Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 10.djvu/7

 US. X. JCLY4, 1914.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

1

LONDON, SATURDAY, JULY /, 101!,.

CONTENTS. No. 236.

NOTES : A Bibliography of Thomas Holcroft, 1 John Webster a Contributor to Sir Thomas Overburys ' Character^,' 3 George Ballard's 'History of Susannah, 6-The Wearing of the Oak -Court Leet : Manor Court A Shipwreck : Tristan de Acunha, 7 Wala of ' Widsith and Valliaricfe Insulre, 8 -Bruce: Freeman: Parry: Pyke "Cob": "Eyrer,"9

OUKRIES : George Bubb Dodington, Lord Melcouibe Whitfleld, 9 Authors of Quotations Wanted Adye Baldwin of Slough Palm the Bookseller, shot by Napoleon Oriental Names mentioned by Oray Wanless, 10 Marsack- Action of Vinegar on Bocks John Tekell of Spitalflelds " Dunnage " : " Busshewale "Publication of Banns : Curious Phrases Stevens, 11 Chilean Views Orlebar Semaphore Signalling Stations- Wills at St. Paul's, 12.

REPLIES : Sir Gregory Norton, the Regicide, and his Son Sir Henry, 12 Chapel-house, 13-Tippoo Sahib's Stick" Blizar'd " as a Surname Missionary Ship Duff- Alexander Strahan, 14 -Henry Hase The "Flash" of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers" Among the blind the one- yed man is king "" Corvicer "Books on Chelsea, 15 Sir Jacob Adolphus "Titmarsh " in an Alleged Poem by Tennyson Nell Gwyn : Rose Gwyn John Swinfen, 16 'The Broad Arrow " " Blandandered "Lombard Street

Privy Councillors Elfou West Indian Families Rawdon Family, 18.

NOTES ON BOOKS : Shaftesbury's 'Second Characters' 'Comment and Criticism '' Charles Dickens in Chan- cery _ The Social Guide' Reviews and Magazines.

Notice? to Correspondents.

A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THOMAS HOLCROFT.

As basis for a work on which I am engaged, to take the form of a critical biography of Thomas Holcroft (1745-1809), I have drawn up the following tentative Bibliography. Holcroft was a very active man. From the time he came up to London, he alternately played the role of novelist, journalist, poet, critic, translator, dramatist, adapter, and editor. Many of his works were published anonymously, some were acted tinder the names of others, and, taking everything into consideration, the bibliographical pro- blems have been very numerous. I do not presume to have settled them all, but I do believe that I have disposed of a few. My purpose in publishing at this time is that I may avail myself of suggestions, additions, correction^, and objections from my readers. Any such will be more than welcome. I should like to hear of the existence of any of

the Holcroft manuscripts. May I ask readers of ' N. & Q.' to communicate to me any variations, in copies of books which they possess, from the form noted here ? It is only by such critical comments that I may render my Bibliography complete.

There is one problem which deserves a little consideration. In many instances I have discovered copies marked on the title- pages as " second " or " third " or " fourth " editions which corresponded in letterpress to the first editions. Careful comparison and application of the broken-letter test to each signature revealed an amazing and complete similarity. The question then arises if the publisher did not attempt to deceive the public. When an edition was not selling, did he not print new title-pages marked " Second Edition," &c., in an at- tempt to inveigle people into buying what appeared to be a good seller, but what was really a drug on the market ? And when, as in the case of the ' Letter to William Windham,' there are several variant copies of a first edition, is it not possible that care- lessness, or lack of time, prevented change in the title-page, and that what I have marked as merely a form (I. 4) of the first edition was really the bona fide second edition ; the " second edition " really a " third " ; and the " third " really a " fourth " ? Such schemes for disposing of books and such strange variations have appeared, and probably will ever appear as long as publishers are desirous of profit, and printers dilatory and undependable. Such lack of consistency may indicate the freedom of the press, but it certainly is the vexation of the bibliographer.

In the case of Holcroft, however, when we find a " second edition," though printed from the same stand of type, I shall assume it a true second edition. I have looked into all cases very carefully, and have found a certain regularity in the agreement of later impressions with earlier. But if we stand aside and look at the broad aspect, and not with face to the page, we shall find that the plays damned on representation which naturally would not have sold well and would have been the most likely victims of falsification had usually but one edition, and that those which had marked success on the stage are the ones indicated as running into several editions. This seems to imply a faithfulness to the fact a faith- fulness, by the way, thoroughly consonant with Holcroft's characteristic stand for truth, honesty, and straightforwardness. James Boaden, in his ' Memoirs of Mrs.