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THE

UNIVERSAL MAGAZINE.

NEW SERIES.

CONTAINING

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS

IN

HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY, THE BELLES LETTRES,
POLITICS, AMUSEMENTS,

&c. &c.

VOL. X.

JULY to DECEMBER, INCLUSIVE.

1808.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR H. D. SYMONDS, NO. 20, PATERNOSTER-ROW;
By whom Communications (post paid) are received.

[Price 10s. 6d. Half Bound.]

Printed by C. Squire, Furnival's-Inn Court.

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THE

UNIVERSAL MAGAZINE.

N° LVI-VOL. X.]

For JULY, 1808.

[NEW SERIES.

"We shall never envy the honours which wit and learning obtain in any other cause, if we can be numbered among the writers who have given ardour to virtue, and confidence to truth."-DR. JOHNSON.

ADDRESS TO OUR READERS.

THE abolition of a hitherto customary embellishment of our Magazine necessarily calls for some explanation, and, perhaps, for some persuasion, to produce acquiescence in the minds of our readers. The general question, on opening the present number, will doubtless be "Where is the Portrait ?"-and to meet that general question is the object of this address.

The first and prevailing motive which led to this abrogation was a sincere and candid wish to benefit our subscribers: and the manner in which this benefit will be conferred is twofold: ECONOMY and PLEASURE.

The great increase of expense which, since the first publication of our New Series, has arisen in paper, in printing, and in other incidental particulars, might have been urged, long ago, as a reasonable plea for advancing the charge upon each number: but, while the majority of our contemporaries availed themselves of this, we remained stationary. There is, however, a limit to indulgence, beyond which human prudence forbids us to proceed. We thought for our subscribers as long, and longer, perhaps, than personal interest could strictly warrant : but the recent rapid increase in the price of paper impelled us to the necessary duty of seeing that we did not cater for the public with palpable detriment to ourselves. We felt that it would be IMPOSSIBLE to proceed as we had hitherto proceeded: and that we should be compelled to augment the price of our Magazine. It was with reluctance, however, that we even thought of such a step: and we were anxious to devise other means, by which we might at once consult the mutual interests of ourselves and our subscribers. To effect this we saw no way that so readily appeared to answer the purpose, as the abolition of the least useful part of the Magazine-the PORTRAIT.

Had the matter rested here, our subscribers, equitably judging, would have had but little reason to complain; for the Universal Magazine, with the Portrait, gave more matter in the body of the work than any other contemporary periodical publication.

The bare loss, however, of any thing which we have been accustomed to possess, seldom produces sensations of pleasure: and, to leave no room for rational regret, we resolved to indemnify the mind at the expense of the eye. In lieu of the portrait, therefore, we have made such arrangements as will enable us to give an additional half sheet of letter press, which half sheet will be added to the miscellaneous department.

By doing this we have opened a permanent source of rational delight to every reader of the Universal Magazine: we shall be enabled to amplify the opportunities for amusement and instruction: to give more prompt insertion to the favours of our correspondents: to enlarge or abridge, as circumstances may demand, the "Theatrical Recorder," and the " Original Criticism;" and finally, to give, consistently with due variety, entire insertion to articles of acknowledged interest, utility, or amusement.

We also remove the suspicion, if any such could exist, that considerations of mere parsimony have had any influence in our determinations; for we have only substituted one expense for another: and we have ventured upon this, in the confident hope that we shall advance additional claims to the patronage of the public.

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