The Telegraph

Miscellaneous.

SIR, YOU ARE A SUBSCRIBER,

Said a tall gaunt figure, as he presented us with a volume purporting to be a Biographical Dictionary, containing the lives of the most eminent men of every age and nation.

We turned to survey the stranger; whose gigantic form seemed to possess a ten horse power, and ourselves being but the common strength and stature of man, we showed no disposition to deny the assertion. We felt the sense of danger and therefore resolved not to encounter it.

A collision with such a mass of bone and flesh would be like the risk of riding upon the stormy and fathomless ocean, with nothing but a slender board to preserve us from destruction: therefore, we conceded that his claim was just, and paid the subscription, which amounted to $1 75, for one of the most rascally impositions ever practised upon the publick.

The work Biographical Dictionary is a nigh relation of Robin's Journal; President Monroe's Tour, American Biography, Life of La Fayette, Napoleon Bonaparte, and a host of other wretched literature which has been issued from the press in Connecticut--nutmegs, and pedlars--for the last seven or eight years. There is not, in the whole list of grievances which are stored for the affliction of man, a more intolerable nuisance than a person with a subscription in his hand, soliciting the honour of your name for the purpose of patronizing literature.

His talisman is effrontery--there is no escape from him--and he is such an adept in deceit, that one in order to avoid his importunities, will sign for his worthless trash. In fact, the instances of imposition, resulting from subscribing for books which we are not acquainted with, are innumerable, but we are unable to cite only a few.

The first which we have any recollection of, was Miranda's Expedition. This work was first published in Boston, but in consequence of its worthless nature was condemned, and thousands of them were left upon the publisher's hands as dead stock. A few years ago a speculator bought them--sent his runners into the country--procured subscribers at one dollar each--pasted in a new title page, and delivered the work at the time specified. The feelings enjoyed by the subscribers--after discovering the fraud practised upon them were by no means enviable.

A short time since, proposals were issued for publishing a splendid quarto bible, in numbers, 12 1-2 cents per number, to be embellished with elegant engravings, &c. The apparent cheapness of the work--only twelve and a half cents per number--induced many, who were really unable, to patronize the work: but after the delivery of one or two numbers it was found more convenient to embody eight into one, thus in a measure, varying the terms of the subscription: for a majority of the subscribers, being of the labouring class, were led to subscribe under the conviction that they might obtain an elegant edition of the Bible without feeling the expense.

But when the publishers came to alter their mode of delivery, instead of one number per week at 12 1-2 cents, the subscribers had to pay for eight at one dollar, the work became a heavy tax, and this cheap bible, after its completion and bound, cost at least $24!! The plates were ordinary--badly designed and worse executed, many of which had been used in other works. The same bibles can now be purchased at half the price paid by the subscribers.

Hardly were the publick recovered from the smart proceeding from the last imposition, when they were again insulted with another subscription paper for the works of Josephus, in numbers.

A history of the management in this affair, our limits will not permit us to give,--suffice it to observe, that while the subscribers were paying $11 87 for the work in sheets the same edition was selling in Boston, for $7, full bound, and good handsome editions could be procured for four dollars.

The success which attended the Boston speculators persuaded certain others in Connecticut to go and do likewise, and accordingly subscription hunters were foraging in every part of the country with proposals for the life of La Fayette: at $1 75--then came American Biography, at $1 75--followed up by the Life of Bolivar, at $1 75--and last came Biographical Dictionary $1 75, for which we were subscribers.

The proposals for the work stated that it was to be embellished with 20 portraits, copied from European engravings. There were 20 portraits--but mark the excellent piece of dupery practised. Instead of being of the common size, the whole number were within the compass of a duodecimo page, and as miserable caricatures as ever came from the hands of an engraver. Were the portraits the only imposition, we might be induced to accept the work, but the Biographies are still worse. The Life of Washington is comprised in six lines, and that of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, in about the same number; the biography of Franklin, written in a much better style will be found in many catch-penny publications which originated twenty-five years ago, while more than three fourths of the book is filled up with notices of men, whom ninety-nine subscribers out of a hundred will never be the wiser for. We give a specimen.

"Costa, John, professor of law at Cahors, died in 1687."

"Cotes, Francis, an English painter in oil and crayons, died 1716."

"Critolas, a Greek historian,"

"Crito, one of the pupils and friends of Socrates."

"Hiero, I. King of Syracuse, 537 B.C. celebrated by the pen of Pindar."

Such is the work which subscribers have been paying one dollar and seventy-five cents for-- a work from which they can neither derive profit or instruction:

Such scandalous impositions, we trust will have a tendency to correct former abuses; and guard the people against their repetition