SEVENTEENT
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sions he variously styles himself ' Typonfraphus Regius,' ' Aiohitypographus Regius, ' Impri- meuT du Roy,' ' Premier Imprimeur et Li- biaire du Roy,' 'Premier Imprimeur et Libraire ordiniure du R^-' He often added ' ad Insigne Olivs Robert! Stephani,' ' a I'Olivier de Robert Estienne.' "
In personal erudition Anthonv Stephens cer- tainly did not degenerate from bis predecessors. II atoit, says La Caille, grand orateur and bon poete tout entemhle. Various literary productions of bis pen are mentioned.
He appears to hare bad several children, and in particular a son Henry, who was admitted " Imprimeur et Libraire, in 1646, and after- wards became king's printer. This Henry, (adds La Caille,) during his life supported his father Anthony; who became needy, infirm, and even blind, in his old age. Almeloveen says, that Anthony Stephens ended his days in a hospital of Paris, having outlived his children, with the exception of one daughter only, who supported herself by manual labaur, and was survivmg in 1683. La Caille informs us that Anthony Ste- phens died at the age of eighty years ; but (he adds) his fine impressions will render his name immortal, and no less estimable than those of bis ancestors, in the opinion of posterity. The children of lus son Henry did not live to years of maturity. He may therefore be consiaered as the last individual of this renowned family.
1674. Newt from Puddle Docke ; or,atuirTU- tive of apparitton* and traniactiont in the home of Mr. E. Pitit, at Puddle Dock. 4to.
1674. Newt from Kensington, heing a relation how a maid there, it tuppoted to have been carried away by an evil tpirit. 4to. .
1674. Strange and terrible newt from Short- ditch of a woman that hath told hertelf to the Devil, limng in Badger alley. 4to.
1675. Nob. 4. The City Mercury ; or, Adver- tisements concerning Trade. With allowance. No. 1. Advertisements received at the Intelli- gence offices upon the Royal Exchange, and next door to the Pigeon tavern, Charing Cross. Complaints rectifieid, on application to Mr. R. I?Estrange in Gifford's buildings, Holbom.
1676. Strange and terrible Newt from Oak- ingham, in Berks, of a thunder clap, jrc.
1675. Mr. Crofts left £6 to Uie company of stationers.
1676. The first book auction in England of which we have any record, was the libiary of Lazarus Seaman, D. D. and sold by William Cooper, bookseller, in Warwick-lane, London. Freoxed to the catalogue there is an address, which thus commences : — " Reader, it hath not been ttsual here in England, to make sale of books by way of auction, or who will give most for them ; but it having been praclisea in other countries to the great advantage of both buyers and sellers, it was, therefore, conceived (for the encouragement of learning,) to publish uie sale of these books in this manner of^ way."
The next book wale was the library of the reverend Mr. Kidner, rector of Hitcbin, sold
also i^ William Cooper, in Little Britain. And that Vieae were the first in the kind, may be gathered from the preface to the third, which was, tiiat of the reverend William Greenhill, ministtrr of Stepney, at the Turk's Head coffee- house, y^ Bread-street (in ndibus Ferdinandi Stable, toffipoUe, ad insigne capitis Turcie,) by Zacb. Bc\me, who sets forth, that " the attempts in this lAd (by the sale of Dr. Seaman's and Mr. Kidner's libraries) having given great con- tent and satisfaction to the gentlemen who were the buyers, and no discouragement to the sellers, hath encouraged the making this trial bv expos- ing (to auction or sale) the library of Mr. William Greenhill." Cooper next sold the library of Dr. Thomas Man ton, at his late house in King- street, Covent Garden, 1678; and in the same year, John Dunmore and Richard Chiswell, Dool^llers, those of Dr. Benjamin Worsley, and two other leamedmen, overagainst the Hen and Chickens, in Paternoster-row, at nine in the morning. By manuscript prices in some of the early catalogues, it appears that one penny was a very common bidding.
For some curious particulars concerning the early book sales see Dibdin's Bibliomania.
1676. General Catalogue of Bookt, printed «n England tince the dreadful fire 1 666, to the end of Trinity term, 1676, London, folio.
This catalogue was published by Robert Clavel, an eminent bookseller. It is a thin folio, and include an abstract of die bills of mortality. The books are classed under the hetMis of divinity, history, physic, and surgery, miscellanies, chemistry, poetiy, &c. The titles of the books are briefly stated, and the publish- ers' names are ^ven. The catalogue was con- tinued every term till 1700.
DuntoD says, " Mr. Robert Clavel is a great dealer, and has deservedly gained himself the reputation of a just man. Dr. Barlow,* bishop of^Lincoln, used to call him the honest bookteller. He has been master of the company of stationers [1698 and 1699] and perhaps the greatest un- happiness of his life, was his being one of alder- man Cornish's jury. He printed Dr. Comber's works," &c. — Life and Errort,ja. 283.
1676, Sept. 4. Died, John Ooilby, geogra- phical printer to kingCharles II. and a volumi- nous writer. He was born near Edinburgh in 1600, and was originally a dancing master. The earl of Stafford, in whose family he was employ- ed, as teacher to his children, appointed him deputy master of the revels at Dublin, where he erected a theatre. On the breaking out of the Irish rebellion he returned to Ctunbridge. He was appointed in 1661 to conduct the coronation of Charles II. and of which he published a pompous account in folio, with plates. He also published a magnificent Bible, with plates, for
- Tbomu BuloWi bishop of Lincoln, died October g,
Itgi, aged SS, and wu burled at Buckden. It Is stated, that whilst he sat, bishop [167s— l6gi] he was remarkable test having never visited any part of Us dioceae in penon, or been ever in all his Utieat Uncdn ; so that be wascom- monljr called the bishop of BtMMm, where he mosajr lived.
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