THE 



MONTHI.Y MAGAZINE. 



No. 354.] 



JUNE 1, 1821. 



[5 of Vol. 51. 



If any one enquire in regard to the public feelings vfhich guide the Conductor of this Miscellany, he re- 

 plies, that in P^/ifics,"ite is an immovable friend to the principles of civil liberly, and of a benevolent 

 administration of governmeirt; and is of the party of the Tories, the Whigs, and the Radical Reformers, 

 asfar as they are friends to the same principles and practices; — that in matters of Religion, actiug in 

 the spirit of Christianity, ho maintains perfect liberty of conscience, and is desirous of living in mutual 

 charity with every sect of Christians;— and that, in Philosophy,he prefers the useful to the speculative, 

 constantly rejecting doctrines which have no better foundatioir than the authority of respected namei, 

 and admitting the assumption of no causes which are not equal and analogous to tlie elTects. 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



PACTS relative to the State of reading 

 SOCIETIES and literary insti- 

 tutions in the United Kingdom. 



To the Editor of the Monthly M'lgazine. 

 SIR, 



AS your Magazine has always been 

 attentive to the formation of Book 

 Societies, and Literary Institutions of 

 every' description, and has by its various 

 uoticesand publications, been the means 

 of establishing many hundreds of them, 

 I consider it the proper vehicle through 

 which to convey to the public the re- 

 sults of the various enquiries which I 

 liave carefully made in some late jour- 

 nies through the United Kingdom. 



The subject was not unconnected 

 with my business, and as the idea was 

 first suggested in a conversation with 

 yourselif, I calculate on your readi- 

 ness to give conspicuous insertion to 

 the residt of my observations. In 

 truth, Mr. Editor, you are bound in 

 gratitude to do every thing in your 

 jiower to illustrate these institutions, 

 for I have scarcely met with a society 

 in which the Monthly Magazine is not 

 a standing favourite ; and whenever by 

 any manoeuvre or dirty cabal, any 

 otiier work has been introduced in its 

 place, I have discovered that indivi- 

 duals for themselves, or two or three 

 in unison, take it for their own reading, 

 thereby adding to, instead of dimi- 

 nishing your circulation. As a treasuiy 

 of facts, and a vehicle of free enquiry 

 on all useful subjects and topics of so- 

 cial interest, it comes home to every 

 man's business and bosom, and there- 

 fore unlike many otlier works, possesses 

 an interest which continues long be- 

 yond tlie month of its publication. 



My opportunities of collecting the 

 information which I am here anxious 

 to submit to the public, are peculiar 

 and personal; and tiiough I may be 

 considered as a very humble pioneer of 

 literature, yet it is obvious tiiat no 

 other j)erson could have had the same 



Monthly Mao. No. 354. 



opportunities of collecting the informa- 

 tion, however learned or dignified. 

 My quality and avocation will therefore 

 I trust, not prejudice my communica- 

 tion. 



In three several journies, made in 

 some connection with books, booksel- 

 lers, and lovers of books, I have sedu- 

 lously directed my enquiries to this 

 object, and having systemized my in- 

 formation, I present you with the fol- 

 lowing particulars. 



It may be estimated that there ex- 

 ist at present not less than 6500 of these 

 useful institutions of various degrees, 

 and for various purposes, in the United 

 Kingdom ; and that owing to their 

 convenience and proved utility, above 

 1000 new ones have been formed within 

 the last three years. 



Some of them have permanent and 

 accumulating libraries, and of these 

 there are about 260 ; others circulate 

 the books from member to member, and 

 every two or three years sell them to 

 augment their capital, of these there 

 are not less than .500 ; while otliers to 

 the number of 750 are Magazine So- 

 cieties, for the circulation of Maga- 

 zines, Reviews, and periodical Journals. 

 The 260 permanent libraries accommo- 

 date about 8000 families with books 

 and periodical works ; the 600 book 

 societies about 14,000 families ; and 

 the magazine societies alwiitOOOO fami- 

 lies; hence above 30,000 families become 

 by these means more or less literary, at 

 an individual expense, varying trora 

 half a guinea to two guineas per annum. 



The first book society appears to have 

 ■been formed at Leicester about the year 

 1740; and among its members were 

 the late Dr. Pulteney, the Rev. Mr. 

 Aikin, (father of Dr. A. and Mrs. Bar- 

 ban Id) and other persons who have sub- 

 sequently acquired celebrity. The plan 

 spread from that centre of the kingdom 

 till it has been generally adopted. 



Tlie first permanent library was the 

 3D ' old 



