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- and dainty authors, who scorning the vulgarity of a sounding parade,
contented themselves with simply subscribing their name to the
title-page; as confident, that that was sufficient guarantee to the
notice of all true gentlemen of taste. It was for petty German princes
to sound their prolonged titular flourishes. The Czar of Russia
contented himself with putting the simple word "NICHOLAS" to his
loftiest decrees.
This train of thought terminated at last in various considerations upon
the subject of anonymousness in authorship. He regretted that he had not
started his literary career under that mask. At present, it might be too
late; already the whole universe knew him, and it was in vain at this
late day to attempt to hood himself. But when he considered the
essential dignity and propriety at all points, of the inviolably
anonymous method, he could not but feel the sincerest sympathy for those
unfortunate fellows, who, not only naturally averse to any sort of
publicity, but progressively ashamed of their own successive
productions--written chiefly for the merest cash--were yet cruelly
coerced into sounding title-pages by sundry baker's and butcher's bills,
and other financial considerations; inasmuch as the placard of the
title-page indubitably must assist the publisher in his sales.
But perhaps the ruling, though not altogether conscious motive of Pierre
in finally declining--as he did--the services of Messrs. Wonder and Wen,
those eager applicants for the privilege of extending and solidifying
his fame, arose from the idea that being at this time not very far
advanced in years, the probability was, that his future productions
might at least equal, if not surpass, in some small degree, those
already given to the world. He resolved to wait for his literary
canonization until he should at least have outgrown the sophomorean
insinuation of the Law; which, with a singular affectation of benignity,
pronounced him an "infant." His modesty obscured from him the
circumstance, that the greatest lettered celebrities of the time, had,
by the divine power of genius, become full graduates in the University
of Fame, while yet as legal minors forced to go to their mammas for
pennies wherewith to keep them in peanuts.
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