XOTES AND QUERIES. [ii s. x. OCT. 10, wu.
A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THOMAS
HOLCROFT.
<(See ante, pp. 1, 43, 83, 122, 163, 205, 244.)
1786. " Historical and Critical Memoirs of the Life and Writings of M. de Voltaire : interspersed with numerous Anecdotes, Poetical Pieces, Epigrams and lion Mots, little known, and never before published in English, relative to the Literati of France. Particularly the life of the celebrated J. B. Rousseau, as written by Voltaire ; and the history of the famous libellous couplets. From the French of Dom
- [Louis Mayeul] Chaudon. London : Printed
for G. G. J. and J. Robinson, Pater-noster Row. M DCC LXXXVI." Octavo, viii + 1-424+7 [In- dex] pp.
This book has caused me a great deal of -trouble, for I have found no corroborating evidence at all. In the " Catalogue of the Library of Books, of Mr. Thomas Holcroft ....sold by auction. .. .Tuesday, January the 13th, 1807," I find the following item :
'" 688. Memoirs of Voltaire, with Life of Rousseau, from Dom Chaudron, revised by Holcroft. 1781."
There must be some error here in the date, for the following is the earliest French of which I can find record :
"" M4moires pour servir a 1'histoire de M. de Voltaire, dans lesquels on trouvera divers Merits de lui peu connus sur ses diffeVends avec J.-B. Rousseau. Amsterdam, 1785,"
-which is listed under Dom Louis-Mayeul Chaudon in ' Bibliotheque Nationale : Cata- logue de Livres Imprimes,' torn. 27, f. 616. If we can get around the disparity in dates by attributing " 1781 " in the ' Catalogue ' to a careless copyist or type-setter, we shall still 'have some difficulty in proving the case. But this was a period of translation for TTolcroft, the Robinsons were his usual publishers at this time, and two foot-notes (pp. 329, 365) are signed " T.," signifying ""Translator," according to Holcroft's custom. I hope that some Voltaire enthusiast may help me out in this particular, so that I may " make assurance doubly sure."
1787. "Seduction: a comedy, as it is performed
at the Theatre - Royal in Drury-Lane. By
Thomas Holcroft. London : Printed for
G. G. J. and J. Robinson, Paternoster-Row.
M.DCC.LXXXVII." Octavo, xii + 1-81+2 pp.
The Preface to this work is dated March, 1787; the play appeared on the stage 12 March, 1787. The Preface'dwells upon the trials and tribulations an author experiences in getting even a successful piece'attempted,
and criticizes severely the Covent Garden
manager, Mr. Harris. Oulton says (1: 155) :
" A preface which the author published with
this comedy occasioned some work for the
newspapers." The Monthly Review for June,
1787 (76: 518), praised the comedy, and
book Mr. Harris to task curtly, but even
more severely than Holcroft had done. It
was also reviewed in The Universal Magazine
for April, 1787 (80: 216), The English Review,
October, 1787 (10: 249). and The Town and
Country Magazine, April, 1787 (19: 228).
The Prologue and Epilogue were reprinted
in The Town and Country Magazine for
March (19: 139) and April (19: 186-7),
1787, respectively, and in The Universal
Magazine for March (80: 151) and April
(80: 202) respectively.
There is a " Third Edition " from the same publishers, the same year, and evidently from the same type. I have seen no " second edition."
1787. " Farren and Fancy (a poem), by Mr. Holcroft."
In The Universal Magazine for March, 1787 (80: 151).
1788. " The Present State of the Empire of Morocco. Its Animals, Products, Climate, Soil, Cities, Ports, Provinces, Coins, Weights, and Measures. With the Language, Religion, Laws, Manners, Customs, and Character, of the Moors ; the histories of the Dynasties since Edris ; the Naval Force and Commerce of Morocco ; and the Character, Conduct, and Views, Political and Commercial, of the Reign- ing Emperor. Translated from the French of M. Chenier. Vol. I. London : Printed for G. G. J. and J. Robinson, Paternoster-Row. M. DCC. LXXX VHI." Octavo. I., 2 [title]+vi + 1-377 ; II., 2 [title] + 1-389 +39 1-427 [Index] pp.
From the name and date, " John Arden 1788," on the title-page of each volume in the British Museum copy (10096. f. 17), we see these copies were owned by the same person, as the six volumes of ' Hugh Trevor,' q.v. (1794). It is a translation, as the Preface says, of the last volume only of " Recherches historiques sur les Maures et 1'histoire de 1'Empire du Maroc, par M. [Louis Sauver] de Chenier. Paris, Tauteur, 1787," 3 vols. octavo (' Bibliotheque Nationale : Cata- logue de Livres Imprimes,' torn. 27, f. 1129). I attribute the translation to Holcroft on the strength of item 720, " Chenier's State of Morocco, by Holcroft, 2 vol. 1788," in the "Catalogue of.... Books, the property of Thomas Holcroft, Esq. (Deceased). .. .sold by King and Lochee, No. 38, King-Street, Covent-Garden, on October 17, 1809."
