Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

respecting taxes, I now come to give the circumstances before alluded to.

The case is this: This work was intended to be published just before the meeting of parliament, and for that purpose a considerable part of the copy was put into the printer's hands in September, and all the remaining copy, as far as page 160, which contains the part to which Mr. Pitt's speech is similar, was given to him full six weeks before the meeting of parliament, and he was informed of the time at which it was to appear. He had composed nearly the whole about a fortnight before the time of parliament's meeting, and had printed as far as page 112, and had given me a proof of the next sheet, up to page 128. It was then in sufficient forwardness to be out at the time proposed, as two other sheets were ready for striking off. I had before told him, that if he thought he should be straitened for time, I could get part of the work done at another press, which he desired me not to do. In this manner the work stood on the Tuesday fortnight preceding the meeting of parliament, when all at once, without any previous intimation, though I had been with him the evening before, he sent me by one of his workmen, all the remaining copy, from page 112, declining to go on with the work on any consideration.

To account for this extraordinary conduct I was totally at a loss, as he stopped at the part where the arguments on systems and principles of government closed, and where the plan for the reduction of taxes, the education of children, and the support of the poor and the aged begins; and still more especially, as he had, at the time of his beginning to print, and before he had seen the whole copy, offered a thousand pounds for the copy-right, together with the future copy-right of the former part of the Rights of Man. I told the person who brought me this offer that I should not accept it, and wished it not to be renewed, giving him as my reason, that though I

believed the printer to be an honest man, I would never put it in the power of any printer or publisher to suppress or alter a work of mine, by making him master of the copy, or give to him the right of selling it to any minister, or to any other person, or to treat as a mere matter of traffic, that which I intended should operate as a principle.

His refusal to complete the work (which he could not purchase) obliged me to seek for another printer, and this of consequence would throw the publication back till after the meeting of parliament, otherwise it would have appeared that Mr. Pitt had only taken up a part of the plan which I had more fully stated.

say.

Whether that gentleman, or any other, had seen the work or any part of it, is more than I have authority to But the manner in which the work was returned, and the particular time at which this was done, and that after the offers he had made, are suspicious circumstances. I know what the opinion of booksellers and publishers is upon such a case, but as to my own opinion, I choose to make no declaration. There are many ways by which proof sheets may be procured by other persons before a work publicly appears; to which I shall add a certain circumstance, which is,

A ministerial bookseller in Piccadilly who has been employed, as common report says, by a clerk of one of the boards closely connected with the ministry (the board of trade and plantations, of which Hawksbury is president,) to publish what he calls my Life, (I wish his own life and that those of the cabinet were as good,) used to have his books printed at the same printing office that I employed; but when the former part of the Rights of Man came out, he took his work away in dudgeon; and about a week or ten days before the printer returned my copy, he came to make him an offer of his work again, which was accepted. This would consequently give him admission into the printing office where the sheets of this

work were then lying; and as booksellers and printers are free with each other, he would have the opportunity of seeing what was going on. Be the case, however, as it may, Mr. Pitt's plan, little and diminutive as it is, would have made a very awkward appearance, had this work appeared at the time the printer had engaged to finish it.

I have now stated the particulars which occasioned the delay, from the proposal to purchase, to the refusal to print. If all the gentlemen are innocent, it is very unfortunate for them that such a variety of suspicious circumstances should, without any design, arrange themselves together.

Having now finished this part, I will conclude with stating another circumstance.

About a fortnight or three weeks before the meeting of parliament, a small addition, amounting to about twelve shillings and sixpence a year, was made to the pay of the soldiers, or rather their pay was docked so much less. Some gentlemen who knew in part, that this work would contain a plan of reforms respecting the oppressed condition of soldiers, wished me to add a note to the work, signifying that the part upon that subject had been in the printer's hands some weeks before that addition of pay was proposed. I declined doing this, lest it should be interpreted into an air of vanity, or an endeavor to excite suspicion (for which perhaps there might be no grounds) that some of the government gentlemen had, by some means or other, made out what this work would contain; and had not the printing been interrupted so as to occasion a delay beyond the time fixed for publication, nothing contained in this appendix would have appeared.

THOMAS PAINE.

END OF THE RIGHTS OF MAN.

[graphic]

History of Christianity

Comprising all that relates to the Christian religion in "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire," and, also,

A VINDICATION
(never before published in this country,)

of "SOME PASSAGES IN THE FIFTEENTH AND SIXTEENTH CHAPTERS," by

EDWARD GIBBON, Esq.

With a Preface, Life of the Author, and Notes by PETER ECKLER; also, Variorum Notes by GUIZOT, WENCK, MILMAN, "an ENGLISH CHURCHMAN," and

other scholars.

One vol., Post 8vo, 864 pages, with Portrait of Gibbon and numerous Engravings of mythological divinities. Ex. vellum cloth, $2.00; half calf, $4.00.

"This important work contains Gibbon's complete Theological writings, separate from his historical and miscellaneous works, showing when, where, and how christianity originated; who were its founders; and what were the sentiments, character, manners, numbers and condition of the primitive Christians. What has been said by Christians in regard to the Origin of Christianity is reprinted from the valuable notes of Dean Milman, Wenck, Guizot, and other eminent Christian historians who have edited Gibbon's works: and the pious but scholarly remarks of the learned editor of BOHN's edition of Gibbon are also given in full. Among the numerous illustrations will be found representations of the principal divinities of the Pagan mythology. The sketch of the author's life adds value and interest to the book, which is not only well edited and printed, but substantially bound. It will be a treasure for all libraries." -The Magazine of American History.

[graphic]

Voltaire's Romances.

A New Edition, Profusely Illustrated.

"I choose that a story should be founded on probability, and not always resemble a dream. I desire to find nothing in it trivial or extravagant; and I desire above all, that under the appearance of fable, there may appear some latent truth, obvious to the discerning eye, though it escape the observation of the vulgar."- Voltaire.

CONTENTS.

THE WHITE BULL; a Satirical Romance.
ZADIG; OR FATE. An Oriental History.
THE SAGE AND THE ATHEIST.
THE PRINCESS OF BABYLON.
THE MAN OF FORTY CROWNS.
THE HURON; OR PUPIL OF NATURE.
MICROMEGAS. A satire on mankind.
THE WORLD AS IT GOES.
THE BLACK AND THE WHITE.
MEMNON THE PHILOSOPHER.

ANDRE DES TOUCHES AT SIAM.

ВАВАВЕС.

THE STUDY OF NATURE.

A CONVERSATION WITH A CHINESE.
PLATO'S DREAM.

A PLEASURE IN HAVING NO PLEASURE.
AN ADVENTURE IN INDIA.
JEANNOT AND COLIN,

TRAVELS OF SCARMENTADO.
THE GOOD BRAMIN.

THE TWO COMFORTERS,

ANCIENT FAITH AND FABLE.

One vol., post 8vo, 480 pages, with Portrait and 82 Illustrations. Paper, $1.00; Extra vellum cloth, $1.50; half calf, $4.00.

Voltaire's satire was as keen and fine pointed as a rapier.-Magazine of Am. History. A delightful reproduction, unique and refreshing.- Boston Commonwealth.

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »