Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 57.djvu/44

Tonson stop Robert Tooke and others printing a pirated edition of the play; the sum paid for the copyright was 40l. (Athenæum, 5 Dec. 1891). In the same year Tonson published the Duke of Buckingham's 'Works,' and in 1725 Pope's edition of Shakespeare.

Proposals were issued by Tonson in January 1729 for completing the subscription to the new edition of Rymer's 'Fœdera,' in seventeen folio volumes (of which fifteen were then printed), at fifty guineas the set (Hist.MSS. Comm. 7th Rep. p. 692;, Lit. Anecd. i. 478-80). The work was finished in 1735. Tonson published a quarto edition of Waller's works, edited by Fenton, in 1729, and an edition of Lord Lansdowne's works in 1732. Pope was annoyed to find in 1731 that Tonson was to be one of the publishers of Theobald's proposed edition of Shakespeare, in which he feared an attack on his own editorial work, but he professed to be satisfied with the assurances he received (Gent. Mag. January 1836). In writing to the elder Tonson on this subject, Pope asked for any available information respecting the 'Man of Ross,' and, in thanking him for the particulars received, explained his intention in singling out this man as the centre of a poem (, Works, iii. 528). Earlier in the year the elder Tonson was in town, and Pope, writing to Lord Oxford, said that if he would come to see him he would show him a phenomenon worth seeing, 'old Jacob Tonson, who is the perfect image and likeness of Bayle's "Dictionary;" so full of matter, secret history, and wit and spirit, at almost fourscore' (id. viii. 279). On 19 March Lord Oxford, Lord Bathurst, Pope, and Gay dined with old Tonson at Barnes and drank Swift's health (Gay to Swift, 20 March 1731). In 1734 Samuel Gibbons was appointed stationer to the Prince of Wales in place of Jacob Tonson (, Lit. Anecd. viii. 399).

Jacob Tonson junior predeceased his uncle, dying on 25 Nov. 1735, worth 100,000l. (Gent. Mag. 1735, p. 6S2). His will, of great length (P.C.C. 257 Ducie), was written on 16 Aug. and proved on 6 Dec. 12351735 [sic].

The elder Tonson's death at Ledbury followed that of his nephew on 2 April 1736, when he was described as worth 40,000l. (Gent. Mag. 1736, p. 168). His will was made on 2 Nov. 1735 (P.C.C. 91 Derby).

A painting of the elder Tonson by Kneller is among the Kit-Cat portraits; it is best known through Faber's engraving. Pope says that Tonson obtained portraits from Kneller without payment by flattering him and sending him presents of venison and wine (, Anecdotes, 1858, p. 136). Dryden's satirical account of his appearance has been quoted; Pope calls him 'left-legged Jacob' and 'genial Jacob' (Dunciad, i. 57, ii. 68). Dunton (Life and Errors, i. 216) describes Tonson. as 'a very good judge of persons and authors; and as there is nobody more competentlyqualified to give their opinion of another, so there is none who does it with a more severe exactness or with less partiality; for, to do Mr. Tonson justice, he speaks his mind upon all occasions, and will flatter nobody.' No doubt this roughness of manner wore off as Tonson grew in prosperity.

(d. 1767), great-nephew of the above, and son of Jacob Tonson junior, carried on the publishing business in the Strand. In 1747 he paid Warburton 500l. for editing Shakespeare (, Lit. Anecd. v. 595), and he was eulogised by Steevens in the advertisement prefixed to his edition of Shakespeare 1778: 'he never learned to consider the author as an under-agent to the bookseller. . . His manners were soft and his conversation delicate,' but he reserved his acquaintance for a small number. Johnson spoke of him as 'the late amiable Mr. Tonson.' In 1750 he was high sheriff for Surrey, and in 1759 he paid the fine for being excused serving the same office for the city of London and county of Middlesex. There is a story of his having twice helped Fielding when that writer was unable to pay his taxes (Gent. Mag. lvi. 659). Tonson died on 31 March 1767 (ib. p. 192), without issue, in a house on the north side of the Strand, near Catherine Street, whither he had removed the business some years earlier. His will (P. C. C. 155 Legard) was made in 1763. In 1775 letters of administration of the goods of Jacob Tonson, left unadministered by Richard Tonson, were granted to William Baker, esq. (M.P. for Hertfordshire), and in 1823, Baker having failed to administer, letters of administration were granted to Joseph Rogers.

(d. 1772), the third Jacob Tonson's brother, who took little part in the concerns of the business, lived at Water Oakley, near Windsor, where he built a room for the Kit-Cat portraits. His benevolenceand hospitality made him popular, and in 1747 he was elected M.P. for Wallingford,and in 1768 M.P. for New Windsor. In some correspondence with the Duke of Newcastle in 1767, the duke spoke of his old friendship with Richard Tonson, 'the heir of one I honoured and loved, and have passed many most agreeable hours with' (Addit. MS. 32986, ff. 116, 128, 361, 393, 407). Richard Tonson died on 9 Oct. 1772 (Gent. Mag. xlii. 496).