Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 05.djvu/313

 his chief business. In 1846 he discovered, in the cheap issue of works of a solid and instructive kind, a new method of turning his copyrights to account; this method proved far more lucrative, and has given him a unique position among publishers. In 1845 Mr. David Bogue of Fleet Street commenced the publication of the ‘European Library,’ into the first issue of which, the ‘Life of Lorenzo de' Medici,’ illustrations were introduced from a volume of illustrations of which Bohn possessed the remainder. After obtaining an injunction in the court of chancery against Bogue, Bohn started a rival series, the ‘Standard Library,’ similar in size and appearance, but at a reduced price. The enterprise was prosecuted by Bohn with such energy and skill that the ‘European Library’ was discontinued, and the books passed into his hands. The ‘Standard Library was followed by the ‘Scientific’ and the ‘Antiquarian’ in 1847, the ‘Classical’ in 1848, the ‘Illustrated’ in 1849, the ‘Shilling Series’ in 1860, the ‘Ecclesiastical’ in 1861, the ‘Philological’ in 1862, and the ‘British Classics’ in 1868, the whole ultimately numbering over six hundred volumes.

The success of the ‘library’ scheme led Bohn to entertain the ambition of founding a publishing house of the highest rank; but as his sons did not enter into his views and took to other professions he resolved gradually to realise his property and retire from business. In 1864 he sold the stock, copyrights, and stereotypes of his ‘libraries’ for about 40,000l. to Messrs. Bell & Daldy, afterwards Messrs. Bell & Sons, who succeeded him in York Street. Various other valuable literary property was also sold to this firm. From 1866 to 1876 he was more or less engaged in cataloguing his general stock stored at the several warehouses rented by him near Covent Garden. Meantime he secured temporary premises in Henrietta Street, occupying the old site of his father's house there. During these ten years his second-hand books were sold by auction, realising over 18,000l. His principal copyrights not included in the libraries were bought by Messrs. Chatto & Windus for about 20,000l., and other sales were effected, the entire properties realising from beginning to end little short of 100,000l.

While the success of Bohn indicated practical shrewdness of a very exceptional kind, it is traceable as much to his extraordinary energy and capacity for work. Besides being a constant attendant at all important sales and being present at the meetings of the learned societies of which he was a fellow, he personally superintended every department of his business. Nor did these cares by any means absorb his whole attention. He took a large share in the editing and compiling of his own publications. His knowledge of foreign languages enabled him to make several of the translations for his series of ‘Foreign Classics.’ The information obtained in the practice of his business he also utilised in ‘Observations on the Plan and Progress of the Catalogue of the Library of the British Museum,’ 1866, in which he suggested various improvements in method, and especially the addition of an index of matters, which he endeavoured to show might be rapidly accomplished by a proper subdivision of labour. He prepared a greatly improved reprint of Lowndes's ‘Bibliographer's Manual,’ ‘The Origin and Progress of Printing,’ 1857, and the ‘Biography and Bibliography of Shakespeare,’ 1863, the bibliographical part being a reprint with some additions of the pages relating to Shakespeare in the ‘Bibliographer's Manual.’ The last two books were written for the Philobiblon Society, of which he was a member; he also wrote a ‘Dictionary of Quotations,’ 1867, into which he introduced a few verses from his own manuscript poems. For his ‘libraries’ he wrote a variety of compilations, including a ‘Handbook of Proverbs’ and a ‘Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs’ for the Antiquarian Library; a ‘Handbook of Games’ for the Scientific Library, and a ‘Pictorial Handbook of Modern Geography’ and a ‘Guide to the Knowledge of Pottery and Porcelain’ for the Illustrated Library. He also contributed an edition of Hurd's ‘Addison,’ in six volumes, to his series of ‘British Classics.’ His miscellaneous contributions include a biographical notice of Robert Seymour, with a descriptive list of the plates to Seymour's ‘Humorous Sketches illustrated in Prose and Verse by Alfred Crowquill,’ 1866; prefaces to editions of Irving's ‘Life of Mahomet,’ and Emerson's ‘Representative Men;’ a chapter ‘On the Artists of the Present Day’ to the second edition of Chatto's ‘Treatise on Wood Engraving,’ 1861; and an alphabetical reference, with a ‘list of all the coloured plates of the genus Pinus published in the great works of Lambert, Lawson, and Forbes,’ to the edition of Gordon's ‘Pinetum’ published in 1880. He was strongly opposed to the abolition of the paper duty, and in 1861 published a pamphlet on the subject, consisting of letters contribute by him to several newspapers.

About 1860, when he was in the zenith of his fame, he secured a fine residential property at Twickenham. From time to time he enlarged his freehold estate, and expended considerable sums in acquiring rare and valuable shrubs. He also became known for his