I have, for many years, visited nearly every town in the kingdom, on commercial pursuits, at intervals of six months; and wherever I have met with the brazen advertisers alluded to, I have issued public notices, and inserted counter-advertisements, to put my friends and the public on their guard against such egregious imposition. Such a step, spiritedly carried out, has uniformly proved successful, and the notable pretenders have decamped from Bath to Norwich, from Brighton to Carlisle, sometimes assuming other names, or changing the initial letters; as S. and E., who had been vapouring away at Norwich, suddenly flitted to Margate, and there announced themselves as C. and B., the celebrated opticians from the Royal Eye Infirmaries, &c. &c. For low cunning and unprincipled trickery, such adventurers as I have described, stand unrivalled. Upon several occasions they have echoed my cautions, and copied, word for word, remarks levelled at themselves; hoping thus to shield themselves from detection, and confuse the public in identifying them; as the pick-pocket, when the hue and cry is raised of stop-thief, joins in the shout, in order to allay suspicion. It is in the provincial towns that such persons are most successful; the game is seldom played in the metropolis with so much effect; and although some of the tribe have been lately launching forth dashing advertisements in the London papers, it is understood to be with the design of attracting country customers, and overwhelming their dupes with an idea of their _professional_ importance, rather than with the expectation of effecting sales in London. When they sally forth to “fleece the natives,” who would think of questioning the abilities of such renowned opticians, armed with testimonials, credentials, and certificates! _so_ recommended by the newspapers, and patronized by such eminent practitioners?!! The fair trader would defend himself at the same time that he unmasked imposture, and protected his customers, if, when his neighbourhood is infested by such mountebanks, he advertised the simple truth. He would assuredly find “That those base slaves, ’ere yet the fight be done, pack up.” A few extracts from the advertisements I have inserted in the London and provincial journals may be useful as specimens.