180 Nations lately become Liter m^y. [Cll. XXVI. 



to be observed, that, of their prodigious number 

 of books. Novels make a considerable part. But 

 they also make a large annual emission of im- 

 portant works on the most interesting subjects in 

 literature and science. 



The book-trade of England and France is al- 

 most entirely confnied to their capitals, while the 

 other great towns have few booksellers ; and even 

 the greater part of these only act as factors or 

 agents to those who reside in the grand centre of 

 business. But the German empire has no capital 

 city, which, like London or Paris, forms a kind of 

 literary vortex, that absorbs the whole produce 

 of the country, and out of which few books are to 

 be found. For this reason literature is more ge- 

 nerally diffused in Germany. The residence of 

 many a petty prince is more fertile in literary 

 productions, than some large cities in England or 

 France. Hence the book-trade is more equally 

 distributed through the country ; and small 

 towns, otherwise of little importance, are fur- 

 nished with respectable and independent book- 

 sellers, each of whom, perhaps, will carry to the 

 Leipsic and Frankfort fairs a dozen new works 

 published by him, to be distributed not only in 

 his own immediate neighbourhood, but also in, 

 every province of the empire. 



The mode of disposing of books by resorting to 

 Fairs for the purpose is peculiar to Germany, 

 and has been established in that country for many 

 years. To these great literary marts the book- 

 sellers flock in crowds from every part of the 

 country, with bales of books, and with complete 

 catalogues of the works which. they have to sell. 



