A History of Booksellers, the Old and the NewCurwen, Henry
History
A History of Booksellers, the Old and the New
Curwen, Henry
Book industries and trade -- Great Britain -- History; Booksellers and bookselling -- Great Britain -- History
But, alas! when he became a master instead of a servant, and she a
mistress instead of a maid, he found her “temper much altered from
that sweet natural softness and most tender affection that rendered
her so amiable to me while I was more juvenile and she a widow. My
dear’s uncle, White, as he calls himself, who, as the only printer
in Newcastle, had heaped up riches,” was angry that he had not been
chosen to manage his niece’s shop, and actually came to York to found
a rival establishment. Gent started a paper, and, though he persevered
in its publication for many years, he was at length out-rivalled by
White. In the publication of books he was much more successful. In
1726 he printed some books “learnedly translated into English by John
Clarke, a schoolmaster in Hull,” as well as two editions of Erasmus.
But the works by which he acquired most money and reputation were
written as well as published by himself--“The Famous History of the
City of York,” “History of the Loyal Town of Ripon,” and the “History
of the Royal and Beautiful Town of Kingstown-upon-Hill.” At this time
his business is thus described by a card still existing:--“Within his
well-contrived office aforesaid printing is performed in a curious and
judicious manner, having sets of fine characters for the Greek, Latin,
English, Mathematics, &c. He sells the histories of Rome, France,
England, particularly of this ancient City, Aynsty, and extensive
County, in five volumes; likewise a book of the holy life of St.
Winnifred, and her wonderful Cambrian fountain. He has stimulated an
ingenious founder to cast such musical types, for the common press, as
never yet were exhibited; and has prepared a new edition of his York
History against the time when the few remaining copies of that first
and large impression are disposed off.” He died, however, at York in
1778, in his eighty-seventh year, in somewhat reduced circumstances,
solely, he alleges, through the animosity of his uncle White. The
manuscript of his interesting autobiography was discovered casually
in Ireland, and was published only in 1832. From its quaintness and
simplicity, above all from its minuteness of detail, it is evident
enough where the abridger of “Robinson Crusoe” borrowed his manner and
style; and the reader will probably not quarrel with us for having
given as much of the narrative as possible in the author’s own words.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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