420 Recapitulation. 



ries became authors, but such as were prompted 

 by benevolence, by literary ambition, or by an 

 enthusiastic love of literature. But the eigh- 

 teenth century exhibited the business of pub- 

 lication under an aspect entirely new. It pre- 

 sented an increase in the number, both of writers 

 and readers, almost incredible. In this century, 

 for the first time authorship became a trade. 

 Multitudes of writers toiled, not for the promo- 

 tion of science, nor even with a governing view 

 to advance their own reputation, but for the mar- 

 ket. Swarms of boo k-makers by profession arose, 

 W 7 ho inquired, not whether the subjects which 

 they undertook to discuss stood in need of further 

 investigation; or whether they were able to do 

 them more ample justice than their predecessors; 

 but whether mo7*e books might not be palmed upon 

 the public, and made a source of emolument to 

 the authors. Hence, there were probably more 

 books published in the eighteenth century, than in 

 the whole time that had before elapsed since the 

 art of printing was discovered; perhaps more than 

 were ever presented to the public, either in manu- 

 script, or from the press, since the creation. 



This unprecedented and wonderful multiplica- 

 tion of .books, while it has rendered the means 

 of information more easy of access, and more 

 popular, has also served to perplex the mind 

 of the student, to divide his attention, and to 

 distract his powers. Where there are so many 

 books, there will be less deep, original, and pa- 



frre in Great-Britain, yet even there the instances of literary profit were 

 rare, and the amount, in general, extremely small, until the middle, and 

 toward the close of the eighteenth century. Milton sold his Paradise 

 .Lost for five pounds, on condition of receiving some small subsequent emo- 

 lument, if the sale should prove ready and extensive. Forty-six years af- 

 terwards, Mr. Pope received two hundred pounds for each volume of his 

 translation of the Iliad, artvkvee hundred pounds for the whole work. And 

 towards the close of the century, the rewards of Krerary labour were, in 

 many instances, augmented tear, six, and even ten fold. 



