trouble to pay

for every article as fent home; thefe of course deal at thofe fhops who follow the old mode of bufinefs; fo that in fuch

cafes, I might fay to the proprietors of these

fhops, You ought not to give any perfon

credit: because by fo doing you are taking 'customers from me.' As to my hurting the trade by felling cheap, they are, upon the whole, mistaken; for although no doubt fome inftances will occur, in which they may obferve that the preference is given to my fhop, and the books purchafed of me on account of their being cheap; but they never confider how many books they difpofe of on the very fame account.. As, however, this may appear rather paradoxical, I will explain my meaning farther :

I now fell more than one hundred thoufand volumes annually; many who purchase part of thefe, do fo folely on account of their cheapnefs; many thousands of these books would have been deftroyed, as I have before remarked, but for my felling them on those very moderate terms; now when thousands

of

of these articles are fold, they become known by being handed about in various circles of acquaintances, many of whom wishing to be poffeffed of the fame books without enquiring the price of their friends, ftep into the first bookfeller's fhop, and give their orders for articles which they never would have heard of, had not I, by felling them cheap, been the original cause of their being difperfed abroad; fo that by means of the plan pursued in my fhop, whole editions of books are fold off, and new editions printed of the works of authors, who but for that circumftance would have been scarce noticed at all.

But (fay they) you not only fell fuch books cheap, as are but little known, but you even fell a great deal under price the very first rate articles however well they may be known, or however highly they may be thought of by the literary world. I acknowledge the charge, and again repeat that as I do not give any credit, I really ought to do fo, and I may add, that in fome measure I am obliged to do it; for who

would come out of their way to Chiswellstreet to pay me the fame price in ready money, as they might purchase for at the firft fhop they came to, and have credit alfo.

And although first rate authors are very well known, yet I well know that by felling them cheaper than others, many are purchafed of me that never would have been

purchased at the full price, and every book that is fold tends to fpread the fame of the author, and rapidly extends the fale, and as I before remarked, fends more cuftomers to other shops as well as to my own.

I muft alfo inform you, that besides five or fix private catalogues of books in sheets, for bookfellers only, I publifh two catalogues for the public every year, and of each of those public catalogues, print above three thoufand copies, most of thofe copies are lent about from one to another, fo that fuppofing only four perfons fee each copy, twenty four thousand perfons look over my cata

logues

logues annually; no other mode of advertifing bears the least proportion to it.

I could fay much more on this fubject, but will not unneceffarily take up your time, as I trust what is here advanced will convey full conviction to your mind, and as I believe it is univerfally known and allowed, that no man ever promoted the fale of books in an equal degree, with your old friend, and as in reading I have experienced many thoufand happy hours, and which still engroffes the largest portion of my time, and gives me more real pleasure and folid fatisfaction than all other things in the world; you cannot conceive what agreeable fenfations I enjoy, on reflecting on my having contributed fo much towards the pleasures of others, in diffufing through the world, fuch an immenfe ,number of books, by which many have been enlightened and taught to think, and from meer animals have become rational beings. With a book the poor man in his intervals from labour forgets his hard lot, or learns to bear it with pleasure, whilft in intellectual pleasures

pleasures he can vie with kings. Books afford comfort to the afflicted, and confolation to the prifoner; books are our most conftant and most faithful companions and friends, of which we never are cloyed.

"What heartfelt blifs! what pleafure-winged hours,

Tranfported are we to Rome's letter'd fons;

"We by their favour Tyber's banks enjoy,

"The temples trace, and share their noble games;
"Enter the crowded theatre at will;

"March to the forum, hear the conful plead,
"Are prefent in the thundering Capitol,

"When Tully fpeaks; at softer hours attend
"Harmonious Virgil to his Mantuan farm,
"Or Baia's fhore: how often drink his ftrains,
"Rural, or epic fweet! how often rove
"With Horace, bard and moralift benign,
"With happy Horace rove, in fragrant paths
"Of myrtle bowers, by Tifoli's cafcade.
"Hail, precious pages! that amuse and teach,
"Exalt the genius, and improve the breast ;
"But chiefly thou, fupreme philofophy,

Shed thy beft influence; with thy train appear
"Of graces mild.-

"Tutor of human life! aufpicious guide

"Whofe faithful clue unravels ev'ry maze,

"Whofe fkill can difengage the tangled thorn,

"And fmooth the rock to down! whofe magic powers

Controul each storm, and bid the roar be ftill.