306 Advantages and Disadvantages of 
when he began to take the work, could possibly expect to be 
charged for such things? An paalion has no occasion to de- 
clare beforehand, that a title and index will be given with the 
work ; because they are to be looked for as matters of course, 
unless a statement is made to the contrary. A book without. 
a title-page would be like a man without a face ; and, without 
an index, it may be compared to a ship without a rudder. 
But if an author thinks proper to charge extra for these com- 
mon and indispensable necessaries, surely he ought, in fair- 
ness, to state as much in the outset (which, however, would 
be very injudicious) ; and then we should have but little reason 
to blame, however we might regret, such conduct: because, 
if any one chooses to make a bad bargain with his eyes open, 
and to take in a work on such terms, it is entirely his own 
fault. It is the sly underhand part of the transaction, and 
the littleness of it, with which I am disgusted. Nor, again, is 
it a good defence for these gentlemen to turn round and say, 
in reply, ‘* Caveat emptor: we offer these things at such a 
price: do as you like about buying them.” What, then, are 
we to go without these necessar y appendages, antes having 
paid handsomely for the book ? ie appeal to any man of com- 
mon sense and honesty, whether this is fair and honourable 
dealing ? whether such a practice is not calculated to bring the 
whole race of periodical authors and their works into ” dis- 
repute? Tor the honour of naturalists, I do hope that the 
blame attaches to some bookseller’s * - POF 
to that other personage, intimately connected with literature, 
ycleped “ the printer’s devil,” rather than to the respectable 
persons whose names appear in these costly titlepages. I 
should be happy to learn that my insinuations are well 
founded ; and I beg of you, Mr. Editor, to have the goodness 
to request * 7 . ‘ 
When Claude Lorrain, who, it is well known, was not cele- 
brated for painting figures, disposed of his pictures, he used 
to say to the purchasers, **T sell you the landscape, but, 
mind, I give you the figures.” But these gentry I have 
alluded to would have us pay for their wares, in a manner, 
twice over ; we must purchase the numbers, and then pay over 
and above for the titlepage and index! Observe, I am not 
complaining of being charged a fair price for a general index 
to a long series of voliames, like those published for the first 
twenty nnd forty volumes of the Botanical Magazine. Such 
indices, Mr. Editor, I hope you will publish at the end of 
every ten or dozen volumes of your miscellany ; and, I assure 
you, I shall be among the first to order them of ee book- 
seller, and to pay the cost with a good grace. What [ complain 
