Page:A history of booksellers, the old and the new.djvu/285

247 CHAMBERS, KNIGHT, AND CASSELL, 247 which no less than 832 authors are treated critically and biographically, specimens of their most charac- teristic writings being quoted in addition, From the intrinsic value of the contents, and the marvellous cheapness of the price, a great popularity was attained, and in a few years 130,000 copies were sold in Eng- land alone, while in America it was at least as popular. Among his other works at this period we may mention a labour of love a chronological edition of Burns' poems, so arranged with a connecting narrative as to serve also as a biography. The proceeds of the sale went towards securing a comfortable fortune for the poet's sister. We must mention, also, in passing, " The Domestic Annals of Scotland," and a dainty little volume of verse, printed for private circulation only, in 1835. A book appeared about this time entitled, "Ves- tiges of the Natural History of Creation," which was written to prove that the Divine Governor of this world conducts its passing affairs by a fixed rule, termed natural law. The orthodox party professed to be alarmed at the temerity of the writer, and by them the book was hailed with contumely. It was known that the proof sheets had passed through the hands of Mr. Robert Chambers, and on no better authority than this, not only did the public believe the story, but the " Vestiges " was entered in the catalogue of the British Museum under his name. A writer in the Critic boldly stated, " on eminent authority," that George Combe was the author, and though this was contradicted, and though the authorship is still a mystery, it would appear that Combe had, at all events, something to do with the work. In 1848, Robert Chambers was selected to be Lord Provost of