Page:A dictionary of printers and printing.djvu/654

 EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.

64ft

1733, Starch 25. The printers and publishers of Fog' I Jottmal were talcen into custody of mes- aengeis, for defaming the memory of the late king William.

1732, April 18. Richard Smith, a book- binder,* and a prisoner for debt within the liber- ties of the king's bench, and his wife, were found hanging in their chamber about a yard distant from each other, and in the kitchen their child, about two years of age, was found in a cradle, tiiot through the heaid. They were all neatly dressed, and a curtain was hanging between the

with whom he wu either pemiudly known, or had deal- loss:
 * John Dnnton chanwterizes the following bookUnden,

" TaoMAS Azi.— He is a man of a peat deal of wit and honestj. In any controreny, I would aooner choose him for an arUtrator than any man I know in the wortd. He was my. chief bookbinder for ten yean ; bat honest Tom has met with losses ; yet his character ia this : — no man is more contented with his little, and so patient under his disaiipointment ; but nctwithstandlnf his losses in tnule, I bdiere Mr. Axe will get money enough, for he is not only a good bind^- bat sells books, globes, auctions ; and his hopes are so rong, that they can insult over the greatest discoancements that lie ia his way to be honestly rich."

" Samoil BooaN.— He was a man of a gay rambling temper, but very Joat to those that employed him. He bad his religion to choose, which was a neat grief to his irioas wife. Boom being seized with a dangerous fever, he made great protestations bow good he woohl be if Qod would please to restore him I but

'The devil was sick, tilie derU a monk would be i The devil was well, the devil a monk was he.'

After his recovery, he tamed projector, and then pictnn seller, and then rake-hell i aad, I hear came at last to an untimely end."

"Mr. Cox, Sherbam-lane. — He was a grave thriving binder fbr thirty years i bat is now retired, for his greater safety. Hels very honest) and, if his creditors knew him as well as I, he might ' whet his knife at the counter gate.' He ever maintained an unspotted fidelity to the church of Bagland ; and for all his mlsfortuae, is a bright example of piety and strict Justice. Wherever he is, I heartily wish bim well ) and would be glad to see him if I could tell how, if it were but to thaak him fbr old favours."

" Mr. DAKcaa. — He was formerly a bookbinder, but is now a noted bookseller in Fleet-street He is aa honest and reserved man, aad a professed enemy to prodigality ; he thinks a good dish of meat looks fall aa well at his own table, with his wUe and son, as at a dty tavern. It is true after dinner he can drinka^ooif AeaifAfoowr^odoiu fueea, but thinlu it is an odd expression of his loyalty to pretend (as some in such cases) to stand by her with life and fortune so long till they can neither go nor stir; in a word, Nat Dancer is a very sober indusMous man, and never admires either that loyalty or hospitaUty which seems tronUed with the dropsy, consisting in notliing but • akinfnUof Uquor."

"Mr. DowLST.^ — His fliee indeed is but rough cast i but, if he is yet unmanied, the young virgins can never enough admire the sweetness of his natural temper. Hu- mility is his peculiar virtue, and Justice and industry have a KTOit shara in his character. He is also a kind and du- tiral a(H> to his aged father. Ha published for me the HMory */ fA« Athenian Soeieif, and was as zealous to oblige me as any Under in London."

"Mr. OiFroBs.— He and Mr. Manhood got acquainted with me at the same time, and Iwund to my shop for many years. Manhood's character you had before ; and OiSbid's in short is this : he is a downright honest Bngllsh- maa. I never cotdd hear that he was of any disttnpush. ing party, but still owned the common cause of religion and his country. He is a very ingenious thriving man ; and, witlioat affecting praise, ia content only to merit it. He now keeps a shop in Old Bedlam ; and having printed several copies that have sold well, he will, if he continues fkir keeping, get a lumping portion for his daughters, who are modest pretty womea, and very serviceable to Urn In his shop and trade."

" Mr. Knowlzs.— He had a most particular respect for By bieoi Hania, aad for that rsasan I caoDOt bat love

man and woman; a pistol loaded lying near him, and a knife by her. He was hang^ with a new cord, which she was seen to twist about the day before. Two letters were found in the room, one directed to Mr. Brightrea, their land-

him. Ha is an Ingenious and constant man at his tiadei and bound for me that HIttorf of Living Mm, and Athe- nian Oracle, which I lately dedinted and presented to the IMnce of Deiunark and Duke of Onnond vrith my own hand. I need not enlarge on his character i for he was ever careful to preserve a good reputation, but more de- airous of a good conscience ; and for this reason he asks his own heart, and not other men's tongues, ' What he is.' There is downright honesty in him ; and I heartily wish he may ever be as fkee from censures, aa he is born de- serving them."

" Mr. MiTCHUL, in Christopher Alley.— He was a first rate binder, and got a good estate with a clear and quiet conscience. Ben Alsop and he were intimate fHenda and fellow-travellers (or many years, and waawont tooill him 'Ms godly binder,' and Mr. Mitchell deserved it, for he kept up the life and spirit of religiim In himself and family, was a constant hearer of Mr. Hall, and had a strict regard to the dis rlpllne aaH f»»iiitltiitinn» nf th> .•hnr.-h nt gngl.iut to the dyinig day."

" Mr. SwrsoH. — ^This grave and ancient binder was re- commended to Mr. Roberts, the printer, fbr a cotiona workman and a Ttrj honest man } and so I found him. He did not bind very much for me, but what he did was done to a mcelf. I suppose he is nearly related to Mr. Slmpaon, the bookseller t fbr he nearly resembles him for sincerity, diligence, and in a ftir character. And the same may be nld (rf honest Dodgins, Brotheiton, Hawkins, and nqr old acquaintance Mr. Joseph FooL"

" Mr. Manbooo. — From bookbinding he went to the darter Coffee House, by the Royal Exchange, and I hope be has thrived at it. He was a very obliging binder, and I traded with him till I went to Boston. He is a true son of the church i but, being so wise as to understand the diflbrence between matters doctrinal and ritual, is not fet- tered with superetitloas acraples i but his clear and tt*a spirit is for the union of Christians in things nnrnHsl to Christianity."

" Mr. 8TSBL.— I may call him my oecational binder, tar when I met with a nice customer, no binding would serve him but Mr: Steel's, which for the fineness and goodness of it might vie with the Osmbridge binding j but as cele. brated a binder as Steel Is, he is a man very bumble and lowly fai his own eyes, fto tnm insinuating his own ptaiset and very rarely speaks of himself or his own acUons; but never of other business with contempt or disrespect; yet he has a sudden way of repartee, very agreeable and sur- ' prising, but every way luoffbnsiva within the rules of virtue and religion."

" Calzb SwiHirocx.— He served hisapprentioeship wMl Richard Janeway ; and, being an active witty man, had he trod In the steps ot his reverend fUber, had been an eminent christian. But he fell a purring too soon, and met a she clog that stuck Aster to him than usual. He published for me the Life and Death of that great patriot, WUUam Lord Rueeeli and, had be not by working at un- der rates turned himself out of doors, perhaps he had rode oat the storm of wiving. Caleb Swinnock was the only man that could ever tempt me to take sheep's leather hooka at I4S. the hundred; andnpon second thought, had he not broke nine pounds in my debt, I ahould have thoufi^t my. wlf obliged to make some restituticm, either to himseli^ or (In case of his death) to the poor ; for binders have a r^M to live by their hard labour. Bat they that tempt them to work for rates which they cannot afford (and the caae is the same with respect to the printers) do, as It irere, roi the binder with his own consent ; and I verily thinic, without reetituiion such shop-pads can never be saved. It is true, tile case between Caleb and I was alittle differ- ent ; for the eelting thief squeezes the binder agidnst his consent ; but Caleb here was the wfe tenmter. But I ahould not laah him for thla crime, fbr Caleb haa fiayed himself with his own whipping ; and sines his strolling into the country, is more altered with repentance than with age. But I sliall not any longer aggravate Caleb's fkults or my own; for, as De Foe tells as,

' Confeasion will anticipate reproach ; He that reviles ns then, reviles too much. All satire ceases when the men repent; Tla cruelty to lash the penitent.' "

The following gentleman seems to be a brother at the above, of whom Dnnton Hk/s— "Mr. Gaoaoi Swimmock.

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