fome inftances will occur, in which they may obferve that the preference is given to my fhop, and the books purchased of me on account of their being cheap, they never confider how many books they difpofe of on the very fame account. 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 destroyed, as I have before remarked, but for my felling them on those very moderate terms; now when thousands 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;

abroad; fo that by means of the plan purfued in my shop, 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 Chifwellftreet to pay me the fame price in ready money, as they might purchafe for at the first shop 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

purchased at the full price, and every book that is fold tends to spread 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 could relate 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,

Dear Friend,

Yours,

LETTER

"This is a traveller, Sir; knows men and manners; and "has plough'd up fea fo far, 'till both the poles have "knock'd; has seen the fun take coach, and can distinguish "the colour of his horses, and their kinds, and had a Flan"ders mare leap'd there."

DEAR FRIEND,

BEAUMONT and FLETCHER'S Scornful Lady.

AMONGST the variety of

occurrences with which I have endeavoured to entertain you, perhaps not all equally interefting (and the moft material of them, I am duly fenfible, not entitling me to the claim of being esteemed a writer poffeffed of the very first abilities this age or nation has produced,) I recollect my not yet having given you an account of my principal TRAVELS. Poffibly you might very readily pardon that omiffion, as from what has already appeared it must be evident, the engagements which from time to time have fully engroffed my attention, have not furnished me

with any opportunity of making the tour of Europe, or tracing the fource of the river Nile, much lefs circumnavigating the globe. And even fuppofing I had been poffeffed both of the time and inclination for fuch extenfive undertakings, the difadvantages which I labour under for want of having received a proper education, would have difqualified me from making fuch remarks and obfervations as naturally prefent themselves to thofe who have been fortunate enough to poffefs that advantage, and of course are qualified to prefent the world with a variety of fubjects equally curious and instructive: 'though it is not without reluctance I think it neceffary here to obferve, that fome of these gentlemen, not content with giving a true account of what actually occurred to them, and suppofing that plain matter of fact would not be fufficiently interefting to excite that superior degree of attention and admiration which they were ambitious as authors to acquire, they have thought proper to intermix fo much of the marvellous into their narrations,

as