of their monopoly to sixty
years, that "the wholesome copyright" already existing would "share in the
disgrace and danger of the new copyright" they desired to create.[1] They
could scarcely do better than study his speech at length. At present, they
are ill-advised, and their best friends will be those senators who, like
Mr. Macaulay, shall oppose their literary countrymen.

[Footnote 1: _Macaulay's Speeches_, vol. i. p. 403.]

Admitting, however, that the measure proposed should not in any manner
endanger existing privileges, what would be the gain to our authors in
obtaining the control of the British market, compared with what they would
lose from surrendering the control of our own? In the former, the sale of
books is certainly not large. Few have been more popular than Tupper's
"Proverbial Philosophy," and the price has been, as I learn, only 7_s._,
or $1,68. Nevertheless, a gentleman fully informed in regard to it assures
me that in fifteen years the average sale has been but a thousand a year,
or 15,000 in all.[2] Compare this with the sale of a larger number of the
"Reveries of a Bachelor," or of thrice the quantity of "Fern Leaves," at
but little lower prices, in the short period of six months, and it will be
seen how inferior is the foreign market to the domestic one. Were it
otherwise--were the market of Britain equal to our own--could it be
that we should so rarely hear of her literary men, dependent on their own
exertions, but as being poor and anxious for public employment? Were it
otherwise, should we need now to be told of the "utter destitution" of the
widow and children of Hogg, so widely known as author of "The Queen's
Wake," and as "The Shepherd" of "Blackwood's Magazine?" Assuredly not. Had
literary ability been there in the demand in which it now is here, he
would have written thrice as much, would have been thrice as well paid,
and would have provided abundantly for his widow and his children.
Nevertheless, our authors desire to trade off this great market for the
small one in which he shone and left his family to starve, and thus to
make an exchange similar to that of Glaucus when he gave a suit of golden
armor for one of brass.

[Footnote 2: The sale here has been 200,000, at an average price of 50
cents. Had it been copyright, the price would have been double, and
the "few cents" would have made a difference on this single book of
$100,000. The same gentleman to whom I am indeb