John Wilson Croker to John Murray, 22 December 1821: 'I am happy to tell you that your Review is abominably bad -- happy for your sake, because, as you will, I dare say, sell 12,000, it only shows that you have an estate which produces wholly independent of its culture. All that ridiculous importance given to Dupin, a wretched ecrivasseur, and that affectation of naval statistics, I think very unsuitable. Your "Alchemy" is appropriate enough, great elaboration and pomp of work ending in smoke and dross. If Dalzell's "Lectures" are as obscure and dull as your commentary, they were not worth reviewing, no more than the commentary is worth reading [...] The article on Hazlitt is good, and that on the Scotch novels [italics]excellent[end italics].'