HISTORY OF PRINTING.
1720, Jan. 1. Commentator, No. I.
1720, Jan. 2. Theatre, by sir John Edgar. This paper was written by sir Richard Steele, for the preservation and improvement of the English theatre.
1720, Jan 6. The BritUh Harlequin, No. 1.
1720, Jan. 20. Independent Whig, No. 1. This paper was the production of John Trench- ard* and Thomas Gordon,t and written in order to oppose the high church party with a consider- able degree of spirit. It terminated January 4, 1721, having extended to tifty-three numbers.
1720, Feb. 15. Anti-Theatre; by sir John Falstaff, No. 1. The purport of this publication was to invalidate the sentiments and opinions of sir Richard Steele in his Theatre.
1720, March 12. The Mutes Gazette, No. 1.
1720, April 28. Caledonian Mercury, No. 1. This paper professed to give "a short account of the most considerable news, foreign and domestic, and of the latest books and pamphlets imported from abroad and printed here." It consisted of three folio half-sheets (or six pages) and was published on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday,
?rice three halfpence, or fifteen shillings yearly, t purported to be " printed for W. R. (William Holland, esq. advocate) by William Adams, junior; and sold at the sign of the Printing Press, in the Parliament close." This paper was the first in Scotland which blended literary cri- ticism with political matter, and the first number contains a notice of a contemporaneous life of the Spanish Machiavel of the day, the celebrated cardinal Alberoni^ " universal minister of the Spanish monarch," in which, after describing the personal appearance of this eminent individual, the writer concludes with observing, that " he is a dissembler, a* far at a courtier ought to- be, teldom laying what he thinkt, and scarce eeer doing what he says, vnthout some difficulty in being persuaded." Mr. Adams, jun. printed 589 numbers; when the typographical duty was given to Thomas Ruddiman, January 17, 1724, and
• John TrenehATd wu born to ittSg, had a liberal edu- cation, and was Intended for the practice of the law, hot tnmed his attention to the study of poUUca. Ktag William appototed him a commissioner of the forfeited estates In Ireland. Mr. Trencbard was a man of vigorous mind, and strict totegrity j he was a zealous and jntiiotic whig, and was for many years a member of parliament for Taunton, to Someraetehlxe. He died to 1733.
t Thomas Gordon wa8anatlveofKircndln1ght,to Scot- land, where he received a liberal education, and settled In |,ondon as a teacher of the learned languages. The factious politics of the age diverted his attention for a time from classical pursuits, and enllsttog himself under the banners of the earl of Oxford, he obtained the esteem and patronage of that nobleman, and also of Mr. Tren- ^ard, after whose death he was made first commissioner of the wtae licenses, for which he wrote to support of the government. Mr. Gordon was twice marrini, and his second wife was the widow of Mr. Trenchard. Mr. Gor- ^'npnhU'hed a translation of Tacitua, and a version of aalhut, which were superseded, however, by the more elegant versions of Murphy and Steuart He died July S8, I7M, at the age of shrty-sU.
t^liui Alberoni was the son of a gardener, to the toborbs of Fhkcentla. where he was bom. Hay 31, 1064. From this low station, by good fortune, address, and abilities, he obtatoed a cardtoal's cap, and became the first minister to the ktog of Spain. He died at Placentia, June at, 1765.
printed at his office, in Morocco's close, in ike Lawn market.
1720, May 2. Northampton Mercury; «r tit Monday's Post ; being a collection of the iks material occurrences, foreign and domestic together with an account of trade. Printed bj Robert Raikes and William Dicey, near AD Saints' church. The following is a part of tltf Introduction to this paper: — " It is surprisiag m think that this famous, this beautiftil, this poiift corporation, has not long ago been the object ^ those many printers who have established print- ing-offices in towns of less note : and certainh it argues their want of thought; for the soul of conversation must be absolutely necessarr to a body of people that excel therein. Wiii this view 'twas that the proprietors thereof soofM that gracious leave, which the worshipfnl Mr. mayor, the court of aldermen, and conunoa council, have unanimously granted to thean; and which they will study so to improve as to make this excellent, this admirable mystery as usefal an ornament to Northampton, as that is' an bonooi to the art. To this end, besides all comnxa business, Sec. &c. — Northampton Mercury offiee."
This paper was not numbered until April 3. 1721, when forty-nine papers had been issued.
1720. St. Ives Mercury. All the informatjoi which can be obtained of this paper is, that as extract appears in the Northampton Mercury.
1720. The Gloucester Journal, printed and published by Robert Raikes, who was ako i partner in the Northampton Mercury. Mi. Raikes was one of the iirst provincial proprietoe of a newspaper who ventured to insert the re- ports of the proceedings in parliament ; and we find that in 1728 a complaint was lodged against him on that account. Mr. Cave was taken into custody of the sergeant at arms by order of the house of commons, for furnishing Mr. Raike with the minutes thereof. After several dan confinement, and expressing his contrition is the oflence, he was liberated. In the foUowii^ year Mr. Raikes again incurred the censme of the house of commons by repeating his offence; but Mr. Cave was at that time out of the sense.
I720,3foy. TheLeeds Mercury,* Ho. l.inaB 4to. price three halfpence, printed and published by John Hirst, every Tuesday. In the first tmi years, it appears that there were only abnil twenty advertisements received at two shillings and sixpence each.
1720, Oct. 6. Director, No. 1.
1720, Oct. 19. Penny Weekly Jourmal, or Saturday's Entertainment, No. 1.
1720, Nov. 16. Spy, No. 1.
1720, Dec. 3. Uturckman, or Loyalist^ Weekly Journal, No. 27.
1720. Bibliothique Germanique, was com- menced by two learned Protestants, Beaasobn and L'Enfants. It was carried on tiD 1740, and completed in fifty volumes.
- On September 17. 1830, Mr. Batoes, proprietor efttt
Leeds MercMTji, published a copy and facsimile it (M paper, dated from Tuesday, Feb. 24, to Tuesday, Msick 3. 1739-30. No. 149, price two-pence.
