Nations lately become Literary. 527 



search for what is only sold by one bookseller, has 

 every publication of value brought to his door with 

 the greatest certainty and expedition. And the 

 frequent return of these extensive scenes of sale 

 and exchange, has a tendency to keep up the pub- 

 lic attention to literary objects, and to give a de- 

 gree of life and interest to the commerce in books, 

 which we look for in vain in other countries. 



The zeal and enterprize of German booksel- 

 lers are incredible. They frequently have agents 

 and correspondents in every literary part of Europe, 

 who send them, with the utmost speed, all useful 

 intelligence, and procure for them the proof-sheets 

 of new and important works as they are printing. 

 Whence it often happens that the originals and 

 the German translations are offered for sale at the 

 same time. To this it may be added, that the 

 ready and extensive sales of books which the fairs 

 enable them to effect, give such manifest ad- 

 vantages, that they can more easily afford, and 

 are more cheerfully disposed to pay a liberal price 

 for literary services, than the same class of men in 

 most other countries. It is said that between three 

 and four hundred booksellers regularly attend the 

 literary fairs, and that their number is rapidly 

 increasing. 



In Great-Britain and Ireland there are seven Uni- 

 versities. In Germany there are thirty-nine ; z each 

 of which may be considered as a grand focus from 

 which the rays of light are thrown over the whole 

 adjacent country, thus illuminating the empire, 

 and bringing the means of knowledge to almost 

 every door. 



Within a few years past a taste for the acquisi- 

 tion of living languages has remarkably prevailed 

 in Germany. Perhaps the inhabitants of no coun- 



z Six of these Universities were founded during the eighteenth cen- 

 tury, viz, those of Gottingin, Erfongen, Fu/da, Bonn, Butzn-w, and Siutgard, 



