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In 1730 Mr. Buckley issued " proposals for printinii: by subscription a new edition of Jac. Aug. Thwmi Hittariarum tui Temporti, ah annu Domini 1546 tuqve ad Annum 1607, Lihri 138. Accedunt Commentariorum de VilaA m& Libri VI, ^e." Printed by William Bowyer. The
fiToposals, with a specimen of the work, are de- ivered, and subscriptions taken, by J. Round, and G. Strahan, in Comhill; R. Knaplock, D. Midwinter, J. Knapton, W. Innys, ana C. Riv- ingrtun, in St. Paul's church-yard; J. Osbom and T. Longman, in Patemoster-row; J. Pem- berton, in Fleet-sUeet; J. Tonson, P. Du Noyer, and N. Prevost, in the Strand; T. Osborne, in Gray's-Inn; by most booksellers in the country; and by the undertaker at his house in Prince s- court) Westminster." This work reflects a con- siderable degree of credit on Mr. Buckley, and in a letter to Dr. Mead, (who had been very in- strumental in promoting the work) has "the pleasure to acknowledge that lord Carteret from time to time had favoured him with his directions and information concerning Thuanut, and among other things had the goodness to put into his hands a cmiracter of that historian."
In the title-page of each volume, the name of the bookseller only appears, " Excudi curavil Samuel Buckley, 1733." At the end of the first, " Londini impnmebat Henricus Wood&U;" of the second, " Samuel Richardson;" of the third, " Jacobus Bettenham;" of the fourth, " Jacobus Roberts;" of the fifth, " Thomas Wood." No printer's name occurs either in the sixth or the seventh; but the eight first books of volume vii. were printed by Mr. Bowyer; and the remainder, with the whole of the sixth volume, by Edward Owen. These were all very excellent printers. An act of parliament was obtained, " for grant- ing to Samuel Buckley, citizen and stationer of London, the sole liberty of printing and reprint- ing the History of Thuanui, with additions and improvements, during the term therein limited." Whilst the bill was in parliament, Mr. Buck- ley published " A short state of the public en- couragement given to printing and bookselling in France, Holland, Germany, and London. With reasons humbly offered to the lords spirit- ual and temporal in parliament assembled, for granting to Samuel Buckley such privilege for Thuanui in Latin, as is already granted to every British subject who is possessed of the copy of any book in English." The price to subscribers, small paper, was nine guineas, and large paper, twelve guineas.
In Homsey church, Middlesex, on the north wall, and close to the pulpit, on the west side, a very neat and elegant mural monument of white marble is thus inscribed :
To the memory of
SAMUEL BUCKLEY;
who, having not only diacharged
all the duties of life
with ability, Industry, and tenderness to each rclatloD;
but offices liicewise of state and trust, with prudence, fidelity, and gratitude to his benefactors;
concluded his days in the study of letters,
and the enjoyment of honest and houonrablc friendships,
Sept. 8, 1741, in the Mh year ol his age.
1740-1. A Univenal Hiitoryfrom the earliest account to the present time; compiled from ori- ginal authors. Illustrated with charts, maps, notes. Sec. This great work was projected by Mr. James Crokat,* a bookseller, in Fleet-street; So highly was this great work esteemed, and so anxious were the Teamed, both at home and abroad, for its publication, that translations and
firated editions of it were printing in France, lolland, and Ireland, as last as the London edition could be procured. It was at first pub- Ibhed periodically, five volumes appeared in 1740-1; the sixth in 1742; and the seventh in 1744. A second edition began to be published in 1747, and was carried on with uncommon success, till the whole was completed in 21 vols. It was again carried forward, and in 1787, it was published in sixty vols. 8vo. at six shilings the volume, bound. 'The parts assigned to the various authorsf were as follow :
Mr. Swinton^ the History of the Carthageni- ofu, Numidians, Manritanians, Gatulians, Ga- ramarUes, Melano Gatulians, Nigrita, Cyrenaica, Mamtarica, the Regio Syrtica, Turks, Tartars, and Moguls, Indians, Chinese; Dissertations on the Peopling of America, Dissertation on the Independency of the Arabs.
Mr. Sale,§ The Cosmogony, and a small part of the History following.
Mr. Shelvock, To the birth of Abraham, was chiefly written by this gentleman.
Mr. Psalmanazar, History of the Jews, Gauls, and Spaniards; and Zenophxm's Retreat.
Dr. Campbell, 1 1 History of the Persians, and of the Constantinnpolitan Empire.
Mr. Bower,^ History of the Romans.
- Mr. Crokat had also a hand in planning the Daily
Advertiser. He was the greatest literary projector of the age; and died worth— iVoMin; ' NiclkoU.
t The following letter was received by Mr. Nichols from Dr. Johnson only seven days before his death, and is one of the last the doctor ever wrote :
"Dec. 6, 17»(. The late learned Mr. Swinton of Oxford, having one day remarked that one man, meaning, I sup- pose, no man but himself, could assign all the parts of the Antient Universal History to their proper authors; at the request of sir Robert Chambers, or of myself, gave the ac- countwhich 1 now transmit to you in his own hand, beinj; willing that of so great a woric the history should be luiown, and that each writer should receive his due pro- portion of praise from posterity. — I recommend to you to preserve this scrap of literary intelligence in Mr. Swin- ton's own hand, or to deposit it in the museum, that the veracity of this account may never be doubted. I am, Sir, " Yonr most humble servant, Sam Johnson."
The original of the above letter, agreeably to Dr. John- son's desire, is deposited in the British Museum. It was also printed, at the time it was sent, by the doctor's express desire, in the Qeniieman'a Magazine, voL llv. p. 892.
t John Swinton was a celebrated English antiquary, bom in 1703, and died at Oxford, April i, 1777.
^ George Sale is well known to the literary world by his excellent translation of the Koran of Mahomet, to which he prefixed a curious dissertation. He was well versel in the oriental languages, and died at London, November U, 1736.
g John Campbell, LL.D., was born In Edinbur)(h, March e^ 17O8. He was the author of several works of great merit; the principal of which was the Paiitical Survey of Britain, two vols. 4to. 1774. He died Dec. 28, 1775-
^ Archibald Bower, a learned Jesuit, was born near Dundee, in Scotland, 1686. His principal work was a HUtorji of Ike Popes. His share of the Univenal History is said not to odd much to his reputation as an author, or advantage to the work. He died September 2, 176*.
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