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AN

ESSAY, &c.

IN the following observations upon the subject of LIGHT READING, I shall not extend my view to works which might receive that title from such persons as Aristotle, Locke, or Newton; but, excluding from my definition of light literature, all folios, quartos, and crown-octavos of voyages, travels, tracts

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of divinity, politics, metaphysics, &c., shall endeavour to call the attention of the reader to some remarks on a few of the various consequences which may be supposed to arise from the perusal of novels, romances, and poems of a parti cular class: in other words, to the ordinary contents of a circulating library.

Vanity already prompts me to believe that this my little volume has itself some chance of a place in one of those repositories, and therefore a chance of being read. Already, methinks, I see it take its post in a sky-blue or rose-coloured covering, upon the counter or in

the window; and that this first and important difficulty being surmounted, every thing else, connected with its reputation, will follow of course.

It will receive condemnation or praise it matters not which-from the reviewers; be turned over, thrown down, taken up again, cut open, read, and returned to the shop with the usual and flattering marks of having seen service; viz. a leaf or two torn out, scratches of pins, scorings of thumbnails, and divers marginal illustrations, executed by means of a crow-quill, or a black-lead pencil.

But if, contrary to these suggestions of a vain heart, it should be the lot of my book to take rank amongst the charte inepta; to lie in cold obstruction on the highest shelf, and constitute a sort of fee-simple to the first spider that gets possession of it, I must console myself with the reflection of having tried to merit a happier fate..

-Before I examine the effects of which

the light reading alluded to may be thought productive, I shall arrange the different orders of works of fancy under their proper heads.

Thus, to borrow a phrase from the

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