Newbery’s real genius consisted in his trading ability. Modern advertising is not more clever than that practised by this shrewd man of the eighteenth century. Not only was he in the habit of soliciting puffs, and of making some of the characters in his stories proclaim the excellencies of his books, but the personal note and the friendly feeling displayed in his newspaper items were uncommonly intimate. Witness the London _Chronicle_ for December 19–January 1, 1765: “The Philosophers, Politicians, Necromancers, and the learned in every faculty are desired to observe that on the first of January, being New Year’s day (oh, that we all may lead new lives!), Mr. Newbery intends to publish the following important volumes, bound and gilt, and hereby invites all his little friends who are good to call for them at the Bible and Sun, in St. Paul’s Churchyard, but those who are naughty to have none.” Thomas in later years adopted the same method of advertising. The most thorough piece of research work done by Mr. Charles Welsh is his “A Bookseller of the Last Century.” Had he aimed at nothing more than preserving the catalogue of Newbery’s books, he would have rendered a great service to the library student. But he has in addition written a very complete life of Newbery. When it is noted that this printer was brought into business relations with Robert Raikes, and was further connected with him by the union of Newbery’s son with Raikes’ sister, it is safe to believe that some of the piousness which crept into the publisher’s wares was encouraged by the zealous spirit of the founder of Sunday-schools. Raikes will be dealt with in his proper place. Newbery was what may be termed an enthusiastic publisher, a careful manufacturer of books of the flower-and-gilt species. As a friend he has been pictured nothing loath to help the needy, but always with generous security and heavy interest attached; he was a business man above all else, and that betokens keenness for a bargain, a keenness akin to cleverness rather than to graciousness. In his “Life of Goldsmith,” Washington Irving is inclined to be severe in his estimate; he writes: “The poet [Goldsmith] has celebrated him as the friend of all mankind; he certainly lost nothing by his friendship. He coined the brains of authors in the times of their exigency, and made them pay dear for the plank put out to keep them from drowning. It is not likely his death caused much lamentation among the scribbling tribe.” One difficulty Newbery had to contend with was the piracy of his books; there was no adequate protection afforded by the copyright system, and we read of Goldsmith and Johnson bewailing the literary thievery of the day. By some it was regarded as a custom to be accepted; by others as a deplorable condition beyond control. Early American authorship suffered from the same evil, and Irving and Cooper were the two prominent victims.