few books are fo ill written, but that fomething may be gleaned from the perufal. Should the infignificance of my life induce any perfon better qualified to prefent the world with his big with interefting events, my difpofing of feveral large editions of that performance will afford me more folid fatisfaction as a bookfeller, than any fuccess or emolument which can poffibly arife from this my firft, and moft probably laft, effay as an author. If unfortunately any of my kind readers should find the book fo horridly dull and ftupid, that they cannot get through it, or if they do, and with not to travel the fame road again, I here declare my perfect readiness to fupply them with abundance of books, much more witty, much more- -whatever they please, they never fhall want books while L. is able to affift them; and whether they prefer one of his writing, or that of any other author, he protests he will not be in the finalleft degree offended: let every author make the fame declaration if he can. Should my memoirs be attended with no other be nefit to fociety, they will at least tend to fhew what may be effected by a perfevering habit of industry, and an upright confcientious demeanor in trade towards the public, and probably infpire fome one of perhaps fuperior abilities, with a laudable ambition, to emerge from obfcurity, by a proper application of thofe talents with which Providence has favoured him, to his own credit and emolument, as well as the benefit of the community. To fuch an one I ever have, and ever fhall with every poffible fuccefs, as it has uniformnly been my opinion, that whatever is thus acquired, is more honourable to the parties than the poffeffion of wealth obtained without any intrinfic merit or exertion, and which is too frequently confumed with rapidity in the purfuit of vice and diffipation. One word to my old friends the bookfellers under No. III. of my dedication. This publication it is to be expected will tend to excite fome degree of mirth in them. Confcious that I have often been the cause (however unintentional on my part) of ex◄ citing lefs pleafing fenfations in them, I will readily allow them full fcope; however, according to the well known adage, "Let them laugh who win," I hope they will indulge me in the fame propenfity of laughing, if not at them, at least with them. fuch the vanity of great and small, Contempt goes round, and all men laugh at all. YOUNG, As a proof of my friendly difpofition, I fhall here add a piece of advice, which I do not hesitate to pronounce will, if attended to, entitle them to promotion amongst my firft clafs of bookfellers, and eventual-ly prove more beneficial than a conftant perfeverance in the mode of conduct they have hitherto pursued; and those who have children will, I hope, fee the propriety of inculcating the fame doctrine to them. for their future benefit; and I flatter myself my advice will prove equally productive of benefit to a great number of the community at large, as well as to book-fellers. It is this: If they obferve any perfon by industry, and appli-.. cation endeavouring to obtain an honeft livelihood in that line for which his talents or difpofition have. qualified him, never to attempt, by dark inuendoes,. fly hints, and falle afperfions, to injure him, as, if he happens to be a man of becoming fpirit, fuch conduct will only tend to increafe his exertions, and render him still more cautious to obtain a good cha-racter; in fo doing their weapons will recoil on themfelves, and they will have the mortification to fee him flourish, whilft they become obj ts of contempt: in the eyes of the public, and will of course be avoided by them. Here perhaps it will be remarked: that I have even prefumed to differ in opinion from the great Lord Bacon; that philofophical luminary thought that the eye of an envious perfon darts a peculiar virulence, which wounds its objects: and thus. he accounts for perfons in a triumph, or any exalted profperity, being more liable to be hurt by it than. others. But I forget myfelf-from debating whether a pre-face was really neceffary or not, if I proceed thus,, I fhall produce one as long as my book, as indeed fome of my feniors in authorfhip have done before me, though not altogether confiftent with propriety. I will therefore conclude with a wish that my readers may enjoy the feast with the fame good humour with which I have prepared it; they will meet with fome folid though not much coarfe food, and the major part, I hope light and eafy of digeftion; those with keen appetites will partake of each dish, while others more delicate may felect fuch dishes as are more light, and better adapted to their palates; they are all genuine British fare. But left they should be at a lofs to know what the entertainment consists of, I beg leave to inform them, that it contains fortyfeven dishes of various fizes, which (if they calculate the expence of their amiffion tickets) they will find does not amount to two-pence per difh; and what I hope they will confider as immenfely valuable (in compliance with the precedent fet by Mr. Farley, a gentleman eminent in the culinary fcience) a ftriking likeness of their Cook into the bargain. ་ I have alfo prepared a bill of fare at the end of the volume. Ladies and gentlemen, pray be feated; you are heartily welcome, and much good may it do you. TO THE SECOND AND SUBSEQUENT EDITIONS.. my 'Tis nothing new, I'm fure you know, THE Mrs. SAVAGE. HE first edition of my memoirs was no fooner published, than old-envious friends, mentioned in the third clafs of my dedication, found out that it was "d-n'd stuff! d-n'd low!" the production of a cobler, and only fit to amufe that honourable fraternity, or to line their garrets and ftalls; and many gentlemen, who are my customers, have informed me, that when they asked for them at feveral fhops, they received: for anfwer, that they had already too much wafte paper, and would not increase it by keeping Lacking-ton's Memoirs; and fome kindly added, "You need. not be in hafte to purchase, as in the courfe of the Christmas holidays, Mr. Birch, in Cornhill, will wrap up all his mince-pies with them, and distribute them. through the town for the public good." Lord Bacon remarks, "that it was well faid that envy has no holidays." And thus "With all the eunuch's melancholy fpite, "They growl at you, because they cannot write; But the rapid fale of this Life foon caufed them to alter their ftories; and I was very much surprised to hear that feveral of thofe gentlemen, who had fcarce done exclaiming, "Vile trafh! beneath all criticism !”&c. began to praife the compofition; and on looking into the Englith Review, I found that the editors had filled feven pages in reviewing thofe Memoirs, and had bestowed much praife on the author. I was then ready to conclude, that their generous and manly impartiality had, in a miraculous manner, effected the converfion of others. But 1 was foon convinced, that meannefs can never be exchanged for generofity; and that thofe that had been unclean were unclean, ftill;" as Churchill fays, That envy, which was woven in the frame It feems that feveral of thofe liberal-minded men,. being prodigiously mortified at the encreasing sale of my Life, applied to different authors in order to get one of them to father my hook: but those authors, . either from principle, or from knowing that my manufcript was kept in my fhop for the infpection of the public, or from fome other motive, refufed to adopt the poor bantling: and not only fo, but laughed at, and expofed the mean contrivance, to the very great difappointment of thofe kind and boneft-hearted friends of mine. 'Tis hard to fay, what, myfteries of fate, What turns of fortune, on poor writers wait; W.HARTE. That I might not be justly charged with ingratitude, I take this opportunity of thanking my friends, cuftomers, and the public, for their candid reseption of my volume; the fale of which, and the encomiums I have received on the subject, both by letter and otherwife, have far exceeded my most fanguine and felf-flattering expectations; I very fenfibly feel. |