on a detail of each faculty of learning Mr. Geery is master of, and therefore take his character in shorthand. The Philosopher is acute, ingenious, and subtle; the Divine curious, orthodox, and profound; the Man of a majestic air, without austerity or sourness; his aspect is masterly and great, yet not imperious or haughty. The Christian is devout, without moroseness, or starts of holy frenzy and enthusiasm; the Preacher is primitive, without the accessional colours of whining or cant; and methodical without intricacy or affectation; and, which crowns his character, he is a man of a public spirit, zealous for the conversion of the Indians, and of great hospitality to strangers. He gave us a noble dinner, and entertained us with such pleasant fruits as, I must own, Old England is a stranger to."-In a ramble to Ipswich he had an opportunity of seeing much of the customs of the Indians.

In the autumn he returned to London; and, being received by his wife and her father with all the marks of kindness and respect, expected nothing but a golden life of it for the future, though all his satisfactions were soon withered; for, being deeply entangled for a sister-in-law, he was not suffered to step over the threshold in ten months. Wearied with this confinement, he determined to take a trip to Holland, Flanders, Germany, &c.; and stayed four months at Amsterdam; whence he travelled to Cleves, Rhineberg, Dussledorp, Cologne, Mentz, &c.; and, returning through Rotterdam to London, Nov. 15, 1688, found his wife in health, and all her affairs in peace. On the day the Prince of Orange came to London, he again opened shop, at the Black Raven, opposite the Poultry Compter, where he traded ten years, with variety of successes and disappointments. The following books, among many others, may serve to give a taste of what he was engaged in: "Heads of Agreement, assented to by the United Ministers."-"The Morning Exercises, published by the London Ministers.""Malebranche's Search after Truth, which was made

English

English by Mr. Sault."-" Mr. Coke's Detection of the Court and State of England."-" The Works of the Lord Delamere, published by Consent of the Earl of Warrington." "" Dr. Burthogg's Essay on Reason, and the Nature of Spirits; dedicated to Mr. Locke."-" The Tigurine Liturgy; published by the Approbation of Six learned Prelates.""Bishop Barlow's Remains; published from his Lordship's original Papers, by Sir Peter Pet, Knight."

"The Life of the Reverend Mr. Thomas Brand.""The Life and Death of the Reverend Mr. John Elliot, who first preached the Gospel to the Indians in America."-"The Bloody Assizes, which contain the Trials and Dying Speeches of those that died in the West."-"Sermons on the whole Parable of Dives and Lazarus, by Joseph Stephens, Lecturer of Cripplegate and Lothbury Churches."-" The Tragedies of Sin, by Mr. Jay, Rector of Chinner.""Mr. Williams's Gospel Truth."-" Machenzye's Narrative of the Siege of Derry."-" Mr. Boyse's Answer to Bishop King."-" Mr. Shower's Mourners Companion.""—" Mr. Roger's Practical Discourses."

"Poems, written by Madam Singer, the Pindarick Lady."—" Mr. Baxter's Life."—" The History of the Edict at Nantes, translated by several Hands."-" It was a wonderful pleasure," he says, "to Queen Mary to see this History made English, and was the only book to which she ever granted her Royal Licence."

Of 600 books which he had printed, he had only to repent, he adds, of seven: "The second Spira," "The Post-boy robbed of his Mail," "The Voyage round the World," "The new Quevedo," "The Pastor's Legacy," "Heavenly Pastime," "The Hue and Cry after Conscience." These he heartily wished he had never seen, and advised all who had them to burn them. After confessing his errors in printing, he says, "As to bookselling and traffick, I dare stand the test, with the same allowance that every man under the same circumstance with me would wish to have, for the whole trading part of my life. Nay, I challenge all the Booksellers in

London

London to prove I ever over-reached them or deceived them in any one instance. And when you come to that part of my life that relates to the Auctions I made in Dublin, you will find that in all the notes I made for Dublin, that I put the same price to every man. And would any Bookseller be at the pains to compare all my notes together (though I exchanged with all the trade), for every penny he finds charged more to himself than to other men, he shall have ten pounds reward, and a thousand thanks into the bargain, for rectifying a mistake I never designed."-In 1692, having been " put in possession of a considerable estate upon the decease of my cousin Carter, the Master and Assistants of the Company of Stationers began to think me sufficient to wear a Livery, and honoured me with the cloathing. My Livery-fine upon that occasion was twenty pounds, which I paid; and the year following, Mr. Harris (my old friend and partner), and about fifty more of the Livery-men, entered into a Friendly Society, and obliged ourselves to pay twenty shillings a man yearly to the Renter-warden, in regard that honour was usually once a year attended with a costly entertainment to the whole Company.

"The first year I wore the Livery, Sir William Ashhurst being then Lord Mayor, I was invited by our Master and Wardens to dine with his Lordship. We went in a body from the Poultry church to Grocers-hall; where the entertainment was very generous, and a noble spoon he sent to our wives. To speak the truth, I do not think Sir William Ashhurst ever acted a little or a mean thing in his whole life. The world now smiled on me. I sailed with wind and tide; and had humble servants enough among the Booksellers, Stationers, Printers, and Binders; but especially my own relations, on every side, were all upon the very height of love and tenderness, and I was caressed almost out of my five senses.-And now, making a considerable figure in the Company of Stationers, the Right Hon. the Earl of Warrington did me the honour to send VOL. V.

F

me

me a letter (the original of which I have still by me) in behalf of Mr. Humphreys, desiring all the interest I could make, to procure him the Clerk's place to the Company of Stationers. Upon my reading the Earl's letter, I did all that lay in my power to get Mr. Humphreys chosen Clerk, though by the majority of voices it was carried against him. However, the many civilities I received from the Company of Stationers, for the fifteen years I traded amongst them, do oblige me, out of mere gratitude, to draw the character of the most eminent of that profession in the three kingdoms." Here Mr. Dunton proceeds to characterize the principal Booksellers, Printers, Stationers, Bookbinders, &c. who were his contemporaries (as in a former part of the volume he had the several Authors with whom he had been connected in trade); several of whom have already been mentioned in the present work, and others shall be noticed in future pages.

In delineating the characters of others, Mr. Dunton has not forgot to describe his own Projects ; "for I have been sufficiently convinced," he says, "that unless a man can either think or perform something out of the old beaten road, he will find nothing but what his forefathers have found before him. A Bookseller, if he is a man of any capacity and observation, can tell best what to go upon, and what has the best prospect of success. I remember Mr. Andrews, a learned and ingenious Scotsman of this age, has offered me several translations, and told me they would certainly sell; the substance of the book was so and so, and could not miss. He added, I had printed more than any other, and yet none had printed less. This was sharp enough, I confess; however, it is a difficult matter to attack a man in his own science. I have, it is true, been very plentifully loaded with the imputation of Maggots, &c. And what is the reason? Why, because

have usually started something that was new; whilst others, like footpads, ply only about the high-roads, and either abridge another man's book,

or

or one way or other contrived the very life and soul out of the copy, which perhaps was the only subsistence of the first Proprietor. I once printed a book, I remember, under the title of Maggots*; but it was written by a Dignitary of the Church of England. However, I am willing to submit myself, and to stand or fall by the impartial judgment of the Reader. My first Project was the Athenian Gazette.' As the Athenian Society had their first meeting in my brain-so it has been kept ever since religiously secret: but I will now oblige the Reader with a true discovery of the Question-project, and of the several persons that engaged in it.

"I had received a very flaming injury, which was so loaded with aggravations, that I could scarce get over it; my thoughts were constantly working upon it, and made me strangely uneasy: sometimes I thought to make application to some Divine, but how to conceal myself and the ungrateful wretch, was the difficulty. Whilst this perplexity remained upon me, I was one day walking over St. George's-fields, and Mr. Larkin and Mr. Harris were along with me, and on a sudden I made a stop, and said, 'Well, Sirs,' I have a thought I'll not exchange for fifty guineas! They smiled, and were very urgent with me to discover it; but they could not get it from me. The first rude hint of it, was no more than a confused idea of concealing the Querist, and answering his question. However, so soon as I came home, I managed it to some better purpose, brought it into forin, and hammered out a title for it, which happened to be extremely lucky, and those who are well acquainted with the Grecian History may discover some peculiar beauties in it. However, the honest Reader that knows nothing of criticism may see the reason why this Project was intituled the Athenian Gazette,' if

*

"Maggots; or, Poems on several Subjects never before. handled. 1685. 8vo; with the portrait of the Author (Samuel Wesley); a maggot on his forehead. See more particulars relating to this publication (which is anonymous) in Granger, vol. IV. Svo. p.

329.