Though he could not lend much at the time, he sent Mr.
Murray L150, "lest he might be prejudiced for want of it," and added a letter of kind and homely advice.
In order to extend his business to better advantage, Mr.Murray endeavoured to form connections with booksellers in Scotland and Ireland.

In the first of these countries, as the sequel will show, the firm established permanent and important alliances.

To push the trade in Ireland he employed Thomas Cumming, a Quaker mentioned in Boswell's "Life of Johnson," who had been one of his advisers as to the purchase of Mr.Sandby's business.
_Mr.T.Gumming to John Murray_.
"On receipt of thine I constantly applied to Alderman Faulkener, and showed him the first Fable of Florian, but he told me that he would not give a shilling for any original copy whatever, as there is no law or even custom to secure any property in books in this kingdom [Ireland].
From him, I went directly to Smith and afterwards to Bradley, etc.

They all gave me the same answer....

Sorry, and very sorry I am, that I cannot send a better account of the first commission thou hast favoured me with here.