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.

OURSELVES. 23
servations, we have not determined, or rather we shall not trouble
ourselves to detail. The public have already more information
concerning us, than we intended to impart. We owe them no
favors, neither do we ask any. We again advise them, for their
own sakes, to read our papers when they come out. We recommend to all mothers to purchase them for their daughters, who
will be taught the true line of propriety, and the most advisable
method of managing their beaux. We advise all daughters to
purchase them for the sake of their mothers, who shall be initiated into the arcana of the bon-ton, and cured of all those rusty
old notions which they acquired during the last century:
parents shall be taught how to govern their children, girls how
to get husbands, and old maids how to do without them.
As we do not measure our wits by the yard or the bushel, and
as they do not flow periodically nor constantly, we shall not
restrict our paper as to size or the time of its appearance. It will
be published whenever we have sufficient matter to constitute a
number, and the size of the number shall depend on the stock in
hand. This will best suit our negligent habits, and leave us that full
liberty and independence which is the joy and pride of our souls.
As we have before hinted, that we do not concern ourselves about
the pecuniary matters of our paper, we leave its price to be regulated by our publisher: only recommending him, for his own
interest, and the honor of its authors, not to sell their invaluable
productions too cheap.
Is there any one who wishes to know more about us?-let
him read SALMAGUNDI, and grow wise apace. Thus much we
will say-there are three of us, " Bardolph, Peto, and I," all
townsmen good and true;-many a time and oft have we three
amused the town without its knowing to whom it was indebted;
and many a time have we seen the midnight lamp twinkle faintly