The Mirror OF LITERATURE, AMUSEMENT, AND INSTRUCTION. EDITED BY PERCY B. ST. JOHN. VOL. I. London: H. HURST, 27, KING WILLIAM STREET, STRAND. 1846. PREFACEЕ. UNDER its old form of a weekly publication, "THE MIRROR" acquired a degree of favour which has increased rather than diminished, during its, as yet, short career as a Monthly. Two facts have induced us to believe, that we may safely consider that public approbation has followed our alteration of character; and that, as a Monthly, our ability to amuse and instruct has not diminished. The first fact, which strongly and eloquently supports our views, is, that our sale has extended widely. Indeed, it may be gathered from the quantity we give for a small amount of money, that we depend solely on a very wide circulation for success-that wide circulation is ours already, and is being added to every day. The second is to be found in the universal opinion of the press. All the daily, weekly, and country papers, which have received our periodical for review, have at once placed it beside any of those which are running the same honourable career of competition. Promises are only valuable when performance has tested their genuineness; but we may venture to state, that being about, without diminution of quantity, or increase of price, to add numerous illustrations, we hope that we may be allowed to feel that we are offering a tangible and positive return for the support we have received. Several writers, whose reputation as contributors to magazine and other literature is already established, will afford us their valuable assistance, and we therefore approach the New Year, full of heart and hope. for Wishing our readers a merry Christmas, and many of them, and that many a year they may, veluti in speculum, see society reflected in our pages, we take our leave, and brace ourselves at once for the task, a pleasant one truly, which we impose upon ourselves for the new year. Dec. 1, 1846. |