EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.
601
The contributions of the printers, (amounting in the whole to £96 15«.*) were as follow :
OUINIAS.
Mr. Baskett, and others Mr.
berM^lestT's Printers 10 Mr.
Mr. Andrews t Mr.
Mr.Barker S Mr.
Mr.Nntt s Mr.
Mr. Junes s Mr.
Mr. Rawlins 4 Mr.
Mr. HeptinstaU 4 Mr.
Mr.WUde 4 Mr.
Mr. WiUiams 3 Mr.
Mr.Darbjr 3 Mr.
Mr. Matthews s Mr.
Mr.Wilmer 3 Mr.
Mr. Leach 3 Mr.
Mr.Hodgkin S Mr.
Mr. Downing a Mr.
Mr.Roberts a Mr.
Mr. Browne 3 Mr.
Mr.Buckley a Mr.
Mr.Orover a Mrs.
OUINBAS.
Meen a
Watts a
Hamlreys I
GwiUtm 1
Tookey 1
CUu-ke BeaidweU Sowle.. .. Wilde.... Majo .... Rowlett. Oardyner Downing .
Holt
Leake
Pearson.,, Botham... Jenoor...
Motte
. James, a sUrer cap.
Thus far the names have been given of his own fraternity only;f but from other friends Mr. Bowyer received large sums; and to the honour of English humanity, let it be known that the contribution they raised amoimted to
£U62 6 10 His dividend on the brief 1377 9 4
Total sum received by Mr. Bowyer 2539 15 2
1712. Thomas Parkhurst, printer, gave by his will £37 to purchase annually twenty-five bibUt with paalnu, to be given to the poor. Hence the present custom of giving bibles to apprentices bound at stationers' hall. Mr. Park- hurst gave also £20 to buy a piece of plate. He was master of the company in 1683. Speak- ing of Mr. Parkhurst, John Dunton says, " My honoured master is the most eminent Presby- terian bookseller in the three kingdoms, and was chosen master of the company of stationers. He has printed more practical books than any other that can be named in London. He has met with very strange success; for I have known him sell off a whole impression before the book has been almost heard of in London. He is scrupulously honest in all his dealings, a good master, and very kind to all his relations : and (which is an argument of something in him above the common rate of mankind,) he is a great admirer and constant hearer of the Rev. Mr. John How."
1712, Atui- 12. The first stamp duty upon newspapers commenced on this day. An act had passed the legislature, that " for every pamphlet or paper contained in half a sheet, or lesser piece of paper so printed, the sum of one halfpenny sterling : and for every such pamphlet or paper being larger than half a sheet, and not exceeding one whole sheet, so printed, a duty after the rate of one penny sterling for every sheet printed thereof." • This act, which was to curb the licen. riousneas of the press, was to be in force for the
- A guinea then passed in circnlation for ae\ is. U.
t For full particulars of this lire, and the donations given to Mr. Bowyer, see Nichols's Literary Anecdotet, vol. i. pp. 50-83.
space of thirty-two years, to be reckoned from the 10th day of June, 1712. Addison, in the Spectator of this day, says, " this is the day on which many eminent authors will probably pub- lish their last works. I am afraid that few of our weekly historians, who are men that above all others delight in war, will be able to subsist under the weight of a stamp duty in an ap- proaching peace. In short, the necessity of car- rying a stamp, and the impracticability of noti- fying a bloody battle, will, I am afraid, both concur to the sinking of these thin folios which have every other day related to us the history of Europe for several years last past. A facetious friena of mine, who loves a pun, calls this pre- sent mortalitv among authors, ' the fall of the leaf.'" On tnis tax dean Swift thus humorously alludes in his Journal to Stella, as follows (August 7): — ^" Do you know that all Grub- street is dead and gone last week? No more ghosts or murders now for love or money. I
{died it close the last fortnight, and published at east seven papers of my own, besides some of other people's; but now every single half-sheet pays a halfpenny to the queen . The Obtervator* IS fallen; the Medleyt are jumbled together with the Flying Pott; the Examiner is deadly sick; the Spectator keeps up and doubles its price; I know not how long it will hold. Have you seen the red stamp the papers are marked with? Methinks the stamping is worth a halfpenny." The stamp mark upon the newspapers was a rose and thistle joined by the stalks, and en- closing between the Irish shamrock, the whole three were surmounted by a crown. It was also enacted " that one printed copy of every pam- phlet, printed or published within Ix>ndon or Westminster, or the weekly bill of mortality, shall, within six days after the printing be brought to the head office, and the title thereof, with the number of sheets, and the duty hereby charged, shall be entered; which duty shall be paid to the receiver-general, who shall give a receipt for the same," &c. The number of days in the country was fourteen, and the duties to be paid to the district collector. Sec. 12 declares the printer and publisher, and all persons con- cerned therein, not acting in conformity to law, liable to a penalty of £20.
It will be perceived that the amount of this stamp was only a halfpenny; and it is curious to observe what an effect this trifling impost had upon the circulation of the most favourite papers. Many were entirely discontinued, and several of those which survived were grenerally united into
- nils paper was commenced by John Tntchin, book-
seller, in the reign of James II. and continued till i7ia. when the halfpenny stamp rfTected its ruin. Tntchin Joined the rebellion of the dnke of Monmonth, and for a defence of that chieftain, which he subsequently printed, was sentenced by judge JefiTeries to be whipped through several towns in thewest of £n;;land. This sentence was carried into eflbct with so much severity, that Tutcbln absolutely petitioned king James to be hanged. He died September, 1707, and his paper was conducted by other hands. Pope has placed him in the Duneiad.
Earless on high , stood unabashed De Foe And Tutciiin flagrant from the scourge below. 4 V
VjOOQ IC
