the book and publishing business is vast. Great Britain gives to the world more than two thousand five hundred new books, or editions, annually; while France publishes about six thousand. There are thirteen hundred books published in the United States annually.

Among modern bibliopoles and printers of Paris, we must name Didot, Plon, Crapelet, Bossange, and Baillière, chiefly known for his valuable medical publications, who has also a house in New York. The number of booksellers reaches nearly to four hundred; their business is divided into the classical book-trade, the old book-trade, the new publications, and the commission trade. Many journals also enter into the trade: the Revue des Deux Mondes publishes the works of several eminent authors.

On the quays, on the Boulevards, near the Louvre, and in a few retired streets, there are more than two hundred secondhand booksellers.

In earlier times, Francis de Bure, a bookseller of Paris, wrote, among others, a work of great research and skill, A Treatise on Scarce and Curious Books, in seven large volumes. The originator of the great work, Encyclopédie Méthodique, which has extended to above 150 volumes, was M. Panckoucke, a Parisian bookseller. Peter Vander, of Leyden, who died 1730, was another eminent instance of an author-bookseller, as his singular work, Galerie du Monde, in 66 folios, sufficiently attests; and Lascaile, of Holland, was no less celebrated as poet and publisher, having been honoured with the poetic crown by the Emperor Leopold; and even his daughter so largely inherited her father's genius, that she was styled the Dutch Sappho, or tenth muse.

The renowned publisher, Tauchnitz, of Leipsic, achieves a great work for the diffusion of literature over continental Europe. His popular series of British Classics alone includes over 300 volumes, of which he annually sells about 150,000 copies. His will doubtless become the greatest publishing establishment in the world, if it progresses as it has since 1840, as it is now the largest on the continent of Europe.

In the sixteenth century, Trithemius died in Germany, after having, from time to time, assembled the literary world to behold the wonder of that age-a library of two thousand volumes. And yet, incredible as it may seem, nearly forty years ago the estimate was made, that since the invention of printing, there had been issued from the press of Germany three billions of volumes.

Next to the desire to know something about the personnel of an author, is the interest with which the public regard that intermediate personage between him and themselves, yclept the publisher. In a subordinate sense, he may justly be considered a member of the literary profession, for he enacts the part of agent for the author and his readers; and if not an indispensable, he is at least a most important auxiliary in these relations. Publishers have, however, not unfrequently been characterised as selfish in their pursuits, and alike injurious to the interest of the author, and the commonwealth of literature. This aspersion upon their fair fame is at length fast passing away, if indeed it has not already disappeared. Their position in society, as the purveyors of its literary aliment, is at length appreciated. In former times, many a poor, unoffending publisher paid the penalty due to the sins and misdemeanours of a seditious or erratic scribe; having been held responsible for sentiments never avowed, and of which, in some cases, they were unconscious, since they were incapable of their comprehension. In the majority of instances the bookselling fraternity are a plain, plodding set of men, whose movements are for the most part regulated by the laws of that universal pecuniary arithmetic-profit and loss. They deal in books very much after the same manner as do the purveyors of meat and bread, estimating their merchandise by the size, if not the weight avoirdupois. The history of "book-craft," which yet remains to be written, would form a book of "Chronicles," if less important, scarcely less interesting than those of Froissart; it would abound with strange anomalies, and curious portraitures. In early times, the monks-the custodes of the learning of their day combined within themselves

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both author and publisher; if indeed the latter term may be allowed in this case. They were styled the Commercium Librorum, their office comprehending that of the scribe, as well as the dealer in manuscripts. Between the years 1474 and 1600, it has been estimated about 350 printers flourished in England and Scotland, and that the products of their several presses amounted in the aggregate to 10,000 distinct productions.*

"The titles of books," writes the author of the Tin Trumpet, are decoys to catch purchasers." There can be no doubt that a happy name to a book is like an agreeable appearance to a man; but if in either case the final do not answer to the first impression, will not our disappointment add to the severity of our judgment ? "Let me succeed with my first impression," the bibliopolist will cry, "and I ask no more." The public are welcome to end with condemning, if they will only begin with buying. Most readers, like the tuft-hunters at college, are caught by titles. How inconsistent are our notions of morality! No man of honour would open a letter that was not addressed to him, though he will not scruple to open a book under the same circumstances. Colton's Lacon has gone through many editions, and yet it is addressed "To those who think." Had the author substituted for these words, "Those who think they are thinking," it might not have had so extensive a sale, although it would have been directed to a much larger class. He has shown address in his address.

Scott is known to have profited much by Constable's bibliographical knowledge, which was very extensive. The latter christened Kenilworth, which Scott named Cumnor Hall. John Ballantyne objected to the former title, and told Constable the result would be "something worthy of the kennel;" but the

* D'Israeli, in his "Curiosities of Literature," states, that the four ages of typography have produced no less than 3,641,960 works! Taking each work at three volumes, and reckoning each impression to consist of only 300 copies (a very moderate supposition), the actual amount of volumes which have issued from the presses of Europe, down to the year 1816, appears to be 3,277,640,000!

result proved the reverse.

Mr. Cadell relates that Constable's

vanity boiled over so much at this time, on having his suggestions adopted, that, in his high moods, he used to stalk up and down his room, and exclaim, "By Jove, I am all but the author of the Waverley Novels!"

But for booksellers, intellect would die of famine. London is the great Sanhedrim of the authorcraft of the world. London is the very brain of Britain, the centre of its literature, the seat of its intelligence. There the great emporium of bookcraft is time-honoured-it is an ancient and worthy order. Paternoster Row is full of the odour and spirit of learning-it has an aroma of paper and print. There is no spot on the globe like it. The London book-trade is divided into the following branches-the general retail bookseller, the dealer in black-letter, or second-hand books, the wholesale merchant, who executes country and foreign orders, and the publishing, or manufacturing bookseller. The second class formerly did chiefly congregate in Little Britain-now they are scattered about Holborn, Covent Garden, and the Strand. These are depositories of those choice relics of the olden time, that often tempt such premiums from the bibliomaniac.

While on this point, we cannot refrain from a recollection or two of the brotherhood. One was named Nunn; he kept an old book establishment in Great Queen Street, and although a singularly large and corpulent personage, was scarcely less remarkable for his activity in early life, than for his austerity and moroseness in its later stages. By his parsimony and patient application to business, he became ultimately possessed of considerable wealth; and although this was no secret, yet his two daughters, who were (if one may hazard gallantry for truth) remarkably ugly, lived in single blessedness to the very autumn of life; but strange to add, immediately after the demise of their venerable parent at the advanced age of eighty, they each entered into matrimonial alliances. Old Nunn possessed many peculiarities, and although not particularly remarkable for indulging any "sudorous brain-toils" of his own, he yet never appeared so contented as when immersed among

the musty tomes of those who have left us in no condition of doubt as to that matter. We well remember his curious custom of cramming his capacious coat-pockets, which, on one occasion, actually yielded four-and-twenty large octavo volumes before their contents were exhausted. D'Arcy, also a dealer in second-hand and black-letter books, in Holborn, rendered himself conspicuous, among other eccentricities, for the whim of having female attendants in his establishment, some of whom were decidedly pretty; and what is not less singular, it is said, he regulated their remuneration according to the ratio of their personal attractions. He died wealthy, like his eccentric contemporary before alluded to.

The wholesale trade has always resided in and near Paternoster Row, but the chief house of this class was for many years on London Bridge. Osborne lived under the gateway of Gray's Inn. Tonson, opposite the Strand Bridge. Millar, facing St. Clement's Church, Strand. Dodsley, on the site of the Shakspeare Gallery, in Pall Mall.

Publishers are said to keep the keys of the Temple of Fame. They minister at the altar of learning, and furnish the intellectual wealth of the world. Dr. Johnson considered booksellers the patrons of literature, liberal, generous-minded men. Another quaintly asks, "Can a bookseller live, move, and have his being, in an atmosphere of intellect, and not absorb the very soul and spirit of his books through his pores ?" An experienced bookseller is often better qualified to judge of a book, than all the critics that ever praised or blamed, since the days of Diogenes. Comparatively few, however, of the publishing fraternity pretend to critical censorship; they usually defer to the critical judgment of some literary friend, in determining the claims of any work for publication.

Booksellers, moreover, evince an affinity of feeling in more instances than one, with the " genus irritabile." We remember an incident, among others, to this effect. Goldsmith, who was originally poor and unknown, after the publication of the Traveller became of much greater consequence; and one day, on learning that a scandalous attack had appeared against him in