Peter Parley's Tales of Ancient Rome and Modern Ita

Date of No publication. vola

1840....1

ly. Sq. 16mo. Tegg...

Peter Par.ey's Tales about Christmas. Sq. 16mo.

[There are still other counterfeits of Parley's works, issued
by various parties in London. The utter disregard of
truth, honor, and decency, on the part of respectable
British authors and publishers, in this wholesale system
of imposition and injustice, is all the more remarkable,
when we consider that the British public, and especially
the British authors and booksellers, are denouncing us
in America as pirates, for refusing international copy-
right.

The conduct of all these parties places them, morally,
on a footing with other counterfeiters and forgers: pub-
lic opinion, in the United States, would consign persons
conducting in this manner, to the same degree of repro-
bation. Can it be that, in England, a man who utters a
counterfeit five-pound note is sent to Newgate, while
another may issue thousands of counterfeit volumes,
and not destroy his reputation ?]

NOTE II.

Messrs. Low and Co.'s Catalogue.

Since the preceding pages were in type, I have been favored by Messrs. Samson Low, Son & Co., of London, with the proof-sheets of their new "6 'AMERICAN CATALOGUE OF BOOKS," in the preface of which are some interesting statistics of the book-trade in the United States. From this I make the following extract:

It seems to be generally agreed that in the twelve years ending 1842, nearly half the publications issued in the United States were reprints of English books," &c.

"There are no means of verifying this, but the increase and comparative nationality of the literature during the last five years (1850 to 1855) are very striking, testifying at once by its progressive char

acter to the position, strength, and value of the literature of the country at the present day.

“During 1852, unavoidably including many really published in the preceding six months, we find there were 966 new books and new editions; 312 of which were reprints of English books, and 56 translations from other countries.

"During 1853, 879 new books and new editions, including 298 reprints of English books, and 37 translations.

"During 1854, 765 new books and new editions, of which 277 were reprints of English books, and 41 translations.

“During 1855, 1,092 new books and new editions, including 250 reprints of English books, and 38 translations.

"During the six months to July, 1856, 751 new books and new editions, of which but 102 were reprints of English books, and 26 translations."

This statement, made with great care from published catalogues, notices, and titles of books, coincides in a remarkable degree with the conclusions at which I had arrived, as will be seen at page 389, vol. ii. According to this catalogue of the Messrs. Low, the proportion of British books in our book production is now about twenty to twentyfive per cent. It is to be remarked, however, that a great many new editions of school-books, and popular works of constant and large sale, are produced, of which no public notice is given, and which, therefore, are not included in their estimate, above quoted. If we allow for these editions, we shall see that my estimate of twenty per cent. for the proportion of British literature in our publications at the present time, is fully sustained. The rapid relative increase of American over British mind in our literature, is equally manifest from both statements.

NOTE III.

"Old Humphrey," or George Mogridge, the first Counterfeiter of the Parley Books.

I have just met with a book recently issued by the London Religious Tract Society, entitled "Memoirs of Old Humphrey," that is, the late George Mogridge, a well-known writer of religious books and essays, especially for the young, for the last thirty years. By VOL. II.-24

a list of his writings, inserted in this volume, it seems he was the person employed by Mr. Thomas Tegg, to write the counterfeit Parley books, of which I have given an account at page 292, vol. ii.

Until now, the real authorship of these volumes has been kept a secret. Tegg disguised the matter by encouraging the idea that he wrote them himself. It appears by the Memoir, above alluded to, that the real author of this imposition, was a person claiming to be very pious, and now that his fraud is known, he becomes the hero of a religious tract society!

The false books which he wrote, and which have been palmed off upon the public for twenty years, as written by me, were as follows:

Peter Parley's Tales of Great Britain.

Greece, Ancient and Modern.

Rome and Modern Italy.

Mythology of Ancient Greece and Rome.
Geography.

Tales about Christmas.

Shipwrecks and Disasters at Sea

Some of these are founded upon genuine books, and some are wholly original; but they are all written with a sedulous attempt to make them pass as by the veritable author of Parley's Tales. This was the first example of counterfeiting these works, and led to that system of fraud which has caused me so much injury and an

noyance.

INDEX.

Blackwood's Magazine, ii. 184.
BLACKWOOD, William, ii. 184, 196.
BLANC, Louis, ii. 478, 502.
BLATCHFORD, Rev. Dr., i. 180.
BLISS, George, ii. 41.
BLISS & WHITE, ii. 155.
Blue-Lights, i. 481.
BOARDMAN, Elijah, ii. 50, 51.
BONAPARTE, Jerome, i. 111.
BONAPARTE, Napoleon, i. 260.
BONAPARTE, Pauline, i. 113.
BRADLEY, Col. P., i. 229, 522.

CAVAIGNAC, ii. 478, 502.
CHALMERS, Dr., ii. 192, 248.
CHAMPION, Henry, ii. 27.
CHAMPOLLION, i. 868.
CHANNING, W. E., ii. 258, 841.
CHARLES II., Charter of i. 63.
CHARLES IX., King, ii. 366.
CHARLES X., King, ii. 449.
CHARTRES, Duke of, ii. 467.
CHASE, Bishop, ii. 52.
CHAUNCEY FAMILY, i. 369.
CHEEVER, G. B., ii. 255.

BRADLEY, Stephen R., i. 448; ii. 99. CHENEY, John, ii. 262.

Book-Trade, ii. 879.

Bosc, Agriculturist, ii. 444.
BOWEN, Charles, ii. 344.

BRODIE, Sir B. C., ii. 282.
BRONSON, Mr., ii. 185.
BROOKS, Rev. C., i. 541.
BROUGHAM, Lord, ii. 232.
BROWN, Dr. John, i. 377.
BRYANT, W. C., ii. 110, 278.
BUCCLEUGH, Duke of, ii. 181.
BUCHANAN, J., ii. 514, 520.
BUCKINGHAM, J. T., ii. 85, 253.
Buffalo, 444.

BULL, Thomas, ii. 52.
BURDETT, Sir F., ii. 284.

BURNETT, Rev. Dr., i. 177, 539.

BURNS, Robert, ii. 204.

BUSHELL, Dr., ii. 94.

Chesapeake, Frigate, i. 275; cap

tured, 456.

CHILD, Mrs., i. 173.
CHITTENDEN, T., ii. 99.
CLARK, Rev. Mr., i. 520.
CLARKSON, Matthew, ii. 70.
CLAY, Henry, i. 511; ii. 325, 394,
397, 405, 408, 420, 504.
CLAYTON, J. M., ii. 476.
CLEMENS, Jeremiah, ii. 483.
CLERC, Laurent, ii. 127.

CLEVELAND, Rev. Mr., i. 130.
CLIFFORD, J. H., ii. 439.

COCKBURN, Mr., ii. 849.

COGGESWELL, M. F., ii. 123, 126.

COHEN, M. M., ii. 325.

BYRON, Lord, i. 154; ii. 101, 105, COLEMAN, William, ii. 35.

188, 197, 250.

C.

CABOT, George, ii. 28, 36.

Cold Friday, i. 893.

COLEMAN, Henry, ii. 475.

COLES, J. B., ii. 70.

COLMAN, George, ii. 101.

COLERIDGE, S. T., ii. 101.

COLT, Samuel, i. 584.
Communists, ii. 368.

CALHOUN, J. C., i. 514; ii. 405, 406, Conservatives, i. 119.

Convention, Hartford, ii. 9.

Convention, Hartford, Members of,

ii. 81.

COOKE, Amos, i. 823, 330.
COOKE, Col. J. P., i. 326.

Cook, Dr., ii. 192.

COOPER, J. Fenimore, ii. 110, 184,

201.

Copyright, Laws respecting, ii.

377.