rivers, volcanoes, oceans, float together in absolute vacancy; the
solid earth is represented, what we know it actually is, buoyant as
a bubble, so that no wonder if every horse is endued with all the
privileges of Pegasus, save and except our sorrel. Malicious
carpers, insensible or invidious of England's glory, deny her in
this beautiful practice the merit of invention, assigning it to the
Chinese in their tea-cups and saucers; but if not absolutely new and
ours, it must be acknowledged that we have greatly improved and
extended the invention.

Such are the reasons why the little volume here laid before the
public is defective in those decorations which the exalted state of
literature demands. Something of compensation is supplied by a
Memorandum of Ephraim Barnett, written upon the inner cover, and
printed below.

The Editor, it will be perceived, is but little practised in the
ways of literature; much less is he gifted with that prophetic
spirit which can anticipate the judgment of the public. It may be
that he is too idle or too apathetic to think anxiously or much
about the matter; and yet he has been amused, in his earlier days,
at watching the first appearance of such few books as he believed to
be the production of some powerful intellect. He has seen people
slowly rise up to them, like carp in a pond when food is thrown into
it; some of which carp snatch suddenly at a morsel, and swallow it;
others touch it gently with their barb, pass deliberately by, and
leave it; others wriggle and rub against it more disdainfully;
others, in sober truth, know not what to make of it, swim round and
round it, eye it on the sunny side, eye it on the shady, approach
it, question it, shoulder it, flap it with the tail, turn it over,