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HISTORY OF PRINTING.
answeir the usual calls of business ? and how are those, who live in confined situations, to enlarge their printing houses, for the methodical and convenient disposition of the numerous cases of words and other combinations ? At present, a printer orders in a certain quantity of dtch fount of types, as his occasions require ; an order well understood, and readily executed. According to this improvement, an order for a hundred weight of English nouns, half a hundred weight of adjectives, and a quarter of a hundred weight of verbs, would be too vague to answer any purpose : for an assortment suitable for a volume of ser- mons, would not print a volume of Philosophical Transactions, the Euman History, or a System of Geography ! He must either be furnished with five or ten hundred weight of the whole English language, if possible; or, a hundred weight, made up in pounds, of — butter, cheese, beef, pork, tripe, mustard, air, leater, earth, fire, heat, cold, light, darkness, snou; rain, &c. all specified. Ajiother hundred weight must be made up in half pounds, of — angels, devils, heaten, hell, sulpher, grin, growl, howl, stirik, bricks, tiles, rubbish, mops, oroomi, soap, sand. Sec. to the end of a most laborious and comical list ; beside which, a smaller assortment of all these will be wanted with capital initials, for the beginning of sentences. Indeed, if a common printer's stock of single letters, is to be added as an appendage to this copious magazine, s will be a very useful drudge on all occasions, to make plurals with ; but so formidable an apparatus can serve no other purpose than embarrass the art, and encumber the artist with assistance. Hitherto we have only considered printers as engaged on English composition ; but beside occasional quotations, how are they to print Latin, French, Italian, and Spanish works? These Mr. Johnson proposed to compose from syllables of two or three letters ; but whatever shift may be made with the Latin in this way, we conceive that no stock of syllables, within the power of any founder to cast, or printer to amass, would suit the combinations in other languages, accommodated with their peculiar accents, apostrophes, and circumflexes. This method was however soon discontinued.
1783. J. Stockdale introduced the art of printing into the town of St. George, the capital of the island of St. George,' the largest of the Bermudas or Sommers islands.
1783, Nov. 18. Died, Georoe Ayscodoh, bookseller of Nottingham. He unfortunately launched into speculations which impaired his fortune ; and was reduced to live with his son, Samuel, assistant librarian of the British mu- seum, and a very useful contributor to the literary history of his country.
1783. In this year there were only five master printers in the town of Liverpool; Robert Williamson, John Gore, John Sibbald, John Johns, and George Woods: with this latter gentleman Mr. M'Creery served his appren- ticeship.
1783. Transactions of the Society of Arts, Ifc.
1784, F*&. 10. Diedf John Millan, who was a bookseller at Channg cross more than fifty years. He is thus celebrated in Mr. Dell's* poem of the Booksellers :
"Millan, deserYln(;of the warmest pntM, As fall 0^ wortii and rlitae as at days ; Brave, open, £60*1008, tis is him we find A solid Jodgment and a taste relln'd ; Nature's moet choice productions are his care. And tbaa f obtain, no expense or pains does spare : A cliaiBcter so amiable and bright. Inspires the muse with n^iture and ddight ; The gentleman and tradesman both in him unite.
1784, March I. Died, Gilbert MABTiN,of the Apollo press, Edinburgh. Mr. Martin pos- sessed a most singular disposition, and very extraordinary qualities. His peculiarities press- ed chiefly on his nearest relations and friends ; conscientious, but obstinate ; very liable to err, though he seldom thought he acted wrong ; litera scripta was his guide, and a rule of conduct, which, once determined on, neither interest, friendship, reason, nor Justice, could divert him from his purpose. With such a disposition, it was dangerous to deal with him; and many sacrifices were to be made by those who perse- vered in his friendship. By dint of application, he had improved an excellent understanding, and acquired a taste and science in his profes- sion which few predecessors had displayed; disdaining to be fettered bv the common rules of art, he ranged into a wide field of luxuriant fancy, and combined in types such symmetry and elegance as might vie with the powers of a painter's pencil.
1784, April 12. A bill was passed in the Irish house of commons, for securing the liberty of the press in that country, whereby it was enacted, " that the name of the real printer and proprietor of every newspaper should he entered upon oath at the stamp office."
1784, April 30! Died, Thomas Evans, a well-known and eminent bookseller in the Strand; much beloved, respected, and esteemed by his numerous acquaintance, friends, and relations ; by the latter for his affectionate regard ; by his friends for his readiness and activity in their ser- vice ; and by his acquaintance for the pleasant- ness of his conversation, and his entertuniDg manner of displaying his wit and humour, of both of which he possessed a more than ordi- nary portion to the close of his existence; even that " last solemn act of a man's life," his will, containing an example of it After directing that his funeral should be in a very plain man- ner, he could not refrain from addmg, that " it would be ridiculous to make a coxcomb of a grave man." Few persons in the middling rank of life had their company more courted by those
- Henry Dell was a boolcseller, first in Towcr-atrcct,
and afterwards in Holbom, where he died very poor. He once attempted to peifbzm the part of Mrs. Termagant, at CoTcnt Garden theatre, but without success. He wrote and altered four dramatic pieces. He was also the aoflior of the BookuUert, a poem, which was primoanced try some able Judges, to be " a wretched, rhyming list <a bookscUerii in London and Westminster, with sUIy com- mendations of some, and stupid abuse of otfaen.**
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