The stock of the Waverley Novels was sold off, far below the market value, and the London publishers, judging from this that the intrinsic worth of the copyright had irretrievably declined, allowed Cadell, as we have seen, in conjunction with Scott, to become the purchaser at the low price of £8500. The success of the republication was astounding, and showed what real life and vivacity was still left in the copyright. By this scheme the whole of the novels were reprinted in five-shilling volumes with excellent illustrations, giving for ten shillings in two volumes what had been originally published in three at a guinea and a half. After Scott’s death the debt still amounted to £54,000; his life was insured for £22,000, there was £2000 in hand, and now Cadell most handsomely advanced £30,000 in order that the remaining debt might be liquidated, taking as his only security the right to the profit that might accrue from the copyright property. The family, dreading that the term of copyright might expire before the sum could be returned, endeavoured to obtain a special additional term, and on more than one occasion Serjeant Talfourd introduced a bill into the House of Commons to this effect, but without success. Fortunately, however, the event showed that Cadell was commercially fully justified in his generosity, for before his death not only had he been reimbursed his £30,000, but a handsome profit had been earned “for the benefit of all whom it might concern.” According to Mr. James Mylne, one of Cadell’s executors, the following is the total sale of Scott’s works from the time they came into Cadell’s hands until his death:-- _Circulation._ Waverley Novels 78,270 sets Poetical Works 41,340 ” Prose Works 8,260 ” _Life_ by Lockhart 26,060 ” _Tales of a Grandfather_ (as a separate work) 22,190 ” Selections 7,550 ” and, as a test of the popularity of the _People’s Edition_ of the writings and _Life_, he states that the following numbers originally printed in weekly sheets were issued: Novels 7,115,197 Poetry 674,955 Prose 269,406 Life 459,291 ---------- Total Sheets 8,518,849