The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-05-06
LETTER FROM ENGLAND.
LONDON, March

LONDON, March 10, 1929.
1t is more on account of its literary pleas
ures that London is to be valued above eve
ry other place, than for eating, drinking,
display, or amusement. The number OF
books, interesting, useful, readable books,
which monthly make their appearance from
the London press, is indeed astonishing.
The English are reading people. In New
York, it is not often that you meet man
going home at night from his tolls, stored
with mental treasures here upon the clos
ing of the counting house at night, the mer-
chants are sure to be seen, vending their
way to their happy spouses, and bright sea
coal fires, with the last new publication, one
of Horace Smiths Oddities" or Crofton
Cookers merry legends, perhaps. Every
street is as sure to have its circulating Ii
brary, or its bookstore, as its butchers stall,
or bake-house, or green grocery" And
the capitals employed, and the fortunes
made in that line of business, would astonish
any one who had only seen the way we do
the thing in America. Colburn asserts, and
no one doubts, that he has cleared fifty
thousand pounds sterling S250,000l the last
year, by his publications. Murray has sold
$4,000 copies of Lord Byron's works, the
last year. Thirteen thousand pounds 1861
600 was laid out upon one Of the ANIMALS
alone, and eleven, upon another.
Mr.. Sparks is here, and has, | am inform
ed, his great work the life of Washington
nearly ready for publication l heard,
at Colburn's, the publishers, that Mr.. c.
was in treaty with Mr. s. for the copyright
1t is understood, that it is not to be quite so
extensive as at first intended-some six or
eight volumes, instead of the twelve first
proposed. He would have found some diff
Guilty in disposing of the copyright of so
elaborate work, notwithstanding the merit
of the subject, and his acknowledged abili
ty to do justice to the memory and charac-
ter of our greatest of men.
The American writer who at this tine
occupies the largest space in the eyes of
the British reading public, to use Mr.. Cole
ridges bet phrase, is Doctor Charming. |
must confess | had not noticed half the
beauties of his characters of Napoleon and
of Milton till they had been pointed out by
contemporary British Journals. You would
ask, d" is it possible" when you see the su-
perlatives annexed 10 his name by these
systematic contemners, of every thing
American, except cash, cotton, and perhaps
for ii few days longer, our flour and wheat.
He is called the profound" the erudite,
in one work Of character, "the greatest
writer of the day" and by all admitted to
yield in the graphic strength of his illustra-
tons, and the exceeding truth Of his sketch
es to no living writer. "Why does not
this brilliant ornament of your country pub
lish its history?" said gentleman to ME at
Miller's, the other day. He would make
book that would equal those of Hume and
Gibbon, while he avoided their skepticism."
Washington Irving remains in Spain.
An English gentleman saw him few
weeks snce-no it is now three months, at
Granada, busy amidst the ruins of Moorish
magni6cence, the fallen mosques, and "ivied
battlements" of the Degris and Abencerra-
ges. His next work, it is said, will be a
series of romantic tales, illustrating the
proud history of their period of greatness,
when there were twenty thousand vii
lagos on the banks of the Guadalquiver,
Sand the barbarians" were the protectors of
learned men, and the restorers of the arts
and sciences. will risk dozen of the wine
of which Falstaff compounded his sack, and
it is as dear here as Otto of roses, that this
will be his best book. 1t suits his genius
to a title. You recollect his Moorish tale
in Bracebridge Hall what beautiful thing
it was !-.Ne,c York Com. .Adcertiser.