Conflicted Life: William Jerdan, 1782–18617. London Editor, Author and Critic by Susan Matoff

Abstract

Susan Matoff. Conflicted Life: William Jerdan, 1782-1869. London Editor, Author and Critic. Brighton: Sussex Academic Press, 2011. Pp. 659. 65 [pounds sterling] William Jerdan is largely forgotten today. If is known, it is mainly lover of Letitia Landon with whom had three children, Cynthia Lawford demonstrated some years ago. But in her prodigiously detailed and impressively well-researched study, Susan MatofF argues convincingly that, especially long-serving editor of Literary Gazette, he was vital facilitator and promoter of aspirants literature and many other cultural endeavours. MatofF observes in her useful Epilogue that Jerdan's multifarious writings are used in studies on art, crime, antiquarianism, photography, electricity, gas lighting and animals. As literary figure, seems at times like much less talented version of Leigh Hunt, with whom shared financial incompetence, extraordinary industry, belief in diffusion of ideas, and wish promote work of others. Hunt and Jerdan had falling-out, in fact, after Literary Gazette trashed Charles Lamb's Album Verses in slashing review that MatofF agrees may have been written by Landon. Hunt's Tatler amused itself with rhyming abuse, arguing that previous lampoon conferred an / Honour unmerited on jerdan, / Saying his intellect was small; / 'Twas thought that had none at all. Jerdan dunce enjoyed brief vogue, but played other roles in his long and busy life. He had way of being present at occasion and event. He detained assassin of Prime Minister Spencer Perceval in 1812, a feat not too heroic, MatofF comments with judicious dryness that is welcome feature of book, as by this time Bellingham was sitting quietly on bench, offering no resistance. He befriended many writers, including Edward Bulwer-Lytton and Charles Dickens, reprinting (without permission) latter's story of Sam Weller from first installment of The Pickwick Papers, but helping young novelist by advising him to develop Sam Weller's character 'largely--to utmost.' Later would bring work of Hans Christian Andersen attention of his readers, and effected meeting between Andersen and Dickens. He helped found Royal Society of Literature, throwing himself with gusto into scheme intended help indigent writers. More generally, product of Scottish Enlightenment culture (he grew up and was schooled in Kelso), welcomed into George Canning's circle, networking, dining, and toasting, Jerdan dealt with and hovered round great, bad, and good of literary London for many decades. His career involved Micawber-like risings and fallings, minor triumphs and considerable adversities, huge amounts of work, quarrels with rival periodical editors and owners, financial disaster, and running of three separate families. Apart from his three children with Landon, had six children who survived infancy with his wife Frances Jerdan, and a large family with another woman, Mary Maxwell, with whom began an affair in 1830s. Matoff allows facts accumulate towards characterization rather than writes with much overt display of inward feeling for her subject. This procedure leads uniformity of tone and cautiousness, in places, but it also means that her readers are in possession of evidence they need arrive at judgments. Hers is not book that dazzles with novelist-like perceptions, but it possesses historian's less flamboyant virtues of care for detail and patient accuracy. Tall, angular and convivial, Jerdan comes across diffusely energetic point of near self-cancellation, likeable, slightly banal, warm-hearted, capable of impressiveness. In first volume of his Autobiography (1852) writes, Matoff notes, about the difficulty of writing about 'Self,' and if this makes him sound, for faintly absurd moment, like proto-deconstructive post-Romantic, truth seems be more that Jerdan's inner core was his outer shell, or, put it more generously, with Madame Merle in mind, from Henry James's The Portrait of Lady, the whole envelope of [his] circumstances. …