88
NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s. m. FEB. 3, 1917.
The paper was now published in duodecimo,
and in its altered form seems to be scarce.
None of the issues have been found in the
British Museum, Dr. Williams' s Library, or
the Methodist Book-Room, and so far the
only ones seen are six in the Memorial Hall
Library. These, which had not been recog-
nized as forming a continuation of the
earlier paper, are bound in one volume, the
title of the first number being :
An | ACCOUNT | Of the Most | Remarkable Par- ticulars | Relating to the I Present PROGRESS \ of the | GOSPEL. | Vol. II. | LONDON : \ Printed and Sold by JOHN LEWIS, in | Bartholo- mew-Close, near West-Smithfield. \ 1742.
The title is included in the pagination* the complete number containing pp. l-84> A to G in twelves. There is no other date than that on the title, but it would seem that the subscribers could obtain one sheet each week, for on the verso of the title to No. II, vol. III., the printer Stated :
" ADVERTISEMENT. Those who take these Papers, are advised to preserve them clean, for
binding Three Numbers (which makes one
complete Pocket Volume) are to be finish'd in 21 Weeks, from the Beginning."
In a lew instances only do the letters and communications end on the last page of any sheet. The letters are not arranged in order : the first is dated Oct. 20, 1742, followed by others written in August preceding, while the latest is July 19, 1743.
The numbers, dates, and pagination of the six parts seen are :
[Numb. I.] Vol. II. 1742. Title, one leaf, pp- f 1-2] ; An Account, pp. 3-83 ; Advertisement, p. 84.
Numb. II. Vol. II. 1743. Title, .pp. [1-2]; Account, pp. 3-81 ; Advertisements, pp. 82-4.
Numb. III. Vol. II. 1743. Title, pp. [1-2] ; Account, pp. 3-75 ; A Table to the Second Volume, pp. 76-82.
Numb. I. Vol. III. 1743. Title, pp. [1-2]; Account, pp. 3-84.
Numb. II. Vol. III. 1743. Title and Advertise- ment, pp. [1-2] ; Account, pp. 3-84.
Numb. III. Vol. III. 1743. Title and Advertise- ment, pp. [1-2] ; Account, pp. 3-79 ; A Table to the Third Volume, pp. [80-4].
Tyerman, in his 'Life of Whitefield' (ii. 107), refers to an advertisement appended to " No. 3, vol. vi., 1744 " of this publica- tion, but the volume-number and date do not seem to range with those above. The reference may be a misprint for vol. iv., though, as no others have been seen, it is not possible at present to follow the publication of this series further.
The third, and last, form in which this periodical was issued is entitled :
The | Christian History : | Or, a general I ACCOUNT | of the | PROGR'HSS | of the | GOSPEL,
| In "ENGLAND, WALES, SCOTLAND, I and
AMERICA : | So far as [ The Rev. Mr. WHITE-
FIELD, his Fellow- | Labourers, and Assistants
are concerned. | ..Luke ii. 10. | LONDON : \
Printed and sold by JOHN LEWIS, in Bartholo-
mew-Close, | near West-Smithfield. 1747. | Where
may be had, All the Letters relating to the Pro- |
gress of the gospel, that have been printed since
the | last arrival of the Rev. Mr WHITEFIELD
in England.
The text from Luke was also printed, after the first number, on the title-pages of each number of An Account.
The Christian History is octavo in size,. the type is smaller, and the paging is con- tinuous throughout the one volume com- pleted, being title pp. [1-2], History, pp. 3- 237, and a note on p. [238]. The paper is not numbered or dated until p. 127, where " Jan. 1748 " is printed on the top, followed by Feb. on p. 143, March on p. 159, April, p. 175, May, p. 191, June, p. 207, and July, p. 223, all for 1748. The first letter in the volume is dated Jan. 17, 1746, and the last but one July 12, 1748, so that the title-page seems to have been printed before the series was completed. On the last page [238] there is a note as to Whitefield' s doings after his arrival in London from the Bermudas, on Monday, July 3, 1748, followed by the announcement :
" N.B. This is the last Number of the Christian History that will be now printed, so that the whole may be bound together in One Volume."
Whitefield continued to print his letters in both An Account and The Christian History, the latter containing twenty-one of his letters dated from May 2, 1746, to May 17, 1748. The three series of this periodical are of value as contemporary accounts of his doings and those of his followers in various parts the country. It will be of interest to learn if any of the numbers of An Account after No. III.,. of vol. iii., and before The Christian History commenced, are accessible.
This paper, with its later title, should not be confused with the one published in Boston by Thomas Prince, the second and last volume of which is entitled :
The | Christian History, | containing ACCOUNTS | of the | Revival and Propagation of | RELIGION | in I Great-Britain, America &c. | For the Year f 1744. | BOSTON, N.E, Printed by S. Kneeland and T. Green, | for Prince, junr. 1745.
This was published in weekly numbers, the last being "Saturday, February 23. 1744, 5. No. 104," and not Feb. 16, No. 103, as stated by Tyerman (' Life of Whitefield,' ii. 121). ROLAND AUSTIN. Gloucester.
