on account of the universal desire to ascertain the author' s real name, and that the investigation will bring out a large amount of gratuitous advertising. Clever publishers often act upon this idea, publishing works anonymously upon both sides of a subject which agitates the public mind at the time; those naturally witty as Haliburton, Seba Smith, Clemens, Derby, Locke, etc., use a nom de plume which in itself appears a witticism, attracting immediate attention; a pseudonym is often adopted by reason of tho unlawful or disreputable matter treated, that would compromise the social position of the writer were the true name disclosed; a sobriquet applied to an author by contemporaries has often been taken up and used as a pseudonym. Various signatures are usually employed by City correspondents who write for several provincial journals.
Literary titles are frequently changed when ill success attends previous efforts, or when an entire change is made in the character of the works. There is a peculiar fascination to a writer who watches the progress of his work as passed upon by the critics, when the true author is not suspected even by his immediate friends, but in nearly all cases whenever successful, this desire for concealment is waived, and care is taken to be formally introduced to the public; in fact, it is no uncommon tiling for both the true name and the nom de plume to appear upon the title.
M. Antoine Alex. Barbier in 1826 published the first complete collection of false names in his valuable work of 4 vols. 8vo, which has never been favored with an English translation. Among the more prominent works which have furnished excerpts for this compilation, are the following:—
Samuel A. Allibone,—Critical Dict. of Am. & Eng. Authors. Phila. 1871
W. Davenport Adams.—Dict. English Literature. N. Y. 1873}}
