The Virginia Gazette

The following Letter having been sent to a Bookseller in this City, it may afford some Diversion as well as Instruction to the Publick, and therefore we hope the Gentleman who sent it will pardon us for publishing it. The Letter was as follows, viz.

SIR,

I have observed in the News-Papers lately, an Advertisement set out by Sylvanus Urban, Gent. who is, it seems, the Author or rather Collector of the Gentleman's Magazine, with this remarkable Note to it, viz. Note, 'Tis observed, that the last Year's Volume of this Work has more Pages by almost a whole Month's, than these set out with a Pretence of containing more in Quantity, and greater Variety, than any other.

From this Note I suppose the general Fate of our modern Buyers of Books, was, to value them, as the Dutch do Beauties by the Tun Weight, and I was confirmed in this, by perusing the Gentleman's Magazine for some Months past; for I could not have imagined that a great Number of Pages for a little Money, could have induced any of my Countrymen, or even Women, to purchase a Collection of such insipid Stuff, or wretched Extracts, as that Monthly Collection is generally crammed with; yet, I am told he meets with some Encouragement, or more properly Indulgence, as he himself calls it; which makes me hope I may dispose of some Lumber I should be glad to get rid of at any Rate.

You must know, Sir, my Great Grandfather took into his Head to be a fine Gentleman, and being told that a fine Gentleman ought to be a fine Scholar, and have a fine Library; he agreed with a Joiner to fit up, in the genteelest Manner, one of the Rooms of his House for a Library: As soon as this Room was finished, he sent the Dimensions of the several Shelves to a Bookseller at London, who had happened to marry his Huntsman's Sister, with Orders to send him down Thirty Feet in Length of Folios, so a Foot and Two Inches high, &c. with strict Orders that the Whole should not amount to above such a Sum, which was about double what he had paid to the Joiner. The Bookseller complied with his Request, and, I believe, got Money by the Bargain.

Now as this Sylvanus Urban's whole Merit seems to depend on the Number of his Pages, without any Regard to the Contents, this Library would, I think, be of great Use to him; because most of the Books are such as were, I am convinced, never read by any Man who thought of what he read, so that he may safely take Extracts from them, and publish them as modern Pieces sent him by his learned and ingenious Correspondents.

As the Books are at some Distance from London, he shall have them at Half the Price waste Paper commonly sells for in your City; by which Means he may increase the Number of Pages in each Magazine, without putting himself to so great a Charge, as he does at present; for I am told he pays half a Crown, and sometimes 3 s. 6 d. for some of the original Pieces of Nonsense he now publishes for the Benefit of his delicate Readers.

I desire you'll talk with him upon this Subject, and if he inclines to be a Purchaser, he may apply to my Steward, who is often in Town, and is to be heard of at the Dog and Duck Ale-house in Great Russell-street, Bloomsbury.

I am, SIR,

Oxford, Feb. 10, 1736-7.

Your humble Servant