you will inspect the present Judge teen hundred and forty-six lines of Fortescue's edition of Fortescue's his translations of Ovid for his

work of Supreme Power (or some such title), you will find a pleasant dispute about the import of the word Illuminators, in the case of the University of Oxford, among the wise judges of the Common Pleas.... In the early printed books the initial letter was generally a small one, with a large room left for the illuminator to make a larger letter, and to adorn or illuminate it either with colours or metals. I take it that among those who enjoy the privilege of the universities, are illuminators. The word is used figuratively in our liturgy,-"illuminate all bishops, priests, and deacons," though with relation to spiritual gifts.-(Mr. Anstis to Mr. Ames.)

THE ELDER TONSON.

Miscellany for fifty guineas, when he had calculated at the rate of fifteen hundred and eighteen lines for forty guineas; he gives the poet a piece of critical reasoning, that he considered he had a better bargain with Juvenal, which is reckoned not so easy to translate as Ovid. In these times such a mere trader in literature has disappeared.

COWPER'S POEMS.

Mr. Johnson, the bookseller in St. Paul's Churchyard, obtained the copyright of Cowper's Poems, which proved a source of great profit to him, in the following manner:A relation of Cowper called one evening, at dusk, on Johnson, with a bundle of these poems, which he offered to him for publication, provided he would print them on his The elder Tonson's portrait re-own risk, and let the author have a presents him in his gown and cap, few copies to give to his friends. holding in his right hand a volume Johnson perused, and approved of lettered Paradise Lost-such a fa- them, and accordingly printed and vourite object was Milton and copy-published them. Soon after they right. Jacob Tonson was the foun- had appeared before the public, der of a race who long honoured there was not a review which did literature. His rise in life is curi- not load them with the most scurous. He was at first unable to pay rilous abuse, and condemn them to twenty pounds for a play by Dry- the butter-shops. In consequence den, and joined with another book- of the public taste being thus terriseller to advance that sum; the play fied, or misled, these charming efsold, and Tonson was afterwards fusions lay in a corner of the bookenabled to purchase the succeeding seller's shop as an unsaleable pile ones. He and his nephew died worth for a long period. Some time aftertwo hundred thousand pounds. wards, the same person appeared, with another bundle of manuscripts from the same author; which were

Much old Tonson owed to his industry; but he was a mere trader. He and Dryden had frequent bick-offered and accepted upon the same erings; he insisted on receiving ten terms. In this fresh collection was thousand verses for two hundred the inimitable poem of The Task. and sixty-eight pounds, and poor Not alarmed at the fate of the forDryden threw in the finest ode in mer publication, and thoroughly the language towards that number. assured, as he was, of their great He would pay in the base coin which merit, Mr. Johnson resolved to pubwas then current, which was a loss lish them. Soon after they had to the poet. appeared, the tone of the reviewers Tonson once complained to Dry-instantly changed; and Cowper was den, that he had only received four- hailed as the first poet of his age. The

success of this second publication | the death of George II., and printset the first in motion, and Johnson ing it in five volumes in 1791, called immediately reaped the fruits of his undaunted judgment.

BOOKSELLER AND AUTHOR.

it Smollett's Continuation of Hume. Mr. Dibdin says it was first published in 1763, but that was the continuation of Smollett's own history from 1748, which was brought down to the end of 1765, and the

Un libraire et un auteur sont deux especes de filoux, qui ne peuvent l'un sans l'autre attraper l'ar-last volume not being reprinted gent du public.-(Lesage.)

BOOKSELLERS THE PATRONS OF

LITERATURE,

JOHNSON'S DICTIONARY.

in the bookseller's edition gave occasion to the report that it was suppressed by authority, because it contained the only mention of the Johnson has dignified the book-first appearance of the late king's sellers as "the patrons of litera-malady in 1765.-(Gent. Mag. Nov. ture," which was generous in that 1824.) great author, who had written well and lived but ill all his life on that patronage. Eminent booksellers, Mr. Andrew Millar, bookseller in their constant intercourse with in the Strand, took the principal the most enlightened class of the charge in conducting the publication community, that is, with the best of Johnson's Dictionary; and as authors and the best readers, par- the patience of the proprietors was take of the intelligence around repeatedly tried, and almost exthem; their great capitals, too, are hausted, by their expecting that the productive of good and evil in work would be completed within literature; useful, when they carry the time which Johnson had sanon great works; and pernicious, guinely supposed, the learned auwhen they sanction indifferent ones. thor was often goaded to despatch, Yet are they but commercial men. more especially as he had received A trader can never be deemed a all the copy-money by different patron, for it would be romantic to drafts, a considerable time before purchase what is not saleable; but he had finished his task. When where no favour is conferred, there the messenger who carried the last is no patronage. Authors continue sheet to Millar returned, Johnson poor, and booksellers become opu- asked him, "Well, what did he lent; an extraordinary result! say?" "Sir," answered the mesBooksellers are not agents for senger, "he said, 'Thank God, I authors, but proprietors of their have done with him." "I am works; so that the perpetual re- glad," replied Johnson with a smile, venues of literature are solely in "that he thanks God for anything." the possession of the trade.-(D'Isr.)-(Boswell's Life of Johnson.) Tonson, and all his family and assignees, rode in their carriages with the profits of Milton's five-pound Epic.

SMOLLETT'S ENGLAND.

Smollett never wrote a continuation to Hume's History, but the booksellers, wanting a continuation of Hume, took that portion of Smollett's history from the Revolution to

AKENSIDE'S PLEASURES OF

IMAGINATION.

In 1744 appeared before the public Akenside's Pleasures of Imagination, which so long as genius holds an admirer, will ever be valued for chasteness of design, purity of morals, and all that pleasing witchery which marks the healthful offspring of genuine poetry. It was

BOOK-TRADE OF LEIPSIG.

welcomed as a work of such intrinsic worth ought to be welcomed. From its sale the author's finances were improved and his fame established. Dr. Johnson mentions, that he has heard Dodsley (by whom it was published) say, that when the copy was offered him, the price demanded for it, which was a hundred and twenty pounds, being such as he was not inclined to give precipitately, he carried the work to Pope, who having looked into it, advised him not to make a niggardly offer, for "this was no every day writer." -(Hutchinson's Biog. Medica.)

BOOK AUCTIONS.

The first book-auction in England, of which there is any record, was in 1676, when the library of Dr. Searnan was brought to the hammer. Prefixed to the catalogue there is an address to the reader, saying, "Though it has been unusual in England to make sale of books by auction, yet it hath been practised in other countries to advantage." For general purposes this mode of sale was scarcely known till 1700. -(Jenoway's Notes.)

BOOK TRADE OF LEIPSIG.

45

printed there; Leipsig has only its own proportion of printers and publishers. It arises from the manner in which this branch of trade is carried on in Germany. Every bookseller of any eminence, throughout the confederation, has an agent or commissioner in Leipsig, to whom he applies for whatever books he may want, whether published there or elsewhere. The whole book trade of Germany thus centres in Leipsig. Wherever books may be printed, it is there they must be bought; it is there that the trade is supplied.

Before the end of the sixteenth century the book-fair was established. It prospered so rapidly that, in 1600, the Easter catalogue, which has been annually printed ever since, was printed for the first time. It now presents every year, in a thick octavo volume, a collection of new books and new editions to which there is no parallel in Europe. At the fair all the brethren of the trade flock together in Leipsig, not only from every_part of Germany, but from every European country where German books are sold, to settle accounts and examine the harvest of the year. The number always amounts to several hundreds, and they have built an exchange for themselves.

As Frankfort monopolizes the trade in wine, so Leipsig monopolizes the trade in books. It is here Yet a German publisher has less that every German author (and in chance of making great profits, and no country are authors so numer- a German author has fewer prosous) wishes to produce the children pects of turning his manuscript to of his brain, and that, too, only dur- good account, than the same classes ing the Easter fair. He will submit of persons in any other country that to any degree of exertion that his knows the value of intellectual lawork may be ready for publication bour. Each state of the confederaby that important season, when the tion has its own law of copyright, whole brotherhood is in labour, and an author is secured against from the Rhine to the Vistula. If piracy only in the state where he the auspicious moment pass away, prints. If the book be worth anyhe willingly bears his burden twelve thing it is immediately reprinted in months longer, till the next advent of some neighbouring state, and as the the bibliopolical Lucina. This perio- pirate pays nothing for the copydical littering at Leipsig does not at right, he can obviously afford to all arise, as is sometimes supposed, undersell the original publisher. from all or most of the books being | Such a system almost annihilates

MODE OF PLACING BOOKS IN ANCIENT

LIBRARIES.

the value of literary labour. The | against insects, but the contrary unpleasing exterior of ordinary Ger- was recently demonstrated at Paris man printing, the coarse watery by two volumes pierced in every paper, and worn-out types, must be direction. The first bookbinder in referred, in some measure, to the Paris, Bozerian, told me he knew same cause. The publisher, or au- of no remedy except to steep the thor, naturally risks as little capital blank leaves in muriatic acid.— as possible in the hazardous specu- (Pinkerton's Recoll. of Paris.) lation. Besides, it is his interest to diminish the temptation to reprint, by making his own edition as cheap as may be. The system has shown its effects, too, in keeping up the frequency of publication by subscription, even among authors of the most settled and popular reputation. Klopstock, after the Messiah had fixed his name, published in this way. There has been no more successful publisher than Cotta, and no German writer has been so well repaid as Göthe, yet the last Tübingen edition of Göthe himself is adorned with a long list of subscribers. What would we think of Byron or Campbell, of Scott or Moore, publishing a new poem by subscription?-(Russell's Tour in

Germany.)

BINDING OF BOOKS.

King Alphonsus, about to lay the foundation of a castle at Naples, called for Vitruvius, his booke of architecture; the booke was brought in very bad case, all dustie and without covers; which the king observing said, "Hee that must cover us all, must not goe uncovered himselfe;" then commanded the booke to bee fairely bound and brought unto him. So say I, suffer them not to lie neglected, who must make you regarded; and goe in torne coates, who must apparell your minde with the ornaments of knowledge, above the roabes and riches of the most magnificent princes. (Peacham's Compleat Gentleman, 1627.)

PRESERVATION OF BINDINGS.

It was supposed that a binding of Russian leather secured books

It may not be known to those who are not accustomed to meet with old books in their original bindings, or of seeing public libraries of antiquity, that the volumes were formerly placed on the shelves with the leaves, not the back, in front; and that the two sides of the binding were joined together with neat silk or other strings, and in some instances, where the books were of greater value and curiosity than common, even fastened with gold or silver chains.-(Philip Bliss, Oxen.)

in

EARLY ENGLISH LIBRARIES.

every

Never had we been offended for the loss of our libraries, being so places for the most part, if the many in number, and in so desolate chief monuments and most notable works of our excellent writers had been reserved. If there had been shire of England but one Solempne Library, to the preservation of those noble works, and preferment of good learning in our posterity, it had been yet somewhat. But to destroy all without consideration is, and will be, unto infamy among the grave seniors of England for ever, a most horrible other nations. A great number of them which purchased those superlibrary-books, some to serve the stitious mansions, reserved of those jakes, some to scour their candlesticks, and some to rub their boots. Some they sold to the grocers and soap-sellers; some they sent over、 sea to the bookbinders, not in small

BARGAIN-HUNTERS.

number, but at times whole ships full, to the wondering of the foreign nations. Yea, the universities of this realm are not all clear of this detestable fact. But, cursed is that belly which seeketh to be fed with such ungodly gains, and shameth his natural country. I know a merchantman, which shall at this time be nameless, that bought the contents of two noble libraries for forty shillings price; a shame it is to be spoken! This stuff hath he occupied in the stead of gray paper, by the space of more than ten years, and yet he hath store enough for as many years to come!-(Bale's Preface to the Laboryouse Journey of Leland.)

LITERARY PROPERTY.

47

able title from usage; and if we consider how few of the books of which they buy the property succeed so well as to bring profit, we should be of opinion that the term of fourteen years is too short; it should be sixty years." Dempster:-"Donaldson, sir, is anxious for the encouragement of literature. He reduces the price of books so that poor students may buy them." Johnson (laughing):-"Well, sir, allowing that to be his motive, he is no better than Robin Hood, who robbed the rich in order to give to the poor."-(Boswell's Life of Johnson.)

BARGAIN-HUNTERS.

You will perhaps be surprised when I inform you that there are

Mr. Alexander Donaldson, book-in London (and, I suppose, in other seller, of Edinburgh, had for some populous places), persons who purtime opened a shop in London and chase every article which they have sold his cheap editions of the most occasion for (and also many articles popular English books, in defiance which they have no occasion for, of the supposed common-law right nor ever will) at stalls, beggarly of literary property. Dr. Johnson, shops, pawnbrokers, &c., under the though he concurred in the opinion idea of purchasing cheaper than which was afterwards sanctioned they could at respectable shops, and by a judgment of the House of of men of property. A considerable Lords, that there was no such right, number of these customers I had in was at this time very angry that the beginning, who forsook my shop the booksellers of London, for whom as soon as I began to appear more rehe uniformly professed much regard, spectable, by introducing better orshould suffer from an invasion of der, possessing more valuable books, what they had ever considered to be and having acquired a better judg secure, and he was loud and violent ment, &c. Notwithstanding which, against Mr. Donaldson. "He is a I declare to you upon my honour, fellow who takes advantage of the that these very bargain-hunters law to injure his brethren; for have given me double the price that notwithstanding that the statute I now charge for thousands and secures only fourteen years of ex- tens of thousands of volumes. For, clusive right, it has always been as a tradesman increases in respecunderstood by the trade that he who tability and opulence, his opportubuys the copyright of a book from nities of purchasing increase proporthe author obtains a perpetual pro- tionably, and the more he buys and perty; and, upon that belief, num-sells the more he becomes a judge berless bargains are made to transfer of the real value of his goods. It that property after the expiration was for want of the experience of the statutory term. Now Don- and judgment, stock, &c., that for aldson, I say, takes advantage here several years I was in the habit of of people who have really an equit-charging more than double the