on the propriety of my adopting a contrary course, and, in conjunction with the other gentlemen present, insisting on my limiting my offer, with such time as they were disposed to grant, to sixteen shillings; and, when all would not do to overrule the good offices of these kind friends, who seemed to know the difficulties I had to contend with, better than, with my too sanguine wishes to do the utmost for my creditors, I appear to have done myself.

It was from the same principle, co-operating with the idea, that I might still be right in my conjecture, and influencing my conduct, that I could not think of facing my creditors on the ensuing day, the 7th of September, although they had kindly preferred having the meeting in my own house, to the adjoining inn, without prefacing the business with the following introductory, and affecting address, which I have copied from the original, in my own hand writing:

"Gentlemen,-I called you together to-day, in the full expectation of being able to have exhibited such a statement of my affairs as would have enabled me to proceed, with your indulgence, in the pleasing hope of being able to realize from my inventory, (notwithstanding my recent losses) funds sufficient to pay every person twenty shillings per pound.

"It appears, however, to be the decided opinion of gentlemen, who must be competent judges, and who are well acquainted with the book trade at the present moment, that, however anxious I may be, to accomplish a purpose that I have so much at heart, and which has buoyed me up in the tedious task of taking this minute inventory,† any attempt to do

I have to acknowledge my obligations not only to Mr Cadell, and Messrs Oliver and Boyd in this respect, in Edinburgh, but also to Mr James Lumsden, who took so great an interest, and so active a part, in the business at Glasgow.

This minute inventory, must have been indeed minutely taken, as I see it consisted of not fewer than 94 foolscap folio pages.

this, taking times as they are, would be only involving my self in such a continued state of embarrassment, as may prove fatal to my purpose, by taking a burden upon me, which, eventually, I might be unable to accomplish.

"In this view of the subject, so different from what my sanguine hopes, and anxious wish, to pay every one his full demand, led me to expect, and which, I assure you, gentlemen, is peculiarly distressing to a mind, feeling as I do, after a twenty-four years' laborious struggle, that I have, unfortunately, no alternative, but either, to make over the whole of my stock, including my household furniture, to the disposal of my creditors, or to offer, after the candid statement I have made, on my own and my son's security,* (without whose assistance I could not now undertake the management of the concern,) such a composition as the inventory may be judged capable of producing, by the gentlemen who have had the goodness to look it over, leaving it to them also, to decide on the TIME necessary for this purpose, reserving the full accomplishment of my most ardent wishes to a future period, should Providence, afterwards, put it in my power.

"With sincere gratitude for the good intentions, and kind indulgence already shewn me, I remain, very respectfully," &c. "Dunbar, Sept. 7, 1832."

'I do not know whether it was before or after the exhibition, or reading of this address, that, all on a sudden, I found myself so overpowered by a sense of my cheerless and humiliating situation, that I had to retire for a few minutes into another room, to recompose myself, and where I was under the necessity of having something of a restorative nature administered to me, by the faithful, alas! now partner of my

sorrows.

Upon my return to the place of meeting, I however found

's

This may be thought, at first sight, the worst feature of the case, to allow my son to become bound in a matter, which, it would appear, by Mr letter of the 9th, was very doubtful in the opinions of gentlemen present, I could get through with-but, it was the young man's voluntary offer, and was accepted of at the time, more as a form than for any other purpose; as I must mention to the honour of the gentlemen concerned, that no advantage, whatever, was taken of the circumstance afterwards :—for which, I shall ever feel grateful.

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so much sympathy, with one solitary exception,* that I soon recovered my wonted spirits, and heard the discussions, and went into the measures proposed, agreeably to the after statement, &c. with alacrity, never dreaming that, that solitary exception, while he was so busy in endeavouring to smooth me over by his deceitful wiles, and to overrule the scruples of the meeting, which, happily for me, they entertained against my persisting in my offer of twenty shillings per pound, was perhaps, at that very moment, meditating to take that advantage over my unhappy situation, which he afterwards did, and, by so doing, made it the more difficult for me to get forward, even with that modified experiment, which my other more kind-hearted creditors so readily agreed to.

From the statement submitted to my creditors, and of which I have a printed copy, with the minute of the meeting, now before me, it appears, that, besides £1,177: 9s. of debts due me, but, at that date, considered irrecoverable, I produced a state of funds to the amount of £10,566: 7: 3, making, in all £11,743: 16: 3, of funds accounted for; against a contra statement of debts due by me, to the amount of £9,520: 7: 8.-So that, after deducting the nearly twelve hundred pounds of bad debts, including recent losses, there still remained a balance in my favour of Upwards of One thousand pounds :—which, if things had been allowed to have been conducted more gradually, and affairs had not taken such a dreadful turn afterwards, might have perhaps, been realized; after paying, in the first place, every person his full demand.

But, it was fortunate for me, that the gentlemen principally concerned saw matters, and the approaching crisis, in a different light from what I did; and the consequence was,

Yes! for the honour of human nature, I must repeat, that there was but one solitary exception-and that solitary exception, not long after, furnished me with a document in his own hand writing, and still in my possession, that must have done much to blast his reputation, either in his lifetime, or since his decease, had I been desirous to retaliate; but so far is this from being the case, that I will not even now, mention the initials of his name, in pity, or rather, out of motives of delicacy, to his surviving connexions :-knowing well, that if individuals could better themselves in this respect, the good John Howard would never have had such a source of grief in his own son, and another excellent philanthropic individual, whom I could, but will not name, have experienced so much trouble and vexatious anxiety, from relatives more distantly connected.

that, instead of exacting an arrangement that bound me down to the full amount, the following resolution was agreed to by the meeting, and signed by the preses-one of the gentlemen humanely and considerately observing, that, if Mr M. could pay more out of the funds, they would leave it to himself,or, rather, if Mr M. could not make up that, which seemed to be doubted by some, they would leave it to him to do as much as he could.-The resolution was to the following purport:

"From the heavy stock of goods-the depressed state of the country-and the decided opinion of those creditors connected with the book trade, who were present,-it was the unanimous expression of the meeting, that sixteen shillings in the pound would be an ample composition upon the debts, and more than could be realized by any other person than Mr Miller himself.

"Mr Miller, accordingly, in concurrence with the views of the meeting, made offer of sixteen shillings per pound, payable (as was suggested by the meeting,) at six, twelve, eighteen, and twenty-four months,* in equal proportions, with the security of his son,, along with himself; which offer, the meeting agreed to accept, for the claims due them, and they earnestly urge the absent creditors likewise to accept said offer. The composition bills to be dated the first October next.

"The meeting requested of Mr to forward this settlement, and endeavour to see it carried into effect with as little delay as possible, which he agreed to."

In compliance with the concluding part of the minute, Mr -lost no time in carrying his part of the operations into effect; for, on Monday the 9th, (the meeting having been on a Saturday) he issued the following circular to the absentees, and every other means was adopted to expedite the business :

It should have been, for at least the double number of months betwixt each instalment, in such times, as I was almost immediately, doomed to encounter; but this, I must observe, in justice to the gentlemen who fixed these periods of settlement, was unforeseen.