"An History of Birmingham (1783)".
Autor: William Hutton, "An History of Birmingham (1783)".
Publisher: G. Berger| ISBN: 0225689542 | 2004 edition | PDF | 145 Pages | 1.04 MB
Publisher: G. Berger| ISBN: 0225689542 | 2004 edition | PDF | 145 Pages | 1.04 MB
We next turn over a new leaf, and open upon a pompous dedication, which answers many laudable purposes: if a coat of arms, correctly engraven, should step first into view, we consider it a singular advantage gained over a reader, like the first blow in a combat. The dedication itself becomes a pair of stilts, which advance an author something higher. As a horse-shoe, nailed upon the threshold of a cottage, prevents the influence of the witch; so a first-rate name, at the head of a dedication, is a total bar against the critic; but this great name, like a great officer, sometimes unfortunately stands at the head of wretched troops. When an author is too heavy to swim of himself, it serves as a pair of bladders, to prevent his sinking. It is farther productive of a solid advantage, that of a present from the patron, more valuable than that from the bookseller, which prevents his sinking under the pressure of famine. But, being wholly unknown to the great names of literary consequence, I shall not attempt a dedication, therefore must lose the benefit of the stilt, the bladder, and the horse-shoe.