_The very flattering patronage with which this work, for two years, has
been kindly favoured, demands the warmest acknowledgments of the
Editors. Since its commencement, it has witnessed the demise of other
periodical publications; some established long before it, others that
have taken their rise at a later period; while the particular
distinction honorably awarded the WEEKLY MAGAZINE, has marked it an
object of public favor, and denoted the estimation in which it has ever
been considered; not as matter of exultation do the Editors make this
remark; but it gives their friends stronger claims on their gratitude,
and acts as a momentum to impel them to exertions which in some degree
might enable them to merit such attention. Strongly impressed with a
sense of their duties as conductors of a work so universally read, they
have, with the utmost solicitude, guarded against the intrusion of any
thing, in the smallest degree, injurious to the feelings of the
religionist. Their selection has uniformly tended either to inform and
enlighten the understanding, to inculcate the purest lessons of
morality, or to unbend the mind with innocent levities. To effect those
primary objects, they have studiously endeavored to make the work abound
with curious investigations, elegant descriptions, historical
narrations, biographical sketches, well-chosen tales, essays, anecdotes,
observations, maxims, poetical effusions, &c. &c., all contributing in
the highest degree to mend the heart, to improve the head, and to form
the taste. In order more fully to designate the properties of this work
in the title, it is intended to commence the third volume under that of
the SENTIMENTAL and LITERARY MAGAZINE; this alteration, we trust, will
be universally acceptable. We shall only trespass on the patience of our
friends to make one remark more; the cheapness of this work is
unrivalled; let it be considered that advertisements and news are wholly
excluded--the former, in a literary publication, has, in our eyes,
a very unpleasant appearance, beside the room engrossed to the exclusion
of more agreeable matter; the latter, from the very general circulation
of daily newspapers, must be rendered wholly uninteresting. This, then,
is devoted solely to literature--and the many entire works, which, in
the last two years it has contained, amount, when separately purchased,
to considerably more than the price of the magazines during that
period--besides the immense number of anecdotes, essays, extracts,
sketches, &c. &c. and the poetry, which, alone, comprises more than an
eighth of the whole._
_Filled with a laudable ambition to render ourselves, by every thing in
our power, worthy the continuance of general favor, we are, with the
greatest respect, the devoted servants of a generous public,_
_The EDITORS._
_PRINTING-OFFICE, June 30, 1797._
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_UTILE DULCI._
THE NEW-YORK WEEKLY MAGAZINE;
or, Miscellaneous Repository.
+Vol. II.+] +Wednesday, July 6, 1796.+ [+No. 53.+
+For the New-York Weekly Magazine.+
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