PREFACE. 



Our aspirations on launching a fifth annual volume of the 

 Journal into the ocean of literature are no longer tremulous 

 from a diffident anxiety as to its reception ; the tide of popular 

 favor, or at least the diminutive wave of it which reaches the 

 secluded estuary of oriental research, has buoj^ed us up with the 

 most flattering encouragement, and an increasing body of con- 

 stituents has still pressed forward to freight our humble bark 

 with the productions of their industry and talent. To extract 

 any of the too complimentary phrases of our correspondents 

 in Paris, Vienna, and London, would be egotism ; and we must 

 not forget that a proportion of their praise may be merely 

 stimulatory — inciting us to take advantage of the golden op- 

 portunities commanded by our position at the emporium, to 

 amass a rich cargo for their more deliberate and erudite dis- 

 cussion hereafter. Our errors also have not escaped their due 

 measure of criticism, but even thus they have been productive 

 of a good effect in drawing forth more correct information 

 from other sources. The commerce in which we are engaged, 

 to continue the metaphor in the terms of a late French prospec- 

 tus, " multipliera le capital de la science comme Tautre com- 

 merce multiplie celui du numeraire. 1 '' 



However we may thus boast of having added to the stock 

 of knowledge, we fear the " capital du numeraire'" has but little 

 connection, beyond the analogy, with the out-turn of our spe- 

 culation ; although, if the pecuniary prospects of the Journal 

 are not much bettered this year, we have none to blame but 

 ourselves for the unpromising aspect of our account current ! 



By increasing the letter-press more than 100 pages, and the 

 plates in proportion, we felt we were exceeding the bounds of 

 caution : yet we could not resist the attempt to keep pace with 

 the communications entrusted to us for publication, even at 



