“It cannot be too generally known that the best glass lenses, constructed on the most accurate principles, suited to the purposes of vision, and worked by hand, can be had of all respectable opticians, at from one shilling and sixpence to three shillings per pair, shewing that there can be no occasion for persons, who require a change of glasses in their spectacles, to pay a guinea or thirty shillings, and give up their old pebbles or glasses into the bargain. “A trick was practised at Brighton, during the season of 1834, which shews that those certificated gentry do not hesitate at trifles. “Two Jews, licensed hawkers, inserted glowing advertisements in the Brighton newspapers, couched in their usual bombastic style, but naming _one gentleman_ only as having taken up his residence at Brighton, and stating that he would wait upon the nobility and gentry with a splendid stock of his _wonderful_ and _improved_ Spectacles. “A man called at the houses of the gentry, made many sales at the usual swindling prices, and disarmed all suspicions by inviting the purchasers to call at his residence, and make any exchange they pleased. In some cases, where the price was objected to, or the parties were taken by surprise, not having suspected that they wanted Spectacles until this _experienced professional optician_ told them they did, they were, notwithstanding imposed upon, ‘for,’ said he, ‘to prove that I am anxious to preserve your sight, which is rapidly leaving you, and cataract is growing in your eyes, these Spectacles, which are five pounds per pair, I will leave you at half-price, and you may pay me the balance at any time.’ This offer appeared so very liberal that it succeeded in several instances, and, it is scarcely necessary to say, left to the hawker forty shillings profit, five pounds being only mentioned to get more easily the smaller sum. “But the most profitable part of the scheme is yet to be told. Those who purchased soon found that something was wrong—the patent preservers gave great uneasiness to the eyes, which, suffused with tears, seemed to grieve at the simplicity and credulity of their owners. The residence of Mr. —— was besieged with complaining purchasers, who, when their turn arrived, were ushered into the presence of the other of the partners, and as the person who had sold them the Spectacles promised to make any exchange they required, they asked for a pair which would suit their sight, or a return of the money paid. The man they now saw looked at them, and asked, ‘Am I the person who sold you the spectacles?’ ‘Why, no,’ was the reply, ‘I cannot say you were the gentleman, but he was uncommonly like you, and he told me he would exchange the Spectacles if they did not suit.’