with one of his own great novels, but had put it off till it was too
late. _Lovel the Widower_ was commenced at the same time with my own
story, but _Lovel the Widower_ was not substantial enough to appear as
the principal joint at the banquet. Though your guests will undoubtedly
dine off the little delicacies you provide for them, there must be a
heavy saddle of mutton among the viands prepared. I was the saddle of
mutton, Thackeray having omitted to get his joint down to the fire in
time enough. My fitness lay in my capacity for quick roasting.

It may be interesting to give a list of the contributors to the first
number. My novel called _Framley Parsonage_ came first. At this banquet
the saddle of mutton was served before the delicacies. Then there was a
paper by Sir John Bowring on _The Chinese and Outer Barbarians_. The
commencing number of _Lovel the Widower_ followed. George Lewes came
next with his first chapters of _Studies in Animal Life_. Then there was
Father Prout's _Inauguration Ode_, dedicated to the author of _Vanity
Fair_,--which should have led the way. I need hardly say that Father
Prout was the Rev. F. Mahony. Then followed _Our Volunteers_, by Sir
John Burgoyne; _A Man of Letters of the Last Generation_, by Thornton
Hunt; _The Search for Sir John Franklin_, from a private journal of an
officer of the Fox, now Sir Allen Young; and _The First Morning of
1860_, by Mrs. Archer Clive. The number was concluded by the first of
those _Roundabout Papers_ by Thackeray himself, which became so
delightful a portion of the literature of _The Cornhill Magazine_.

It would be out of my power, and hardly interesting, to give an entire
list of those who wrote for _The Cornhill_ under Thackeray's editorial
direction. But I may name a few, to show how strong was the support
which he received. Those who contributed to the first number I have
named. Among those who followed were Alfred Tennyson, Jacob Omnium, Lord