1797.) ) 
imputed to him as a crime, and he was 
declared an outlaw, with twenty-two 
other deputies. After the fall of Robe- 
fpierre, he was recalled into the bofom 
of the convention, where he has been. 
ever fince. * oe 
Every one knows with what energy 
he, at all times, profeffed the fpirit of 
moderation, being well aware, that the 
beft way to lay a durable foundation for 
a republic does not confit in carrying 
things to extremities, which was the 
fyftem aimed at by terrorifm. 
We believe him to be warmly attach- 
ed to the caufe of liberty, and could war- 
rant that he isa good republican. Al- 
though he is one of the diftinguithed 
inembérs of oppofition {we call oppof- 
tion thofe who were the minority beiore 
the arrival of the mew third), we have 
not the lcaft doubt, that if there. were 
any danger of feeing the prefent govern. | 
ment overthrown, he would inrmediately 
join the party of the directory, and fhow 
himfelf one of the mott zealous fupport- 
ers of the republic. 
We fhall add but one word, which is, 
that. hfs mildnefs, his moderation, his 
knowledge, and ability, pleaie both par- 
ties ; and there are very few members in 
the two councils who have fewer ene- 
mies than he, if he has any. His private 
and pubiic virtues have raifed him to the 
honourable poft of prefident of the Coun- 
cil of Five Hundred, and in this office he 
has fucceeded general PicueGru, who 
quitted the fax‘eui/ on the roth of June 
lat. We have no doubt that he will ac- 
quit himfelf in this delicate fituation, to 
the general approbation of al! parties. 
EES - 
FROM MY PORT FOLIO. No. I. 
BOOKS AND BOOKSELLERS. 
ae heavy} prites of modern publi- 
tions, become every day lefs calculable. 
Acthors, we fear, begin to value their 
own publications, and’ bookfellers are 
equally refolute ; the day may not be far 
— diftant when a fixpenny pamphlet fhall be 
rated at its weight of gold. It is a grow- 
ing evil that threatens the deftrudtion of 
our rebublic. The glare and luxury of 
the print and paper, we would hope, hav- 
ing long ceafed to be a novelty, will be 
| foon given up; and a well-filled margin 
will once again tempt the readec’s ae 
» the luxuriance of its fruits or its leaves. At 
prefent, we fee at a glance what is offered 
r fale; and, therefore, we buy little. 
The profits of publication would probably 
Original Literary Strifures, &c. 
8 
not be diminifhed, by leffening thefe 
prices; a greater number would be more 
eafily vended ; and the interefts of litera- 
ture would be confiderably meliorated. 
That the prices of books were, even in the 
firft. days of printing, confidered as an 
important object, worthy of the animad- 
verfions of the higheft power, appears 
from a privilege of pope Leo to Aldus 
Manutius, for, printing Varro de Re Ruf- 
tica. It lies before me, and is dated Nov. 
28, 1553, figned by cardinal P. Bembus, 
- He here exhorts Aldus to put a moderate 
and juft price on the work. left he fhould 
withdraw the privilege, and give it to 
others. ‘That fauch a controling power 
is required at the prefent moment, will be 
acknowledged by molt purchafers of books ; 
fince a common circblating-library novel 
has ‘the audacity to exaét ‘more than twe 
guineas for its inefimable pages; and the 
Yom Thumbs of literature publifh ip 
quarto, el 
Befides the price of books, there is fome- 
thing equally defirable for the interefts of 
literacure—the charadier ot bookfellers. It 
is much to be regretted, chat our publifh- 
ers are not literary men ;—-amony the 
learned printers formerly, a book. was 
valued becaufe it came from the preffes of 
an Aldus, or a Stephens; and even in 
our time, the name of Robert Dodfley was 
a kind of approbation toa work. Pelilfon, 
in his Hiftory of the French Academy, tells 
us, that Camufat was feiecétced as their firit 
bookfeller, becaufe of his reputation, for 
publithing ~only eflimable works.. He 
fays, ‘“‘ He was a man of fome literature, 
and good tafte, and rarely printed an in- 
different work ; fo that, when you or [ 
were young, we may remember, that we 
always made it a rule to buy his publica- 
tions. His name was almoft an infallible 
teft of*the goodnefs af the work.” A pub- 
lifher of this character, would produce a 
number of good authors, who do not care 
at prefent to become fuch; it would be a 
kind of honour te be infcribed in his cata~ 
logue ; a literary honour that at prefent 
does not exift in England. It. would be 
of great fervice to the public, and particu- 
larly to continental readers. 
RICHARDSON. 
The cenfure which Richardfon, the 
novelift, has incurred, for the revolt- 
ing length, and the minute detail of his 
incidents, his character, and the flighteit 
geftures of his perfonages, is extremely 
unjuft; for it fhould be evident, that we 
sould not have his excellence, without his 
: defects. 
47 


