EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.
789
1796, Aiig. 5. Died, William Goldsmith, sereral years a bookseller in Fatemoster-row.and afterwards in Warwick-court, Newgate-street. Possessing landed property at Stretly, in Bed- fordshire, he was appointed high sheriff for that county in 1784. He died much lamented.
1795, S^t. 10. Died, John Archdeacon, a very excellent printer, whom the university of Cambridge appointed to succeed Mr. Bentham, as their printer, and in which office he continued for many years. He died at Hemingfoid Ab- bots, aged seventy.
1795, Oct. 21. Died, John Bewick, a very distinguished artist in wood engraving. He was a native of Ovington, on the banks of the Tyne, a few miles from Newcastle, and was seven years the junior brother of the celebrated Thomas Bewick, to whom, however, in conjunction with Mr. Beilby, he had served a seven years' appren- ticeship, and soon evinced talents and skill equal, if not superior, to those of his elder brother, in the olographic art. Unfortunately for the arts and lor society, of which he was an ornament, this promising individual was cut off in the thirty-fifth year of his age.
17^5, Joseph Ridley was awarded by the society for encouragement of arts, a premium of forty guineas, for his improvement of the print- ing press.
1795, Nov. 10. Mb. Aitken, bookseller, of London, convicted, in the court of king's bench, of publishing a certain immoral book called Harries List ofCovent Garden Xotiief, for which he was sentenced to pay a fine of £200 to the king, to be imprisoned until the fine be paid, and afterwards to find security for his good be- haviour for three years ; himself in j£250, and two sureties in J£100 each. Mr. Roach, a book- seller, was sentenced to twelve months' imprison- ment, and to find security for his good behaviour for three years, for the same offence.
1795, Nov. In O'Harra's Histonf of New South Walet it is stated that the art of printing was introduced into New South Wales, but no mention is made of auy books printed, or name of the spot on which thepress was erected.
1795, Lke. 1. Died, Thomas Spilsbury, the successor of the younger William Strahan, in the printing office on Snow-hill ; where he died, in the sixty-second year of his age. To distin- guished ability in his profession he joined the strictest integnty, amiable manners, and a style of conversation, which, whether the subject was gay or serious, never failed to delight. As his press was resorted to by eminent literary charac- ters, who often availed themselves of his critical remarks ; so have they, in return, uniformly borne testimony to his 'uncommon precision in ereiy thing appertaining to a pure genuine Eng- lish diction. He was the first person in this country who made it an express study to print French works with accuracy ; in which, having at that time only a slight acquaintance with that language, he by closeness of application soon arrived at such a mastery as to be pronounced, by many of the most accomplished scholars of
that kingdom, resident in London, superior in point of correctness, even to the printers of Paris.
1795, March. The Manehetler GazetU, No. 1. printed and published by Thomas Bowden and William Cowdroy, in Hunter's-lane.
1795. The Sporting Magazine, No. 1.
1795, Sept. 22. The Sylph.
1796, Jan. 1. James Montgomery, printer of the Sheffield Iris, was convicted of publishing a libel in that paper upon colonel Athorpe, rela- tive to his conduct at the time of the riots in Sheffield on the 4th of August, 1795, and he was adjudged to six months' imprisonment in York castle, to pay a fine of JG30 to the king, and find security for his good behaviour for two years, himself in £100, and two sureties in £50 each.
Blen'd with bcedom anoonfin'd, Dangeom cannot bold the socd i
Who can chain the inuncttal mind ? None but he who spana the pole.
Prom Prison AnuaemenU, written doringthe anthoc's oonHnement
1796, Jan. 2. Died, Edward Ballard, aged eighty-eight years, printer and bookseller, in Little Britain. He was the last of the trade who inhabited that once grand emporium of books, where he died in the house in which he was bom. He had outlived his mental faculties, and was for some time used to be moved about in a chair. The family of the Ballards were famed for more than a century as the snpparters of literature; and amongst the first booksellers who sold books by a marked catalogue. The father of them was celebrated by John Dunton.* See pages 590 and 708 ante.
- JohnDonton diaracteiizes the following bookaellen ;
JoNATHAK OaaiNwooD, boolEseller and auctioneer, served his apprenticeehip with Mr. Cockiil, and had the chancter of being a very diligent aerrant. When he manied it was ndther for beaaty nor riches i ao that ha is a rare example of conjugal love and charaty. By the wise management of his domestic afldrs, he not only gained the afllections of his man (Ckandltr) but of all who knew him. He was a gieat Instance of self.4enial in his words and looks ; and never waa any converaatioa better tempered, for he knew how to be familiar, without making lilmself cheap. He waa a member of Dr. Annesley'a church, yet bad a larger soul than to confine his chanty to one party. His faUier waa a divine of the church ol England, but loved and valaed the image of God wbere- ever he found it ; and for his aon Jonathan, he waa ao well loved by the moderate conformists, that he had a considerable trade amongst them; yet Mr. Qreenwood waa far fzam a temporixer, and ever chose rather to be good than great. But I see it is neither piety nor dUigence gives a man any constant title to the goods of fortune j for though he had contracted a large acquaintance (and had Dr. Annesley's friendship, who helped him to Mr. Allen's Heart-work and other saleable copies) yet he con- cluded trading at last with as small a pittance of the world as he had to begin it ; so that the chief thing he has left to boast of is, a virtuous wife, and several small children. But he stUl deserves the love and esteem of all good men, for the worst that can be said of him is, '* There goes a poor honest man ;" which is much better than, " There goes a rich knave.'*
Mr. Pawi.it, in Chancery-lane. He Is related to him that printed that excellent book called the Whol* Dut§ ^ Man. But, alas I the unde ta dead. For the Pawlet that is yet UvlDg, he is a man of a generous temper, and live* in the world like one that <a much above it.
Mr. Ptson, In Redcroea-atreet, oS whom 1 never bought but sold— the more ia the pity— many hundred neama of "Kqurine Liturgg, BtHei of Naniz, and other booka that my friends had forgot to ask for. I might call Mr. Pyaon the waste paper atationer ot London, for I believahe boys
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