The-mythology-of-ancient-greece-and-italy-thomas-keightley

PREFACE.
VU
that the study of mythology should ever become general, the
public would have no right to my book except on my own
terms. The legitimate course, if these were exorbitant, would
be to get some one to write a cheaper and better work on the
subject, and thus punish cupidity while respecting the rights
of property.
I am far however from expecting that full justice will be
done us by the legislature. We are a small and a disunited
party. It cannot be said of us
Hie multum in Fabia valet, iile Velina ;
Cui libet is fasces dabit eripietque curule
lmportunus ebur.
Our enemies are numerous ; the booksellers have caused print
ers, book-binders, etc. to petition against us ; the newspaper
press is, with a few honourable exceptions, arrayed against us ;
the political oeconomists, who will sacrifice anything, how
sacred soever, on the altar of their idol, misnamed Utility, are
opposed to us ; and the diffusion of knowledge, the march of
intellect, the public good, and similar specious phrases, enable
legislators to perpetrate injustice under the show of patriotism
and public spirit.
I do not think that the great publishing houses can be pro
perly classed among our opponents. They have no objection
to the extension of the period of copyright provided the au
thor be empowered to transfer all his rights to them, and that
any extension of the term of those copyrights which they have
purchased should go to them also, and not to the author.
Theirs indeed is but too often the lion's share, as I know by
my own experience. For the Outlines of History in Lardner's
Cyclopaedia I received only 130/., and if I am not greatly
misinformed, that sum bears little proportion to what the pro
prietors have already made by it, and the copyright has yet
twenty years to run. I applied in vain for some small share
in the gain ; it was contrary I was told to the rules of trade.
Nay, when they wanted me to write another work, likely to
be as popular, they said they could not afford to give more
than 150/. ! I mention these facts not out of ill-will to the