On this page

• Text (1)

  Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

  • 

    p^^^^^^^^^^^h fci« & 4 ' * •*' pT ^^ ** ...

• Transcript

  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

    Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

    Tee Da Wk Of Mnglish Bookselling .

    I with Chesterfield the authors . Usage themselves atone , and - sanc not tioned popularity this

    I , I ! abominable system . ' Sfa & k , ia * Pierce Peniiesse , ' I refers to it in no vesry good-tempered terms

    I . and expresses himself as being in a position to , I ^^^^^^ ! H » embowel m ~ III fc w ^ mJ T w ^ p" * p ^ p **™ ! ^ a p *^* i number •¦*»•¦• ^ p * T «* " pbwppp' p- *^ ^ p »» •»*» of ^ p * " ^ ¦ those •*•* ' ^ p ^ — " »» ^ p ?»» wi » ¦ — pip * nd ¦ ~ ™ -puft ¦ — — --- ^ bladd - — -pp » — - — — ers — ' , their bald of the

    Iand disfarnish pates periwigs , ' poets lanation have which lent them we can . ' Custom conceive is for the the only be-I I : exp stowing , by our greatest , authors , of , the most

    unqualified ^ ryrt-nviWiftoA adulation ad illation upon unon some some of of the the --most most I worthless beings that ever lived . There are minor incidents in connection

    kkkkmW m f many ^^^^^ with * the publication * ^_ . — ^ of B ^ P . Milton PPPa JPPp * fp > PPP > x ' s poems a propos of our s ftf ubject . The two booksellers most

    inti-^^^^^¦¦ H ¦ | M ^»» ¦ ^ nb ¦ W ;" pp » " ^^ ^~ » F ^ ppp- ^ pw w w » - - ^ p- - —— ^ p- ~^~ - — ~— " — —^ - ¦ — — — mately Samuel ^ ^ - concerned Simmons . are In . the Hump latter hrey part Moseley of 1645 and

    , I ppppppppppV when Milt pp . * . pppt * b \ ph » on was nearly ' ^ B forty b ^ K pi years ^ ° of ^^ ft a ^ e , and when the Civil War wasat its heihtMoseley

    , g , , I who was then the principal bookseller and publisher in Londdnissued the '! Poems of John

    , I Milton , * both English and Latin , compps'd at I several times / This voluinean 8 vo . of over 200

    , I I Arms page Arms s , , which m in Paules t ' aules was unujcnyarci ChitfchYard * sold at the ' / Si is is gn extremeLy extremelr of the Princes mter

    Inter-esting , - to . us , as , an illustration , of the liberty I which booksellers of that period assumed . with

    I the work books in question th ey s - old contains 3 .. The a first preface edition , '¦* The of Sta the - tioner to the Keaderin which Moseley says : * It

    is not any private respect , of gain , Gentle Reader ( for the slightest Pamphlet is now-a-days more vendible than the works of learnedest tnen ) but

    it is the love I have to oiir owa language , that I liath made me diligent to collect and set forth

    I I renew such pieces the wonted , both in honour JProse and and esteem Verse , , -as of , may our I English tongue . ' He speaks of . ' these evergreen

    I and not to be blasted iaurels . ' and alludes to the author ' s fameas a poet . Without entering exhaustively into ^ the circumstances attending the

    I I I ¦ ; thele publication most ^ s several le of know points ' Paradise Simmons to wh ILpst ich purchased , we ' there may are refer the never poeni . As

    I at the peop rate of £ o per , impression . Milton himself I only received two payments , but in 1680- —six I years after her husband ' s death .- —Milton ' s wife

    I , sold the copyright-in perpetuity for £ 8 .- There I are circumstances in connection with this poem I which are of an inexplicable nature . * Why '

    , I , asks Professor Masson , * though Simmons had I I | entered acquired A *» ¦*• ^* v - *» j -i j-M the £ * T the -. j-k . copyright j *^ copyright j " ^ «^ k < w ^*«« V ^ l ^ ** * ^ l * in j ^« his t-k A v "Oa pril in V » - * the 4 l * 1667 ^ fc J" ^ 4 Stationers ^ , »? 4 * and ***&••* J ~^^^ had />«« rt '

    I books in August 1667 , as is his ¦ name kept out of I siht in all the title-prior to that of 1668

    * ' g w ** U AJLS , € JVJLK UAXV VAVJ . V / pages t ^^^ O ^"^ IT ^ - ' * . W V * ll * V V ^ J- J . V ^ V ^ V ^ I ¦ I the . u » \\ . . preceding JJAC . which ^ JCU . J . 1 X is ^ the title UAUl ^ J - first - page J ^ Cl / gCO with s shewing OJUL preliminary ' W JLXlg llf no printer J ^ matter XJUXUCJA 's S ,

    ! name , but only the names of the three book-1 When sellers r mm « Simmons at whose 4 Jk ' name shops tflfe l does ¦ cop ¦ ies Bi I 0 f Aug there ht 4 fm \ be is had also nf ? a '

    p ^** « H fd ^ ' ^ m ^ JmV H rT _ M . ^^*| ^ k ^ T flk ^ **^ F mm A *^^» * m- ** ^^^ ' ^ *^ ^^^ * w ^ Wmm ^ appear ^ I rc ^ - ^^ T k ^ V * h ^^ JB > > 4 ^^^ ^ m ^ * m T .. ^ ^ K «^^ ^^^ ^ l ^ f i brief advertisement ' To the Reader' from , himself ¦ ! I appended in publishing ^ ^^^ m W ^ mr *** mi ^ K ^^^ . ^ ^ ^^ ^ B « ^^ Another ¦ fl ^ k a WT portion r «^ " ^^^ ^^ B " * V bookseller *** W ^^ ^^ ^« , k of ^^^ ^^^ , . ^ Milton ^ * ^ " ^ ¦ ^ who . ^ * l ^* ^ t ^ * m *¦* ' - s ^ # ^ had poems i ^ - ^^~ * ^^ Hft a ^ Vi ^ l T" ^ g h , was and V W II HTl |_ r

    Humphrey Robinson , of the ' Three Pidgeons in under Pauls Church ttye title yard of ' , ' A who Masque issued presented * Comus at , ' in Ludlow 1637 ,

    I Castle Sir ^^ 4 i * Aston ¦ , 1634 —m «*^ ^*^ a , Cokain on Michaelmas «^ k ^ A was referring Niffht akv rn ^ m m ^ kt - , ' & to a c . this Probably ^^ - ^ « k same « i « 4 Kobinson ~» viw * ij ( JVJJl in JL 1 X the U 1 JV E JL ^ pigram Ul & lUUl ' to UV / be K ^ V found JLVf 4 AJ . J , V * . in 11 JL his iAXO

    & Poems distinct ' ( 1658 bearing ) . At on all our events subject , the and epigram may has be here quoted : — - .

    To Mu . Humphrey MoSujlev and Kb . Hugh Bob : nson \ . i In la the large Boole of Plays yo'i late did print *

    Jlfjf xa Boaumont Boaumont and and m in Fletcher Fletcher ' s a natno name , , why why in in 'tt

    Did . , . jrrtu " ^\ - jtwbfc . " ' ? Oivie .. ' .. to .. ' eaqh : hf ^ . ~ " j : f f PorBea'irnonfe of in tb « srft miny writ ia few : J ' !

    • A And nd M Massinser ^ ssfnorei * in other ot . h nr few faw ; : th th « « main n . ' Bii Bii Bei (( ng / / how how sole came cama issues I I . of yon von swe atfc a . ^ « t Fletcher so art much nmnh ' ko s b know rain . ? ; •'

    ' - FletcTxer' 8 chief bosom friend , inform , ed me so . And so onMoseley's self-imposed task of $

    it-. e cases ing Milton . In was 1650 only he onp published of a number Robert of Heath similaT ' s . [ *

    * Clarestellia , with Poems -occasional , ' to ., and , as usual , apologises , tin ' The Stationet to the Reader , ' :

    for his presumption in publishing the book without the author ' s knowledge and consent , ¦ but v ^ bp * w ^ w justifies - mr v mm ^ v * k - ^ ^ AV wmi ^ his 4 iv «^ * m ^ mr action m ^^ mr ^ h ^ r V ^ h ^» v ^ *^ in B ^^ bB ^ a ^ v ^ v quaint ' ^^ v ~ ^^*^ ^ ^»^» vir and * # w ^ b ^ ^ p ^^ vt amusing v ** v ^^^ - «^ ^ # ^ I 41 ^ ^^^ v ^ k

    fashion . Moseley was the publisher of : ' Sir Walter "Bawleigh : his Apologie for his Voyage t : > Guiana' ( 1650 ) which contains a dedicatory *

    epistle by the worth , y bookseller to Carew , the t son of the ill-fated Sir Walter . V , " i ^^ M ^ K ^ * ' Bm tf ^ _ B ^ ^^ k * B ^_^^^^ B \ A ^ fe BBAB ¦ B ^ K '

    Three years before the' Great ITire of London— . . ¦; niakes m 1663 akfis —Sorbiere 'tne tiifi following followino , in his reference referft « Journey -npfi . to to Ldndon Fjhnfl to / JSngland rm book f » n < Vkv- / .

    sellers : * I am not to forget tlie vast number of booksellers ¦ rh * ^ m ^ ~ i i ~^ r ^ i ^ b ^ ^ tt ^^^ r ^ k *^^ * shops i ^^ ~ i ~ i ^ m *^ * m ^ - I «^» ¦ hg b ^^^ b ^ , w Y v ^ ^ e *^ observed ^ . ^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^ v ^^ » ^_ in ^^ ^^^ London — rr ^^ b ^«^^^^ ^ b # ^ v ; . b * ^ n ^ BV — •¦ ^ M - ' ^ m * * ' ' ^ t . " ' _> ^^ B ^ . ' ¦

    in for the besides ' City ; th they , ose . - t , who have pre their . se 6 part u . p ' icular here , and quarters there , ¦ ¦ = such as 3 t . rani ' s Churchyard andLittle Britain

    where there is twice ^ as many as in .. the . Rue Saint , VU Jacque > Vvl « - * V ^ - f _ iii ^« -V . Pari & (« A IKJf s , and « . V 4 J , V « who fl AAV ha X 1 LV ' ve T V / each \ - * I-4 JV / -I . E of V-f * -. - th VI . AV em ' 11 A two V W n f V ^ ' ¦ ^ * ¦ ¦ " V- BV '^ BkM « ' ^^^' ' ' . - ' '^ tf » m Bte ' *\ % A- * M '

    commenced or three * warehouseS ¦»»¦ on September v r ^ pB The * r 2 " : Great ¦ 1666 ¦ BT i'ire destroyin , which \

    buildings ^^ T ^ m ^ T ^^^^^ ^ v" ^*^ ^^ V Bfc «^^ ^| BT -mi Covering ^ ^ BB « ^^^ v ^ - . ^ BT between 1 ^^ ^ B ^ ^^ Sr . ^ ^^ V ^ M four m ^^ m ^ x B and « " ^ *» » ^ five ^ ^ IB « hu ' ¦« % *^* - ^ V » ndrecf «« P « B ^ ^ B W > gr ^¦ ^ h r : I ^ acres ¦¦ ^ W ^ hBV VJB « pB ~ « H ' - ^ I mm and **^^* + **** ^ ^ " ^ extendinor ^ k » T ^^ P ^^ ^^ ^ BBP mW ^ m ^ mi " ^ P *^ V ^^ ^^ t ^^^ Bj ^ hy r from tH *> - ^ r B ^<^ - ^^ > tlie ^^ 4 # ^ pl ^ —| — To BI ^^ B ^ b ^ < ver — . d ^^ . to « . b ^ P ~ the ^^ P ^^^^ W . i : ¦ ^^^^^ , le , involve ^^* ^ d the ' ^ ^ ^^^ * '

    Temp . Ohurphy amongrst general \ . wreckage tHe destruction of books and literary ^ [ property -r \ i »/ - » -r \» 3 ki"f - % r to 4-r \ the + V » Ck value xreiiiiri of rf ^ iP aoout onAiif ^ 150 I KA 000 Af ^ A accord onoArrl . ' ¦ '• .

    in » . to Samuel Pepys ' qompufeation , , or , nearly - " .: , present £ 200 , 000 valuation reckons the TSvelp sum h . woul According ^ i be abou to t one our

    . million ^ i ^ Bk « B ' * / sterling a "A * & ^ B \ . Most ^ - ~ ' ^^ m ' , of ^^ the ^ bB ' booksellers ^^ " ^ b ^ m ^ " whose r . B ^' stock 9 UUU & . fed J _ C ?« -4 . the UUC flames UaiUCS were YVC 1 C , , as CX ) ?> Percys JL CUJO puts |_» U . UCJ it IV y ,, ;

    being ' utterl a y subs undone tantial , ' and tradesman * my poor with Kirton about , ' £ 8 from , 000 '

    than to fall nothing back on . , Writing was made on ^ September . OOb or ^ 3 27 , 000 , Ev worse e ^ nu- ; . j | remarks that soon afte the fire had subsided ¦^ - >¦»¦ ¦• the ;

    ¦ ¦ ¦ A other ' . -b . ipp' « ' ** . bV *'' * ' * trader ^ IV f f' - ^ C ^ B ^ ^ VO- * ^ *^ W went f ^ p > T i ^ ' . . » ^¦ 'W on ^ * « pT ^« p » as ¦ . . * merril » ^ a > r B ¦ « ¦»¦ ¦ ^ B « »* p - Bfl » ^ •¦> - « * - *^ as / ' ^ pfB . S befo -J' « - *^ ^ - Jfe ^ K-v re ¦ T « ^ , ' ¦ , o " nly V «& ' ^^ ' the th « poor nonr books booksellers fillers have havfi . bfipn been lndeoa inrlfinrl ill ill--trea treated ted :

    , by Vulcan ; so many noble impressions consumed , by the 5 trussing jbhein to VIS churches' This

    KJJf VM r IX UO ^ Jltig JUll ^ X / LI . ye JO ^ UU ^ UJltOi . X . IJLM . S 9 loss he ? also speaks of as c ari extraordinary detriment to the whole republic of learning . '

    We get another side light on the early history of bookselling from a letter , dated just two months after that t ^ V from 1 wh J ich we h 1 JUJ ave just « kJ

    . Hi V _/ 1-1 U U - > t » l * . UV ^ JL UJlJIU JLVLU VV . Jp AVylJ . »» U ) V -J U quoted , by Evelyn > 1 ^>>>> BB > M to PL the _ pfepl ' Lord ppppppH ' ¦«¦ ' Hi pPppPP-PfppA pK gh ¦ Chancellor " I I * - «|> B pA j" S , * Sir F ^^ pv * * Ppa * " * ' Edward pbBVPb HpV ^ V ^^^ B * ^ V ^^ ^ ^*^ b w * ™*> Hyde ¦*¦¦¦> "W ¦ ^«>^ ^ f ^ " >^^ , ^ p afterwards ^ ^^ *¦ bbp ^ p ^ p * pbb * y v ^ feP ^ V ** " ^^* ^ p > *^ p' ¦¦¦ Earl ^^ PffP' pbpp ^ V ^ VJ of ^^*^ pH Clarendon ^ p * ^ ^^ ^ p ^ ^^ ^^^ ^ p ^ p ^ ^^ ¦ ™ ^^ ^^ v ~ mw ~ ^ y—^^ mm ! . : p 1 ' <

    my 'I did Lord the Cornberry other day , your in Westminster lordship's Hall son , g niy * ve thoug Tp > pfpa hts briefly concerning a most needful HPPPi ¦

    reformat ^^ p ^ ¦¦> ^* T" » ^ p "" p ™ ^ P" ¦ pp ion »^ p ^ for p ^ " ^ ppp ^ p ¦ ^ p ^ the ' ^ p ^ transmitting ' ^ p" ^^^— ^ PAV ¦*¦* ' "P ^ " ^ p ^ pppi pp ^ p ^ ppjpjh *¦*»>¦«* a Jciearer bppppppp pfp ] - ^¦ p— T ^ pv WW , si cream ^ ^ P" ^^ ^ " » " " ^^^ ' * for the future from the press ^ by directing to i maculat * - »^» r * / % ii 1 tr * -4 " r \ /\ Aw ^ Tf ( * of jf ^ -r such c * « i 0 ^ V % books T ^ i ^ Vrf ^ ¦* r . r- » » r » rt being T ^^ k ** l ^ . <*• vended ' ^ rf' ^^ V * > r ^ rf % *^

    in greate e copys proportions do for as want of good editions amongst us export extraordinary sums

    of mojiey , to our no less detriment than shame . ' - He farther points out that since the Great Fire the booksellers r were ¦/ pi ^ pj careless # j and * P >* PpP * VP > ppp | print £ pppj p ^ p > ~> the ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦

    cl ^ V Is * M assi ^ U ^^ cs ^ ppp * ^** W ^ mw from pp ^^ *^^ ^ pp * pq p ^ ^ p any . pr p ^ q par edition ^ ^ ppr ^ pp— ^ p , ^ p ^ tpt and ^ ppi ^^^ p p » «^ - p ~«^ that Pp ^ pF , VB a ^ "P" ~ p"J censor npr *^*^» yp" ^ over p ™ the press was necessary . ....... The PP ^^^ P ^ B VPPJ ^ PPIV laws ^ P ^ IPT ^ pr ^ P >^ touching ^ PT ^| PP ^ mrmp > Ppp > ¦ H ^ PPI ppp P ^ Pi PPIPJ Jp ^^ "a books ^ P ^ « pr ^ Hp *^ ppi ^ IPPpf * and 4 p' ^ P P | pb 1 ^^ ' ^ p . morals ffPPI P ^ " 1 ^ PP ^ P »» ^ P ^ " p >^ "Pp ~ were P | V > pr ¦¦ m I

    alike lax during the Merry Monarch's reign , 168 towards ( 3 ) , we the find end a of . spasmodic which , however attempt ( i . to e . . May remedy 12 , % he evil state of things . This consisted of . a

    jproclamation for suppressing the printing * and pablishing of unlicensed news-books and pam-

    P^^^^^^^^^^^H Fci« & 4 ' * •*' Pt ^^ ** ...

    p ^^^^^^^^^^^ h fci « & 4 ' * ' pT ^^ ** ¦ ^ f ' •'"» ^^ P ^ »» ^ ¦ * i ^ l * f f ^&^ ' * ' h ' p L * f ^^ t ^ Txt' A * *» X ^ Tii ^ ¦'•¦ v d * " ^*^^^ ¦ < *^~ ' ^ JTpp ^ p ^"' ' ' *^ y ^^ y ^ y — —p 7 , .- ^ . , " ^; p ^* 1 ^ "' - -p ¦ "— ' *™ . ~ ^> '™ ' ~ ' ~ -r »^'' - » - — -- * - —^ — ——•• * - " ^^ - »— — - «_ . - — . — - - ^» p » -- 1 ^ - * ' - - ^— — — w —~ , ^_ . _ . M ,, ^ » , .,- ^ ^^ -w _ '*< ' , ' - ~ — ¦* »*¦ ' ^ p | v —^^ - ^^ - - r— - t . — - » J- ^ - - —» - ' — — '^ LJ'Vvf ^ ^ BBn ¦ r ^ i . ^ Jli ^ SqC . ^^^^ ' "' ' ' " - ' ¦ ' _ ' " ' ' ' T ¥ T 1 ' I i : sept' xim ' - . «^ ' : ' P ^ ¦ ' 955 ——— f , ^ H J i ™ ¦ ... . . ; 5 « ^

• Citation
  • Publishers’ Circular (1880-1890), Sept. 1, 1887, page 955, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/pc/issues/tec_01091887/page/13/