1826.] The, Book-Trade. 23 
tional medium of communication thoughout Europe? And, now that so 
_strong a disposition has been shewn towards our literature abroad, 7s not 
now the time to endeavour to compete with her on this point of language, 
the only point of superiority she has over us? There is a vast field 
opened in the New World by the political events which have taken place 
there within the last few years. Men whose minds have received such an 
impulse’as those of the South Americans have, must seek literary food— 
they have none of their own, or next to none—they must turn either to us 
orto France. We have the advantages of a free press, and of a stronger 
disposition on their parts in our favour. But our books are atrociously 
dear, and they will not ruin themselves for the sake of English litera- 
ture and the English language. And is it of no importance that that 
language should become the foreign tongue most usually learned in those 
vast districts, of which we scarcely yet know the resources, or even the ex- 
tent?—who will say that itis not? And how can our language spread but 
by the circulation of our books ?—and how can our books circulate, when 
they are borne down by such taxes as those against which we are 
arguing ? It is true that there is a drawback of the duty on paper, on 
exported books—but that is quite insufficient to counterbalance the 
weight of the other burthens. The following is an example of the 
proportion which the public exactions bear to the cost and profits of a 
book. It is the actual statement of the expenses and proceeds of a 
successful work of 464 Pages 8vo., of which 750 copies were printed. 
Printing. . BCs ae eee aes ad uae £72 6 0 
Paper. . mous Has vost! 69,120 
Boarding gratuitous ‘copies, ‘and ‘advertising ii in 1ews- 
papers, magazines, and booksellers’ catalogues ...... 70 0 O 
Booksellers’ commission (on the copies sold) for pub- 
lishing, warehousing, and othertrouble andrisk .... 30 8 O 
£242 6 O 
Profit to author ........ oie Calad ais sp itnae ith Ld 
39 Copies, including 11 to Stationers? “Hall, copies to author, —— 
and those sent to the reviews, magazines, &c. &c., 
711, which the publisher sells wholesale, at 8s. 6d. per copy, } 302 3 0 
nm tO: Cre Letail: dealer)... shee acin a a Sivele cf ee vlna sien erg 
750 e 
Duty on Paper, and mill-board in 750 books ......,..-.. £18 12 0 
Duty on advertisements «.-. +--+ -see rece seeeereeeees 20 0 0 
6 
6 
Eleven copies to Stationers’-Hall.......+...+. apie coh el At 
£43 16 
certain it is that the English language is every day more and more cultivated among 
us: but the more the study of that language is applied to by the different classes of society, 
the more we perceive how difficult must be the attainment of a general knowledge 
of the English writers, on account of the exorbitant price of books printed in 
England. 
“There can be, therefore, no book-selling speculation more advantageous, both to 
commercial interests and those of literature, than those re-impressions which tend to 
deliver us from that species of tax which is annually levied on us by the presses of 
London and Edinburgh. In this respect we may, without vanity, here take notice of 
that beautiful edition of Lord Byron’s complete Works, in 7 vols. in 8vo. as the most 
remarkable enterprize of the kind, since the English themselves extol it as a chef- 
@euvre of typography, and an extremely cheap edition. Till then, the romances 
which were the most in vogue, and a few elementary works, seemed alone to have 
obtained the privilege of being reprinted in France. The graver turn now given to 
modern studies ought to encourage, every day more and more, French editors to extend 
to more serious and useful studies, these (if I may be allowed, the expression) real 
conquests of our presses over those of Great Britain.” 
