EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.
783
were tried in the court of king's bench, in Dub- lin, for publishing a libel in that paper, at Bel- fast Mr. Curran, counsel for the defendants, submitted, that the proprietors came not within the scope of the information ; being responsible only in civil, and not in criminal cases. The jury accordingly acquitted the twelve proprietors, and found the printer guilty. In November, in the same court, Mr. M'Creery, and other printers and publishers of the Northern Star, were tried for a libel published Dec. 10, 1792. The jury lelunied a verdict of gvilty of publithing, but not uxith a maliciout intent. The court refusing to record the verdict, the jury again retired, and fouud the prisoners not guilty. This libel was the same with that for which Hamilton Rowan was sentenced in Dublin, to two years imprison- ment, and a fine of £500, Jan. 10, 1794.
1794. Portraits, memoirt, and eharaetert of remarkable penonsfrom the reign of Edward lit. to the revolution, two vols. 4to. and 8to. by James Caulfield, a bookseller, of London, distinguished for his knowledge of prints.
1794. Nov. A patent was granted to Mr. Cunningham, of Edinburgh, for an improved method of making paper.
1794. The fiftv-third volume of the Acta Sanctorum, compiled by Bollandus and his suc- sessors, was printed in this year in the abbey of Tongerloo, situated in the neighbourhood of Vntwerp, in the Netherlands. During the >eriod of confusion caused by the extravagances if the French revolutionists, when the monks vere compelled to quit their ancient dwellings, md seek for refug^ and protection wherever bey might be found; Godefridus Hermannus, he abbot of Tongerloo, kindly received the edi- ors of this laborious work, and not only lodged hem in his abbey, but also supplied them with . printing-press, and with such books as were ecessary for their purpose. Thus assisted, they roceeded to print this fifty-third volume, but /ere unable to carry through the press more him two hundred and ninety-six pages of it at 'ongerloo, the rest is supposed to have been xecuted at Rome. Copies of it are very rare, s in all probability a great portion of the im- ression was destroyed in the troubles and con- ision of the time. It may be seen, however, I the Bodleian library, and in that of Trinity }llege, Dublin. It consists of 632 pages, ex- usive of index and prefatory matter, and corn- rises the history of the saints of the 12th, 13th, id 14th days of October, being the sixth ilume of the Acta for that month. 1794. Mr. SouTHEY, the present distinguished riter and poet laureat, gives the following igin of the publication of his puem of Joan of re. " Towards the close of the year 1794," says r. Southey, " the poem was announced to be iblisbed by subscription, in a quarto volume, £\ \t. Soon afterwards, I became acquainted ith my fellow-townsman, Joseph Cottle, who id just commenced business as a printer and okseller in the city of Bristol. One evening, read to him part of the poem, without any
thought of making a proposal concerning it, or expectation of receiving one. He offered me fifty guineas for the copyright, and fifty copies for my subscribers, which was more than the list amounted to; and the offer was accepted as promptly as it was made. It can rarely happen that a young author should meet with a book- seller as inexperienced and as ardent as himself; and it would De still more extraordinary, if such mutual indiscretion did not bring with it cause for regret to both. But this transaction was the commencement of an intimacy which has con- tinued, without the slightest shade of displeasure at any time on either side, to the present day. At that time, few books were pnnted in the country ; and it was seldom indeed that a quarto volume issued from a provincial press. A fount of new types was ordered for what was intended to be the handsomest book that Bristol had ever yet sent forth; and when the paper arrived, and the printer was ready to commence his operations, nothing had been done toward preparing the poem for the press, except that a few verbal alterations had been made. I was not, however, without misgivings ; and when the first proof sheet was brought me, the more glaring faults of the composition stued me in the face. But the sight of a well-printed page, which was to be set off with all the advantages that fine wove paper and hot-pressing could impart, put me in spirits ; and I went to work with good will. About half the first book was left in its original state ; the rest of the poem was re-cast and re- composed while the printing went on. This occupied six months. I corrected the conclud- ing sheet of the poem, left the preface in the publisher's hands, and departed for Lisbon by way of Cnrunna and Madrid." Mr. Cottle carried on business in Bristol with reputation, for many years, and was himself the author of several poems of considerable merit.
1794, Jan. 1. The Ranger, by the hon. Martin Hawke, and sir Robert Vincent, bart. printed at Brentford, weekly, though with occassional in- terruptions, till March 21, 1795, in forty num- bers. They were written at a very early period of life ; and, this circumstance being duly con- sidered, they reflect the highest credit on their views and attainments. — Drake.
1794, Ju/w 6. The Hull Advertiser, No. 1.
1794, Jtdy. The Repertory of ArU and Manufactures.
1794. The Kentish Monthly Register, printed at the office and by the printers of the Kentish Gazette.
1794, Oct. The Cabinet, written and published every fortnight, by a society of gentlemen at Norwich. "Of this periodical paper we may, indeed," says Dr. Drake, "justly record, that its literary merit is great ; and that, in its political capacity, where enthusiasm has not overstepped the limits of moderation, its argument is cogent, and its tendency good." Before the close of 1795 it was extended to three volumes 12mo. including one hundred and thirty-two different topics.
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