On this page
-
Text (2)
-
' (— T ~ -r~"~-'~? -- - - . ¦ ¦ ..- . » ...
-
THE DAWN OF ENGLISH BOOKSELLING.
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
-
-
Transcript
-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
' (— T ~ -R~"~-'~? -- - - . ¦ ¦ ..- . » ...
' (— T ~ -r ~"~ - '~? -- - - . ¦ ¦ ..- . » - , -,. * - ,,., *• ¦ - - - '— ¦— . —— " - . —« * — ¦ . (!•• - -- ^ „ . .. - -r— •¦ . .-.. — . ¦ - .... ¦ -- , t , ... _ . .... ; , .. ; 7 T . i .. » . ,,. „ .,. 77—w ^;^ v ,:,. ^ mimtm ^! p -u ! , August i , 1887 Tbe Pul ? lish ^ sV Circular 815
The Dawn Of English Bookselling.
THE DAWN OF ENGLISH BOOKSELLING .
( A Contribution towards a Trade History . ) ( Continued from , page 719 . )
By W . ROBERTS . As will be inferred from -what we have already
stated * .+ af . orL , of the f / he the anonymous anonvmous sixteenth literature litera and ture the opening of of the the last last of tew few the years seventeenth centuries 'was very great . William
W ebbe , in the preface to his * Discourse of Eng able lish sortes Poetr of ie' ( Eng 1586 l k yshe t ) , speaks bookes t of k the a k nd ' innumer infinite
fardles ~^ 4 i m II , |^ J \ J of m ^/ ^^ k ^ printed ^^ ^ k > ^^*^ " ^^ ^^^ pam ^ p ^ r *¦ p hlets ^^ ^ - ^ ^^ , ^ wherewith " ^ h >^ , « » i ~ - m m ^ -s * ¦ ^ fc j thys ^^ - ^^ count re tud y is pestered nished ¦» ' ,, Sometimes all shoppes the stuffe authorshi d , and p
¦ eury »— was II y an ^| J \ J V- * * ^ ta ^ open t y W ^ k * ¦ * ^ m secret m m tm k ^ ^ ^ - ^ ^ - , <^ 7 . 9 an ** d ^ - ^ a t ^ w ^ ^ o t hers k . ^^ . k , ^ *^ ** imp » k ^ - ^ ^»^ lied " » ¦ ^^ ^ » ^*^ - ^ m -r or ¦ ^— e or sonne ^¦ ^ ¦ ¦ ¦ less 1 ¦ % \ « ^ * t 1 s fr | dis f of ^ m ^^ k > tin frie ^^^^ v » ct dk —1 - l n ^ k ^ y ds •^•^^^ — in — a wi ^ VF dded the ^^^^ k ^^^ ^ k ^ ^^^^ fc comp by r ^^ r w wa limentary w w ^ k ^^ y V of ~ i i ~ ^^ k prefa h ^^ ^^ ^ k » odes ^^^ ^ h ^^ v ce ^^ ^ B ^ . V and ^ It ^^ ^~
is to this cause that we owe much of the existing of our conflicting bibliographi d c o ub c ts on fusio nd op n inio is a ns tt . ribu But table much to
ano onnthpr ther c nause ause . , m in which which the the luckless luckless bookseller bookseller p " lays sell" the he leading would part print . without Anything compunction that would . the had lhimself to
Ac blame ting for as ina his cc ow ur ac e di ; or w , hilst his o ba n c y was quite probabl broad enoug be for for thcoming / the curses ¦ tha If t w a ould man who an ¦* y case had ^^ f VK
wri i J L \ J tt KSfJV en •*— ' - * . y T some rV « r ^— ' - " ^ V « oe r * - * . ^ t ^«* ^ . r * in » ^ t » . A hi . ^ . W ^ s . " ^ u ^» t h be c ^ ame ^ * fam * ^— ' o us .-the bookseller p would ry at onc yo e not only collect and , publish those earloemsbut all others that
could by any possible y p mea , ns , fair or foul , be fastened to the same authorship . In some few instances this trade energy was not without a
certain amount of usefulness . When the first three books of the ' Faerie Queene' ( 1590 ) received such a welcome , William
Ponsonby or Ponsonbie , Spenser ' s bookseller , issued not long afterwards a collection of poems under the 9 / title of ' The Vision of Petrarch i' ( 1591 hi )
X- « . A A V >^ ^* f ^ L m ^ L ^ ^^ ,. * ^^ ^ k V ^^ ^^^ ^^ F * rf ^ «^ k . ^ fc ^^ ^^^ V ^ m , V ^ hT ^ k ^^^ ^ h ^» ^ h '' 4 ^ ^^^ ^ . ^ m * ^^ ^^ r ^^ . ^^ ^^^^ ^ ^— m - ^^ ^ - > ^^ ! ¦ knowled as the work . of It the contained poet , but inter withou alia t sanct s everal or ! ieces tJ sli ge htl k altere Ti f dthat , had i appeared » h ^ if , more ¦
i p I * m * - \ n * ^^/ ^^ y ^ , A ^/ Jb ^ g k . — — ^ pT ^ y F ^ ^^ ^ c « r" ^ k ^^ ¦ ^ - ^ c f , ^ ^^ ^ ' ^ f ^^ Fg ' ^ - ^ - ^^ ^ ¦ ^^ ^ . ^ - ^ i - ^^ ^^ ^ ^ - - - - *^ - — - — ! be than Represented twenty years as well before the Miseries in * A Theatre and Calamities Wherein that follow the Voluptuous Worldlings' ( 1569 ) ,
John & c , and Vander were Noodt there . ' claimed No refe as ren ' devised whatever by S . there made to Spenser , who , in fact , was only
several sfivpTitpp seventeen other n years vftflrs interesting of of age fl p- fi at a . t points this this time time in , . connection There lhere are are with with indi these cating poem rather s , but than we m discussing ust content biblio ourselves polic
vagaries . , , victim Shakspeare of booksell w ^ e as rs' on artifices many Anthony occasions a Wood the
. complains of its being the usual thing in those days — — — j m ^ r to ^ y x ^ set O ^ S ^ k ^ ^ mf a m V great r * S " ^ ¦ ' ^ ¦ ^ name «** ky * j * ^^ to m ^ - ^—^ a »* ¦• book ¦ ^ ^^ ^^^ - ^^^ , y or ^^^ ^* books »^^ * - - ** - — — — - , - by - — ^ j
wri which ters t get he bread sharkin . ' g The bookselle sharki rs ng or ' frater snivelling nity had ¦ - " ^ v' ^ k ^ a k'V weak W W ^ JUVp « 4 A ness « V ^ , * f ^/ ^^ f for ^ ^^ ^ k anything ^ k >^ V ^ ^ mt ¦¦ W ^ m * ^ K ^ K «^ 0 ^^^ Hk Shakspearean F ^ k ^ ^* V ^ V ^* . * IS v MP ' ^ ¦ *~ » ^^ ^ V ^^^ ^^ - ^^ .
• Pil Taggard grim' issu as ed the in work or about of t 1599 he g * The t Passionate dramatist , w fro hils m t his but very We know of t th he shor h t Heywood pieces were that «
- ^~» A . & JL AAAkJ pen * J » , * M M . % . TV ^ - ' A 1 . AA ¦ ^^ » «^« i . a roug A . ¦»» - « . « 7 " * 4 » Ji ^^ K . ^/ I * V V _ r ^ - ^ ^ -- * . *^ ,. — » - »** ¦ editi Shakspeare on contai , up n o ing n t he m oc s casi fal on sely of ascribed a subsequen to him t , was seriously offended . When writers of
Shaknew spear play e ' s reputation , then came were the known scramble to for be engaged the privilege on a of be printing found worked the ' book * out of in words Mr . . Black ' One ' s very phase inters will / out tne
« stmg novel , Juaitn HnaKespearestory
there told is based , on legendary history only . in Shakspeare preparing ' s the two first friends folio , Heminge edition ( 1623 and ) Condell oif the ,
poet originall 's dramatic copies , ' denounce works , ' according those who to ' have the pub true - :
lished lished them them , , as as where where you von wprfi were ashamed ashaimfifJ --wri with th divers deformed —— v ^ ^^ ^ mr ^— I stolen ^^ - - ^ - ^ by — ^ g and frauds in ^ surreptitious ^ - ^ — ^ ^*^ ¦¦ and ¦» M M ^^^ Vk stealths ^ »^ ^ k ^ cop ^^ W ^¦ ki V ~ ies P ^^ , of " maimed ^^ ^^ inj ^^ ^¦ k ^ k urious 1 , 1 J ^ and k . ^^ ^ T T \_ r
impostors that exposed them , even those are now offered limbs . ' . to your view cured , and perfect of their - '
The last half-dozen years of the sixteenth century rilous ep were igrammatical notorious publications for the quantity . In 1599 of scur most
-Whitg or of these these ift were were and committed committed Sancroft , but to to the the the effect names names of b bv y this order order was of of !\ ^ not ^ ^ " ^ ^^ very * ^~ *~ ^ w great ^^ ^~ — " ^ ^ ' — ^— upon ™ ¦ ™ ^ i ^ - ^ ™ ^ the ^* » » ' ^^ a sli ^/ ^ k ^ k ppery m . ^ Hk ^ ^»^ < ik > » sharp p ^ y ¦ » ^ ^ f » b , ^ -shooters p ^^ a ^ ^ . ^ ^^ ^/ ^ m ^^ r x i ^^ V .
One In * The examp Scourge le is espe of ciall Foll y ' ( rt circa h alludin 1611 ) g of to John here . : _ Davies , of Hereford , there is an interesting
from ' epigram which ' among we learn the that ' Passages before the Book , ' At stacioners' shops are lyes oft vendible , But jutuauoc Because truth such . \ j doth * -M . shops cuv / fJO oft KJIU lye jljd for 1 U 1 gains gtilUa untrue UIHXUC . :
Unsold , sith old lye ; but there lyes oft are contem often new ptibl . e ; And Davies so ' book forth . d Rich whose ard shop Redman was , the tuat vendor ed at ' of
* , """ ye west im ^^•** f- ^^ - ^^ peachment ^^^ A ^* Kr ^*^^ gate r ^ k * ^^^™ 1 ^ m- ^**^** ~ of ^^ ^^ k ^ 1 ^ ^ i * Paules W so ^ V k ^^ far ^^^^^^ P 1 , as fc ^^ ' f fcaf probably he ^ kta ^ b ^^^ 1 himself ^ K > w & 1 ^ ^ - 1 ™ ^ k ^ declined ^» - ! was ™ - . ^ f / f ^ ^ concerned -- . ^ J . the _^ k - ^ M ^ , J ^^ ^^^ soft ^> m ^^ « ^^ . . j
calibre Shakspe do no are t , Marl ear owe to , have and receive others d of a similar from the , printed app had editions to be of their works an . y m Those oney
who w ^ rc paid content with what the booksell seemed e to have chose the b to sam ¦¦ ¦ give e effect them / . on Title the -pages latter
- ^~ - ^*^ - ^^ ¦ " » — - *^ - ^^ «« - ^ p ^ ^ . ^ v ™ » ^^ ^^ ^ . ^ ^^ r ¦ ~ y m m ^^ ^^^ ^ k V ^ k ^ ^ * m , / j ^^ ^_/ ^ ^ ^^ ^ ^ . ^ f ^/ ^ mf ^ ^ L as ' wen a t for rag ' title does -pages on a . ma To d bull alter . They and lit recast erally '
was If a regarded book did not as an * go almost down' under imperative one name duty , . f [ ano ¦¦ « « " ¦ ¦^^ ther ~» » - ~ ¦ " ¦ — was » - ¦•» - — — - ^ ^ found ^ - ^^ ¦ ¦» - » ^ . ¦* - !•» ^ for k . - ^ . r ^ k it 4 b » - » . w One v ^ > K .- * k ^^ iiji particular m . » »_/ j , X ^ * - * » i ^ f examp ^ j ^ f ^ ii m m fc , ^ le JL \^/ I *
suggests itself to us at this moment . Mr . Richard with Jones , Nash or Jhones 's •—¦ title , « or Pierce Johnes kk Penilesse , was : not His satisfied
lication " — ^ " ^ » to ¦ " -- —•»* —— the Devil —r ^ — — - «^ , ' ( 1592 ^ - >_> .. ¦*„^ - ^ r ) , and - >^ A . ^ . ^ b * . ^ so ^ ' K ^ K , ^^ k' in the i fl XKJ anthur supp KJ * -- « . »_^ 1 ^/ A . A 's — absence " ¦¦ ^* " — - " " **¦ ¦" " ^^ ¦ *¦ ' , he — — * - ^ endeaVoured ^^ i— — . ¦• ' - ¦¦ . -v ** tv v ¦ \ ar «<« a -v ^ ^ - *^ to «^ v ^ ¦ justif ^¦^¦^ «^ JL J _ y T the \ S A .-A V ^ * vncouth » Jl-E V ^ V ^ V * t J M ^
s t omina range t , and , ' in w ^ hi i ch t selfe he considere somewhat d preposterous ' may seem . '
' In In long the tne -tailed second second title edition edition , ' and Nash Nash the « comp nomnl tedious lai ains ns mounte of of the the - bank's oration to the readers . ' Similar instances .
o in finitum booksellers . ' trickeries might be quoted «^ I I one In of the the most early importan history t of bookselling isodes was , the perhaps
publishing of the first catalogue ep . This was compiled ¦¦ abili by A ty ndrew living Mau at nsell Lothbury af , a bookseller dated o 1595 f consid Hearne erable
des ' - ~^ ^—— cribes ^ m \ 7 , ^^ it as ^ - " * r ^ r a ^^^^ very ^^ ^^ k ¦ ¦ ' ^ scarce ^ F , ^—** ^ tfV ^* and ^^ ^^^ J \ mJF useful % J ^ p . J ^ J ^ ^ book i l ^ J ^ JLJ ^ . seco —* It » - ' ¦** ~ has - ~ n — — dl —— — I three t ¦» o ¦»»•¦ t ¦ "' dedications he ^ — - . R *• - « f everend - ^^ - v ¦ % _» a , - ^_* ^ — . m ¦ - ^_^ first D — - jl ivi , , ne to p ^^/ s the < and ,-V a fc Queen lov A T ¦ er fl s ftk ; y , ^ ^^ ^^ *_ "
of Divine books ; and , thirdly , to the Master , W of ardens Stationers , and . From Assistants the last of some the interesting Companie
tained information . respecting bookselling may be obbookselling Until Jacob as a wr t Tonson rade ¦» - »» had commenced not made business great ,
advan " ' ¦ " ~* ^ - " —— ~ - - — c e " t ^^ o , wards ^ r—r * r 'krf . B . »<¦ wha ^^ , y t «^ V we ^^^ ^ . A ^^ m «^ ay A ^ A «> VV ^ c V all * Mil any Jl di gnity f *>\ * ^ ¦¦ J ^ i ^ ^ . Booksellers there •>¦ - ^ r were 'k ^ A in great number 1 of
left course — ™ ' ¦^ -- ^ — ^ — ^^ ^™ no ^— . ^ ^ _ . ¦— - ^ w , imprint ¦ — but ^ i i ¦ — pr w — ^ . they ^^ ^ - ^ . _ « r on ¦** ^ ¦ d »^» are the v w ^ kM w ^«^ mere ^ literature i ^ * hrf » »* ^ ¦ k . » 'Jb . * » > shadows ^ w ** « W Mk 4 k A . ^^ V ^ C < V of ™_ * r / J »» . the V Jk JLJi fc They * * AJ i . i * A time l V ^ r ^ ^ b i ^ A rfuH have , * % ¦* \* in J " JL n . .
which they lived . But the old hatred and antagonism between author and bookseller lost * nothing of the first in instalment point of fnry of . eig After hteen the parts publication of Poly-
-
-
Citation
-
Publishers’ Circular (1880-1890), Aug. 1, 1887, page 815, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/pc/issues/tec_01081887/page/13/
-