With regard to the exemption of fifteen hundred as the first edition of “City Lights,” Mr. Parry said that the word edition meant nothing as to number. It meant simply a single issue. In reply to a question, he said he did not know what was the usage of publishers in this regard. They had sometimes exempted as many as two thousand, and had known cases in which five thousand had been exempted, and, I understood him to say, had done it themselves. One thousand, he said, was the usual number. Being asked what would be his own understanding of an edition, if nothing were specified, he said he would frankly admit that he should suppose it meant one thousand; that when any larger number than a thousand was exempted, it was their custom always to specify the number; that he did not know why it was not done now, and presumed this was the only time they had exempted more than a thousand without specifying the number. The reason of this large exemption was that there was so much risk in publishing a new book, and that this book was published in a style that was unusually expensive. It cost a great deal more than any other on their list; that there was no prescribed usage in such matters, and they could have exempted more, but had no desire to do so. I had said that if it were to cost more, they should have told me.[11] They had letters of mine showing that I did know it cost more, but that I was so desirous to have it printed in this way, that, in my own language, which Mr. Markman read and Mr. Hunt repeated with an air which showed that whatever literature had gained, the stage lost its chief ornament when Mr. Hunt went into the book trade, “I went down on my knees to you to have it like Sir Thomas Browne.”
In my original statement I had said, “When the first book was to be published, Mr. Hunt asked me what style I should like, and suggested that of the ‘City Curate.’ I preferred ‘Sir Thomas Browne.’ He made no objection, nor even hinted that it was more expensive than the other. [Then came the quotations.] “I do not recollect that anything was said about it afterwards. The following books were simply published in uniform style with the first.” This is my recollection of the matter, which is simple and commonplace enough.
From my letters at the time, however, the firm of Brummell & Hunt infer a thrilling dramatic scene in which Mr. Hunt was the obdurate autocrat, or the wise and thrifty guardian, as the case may be, who, like Mrs. John Gilpin, though on publishing bent, had a frugal mind; but was at length moved by me,
“Languendo, gemendo
Et genuflectendo,”
to lay aside prudence and launch out into a style of publication which could be met only by some extraordinary sacrifice on my part, I professing to be until this late disclosure ignorant both of style and sacrifice.
I give the correspondence, inserting Mr. Hunt's letters to throw light on mine—the latter only appearing in Mr. Parry's defense.
Let it be remembered that the book was published September 18, 1762.
MR. HUNT TO M. N., SEPT. 2, 1762.
“It is our intention to publish ‘C. L.,’ on Saturday, the 13th of this month: not before, certainly. If any great excitement befall the country, we shall postpone till the following Saturday....