In 1844, Ainsworth helped in the building of the monument to Walter Scott in Edinburgh. He spent his year visiting many people, including members of the British nobility. The popularity of his magazine decreased over that year due to a lack of quality works, except for a series by Leigh Hunt, "A Jar of Honey from Mount Hybla". Even Ainsworth's own work, "St James's", was damaged because it was written in haste. During this time, Ainsworth began one of his best novels, "Auriol", but it was never finished. It was published in part between 1844 and 1845 as "Revelations of London". Hablot Browne, using the name "Phiz", illustrated the work and became the main illustrator for the magazine. The novel was being produced until Ainsworth and Mortimer fought in early 1845 and Ainsworth resigned as editor. Soon afterwards, Ainsworth bought "The New Monthly Magazine" and started asking contributors to "Ainsworth's Magazine" to join him at the new periodical. He issued an advertisement saying that there would be contributors of "high rank", which caused Thackeray to attack him in "Punch" for favouring the nobility. However, Thackeray later contributed to the magazine, along with others including Hunt, E V Keanley, G P R James, Horace Smith, and Edward Bulwer-Lytton. Ainsworth reprinted many of his own works in the magazine along with his own portrait, the latter provoking a mock portrait of the back of Ainsworth's head in "Punch" as the only angle that Ainsworth had not yet published for the public.