1821 .] Account of a Book Society at Birmingham. 311 
of tastes and companionship. Any one 
may propose what book he pleases, the 
consent of the majority present decides 
on their admission; but it is considered 
as a point of courtesy, that if the pro¬ 
poser will guarantee half price at the 
sale, it would be unfriendly to reject it. 
The society meet once a fortnight at 
8 o’clock in the evening, at a tavern ; 
the forfeit for each non-attendance is 
3 pence, and four quarterly nights in 
the year have a forfeit of one shilling 
for each absentee. An annual dinner 
is appointed at an average expence of 
about 15s. for each member who attends, 
absentees from which incur a settled 
forfeit of 7s. At this meeting all the 
books which have completed their circu¬ 
lation are sold by auction.to which stran¬ 
gers are admitted,and the books gene¬ 
rally bring a fair average of half the cost; 
the periodical works somewhat below 
this standard, and the more expensive 
ones usually above it. We allot five days 
generally to pamphlets to each mem¬ 
ber, and for other works, seven, ten, or 
fourteen days, according to their bulk 
or interest, and a list being attached 
to each book, every member signs his 
name upon it, specifying the dates when 
received and forwarded; and to ensure 
regularity in the circulation, a forfei¬ 
ture of two pence per day is incurred 
by delay, or for shortening the time 
allotted. To equalize the advantages 
of succession as near as may be, each 
member is continued at the head of the 
list for three mouths, the inconvenience 
of a longer or shorter continuance 
having been proved by experience; at 
the expiration of that time, the preced¬ 
ing name is advanced in rotation, so 
that even with this short period it is 
six years before any member’s turn is 
repeated; whereas a quicker return 
makes an unavoidable confusion and 
irregularity in the circulation. 
Our periodical works are the Monthly 
Magazine, the Monthly Review, the 
Monthly Repository, the Edinburgh 
Review, and the Pamphleteer; these 
occupy about 20 days of each month in 
thqir circulation, thus leaving about 
ten days for other works. The class of 
reading usually preferred is of the 
lighter kind; having amusement for 
its principal aim, but not unmindful 
of instruction: and an indispensable 
consideration, as far as can be previ¬ 
ously ascertained, is that nothing be in¬ 
troduced that would be improper for the 
family breakfast fable or the social even¬ 
ing. Thus we have had all the Waverly 
series, and have now in circulation, 
Franklin’s Memoirs and Writings; 
Edgeworth’s Memoirs; Mills’s Cru¬ 
sades ; Barton’s Poems; the Sketch 
Book ; Diary of an Invalid ; Annals 
oi the Parish, &c. See. ; these I consider 
proper to mention, as shewing the 
choice most likely to suit a mixed so¬ 
ciety like ours. Most of our members 
are tradesmen, actively engaged in the 
necessary pursuits of life, and of course 
unqualified for abstract studies or dry 
speculations, and besides the younger 
branches of their families have no in¬ 
considerable claim on their good will 
and accommodation. Our social meet¬ 
ings may be considered as a powerful 
auxiliary towards the permanence of 
the institution; about eight or nine 
may be taken as the average number of 
attendants,and being at a tavern makes 
no domestic inconvenience. Modera¬ 
tion is our constant guide, and we 
seldom exceed the hour of ten for our 
breaking up. To hold ourselves at per¬ 
fect liberty to call for as little as we 
please, we allow the house to charge a 
certain sum for the use of the room, 
and a glass of water is no unusual fare. 
The whole management of the so¬ 
ciety is free of expence, and is certainly 
attended with considerable trouble to 
the actuary; but perhaps a more suit¬ 
able or pleasant job could hardly be 
devised for a sociable, active, sexage¬ 
narian, who begins to think that there 
is some other enjoyment in store to 
cheer declining life, than the sordid 
and everlasting drudgery of calculating 
pounds, shillings and pence. There is 
no little gratification in receiving the 
monthly packet, casting a rapid glance 
over the contents, (especially if he 
have any communications of his own 
to expect to see) and even the cutting 
of the leaves, may fill a vacant half 
hour to advantage, where the disposi¬ 
tion is cultivated to seek for amuse¬ 
ment in its simple haunts, and where 
disappointment can never intrude. 
1 here is also the uninterrupted privi- 
ledge of the first perusal—spick and 
span new—and after all, the important 
office of leader, be the society ever so 
small, has perhaps as powerful a bias in 
the regions of fancy as the sway of em¬ 
pires in the more boundless range of 
ambition. 
Our bookseller’s bill averages about 
201. per annum, the sales, as before ob¬ 
served, produce about one half, and the 
forfeits the remainder; so that a cau¬ 
tious attentive member may pass (which 
is 
