umption by the latter of the whole business of
insurance. Among the contributors are Victor Hugo, Eugene Sue, Francois
Vidal, E. Quinet, Alphonse Esquiros, and Eugene Pelletan. It is
published in quarto form, of the largest size permitted by the law, at
$1.20 a year, and furnishes, in addition to its political and economical
articles, a full summary of news, political, commercial, literary, and
miscellaneous.

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The _Revue Brittanique_ has some interesting facts as to the English
book trade. It says: "The great booksellers, like Longman & Murray, must
be encouraged by the result of the speculations ventured on by the
booksellers of Paris." Is it not wonderful that articles from reviews,
which one would suppose would lose their interest in the course of time,
and which have been circulated in the Edinburgh or Quarterly to the
extent of ten thousand or twelve thousand copies, should be sold in
reprints at a high price, and live through two, three, or even six
editions? The articles of Macaulay are going through the sixth edition,
although the book costs a pound sterling. Of Macaulay's History of
England Longman has sold between 20,000 and 30,000 copies, and
Thirlwall's and Grote's Histories of Greece, though they have not the
same immediate, exciting interest, sell well, notwithstanding they are
so long. Mure's and Talfourd's Histories of Greek literature are put
forth in new editions. The reviews, instead of injuring the sale of
solid works, increase it. Occasional books, like travels, biographies,
&c., naturally have their public interest, but most of them are sold at
half price within three months of their appearance. At London there are
circulating libraries which lend out books, not only in the city itself,
but all over England: the railroads have extended their business very
greatly. In order to satisfy as many customers as possible, they buy
some works by hundreds. For instance, such a circulating library has two
hundred copies of Macaulay's History, a hundred of Layard's Nineveh, a
hundred of Cumming's hunting adventures, and so on. When the first
excitement about a book is over, these extra copies are put into
handsome binding and disposed of for half price. The system of cheap
publishing has not yet much affected the circulating libraries in
England, while in this country it has destroyed them. Books can be
bought here now for the former cost of reading them.

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