Page:A history of booksellers, the old and the new.djvu/360

320 320 THE R1VINGTONS, THE PARKERS, 445, West Strand became, of course, the Cambridge Depository for Bibles, Testaments, and Common Prayer-books printed at the University Press, and, at the death of Smith, Parker was appointed printer to the University at a salary of 400 a year, and visited Cambridge once or twice a fortnight. For many years, in spite of all his strenuous efforts and his repeated advice, the Bible Society set their faces resolutely against steam-printing. On one occasion he prepared a large edition of the nonpareil Bible at two- thirds of the price then charged, and took a dozen copies to the manager, Mr. Cockle, hoping that the Bible Society would encourage so laudable an im- provement. The manager hummed and hawed, sent for the binder, told him in confidence that the Cam- bridge people had kindly prepared some cheap Bibles printed by machinery, but he thought " from the smallness of the margins they migJit not fold evenly, and was not sure that, as a cheaper ink had been used, they migJit not set off when pressed," and all these predictions were verified, and the Committee would not sanction the purchase of such rubbish. Strangely enough, two or three years later, when cheap Bibles were eagerly called for, the whole of the rejected set were purchased by the Society, and no difficulty was experienced in their manipulation. William IV. having expressed his royal wish for a Bible, Mr. Parker determined to print one specially, and on the occasion of the installation prepared a dozen sheets, which were pulled by the Duke of Wellington and other magnates ; this is the first book ever printed with red rules round, and, as the " King's Bible," attained in various forms and sizes a great success. A committee was appointed to read and