plates to Monstrelet. Of
these beautiful and intrinsically valuable works, there were
only 25 copies struck off upon folio; which bring tremendous
prices.----_History of the Town of Cheltenham, and its
Environs_; 1802, 8vo. There were a few copies of this
superficial work printed upon large paper in royal octavo,
and a _unique_ copy upon paper of a quarto size; which
latter is in the possession of my friend Mr. Thomas Pruen,
of the same place. A part of this volume was written by
myself; according to instructions which I received to make
it 'light and pleasant.' An author, like a barrister, is
bound in most cases to follow his instructions! As I have
thus awkwardly introduced myself, I may be permitted to
observe, at the foot of this note, that all the LARGE PAPER
copies of my own humble lucubrations have been attended with
an unexpectedly successful sale. Of the _Introduction to the
Classics_, edit. 1804, 8vo., there were fifty copies, with
extra plates, struck off in royal octavo, and published at
2_l._ 2_s._: these now sell for 5_l._ 5_s._: the portrait of
_Bishop Fell_ making them snapped at, with a perch-like
spirit, by all true Grangerites. Of the _Typographical
Antiquities_ of our own country there were 66 printed in a
superb style, upon imperial paper, in 4to.; these were
published at 6_l._ 6_s._ a copy. The following anecdote
shews how they are 'looking up'--as the book-market phrase
is. My friend ---- parted with his copy; but finding that his
slumbers were broken, and his dreams frightful, in
consequence, he sought to regain possession of it; and
cheerfully gave 10_l._ 10_s._! for what, but a few months
before, he had possessed for little more than one half the
sum! The same friend subscribes for a _large paper_ of the
_present work_, of which there are only eighteen copies
printed: and of which my hard-hearted printer and myself
seize each upon a copy. Will the same friend display equal
fickleness in regard to THIS volume? If he does, he must
smart acutely for it: nor will 15_l._ 15_s._ redeem it! It
is justly observed, in the first edition of this work, that,
'analogous to large paper, are TALL copies: that is, copies
of the work published on the ordinary size paper, and barely
cut down by the binder,' p. 45. To