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The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe - Edgar Allan Poe [793]

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of which Mount Sion, in the southern part of the city, was the largest. To the north was Acra, called the “second,” or “lower city” — on the east of which was Solomon's temple, built on Mount Moriah. North-east of this was the Mount of Olives, and north of it Mount Calvary, the place of the crucifixion. This city was taken by Pompey, who thence derived his name of Hierosolymarius. It was also taken and destroyed by Titus, (in the year of our Lord 71, by the account of Tacitus — but according to Josephus,) on the 8th of Sept. A.D. 70-2177 years after its foundation.

In this siege 110,000 persons are said to have perished, and 97,000 to have been made prisoners, and as Josephus relates, sold as slaves, or thrown to the wild beasts for the sport of the conquerors.

PAY OF AMERICAN AUTHORS

"We confess that we have never been able to see distinctly how the want of the International Law operation against our own writers." — Ex. Paper.

How we rob foreign authors, and how we argue in our legislative halls that it is an economical thing for us to pick the foreign pocket, are points too well understood to need discussion — but there are still found individuals who ask, innocently enough, in what manner the want of the International Law affects the pecuniary interest of the native American. The man who asks the question should first write a book or a magazine article, and then offer it to a publisher for sale.

The publisher's answer to the offer will be at the same time the practical reply to the general query.

He will say — "My dear sir, you are a man of genius; and I am willing to admit, even, if you think proper, that you are a man of higher genius than — than — any one you have fancy to name. But, if I pay one dollar for your book, I am impliedly acknowledging that you are not only a man of greater genius than — shall we say Dickens? — but that you, who have never published a line, are more popular than he. For, observe! I can get Dickens's works without the dollar. It is little better than piracy, I know; but custom sanctions it, and, therefore, I do not feel called upon to blush very particularly when I commit it. At all events, I prefer to blush a little, and save my dollar. I must, therefore, decline having anything to do with your book, for the present; but let me recommend you to Mr. A., or the house of H. — they may, possibly, be able to serve you."

The most momentous evil, however — an evil not the less momentous, because hitherto inconsidered — arising from the want of an International Copy-right Law, is the bitter sense of wrong aroused in the hearts of all literary men — is the keen contempt, and profound disgust which the whole Moral Force — which the whole Active Mind of the world cannot help entertaining, even if it would, against the sole region which refuses to protect it, or respect it — against the sole form of government, which not only robs it upon the highway, but justifies the robbery as a convenient and commendable thing, and glories in t [[it]] when cleverly done.

PAY OF AMERICAN AUTHORS. (PART II)

PAY OF AUTHORS IN AMERICA. — We said a few words yesterday on the general effect of our copy-right laws, or rather of our want of an international law, in depressing our literature by rendering compensations for it an impossible thing. We repeat that we said only a few words — a very few; but the true difficulty in treating a subject such as this is to say little enough. It should never be overloaded, and so mystified with words. No author — no litterateur who has a due sense of his own dignity, or of the dignity of the cause, will condescend to discuss it on any other ground than that of the broad and obvious Right. What, so far as concerns him (and common sense,) has Expediency to do with the question whether he shall or shall not be insulted and plundered? All that remains for him is resent the insult and take amends, at his first opportunity, for the plunder. Why, indeed, should he suppose that argument is at all pertinent in reply to sophistry so unadulterated — to Euphuism so pure? Expediency!

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