The Gentleman's Magazine/Volume 1/Issue 1
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THE
Gentleman's Magazine:
JANUARY, 1731.
Containing more in Quantity, and greater Variety, than any Book of the Kind and Price.
Contents (not listed in original)
- A view of the Weekly Essays and Controversies.
- Poetry, viz.The Ode for the new Year, by Colly Cibber, Esq; Remarks upon it; Imitiations of it, by way of Burlesque; Verses on the same Subject; ingenious Epitaphs and Epigrams.
- The Monthly Intelligencer for January, 1731.
- Melancholy Effects of Credulity in Witchcraft.
- Domestick Occurrences, viz. Births, Deaths, Marriages, Preferments, Casualties, Burials and Christenings in London.
- A correct List of the Sheriffs for the current Year.
- Remarkable Advertisements.
- Prices of Goods and Stocks.
- Foreign Affairs, with an Introduction to this Year’s History.
- Fairs
- Observations in Gardening
- Books and Pamphlets publish’d.
ADVERTISEMENT.
IT has been unexceptionably advanced, that a good Abridgment of the Law is more intelligible than the Statutes at large; so a nice Model is as entertaining as the Original, and a true Specimen as satisfactory as the whole Parcel: This may serve to illustrate the Reasonableness of our present Undertaking, which in the first place is to give Monthly a View of all the Pieces of Wit, Humour, or Intelligence, daily offer'd to the Publick in the News-Papers, (which of late are so multiply'd, as to render it impossible, unless a man makes it a business, to consult them all) and in the next place we shall join therewith some other matters of Use or Amusement that will be communicated to us.
Upon calculating the Number of News-Papers, 'tis found that (besides divers written Accounts) no less than 200 Half-sheets per Month are thrown from the Press only in London, and about as many printed elsewhere in the Three Kingdoms; a considerable Part of which constantly exhibit Essays on various Subjects for Entertainment, and all the rest, occasionally oblige their Readers with matters of Public Concern, communicated to the World by Persons of Capacity thro' their Means: so that they are become the chief Channels of Amusement and Intelligence. But then being only loose Papers, uncertainly scatter'd about, it often happens, that many things deserving Attention, contained in them, are only seen by Accident, and others not sufficiently publish'd or preserved for universal Benefit and Information.
This Consideration has induced several Gentlemen to promote a Monthly Collection, to treasure up, as in a Magazine, the most remarkable Pieces on the Subjects abovemention'd, or at least impartial Abridgments thereof, as a Method much better calculated to preserve those Things that are curious, than that of transcribing.
In pursuance whereof, and the great Encouragement already given, this W o r k will be regularly continued, shall appear earlier, and contain more than any other Monthly Book of the same Price.
As all possible Care will be taken to avoid the Mistakes incident to undertakings of this kind, so the Author will think himself oblig'd to such Persons who shall give him a true state of any Transaction erroneously publish'd in the Papers, or shall please to communicate any Pieces of Wit or Entertainment proper to be inserted; directing for him at the Printer's at St. John's Gate, near Hicks's-Hall, where any Persons sending proper Orders, may have the Numbers sent them, at their first coming out, without further Trouble, whether in Town or Country.