EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.
666
Franklin, speakine of his residence in London, (1735) says, "while I lodged in Little Britain I formed an acquaintance with a boolEseller of the name of Wilcox, whose shop was next door to me. Circulating libraries were not then in use. He bad an immense collection of books of all sorts. We agreed that, for a reasonable retri- bution, of which I hare now forgotten the price, I should hare free access to hb library, and take what books I pleased, which I was to return when I had read them." Among the earliest and most successful rivals of Wright, were the Nobles, in Holbom, and in St l^irtin's court; Samuel Bathoe,* in the Strand; John Bell, in the Strand; and Thomas Lowndes, Fleet-street.
1740, May lH. Died, Ephraim Chambers, author of the Cyclopadia,f being the first diction- ary or repertory of general knowedge publishetl in Britain; and it was called by one who knew well its value " the pride of booksellers, and the honour of the English nation." This work was the result of many years severe application, and was first published in two volumes folio, in 1728, by a sulracription of four gnineas, with a very respectable list of subscribers. A second edition, with corrections and additions, was printed in 1738 $t a third in 1739; a fourth in 1741; and a fifth in 1746; and again republished in 1782. With all these successive improvements, it has finally been extended, under the masterly super- intendence of its learned and venerable editor, Dr. Abraham Rees, to forty volumes 4to.
Ephraim Chambers was born at Kendal, in Westmoreland, of Quaker p;p«nts, who bred him up in the principles of the sect. He was put apprentice to Mr. Senex,§ the celebrated globe- maker and bookseller, in London; and during his abode with that skilful artist, acquired the taste for learning, which continued his prevailing passion during the remainder of his days. His attention was not wholly devoted to his Ci/elo- padia, but joined in other laborious literary undertakings. On Nov. 6, 1729, he was elected a fellow of the royal societv. He is represented as a man equally indefatigable, perspicacious, and attentive; yet never acquired much money by his labours; very cheerful, but hasty and im- petuous; free in his religious sentiments; kept but little company; and nad but few acquaint- ance. He lived at chambers in Gray's Inn, but died at Canonbuiy house, Islington, and was buried in the cloisters of Westminster abbey.
• Till* very inteUigeiit bookseller died Oct a, \jt».
t In his etiljr edittons Mr. Chunbers retained the title of Laiam TeeltMieum.
t In an sdvertisement to the second edition, he ob- viates the complaints of such readers as might, from his Kper of " Considermtioiis,** published some time before, .▼e expected a new work instead of a new editioa. A considerable part of the copr was prepared witti that view, and more than twenty sheets were actually printed off, witii a design to have published a vohmie in the winter of 1737, and to have gone on publishing a volume yearly till the whole was completed) but ^e bookseUen were alarmed by an act then agitating in parliament, which contained a clause obliging the pnbllshen of all improved editions of books to print ttieir improvements separately. The UU passed the Commons, but fkiled in the Lords.
i John Scnex F. R. 8. died Deeember so, 174*.
1740. J. Michael Funcktbr, a printer and bookseller of Erfart, published a small work in German, entitled, A thort and meful introdue- tion to the cutting of plate$ (or blocks) of vnod and steel, for the making of lettert, omameni*, and other figwet, to the art of baking platter, of preparing tand moulds for casting letters, vignettes, tail-pieces, medals, ami of forming matrices from them, &c. 8vo.
1740. Printing introduced into the town of Trdro, in Cornwall. The person to whom the town was indebted for this benefit^ was Andrew Brice, a printer at Exeter, but not answering his expectations, he shortly afterwards removed the press to Exeter. For a notice of this eccentric printer, see the year 1773, post.
1740. Mr. John Bentham appointed printer to the university of Cambridge, which he held till 1763, when he resigned in favour of John Archdeacon.
1740. Tlte Oxford Journal. This paper was established by William Jackson, of whom see a notice in the year 1795, post.
1740, i>ec. 30. TA* iVaJfcr, No. 1.
1740. The Halfyenny Pott.
1740. ne Farthing Post.
1741, Jan. 2. Died, John Barber, printer to the city of London, and the first of the pro- fession who had the honour of being lord mayor. He is well known to hav6 been a barber's son in the city. Pope has affirmed, however, that
Hoooor and shame from no condition rise;
and although he afterwards contrived to intro- duce the subject of our memoir into one of his satirical couplets,yet the history of this individual goes to corroborate the great moral axiom so poetically expressed by his friend. He served an apprenticeship to the printing business in the city, and by a successful train of circumstances, which brought him acquainted with lord Boling- broke, Swill, Pope, and others of the most emi- nent writers of the age, he acquired considerable opulence. A remarkable story is told of his dexterity in his profession. Being threatened with a prosecution by the house of lords for an offensive paragraph in a pamphlet which he had printed, and being warned of his danger by lord Bolingbroke, he called in all the copies from the p<M>lisheTS,cancelled the leaf which con- tained the obnoxious passage, and returned them to the bookseller with a new paragraph supplied by lord Bolingbroke: so that, when the pamphlet was produced before the house, and the passage referred to, itwas found unexception- able. He added greatly to his wealth by the South Sea scheme, which he had prudence enough to secure in time,and purchased an estate at East Sheen, with part of his gain. In prin- ciples he was a Jacobite; and in his travels to Italy, whither he went for the recovery of his hmfth, was introduced to the Pretender, which exposed him to some dangers on his return to England; for immediately on his arrival he was taken into custody by a king's messenger; but
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