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    BOOKSELLING IN ENGLISH HISTORY.*

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    V" HEADERS' SPECIAL PENSION. The ^^^^^b ...

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  • 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.

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    ^Mhmm^Ph^Ma^A^^^^Hiwh^Mm^L^^N^I^^^B^^^B^...

    ^ MHMM ^ PH ^ Ma ^ a ^^^^ HiWH ^ MM ^ l ^^ n ^ i ^^^ B ^^^ B ^^ i ^ a ^ i ^ i ^ i ^ iH ^ MM ^ i ^ M ^ aMa ^ aW ^^ aM ^^ MMI ^ BB ^^ BN ^ ffMHMM ^ M ^^ MaiHMMaMaM ^^ aHaiiMMMNH ^ NMHaMMJMaMHa'Ma ^ ^^^ L . *' t \ ^ ¦ 2 i - ¦ ¦ ' ' ^ 3 m \\ w ' lit

    % 412 Tihe Publishers' Circular April 15 , 188 9

    Bookselling In English History.*

    BOOKSELLING IN ENGLISH HISTORY . *

    jN * o trade in . the world possesses so great an ^ interest Bb »^ BB »^ Bk , ^^ ^^/^ ^ BK ^ TIW ^ BT as «^ VW that ^ T ^ Bb ^ B ^ BP ^ T ^ BP which W V ^ B »^»« Bf ^^ BV ^ B * ^ B » ^ relates Bb > ^^ «^ ^ B' ^ P' ^ BP ^ BPF ^^ B * to ^ 1 ^ the ^ V ^^^^ ~^ F produc BI ^^ ' ~*~ ' ™ ~ ^~'

    -tion and dissemination of books . The annals of bookselling go far back into the dim and

    shadowy vistas of the world's history . For it f ™^» airlclaim to have had an indubitable ¦

    existence may ^ V ^^^^ V ^ B ^™^ ^ T ^» " ^» ^^»^^^ *^* " y » centuries ^^^ r ^^» ^ B ^^ P" ^^ r ^^^ - ^^^^^ ^^ ^^ - before ^^^ B- ^^^ P ^^ p ^ ^ BBr ^^^ the ^^^ i ^^^ " ^—^^ ¦¦ scribe ^ ^^—^» —^^ ^^^^ — ^ set — — * him — — -- — - self up . as a public writer of letters in the

    market-place . We find echoes , so to sp ^ ak , of this ancient calling C 3 in the very earliest form

    in which man endeavoured to record his thoughts in a permanent form ; we , of course ,

    refer to the practice of inscribing on stone , bricks , and other material . But the history

    of bookselling before printing—in the widest sense of the term—is a very vast onefor eachr

    and every country had its peculiar methods , of disposing ^^ - " ™ pr ^ " ~ " ¦ » "B ^ H of " ^^ r ~^~ r the - ^ . ^— " ^^^ - ^^ ^ matter ^*~^^ r ^^^^ r ^^ ^^ - ^^ - ^ p— ^ HV that ^ BP ^^^^^^ ^^^^ *^^ comes ^ BB' ^ b ^^ ^^^ P . ^^^ ^^^ ^^^ under - ^^^ w ^^*^^^ ~ " ^™ r - ~^ ^^^ the ^^ —™ ™

    designation of literary merchandise . We might go even farther an A say that no two

    monasteries—to which bookselling before printing was confined—adopted bf identical methods - ¦ -- — . *

    ^ PP ^ PJ ™ ""^ ™ ^^ - ^^ b — - ^^^^ - ^^ - ^^ ' ^^ - ^ BP' ^^^^ ^ " ^^ ^^ ^^ ^ BB ^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^ ^ ^ ^^ V ^^»^^^^^» ^ p- ' ^^ ^^ f' ^^ ^^^ - ^ ' ^ - ^ It is clear , from the endless ramifications whi ^ ~ ^^^ ch ^^ ^—~ the ^ " —«—^^^ h ¦ history » ^—r ^»^ ^^» - ^^ v h of ' ^ f- ^ . ^ bookselling ^^^ p ^ BP ^ P ^^^ ^^ IB ^^»^* p » ^ BBP ^^ Ph ^ BBi ^ pBb ^^ b ^^ ^ BJB £ b . ^ as B *^ BF » l ^ Pr a ^ Pl ^^ P * whole » » ^^^^^ - ^^ ^^^ - ^^ F '

    presents , that no man has yet attempted to give a — — comp - ^ - ^ " ^ - ^ K- — lete ^ " ^» - ^^ ~^~ view — ^^ ^ " ^ ^ » of ^^ ^ . ^ the ^^^^« BB ^ BP' subject PJBJPT ^^^ ¦ b « r ^ m ^ BB ^ ^ BP ^ . ^ P W Considering ~^ BP » ^ P' ^ . BkPBP ^ BPi ^^ " ^» ^ BP ^ ^ Bp ^ PP ^^ P >^>*^ BpBBk

    that France , Germany , and Italy have each a literature ^^^ ^^* - ¦ ¦ ~ ^~ ~ -r — ¦ — — ¦ ^^ even — - ^^ - ^^— - ^^~ - older ^ v - ^^^ - ^^ r- ^^ - ^^ ^^^^^ and ^ . p ^^ r v ^^^ b ^ . *^ B ^^ V . very W ^>^^ ^ BBb «/ ^ nearl P" ^ W ^ Br ^¦ Ip ^ BP ^ BBB' ^ " ^ y •/ ^ as B ^ ' ^ BF ^^ BPP " rich ^ B ^ B ^ B * ^ BB" V . ^ . *"'

    b as abl j- quite own , as and ¦ rich that in their ¦ bibliopolic ¦ archives annals are pro the

    -¦ V — BB — — " - ^ M Bb — " ¦ ^ —~ - ^ - ^^— — ^ " Bm ^ ^ " ^ - ^ ^—^^ - ^—P ^ Bp- ^ a ^ . BV ¦¦¦^ BkBBBi ^ h « V ^ P » B ^ - . BK ^ B ^ «^ ^ b ** ¦ _ >« ¦ ^ ¦ ¦ ¦^ B- ^ B ^ BBBHBB » BB »^^^ B-. BB « i B-b . T , MM _ V BH ^ B " ^ ^ idea ^ of a complete ^ ' History ^^^ of Bookselling ^^ - ^ . ^^ » - ^^ > . ' appears Utopian .

    The author of 'The Earlier History of Eng ' ^ J lish — Bookselling — - — ¦ ™ ¦ — ~^ ^¦ »»— ^— — « BK ' ¦¦ certainl ^ B ^ ^ BP * B"B- ^ Bl ^ Bb ^ B > BBB > ^ Bb y W does ^ BP ^^ ^^ p ^ ^ B ^ « BpT not B ^ Bfe ^ B ^ ^ ppr ^^ pro J ~ «¦ . ' ^ . * - P '

    fess to cover a wider area than is indicated by the title of his book . Andconsidering BlJb BpBH the

    almost * B » ^^ * ^ unlimited ^^ « Bl m " " ~ B * ^^ - ^ BBb ^^ B ^ ^ material ' ^ »^^ B » BP ^¦ BB ^ ^ BBBV ^ " ^ . . ^ Bb ^ BUPP for , BH ^^ B ^ ^^ such ^ bV P * bP" ^ pb ^ BFP _ Bb > ^^^ ^ a fe *»« B » ^ ^ ""^ ^ B work ^ ^^ B ^ B *^ B > __ ^ B *»* from — the ^ — _— latter BB — — BBb — — BBb end -v- , — -w ^ of - ^ b * - ^— the ^ BP ^ BB > ^^| pr sixteenth B *»« r ^ k 4 »^ Bto BbT ¦ ¦ ¦ B * ' ^ BM ** ^ B . aBb ^^ . «> ^ century ^ BP * ^ BP * 4 & «¦» ^ BP * ^ p * A B ^ ^ ^^ ^ « ^ >¦ < J ^ — _

    to the middle of the . eighteenth ^ ^ , we can quite understand that the effort to compress f

    all all th tins is into into a a readable readable form form was wa « neither n « ith » r slight sHorhfc nor easy . We believe the effort has been successful .

    The book is divided into twelve chapters . Commencing — — ^^ J with — what -- »»^« bp » j . may ^ . ******* m be »«? ^ b * regarded «• VbUIAlAVvi as C-WftJ an « . * JLA

    introductory chapter , we are carried on to the , be ' Daw found n of some English hig Bookselling hly diverting / in incidents which will of the lives and strugg ¦¦ les of the «« aa ^^

    earlprinterbooksellers — . Honesty — » - —> - ^ /*>/*>^^^^* , ^^^ industry » vma , y » modesty ¦ r' * A ** VVj * A , and parliamentary language were attributes not unpleasantly conspicuous in our

    prede-We cessors cessors grieve in in the the to say art art that and and some mystery mvatftrv of the of nf publishing rm booksellers Klialiin < v . were anything but respectable . They stuck to all they — could — . - »— get £ K ¦• w » i and B ** vilified iaui ¦ %% j ^ the t / AIV author ddl l / f if he ¦¦

    venture f d to a » k for , » . payment mav « w **~* - in return V * J , VX for the MM % ? work of his brain' Bookselling in the time of

    Shakespeare * and . 4 Bookselling in the Seventeenth LeeninCenturv ueniiu ry ' do do not not introduce introduce us hh to to , a 1 higher hiVh « r

    rule ruie standard . , so SO tnat that of bibliopolic the thfi few fftW excep PiX / V moralit ^ nfir tions . n « y stan ftf as ^ nr d a out nnf general -f . rf . rar

    clear and distinct . Three chapters on Book very - and selling certain in Little other ¦ Britain minor , on localities London conclude Bridge ,

    Bobcrta * Tfu . Earlier Ixmdon History : Sampson of English Low . Manton Bookselling & Co , fcy . William

    4 ft . ^ -

    work what may now before be regarded : us : as the : first part of the

    ft V « AA . AAV VT 9 * fi * JM , ^ r * - ^^ % * m . k ^« The ^ second portion consists of five exhaustive ^^ r ^^^ m » ^^ v bi ^^^ i ¦ o ^^^ g ^ BHB ^ h ¦ ^ r ^^^ ap i — b »^^^ ^ hie ^^^ ~~ ^^^^ s ' ^ ™ o ^^ ^ f —^— ¦ J ¦ a ¦ ^^ cob ^^^ — ™ Tonson h ^^^^^— ¦ ^^ " i ^ ^^ ™ ^^^^^*~ , ^ BJ ^ Bern ^^^^^^^ ^ BBr ^^^ V ^ B ^ b ^^ b ^ v ard 'tf ^^ b ^^^^ L ¦ ¦ BBBP . ¦ B | B ^ B B ^ h - . ^ B ^ PP ^^ _ BAY ^ BBBB * ^¦ - J ^ P ^ b l

    Lintot ^ ^ ~ , Edmu ^^ . nd Curll , John Dunt on , and Thomas Gruy . The three first-named were , to a greater or lesser extentconnected with all

    th _ ^ e leading BBh BBl Bft lit . . erary men o f , the _ «¦¦ * peri - - - am od in whi mm— _ ch their lives were castand it seems a vvvy

    extrao ^ p ^^^ rdin p ^ b ^ ^^^^ ^ ^^^^^^» a ^—^— ^ ry ^^ ^ ^^^ fact ^^ - ^ — — - ^ mr ' that ™ ^» ¦ ^^ ¦ ^» information ^^ , ^ Bl ¦ ^^^^^ ™ ™ i ^^^ ^^» ^»^^ - ^—~ - ^ m concerning ^ —~^^*^ r- m—^ m- ~^ r ~^ mw ^ ~^ mr ~^ m wf ^ B | r them ^ BBiBBBB ^ Mf ^ bbb * w ^ B ^ ^ should mmW BBB > ^ BB ^ BlBB' ^ B ^*^ B >^ BB ¦ > ^ BB ^^ Bp mmw have ^^^ p ^ ^^^ so VI . ^^^ r long ^^^ ¦)¦¦¦ - ^^^ ^ B ^ r ^^^ ^ psjB ^ B ^ remai ^ Bpr ^ ^ P ^^^ ^¦¦ r ^ BF ^ B 1 ^ ned ^> " ^^> ' ^ BBPF ^ B ^ Bi scattered Br ^ B ^ ^ B > ^ BP *^ . ^ BB >^ «¦* ¦¦ ^ pp BBPb > ^ "P ^ ^ BF ^ BBB BBBBVBBBpBBBb in every ¦ BpB' ^ B ^^ B 1 aB >| BH

    Edmund conceivable Curl direction lon whom , llie the onl late y excepti Mr . Thorns on is up

    ^ bestowed more , time and attention thaik most people will consider this reprobate to be worth .

    But Mr . Thorns' 'Stray Notes' was privately printedand is very rare ; indeedwhen it finds

    its way int , o the market at all it sells , for nearly two isw \ s guineas g uiiicoo . , whi m ± xx c \ ixx h , i io s r laiaici ather « a ' s bvixl tiff' price uiiuo j for . ui

    a little 16 mo . pamphlet of 107 pages , xriith is stranger than fictionand if a novelist were to

    utilise in one book half , of the incidents which Mr . Curll * s career furnishes hewould be

    de-. nounded as a madman . And yet we have never read a novel or a biography so fascinating

    as the life and adventures of this extraordinary person . Curll was more than , a match for

    Pope , and he beat a great many smart men , butlike all clever individualshe sometimes

    overr , each ed him BBB Ab self aBb mm * . He ^ BBb ^ BB ^ BBB . was f a , milia m * bBbi ^ r with m * bBK th _ bBb e jailwith the stockswith flagellationand also

    , , , with the sensations which blanket-tossing entailed . We may therefore feel very thankful

    that he has not taught in song what he had learnt in suffering .

    We may , in conclusion , point out that portions ^¦^ BF ^ ^ 0 r BBBBB ^ B BJBi —^ mr *^^^^^^ I of " ^ B ^— ^ Mr ^^—^ ~ " - ^ ^ r- ^^ . ^ ap Roberts BBBBBBk ^ B ^ -mmW ^^ BBBP ^ BBB' BBB V BBbT ' - _ book mfm / m ^ ^ B ^ Br ^ F ^ B' ^ BBBBBBi have BB * BJB BJb * BB ^ ^ ^ BBr alread BBBr ^ p ^ BHBB * ^ BV ¦ ^^ ^^ y W

    appeared in this periodical , and it is because of this W •» BB » BPB 1 BB . I fact BBBB ¦¦ . * BB BB B . T that V * B B B BBp we « V VJB refrai B « ^ mT 4 bV 1 * ¦ n B *^^ from bbW ' ^ B > 4 bi > either " ™ l ^ ^ T « PP BBI b ^ ¦ * eulo "JT BB ^ BB BB- -B- - ^ «*» ^ ^ ^ ' «» ^^ "

    gising or adversely criticising this work . We ¦ ma b » ** b ^ bt y v say | Br bb ^ bp Bf , b > m however mmmmw B | B' v bv bbb * bbb , ^ b that mf ^^ mw-mmmf VV ¦ «¦ the « r « p ^ b ^ book P ^ ' b _^ v ^ r ^»^ Bb covers YJT ^^ T V ~ fl ^ bB . mmmW m a ^ mmmr field mmmmm -b- ' ^— ' - ^ —

    hitherto completely unoccupied , and that it is the result of much labour and research . ¦

    V" Headers' Special Pension. The ^^^^^B ...

    V " HEADERS' SPECIAL PENSION . The bb movement bbvbbt - bb for bbbbbbb raising bbb bbbbbP a 1 special bbbbbibbbf b ^™ 1 bbt i pension bbbbbbb

    ^^^^^ b hvbbp *^ vb > b ^ rmr ~^ b * » ^ bB ^ ^»»""^^ " - ~ bb * b ^ . >* . ^ ^ b » b . ^^ V ^*^^ . . ~ bbjb ^_ ^ b ^ bb »^ ^ p' ^> ^^^ " ^ ~ ° " » ^^^¦ ^^~ ¦ — for printers' readers or their widows is making steady progress . Sir Algernon Borthwick ,

    M . P ., of the Morning Post , has accepted the office bbbbbbbbbbbh bb of bb President b bb bbbbbbbbbb bbf bbi of the bb-bb Fund bbbbbbbbbi and has bbb bbbbi added bbbbbb

    to - * * it ^ -mam * the ^ -m- . ¦ ¦ liberal . ^ - ^ - - ^ -mm donati bjb- ^*^ »^ bbp on . ^* b- •"" of ¦ ¦™* b . £ 50 ^^^^^ , w . ^ mmmmrmmmmmm ¦ m Mr . Wal - » - > - — ter - ~ ——Eesant ^ mm ^ immr -BBB p « r B >^ BB ^ B ^ i BBP ^ B" ~ writes B B ^ BBBJ B ^» ^ W ^ BBB ° B—B » : B" ' The BBBfeB BWI BBB ^ Bb » readers ^ BBB ^ Bb" WJ ^ B > ^ BBBBj » BB ^ B ^ BB W ^^^ sav BbB ^ BB * BB Bi e Bb ^ us - ^^ IB" B" ^ B ^ ^ a B ^^ B great BBBB , ^^^— ^ B >~ " ^ —

    deal of trouble by the care which they give to the b proofs . 1 BBJBBh have BB . BB bubbt been prevented BBb ^ Bi bibbbj from m

    bjb- ^* bV . ^ V ^ ' ^* ^^ m ^ m ^^ " ^ ™* W b ^^ P ^ bF ™ b * ^ BB » bb » bB » Bb ^ bVbh ^ BT W ^^ ^ W bj ^ " ^^^ BBB b ^ b" * b * bb » bbb ^ bb > bb * bpb any -bp—^^^^^^^ m * . W absurd errors by them *; whilst Mr . Austin Dobson says : * I am obliged to you for giving

    me the opportunity of making a contribution ¦ to - * - « . the -feT-mti -f- _^ . Fund -a * . ~^» , _ fc ^ - _>^ you m -- _^ Bm ^ BH menti i _> ., __ . _» VWAA «*_¦ , on -- *_¦* - > - &« . a But * -- ^ -WW W _¦! it - ^ can - **» ibb _ - | Ml h rfaT aB ardl « p « i ^^ y _ J

    discharge my debt of gratitude to printers ' readers bb- ^ bbb . ' Mr . Frederic Harrison declares : * I

    bbbbi ^ b ^ ' 1 ^— . ^ V ^ P Bbi ^ - ^^ ib ^ . ^^^^ r ^ ^^ i ^^» ^>^ ^ F ^ . ^^^ Ml ^^^ r ^ BV ^ B ^ ^^ B ^ ^ . V . ^ V ^ b ^^ . V . V .. ^^ ..... ^ W ^ B ^^ ^ ' .... > .. ' ^^ ' ^ W ^^^^^ 1 . ^ . ^ ' * . ^^^^^ " ^^^ ^ .. ^ ' ^ ^ . *^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^~ ^ " — owe many a debt of gratitude to the correctors of ^^ r v ^^ b the ^^ r ^ mm w —^^^ press pwv ^ ^ i ^>^ ^ .. ^ v ^^ v ^^ . V , ^ Bl who ^^ ^^ ^ " ^ *^^ ^ B ^ F . have ¦^ . ' ^^ V ^^ " ^^^^ . F ^^ . ^ . saved ^^ . P ^ . F ^ . ^ V ^ b ^ P ^ ~^ h ^ - ^^ ^ me ^^^^^«^^ - ^^ p ^ iv from ^ v ^ b ^ v ^^ p ^ ^¦^¦¦ ¦ ' ^^¦ ' ^^^^ many ¦ ^*^¦ ^ w ^^^ v ^ bb ——^^ ^ m a

    slip in composition , and have often improved for me a sentence by suggestion . / Among other recent " ^ . T r « BBb ^ B ^ contributors Bb IBBF ** J . V to the

    ¦¦ BBP ^ V a »««^ V ~^ t ^ < BB » ^ B » fJBVK ^^^ ^ bV ^ B *^ BBi ^ B . ^ ^ B » # ^ B » . ^^* * . k ^ V ^ T ^ Bp ^ ^""^ . BV ^^ B' ^ IBJ * BBt p % ^ ^^ ffBh « h ^ . ^ V ^ BT « T ^^^ " ^ - " ^ ' ~~' Fund are : Mr . A . H . Bullen , editor of the — Elizabethan . " ^ "BBl »»»— ¦ . ^^^ U V 4 . T ^^ »/¦ » l | BB JBB , poets K ^ - ^^ - ^ . T TaTfA ^ " and iV ^ BWJBfcJB- ^ « # ¦ ¦¦> ' ' ¦ dramatists J ^ ^ B > BBFVBJW » - * W' ^ BBB > V ^ IHBWBaV ^ T ; « Professor «^ »^ "" ^^ ^ BB ¦»• ¦ I ID - — -

    Jeffrey Bell ; , Dr . Fennell , editor of the Cambridge ' * Stanford Dictionary ' BBV Prof . SR .

    ' —^ . ^^^ ™ ™ ^ T ^^^^ BBIB ^ V . ^ ' . ' ^ b ^^ ^ P ^ ^ p ^ . *^ ' ^ . ^^^* ^^^ ^ . ^ dP ^ " > . ^^ W JVI . Vi ^— 4 P . T ^^ B ^ BTB > ^ bv ^ ABW . W ^ Bk . ^^^ .. ^ ^ V ; ^^^^ r ^^— ^ " *^ ^ ¦ " ^^** , JB * ' ^ ~^ Gardiner , the historian of the * Great Civil

• Citation
  • Publishers’ Circular (1880-1890), April 15, 1889, page 412, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/pc/issues/tec_15041889/page/10/