PIRATES, AUTHORS, AND CHEA] 

 CHOICE BOOKS. 



The following extract from a letter from the well-known Author and Ai 

 1st PHILIP GILBERT HAMERTON appeared in a recent number of the New! 

 Publishers' Weekly: 



"I saw by the advertisements in American periodicals that a New 

 pirate had got hold of 'An Intellectual Life . ' We sadly need a copy. 

 law. It would be a benefit to all honest men, including American autl 

 who would be spared part of the rivalry produced by flooding the 

 with cheap pirated reprints. Yours very truly, P. G. HAMERTON.", 



To which I beg leave to reply as follows : 



DEAR SIR, The above note evidently refers to me, as I am the one 

 lisher who has reprinted the work referred to at a low price. Of cou 

 warms the blood, a little, of an honest man, to have another honest man c 

 him a knave. When discussion gets to that point, argument is cut c 

 will, however, make a few points on my side of the case. 



First. I am, and long have been, heartily in favor of giving authors J I 

 control of their productions upon their oivn terms, within the limits of th I 

 bounds of common sense it would hardly be practicable for us to pay copjl 

 right to Homer, and it may be an open question as to when Macaula}''s heir I 

 should cease to receive their tax ; there is, of course, some limit ; hones I 

 "doctors disagree" as to points of equity, expediency, and the best mettj 

 ods of bringing a happy future out of the evil present. 



Second. The laws of this country (and I believe the same is true of oil 

 countries) are not as you and other authors desire they should be. Evidently I 

 too, it is quite as useless for authors to expect to get what they want with} 

 out a CHANGE in the laivs, as to hope to reach the result by calling put! 

 lishers bad names. Where is the common sense of characterizing me asil 

 " pirate " because I multiply (within the bounds of law and of custom sinci] 

 the time of Cadmus) copies of your book from the copy I bought am 

 paid for, more than in applying the same term to one who reads the boci\ 

 aloud to a dozen friends, who consequently do not buy it or more than apply 

 ing it to YOU" for appropriating the language and thoughts of the patriarcl 

 JOB in one of your books without giving him any paymentyou giv$ 

 " credit," doubtless, to the authors whom you quote, but you give them nc 

 pay, I give YOU credit, but no "pay" beyond the copy I buy, till we aril 

 able to secure a change in the present unsatisfactory laws. 



Third. General Grant once said, " The best way to get rid of a bad law is 

 to enforce it; " that is my theory, and I shall continue to practice upon it* 

 I expect to aid in securing to you by "enforcement " of the legitimate consul 

 quences of the present laws, what authors would never get by whining of 

 growling. Some people give to my methods the credit of being, possibly, 

 the largest single influence which is working in this country to bring about 

 the much desired change in the laws. 



Fourth. While authors certainly have their "rights," readers have some 

 rights also. When I was a boy under fourteen years of age the good litera- 

 ture accessible to me was limited, nearly, to Murray's English Reader, and 

 Josephus' Works. I do not pretend to be the reader's especial champion, 

 but I DO look at the question of the "intellectual life " for them from their 

 standpoint as well as from that of the author and it is amazing to me that 

 an author of your high character, intellectual, humane and Christian (whose 

 inspiring words "The humblest subscriber to a mechanics' institute has 

 easier access to sound learning than had either Solomon or Aristotle,"! 

 have placed before millions of readers) that you should seem to take no 

 pleasure in the fact that the best literature of the world has by my efforts 

 been placed within the reach of millions to whom it was before unattainable; 

 that I give to YOU an appreciative audience (far more appreciative than 

 you find among your wealthy patrons) among tens of thousands, who with* 



