PREFACE

Wassailing, prefaces, and waits, are nearly at a stand-still; and in these days of universality and everything, we almost resolved to leave this page blank, and every reader to write his own preface, had we not questioned whether the custom would be more honoured in the breach than the observance.

My Public—­that is, our readers—­we have served you seven years, through fourteen volumes; in each renewing our professions of gratitude, and study for your gratification; and we hope we shall not presume on your liberal disposition by calculating on your continued patronage.  We have endeavoured to keep our engagements with you—­to the letter[1]—­as they say in weightier matters; and, as every man is bound to speak of the fair as he has found his market in it, we ought to acknowledge the superabundant and quick succession of literary novelties for the present volume.  There is little of our own; because we have uniformly taken Dr. Johnson’s advice in life—­“to play for much, and stake little” This will extenuate our assuming that “from castle to cottage we are regularly taken in:”  indeed, it would be worse than vanity to suppose that price or humble pretensions should exclude us; it would be against the very economy of life to imagine this; and we are still willing to abide by such chances of success.

    [1] This is not intended exclusively for the new type of the
        present volume.

Cheap Books, we hope, will never be an evil; for, as “the same care and toil that raise a dish of peas at Christmas, would give bread to a whole family during six months;” so the expense of a gay volume at this season will furnish a moderate circle with amusive reading for a twelvemonth.  We do not draw this comparison invidiously, but merely to illustrate the advantages of literary economy.

The number Seven—­the favourite of Swift, (and how could it be otherwise than odd?) has, perhaps, led us into this rambling monologue on our merits; but we agree with Yorick in thinking gravity an errant scoundrel.

A proportionate Index will guide our accustomed readers to any particular article in the present volume; but for those of shorter acquaintance, a slight reference to its principal points may be useful.  Besides, a few of its delights may have been choked by weeds and crosses, and their recollection lost amidst the lights and shadows of busy life.

The zeal of our Correspondents is first entitled to honourable mention; and many of their contributions to these pages must have cost them much time and research; for which we beg them to accept our best thanks.