The Mirror Of Literature, Amusement, And Instruction

The Mirror Of Literature,
Amusement, And Instruction

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And
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Title: The Mirror Of Literature, Amusement, And Instruction, No. 496
Vol. 17, No. 496, June 27, 1831
Author: Various
Release Date: September 6, 2004 [EBook #13382]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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NO. 496 ***

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THE MIRROR OF LITERATURE, AMUSEMENT, AND
INSTRUCTION.
Vol. 17, No. 496.] SATURDAY, June 27, 1831. [PRICE 2d.

* * * * *

[Illustration: BARON BROUGHAM & VAUX.
Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain,
&c. &c.]
* * * * *
THE
MIRROR
OF
LITERATURE, AMUSEMENT,
AND
INSTRUCTION:
CONTAINING
ORIGINAL ESSAYS;
HISTORICAL NARRATIVES; BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS;
SKETCHES OF SOCIETY; TOPOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTIONS;
NOVELS AND TALES; ANECDOTES;
SELECT EXTRACTS
FROM
NEW AND EXPENSIVE WORKS;
_POETRY, ORIGINAL AND SELECTED;_
THE SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS;
DISCOVERIES IN THE ARTS AND SCIENCES;
_USEFUL DOMESTIC HINTS;_
&C. &C. &C.
* * * * *
VOL. XVII.
* * * * *
LONDON:
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY J. LIMBIRD, 143, STRAND,
(_NEAR SOMERSET HOUSE._)
1831.
* * * * *

PREFACE.
* * * * *
Each of our semi-anniversaries calls for a variation in our thankful

expressions to the public for their continued patronage. Yet we are
prone to confess ourselves puzzled to ring the changes even on so
pleasurable a theme as gratitude--although it is equally delightful to the
donor and receiver. We will, however, persevere, to keep our friendship
with the public in constant repair, and to gain new friends; for it is in
the course of a periodical work as elsewhere in the world: "if a man
does not make new acquaintance as he advances through life, he will
soon find himself left alone." There is, moreover, something agreeable
in writing a preface: it yields a second crop of pleasurable associations:
and the brief retrospect of six months breaks up the tedium which may
at some time or other be attached to literary pursuits. We collect the
six-and-twenty sheets into a volume, and turn over their leaves until
they almost become new acquaintance: some of their columns point to
current events, and thus by a little aid of memory, make an outline
chronology of the half-year; and, above all, if we have pleased the
reader, we, at the same time, enjoy the self-satisfaction of having been
employed to so gratifying an end. We like too the spirit of
acquaintanceship which these prefacings, meetings, and greetings tend
to keep up, although there may be persons who impatiently turn over a
preface as the majority of an audience at the theatre rise to leave as
soon as the last scene of a pantomime is shown.
* * * * *
The contributions of Correspondents abound in this volume. Their
subjects belong to that class of inquiry which is useful and entertaining,
and their research is amusing without dry-as-dust antiquarianism: this
is a serviceable feature, inasmuch as it is conversational; and we know
"what is said upon a subject is to be gathered from a hundred people."
So it is with not a few of these communications: separately, their value
may be small; but, collectively, they remind us of Dr. Johnson's quaint
illustration of the many ingredients of human felicity: "Pound St. Paul's
Church, into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is, to be sure, good
for nothing: but put all these together, and you have St. Paul's Church."
A single article may occasionally appear trifling; but, take the sheet,
and its bearing is obvious; and in the volume still more so. Our
Correspondents only enjoy the reward of seeing their papers in print:
esto perpetua is the only charm we use; and our poetical friends would
gladly accept the perpetua for the

Nods, and becks, and wreathed smiles
of the heroines of their verse.
SEVENTEEN is a promising time in life: it is redolent of youth, and
hope, and joy; may not the context hold good in art and literature.
Strictly speaking, we are but in our ninth year, although our volumes
number seventeen. If we continue to partake as largely of the gale of
public favour as hitherto, we shall not despair of an evergreen old age.
We know the value of this favour, and shall strive to maintain it
accordingly. It is to us like the Queen of Chess:
Lose not the Queen, for ten to one, If she