When he came to collect his sketches for book publication, Dickens arranged them without regard to their original order and published them in two series, the first consisting of two volumes, published at the beginning of 1836, the second of one volume, published at the close of the same year. Both series were published by John Macrone, and on the 5th of January, 1837, Dickens gave Macrone a receipt in full for one hundred pounds paid him for the copyright of both series.
Meanwhile "Pickwick " had advanced as far as to the appearance on the stage of Sam Weller, a character that at once gave a great impetus to the work, and Dickens was not only engaged with Chapman & Hall in the serial publication of "Pickwick," but had signed a contract with Bentley for " Oliver Twist " and was at work upon the novel when the volumes containing " Sketches by Boz " appeared. The tide of his popularity was rising fast, and Macrone, meaning to take advantage of it, proposed a reissue of the " Sketches " in monthly parts, letting his own craft thus take the wind which was filling the sails of "Pickwick" and " Oliver Twist. " Dickens at once took alarm, and wrote as follows to his friend John Forster: —
" I heard half an hour ago, on authority which leaves me in no doubt about the matter (from the binder of ' Pickwick,' in fact), that Macrone intends publishing a new issue of my ' Sketches ' in monthly parts of nearly the same size and in just the same form as the Pickwick Papers. ' I need not tell you that this is calculated to injure me most seriously, or that I have a very natural and most decided objection to being supposed to presume upon the success of the ' Pickwick, ' and thus foist this old work upon the public in its new dress for the mere purpose of putting money in my own pocket. Neither need I say that the fact of my name being before the town, attached to three publications at the same time, must prove seriously prejudicial to my reputation. As you are acquainted with the circumstances under which these copyrights were disposed of, and as I know I may rely on your kind help, may I beg you to see Macrone, and to state in the strongest and most emphatic manner my feeling on this point? I wish him to be reminded of the sums he paid for those books; of the sale he has had for them; of the extent to which he has already pushed them; and of the very great profits he must necessarily have acquired from them. I wish him also to be reminded that no intention of publishing them in this form was in the remotest manner hinted to me, by him or on his behalf, when he obtained possession of the copyright. I then wish you to put it to his feelings of common honesty and fair dealings whether after this communication he will persevere in his intention. "
Forster waited upon Macrone, who naturally did not see his own interest in any less strong light than Dickens saw his, and declined to alter his plans. As Dickens in his receipt had made over the entire copyright to Macrone "without any reserve whatever," he was not in a position to enforce his point that Macrone had not advised him of his intention, if indeed he had formed it when he bought the copyright. Accordingly Mr. Forster had recourse to another plan, and proposed to Macrone that he should sell back to Dickens all that he had bought. Macrone was ready to do this, but the price he named was so exorbitant that Forster at once advised Dickens to let the whole business alone. Dickens, however, was by this time so wrought up that the one thing essential seemed to him to get the copyright.