Page:Dictionary of National Biography. Sup. Vol I (1901).djvu/273

  :: two are printed in imitation Caxton type.)
 * 1) 'The Life and Typography of W. Caxton, England's First Printer, with Evidence of his Typographical Connection with Colard Mansion the Printer at Bruges,' London, 1861-3, 2 vols. 4to (see also No. 12).
 * 2) 'A Catalogue of Books printed by or ascribed to the Press of W. Caxton,' London, 1865, sm. 4to.
 * 3) 'A List of Medals, Jettons, Tokens, &c., in connection with Printers and the Art of Printing,' London, 1869, 8vo (only twenty-five copies printed).
 * 4) 'A List of Medals struck by order of the Corporation of London,' London, 1870, 8vo (privately printed).
 * 5) 'How to tell a Caxton, with some hints where and how the same might be found,' London, 1870, 8vo (a guide to the collector).
 * 6) 'Typographical Notes,' London, 1870, 8vo (privately printed).
 * 7) 'Shakespere and Typography, being an attempt to show Shakespere's perscyial connection with and technical knowledge of the art of printing,' London, 1872, 8vo {ajeu d'esprit).
 * 8) 'Some Early Type-specimen Books of England, Holland, France, Italy, and Germany,' London, 1875, 8vo.
 * 9) 'Earl of Rivers: the Dictes and Sayings of the Philosophers; a facsimile reproduction of the first book printed in England,' London, 1877, 4to.
 * 10) 'The Biography and Typography of W. Caxton, England's first printer,' London, 1877, 8vo (No. 3 recast and issued in a more handy form, in connection with the Caxton celebration); 2nd edit. 1882.
 * 11) 'The Boke of Saint Albans, by Dame Juliana Berners; a facsimile,' London, 1881, 4to.
 * 12) 'The Enemies of Books,' London, 1881, 8vo; 2nd edit. 1881; 3rd edit. 1882; 'revised and enlarged' ('Book Lovers' Library'), 1887, 2nd edit. 1888, with illustrations, 1896; French translation, 'Les Livres et leurs Enemis,' Paris, 1883).
 * 13) 'Numismata Typographica; or the Medallic History of Printing, being an account of the medals, jettons, and tokens struck in commemoration of printers and the art of printing,' London, 1883, 4to (No. 5 improved and enlarged).
 * 14) 'An Account of the German Morality Play entitled "Depositio Comuti Typographici," as performed in the 17th and ISth Centuries,' London, 1885, 4to, with translation of the play.
 * 15) 'Bibliographical Miscellanies: No. 1, Signatures; No. 2, the Chained Library at Wimborne Minster; Nos. 3, 4, and 5, Books in Chains,' London, 1890, 8vo.
 * 16) 'The Pentateuch of Printing,' edited by T. B. Reed, London, 1891, 4to (posthumous).



BLAGDON, FRANCIS WILLIAM (1778–1819), journalist and author, born in 1778 of humble parentage, began his career as a 'horn-boy' employed to sell the 'Sun' newspaper whenever it contained any extraordinary news. He then became amanuensis to Dr. A. F. M. Willich, a medical writer, who taught him French and German; he also learnt Spanish and Italian, and subsequently described himself as 'professor' of those languages, an expression which probably implies that he endeavoured to earn a living by teaching. At one time he published a 'French Interpreter,' of which no copy seems to be extant. In 1802 he began editing a series of 'Modern Discoveries' (London, 1802-3, 8 vols. 16mo); the first two volumes comprised Vivant Denon's 'Travels in Egypt' in the train of Napoleon Bonaparte; the next two included Golberry's 'Travels in Africa,' i.e. in the north-west portion; and the remaining four were devoted to Pallas's 'Travels in the Southern Provinces of Russia.' The first two works were translated by Blagdon from the French, and the last from the German. Pallas's 'Travels' were translated for a second time by Blagdon, and a new edition published in 1812 (London, 2 vols. 4to), with numerous illustrations. In 1803 Blagdon commenced publishing with the Rev. F. Prevost a literary miscellany entitled Flowers of Literature,' which continued to appear until 1809, and ran to seven volumes (London, 1803-9, 8vo). In 1803 Blagdon also published, in conjunction with Prevost, 'Mooriana, or Selections from the &hellip; Works &hellip; of Dr. John Moore' (London, 2 vols. 12mo). In 1805 he brought out 'A Brief History of Ancient and Modern India' (London, 3 vols, fol.), which was reissued in 1813 as an appendix to Captain Thomas Williamson's 'European in India' (London, 4to), and in 1806 he contributed the 'Memoirs' to Orme's 'Graphic History of the Life, Exploits, and Death of &hellip; Nelson' (London, 4to).

About this time Blagdon became associated with the 'Morning Post,' which he helped to edit for some years. The paper was then tory in its views, and Blagdon's literary activity took a polemical turn; he had already, it is said, been imprisoned for six months in 1805, for libelling, earl St. Vincent [q. v.] The proposal of the whig ministry of 1806 to remove Roman