Occasionally a writer has taken the reviewers less seriously and has had a jest at their expense, as did Maria Jane Jewsbury in her “ First Efforts in Criticism ," 99 a humorous parody on cur rent criticism and critics, - a parody that had in its turn its own
amusing sequel.100 Others, like Harriet Martineau, have been scandalized by the tricks of the trade.101 Only occasionally per review by Maginn in Fraser's Magazine; then to further assailing by Berke ley ; and finally to an action for assault by Fraser who was awarded £100 , and
to an action against him for libel which was settled for 4os damages, without
costs. - H . Vizetelly, Glances Back Through Seventy Years, I, 124- 126. Thomas Moore challenged Jeffrey who had written a denunciatory review
of a volume of Moore 's poems, but the police interrupted the affair. The
review is found in the Edinburgh Review , July , 1806 , 8 : 456 –465. 99 Phantasmagoria , I, 233 - 347.
100 The critic, as described by the author, purports to be reviewing certain imaginary books on mathematics, gives an essay on the advantages of the
study of arithmetic, and then , the author adds, " Here follows a disquisition of twenty pages on things in general, with particular mention of the Brazils ,
the Peninsular War, and Church History .”
This was a sly hit at Southey
of whom Macaulay wrote to Napier, December 6 , 1844, “ Southey used to work regularly two hours a day on the history of Brazil, then an hour for the Quarterly Review , then an hour on the life of Wesley , then two hours
on the Peninsular War, then an hour on the Book of the Church .” — Selection
from the Correspondence of the Late Macvey Napier, pp. 476 –477;also , p . 425. To jest at Southey was, to a contemporary, comparable to “ Sydney Smith ' s man who had been heard to speak disrespectfully of the Equator."
But Wordsworth , to whom Miss Jewsbury had dedicated her volumes, with an entire lack of a sense of humor, sent the volumes to Southey to review for the Quarterly , and when Southey " responded to this overture with some
austerity ” and left the author “ wholly unnoticed,” Wordsworth “ must have wondered what it all meant.” — A . A .Watts, Alaric Watts, I, 184 - 186 . 101 “ Even
through
these liberal and honourable publishers Messrs.
Saunders and Otley ), however , I became acquainted with one of the tricks of the trade which surprised me a good deal. After telling me the day of publication , and announcing that my twenty - five copies would be ready ,
Mr. Saunders inquired when I should like to come to their back parlour, and write the notes .' - 'What notes? ' — ' The notes for the Reviews, you know , Ma'am .' He was surprised at being obliged to explain that authors
write notes to friends and acquaintances connected with periodicals , ' to
request favourable notices of the work .' I did not know how to credit this ; and Mr. Saunders was amazed that I had never heard of it. ' I assure you , Ma'am , - - does it ; and all our authors do it.' On my emphatically declining, he replied , 'As you please, Ma'am : but it is the universal practice, I believe. I have always been related to the Reviews exactly like the ordi nary public . I have never inquired who had reviewed me, or known who was
going to do so , exceptby public rumour. I do not very highly respect reviews, nor like to write them ; for the simple reason that in ninety -nine cases out of a hundred , the author understands his subject better than the reviewer."
Autobiography, I, 404. Probably a similar custom is alluded to in a letter to R . W .Griswold from Epes Sargent who, in writing of his “ little book ," says, “ Please
