Page:A history of booksellers, the old and the new.djvu/489

447 PROVINCIAL BOOKSELLERS. 447 self "The Famous History of the City of York," " History of the Loyal Town of Ripon," and the " History of the Royal and Beautiful Town of Kings- town-upon-Hill." At this time his business is thus described by a card still existing : " Within his well- contrivecf office aforesaid printing is performed in a curious and judicious manner, having sets of fine characters for the Greek, Latin, English, Mathematics, &c. He sells the histories of Rome, France, England, particularly of this ancient City, Aynsty, and. exten- sive County, in five volumes ; likewise a book of the holy life of St. Winnifred, and her wonderful Cambrian fountain. He has stimulated an ingenious founder to cast such musical types, for the common press, as never yet were exhibited ; and has prepared a new edition of his York History against the time when the few remaining copies of that first and large impression are disposed off." He died, however, at York in 1778, in his eighty-seventh year, in somewhat reduced circumstances, solely, he alleges, through the animosity of his uncle White. The manuscript of his interesting autobiography was discovered casually in Ireland, and was published only in 1832. From its quaintness and simplicity, above all from its minuteness of detail, it is evident enough where the abridger of " Robinson Crusoe " borrowed his manner and style ; and the reader will probably not quarrel with us for having given as much of the narrative as possible in the author's own words. Chief among the more recent York booksellers was Richard Burdekin, who died only twelve years since. In his younger days he was a traveller to the local firm of Wilson & Sons, who at the beginning of the century were well known as publishers of the works of Lindley