will lure advertising to his columns; the critic depends on reviews for his livelihood, and the author for reputation . The reading public alone has no financial interest in reviews, but desires
adequate service, which it does not get and is, therefore, dissatis fied as are the commercial interests involved because the returns
are incommensurate with the efforts expended . Between the upper and the nether millstone the review is crushed . Yet other grounds besides the financial ones explain the dis
satisfaction with the review on the part of these various groups. The opinions of certain publishers have already been indicated . Authors have been far from agreeing in regard to the desira
bility of criticism . Walter Scott flung magnificent defiance to the tribe of critics in writing to James Ballantyne, apropos of a letter of William Blackwood 's, suggesting certain changes in the Black Dwarf:— " Tell him and his coadjutor that I belong to the Black Hussars of Literature , who neither give nor receive criti
cism .” 84 George Eliot, in a letter to John Blackwood, confessed her belief that “ reviewers are fellowmen towards whom I keep
a Christian feeling by not reading them .” 85 William Black , like many another author, felt that the criticisms of reviewers were always either obvious or foolish and steadily maintained his
rule not to read the reviews of his books.86 • The critics themselves have their own troubles, - troubles with which the historian must sympathize even when realizing
that they militate against the absolute reliability of criticism . Some of these troubles come from within . One is what Collins
calls “ the increasing tendency to regard nothing of importance compared with the spirit of tolerance and charity . An all embracing philanthropy exempts nothing from its protection . Every one must be good -natured .” 87 Yet this good nature has
its defenders. “ The good reviewer,” says R . C . Holliday, “ does go easy with most books. It is a mark of his excellence as a
Walter Scothe,1
84 J . G . Lockhart, Memoirs of Sir Walter Scott, I, 22. 85 Mrs. Oliphant, Annals of a Publishing House, III, 393 .
86 Wemyss Reid , William Black, pp . 204 -206 (English Edition ) . This
letter of Black to Reid is of special interest when taken in connection with one written by him to the Daily Graphic in which with fine irony he describes
the work of the reviewer, from Black 's point of view . - 16 ., 301- 308 .
87 J. C . Collins, “ The Present Functions of Criticism ," Ephemera Critica , pp . 13 -44 .
