THE

LITERARY MAGNET

OF THE

Belles Lettres, Science, and the Fine Arts :

CONSISTING OF

1. ORIGINAL SATIRICAL ESSAYS OF PERMANENT INTEREST;

II. SKETCHES OF SOCIETY, HUMOUROUS AND SENTIMENTAL;

NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS ON STEEL, COPPER, AND WOOD.

Edited by TOBIAS MERTON, Gent.

Assisted by various Wits of the Day.

LONDON :
WILLIAM CHARLTON WRIGHT, 65, PATERNOSTER Row;

EWBANK, BRUSSELS ;

AND MAY BE HAD OF ALL BOOKSELLERS AND POSTMASTERS.

The feelings that the Editor is prompted by, at the close, of the First Volume of The: MAGNET, are similar to those of the commander of a vessel, on its arrival at the first port, after a dangerous voyage. The supporters of his work.he cannot but regard as his steady comrades, who forsook him, not when his fragile bark was tossed to and, fro on the ocean of contemporary rivalry, and who rejoiced with him when the approving gale' of public opinion wafted him to the harbour of success. .. , :

To descend from metaphor, to plain matter of fact. The success THE LITERARY MAGNET has experienced from il generous and discerning Public, demands the grateful acknowledgments of every person concerned in the undertaking. It would be humility next to injustice, to say that nothing has been done on their part to merit that high distinction. On the contrary, neither labour or expence have been regarded in rendering the Magnet worthy of patronage. With that intent, individuals of high literary talent and reputation have been engaged, and liberally remunerated, for furnishing our pages with matter that. will be read with as much pleasure a century hence, as it

affords at the present day; an instance, we believe, unprecedented in the annals of the hebdomadal press: the Magnet being the only publication, amidst the astonishing number that weekly make their appearance, that is com- . posed of Original Articles.

Instead of feeling vain, and growing careless, with the consciousness of superiority, the success we have heretofore experienced, so far from quenching that spirit of emulation that we have hitherto been actuated by, will serve as a stimulus for our further and more energetic exertions. We offer no pledge for our future exertions, other than what we have already performed: but, in order to prove our undertaking is intended to be carried into effect, we are willing to be judged by the first numbers of the forthcoming volume, in which every improvement that the work is sus ceptible of, either as regards literary matter, or graphic embellishments, will be found ; which, it is hoped, will not only sustain the proud character oux work already possésses, but also render the MAGNET the centre of ATTRACTION in the hebdomodal press of the most enlightened and flourishing city of the world.

London,
Paternoster Row, June 1824.