ived from
its perusal the delight it afforded to myself and my brothers, your
labours have produced a rich result.

'After such criticism an author may indeed be smitten at first by a
sense of his own insignificance--as we were--but on a second and a
third perusal he finds a power and beauty therein which stirs him to
a desire to do more and better things. It fulfils the right end of
criticism: without absolutely crushing, it corrects and rouses. I
again thank you heartily, and beg to subscribe myself,--Your constant
and grateful reader,

'CURRER BELL.'

The reception which it met with from the public may be gathered from the
following letter which accompanied De Quincey's copy. {330}

TO THOMAS DE QUINCEY.

'_June_ 16_th_, 1847.

'SIRS,--My relatives, Ellis and Acton Bell, and myself, heedless of
the repeated warnings of various respectable publishers, have
committed the rash act of printing a volume of poems.

'The consequences predicted have, of course, overtaken us: our book
is found to be a drug; no man needs it or heeds it. In the space of
a year our publisher has disposed but of two copies, and by what
painful efforts he succeeded in getting rid of these two, himself
only knows.

'Before transferring the edition to the trunkmakers, we have decided
on distributing as presents a few copies of what we cannot sell; and
we beg to offer you one in acknowledgment of the pleasure and profit
we have often and long derived from your works.--I am, sir, yours
very respectfully,

'CURRER BELL.'

Charlotte Bronte could not have carried out the project of distribution
to any appreciable extent, as a considerable 'remainder' appear to have
been bound up with a new title-page by Smith & Elder. With this Smith &
Elder title-page, the book is not uncommon, whereas, with the Aylott &
Jones title-page it is exceedingly rare. Perhaps there were a dozen
review copies and a dozen presentation copies, in addition to the two
that were sold, but only three or four seem to have survived for the
pleasure of the latter-day bibliophile.

Here is the title-page in question:

POEMS