Pray use your most tasteful discretion so as to wrap up or leave out certain approximations to indelicacy." Mr.Douglas Kinnaird, who was entrusted with the business portion of this transaction, wrote to Mr.Murray: _Mr.Douglas Kinnaird to John Murray_.
_June 7_, 1819.
My Dear Sir, Since I had the pleasure of seeing you, I have received from Lord Byron a letter in which he expresses himself as having left to Mr.Hobhouse and myself the sole and whole discretion and duty of settling with the publisher of the MSS.

which are now in your hands the consideration to be given for them.

Observing that you have advertised "Mazeppa," I feel that it is my duty to request you will name an early day--of course previous to your publishing that or any other part of the MSS .-- when we may meet and receive your offer of such terms as you may deem proper for the purchase of the copyright of them.

The very liberal footing on which Lord Byron's intercourse with you in your character of publisher of his Lordship's works has hitherto been placed, leaves no doubt in my mind that our interview need be but very short, and that the terms you will propose will be met by our assent.
The parties met, and Mr.Murray agreed to give L525 for "Mazeppa," and L1,575 for the first and second cantos of "Don Juan," with "The Ode to Venice" thrown in.
In accordance with Lord Byron's directions to his publisher to "keep the anonymous," Cantos I.and II.

of "Don Juan" appeared in London, in quarto, in July 1819, without the name of either author, publisher, or bookseller.