Constable, Archibald

kun'sta-bl, Archibald, (1774-1827), a Scottish publisher. Constable was the original publisher of the Edinburgh Review and of Sir Walter Scott's poems and novels. A warm friendship between publisher and author led to Scott's admission to the firm of Constable and Company which failed for $1,250,000 in 1826. Constable died of a broken heart, and Scott wore out his life in an attempt, largely successful, to pay off the firm's indebtedness. Several of Scott's later novels were written to pay off this debt. See Blackie; Clark