----------------+--------------+-----------+----------------+
YFielding Y 2,500Y104 cents Ymany left unsoldY
+-------------------------+--------------+-----------+----------------+
YPrior's Life of GoldsmithY 750Y200 cents Ysold Y
+-------------------------+--------------+-----------+----------------+
YArethusa Y 1,250Y70 cents Yall sold Y
+-------------------------+--------------+-----------+----------------+
YAbel Allnut Y 1,250Y52 cents Yalmost all sold Y
+-------------------------+--------------+-----------+----------------+
YFellow Commoner Y 2,000Y70 cents Ymany on hand Y
+-------------------------+--------------+-----------+----------------+
YRifle Brigade Y 2,000Y37 cents Ymany on hand Y
+-------------------------+--------------+-----------+----------------+
YSharpe's Essays Y 1,000Y54 cents Yone half sold Y
+=========================+==============+===========+================+

Now, as there are one hundred cents to a dollar, and the expenses of
printing, paper, and advertising have to be deducted, as well as the
copies left on hand, it will be evident, that the profit on each of the
above works, would be too small to allow the publishers in America to
give even 20 pounds for the copyright, the consequence of a copyright
would therefore be, that the major portion of the works printed would
not be published at all, and better works would be substituted. Of
course, such authors as Walter Scott, Byron, Bulwer, etcetera, have a
most extensive sale; and the profits are in proportion, but then it must
be remembered that a great many booksellers publish editions, and the
profits are divided accordingly. Could Sir Walter Scott have obtained a
copyright in the United States, it would have bean worth to him by this
time at least 100,000 pounds.

The Americans talk so much about their being the most enlightened nation
in the world, that it has been generally received to be the case. I
have already stated my ideas on this subject, and I think that the small
editions usually published, of works not standard or elementary, prove,
that with the exception of newspapers, they are not a _reading_ nation.
The fact is, they have no time to read; they are all at work; and if
they get through their daily newspaper, is quite as much as most of them
can effect. P