IV. The period from the accession of George Ill. to the close of the eighteenth century, is marked by the rapid increase of the demand for popular literature, rather than by any prominent features of orginality in literary production. Pe riodical literature spread on every side; newspapers, magazines, reviews, were multiplied ; and the old system of selling books by hawkers was extended to the rural districts and small provincial towns. Of the number-books thus produced, the quality was indifferent, with a few excep tions ; and the cost of these works was con siderable. The principle, however, was then first developed, of extending the mar 1 ket by coming into it at regular intervals with fractions of a book, so that the hum blest customer might lay by each week in a savings-bank of knowledge. This was an important step, which has produced great effects, but which is even now capable of a much more universal application than it has ever yet received. Smollett's His tory of England' was one of the most successful number-books; it sold to the extent of 20,000 copies.
The rapid growth of the publication of new books is best shown by examining the catalogues of the latter part of the eighteenth century, passing over the ear her years of the reign of George III. In the Modern Catalogue of Books,' from 1792 to the end of 1802, eleven years, we find that 4096 new works were published, exclusive of reprints not al tered in price, and also exclusive of pamphlets: deducting one-fifth for re prints, we have an average of 372 new books per year. This is a prodigious stride beyond the average of 93 per year of the previous period. From some cause or other, the selling-price of books had increased, in most cases 50 per cent., in others 100 per cent. The 28. 6d. duode cimo had become 4s.; the 6s. octavo, 108. 6d ; and the 12s. quarto, 11. 18. It would appear from this that the exclusive market was principally sought for new books ; that the publishers of novelties :id not rely upon the increasing number of readers ; and that the periodical works constituted the principal supply of the many. The aggreg'te increase of the commerce in books must, however, have become enormous, when compared with the previous fifty years.
V. Of the last period—the most re markable for the great extension of the commerce in books—we shall present the accounts of the first 27 years collectively, and of the last 16 years in detail.
The number of new publications issued from 1800 to 1827, including reprints altered in size and price, but excluding pamphlets, was, according to the London catalogue, 19,860. Deducting one-fifth for the reprints, we have 15,888 new books in 27 years ; showing an average of 588 new books per year, being an in crease of 216 per year over the last 11 years of the previous century. Books,
however, were still rising in price. The 43. duodecimo of the former period be came 6s., or was converted into a small octavo at 108. 6d. ; the 108. 6d. octavo be came 12s. or 14s., and the guinea quarto very commonly two guineas. The de mand for new books, even at the very high cost of those days, was principally maintained by Reading Societies and Cir culating Libraries. When these new modes of diffusing knowledge were first established, it was predicted that they would destroy the trade of publishing. But the Reading Societies and the Cir culating Libraries, by enabling many to read new books at a small expense, cre ated a much larger market than the de sires of individual purchasers for ephe meral works could have formed ; and a very large class of books was expressly produced for this market.
But a much larger class of book-buyers had sprung up, principally out of the middle ranks. For these a new species of literature had to be produced,—that of books conveying sterling information in a popular form, and published at a very cheap rate. In the year 1827 Consta ble's Miscellany' led the way in this novel attempt ; in the same year the So ciety for the Diffusion of Useful Know. ledge, which had been formed in No vember, 1820, commenced its operations, and several publishers of emineuoe soon directed their capital into the same channels. Subsequently editions of our great writers have been multiplied at very reasonable prices ; and many a tradesman's and mechanic's house now contains a well selected stock of books, which, through an annual expenditure of 21. or 31., has brought the means of in tellectual improvement, and all the tran quil enjoyment that attends the practice of family reading, home to a man's own fireside.
The increasing desire for knowledge among the masses of the people was, however, not yet supplied. In 1832 the Penny Magazine' of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, and 'Chambers's Journal' commenced to be published ; and subsequently the Satur day Magazine.' The 'Penny Sheet' of the reign of Queen Anne was revived in the reign of William IV., with a much wider range of usefulness. It was said by some that the trade in books would be destroyed. They asserted also that the rewards of authorship would be destroyed, neces sarily, at the same time. The Penny Cyclopredia' of the Society for the Dif fusion of Useful Knowledge was deemed the most daring attempt at this double destruction. That work has returned about 150,0001. to the commerce of lite rature, and 40,0001. have been distributed amongst the authors and artists engaged in its production, of which sum more than three-fourths have been laboriously earned by the diligence of the writers.