COMIC AND SERIOUS, IN PROSE AND VERSE, WITH ALL E. MOXON, SON, & Co., DOVER STREET, AND I AMEN CORNER, PATERNOSTER ROW. 1872. [The following paper I conjecture to be my father's, from finding various notes and copies of advertisements which bear on the subject among his papers.] THE ADVERTISEMENT LITERATURE OF THE AGE. THE advertisement has long since become an independent department of literature, subject to its own canons of criticism, having its own laws of composition, and conducted by a class of writers, who though they may (we do not assert they do) acknowledge their inferiority to the great historians, poets, or novelists of the day, would nevertheless consider themselves deeply injured were we to hesitate to admit them into the corporation of the "gens de lettres." A needy varlet, with his coat out of the elbows, accosted Garrick once upon a time, and to enforce his suit for relief, reminded the great player that they had formerly acted together on the boards of old Drury. Garrick's memory was at fault, and he begged to know upon what occasion he had had that honour. "Don't you recollect," answered the poor devil, "when you played Hamlet, I used to play the cock!" VOL. IX. 1 |