N° 85. Saturday, December 1.

O

NE of the peculiarities which diftinguish

the present age is the multiplication of books. Every day brings new advertisements of literary undertakings, and we are flattered with repeated promises of growing wife on eafier terms than our progenitors.

How much either happiness or knowledge is advanced by this multitude of Authors, it is not very easy to decide.

He that teaches us any thing which we knew not before, is undoubtedly to be reverenced as a Master. He that conveys knowledge by more pleafing ways, may very properly be loved as a Benefactor; and he that fupplies life with innocent amusement, will be certainly careffed as a pleasing companion.

BUT few of those who All the world with books, have any pretenfions to the hope either

of

of pleafing or inftructing. They have often no other task than to lay two books before them, out of which they compile a third, without any new materials of their own, and with very little application of judgment to thofe which former Authors have fupplied.

THAT all compilations are useless I do not affert. Particles of Science are often very widely scattered. Writers of extenfive comprehension have incidental remarks upon topicks very remote from the principal subject, which are often more valuable than formal treatifes, and which yet are not known because they are not promised in the title. He that collects thofe under proper heads is very laudably employed, for tho' he exerts no great abilities in the work, he facilitates the progrefs of others, and by making that easy of attainment which is already written, may give fome mind more vigorous or more adventurous than his own leifure for new thoughts and original defigns.

:

BUT the collections poured lately from the prefs have been seldom made at any great expence of time or inquiry, and therefore only

serve to distract choice without supplying any real want.

IT is obferved that a corrupt Society has laws ; I know not whether it is not equally true, that an ignorant Age has many

many

Books. When the treasures of ancient knowledge lye unexamined, and original Authors are neglected and forgotten, Compilers and Plagiaries are encouraged, who give us again what we had before, and grow great by fetting before us what our own floth had hidden from our view.

YET are not even these Writers to be indifcriminately cenfured and rejected. Truth like Beauty varies its fashions, and is best recommended by different drefles to different minds; and he that recalls the attention of mankind to any part of learning which time has left behind it, may be truly faid to advance the literature of his own age. As the manners of nations vary, new topicks of perfuafion become neceffary, and new combinations of imagery are produced; and he that can accommodate himself to the reigning tafte, may always

have readers who perhaps would not have looked upon better performances.

To exact of every man who writes that he should say something new, would be to reduce Authors to a small number; to oblige the moft fertile Genius to fay only what is new, would be to contract his volumes to a few pages. Yet furely there ought to be fome bounds to repetition; libraries ought no more to be heaped for ever with the fame thoughts differently expreffed, than with the fame books differently decorated.

THE good or evil which thefe fecondary Writers produce is feldom of any long duration. As they owe their exiftence to change of fashion, they commonly difappear when a new fashion becomes prevalent. The Authors that in any nation laft from age to age are very few, because there are very few that have any other claim to notice than that they catch hold on prefent curiofity, and gratify fome accidental defire, or produce fome temporary conveniency.

BUT however the Writers of the Day may despair of future Fame, they ought at least

to

to forbear any present mischief. Though they cannot arrive at eminent heights of excellence, they might keep themselves harmlefs. They might take care to inform themfelves before they attempt to inform others, and exert the little influence which they have for honeft purposes.

BUT fuch is the prefent ftate of our literature, that the ancient Sage, who thought a great Book a great Evil, would now think the multitude of Books a multitude of Evils. He would confider a bulky Writer who engroffed a year, and a fwarm of Pamphleteers who ftole each an hour, as equal wafters of human life, and would make no other difference between them, than between a Beast of Prey, and a Flight of Locufts.

N° 86.