To JOHN FORSTER, [31 JANUARY 1839]

¹ Apparently Barham wrote two letters to Bentley on 30 Jan, advising him to accept Ainsworth as editor of the Miscellany in succession to CD. The first was a brief note (dated 30 Jan) written after CD and Ainsworth had called on him, saying "I see additional reason for adhering to the opinion I gave you honestly as to the eligibility of Mr A. for an editor"; the second (undated) was presumably written the same night and taken away by Ainsworth after dinner. It read: "Mr Ainsworth & myself have had a long interview with Mr Dickens and the result of our conference which I copy from his own memorandum is (in substance) this | Mr Dickens on withdrawing will express himself friendly towards the Miscellany and its new Editor, Mr Ainsworth, provided that Gentleman's name is immediately substituted as that of his successor. | Mr Dickens will write a paper in the next number of the Miscellany gratuitously announcing, in the pleasantest manner in which he can possibly state it, the termination of his present connexion with it. Mr Dickens at the same time pledges himself to write gratuitously two further papers within the next six months for the Miscellany. | Mr Dickens has already devoted much time to the proper arrangement of papers marking such as he thinks worthy the attention of his Successor Mr Ainsworth to whom personally he will be happy to supply any information on these heads which it is in his power to afford. | It is a point of honor with Mr Dickens that he will not edit, conduct, originate or write for any new or existing magazine until the present year has expired. Mr Dickens conceives the last condition expressed in the words which are underscored as a matter of personal friendship to Mr Ainsworth, and it is expressly understood that Nicholas Nickleby and an annual work to be written by Mr Dickens and published by Messrs. Chapman & Hall are exempted from these conditions as they are in the memoranda of agreement (dated the 28th inst.) now existing between Mr Dickens and Mr Bentley. | I think these conditions fair and reasonable between man & man and I recommend them as far as my opinion goes to your adoption." (MSS Berg)

¹ Forster, in his use of this letter, is slightly disingenuous. He says that after receiving the letter of 21 Jan, "I gently reminded him that I had made objection at the time to the arrangement on the failure of which he empowered me to bring about the settlement it was now proposed to supersede. I cannot give his reply, as it would be unbecoming to repeat the warmth of its expression to myself, but I preserve its first few lines to guard against any possible future misstatement." He then goes on to quote parts of paragraphs 2 and 3 of the letter of 31 Jan, beginning "If you suppose that anything in my letter …" (F, ii, iii, 117n). His reason for this alteration can only be guessed at: but concern for his prestige as CD's chief adviser may have deterred him from recording an argument between them at the dinner; whereas the alternative, that he had misunderstood what was said in a letter, suggests a milder form of disagreement. For CD's account of the part Forster played at this time, see To Ainsworth, 26 Mar 39.

² Word confused; apparently "steadiness" written first and changed to "openness"—because "steadiness" used a few lines earlier.