G26
HISTORY OF PRINTING.
In the hall uf the stationers' company is a Iieautiful picture of " Matt. Prior, ob, 1 72 1, ajt. 57 j" the features are full of animation and vivacity. He wears a cap and crimson gown. It had formed part of the collection of the earl of Oxford ; painted, it is believed, by sir God- frey Kneller, and was presented to the company by the late John Nichols, esq., the eminent scholar and printer.
1721, Jan. 11. Terra: Filius, No. I. This witty but intemperate work is ascribed to Nicho- las Amherst, who having been expelled the uni- versity of Oxford, published several pieces in prose and verse, and amon^ these Terra Filim, reflecting strongly on the discipline of the uni- versity, and of the characters of its members. It was published twice a-week, and concluded with the fiftieth number, on July 6, 1721. For a notice of Mr. Amherst, see the year 1742, poit. 1721, Jan. 16. Exchange Evening Pott. 1721, Jan. 20. Daily Packet; or, the New London Daily Post, No. 1 .
1721, Feb. 11. London Mercury; or. Great Britain's Weekly Journal, No. 16. This was the Penny Journal (of which only fourteen num- bers were published,) with the tide changed, and the quantity enlarged.
1721, Feb. 6. Prmector, No. 1. 1721, March 6. Patriot, No. 1. 1721. The Norwich Weekly Mercury ; or, Protetlant Packet, price three halfpence.
1721. The Noncich Gazette; or, Henry Crou- grove's Neutt. Mr. Crossgrove was a tory, and appears to have been very unpopular with his w-hig rivals, who heaped upon him every kind of abuse. Like many more proprietors oi early newspapers, who gave them away for the en- couragement of their customers, Mr. Crossgrove inserted the following advertisement after the paper had been issued for some months :
" This is to inform my friends and customers that, on Saturday next, this newspaper will be sold fur a penny, and to be continued at that price; but advertisements will still be taken gratis, as formerly. The reason of my rising it to a penny is, because the number I print is too prodigiously great to be given away any longer; and I nope none of my customers will think it dear at a penny, since they shall have the best intelligence, besides other diversions."
1721, April 1. 7Tfc« Gentleman's Journal, and Tradetman's Companion: containing the news foreign and domestick, the price current of goods on shore, the exports and imports, the prices of stocks, and a catalogue of the books and pam- phlets published in the week.
1721, April 10. Northampton Miscellany; or Monthly Amusementt, No. 1. Printed by R. Raikes and W. Dicey.
1721, April 21. Moderator, No. 1. 1721, Aug. 16. The New England Courant, No. 1. This was the third journal published in Boston, and was issued by James Franklin, who, as we have mentioned before, was employed as the printer of the Gazette. In ofder to get forward under the disadvantages of so undue a
competition as that of two other newspapers ta such a village, it was needful to strike some aerm and bold stroke for popularity. Franklin took tlie obvious course of free and offensive conunent on the respected men and opinions of the day. He was aided in bis editorial labours by a society called by the moderate people, the ' Freethinkers,' and qualified by others with the less euphoniofis appellation of ' the Hell-fii« club.' But the master-spirit in the Couranl's better days was Franklin's brother Benjamin, then a boy ap- prenticed in the office. The paper provoked toe severe displeasure of the clergy and the govern- ment, which the latter did not fail to manifest in the processes of legislative and judicial action. Dr. Franklin, in bis Life, gives the following account of the decline of the Courant, and of his departure from Boston : —
"An article inserted in our paper, upon some political subject which I have now forgotten, gave offence to the assembly. My brother wa* taken into custody, censurea, and ordered into confinement for a month, because, as I presume, he would not discover Uie author. I was also taken up, and examined before the council ; but, though I gave them no satisfaction, they contented themselves with reprimanding, and then dismissed me; considering me probably as bound, in quality of apprentice, to keep my master's secrets. The imprisonment of my brother kindled my resentment, notwithstanding our private quarrels. During its continnance, the management of the paper was entrusted to me, and I was bold enough to insert some pas- quinades against the governors, which highly pleased my brother, while others began to look upon me in an unfavourable point uf view, con- sidering me as a young wit inclined to satire and lampoon.
"My brother's enlargement was accompanied with an arbitrary order from the house of assem- bly, 'That James Franklin should no longer pnnt the newspaper entitled the New Enylmd Courant.' In this conjuncture, we held a con- sultation of our friends at the printing-house, in order to determine what was to be done. Some proposed to evade the order, by changing the title of the paper ; but my brother foreseeing incon- veniences that would result from this state, thought it better that it should in future be printed in the name of Benjamin Franklin; and, to avoid the censure of the assembly, who might charge him with still printing the paper himself, under the name of his apprentice, it was resolved that my old indentures should be given up to me with a full and entire discharge written on the back, in order to be produced upon any emergency ; but that, to secure to my brother the t^nent of my service, I should sign a new contract, which should be kept secret during the remainder of the term. This was a very shulow arrangement. It was, however, carried into im- mediate execution, and the paper continued, in consequence, to make its appearance, for some months, in my name. At length a new differ- ence arising between my brother and me, I
