The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-01-19
80
PROFITS OF AUTHORS.
literary Men who Have Made Fortunes
the Labor of Their Pens.

nof OF NJ F1onos
Literary Men who Have Made Fortunes by
the Labor of Their Pens.
It is often said that literature is not
profitable calling, and that very
large majority of those who have de-
voted themselves TO it have found this
saying to be true. There is little doubt
that the average earnings in tho law
and modicmc, and even in divinity
are larger than in the profession of
authorship. Yet, on the other hand,
to very limited few writers of genius
or talents the writing of books has
been u source not only of profit, but of
fortune.
1t is only u littlo moro than a hun
dred years since DR.. Samuel johnson
taught his brother authors TO look for
their profits, not to the rich patrons
who paid thcm a larger or loss sum for
fulsomc dedications, but to the fast
increasing public of readers. Yet
long before DR. Johnson's time there
lived now and then, an English author
whose work was woll paid for.
While Milton received only So for
paradise Lost" the poet Pope, not
many years after. received no less
than $4,000 for the fur less laborious
task of trunslnting Homer. Similar
inequalities of rewards to authors ap-
pear at a little later period.
Gay got $1,000 for a smlll volume of
poems, $4,000 for his "Beggar's
Opera" and $4,000 for his play OF
Polly" while far greater poet,
Gray, only gained $4,000 for all his
poems, and actually gave away his i'm
mortal "Elegy in Country Church.
yard to his publisher, The publisher
made 5000 on the poem.
Goldsmith, considering his genius,
was very poorly paid The "Vicar of
Wakefield" brought him only $500,
and his poem, the Traveller" yielded
only Sl05. johnson himself had to be
content with Moderate rewards for
mis- work, for "Rasselas," which was
written in single week in order to
pay the expenses OF his mothers funer-
al, brought him $500 while the Lives
OF the Poot5n only yielded $1,000.
1t is interesting to note that now and
then prose works brought substantial
rewards in the last century, and early
in the present For his novel,
"Amelia," Fielding received 5000,
and Hayley received for his Life OF
Cowper" no less thar $4,000. The
life of the philanthropist, Wilberiorce,
brought its author $4,000.
As we approach more recent times
we find yet larger sums pouring in
upon the few popular authors who
have succeeded in gaining wide pub
lie hearing. For instance, Sir Walter
Scott made, and, it is sad to say,
squandcred, brilliant fortune, solely |
he labor of his pen. He is believed |
% have made out Of his poems and |
novels as large Il sum as 81. 800, 900. |
Yet he spoke Of authorship as "a good |
but very bad crutch!"
An eminent publisher offered Tom
Moore $4,000 for poem as long as
'cotts "Rokeby," ami the result was
t4b plDuNAibipAi va lll0 lttilpio lIdilu
&ookh." When Thomas Campbell was
,nly twenty-one years of age he got
'S, 900 for his"Pleasures of Hope"
The English historians of the high
st rank have Jared well in u pecuniary
ense, and the same may be said of the
hree or four leading American histori-
ms. Hume got $500 u volume for
lis History OF England and Macau-
ey received once check for 800, 600
IN account of three-fourths OF the profit
IN his history. Gibbons receipts from
he "Decline and Fall of the Roman
Empire" were probably not less than
80, 900. Robertson's prosy History
II Scotland" brought him $780, 900; and
.ingard received $3.50 for his his
ory.
Charles Dickens is believed to have
made yearly income of $4,000 by
lis novels. 1t is certain that he made,
md by lavish living spent, several
-oodly fortunes.
Bulwer is said to have made $400, 900
~ his novels. and Disraeli, for EN-
lymion" aone, received $60,000
Three or four American authors,
vho are still living, have made large
ortunes by their books. Sometimes
single worl1-lille the life of Grant
nd Mr. Blaine's Twenty Years in
Congress-" and General Wallace's
Ben Hur"-has earned fortune for
Is author.
These instances, however, are the
are exceptions. Fortunes come much
nore seldom to authors than to other
'orkers in intellectual fields; nor
hould such cases .as have been de-
cribed delude young people into
linking that authorship is the path
,ey TO wealth. - Youih'S COnlpanton.