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OF

LITERATURE, SCIENCE, MUSIC, THEATRICALS, AND THE FINE ARTS.

VOLUME I.

LONDON:

THOMAS HURST, 65, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH YARD.

1833.

PRINTED BY J. AND C. ADLARD, BARTHOLOMEW CLOSE.

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AND

Journal of Literature, Science, Music, Theatricals, and the Fine Arts.

No. 1.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 1833.

PRICE 2d.

This Journal is Edited by F. W. N. BAYLEY, Esq. the late Editor and Originator of The National Omnibus," the first of the cheap Publications; assisted by the most eminent Literary Men of the Day.

ADDRESS.

How shall we begin? Belier, mon ami, says the giant to the historiographical ram, in one of Count Anthony Hamilton's tales,"commencez toujours par le commencement." As no advice can be more reasonable, we shall comply with it, and detail at once the main features of our new project, without troubling our readers with any introductory flourishes.

In the third place, we are not connected | filled. We are far from offering this first with any great publishing house, or any little number as a specimen of what we intend to literary clique. It is so notorious that the effect as soon as our preparations are better Literary Gazette is bound to panegyrize the matured, and our several assistants fairly in books published by its bookselling proprie- harness. There are many difficulties atten tors, Messrs. Longman and Mr. Colburn, dant on the establishment of a new journal at that it is hardly invidious to notice it. any time, and these are of course much inNinety-nine out of every hundred of their creased, when it is exposed to the competi books are favourably received, or, to speak tion of long-established papers of the same the matter plainly, are puffed, in the Literary kind. We trust that we shall not have often Gazette, and the gentle censure ventured to ask the indulgence of the public; but we upon in the excepted case, is generally di- feel that we, on the score of having produced rected against the best book in the whole snch a paper at such a price, have some hundred, because it can, with least danger of claim to hope that our readers will hurt, bear the mild shafts of the interested critic. Mr. Colburn's influence is also paramount in the Court Journal, which indeed and with such expectation, we unfurl our scarcely ever notices any books but those in NATIONAL STANDARD, round which we trust which he is concerned; and though the soon to rally a goodly host of friends and Athenæum frequently boasts of impartial-patrons. ity, and is in fact not controlled by any bookseller, yet it would not be very difficult to draw up a list of authors, and they by no means much renowned in their generation, whose works are sure of a favourable notice. In short, favoritism of one kind or another pervades all our critical world, from the

In the first place, then, the success of various cheap periodicals has proved that there is a great desire for reading among those classes to whom extreme cheapness is of moment; and no paper is in existence which conveys at a low price the current literature of the day. The Literary Gazette is sold at eightpeuce or a shilling; the price of the Court Journal is the same; and though the Athenæum has lowered the charge to fourpence, it is still too high. We therefore commence by publishing our NATIONAL STANDARD at Twopence, which, we hope, will be found by us a remunerating price, and shall be ready to reduce still lower, if public patronage will enable us to do so without any extraordinary risk. In point of price, therefore, we stand before the public more favor-highest to the lowest. ably than any of our literary competitors.

Be to our merits very kind,
And to our faults a little blind;

The above was written more than a week ago, since that time the Literary Gazette has published an article, which it calls, "the likes of the Literary Gazette." We have no objection to jocularity, and therefore shall not quarrel with the wit of our cotemporary, although it is somewhat lumbering. Among other things it compares itself to Balaam's ass; its resemblance to the breed has been generally acknowledged, but we think it will not long have to boast much connexion with profits. Another comparison makes it resemble a pyramid, which will be found just enough. A pyramid grows less and less as it goes farther on. Nor shall we dispute its resemblance to the rock of Gibralter, because nothing can be more sterile and unproductive.

Mr. Babbage, in his late work, the EconoIn the second place, none of the penny my of Machinery, after noticing the two papers make any pretension to occupy the great causes which prevent fair or just critisame station as the Literary Gazette or the cism amongst us, viz. the influence of the Athenæum. We find in them occasionally publishers over the reviewing papers or reviews of books, but they are irregular, and magazines, and the personal feelings of their hasty. Nothing like a continued account conductors towards friends or enemies, says of our literature, as it actually exists, is at that it would be easy, by establishing a jourtempted; and without wishing to say what nal in which no publisher should have any may provoke the displeasure of any of the control, to obviate the first of these sources penny papers, their literary articles are, in of complaint, but that he does not think it We think that the rumour of our appear general, very carelessly executed. Some of possible to obviate the other. Now, as far ance must have somewhat shaken the nerves the most successful among them, the Penny as we are concerned, it is certain that we of the people concerned in the Literary and the Saturday Magazines, for instance, have no connexion whatsoever, direct or in- Gazette, because we find in its opening are chiefly filled by extracts from books of direct, with the publishing world, and that address half a dozen references to cheap all ages, and discussions calculated more for no control can be exercised over us, for good publications, which it considers to be an es the instruction of clever children than for the or evil report, by any bookseller in England. pecial enormity, and the speedy extinction perusal of full-grown men. We purpose to be As for the second head, of undue influence of which it continually pronounces. It strictly a weekly literary paper, in which the -personal feelings-it is of course impossi- alludes with much gratulation to the fact that books of the week will be reviewed, and the ble to be divested of them altogether, but it has outlived many other literary papers, literary news of the week communicated. we may say for ourselves, that we do not which, after fretting their hour, went to Our readers have already perceived that our belong to any club, or set, or school of litte-destruction. The ill fortune of these papers paper-our twopenny paper-is of the same rateurs, and the conduct of our journal will does not discourage us in the least. They size, and contains the same quantity of mat-prove that we shall be able to assign reasons were all highpriced papers-overpriced pa ter as the eightpenny Literary Gazette, and for our praise or censure, founded on the first pers; and the Literary Gazette having the that it contains considerably more matter principles of taste or criticism, and altogether possession of the market, was too formidable thau the fourpenny Athenæum : it shall be alien from anything personally relating to an antagonist to be dislodged by their means. our endeavour that the quality of the articles the author. We shall not be swayed by The moment that a cheaper publication, the shall be at least as good as that of these jour-friendship to extol an undeserving work; Athenæum, made its appearance, the secret mals, and we shall feel disappointed, if it be and we have no spites to gratify by the depre- of success was discovered, and it has not mot better. On this point, however, the public ciation of a good one. sunk before the influence of its elder rival, as the others had done.

is the sole judge. We have not spared either We have made arrangements that the difexertion or expense to secure every advan-ferent departments of our paper, whether tage of talent, industry, and experience, for respecting literature, science, the drama, music, the fine arts, &c. shall be adequately

our paper.

"Nothing bad, nothing indifferent can be cheap," says the Literary Gazette. (What a dear paper the Gazette must be !) We grant

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