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Monthly Magazine, started by Mr. Colburn, under the editorial auspices of Mr. Thomas Campbell, author of 'The Pleasures of Hope,' appropriated the larger portion of its title. The Old Monthly Magazine was published at half-a-crown, being the same price as Blackwood, Fraser, and Bentley's magazines are at the present day.

"It was, as I have said, in this monthly periodical not in the columns of the Morning Chronicle-that Mr. Dickens first appeared in the realms of literature. He sent, in the first instance, his contributions to that periodical anonymously. These consisted of sketches, chiefly of a humorous character, and were simply signed 'Boz.' For a long time they did not attract any special attention, but were generally spoken of in newspaper notices of the magazine, as clever,' 'graphic,' and so forth.

"Early in 1836 the editorship of the Monthly Magazine the adjective 'Old' having been by this time dropped-came into my hands; and in making the necessary arrangements for its transfer from Captain Holland-then, I should have mentioned, proprietor as well as editor-I expressed my great admiration of the series of Sketches by Boz,' which had appeared in the Monthly, and said I should like to make an arrangement with the writer for a continuance of them under my editorship. With that view I asked him the name of the author. It will sound strange in most ears when I state, that a name which has for so many years filled the whole

civilized world with its fame, was not remembored by Captain Holland. But he added, after expressing his regret that he could not at the moment recollect the real name of 'Boz,' that he had received a letter from him a few days previously, and that if I would meet him, at the same time and place, next day, he would bring me that letter, because it related to the 'Sketches' of the writer in the Monthly Magazine. As Captain Holland knew I was at the time a parliamentary reporter on the Morning Chronicle, then a journal of high literary reputation, and of great political influence, he supplemented his remark by saying that 'Boz' was a parliamentary reporter; on which I observed, that I must, in that case, know him, at least by sight, as I was acquainted, in that respect, more or less, with all the reporters in the gallery of the House of Commons.

"Captain Holland and I met, according to appointment, on the following day, when he brought me the letter to which he had referred. I then found that the name of the author of 'Sketches by Boz' was Charles Dickens. The letter was written in the most moderate terms. It was simply to the effect that as he (Mr. Dickens) had hitherto given all his contributions those signed 'Boz'-gratuitously, he would be glad, if Captain Holland thought his 'Sketches' to be worthy of any small remuneration, as otherwise he would be obliged to discontinue them, because he was going very soon to get married, and therefore would be subjected to more expenses than he was

while living alone, which he was during the time, in Furnival's Inn.

"It was not quite clear from Mr. Dickens's letter to Captain Holland, whether he meant he would be glad to receive any small consideration for the series of 'Sketches,' about a dozen in number, which he had furnished to the Monthly Magazine without making any charge, or whether he only expected to be paid for those he might afterwards send. Neither do I know whether Captain Holland furnished him with any pecuniary expression of his admiration of the 'Sketches by Boz' which had appeared in the Monthly. But immediately on receiving Mr. Dickens's letter, I wrote to him, saying that the editorship of the Monthly Magazine had come into my hands, and that, greatly admiring his Sketches' under the signature of Boz,' I should be glad if we could. come to any arrangement for a continuance of them. I concluded my note by expressing a hope that he would, at his earliest convenience, let me know on what terms per sheet he would be willing to furnish me with similar sketches every month for an indefinite period.

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By return of post I received a letter from Mr. Dickens, to the effect that he had just entered into an arrangement with Messrs. Chapman and Hall to write a monthly serial. He did not name the work, but I found in a few weeks it was none other than thePickwick Papers.' He added, that as this serial would occupy much of his spare time from his

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duties as a reporter, he could not undertake to furnish me with the proposed sketches for less than eight guineas per sheet, which was at the rate of half-aguinea per page.

"I wrote to him in reply, that the price was not too much, but that I could not get the proprietor to give the amount, because when the Monthly Magazine came into his hands, it was not in the same flourishing state as it once had been. I was myself, at this time, getting ten guineas a sheet from Captain Marryat for writing for his Metropolitan Magazine, which was started by Thomas Campbell and Tom Moore, in opposition to the New Monthly Magazine, and at the rate of twenty guineas per sheet for my contributions to the Penny Cyclopædia.

"Only imagine," concludes Mr. Grant, with pardonable fervour," Mr. Dickens offering to furnish me with a continuation, for any length of time which I might have named, of his 'Sketches by Boz' for eight guineas a sheet, whereas in little more than six months from that date he could-so great in the interval had his popularity become-have got 100 guineas per sheet of sixteen pages from any of the leading periodicals of the day!"*

Dr. Charles Mackay writes to us:-"John Black, of the Morning Chronicle, was always keen to discover young genius, and to help it onwards in the

* Morning Advertiser, 13th June, 1870.

struggle of life. He very early discovered the talents of Dickens-not only as a reporter, but as a writer." Dr. Mackay was sub-editor of the Morning Chronicle when Dickens was a reporter. He continues :-" I have often heard Black speak of him, and predict his future fame. When Dickens had become famous, Black exerted all his influence with Sir John Easthope, principal proprietor of the Chronicle, to have Dickens engaged as a writer of leading articles. He (Black) had his wish, and Dickens wrote several articles; but he did not seem to take kindly to such work, and did not long continue at it."

And Mr. Gruneisen writes: "I believe I must add my name to the remaining list of editorial workers who became acquainted with Charles Dickens when he was in the Gallery. I hope my memory is not deceiving me when I claim for Vincent Dowling, once a reporter, and for years the respected editor of Bell's Life in London, the credit of having been the first to discover the genius for sketching characters of Dickens. J. G.' may remember that the proprietary of the Morning Chronicle, the Observer, and Bell's Life was in the hands, if I remember rightly, exclusively of Mr. Perry, and the publication of the several papers was at the Strand office. I have a distinct recollection that Dr. Black's notice of Dickens was based on writings which had been in print prior to his joining the reporting staff of the Morning Chronicle. Dr. Black was always very emphatic in his prognostications of the brilliant future of Charles

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