L I T 
penfive publications, nor of thofe of which only a fmall 
number is printed. Nor fhould copies be given nor en¬ 
tries made of mere pamphlets, newfpapers, fongs, and 
mufic. 
It is alfo wiflied to alter that feftion of the aft which 
makes the'fecond fourteen years of copyright to depend 
upon the life of the author of the work. The aft (as be¬ 
fore quoted) direfts, that authors (hall have the lole li¬ 
berty of printing their works for fourteen years ; and, if 
they fhould be alive at the end of that time, it provides 
that their copyright fliall return to them for fourteen years 
more. As this aft now hands, if an author fhould die 
before the firft fourteen years expire, his family lofe all 
the profits of his labours, at the very time when, from the 
event of his death, they are in the greateft need of them. 
It feems the diftr.te of reafon and juftice that authors 
fhould have at leaft the full twenty-eight years’ copyright, 
without any reference to their life or death. 
The term of fourteen years is clearly too fmall. Some 
few works may dart into immediate popularity and profit; 
but thefe are rare inftances ; the vaft majority advance but 
flowly. Very valuable works have appeared and are daily 
appearing from the prefs, which fcarcely get known to the 
public during the firft fourteen years ; Shakefpeare’s Plays, 
Milton’s Paradife Loft, Hartley’s work on Man, Dr. Camp¬ 
bell’s Political State of Great Britain, Harte’s Guftavus 
Adolphus, Collins’s beautiful Odes, Cowper’s Poems, Dr. 
Henry’s Hiftory of Great Britain, and Mr. Strutt’s valuable 
Works, are well-known inftances. It would be invidious 
and improper to mention the works of living authors ; 
and yet many might be referred to, that are highly im¬ 
portant, but which have been eight or ten years coming 
into public knowledge and eftimation. This is fo true, 
that it is almoft a proverb, that works which acquire a 
rapid popularity, are ufually thofe which are not deftined 
to live in future times. Some fplendid exceptions occur 
to this remark ; yet it is certain that Hume complains, 
that of his Hiftory his bookfeller fold but forty-five co¬ 
pies in a twelvemonth; and Dr. Adam Smith’s celebrated 
work remained long unnoticed and unfold, till Mr. Fox 
happened to quote it in the houfe of commons. Shake¬ 
fpeare’s Plays and Milton’s Paradife Loft are remarkable 
inftances of the uncertainty of the immediate fale of any 
work. From the year 1623, when Shakefpeare’s Plays 
were firft publifhed, to 1664, a period of forty-one years, 
two editions only were fold. Milton’s Paradife Loft had 
alfo a very tardy fale. The firft edition was publifhed in 
1667 ; it was feven years in felling. In 1674 the fecond 
edition appeared, which fold in four years. Thus, during 
eleven years, but two editions were fold. The copyright 
was then the property of Milton’s widow. The author 
had, in his life-time, been paid ten pounds for his work; 
his widow received five pounds on the fecond edition, and 
fold the copyright afterwards for eight pounds more. But 
fuch little profit appeared likely to refult from it in 1680, 
which was in the fourteenth year after its publication, 
that the bookfeller himfelf fold the copyright to another 
for twenty-five pounds. See Todd’s Life of Milton, p. 
109. The bookfeller has been often blamed for giving 
Milton no more than iol. for his firft edition. That, af¬ 
ter felling two editions, he fhould himfelf get no more for 
his copyright than 25I. is a proof that he gave the poet 
no unfair price for his work. 
Thefe tardy fales mult be the cafe with the far greater 
number of valuable works. When an author’s name has 
become eftablifhed in the popular eftimation, his future 
works have a good chance of felling. Alfo, when a no¬ 
bleman, or any eminent charafter, fets forth a work, pub¬ 
lic curiofity often faftens on it immediately. A lucky ti¬ 
tle, or fome cafual incident, may affift others. But, when 
an author, before unknown, lays before the public the 
labour of many years, how can that public immediately 
know the value of the work ? The publication of a book 
conlifts in advertifing it, and placing it in a bookfeller’s 
ftiop. A length of time frequently elapfes before it comes 
L I T 819 
under the infpeftion of men competent to judge of it, and 
difpofed to appreciate it fairly; and a much longer time 
before the fmall (till voice of the judicious few becomes 
fo impreffive in lociety as to make the circulation of the 
work equal to its merit. That a work is twelve or four¬ 
teen years in becoming popular is no reafon that it will 
not ultimately be fo; and yet, till it has attained that 
ftate, the author does not obtain his remuneration. 
If it has been thought juft that the univerfities fhould have 
their copyrights in perpetuity, it cannot be deemed unjuft 
that authors and their affigns fhould have them for at leaft 
the prefent twenty-eight years, without any claufe of con¬ 
tingency. In an age of increafed liberality, let literature 
receive this additional encouragement—the augmented 
rilk now incurred by publication certainly requires it. 
The remaining feftions of this ftatute are as follows. No 
perfon fliall import into any part of the united kingdom 
for fale any book firft written or printed and publifhed 
within the united kingdom, and reprinted elfewhere; on 
penalty of forfeiture of the books, iol. and double the 
value of each copy fo imported. Books may be feized by 
officers of cuftoms and excife, who fliall be rewarded by 
their refpeftive commiffioners. Thefe penalties do not 
extend to books not having been printed in the united 
kingdom within twenty years : nor to books reprinted 
abroad, and inferted among other books or trafts for the 
moft part foreign. § 7. All aftions, indiftments, &c. for 
offences againit this aft muff: be commenced within fix 
months after commiflion of the offence. § 8. 
The following are the principal features and diftinftions 
of the three ftatutes relative to prints and engravings. 
The flat. 8 Geo. II. c. 13, gives an exclufive privilege of 
publifliing, to thofe who invent or defign any print, for 
fourteen years only. The flat. 7 Geo. III. c. 28, extends 
the term to twenty-eight years abfolutely, to all who ei¬ 
ther invent the defign, or make a print from another’s de¬ 
fign or pifture; and thofe who copy fuch prints within 
that time, forfeit all their copies to be deftroyed ; and 
five fhillings for each copy. The flat. 17 Geo. III. c. 57, 
gives the proprietor an aftion on the cafe to recover da¬ 
mages and double cofts for the injury he has fuftained by 
the violation of his right. 
In analogy alfo to the above doftrine of literary pro¬ 
perty, the flat. 27 Geo. III. c. 38, gives to the proprie¬ 
tors of new patterns in printed linens, cottons, muffins, 
&c. the foie right of printing them for two months; and 
gives the proprietor injured his remedy by an aftion for 
damages. 
There is alfo a kind of prerogative copy-right fubfifting 
in certain books, which is held to be vetted in the crown 
upon feveral realons. Thus, 1. The king, as the execu¬ 
tive magiftrate, has the right of promulgating to the peo¬ 
ple all afts of ftate and government. This gives him the 
exclufive privilege of printing at his own prefs, or that of 
his grantees, ail afts of parliament, proclamations, and or¬ 
ders of council. 2. As fupreme head of the church, he 
has a right to the publication of all liturgies and books 
of divine fervice. 3. He is alfo faid to have a right by 
purchafe to the copies of fuch law-books, grammars, and 
other compofitions, as were compiled or tranilated at the 
expenfe of the crown. And upon thefe two laft princi¬ 
ples, combined, the exclufive right of printing the tranf- 
lation of the Bible is founded. See 2 Comm. c. 27, 
LITER'NUM. See Linternum, p. 761. 
LITHAGO'GI,yi [from the Gr. Tufiof, a itone, and uya, 
I bring away.] A name given by fome medical writers 
to fuch medicines as work by urine, and are fuppofed to 
have the virtue of expelling the itone. 
LITHAGROS'TIS,/. in botany. See Coix. 
LITHARGE, f. [from the Gr. AjGoc, a Itone, and 
agfvgo?, filver.] A metalline fubitance, formed of the fipume 
of lead; or, it is a calx of lead in an imperfect ftate of vi¬ 
trification. When filver is refined by cupellation with 
lead, this latter metal, which is purified, and which caufes 
the fcorification of the imperfeft metals alloyed with the 
filver. 
