his power to become poffeffed of the work of any particular author he may judge deserving a fuperior degree of attention; and the members at large enjoy the advantage of a continual fucceffion of different publications, instead of being reftricted to a repeated perusal of the fame authors; which muft have been the cafe with many if so rational a plan had not been adopted. I am informed that when circulating libraries were first opened, the booksellers were much alarmed, and their rapid increase added to their fears, and led them to think that the fale of books would be much diminished by fuch libraries. But experience has proved that the fale of books, fo far from being diminished by them, has been greatly promoted, as from thofe repofitories, many thousand families have been cheaply fupplied with books, by which the tafte for reading has become much more general, and thoufands of books are purchased every year, by fuch as have first borrowed them at those libraries, libraries, and after reading, approving of them, become purchasers. The Sunday-Schools are fpreading very fast in most parts of England, which will accelerate the diffuffion of knowledge among the lower claffes of the community, and in a very few years exceedingly increase the fale of books. Here permit me earnestly to call on every honest bookseller (I trust my call will not be in vain) as well as on every friend to the extension of knowledge, to unite (as I am confident will) in a hearty AMEN. you Let fuch as doubt whether the enlightening of the understandings of the lower orders of fociety, makes them happier, or be of any utility to a state, read the following lines. (particularly the laft twelve) by Dr. Goldfmith, taken from his Traveller. "These are the charms to barren states affign'd, Z3 ; "Hence "Hence from fuch lands each pleasing science flies, "Unknown thofe powers that raife the foul to flame, Catch every nerve, and vibrates thro' the frame; "Nor quench'd by want, nor fann'd by ftrong defire; "But not their joys alone thus coarsely flow, "Some fterner virtues o'er the mountain's breast, May fit like falcons low'ring on the nest, "But all the gentler morals, fuch as play "Thro' life's more cultivated walks, and charm our way; It is worth remarking that the introducing hiftories, romances, ftories, poems, &c. into schools, has been a very great means of diffufing a general tafte for reading among all ranks 4 ranks of people, while in fchools, the children only read the bible (which was the case in many schools a few years ago)-children then did not make fo early a progrefs in reading as they have fince, they have been pleased and entertained as well as inftructed ; and this relish for books, in many will last as long as life. I am, Dear Friend, Yours. LETTER Z4 66 LETTER XXXIX. Happy the man that has each fortune try'd, "One folid difh his week-day meals affords, DEAR FRIEND, THE HE Public at large, and bookfellers in particular, have beheld my increafing ftock with the utmost astonishment, they being entirely at a lofs to conceive by what means I have been enabled to make good all my payments; and for feveral years, in the beginning of my bufinefs, fome of the trade repeatedly afferted, that it was totally impoffible that I could continue to pay for the large numbers of books that I continually purchased; and ten years fince, being induced to take a journey into my own. country, with a view to the restoration of my |