Recapitulation. 423 



and common. Thus it has fared with the dignity 

 of authorship. Persons of this profession have be- 

 come so numerous in society; many of those who 

 engage in it discover such a selfish and mercenary 

 spirit; and it is found so easy a task to compile a 

 book, that their importance has suffered a diminu- 

 tion in some degree corresponding with the number 

 and worthlessness of their literary labours. 



Another signal revolution in the literary charac- 

 ter of the eighteenth century, and closely con- 

 nected with the multiplication of books, is, that 

 Booksellers have become the great patrons of litera- 

 ture. In ancient times, authors having no hope 

 of finding a remuneration for their labour in the ge- 

 neral sale of their works, were under the necessity 

 of attaching themselves to some private patron, 

 who, to great wealth, united a fondness for litera- 

 ture and literary men. Some of the most accom- 

 plished writers of antiquity would have been un- 

 able to pursue their studies, or to complete those 

 works which have so long instructed and delighted 

 the world, had they not enjoyed the smiles of cer- 

 tain individuals of opulence and taste, who made 

 it their pride and pleasure to foster literary merit. 

 The same state of things existed, in a degree, for 

 nearly two centuries after the art of printing was 

 discovered. The number of publications and of 

 readers was comparatively so small, that Booksel- 

 lers were few; and those who engaged in this em- 

 ployment had little business, and, of course, occu- 

 pied a humble station in society. The eighteenth 

 century exhibited this class of tradesmen under an 

 aspect entirely new. The great increase in the 

 number of readers and purchasers of books, and 

 the corresponding increase in the number of pub- 

 lications, and in the extent of the editions, both of 

 old and new works, have raised the bookselling 

 business to a most important and lucrative employ- 



