Sixty Years a Bookman, With Other Recollections and ReflectionsShaylor, Joseph
General
Sixty Years a Bookman, With Other Recollections and Reflections
Shaylor, Joseph
Booksellers and bookselling -- Great Britain; Shaylor, Joseph, 1844-1923
At this time "Hannay's Almanac" also had a large sale, but it only
survived a few years after the first issue of the greatly renowned
"Whitaker's Almanack," now over fifty years old. This almanac
deserves the success it has secured. No business or even private
intelligence department can afford to be without it; it practically
has no competitor, and the knowledge it contains might well be termed
universal and encyclopædic.
While speaking of Stationers' Hall and Stationers' Court, I will try
to remove an impression which suggests that the word Stationers
originated from the locality in bygone times being connected with the
paper trade. This is not so; but being so near St. Paul's Cathedral, it
was one of the _stations_ at which vendors of crosses and other wares
for religious observances had their stands or shops for the sale of
these articles; hence its origin. The following streets also derived
their names through being near or associated with St. Paul's Cathedral:
Paternoster Row, Creed Lane, Ave Maria Lane and Graces Court. In Ivy
Lane dwelt the wax-chandlers who in bygone times supplied tapers for
lighting the Cathedral.
I cannot say if religion at this period had a passion for more
excitement than at the present time, but undoubtedly there were more
books of that character sold than there are to-day. What immense sales
such books as the following had: Hall's "Come to Jesus," "Heaven Our
Home," "The Sinner's Friend," "Across the River," Beecher's "Life
Thoughts," "The Pathway of Promise," "Able to Save," Baynes' "Lyra
Anglicana," "Christ is Coming," "Letters from Hell," "The Gates Ajar,"
Oxenden's "Pathway of Safety," "The Heavenly Home," or the "Employment
and Enjoyment of the Saints in Heaven," with works by Dr. Guthrie,
Richard Weaver, Dr. Vaughan, A.K.H.B., Dr. Winslow, and books on the
coming end of the world by Dr. Cummings. In fact, one of the leading
journals of this time discussed the question as to what devotional
books were most popular, and the answer given was, "Not the 'Imitation
of Christ,'" but works telling the Christian how to make the best
of both worlds, and describing heaven as minutely as if it were a
first-class hotel, where every pleasure is provided for the elect.
Judging from the titles this would appear correct, but fortunately this
class of book has almost ceased to be, and works of a more reasonable
and literary character have taken their place.
Some years ago I wrote an article bearing upon this subject, and as I
feel that the words are as true to-day as when written, I here produce
portions from the article which deals more fully with this question.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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