“‘Then you had better find him and compel him to do so, for the trash he has sold you will destroy your eyes and ruin your sight. He is an impostor; I know nothing of him.’ ‘Bless me,’ said the disappointed purchaser, ‘what a scandalous shame! what would you advise me to do now, Sir?’ “‘Why, _my_ Spectacles are produced after twenty years of deep study and research, and manufactured, under my own eyes, upon improved principles, yet I only ask fifty shillings per pair; but I am sorry for you and though those you have bought are vile rubbish, I will take them in exchange, and thirty-five shillings for my Patent Tinted Crystals, which are the only Spectacles proper for the eyes.’ Thus the reader will perceive a double imposition was effected. A., after performing his part in the scheme of deception, kept out of the way until B. had completed the fleecing of the nobility, gentry, and public, and in a few weeks the _resident_ opticians were on their way to other places, chuckling at their success, and inventing fresh plans of operation.” * * * * * Page after page has been pirated from the works of eminent authors, and palmed upon the public as their own composition; consequently, though the advice may be excellent, the parties from whom it appears to emanate are vile plagiarists, whose _practice_ is quite uninfluenced thereby. When imposture disguises itself in such a plausible form the difficulty of detection is increased, therefore our best security against deception is to transact business with men of known reputation. The resident tradesman has a character for fair and honourable dealing to maintain. He can be appealed to if any exchange or alteration is requisite, and the spirit of fair competition, now abroad, is the best security against overcharge from him; while the itinerant vender and pompous advertiser has to repay himself for such forced and expensive means of getting custom by exacting great prices, pushing off coarse and inferior goods, and practising any dishonest trick rather than not effect a sale of his wares. It may be said, with great truth, “his articles are not cried up because they are things that ought to be desired, but they are desired because they are generally cried up.” The Liverpool Mercury of Friday, Sep. 15th, 1834, has some remarks on this subject, which, as they are important and appropriate to our purpose, I transcribe:—