I have had a letter from a worthy friend, Jedediah Cleishbotham, who says, ‘I return the letter of Mr. Blackwood, and am glad he is pleased; but he will like the second volume better than the first, and so will you, I think. But I want some Covenanting books sadly, to ascertain and identify my facts and dates by, before committing myself to the inevitable operation of the proofs. The following I especially want’ [here Mr. Cleishbotham enumerates Hodson’s ‘History of the Sufferings of the Kirk,’ and a number of others, all of which I had it fortunately in my power to send to Ballantyne, along with some others which I know he would like to see]. ‘Without the means of the most accurate confirmation of what I have written, with these volumes, Jedediah hath too much regard unto verity to print or publish. The sooner they can be supplied, the sooner you will receive the copy. I have some thoughts of writing a Glossary, in the name and style of said learned Jedediah. I am, if I may say so, confident of the success of this work!’ This is no bad heartening—although it must be confessed that authors are not the best judges of their own composition. I do not hope to like the Covenanting tale better than the ‘Black Dwarf.’
