CONTENTS. PAGE MINOR CORRESPONDENCE.-Wrong Division of Syllables-Baron Munchausen-Jeru- Autobiography of Sylvanus Urban. Chap. VI. CORRESPONDENCE OF SYLVANUS URBAN.-Worcestershire Manuscripts at Hagley, 64; Gresham College, 68; Milford Haven and the South Wales Railway, 69; Folk Lore, the origin of Whitstable-The Meade Family, 71; Proposed Registration of Arms, 72; The Henzey, Tyttery, and Tyzack Families, 73; Henry the Eighth's Book of the Seven Sacraments, 74; A Picture by Hogarth.. HISTORICAL AND MISCELLANEOUS REVIEWS.- Robinson's Later Biblical Re- searches in Palestine, 75; Campbell's Lives of the Lord Chancellors, 79; Wilson's Essays, 80; Jessie Cameron-Blackie's Lays and Legends of Ancient Greece, 81; The Good Old Times, 82; Reader's Ruins of Kenilworth-Dr. Antonio, 83; The Paragreens -Hutton's Memoirs-Blunt's Plain Sermons-Midland Counties Historical Collector... ANTIQUARIAN RESEARCHES.-Society of Antiquaries, 85; Archæological Institute, 87; British Archæological Association, 89; Yorkshire Philosophical Society, 91; Bedford- OBITUARY; with Memoirs of Prince Woronzoff-The Prince of Leiningen-Baron Von Hammer-Admiral Beechey, F.R.S.-Professor Hussey-William Lockhart, Esq., M.P. -Lieutenant William Rivers-Father Mathew-J. M. Rendel, Esq., F.R.S., C.E.- 23 WRONG DIVISION OF SYLLABLES. MR. URBAN,-Your correspondent W.C., in his complaint that certain words are erroneously divided in printed lines, appears to me to attend too much to their pronunciation, and too little to their derivation and composition. Instead of assuming them to be printed wrongly, I think he would do better in saying that our method of pronouncing them is incorrect. For instance, in the word "magnificent," (one of his own examples,) which is derived from the Latin magnifico, a compound of magni and facio (often separate in the older authors), it would scarcely be right to make the division after the "f," and so cut up, if I may use the expression, the component parts of the word. The same objection applies to his proposed division of the word "equivalent:" and if W. C. will take the trouble to examine the inflections of the Latin opinio he will, no doubt, be convinced that the point of division in "opinion "should be after the i, and not after the n. As for the word "consider," I believe he will find that in most good books it is divided as he wishes; but in this case it should be recollected that the syllable "sid" is the root of the word, being akin to the Greek ιδω οι ειδω. In arguments of this kind, Sir, you will doubtless bear me out in saying that it is always dangerous to trust to the mere pronunciation of a word, which in comparatively few cases exactly agrees with its orthography. To arrive at a just conclusion, we should invariably trace its origin, and then subject it to a careful analyzation. HOMUNCULUS. Cloisters, Westminster. BARON MUNCHAUSEN. MR. URBAN,-Some thirty years ago, one of the principal captains of Dolcoath Mine, in the parish of Camborne, informed me that "Baron Munchausen's Travels" had been written there, by a German, who had many years previously performed the duties of storekeeper of that mine, of which the freehold has long been in the noble family of Basset. I have lately made enquiry on the subject, of the present intelligent manager of Dolcoath; who tells me that one of the oldest of the mining captains used often to speak of the wonderful chemical experiments made in the office by Mr. Raspe, a German gentleman employed at the mine: of his literary performances, however, his informant had made no mention. JERUSALEM AND DURHAM. MR. URBAN,-In Sharp's "New Gazetteer of the British Islands," (2 vols. 8vo., 18) there is a citation from "an old writer," He who has seen Durham has seen Zion, and may save a journey to Jerusalem." This is satisfactory, as I have crossed the Tees, and am not likely to visit Palestine; but for my full assurance writer" may be, and what is the name of I should be glad to learn who that "old his work. W. E. F. KING OF JERUSALEM. MR. URBAN,-In Fuller's "Historie of the Holy Warre," (small folio, Cambridge, 1647,) p. 126, I read that "King Richard, with some of his succeeding English kings, wore the title of Jerusalem in their style for many years after;" i. e. after Coeur-deLion had bestowed the island of Cyprus on Guy de Lusignan. The authority given is "Sabell. Enn. 9. lib. v. p. 378," but the assertion is not borne out by any record that I am acquainted with. Can any of your readers inform me better on the matter? W. E. F. In my opening chapter I took a brief review of the periodical writers who were occupying public attention at the time when my name made its appearance on the title-page of the first of the MAGAZINES. The days of the Spectator and Tatler were past, but those papers still furnished the standard model for essays and criticisms on human life and manners, and repeated imitations of them arose from time to time. One of these was the Universal Spectator, which was going on in 1733, and discussing social ethics after that approved fashion. Other essayists alternated such subjects with the political questions of the day, which were more immediately within their province, in combination with the details of an ordinary newspaper. The government of Sir Robert Walpole was supported in the Daily Courant, the London Journal, and the True Briton; whilst the Craftsman and Fog's Journal vigorously urged the arguments of the Opposition. These political "leaders," to use the term of more modern days, appeared only once a week, excepting the first-named. The other daily papers, and the evening Posts, which were published only on the post-nights, three times a-week, were generally confined to the mere record and reporting of news, without note or comment. There were a very few monthly periodicals, but none of the literary and miscellaneous character which was eventually fulfilled by the GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, and prefigured in the Gentleman's Journal of Peter Motteux. Those existing in 1731 were either of the nature of historical registers or a Beside the Daily Courant, there was the Daily Post, the Daily Journal, the Daily Post-Boy, and the Daily Advertiser. These were four-the old Evening Post (Berrington's), the St. James's, the Whitehall, and the London Evening Post. The General Evening Post was commenced a year or two later. See chap. i., July, p. 6. of literary reviews. Of the former description was The Political State of Great Britain, commenced by Abel Boyer in 1710-11, and continued till 1740. At this period it had a competitor called The New Political State, commenced in 1730. There was also The Compleat History of Europe, which I have already noticed in chapter iv. (Nov., p. 533). Of the literary classd were the Historia Literaria, by Archibald Bower, commenced in 1730, and closed in 1734; and "The Monthly Catalogue; being a general Register of Books, Sermons, Plays, and Pamphlets, printed and published in London or the Universities," commenced in January, 1724-5, and merged in 1732 in The London Magazine. There were also sixpenny monthlies, entitled The Present State of the Republick of Letters, (conducted by Andrew Reid from 1728 to 1736), and Miscellaneous Observations on Authors Ancient and Modern. A Literary Journal was published quarterly. A still more memorable_contemporary was The Grub-street Journal. This was a weekly paper. Its principal authors were John Martyn, M.D., F.R.S., Professor of Botany at Cambridge, and editor of a handsome edition of Virgil's Georgics, and Richard Russel, M.A., under the designations of Bavius and Maviuse. One of its features consisted of a digest of the current news, extracted from the ordinary papers, carefully shewing any variations or discrepancies that occurred in their statements, and accompanied by witty and satirical comments. This feature was supposed to have suggested to Cave the plan of the GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, and he is said to have acknowledged the fact; but Cave is known to have cherished his scheme for more than one year before he put it into practice, and The Grub-street Journal began only one year before the GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE. If Cave sometimes pointed to that paper as his exemplar, it would be only as an argument of self-defence, when charged with wholesale piracy, and in order to justify the freedom with which we gathered our monthly bouquet-E PLURIBUS UNUM. It is admitted by the authors of The Grub-street Journals that their paper, as well as others, experienced a material diminution of readers and purchasers in proportion as those of the Magazine increased; but that for a time their proprietors cherished hopes that its success would not continue, "concluding that not only the Book-sellers who had shares in the Weekly Papers would use their utmost endeavours to hinder it, but that the Commissioners of the Stamp-office would effectually put a stop to it, by procuring the Pamphlet to be stamped.' The same writer adds, that "by the rise in the number of the Magazines, and the fall in that of the Journals, &c., it is certain that, at a moderate computation, the revenue from the duties d The New Memoirs of Literature, by Michael de la Roche, which lasted from Jan. 1724-5, to Dec. 1727, had terminated before the establishment of the Magazine. The review entitled The Works of the Learned was of subsequent date, from 1735 to 1743, and for two years bore the title of The Literary Magazine, as I have mentioned hereafter. Those signatures were used by both gentlemen, as they alternately undertook the office of "secretary" or editor. In the Memoirs of the Society of Grub-street, 2 vols. 8vo., 1738, in which the best papers were reprinted, the contributions of Martyn have the additional mark B., and those of Russel M. Those signed A. were contributed by Alexander Pope. "The Projector of this Magazine (who, having blown up so many Papers with the powder stoln from them, deserves the name of Chief Engineer of Grub-street,) has declared, that he took the first hint from our method of abridging the News."-Preface to Memoirs of the Society of Grub-street, p. xii. Memoirs of the Society of Grub-street, 1737, Preface, p. xii. on Stamps must have sunk at least £100 a-month h;" and the Commissioners are blamed for their want of vigour on this occasion. The booksellers, as in more recent questions, were divided in their councils; some of them allowing personal and individual interests to break up their combined tactics of self-defence; and we are told that, "instead of uniting their strenuous endeavours in a fair and generous opposition to this piratical Pamphlet, many, for the sake of an inconsiderable gain, sold it themselves." As the Magazine grew in demand, this was naturally more and more the case. At first, Cave had experienced no little difficulty in procuring retailers of the Magazine; and in some of his early numbers may be seen a motley list, including three ladies at the Royal Exchange, and two men that kept stalls in Westminster-hall, as follows: LONDON: Printed, and sold at St. John's Gate; by F. Jefferies in Ludgate-street, Mrs. Nutt, Mrs. Charlton, Mrs. Cook at the Royal Exchange, Mr. Batley in PaterNoster Row, Mrs. Midwinter in St. Paul's Church-Yard, A. Chapman in Pall-Mall, Mrs. Dodd, Mr. Bickerton without Temple-Bar, Mr. Crickley at Charing Cross, Mr. Stagg and Mr. King in Westminster-Hall, Mr. Williamson in Holbourn, Mr. Montague in Great Queen Street, S. Harding in St. Martin's Lane, and all unprejudic'd Booksellers in Town and Country. (July, 1732.) Cave's principal country agents were R. Raikes at Gloucester, W. Thompson at Stamford, and J. Abree at Canterburyi, old and substantial friends, with whom he had corresponded as a Post-office clerk. When the experience of a whole year had confirmed the success of the Magazine, and it was now proceeding triumphantly through its second Spring, some of the booksellers, finding that their private arts in discouraging its sale were futile, formed the resolution to oppose it by a similar publication of their own. They could scarcely have been blamed for doing this, had they proceeded in an open and straightforward course, particularly as some of them owned shares in the decimated newspapers; but, to their discredit, they endeavoured rather to supplant than to outvie the compilation of Sylvanus Urban. They closely followed his model, and even parodied his title, with the evident purpose of passing their publication off to careless customers in the place of Mr. Cave's. As his book was intituled The GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, or Monthly Intelligencerk, containing more in quantity, and greater variety, than any Book of the kind and price; so the intended substitute was called The LONDON MAGAZINE, or Gentleman's Monthly Intelligencer, containing greater variety, and more in quantity, than any monthly Book of the same price. Sylvanus Urban's motto, E PLURIBUS UNUM, they counterbalanced by MULTUM IN PARVO. They even thought it desirable that their book should appear to be printed in St. John's Street, as ours was at St. John's Gate; though Mr. Charles Ackers, whom they employed, did not work in that street, but in Swan Alley. Their own names, as set forth on the title-page of their first volume, (and they continued the same many years after,) were-J. Wilford, behind the ChapterHouse in St. Paul's Church-Yard; T. Cox, at the Lamb, under the Royal Exchange; J. Clarke, at the Golden Ball, in Duck-lane; and T. Astley, at the Rose, over against the North Door of St. Paul's. The stamp being then only one halfpenny, this estimate presumes a diminution of nearly fifty thousand papers a-month. 1 April, 1732, p. 684. k Cave's first number was called "or, Trader's Monthly Intelligencer." He soon dropped the word Trader's, and in Feb. 1732, he omitted the List of Fairs and Observations on Gardening that had been part of his original design, in order to make room for a larger account of the essays and controversies in the papers. |