Dear Sir,—Authors with whom we have transactions, as well as ourselves, have recently been frequently applied to for publications "for the purpose of review in the daily, and other journals," by a person signing himself "JOHN B. EARDLEY WILMOT;" and as we happen to know, in an instance that has just occurred, we have been directed by one of our authors to send his works to the individual making application for the same under the impression that you were the party who did so, we write therefore in the first instance, as we have our doubts on the subject, to inquire if we are correct in presuming it is yourself who proffer the services of a reviewer, as in such case we shall be happy in sending the publications applied for, to be noticed accordingly. In the event of the letter alluded to (and which we send for your inspection) not having emanated from you, we beg you will further oblige us by stating if you know anything of the party who signs his name in a manner so similar to yourself.
Waiting your reply,
We are, dear Sir,
Yours very respectfully,
(Signed) H. BUTTERWORTH & CO.
To Sir J. E. Eardley Wilmot, Bart,
Barrister at Law, King's Bench Walk, Temple.
Sessions, Warwick, January 5th, 1852.
Dear Sirs,—I have the honour of acknowledging your letter of the 2nd inst., which has been forwarded to me here.
I have already on more than one occasion been applied to, to know if I am the individual who signs himself "J. B. EARDLEY WILMOT," and who it seems is in the habit of writing to publishers, to ask for copies of new works, for the alleged purpose of getting them reviewed. Not three weeks ago I found on my table at my chambers in the Temple three very expensive books, which had been sent to me by Messrs. Longman & Co., supposing that I had offered to review them. I am very glad of the opportunity your letter affords me of stating that the individual who thus signs himself and I myself are totally different persons; I have no connection or influence whatever with any literary journal, nor have I ever been a writer in any, and I need scarcely assure you I have never asked any publisher in my life for a copy of any new work in the manner adopted by the individual to whom you allude.
I may as well add, that there is no member of my family whose initials are J. B. Eardley Wilmot, nor is there, to the best of my knowledge, any family in England, except my own, which combines the two surnames of Eardley Wilmot. I must therefore presume that the signature of J. B. Eardley Wilmot is entirely a fictitious one, and adopted for sinister purposes.
I beg to express my acknowledgments to you, for enabling me to set myself right with the literary world, more especially as I have lately brought out a little work of my own on a subject entirely professional.