In a book upon the Poor, published in 1673, called ‘The Grand Concern of
England explained,’ we find the following singular proposal:--“that the
multitude of stage-coaches and caravans, now travelling upon the roads,
may all, or most of them, be suppressed, especially those within forty,
fifty, or sixty miles of London.” The evil of the stage-coaches is
somewhat difficult to be perceived at the present day; but this
ingenious author had no doubt whatever on the matter, “for,” says he,
“will any man keep a horse for himself and another for his man, all the
year, for to ride one or two journies, that at pleasure, when he hath
occasion, can step to any place where his business lies, for two, three,
or four shillings, if within twenty miles of London, and so
proportionably into any part of England?”
We laugh at the lamentation over the evil of stage-coaches, because we
daily see or experience the benefits of the thousands of public
conveyances carrying forward the personal intercourse of a busy
population, and equally useful whether they run from Paddington to the
Bank, or from the General Post-Office to Edinburgh. Some, however, who
acknowledge the fallacy of putting down long and short stages, that
horses may be kept all the year, “for to ride one or two journies,” may
fall into the very same mistake with regard to knowledge that was thus
applied to communication. They may desire to retain a monopoly of
literature for those who can buy expensive books; they may think a
five-guinea quarto (like the horse for one or two journies) a public
benefit, and look upon a shilling duodecimo to be used by every one “at
pleasure, when he hath occasion,” (like the stage-coach,) as a public
evil.
What the stage-coach has become to the middle classes, we hope our Penny
Magazine will be to _all_ classes--a universal convenience and
enjoyment. The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge have
considered it proper to commence this publication, from the belief that
many persons, whose time and whose means are equally limited, may be
induced to purchase and to read it. The various works already published
by the Society are principally adapted to diligent readers,--to those
who are anxiously desirous to obtain knowledge in a condensed, and, in
most cases, systematic form. But there are a very great number of
persons who can spare half an hour for the reading of a newspaper, who
are sometimes disinclined to open a book. For these we shall endeavour
to prepare a useful and entertaining Weekly Magazine, that may be taken
up and laid down without requiring any considerable effort; and that may
tend to fix the mind upon calmer, and, it may be, purer subjects of
thought than the violence of party discussion, or the stimulating
details of crime and suffering. We have, however, no expectation of
superseding the newspaper, and no desire to supersede it. We hope only
to share some portion of the attention which is now almost exclusively
bestowed upon “the folio of four pages,” by those who read little and
seldom. We consider it the duty of every man to make himself acquainted
with the events that are passing in the world,--with the progress of
legislation, and the administration of the laws; for every man is deeply
interested in all the great questions of government. Every man, however,
may not be qualified to understand them; but the more he knows, the less
hasty and the less violent will be his opinions. The false judgments
which are sometimes formed by the people upon public events, can only be
corrected by the diffusion of sound knowledge. Whatever tends to enlarge
the range of observation, to add to the store of facts, to awaken the
reason, and to lead the imagination into agreeable and innocent trains
of thought, may assist in the establishment of a sincere and ardent
desire for information; and in this point of view our little Miscellany
may prepare the way for the reception of more elaborate and precise
knowledge, and be as the small optic-glass called “the finder,” which is
placed by the side of a large telescope, to enable the observer to
discover the star which is afterwards to be carefully examined by the
more perfect instrument.
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