'If your old contributors had to yield the pas to such writers only as the author of the "Battle of Dorking" we should have little to complain of. It is wonderfully fine and powerful. Is it Laurence Oliphant? I can't think of anybody else with such a power of realism and wonderful command of the subject. It is vivid as Defoe.'
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Margaret Oliphant Print: Book
'The manager here Mr. Simpson hearing what I said of it [George Chesney's "The Battle of Dorking"] took a proof home at night and while he was still wrapt up in it was startled by his mother a most acute old lady (who had picked up the sheets as he let them fall) exclaiming "Surely George the Germans never were in England"'
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: [?George] Simpson Manuscript: Sheet, Proofs of aricle
'The manager here Mr. Simpson hearing what I said of it [George Chesney's "The Battle of Dorking"] took a proof home at night and while he was still wrapt up in it was startled by his mother a most acute old lady (who had picked up the sheets as he let them fall) exclaiming "Surely George the Germans never were in England"'
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Old Mrs Simpson Manuscript: Sheet, Proofs of article
'I am much mistaken if the appearance of the article 'The Battle of Dorking' does not mark an epoch in the history of the Magazine. Nothing so good has appeared for years. In your place, I should print it as a pamphlet, and circulate it everywhere.'
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: G.C. Swayne Print: Serial / periodical
'My dear Blackwood, I have just read the opening article of Maga, and I cannot go to sleep, or make an attempt thereat, till I write to tell you how deeply the article has impressed me, - I feel the picture will be with me day & night for a good while to come. The country owes you thanks: but we won't take warning, & may go down any day like Carthage & Venice. I presume the article is by Hamley. Compared with the momentousness of the theme & the noble spirit in which it is treated, I can hardly bring myself to speak of its exceeding excellence as a literary work, - but in truth, I don't think even De Foe could have beat it.'
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: R.H. Patterson Print: Serial / periodical
'My dear Willie, I am glad the Pall Mall has noticed the article & I approve of the Advert... We dined at Mount Melville last night. Col. Moncrieff & his wife - He was raving about the Battle of Dorking & never read anything in his life so good or like the reality...'
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Colonel Moncrieff Print: Serial / periodical
'I went down & saw Old Gleig who was on the same subject [the success of the "Battle of Dorking"]. He said too he had been reading lately the Review of Lothair & did not know which to admire most the review or the review of the reviewers. The reperusal [sic] had nearly put him into fits.'
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: "Old" Gleig Print: Serial / periodical
'My dear Sir, I have just read "The Battle of Dorking". It is undeniably clever - but mischievous. [...] Panic assays a great mistake [...]'
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Lord Brougham Print: Serial / periodical
'"The Battle of Dorking" is written so well that I wd. gladly have written it, supposing that I had the knowledge. This I scarcely ever feel about anything I see in print.'
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Richard Doddridge Blackmore Print: Serial / periodical
'My dear Blackwood [...] "The Private Secretary" picks itself up this month. I thought one or two of the recent numbers even scarcely up to mark."
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Theodore Martin Print: Serial / periodical
'Gentlemen.
I am the fourth generation of my family that have taken in Blackwood's Magazine; the back numbers bound form a handsome library of themselves.
I regret most sincerely that in consequence of the story called "The Private Secretary" I am compelled to give it up. I never read such disgusting filth before, and am very sorry that such a high class (formerly) Magazine should have admitted such garbage into its columns.'
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Francis Philips Print: Serial / periodical
'As for the Private Secretary, I can sympathize with both you & Chesney. As Editor, I should have [?] to print it as it is; as Author, - if I had written it, - I am shy of writing anything in that style - I should have been very proud of it. The fact is, though risque it is devilish well done; & the merit & the objections to it are that it is so sensuously suggestive as to be [??] than far harder language.'
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Alex Innes Shand Print: Serial / periodical
We have been much interested all along in The Private Secretary.
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Emily Laszowska Print: Serial / periodical
