Faithful found Among the faithless. CHAPTER XLII. Let us now introduce our reader to an honest Bookseller. Let it not be supposed that there exists any document among our manuscripts to intimate that it was the author’s intention to designate an honest bookseller as a non-descript bird, though perhaps to be classed among the Raræ Aves. There are among our papers several memoranda in the highest degree honourable to many individuals of this numerous fraternity. But certainly it is not a very usual thing in any of the professions to have the epithet of “honest” so entirely hereditary, as to be allowed, not by common, but by universal consent, to descend, without any bar of bastardy, from father to son. Our friend was much acquainted and connected with both these worthies. He highly esteemed the father, and much loved the son. Both had the common qualities of frankness, with somewhat of bluntness, and both were ready, on every occasion, to befriend and assist the followers of literature. In the immediate line of their profession, they were alike satisfied with the most reasonable advantages, and were even remarkable for the moderate prices which, in their well-stored catalogues, were fixed to the rarest and the choicest articles. As publishers they were liberal in their engagements, and punctual in the performance of them. Our friend had not many adventures of this kind in conjunction with them; they were confined, there is reason to believe, to two, which were, in their commencement, progress, and conclusion, satisfactory to all the parties. One was rather of a ticklish kind; it was full of hard words, and harsh words, replete with delineations of certain leading political characters, which were on one side varnished and beautified in all the gaudy vestments of flattery, and on the other depressed with no ordinary weight of acrimony. Better not attempt it, says one; it is not practicable, exclaimed another; is it not poaching on another’s manor, cried a third; expect an Aristarchus in every page, observed a fourth. At length an experiment was made, and a specimen inserted in one of the most popular periodical productions of the day. This specimen reached the eye of the mighty Porson, that Coryphæus of learning. Who may this wight be, observed the Professor, I should like to be acquainted with him. An acquaintance accordingly took place, which continued till dissolved by death. The labour was great, the difficulties formidable, the compensation very scanty, but the work was not in the nature of things likely to have a popular sale. The publishers readily gave what the author demanded, and so, like other things of the kind, it floated for a while upon the stream and then sunk to the bottom.