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    June 15, 1888 The Publishers' Circular 7...

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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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    I Book Clubs. When »F Ilcli Was W Cio Th...

    Club , and this indeed may be styled the father of su sucn ch institutions institutions . . It It was "was originall oriffinallv y established established in in

    1813 , as a species of annual gathering , literary and social , in commemoration of that notable event

    in the book world—the sale of the Duke of Roxburghe ' s library . The meetings took place on the

    ori 17 17 th th ginal or of edition J June une in in of each each Boccaccio year vpar . , the th , printed « day dav on nn by which which Valdarfe the th « r in — — —¦ - 1471 — — ¦ ~ - — , ¦ was » vmr ^ r disposed - ^ . ^ * -r W ~ r V ^ K- * ^ - ^ ^>« . of V ^ X . The JL . m m ^— I book »^^ \ . J \/ ¦ A » . had p l _^ f » ^ been Ik ^ ^^ ^^ - *¦

    purchased by the Duke for what in those days was considered the very high figure of one hundred guineas ^^ ¦ —~ — — . » »• A ^ keen — — ** *¦ ^^ * . jfc and vwa ^ va long Jfc ^^ Aj , y > -protracted fh ^ A . ^^ ^/^ «* W ^ kX */ X ^^ - * fc contest ^^ V ^ *^« » - 'X _ - 'k _» W Jfc for . V >»* - its *¦ % « ta *

    possession then took place between the Marquis of Blandford and Earl Spencer , and eventually it was knocked down to the former nobleman for

    the sum of £ 2 , 2 tfO . The entire sale lasted fortytwo days , and realised close upon twenty-four thousand pounds . Afterwards a dinner was held

    [ it the St . Alban's Hoteland it was at this dinner that the idea of the Koxburg , he Club was first mooted , one of the persons most interested in its foundation ¦— ^ being the Rev JL Thomas JL Frognal * - ^ C «* l

    — — — — — w— . ¦ x- . a—a- r *^ r ^_* * » * V * . ¦* ¦*¦ ^ S V V ^ » * . - , A JV V ^ ' * i * * - * . A V / fi ^ A - « . Dibdin . The subsequent ^ meetings took place , as we have said , on the 17 th of June in each year , and ¦ they were alternatel I ^ V held at the StAlban's

    —•* " — ~ " —~ ~ " ¦ * ^"^ _/ ww ^ - ' *• *— «»«* JV l \^ A * -M . - * \_/ JL y T JLJL ^^ JL V K . C- * f V * - l ^ V *_/ C . ^ .. JJk-A . IkJ ' C-W *—¦• KJ » Hotel , at Grillion ' s , or the Clarendon . The Roxburghe Club was limited to thirty

    members , and in the balloting for vacancies one black ball was sufficient to exclude . A fundamental rule of the Association was that at each

    commemoration one of the members , at his own expense , should distribute among his fellows a

    volume volume speciall sr > e « iallv y printed rvrmtfirl for -for the the * occasion r > r . ra . sinn pither either from time , som however e rare , the book Roxburg or manuscri he did pt nothing . For worth a long y

    of its name , and the chief attention of the members was directed to the convivial opportunities afforded by the foundation . But in 1827 rt

    ttliev liey suddenl sudclfmlv y p awoke . wr » l < r p » to t . n a sense k < = » tig ^ of r > f their f / h < = » ir own r . wr im im- - portance , and having taken Sir Frederick Madden into council ^ A ^/ j . Ay they AJL authorised that gentleman to

    "" *"" w ^ vv , % J . KSJ Ci L 4 W 11 V 11 UVM . UJ 1 jLC *»» J GL V- < A J » I . / X V- » Ji JLJLCJU A . X WV- » 4 print Plavelok 80 copies the Dane of . ' the This old was metrical followed romance by another of

    valuable old romance 'William and the Wer Wolf . ' Together , these works made the reputation of the Koxburghe Club .

    enshrouded As a rule in , the dignified doings mystery of these , and clubs little have oppor been - tunity tunitv has has been l "> P ! f > n vouchsafed vniinhsafp ^ the the * outside r » nf- « iHf » world wnrlrl of of

    ihe stud Roxburghe ying their Club private was life exceptional . But in . this It possessed respect an historian ¦—^ aa of ^ its Ji ownHow h Haslewood VJ 1

    — — — " ^ -. . a « v r jl . K /* J KJ « V A . X . XXV / IV Josep l _ # Vk ? v **/ * * -ft- - * . C *» J * . ^_» Y * VJ" ¦* - » . matter came ^*^* to of be doubt \ vtA enrolled i his inability among the for the members position is is a

    not . ,- 3 y * . one - » fc wri ^; ; j ter XJl ^ he XJLJIC * has « - ^ Jl A JI 1 / f been JLV i ^ Ls LM compared . \^ t *\ _ J > JA . * J ± KSl * to * * - * Jack Brag , and it has been suggested that he

    worked the same his way way as into Hook the 's bumptious Roxburghe hero Club strugg in much led into hunting society—by an ample command of

    w impudence ; is rnvich given and technical to a love expression of alliteration . Haslewood , and on his - - ' death - — " ¦ wm . * w w » . « the « . « ^ i ^ s scraps t ^ J \_/ J C *|^/ » J C and ** » Ji \ jL odds U / VA' * O and C 4 / AJ 1 \ I en * - * M . A \ ds ^« K ^ composing \ - S \ - * * JL * yL / V /^ A C-

    Ins collection were found classified under such headings as * Garlands of Gravity , ' ' Beggars ' Balderdash ¦¦' ' Poverty \ % ' s / Pot-Pourri' 'Wallat of Wit '

    4 Octagonal — - — — - ~ , Olio jl -v . ^ w ^ , ' , y 4 » Zany ^ . m . V- ^ fc » ' s V * r V * Zodiac A A A , * • , ' * - 4 »* Quaffing ^^ - ~ - - - — — , Quavers to QuiQueristers' and jlji * Trampers j ^ . « - ^ ' '

    Twattle \ , ^^ ^ - ^ " ^^ " ~ r ; *^ ^ - ^ or , c » *** Treasure * p r ' ^ c ^ '' ^^** *• ** and ^ ^*^ w , Tinsel fc * Vi" ^ from *¦ •¦ * - » i- ' n the > *¦ »—* Tewksbury ^^ v v *»« t m ^ w ^^ ^^ v r Tank dlib % « % / ^ m A W * o . ' ^ His * - *^ A ^^ unfortunate ^~ 4 A A ^ b X ^ r ^ ^^ ^^ ^ ^ * ^^^ ^^ ^^ effort ^** M ^ ^^ *^ ^^ to ^^

    chronicle the history of the club was sold in MS . to the proprietors of the AtJienceuiny and was afterwards partly published in that journal with

    humorous editorial comments . Among the woyks " whose reprinting- he superintended for the club is one with the singular title * Green Room Gossip

    or Gravity Galhnipt : a Gallimaufry got up to

    guile Gymnastical and Gymneocratic Governments mpnf , s . . Gathere Crat . Yi & TPt d ci and i \ r \ c \ Garnished frfl . rrnshf » H b hv y Gridiron Cxridiron

    Gabble , Gent ., Godson to Mother Goose . ' Perhaps , knowing his ruling passion , it is not too much to

    suppose , as one writer suggests , that this outrageous name was the result of Haslewood's own fancy .

    A club scarcely less celebrated than the Roxburghe was the Bannat 3 ne . This was . Sir Walter Scott " s favourite society . The distinguished

    novelist also belonged to the Roxburghe , having been invited to become a member of that institution in 1823 but *^^^ F it was to the Bannatyne he

    devoted ^* >^ K ^^^^ ^^ h ^ B . ^^^ ^^ H ^^^ ^ all ^ V ^^^^ ^^^^ ^ - ^^ his , ^ p ^^^ love " ^ . ^ ^^^ ^^^ and V V ^^^^^ P ^^^ the ^ 1 ^ ^^^ ^ h ^ ^^ . ^^ B best ^ . ^ P ^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^ par ^ ^^ ^^ K ^^ «^^^ r t ^^ of ^^^ " ^^^ ^ " ^^ his *^^ ^^ ^^^ attention . This club is said to have been the first to project the plan , which afterwards became

    general , of printing important ancient and valuable MS 6 . Another ^ ^^^ ^ ^ fe ^^ ^^ ^ % ^ k ^ ta ^ ^^ society *^^ ^ t ^ ' ^ v ^* ^^^ ^^ IT , V of ^ h * ' ^** which * * ^ ^> ^ ^^^ ~ ~ the «^ i ^ ^ ^^ iT title «^ ^ k «^ . ^ ^^ has ™ ™ ' ¦ - ' ¦* . ^ w ^ a ' ^ W

    familiar and welcome sound to the ear , is the Surtees—named after rare Robert Surtees , the historian of Durham . This same Surteesthough

    one of the most enthusiastic book investi , gators of his time , had a pretty turn of rollicking humour , which distinguishes him from the

    ordinary run of scarce volume worshippers , who , truth to say , are wont to become as sober in their manner as % i the bindings tfb sk of | the h works ii they so

    ^^ m ^^^ J ^ ^^^ W ^^ ^^ jl . ^ k . —i m ^^ m r r v ^^ ^ B ^^^ . ^ 1 ^~ ^^ - ^ ^«^ - ^^^ ^—^— —' m - — — ^^^ ^^ ^» ^^ ^*^ v v ^^ r ^^ ^^ - ^» ~ m ~ ¦ » ^^^^~ ^ " ~ w w * m *^ ~* mr patiently study . Numerous good stories are told of Surtees , of which we have space only for one . When at college , he was requested one morning

    to wait upon the Dean—probably to receive one of those lectures on breach of college discipline , which it is the province of this clerical authority

    to inrlict . An ^^ now , being bidden on entering the august presence to take a seat for a few minutes while the Dean despatched some other business

    ( probably with the intention of inspiring further awe ) , he presently took the opportunity of poking the t . hp ! fire firft . The Thfi Dean Dftn . n looked looked up nn ag acrhast hast . l For ora a

    , , moment he eyed the delinquent , sternly . Then , * Pray , Mr . Surtees , ' he asked , ' do you think there is any other undergraduate to in the colleg lib -e who

    v ^ ould have presumed take such a erty as that ? ' * Certainly , sir , ' replied Surtees , nothing abashed , ' if they were as cool as I am . ' This reminds us , parenthetically , of a story

    of the late C . S . Calverley ( ' C . S . C ) which we do not remember to have seen in print , and , as we are in the strain for storv-telling , perhaps be forgiven for narrating . The

    may Master of Christ ' s College in the days when Calverley was a student was in the habit , as no doubt IVh the 1 / AA present Head isof asking selected

    groups ^^ ^^ ^^ ^ ^/ of , * his ¦ S ^ undergraduates ^^^ ik ^ ^_^ ^ * *^ •**¦ - ^ ^ - ^ ^ " ^ f ^ . ^ ^ " ^— ' , y during ^ - ^ " ^* » , ' » ^ term ^ ^^ # *^ ^ " ^ time ^ ^ " ^ ^ " ^ ^ to ^ a " species of after-dinner reception at the college

    lod lnrToge -fv . As As the the unfortunate unfortunate men men never never sat sat down down but grouped themselves as gracefully as they could about the drawiDg-room— -with a universal

    predilection J or the doorway — 1 hese anything bat genial receptions receised the nickname of

    * perpendiculars . ' At a certain period of the entertainment-- usually towards its close when most of the dinner guests had departed—some

    and slight sandwiches refreshment were in handed the form round of biscuits . The , l cake atter ,

    indi i were nAi gnant o-n painfull tinh comment nnmm y small ^ nh among fi , monfr so smal the tho l as men men to . have Well Well excited , i t is is

    said of Calverley that , on the butler approaching , him XXX 1 XX with W X % J LJi CA a plate § - * JL ** tV ) of V ^ JL these \ - * ^ - ^• -JV- ' wretched * * « - ^^ * - <* _/« - " » - ' " »—¦¦ make rn .-m . rn a ^ w *» > v ^ -believes r *_ r v — — ^^ - -v ~ , y

    he survey put up of his the eyeg lilliputian lass and , after delicacies taking , said a leisurel in his y affected drawling way * Thank you —ah—half of

    , one , Turning if you please back . ' to the Surtees Club , it may be mpnh % J ' nnprl that \ ht \ rpp-ion it soeciallv affected I

    M-m *^ ^^ A ^ A * * A ^ k ^ ^ . ^ m * ^ ^ ^ v ^ »^ ¦• • ^—* ~ ^^ /^ — — ^ L ^ # / — I ^ TSRt

    June 15, 1888 The Publishers' Circular 7...

    June 15 , 1888 The Publishers' Circular 703

• Citation
  • Publishers’ Circular (1880-1890), June 15, 1888, page 703, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/pc/issues/tec_15061888/page/9/