which had long baffled the literati of Europe, and which has placed his name among the proudest in the annals of science, but bequeathed to the world one of the most delightful and interesting narratives of travel in the English language. Two more names, and we complete our posthumous notices, first, that of Sir Richard Phillips, of whose elementary writings, which we need not stay to specify, it is enough commendation to remark that they were sufficiently productive to become the adequate support of his declining years; and of whose character it is sufficient to mention that he was not only the first publisher to introduce a reduction in the price of books, but the originator of a fund for oppressed debtors-two things that go to his glory; the other name we would allude to is that of John Booth, of Duke-street, London, who died about two years since. His profound knowledge of books, critical, not titulary, rendered him eminently distinguished, and his collection was exceedingly rare and extensive. His literary capabilities were so far respected by Malone, the commentator of Shakspeare, that he consigned to him the onerous task of editing and arranging the annotations and remarks for his edition of that great poet. He also edited and compiled several documents for his "Account of the Battle of Waterloo," two volumes quarto, which went through the unprecedented number of nine editions in less than two years.

We now approach our living contemporaries, and it is satisfactory to observe that the race of author-booksellers, far from being extinct, is no less flourishing at the present day than it has been at any former period: while the numbers are not a few who are emulous of the classic honors of their sires, and whose genius and labors will supply a worthy sequel to the past, and add a new lustre to the bibliographic history of the nineteenth century. We will commence with noticing the son of the senior member of one of the most distinguished bookselling houses in the British metropolis, --we refer to the Longmans. William Longman, although young in years, bids fair to become a distinguished proficient in the science of entomology, a subject that has already successfully engaged his pen. Mr. Rees, of the came firm, is also a gentleman of great

us SO

literary attainments-the grace of the establishment. William Wood, F.R.S., the natural history bookseller, is undoubtedly deserving a place among the leading writers of the day on that branch of knowledge, which his esteemed work, "Zoography, or the Beauties of Nature Displayed," three large volumes, sufficiently attests. He is, however, author of some four or five other important works, as well as editor of the beautiful edition, greatly enlarged, of Buffon, in twenty volumes octavo, and contributor of several interesting papers to the " Philosophical Transactions." But even here again the numbers increase upon fast that to attempt a detailed account would carry us far beyond our prescribed limits, and in most instances a bare recital of names must suffice for our purpose. John Ebers, the wellknown bookseller of Bond-street, published an octavo of considerable interest, upon the Italian Opera, entitled "Seven Years of the King's Theatre,” —Charles Ollier wrote and published "Ferrers," a clever novel; Thomas Dodd, edited "The Connoisseur's Repertory," and Arnett, a bookbinder, published a curious volume, under the title "Bibliopegia, or the Art of Bookbinding," and another somewhat similar work. Then, again, we remember our early and esteemed friend Moxon, who, when a clerk at Longman's, published "Christmas," a poem, and a volume of Sonnets," which were so favorably noticed by Rogers, the poet, that a friendship ensued, which has ever since ripened with its growth, and contributed very materially to the success of this enterprising and accomplished publisher. To the classical reader, we need only mention the name of A. J. Valpy, whose edition of the "Variorum" Classics, extending to 161 vols., 8vo., with notes from his own pen, forms a lasting monument of his learning and skill. M'Cray, also, has translated and published some beautiful Lyrics from the German; William Clarke, originally a bookseller, gave to the antiquary an exceedingly curious and interesting account of libraries, under the name of

he has had to officiate more than once as editor, as in the instance of Aikin's Essays; Dolby gave to the critical public a work of great thought and labor, "The Shakspearian Dictionary;" and Christie, the auctioneer, has also given birth to four abstruse works on the taste and literature of the ancient Greeks, which he compiled during the intervals of his business occupation; Griffith, the bookseller, wrote a laborious work on ancient and modern poetry, entitled "Bibliographia AngloPoetica;" and Dr. Koller and Mr. Bach were both translators and German critics, as well as booksellers. Another conspicuous member of our class was John George Cochrane, for some time an eminent bookseller and auctioneer, the able and discriminating editor of the Foreign Quarterly Review" for seven years. He was also selected by the trustees to draw up the catalogue of Sir Walter Scott's library and articles of virtu at Abbotsford-a most delightful labor of love; and on the formation of the London Library, was, among a host of candidates, unanimously elected to the offices of librarian and secretary.

66

We might also mention Stewart, the eminent linguist, and known as the skilful compiler of the celebrated catalogue of Miss Carver's library, which he embellished by drawings from his own pencil: or Straker, who may be ranked among the very first class of Oriental linguists; or Madden, also an eminent Oriental scholar,-both of whom deserve a much more extended notice than we can here give them. Again, there are such names as the following:-Arrowsmith, formerly the celebrated map publisher, and author of" Ancient and Modern Geography," as well as several elementary works in geography, some of which, with the former, are used as text-books at Oxford, Cambridge, and Eton; J. Wilson, editor of the "Bibliographical and Retrospective Miscellany, Shaksperiana," &c.; and Robert Tyas, the well-known publisher of the "Illustrated Shakspeare," and other similarly embellished works, who, besides being the author of his many excellent "Handbooks for the Million," is also the author of that superbly embellished work, "The Sentiment of Flowers," the ninth edition of which has recently appeared. James Atkinson, of Glas

VOL. XI. NO. LII.

52

gow, possessed, perhaps, the greatest acquaintance with "Medical Bibliography" of any person in ancient or modern times, as his curious and unique work under that title fully proves. We have before us a notice of it by one of the leading medical journals of Europe, in which it is characterized as "one of the most remarkable books ever seen-uniting the German research of a Plouquet, with the ravings of a Rabelais, the humor of Sterne with the satire of Democritus, the learning of Burton with the wit of Pindar," &c. It is to be regretted the ingenious author did not live to complete the whole design.

Ainsworth, the popular historical novelist, was originally a bookseller with John Ebers, of Bond-street, to whom he afterwards became related by marriage.

Nor should the name of John Murray-the friend and publisher of Byron be omitted in this place. It is not our province to remark on the splendor and distinguished eminence of this gentleman as a publisher, although in this respect he may unquestionably be entitled to take the highest rank; but his well-known literary abilities and severe critical taste equally render him conspicuous, as evinced in the immense collection of valuable works which have issued from his establishment. And it is a fact little known that the series of "Hand-books " now in course of publication by Mr. Murray, and which are considered super-excellent in their way, and consequently immensely popular in England, are all executed from actual survey, and are the unavowed productions of his son, whose very superior scholastic and literary acquirements are doubtless destined still more to do honor to his father's high and well-deserved reputation.

The name of Talboys will long be remembered by his admirable translations of Adelung's "Historical Sketch of Sanscrit Literature," to which he appended copious bibliographical notices. He was, moreover, the translator of the very erudite volumes of Professor Heeren, of which he is also the publisher: his " Bibliotheca Classica" and " Theologica" likewise deserve honorable mention for their completeness and excellent scientific arrangement. But we find many more whom

66

we must group together, who, although less prominently before the world, are yet deserving of a passing tribute, such as E. M. Browne, author of " Evro," a romantic poem of considerable merit; T. C. Hansard, the printer, who wrote Typographia," and another similar work, and who has been also a contributor to the " Encyclopædia Britannica;" West, the author of "Fifty Years' Recollections of a Bookseller," &c., who still lives. Then there is Goodhugh, the author of the "English Gentleman's Library Manual;" Jas. D. Haas, who translated Dr. Krummacher's "Elisha," and Zschökke's "History of Switzerland;" George Dubourg, an occasional contributor to the "Literary Gazette," and author of "The Violin and its Professors;" and the late Samuel Bagster, the author of an enthusiastic and exceedingly clever work on the " Management of Bees," &c. John Russell Smith, of Compton-street, formerly an errandboy, and now one of the most rising of the London booksellers, has rendered himself justly distinguished by his almost unprecedented industry and application, as well as natural genius; his work on the antiquities of Kent, "Bibliotheca Cantiana," as well as his "Bibliographical List of all Works which have been published towards illustrating the Provinces and Districts of England," evince both his untiring antiquarian research and literary zeal. We come next to a name that has become almost a synonym with antiquarian anecdote-William Hone, from the sale of whose "Every Day Book and Year Book," (who has not read them?), during the first year of its publication, Tegg cleared £500. He was originally a bookseller,-his collected works would probably fill ten or twelve octavos. His political satires had a prodigious run, upwards of 70,000 copies being disposed of in a short space of time. His infidel publications, for which he was imprisoned, he lived to recant publicly, in a subsequent volume, entitled his Early Life and Conversion." Henry G. Bohn deserves to be classed among our list; his catalogue, containing a critical description of 300,000 volumes, in all the languages dear to literature, may be ranked among the most remarkable productions of the press of any nation: it contains 2,106 pages, and cost its in

defatigable compiler two thousand guineas to publish, and an almost incredible amount of labor. William and Robert Chambers, of Edinburgh, the editors of the able and valuable weekly “Journal " that bears their name, present another noble instance of genius rising superior to all opposing circumstances;-they were originally to be seen, we understand, perambulating the streets of Glasgow, as hawkers of a few pamphlets and books. Their essays are among the choicest of the periodical literature of the age. There is still another name we cannot, in justice, omit to notice: we allude to that of C. H. Timperley, whose “Encyclopædia of Literary Anecdote" discovers immense labor and research; and to whose interesting and valuable statistics we confess an indebtedness to no small extent in the prosecution of our subject. Such a volume will form of itself an enduring monument of the industry and bibliographical knowledge of the writer, and if it were the sole production of a lifetime, it might yet stand in successful competition with many of those whose effusions are of even much greater extent.

We cannot, however, close our already too extended sketch, without a passing allusion to one or two names, justly entitled to such distinction in our own day, and nearer home:-par exemple, the senior partner of one of the leading publishing establishments of Philadelphia (Lea and Blanchard's), enjoys no less celebrity as a contributor of numerous scientific papers in the "Philosophical Transactions," than he does as being the liberal publisher of the works of two of America's proudest writers--Irving and Cooper. To Henry Carey, late of this firm, we have already made allusion; he has contributed repeatedly to the fugitive literature of the day, and is author of a work on Banking, &c. In the east, we find Cummings, formerly of the firm of Cummings and Hilliard, author of an elementary book on Spelling and Geography, &c.; Wilkins (of Wilkins and Carter) is author of a work on Astronomy; Isaiah Thomas has written and published a "History of Printing," a work of considerable reputation; Samuel G. Drake, the antiquarian bookseller of Boston, is, besides being a member of several learned societies, author of the “ Book of the Indians,"

Tragedies of the Wilderness," &c.; Joel Barlow, author of the great American epic, "The Columbiad," was also formerly a bookseller at New Haven; nor should we omit to mention the name of James T. Fields, a young man already favorably known to fame, -he has also been distinguished by being appointed to deliver a poem before the societies of Brown University; and is, moreover, a poet of considerable pretensions. In our own city, as well as in those we have referred to, there are many minor members of the author-bookseller fraternity, who are modestly moving along the bye-paths of literature, and whom we regret not being at liberty to signalize, since they have done nothing ostensibly in the way of authorship; but there are some exceptions, and we refer with pleasure to those of George P. Putnam, whose "Tourist in Europe," and other volumes, justly entitle him to notice; Casserley, of this city, a very respectable Greek scholar, and, lastly, though not least, we will name John Keese, whose beautifully embellished works of the American poets, and recent publication of the "Poetical Remains of Lucy Hooper," no less than his active intelligence and literary abilities, render him deserving of our full quota of praise: indeed he deserves the thanks of his brethren for his prompt and manly reply, some time since, to an illiberal attack made against them as a class, in one of the leading journals of this city, in which they were represented as knowing very little about the thing they sell; and dispose of a book as they would of a boot, and that their relation to an author was that of a wig-maker to a schoolmaster, one learned on the outside and the other within," &c. In his reply to this Mr. K. states "that some of the most valuable treatises issued from the American press, owe their origin to the talent and learning of booksellers; and that, moreover, American literature is studded with many gems from the amateur pens of booksellers." By the way this worthy bibliopolist has, we learn, nearly completed a work on which he has long been occupied during the brief intervals snatched from the arduous avocations of business, which will doubtless comprise much curious bibliographical anecdote respecting those amongst us

66

who follow the "gentle craft," as well as the more prominent members of the bookselling fraternity in the United States. It is to be styled "Memoirs of Printers and Booksellers who have become Eminent Publishers." Such a work from Mr. Keese's animated and not inelegant pen, cannot fail of proving a highly acceptable contribution to our native literature; nor can it be questioned that it will be destined to occupy a niche in most libraries, along with Mr. Griswold's forthcoming Curiosities of American Literature," and the delightful miscellanies of the inimitable D'Israeli. 'And as affording the latest specimen of our class, we may mention the name of Mr. Norman, of New Orleans, who has just returned from a tour in Central America, the results of which will speedily be given to the world through the press of one of our publishers in the form of an elegantly illustrated and deeply interesting volume on the Ancient Ruins of that mysterious and interesting section of our continent.

We conclude our notices of the author-booksellers with the following; First, Charles Knight, the well known publisher and editor of the "Pictorial Shakspeare," the most valuable as it is the most elegant edition ever given to the world, and who is also the conductor and editor of the other admirable publications issued from his establishment; including "London," a work, which is of itself alone sufficient to entitle him to the thanks of the literary world. Secondly, Thomas Miller of Newgate-street, formerly a basket-maker, now an honored member of the bookselling fraternity, a poet, novelist, and essayist, and whose works, comprising about fifteen volumes, have been too great favorites with the public to require naming in this place. And lastly, William Howitt, a writer we need not stay to eulogise, who was originally one of the honored fraternity, completes the glorious trio,-names which may justly be considered as forming the triple coronal of the booksellers of the nineteenth century.

Thus, then, we think we have fully established the point we originally proposed to make out, namely, that booksellers, so far from meriting the reputation which has been fastened upon them by the jealous complaints of dissatisfied and irritated authors, present

more numerous instances of men of genius and literary eminence among them, than perhaps any other class among the community. At least, if we have not made this evident to others, we are satisfactorily convinced of its verity ourselves, and shall therefore very contentedly, in conclusion, simply subjoin a few stray characteristic allusions, touching some of the peculiarities that seem almost indigenous to the craft. One great procuring cause for so much literary eminence among this class, doubtless arises from the subdivisions of the London trade, an arrangement which not only allows full scope for improvement in its several departments, but which superadds powerful incentives to exertion and diligence. The admirable system of issuing catalogues so universally adopted by the London booksellers, affords satisfactory evidence that their acquaintance with their stock is not merely titulary; most of these catalogues containing analytical notices, which are admirably done. This pervading bibliographic intelligence among "the trade," reacts with double advantage to themselves, and the public are scarcely less profited, for there is scarcely a book in the world that may be obtained, however scarce, but may be heard of in the great Londonopolis. The largest catalogue we believe ever constructed, was the "Bibliotheca Thottiana," Copenhagen, 1789; which comprised works in the several departments of literature, and occupied twelve ponderous tomes.

And after all that Mr. D'Israeli and others have insinuated to the contrary, Campbell once at a literary banquet, being asked to name a friend to literature, toasted Bonaparte. The company expressed their surprise, and inquired why he ranked him among its support

ers, when he replied, "He shot a bookseller, (Palm), and had he done more in that way, poets and writers would turn printers themselves, as formerly, and speedily fill their purses." But pray is not this all poetry, Mr. Campbell? Who among the early author-printers acquired such prodigious wealth? Besides, Goldsmith and Johnson were of a different opinion; nor do we learn that they possessed more inclination than ability for embarking in the enterprise of paper and printing. Dr. Johnson, indeed, was so conscious of this, that he asserted, booksellers were the best Mæcenases. The author's best friends are the booksellers and publishers; they mediate with the public and do for him what he could not achieve himself, namely, obtain a ready payment for his manuscripts. There are abundant instances on record, of surprising liberality in this respect on the part of publishers; take, for example, the case of Andrew Millar, in early times, who, unquestionably one of the best patrons of literature, not only paid Fielding one thousand guineas for his "Amelia," notwithstanding our author had continued to decline in the popularity of his works from "Tom Jones," but even at his death, without solicitation, the worthy bibliopole cancelled a loan against the novelist of £2,500. How many similar instances might be quoted. Look at the enor mous copyrights given to Scott, Byron, and Moore, and many others, could we stay to refer to them. We will, however, give one case in point, and for the authenticity of which there needs no voucher, as we received it direct from the distinguished author himself. Washington Irving, when he first completed his inimitable volumes of the Sketch Book," offered the MSS.

"Much