200 ENCYCLOPAEDIA Macfarquhar, and sold by Colin Macfarquhar at his print ing office in Nicolson Street," was completed in 1771 in 3 volumes 4to, containing 2670 pages, and 1GO copperplates engraved by Andrew Bell. It was published in numbers, of which the two first were issued in December 1768, " price 6d. each, or Sd on a finer paper," and was to be completed in 100 weekly numbers. It was compiled, as the title-page says, on a new plan. The different sciences and arts were "digested into distinct treatises or systems," of which there are 45 with cross headings, that is, titles printed across the page, and about 30 other articles more than three pages long. The longest are "Anatomy," 166 pages, and " Surgery," 238 pages. " The various technical terms, &c., are explained as they occur in the order of the alphabet." " Instead of dismembering the sciences, by attempting to treat them intelligibly under a multitude of technical terms, they have digested the principles of every science in the form of systems or distinct treatises, and explained the terms as they occur in the order of the alphabet, with references to the sciences to which they belong." This plan, as the compilers say, differs from that of all the previous dictionaries of arts and sciences. Its merit and novelty consists in the combination of De Coetlogon s plan with that in common use, on the one hand keeping important subjects together, and on the other facilitating reference by numerous separate articles. It is doubtful to whom the credit of this plan is due. The editor, William Srnellie, a printer (born in 1740, died 24th June 1795), afterwards secretary and superin tendent of natural history to the Society of Scottish Antiquaries, is said by his biographer to have devised the plan and written or compiled all the chief articles ; and he prints, but without date, part of a letter written and signed by Andrew Bell by which he was engaged in the work : " Sir, As we are engaged in publishing a dictionary of the arts and sciences, and as you have informed us that there are fifteen capital sciences which you will undertake for and write up the sub-divisions and detached parts of these conform to your plan, and likewise to prepare the whole work for the press, &c., <fcc., we hereby agree to allow you 200 for your trouble, &c." Prof. Macvey Napier says that Smellie " was more likely to have suggested that great im provement than any of his known coadjutors." Archibald Constable, who was interested in the work from 1788, and vas afterwards intimately acquainted with Bell, says Colin Macfarquhar was the actual projector of the Encyclo paedia, and the editor of the two first editions, while Smellie was merely " a contributor for hire " (Memoirs, ii. 311). Dr Gleig, in his preface to the third edition, says : "The idea had been conceived by him (Colin Macfarquhar) and his friend Mr Andrew Bell, engraver. By whom these gentlemen were assisted in digesting the plan which attracted to that work so much public attention, or whether they had any assistance, are questions in which our readers cannot be interested." Macfarquhar, according to Con stable, was a person of excellent taste and very general knowledge, though at starting he had little or no capital, and was obliged to associate Bell, then the principal en graver in Edinburgh, as a partner in his undertaking. The second edition was begun in 1776, and was published in numbers, of which the first was issued 21st June 1777, and the last, No. 181, 18th September 1784, forming 10 vols. 4to, dated 1778 to 1783, and containing 8595 pages and 340 plates. The pagination is continuous, ending with page 9200, but 295 pages are inserted in various places, and page 7099 is followed by 8000. The number and length of the articles was much increased, 72 have cross headings, and more than 150 others may be classed as long articles. At the end is an appendix ("Abatement" to "Wood") of 200 pages, containing, under the heading Botanical Table, a list of the 931 genera included in the 58 natural orders of Linrineus, and followed by a list of 526 books, said to have been the prin cipal authorities used. All the maps are placed together under the article "Geography" (195 pages). Most of the long articles have numbered marginal titles ; " Scotland," 84 pages, has 837. " Medicine," 309 pages, and " Phar macy " have each an index. The plan of the work was en larged by the addition of history and biography, which encyclopaedias in general had long omitted. " From the time of the second edition of this work, every cyclopaedia of note, in England and elsewhere, has been a cyclopaedia, not solely of arts and sciences, but of the whole wide circle of general learning and miscellaneous information " (Quarterly Review, cxiii, 362). Smellie was applied to by Bell to edit the second edition, and to take a share of one- third in the work ; but he refused, because the other persons concerned in it, at the suggestion of " a very distinguished nobleman of very high rank " (said by Professor Napier to have been the duke of Buccleuch), insisted upon the introduction of a system of general biography which he con sidered inconsistent with the character of a dictionary of arts and sciences. James Tytler, M.A., seems to have been selected as the next most eligible compiler. His father, a man of extensive knowledge, was 53 years minister of Fearn in Forfarshire, and died in 1785. Tytler (outlawed by the High Court of Justiciary, 7th January 1793, buried at Salem in Massachusetts llth January 1804, aged fifty-eight) "wrote," says Watt, "mauy of the scientific treatises and histories, and almost all the minor articles " (Bil)liotheca Brit.). After about a year s preparation, the third edition was announced in 1787; the first number was published early in 1788, and the first volume in October 1788. There were to be 300 weekly numbers, price Is. each, forming 30 parts at 10s. 6d. each, and 15 volumes, with 360 plates. It was completed in 1797 in 18 vols. 4to, containing 14,579 pages and 542 plates. Among the multifarious articles re presented in the frontispiece, which was required by the traditional fashion of the period, is a balloon. The maps are, as in subsequent editions, distributed among the articles relating to the respective countries. It was edited by Colin Macfarquhar as far as the article "Mysteries" (by Dr Doig, vol. xii.), when he died, 2d April 1793, in his forty- eighth year, " worn out," says Constable, " by fatigue and anxiety of mind." His children s trustees and Andrew Bell requested George Gleig of Stirling (consecrated 30th October 1808 assistant and successor to the bishop of Brechin), who had written about twelve articles, to edit the rest of the work ; " and for the time, and the limited sum allowed him for the reward of contributors, his part in the work was considered very well done" (Constable, ii. 312). Professor Robison was induced by Gleig to become a contributor. He first revised the article " Optics," and then wrote a series of articles on natural philosophy, which attracted great attention and were long highly esteemed by scientific men. The sub-editors were James Walker (Primus Scotite Episcopus 27th May 1837, died 5th March 1841, aged seventy) until 1795, then James Thomson, suc ceeded in November 1796 by his brother Thomas, after wards professor of chemistry at Glasgow, who remained connected with the Encyclopedia until 1800. .According to Kerr (Smellie s Life, i. 364-5), 10,000 copies were printed, and the profit to the proprietors was 42,000, be sides the payments for their respective work in the con duct of the publication as tradesmen, Bell as engraver of all the plates, and Macfarquhar as sole printer. Ac cording to Constable (Memoirs, ii. 312), the impression was begun at 5000 copies, and concluded with a sale of 13,000.
James Hunter, " an active bookseller of no character," who