On the back of this page is the following cool
initiation of the purchaser into the mysteries of
the epistle:
"Directions for the purchasers to understand the
Royal Love Letters, and showing them how to practise
the art of Secret Letter Writing: —
"Proceed to lay open `Albert's Letter' by the side
of `Victoria's,' and having done so, then look carefully
down them until you have come to a word at the left
hand corner, near the end of each Letter, having two
marks thus — — , when you must commence with that
word, and read from left to right after you have turned
them bottom upwards before a looking glass so that you
may peruse the copy reflected therein. But you must
notice, throughout all the words every other letter is
upside down, also every other word single; but the
next two words being purposely joined together, there-
fore they are double; and in addition to those letters
placed upside down, makes it more mysterious in the
reading. The reader is recommended to copy each
word in writing, when he will be able to read the letters
forward, and after a little practice he can soon learn to
form all his words in the same curious manner, when
he wants to write a `secret letter.'
"Be sure when holding it up side down before a
looking-glass, that the light of a candle, is placed be-
tween then by the reflection it will show much plainer,
and be sooner discovered.
"If you intend to practise a Joke and make it answer
the purpose of a Valentine, write what you think ne-
cessary on the adjoining blank page; then post it, with
the superscription filled up in this manner: — After
the word To, write the name and address of the party
also place the word FROM before `VICTORIA'S'
name: then the address on the outside of this letter
will read somewhat after the following fashion: — To
Mr. or Mrs. so and so, (with the number if any,) in such
and such a street: at the same time your letter will
appear as if it came from Royalty.
"N.B. You must first buy both the letters, as the
other letter is an answer to this one; and because,
without the reader has got both letters, he will not
have the secrets perfect."
Notwithstanding the injunction to buy both
letters, and the seeming necessity of having both
to understand the "directions," the patterer was
selling only the one I have given.
That the trade in sham indecent publications
was, at one time, very considerable, and was not
unobserved by those who watch, as it is called,
"the signs of the times," is shown by the cir-
cumstance that the Anti-Corn-Law League
paper, called the Bread Basket, could only be
got off by being done up in a sealed packet, and
sold by patterers as a pretended improper work.
The really indecent trade will be described
hereafter.
For a month my informant thought he had
cleared 35s. a week; for another month, 20s.;
and as an average, since that time, from 5s. to
7s. 6d. weekly, until he discontinued the trade.
It is very seldom practised, unless in the even-
ing, and perhaps only one street-seller depends
entirely upon it.
Supposing that 6 men last year each cleared
6s. weekly, we find upwards of 93l. expended
yearly in the streets on this rubbish.
The capital required to start in the business
is 6d. or 1s., to be expended in paper, paste, and
sometimes sealing-wax.
