| Vol. XIV. No. 407.] | DECEMBER 24, 1829. | [PRICE 2d. |
Wassailing, prefaces, and waits, are nearly at a stand-still; and inthese days of universality and everything, we almost resolved to leavethis page blank, and every reader to write his own preface, had we notquestioned whether the custom would be more honoured in the breach thanthe observance.
My Public—that is, our readers—we have served you seven years, throughfourteen volumes; in each renewing our professions of gratitude, andstudy for your gratification; and we hope we shall not presume on yourliberal disposition by calculating on your continued patronage. We haveendeavoured to keep our engagements with you—to the letter1—asthey say in weightier matters; and, as every man is bound to speak ofthe fair as he has found his market in it, we ought to acknowledge thesuperabundant and quick succession of literary novelties for the presentvolume. 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 willextenuate our assuming that "from castle to cottage we are regularlytaken in:" indeed, it would be worse than vanity to suppose that priceor humble pretensions should exclude us; it would be against the veryeconomy of life to imagine this; and we are still willing to abide bysuch chances of success.
Cheap Books, we hope, will never be an evil; for, as "the same care andtoil that raise a dish of peas at Christmas, would give bread to a wholefamily during six months;" so the expense of a gay volume at this seasonwill furnish a moderate circle with amusive reading for a twelvemonth.We do not draw this comparison invidiously, but merely to illustrate theadvantages of literary economy.
The number Seven—the favourite of Swift, (and how could it beotherwise than odd?) has, perhaps, led us into this rambling monologueon our merits; but we agree with Yorick in thinking gravity an errantscoundrel.
[pg iii]A proportionate Index will guide our accustomed readers to anyparticular article in the present volume; but for those of shorteracquaintance, a slight reference to its principal points may be useful.Besides, a few of its delights may have been choked by weeds andcrosses, and their recollection lost amidst the lights and shadowsof busy life.
The zeal of our Correspondents is first enti