Warburton, who seems to have burned
several plays of Shakespeare.
The MS. in short will go where the old moons go.
And all dead days drift thither,
And all disastrous things.
Not only can you secure failure thus yourself, but you can so worry and
badger your luckless victim, that he too will be unable to write well
till he has forgotten you and your novel, and all the annoyance and
anxiety you have given him. Much may be done by asking him for
"introductions" to an editor or publisher. These gentry don't want
introductions, they want good books, and very seldom get them. If you
behave thus, the man whom you are boring will write to his publisher:
Dear Brown,
A wretched creature, who knows my great aunt, asks me to recommend his
rubbish to you. I send it by to-day's post, and I wish you joy of it.
This kind of introduction will do you excellent service in smoothing the
path to failure. You can arrive at similar results by sending your MS.
_not_ to the editor of this or that magazine, but to some one who, as you
have been told by some nincompoop, is the editor, and who is _not_.
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