ble to the manifest hardships, uncertainties, and abusive practice of the common law, 1788, 8vo. occasioned by his own distresses, the consequence of imprudent speculations and a numerous family; after struggling with which he was appointed librarian to the first marquis of Lansdown. After a union of near forty-five years, he lost his wife on November 25, 1790. Few men of this country had so much bibliographical knowledge as Mr. Paterson; [1] and perhaps we never had a bookseller who knew so much of the contents of books generally; and he was particularly well acquainted with our English poets. If in his employment of taking catalogues, he met with a book he had not seen before, which excited his curiosity, or interested his feelings, they must be gratified, and his attendant might amuse himself as he chose. The consequence was that on many occasions catalogues could be procured only a few hours before the sale commenced. His eldest son, Charles, lieutenant of marines, and student of the academy of painting, died at Chatham, in his twentieth year, December 14, 1779. Two other sons, John and Samuel, obtained appointments as clerks in the Sun Fire Office; and one of the daughters married Mr. Pearson the celebrated glass stainer.
1802, Dec. Died, John Mapples, printer, who was brought up in the office of Mr. John Nichols, in Red Lion Court, London; but being of a very volatile disposition, and possessing a considerable share of humour, he very early exchanged his situation in life for that of an itinerant player, and for many years made no inconsiderable figure in the Dramatis Personae of various country theatres; particularly in those characters of old men that are marked with drollery. Ill health compelling him to quit the stage, he resumed his original profession in the house of his former employer; but from the severity of his disorder, he passed half of his time on a sick bed, where, highly to the honour of humanity, his anguish was alleviated by his fellow-workmen, at not less than ₤l00. By the same benevolent friends he was buried, aged 50.
1802, Dec. Died, James Rivington, king's printer, at New York, before the American revolution. Mr. Rivington was the eldest brother of Mr. John Rivington, who died in 1792, and was some time in partnership with Mr. Fletcher, in St. Paul's church-yard, as booksellers. He afterwards settled at New York, and obtained the office of king's printer, being at that time the oldest liveryman of the company of stationers.
1802, Jan. The Projector, No. 1. A paper published in the Gentleman's Magazine, of very distinguished merit; which successfully seized upon the reigning follies and vices of the day; and has displayed, in their exposure, a large fund of wit, humour, and delicate irony. The style is lively, perspicuous, and correct; the moral tendency uniformly good, and the exhibition of talent such as will secure for it a place in the British Classical Essayists. The author was Mr. Alexander Chalmers.
1802. The Annual Review, edited by Arthur Aikin, in conjunction with his brother, Charles Roguson Aikin.
1802. The Monthly Register, edited by John Dyer Collier.
1802. The East India Register and Directory, edited by Alexander Way Mason, and John Matthison,[2] of the India house.
1802. The London Review, by Richard Cumberland,[3] the well-known dramatic writer.
"The Terence of England, the mender of hearts."
1802, Feb. The Christian Observer, No. 1.
1802, June 1. The Tyne Mercury, and Northumberland and Durham Gazette,[4] published by the proprietor and editor, Mr. John Mitchell. It is now conducted by his son and successor, Mr. William Andrew Mitchell.
1802, Nov. The Adviser, by John Bristead.
1702, Oct. The Edinburgh Review; or, Critical Journal, No. 1, with the following motto:
Judex damnstur cum nocens alsolvitur.
The contributors to this work, at its commencement, were Henry Brougham, Francis Jeffrey, Francis Homer, rev. Sydney Smith, Archibald Murray, and others, whose names have since shone so conspicuously in the annals of literature. Archibald Constable, was the publisher.
1802. Ayr Advertiser, by Mr. Peter Wilson.
1802. Greenock Advertiser, twice a-week.
- ↑ The first person who attempted to give a sketch of universal bibliography and literary history, was the learned and laborious Christopher Agustus Hermann, professor in the University of Gottingen, in the year 1718, when he published a well known work, Conspectus Republicae Literara, sive Via ad Historiam Literariam; which gradually went through seven editions, the last of which was published at Hanover, 1768. Numberless other works, analogous to this, were published in the same interval, in Germany. About the period alluded to, many detailed, descriptive, and rational catalogues of books appeared in the several countries of Europe, the art and the taste of constructing libraries became more general than in any preceding age; and the only thing which appears worthy of remark, and rather unaccountable, is that, even after the progress of philosophy or bibliography, the Germans, in this department, have excelled every other people in Europe. The only historical system of national literature exhibited in Europe was that of the Italian, by Tiraboschi. Bibliography is, in strict language, a science; which consists in the knowledge of books, of their different editions and degrees of rarity and curiosity, their real and reputed value, and the ranks which they ought respectively to hold in a system of classification. General bibliography comprises works, or catalogues, whose design is to give us a knowledge of every kind of books whatsoever,—these are disposed either in alphabetical order, or according to their subject, or in an arbitrary manner. Special bibliography, has reference only to one class of books, and oomprehends every work published on the subject on which it treats, while general bibliography makes a selection from among these same works, chooses what is best from each kind, and forms from them a whole of greater or less extent.—See the works of Clarke, Horne, and Dibdin.
- ↑ Mr. Matthison died at Clapham Rise, in January, 1815, aged thirty-eight years.
- ↑ In this work, Mr. Cumberland undertook to conduct it on an entirely new plan, inasmuch as each article was to be published with the author's name annexed. He was supported by assistants of very considerable talents, but, after two or three numbers, the scheme became abortive. He was born Feb. 17, 1732, and died. May 7, 1811.
- ↑ In 1735 there was a Durham Chronicle in existence, but we have not been enabled to obtain any satisfactory information respecting the printer or publisher.
