NINETEENTH CENTURY.
895
T834. Tki Advocate, published by William I^on Mackeazie,* at Toronto, in Upper Canada. This paper continued for ten years, when it was incorporated with the Corretpondmt, and in 1836, Mr. Mackenzie started a paper called the Coniiitution, which in its turn absorbed the Commoadent, just before the rising in Upper Canaaa, at the latter end of 1837.
1826, Jan. 26. Died, Alexander Tilloch, LL.D. &c. editor of die Philotophieal Magm- iine, and late part proprietor and editor of the Star, London daily newspaper. He was born at Glasgow, Feb. 28, 1759, where his £ither was a tobacconist, and for many years filled the office of magistrate. In 1781, Mr. Tilloch conceired the idea of stereotype printing, without having any knowledge of either Vander Mey or Geo, and in the following year he entered into part- nership with the Messrs. Foulis, of Glasgow, in (Htier to carry on the business of stereotype print- ing. See page 747, tmte. Mr. Tillocn went to London, and the business of stereotrping was suspended; on his return to Glasgow he entered into partnership withhis brother and brother-in- law, as tobacconists, out that not answering, Mr. Tilloch turned his attention U> printing, and either singly or in partnership, carried on that profession for some time in his native city. In 1787 he went again to London, where he spent the remainder of his life in literary and scientific pursuits. In 1789, in connexion with others, be purchased the Star, and became the editor. The last work wbiclr he engaged in was to super- intend the Mechanie'i Oracle, piiblished in numbers by Henry Fisher, at the Caxton press.
- WilUun Lyon Mackenzie, for wboae iq>picheD8ion
sir F. Head, tbe governor of Upper Canada, offered a Fevaid of j^l.ooo, is by parentage a hlghlander, and la connected with some of the most respectable families in the Highlands. He was apprenticed to an ironmoni;:er at Ottodee, and was afterwards clerk to a timber merchant. After felling in business in his native Tillage, he removed to UpperCuiada. where he established himself as a printer, and commenced the Advocate, of prindi^es keenly opposed to the goTemment, which caosed him to have many ene- mies, and hia office to be burnt down. He, however, got heavy damages ai^nst the party. He now became leader of the opiw^on, and so exposed the evil doings of the dondnant Action, which exposed the hard working editor, in the highest degree obnoxious to that party. This bitter anlmoaity soon had an opportunity of gratifying itself. Mackenzie was chosen to represent the county of York in the assembly. In Upper Canada it is necessary to explain that the ofBcial party have considerable sinister inMuence by means of small boronghs, the credit system of dispos- ing of lands, and the vast number of petty offices In the gift of the executive ; hence the assembly has seldom represented the people. The consequence of this, as ap- pued to Mackenzie's case, was, that the obnoxious patriot was made the John Wilkes of Upper Canada. He was expeQed — re-elected — again expelled — re-elected once more, and expelled a third time. This aroused the people. They petitioned for a redress of their grievances, and Mr. Mackenzie was deputed to this country to support their complaints, which were attested by 27>000 signatures. In I83S Mr. Mackenzie letnrned to Upper Canada. In the fdUowbig year a general election took place, and returned a considerable radical majority, of which Mackenzie was one. He wasalsochosenfirstmayorof the dty of Toronto, under their new Incorporation act. Just before the elec- Uons, Mr.Mackende published apolitical almanack, under the name of Patrick Swtft. This almanack contained a laborlons tatpow of the system of corruption In the province. He also pablished the Black Litt, being, for the most part, another form of the materials contained in Patrick Swt/t. These works had considerable influence on the elections.
His name will be long remembered in the scien- tific world, and his writings will erect to his memory an imperishable monument.
1825, March 10. Died, John Pinkerton, a voluminous historian, critic, and writer for Uie booksellers. In 1786 he published, in two vols. 8vo. Ancient Scottish poems, neter before in print, but now published fnm the manuscript colleetion of sir Richard Maitland, of Lethington, knight, lord privy seal of Scotland, with large notes amd a glossary. Pinkerton maintained that he had found the manuscript in the Pepysian library at Cambridge, and among his correspondence he sometimes alludes to the circumstance, with very admirable coolness. The forgery was one of the most audacious recorded in the annals of transcribing. He was born at Edinburgh, Feb. 17, 1768, and died at Paris in indigent circum- stances, at the age of sixty-seven.
England has been profuse of literary forgeries, but wnat have they effected for their fabricators — detection and shame ! George Psalmanazar's was eminent for learning ; Lauder's interpola- tions of Milton, had attractions for a well in- formed party ; poor Chatterton's* were fictions for never dying song ; among Pinkerton's cha- racter, that of literary impostor was of the most degraded order ; and the Shakspeare forgeries of Ireland- have nothing bat their boldness and artifice of their conception and momentary suc- cess — the power of badly copying ancient pen- manshio and stringing of plagiarisms. We have had autnors who sold their names to be prefixed to works they never read j|- on the contrary, have prefixed the names of others to their own writings, and others who committed the most audacious literary piracies — ^ The craft of au- thorship," says DTsraeli, "has many mysteries." Upon the first appearance of Ahensid^sX Plea- sures of Imagination — the author's name not being prefixed — a Mr. Holt, author of a Dic- tionary of Trade and Commerce, had the impu- dence to go over to Dublin, publish an edition, and put his name to it. Upon the fame of this he lived several months, being entertained at the
- The reader is referred to Tyxwhitt's VindicatioH of kit
AppendU to Cototen't or Chatterton'a PoerrUt pp. 140, for some curious observations, and some facts of literary im- posture. — Bee also D'lsraeli's Curioiitia iff Lilcrature, vol. I. pp. )J3 — 802. vol. vi. pp. 84— tO».
- Sir John Hill once contracted to translate Swammer-
dam's work on insects for lUty guineas. After the agree- ment with the bookseller, he recollected that he did asA understand a word of the Dutch language I Nor did there exist a French translation. The work, however, was not the less done for this small obstacle. Sir John bargained with another translator for twenty-flve guineas. The second translator was precisely In uie same situation as the first; as ignorant, though not so well paid as the knight. He rebargidned with a third, who perfectly under, stood his original, for twelve guineas ! So that the trans- lator, who could not translate, feasted on venison and turtle, while the modest drudge, whose name never wf- peared to the world, broke In jMtience his daily bread 1
t Mark Akcnsldc was born Nov. g, 172I, at Newcastle- upon-Tyne, where his father was a butidier. When he was only twcnty.thrcc years of age, be published the Pteamrea of Imagination, a poem foil of fine imagery, expressed In rich, copious, and musical language. He first practised physic at Northampton; and afterwards in London, where he died June 23, 1770, and was buried in the church of St. James's, Westminster.
VjOOQ IC
