The author, having laboured so long and done so much to serve and
instruct the public, without any advantage to himself, has at last
thought of a project which will tend to the great benefit of all mankind,
and produce a handsome revenue to the author. He intends to print by
subscription, in ninety-six large volumes in folio, an exact description
of _Terra Australis incognita_, collected with great care, and prints
from 999 learned and pious authors of undoubted veracity. The whole
work, illustrated with maps and cuts agreeable to the subject, and done
by the best masters, will cost but one guinea each volume to subscribers,
one guinea to be paid in advance, and afterwards a guinea on receiving
each volume, except the last. This work will be of great use for all
men, and necessary for all families, because it contains exact accounts
of all the provinces, colonies, and mansions of that spacious country,
where, by a general doom, all transgressors of the law are to be
transported; and every one having this work may choose out the fittest
and best place for himself, there being enough for all, so as every one
shall be fully satisfied.
The author supposes that one copy of this work will be bought at the
public charge, or out of the parish rates, for every parish church in the
three kingdoms, and in all the dominions thereunto belonging. And that
every family that can command £10 per annum, even though retrenched from
less necessary expenses, will subscribe for one. He does not think of
giving out above nine volumes nearly; and considering the number
requisite, he intends to print at least 100,000 for the first edition.
He is to print proposals against next term, with a specimen, and a
curious map of the capital city with its twelve gates, from a known
author, who took an exact survey of it in a dream. Considering the great
care and pains of the author, and the usefulness of the work, he hopes
every one will be ready, for their own good as well as his, to contribute
cheerfully to it, and not grudge him the profit he may have by it,
especially if he comes to a third or fourth edition, as he expects it
will very soon.
He doubts not but it will be translated into foreign languages by most
nations of Europe, as well as Asia and Africa, being of as great use to
all those nations as to his own; for this reason he designs to procure
patents and privileges for securing the whole benefit to himself from all
those different princes and states, and hopes to see many millions of
this great work printed in those different countries and languages before
his death.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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