Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-10-07
THE BOSTON EDITION OF
THE PENNY MAGAZINE.
- Price Reduced to 81 SO for SIG Pages!
VIM. M. MORRISON, AGENT.

Ertrdct from the Preface to the First Polt.me.
lTPON the completion of the first volume OF
~ the Penny Magazine" it may not be in
eXpedient to offer few observations to the pur-
chasers of this little work, whose sale has been
justly regarded as one of the most remarkable
indications of the extent to which the desire for
knowledge has reached. 1t is most satisfactory
to consider the species threading which has had
such an extensive and increasing popularity.
In this work there has never been q single sem
tence that could infame vicious appetite; and
not paragraph that could minister to prejudi-
ces and superStitions which few years since
were common. There have been no excite
ments for the lovers of the marvellous; no tattle
or abuse for the qualification Of diseased taste
for personality; and, above all, no party poll
tics. The subjects which have uniformly been
treated have been Of the broadest and simplest
character. Striking points of Natural History;
Accounts of the great works of art in Sculpture
and Painting; Descriptions of such Antiquities
| as possess historical interest; Personal Narras
! tives Of Travellers Biographies Of Men who
have had permanent influence on the cOndi-
ton of the world; Elementary Principles ofLan-
guage and Numbers; Established facts in Sta
tiStics and Political EconOmy-theSe have sup
piled the materials for exciting the curiosity of
a million of readers This consideration fur
nishes the most convincing answer to the few
(f any there now remain) who assert that Gene
. TdI EuuCdllOll Is dH eNll. ne people VIII not
abuse the power they have acquired to read and
therefore to think Let them be addressed in
the spirit Of sincerity and respect, and they
will prove that they are fully entitled to the
praise which Milton bestowed upon their forefa
theirs, as " a nation not slow and dull but Of
quick, ingenious, and piercing spirit-acute to
invent, subtle and sinewy to discourse, not be-
meath the reach of any point the highest that
human capacity can soar to-"
From the high concentrations bestowed up
on the" Penny Magazine" and its uneXamped
success in Great Britain, the publishers were in
duced to undertake the republication of that
work in this country. They have completed
one volume, containing 576 pages imperial &C.
tavo, and 292 wood cuts, which they have fur
nished to subscribers at the moderate price of
Two Dollars. The unexpected encouragement
which they have met with, has now induced them
to offer thesecond volume to subscribers at One
Dollar and Fifty Gents, containing the same
number of pages, and TO be executed in style
equal to their first volume.
During the past year, stereotype plates OF this
work. after having been nearly worn out in Lon
don, have been imported into New York, and
the impressions from those plates sold at One
Dollar and Fifty Gents for twelve monthly parts,
containing only SIG pages, being SIXTY pages
less than the Boston edition.
The wood cuts and stereotype plates of the
! Boston edition are entirely new, executed by
the publishers, who being both practically ope-
rative in the two most important departments OF
the Book Business, Chat of Engraving and Ste
reotypng,) they feel confident that they can
compete with any foreign manufacturer in their
line, as it regards the style of execution and
cheapness. They will therefore issue as pages
on the first Of every month, commencing with
! july. oct 6-3t