A FEW WORDS ON OUR BOOK. 79 



it a perfect bijou the very beauty of my bookcase. Very likely Pa 

 will subscribe and I am sure Ma will, if you try to please the ladies, 

 I assure you, Sir, your book will not succeed unless you do so, for 

 Ma says, and I dare say it is true, that the fair sex govern the whole 

 world. 



OCTAVIA JULIA ADA S s 



SIR, 



I am surprised beyond measure at your uncourteous rejection of 

 my mathematical paper; when I perused your diminutive paragraph 

 thereupon, I dubitated at first concerning the accuracy of my vision 

 and took three several pinches of snuff to convince myself that I was 

 not merged in somnolence. Is it possible, Sir, that you did not in- 

 stantaneously perceive the intrinsic excellence of my dissertation and 

 that you should exclude from your publication matters which pertain 

 to that science which has elicited and engages in its contemplation at. 

 present, the noblest mental powers of De Morgan, Dionysius Lardrier, 

 William Snow Harris, and George Harvey and which has rendered im- 

 mortal Newton, Flamstead, Muschenbroeck and the Bernouillis ? 

 Mr. Editor, take my advice, which is that of a man of much reading, 

 do not debase your work by the insertion of sentimental romancing 

 and frivolous versification, devote your pages, wholly to mathemati- 

 cal and scientific purposes ; then Sir, your book will be read by men 

 of thoughtful and studious habits, who now never look at it, and you 

 may yet obtain the friendship and assistance of 



CRITO, 



Mr. EDITOR. 



SIR, 



Have to acknowledge the recpt. of yr. 1st No. and 

 am afraid from sample that the book will find heavy sale in the Mar- 

 ket, you know that such commodities are absolute drugs. Indeed, 

 your work is badly managed altogether, as per next memoranda, viz. 

 you give an invoice of births but have no lists of bankruptcies ; you 

 have literary notices but nothing about stock ; you offer scientific 

 papers but have no shipping list ; this is really too bad. Pray Mr. 

 Editor, omit literature and science altogether, for depend upon it 

 nobody cares two-pence about them, fill your pages with matter in- 

 teresting and useful to commercial and trading men, and I will bet 

 a sack of flour against the 1st. Volume of the Museum, that, instead 

 of being at a discount, your book will bear a handsome premium. 



MERCATOR. 



SIR, 



I think you might improve your magazine materially 

 by devoting your pages exclusively to a digested account of th*' 



