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HISTORY OF PRINTING.
not words at length, is the true conttnictioii; that is, whether the application is to be made to the king, to the administration of his govern- ment, to his ministers, to the members of the house of cummons, to England, Scotland, America, as put upon it by the information; because, after your verdict, the sense so put upon it will be taken to be the true sense; there- fore, if you are of opinion, that this is materially the wrong sense, it will be a reason for not con- victing him upon that sense. In the first place, as to the publication, there is nothing more cer- tain, more clear, nor more established, than that the publication — a sale at a man's shop— and a sale therein, by his servant, is evidence, and not contradicted, and explained, is evidence to con- vict the master of the publication; because, what- ever any man does by another, he does it him- self. He is to take care of what he publishes; and, if what he publishes is unlawful,* it is at his periL If an author is at liberty to write, he writes at his peril, if he writes or publishes that which is contrary to law; and, with the inten- tion or view, with which a man writes or pub- lishes, that is in his own breast. It is impossible for any man to know what the views are, but from the act itself; if the act itself is such, as infers, in point of law, a bad view, then the act itself proves the thing. And as to the terms malicious, seditious, and a great many other words that are drawn in these informations, they are all inferences of law, arising out of the fact, in case it be illegal. If it is a legal writing,f and a man has published it, notwithstanding these epithets, he is guilty in no shape at all.^
1770, Jwie 13. H. S. Woodfall, printer and editor of the Public Advertuer, found guilty of printing andpubliihing only, Junius's Letter to the King, l^is cause was tried in the city of London, before lord Mansfield and a special jury. The jury were nine hours in considering their verdict, which was in effect an acquittal. — Jvly 13, John Miller, printer, and Mr. Baldwin, bookseller, were tned for the same offence, and acquitted. Thus it appears, that the orig^al printers and publishers ol Junius^ m Letter were tried by special juries of the city of London, and though the facts of printing and publishing were incontestibly proved, the juries conceiving themselves judges of the import of the paper and the intention of the publishers, acquitted them all.
In the trial of Mr. Woodfall, lord Mansfield
• What Is ODlawfal?— The only statntes agalnat libels' viz., 3rd Bdw. I. Ud and Srd Ric. II. condemn or ponlsh no otber than /obe news. They ujr, "tliat whoever shall be BO hardy to tell, or publish any false news or tales, whereby discord or slander may grow between the king and his people, or the great men of the realm, shaU be taken and kept in prison, ontii he has brought him into cooi^ which was the first author of the tale." t How is any man to know what it a legal arUingf t Wilkes, daring Ms exile in Fiance, in a letter to Mr. Almon, makes the following remarks upon booksellers, and the conduct of ministers:— " YV)u booksellers live always in a ttate of Jeopardy, like soldiers fighting for their country. Do you take care of the lettm of yonr iHends I Yon should, from time to time, send to some friend's house such letters as these. You never can trust any ministers in our country. The Whi^ in power turn Xorict; though, alail the Tories do not tnni Whigs I"
gave the following definition of the liberty of t^ press: " The liberty of the press consists in no more than this, a liberty to print now withoat • license, what formerly could be printed onlj with one."
1770, July 18. It was dedded in the court of chancery, that Mr. Taylor, a bookseller, of Ber- wick-upon-Tweed, should account to the execu- tors of Andrew Millar, for the sale of a pirated edition of Thomson's Seatsmt, Mr. Millar bon^ the proprietor of the Seasons. By this deciskm, the question respecting literary property sia» finally determined.
1770, Aug. 1. His majesty paid the sum a£ £IOO which had been levied on Mr. Edmonds, late publisher of the Middlesex Journal^ in wfaicb was inserted a protest of the house of lords. Tbe dues to the usher of the black rod were oidend not to be paid.
1770. Vied. M. Uric, who was the printer of some good Greek and Latin works, at Glasgow, where he died in this year.
1770. Mr. Kincaro, the king's prints for Scotland, brought an action against Colin Mae- farquhar, for printing a bible, with notes, called Ostervald^s Bible.
1770. Died, John Enapton, a ver^ eminent bookseller in London. He was three times mas- ter of the stationers' company, 1742, 1743, 1744.
1770. Robin Snap. Thiswas a satirical paper, modelled after the Tatler, and published every Tuesday in the city of Norwich, price one penny. The editor engaged the services of the learned ami singular John Franshane, the Norwich PolytheisL The work soon died of neglect
1770. The Baptist Annual Register, edited by Dr. John Rippon.
1770, Am. 23. Died, Walter Roddimas, printer, of Edinburgh, aged eighty-two years, being then the oldest master printer in Scotland- He has already been noticed as partner with his brother Thomas in the Caledonian Mercury.* In the Scots Magazine of this year, p. 441, there is a copy of verses, in memory of Walter Ruddi- man, by W. O. [Walter Oswald] who had been bis apprentice f- and journeyman. He is described by a grateful, rather than poetic pen, as
" Of nnafifteted manners, social, kind;
Tbe gentlest master, husband, bther, fHend."
1770, Nov. 1. Died, Alexander Crdden, author of the well known and valuable Con- cordance of the Old and New Testament, and many years a bookseller in London, as mncfa distinguished for his eccentricity as for learning. He opened his shop under the Koyal Exchange, in 1732, and it was here that he composed his
- In the tsmOy of Ruddiman the CaMmsoa ftenurf
continued, though under various modifieatiiHu, and dor- liu; troublesome times, from March 1739, to May, 1771. when it was sold by the trustees Ot Ruddiman's grand- children, with theprinttng'honse, and printing materials, to Mr. John Robertson, a printv of snflicient Iraminfc and of opulent circumstances.
t Jolm Richardson, who distinguished himself by his PenUm. IHetUmary, and other learned wortn, served aa apprentieeabip to Walter Knddiman.
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