rs * 



PREFACE 



TO 



THE SECOND EDITION. 



IT is a usual and indeed very naturally enter- 

 tained idea, that when any Book has gone through 

 more than one edition, the work must comprise 

 some merit to render such repetition necessary 

 or advisable. 



Taking this idea in its general bearing, the 

 conclusion drawn is more or less a correct one : 

 yet it may lead to very erroneous judgment as to 

 the extent of the sale of any published work, so 

 far as relates to the numerical quantum of copies 

 sold ; for where a work is of such nature that 

 the price of each volume is somewhat high, both 

 Author and Publisher may feel it prudent to con- 

 fine an Edi? "* to a few hundred copies ; whereas, 

 on the other hand, where the price is very moderate, 

 it may be judicious, indeed necessary, to let the 

 Edition comprise some thousands, in order to 

 render the work remunerative: thus one work 



