Page:A dictionary of printers and printing.djvu/697

 HISTORY OF PRINTING.

agreed among themselres (that is, among the Iibh bookselleTS and printeis) to be a sufficient title; though now and then a,tkark was found, who preyed on his own kind; as the newspapers of Dublin hare testified. But the present case will show to what a height of baseness such an undisputed licence is arrived. After all, if there is no law to right the editor and sole proprietor of this new work (new in every sense of the word,) he must acquiesce ; but with this hope, that, from so flagrant an attempt, that a law may one day be thought necessary, in order to secure to authors the benefit of their own labours : nor does he wish, that even these invaders of his property in Ireland may be excluded from the benefit of it, in the property of any of the works to which they are, or shall be, fairly and lawfully entitled. At present, the English writers may be said, from the attempts and practices of the Irish booksellers and printers, to live in an age of liberty, but not of properly.

N.B. This is not a contention between book- sellers of England and Ireland, and on a doubt- fill property ; but between a lawful proprietor of a new and moral work — and Let Messieurs Wilson, Exshaw, and Saunders, reflecting upon the steps they have taken, and making the case their own (for they ao doubt have servants) — fill up the blank.

1753, JVoti. 7. The AdvmtwrtT. This admired paper was the production of Dr. Hawkesworth.* It is adorned with many eastern tales, and some valuable critical communications. It was printed on a folio sheet, for J. Payne, at Pope's Head, in Patemoster-row ; appeared every Tuesday and Saturday, and closea with No.140, signed by Dr.

Intended for the profession of the law, and plarad with Mr. Harwood, an attorney in the Poultry. Soon disgust- ed with tiie employment, be deserted it for the more pre- carious, though more pleasing, occupation of Uteratore. At the age of twenty-five he had obtained no small repu- tation as a literary character, for at this period, namely, in the year 1744, be was engaged by the editor of the Otntleman'i Magazine to succeed Dr. Johnson in the com- pilement of the paxiiamentajy debates ; then deemed a very important part of that interesting miscellany. He was for four years, also, a poetical contributor under the signature of Ornitle. The success of the Rambler as soon as it was collected into volumes, the admiration which he was known to entertala of porsiiing the iootsteps of Johnson, induced him to project and commence a peri- odical paper under the title of tiie Adventurer, which rose nnder his fostering care, and he need not fear a compa- rison with the Rambler and Spectator. Dr. Herring being higMy pleased with the instructive tendency of the Adnen- iurer, conferred upon Its author the degree of Doctor of Civil Law. The reputation which he had acquired by these essays, held out strong inducements to the prosecutions of his literary career ; and in the year 1756, at the request of Garrick, he turned his attention to the stage, and pro- duced Zt'mri, an oratorio, and other pieces, and there is every reason to suppose that had he pursued dramatic com- position, he might have attained to distinguished ex- cellence as a diAciple of Melpomene. In April, 176s, he undertook the office of reviewer in the Oentleman't Ma- gazine, a department which he filled with great ability until tile year 1772. In 1765 he presented to the public a revised editlou of Swift'g works, in 12 vols. 8vo. ac- companied by explanatory notes, and a Li/e of Svnftf of which Johnson speaks in very liberal terms. The ce- lebrity which Dr.Hawkesworth had now attained,as a lite- rary character, was aided by the friendship of Garrick, who recommended him to lord Sandwich,who wasthemeansof procuring for him one of the roost honourable and lucra- tive engagements that has been recorded in the annals of
 * John Hawkesworth was bornintheyearl/ltibewu

Hawkesworth as editor. The price of each essay was twopence, and its sale in separate papers was very extensive. Dr. Johnson contributed twenty-nine numbers to the Adtenturer, which are distinguished by the letter T ; and Uie sum that he received for their composition, which was two g^neas per paper, he presented to Dr. R. Bathurst, who is supposed to have acted as his amanuensis on the occasion.

1753. The ProUttor. By James Ralph.

1753, Not. 8. Died, Samuel Ashubst, an eminent stationer in Patemoster-row. ■ 1754, Jan. 10. Died, Edward Cave, projec- tor and proprietor of the GentlemarCi Mageixine. The curiosity of the public seems to demajid ■ history of every man who has, by whatever means, risen to eminence ; and few lives would have more readers than that of the compiler of this miscellany, if all those who received im- provement or entertainment from him should retain sn much kindness for their benefactor as to inquire after his conduct and character. The Gentleman's Magazine, which has subsisted so many years, and which still contLnues to enjoy the uvour of the world, is one of the most pros- perous and lucrative pamphlets which litenuy history has upon record.

Edward Cave, according to Dr. Johnson, wis bom at Newton, in Warwickshire, on the 29th of Febroary, 1691. His father (Joseph Care) was the younger son of Mr. Edward Care, of Cave's-in-the-Hole, a lone house, on the Stieet- road, in the same county, which took its name from the occupier ; but having concurred with his elder brother in cutting on the entail of i small hereditary estate, by which act it was lost from the family, he was reduced to follow the trade of shoe-making, in Rugby. He lived to a great age; and was, in his latter years, sap- ported by bis son.

It was fortunate for Cave, continues bis biographer, that, having a disposition to liteiaiy attainments, he was not precluded by thepovertir of his parents from opportunities of cultivating

literature. The anxiety of the public to be acqnanted tri^ the events which had befallen the navigator of the sontboB hemisphere, at the commencement of the present rcjgn, was greatly Increased by the return of Lieuteniuit Cook trom his first voyage round the globe, in May, 1771 : ant Government in the following year entrusted to Hawkes. worth the task of gratifying the general curiosity. A fev attempts. In the mean time, had been made, though witii little success, tn anticipate the authenticated narratiTe. which came forth so early as 1773, under the foUowing title ; — An Account of the Voyages undertaken by the Order of his present Majesty for making Ditcoeeries in ttf Southern Hemiaphertf i[C. Drawn up from the Jouruab which were kept by the several Commanders, and from the Papers of Joseph Banks, Esq, By John Hawkesworth. LL.D. Illustrated with cuts, and a great variety of charts and maps relative to countries now first discovered. <■ hitherto but imperfectly known. 4to. 3 vols. In order that a work which might properly be termed nation** should appear with every requisite illustratioo, goverri- ment withheld no necessary expense. Dr. Hawlcesworth had the princely remuneration of six thousand pounds ; and the charts, engravings, and maps, were executed in a very splendid, and, with a few exceptions, in a very correct manner. The first volume includes the joanialsar Byron, Wallis, and Carteret, and the second and third an occupied by the still more interesting voyage of Co^. Dr. Hawkesworth died November 16, 1773.

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