Archibald Alison

“ That if the work should stand the test of time and general examination, it cannot be expected to come into general circulation for many years more, and would probably be on the eve of reaching its highest point at the time when the copyright of it, under the existing law, would expire.
That no person can be more strongly impressed than your petitioner is with the extremely uncertain nature of every literary reputation, and the very small number of works which ever survive more than a few years beyond the period of their publication. ”

“ That your petitioner, judging of the future profits of the work by what he has already received, cannot expect to be indemnified for the actual outlay expended in its prosecution, with the interest at the lowest rate on the sums from the period at which they were advanced, in less than fourteen years. ”

“ But if his history," from the labour and expense bestowed on its composition, is destined to survive its author, and if the sale of it shall continue when the work is finished at the same average rate at which it has gone on since the publication commenced, he will be reimbursed for his advances in fourteen years from the period of publication ; in fourteen more he will be remunerated at about one-half the rate which he would have obtained if he had devoted the same time and labour on any of the ordinary publications of the day. ”