Salmagundi; or, The whim-whams and opinions of Launcelot Langstaff, esq. [pseud.] and others. By William Irving, James Kirke Paulding and Washington Irving. Printed from the original ed., with a preface and notes by Evert A. Duyckinck.

194 SLMAGUNDI.
He informs me that several persons having called last Saturday for No. X. took the disappointment so much to heart that
he really apprehended some terrible catastrophe; and one goodlooking man, in particular, declared his intention of quitting the
country if the work was not continued. Add to this, the town
has grown quite melancholy in the last fortnight; and several
young ladies have declared, in my hearing, that if another number did not make its appearance soon, they would be obliged to
amuse themselves with teasing their beaux and making them
miserable. Now I assure my readers there was no flattery in
this, for they no more suspected me of being Launcelot Langstaff, than they suspected me of being the emperor of China, or
the man in the moon.
I have also received several letters complaining of our indolent
procrastination; and one of my correspondents assures me, that
a number of young gentlemen, who had not read a book
through since they left school, but who have taken a wonderful
liking to our paper, will certainly relapse into their old habits
unless we go on.
For the sake therefore, of all these good people, and most
especially for the satisfaction of the ladies, every one of whom
we would love, if we possibly could, I have again wielded my
pen with a most hearty determination to set the whole world to
rights; to make cherubims and seraphs of all the fair ones of
this enchanting town, and raise the spirits of the poor federalists, who, in truth, seem to be in a sad taking, ever since the
American-Ticket met with the accident of being so unhappily
thrown out.