The
deaf, the dumb, the lame, the blind, all have their annual charitable
dinnerings; and even the Actor's Fund is almost entirely dependent on
the fund of amusement they contrive to offer to their friends at their
annual fund dinner. The church-wardens dine upon a child, and the
overseers too often upon the mite extorted from the poor. Even modern
literature is held in thraldom by the banquetings of modern booksellers
and publishers, who by this method contrive to cram the critics with
their crudities, and direct the operation of their servile pens in the
cutting up of poor authors. At the Publisher's Club, held at the Albion,
Dr. Kitchener and Will Jerdau rule the roast; here these worthies may be
heard commenting with ~88~~profound critical consistency on culinaries
and the classics, gurgling down heavy potations of black strap, and
making still heavier remarks upon black letter bibliomania, until all
the party are found labouring "_Dare pondus idonea fumo_," or, in the
language of Cicero, it may be justly said of them, "_Damnant quod non
intelligent_." The magnifico Murray has his merry meetings, where new
books are made palatable to certain tastes by sumptuous feastings, and
a choice supply of old wines. Colburn brings his books into notice by
first bringing his dinner _coteries_ into close conclave; and Longman's
monthly melange of authors and critics is a literary statute dinner,
where every guest is looking out for a liberal engagement.
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