, an eminent bookseller, who began business at Leyden about the year
, an eminent bookseller, who began
business at Leyden about the year 1682, and devoted his
attention principally to geographical works and the construction of maps. A catalogue appeared at Amsterdam in
1729 of his publications, which are very numerous. Those
in highest esteem are: 1. “A collection of Travels in
France, Italy, England, Holland, and Russia,
” Leyden,
A collection of Voyages in
the two Indies,
” Leyden, A collection of Voyages in the Indies by the Portuguese, the English, the French, and the Italians,
” 4 vols.
fol. Leyden. These three works are in Dutch. 4. An
“Atlas of two hundred Maps,
” not in much estimation.
5. “A Gallery of the World,
” containing an immense
quantity of maps, topographical and historical plates, but
without letter-press, in 66 vols. fol. which are usually
bound in 35. He also continued Graevius’ “Thesaurus,
”
or, an account of the modern Italian writers, with the
“Thesaurus Antiquitatum Siciliæ.
” He died about
, an eminent bookseller at Paris, is well known to the learned throughout
, an eminent bookseller at
Paris, is well known to the learned throughout Europe for
the able assistance he has afforded to the study of bibliography. Of his personal history very little is related by
his countrymen, unless that he was a man of high character
in trade; and, as appears from his works, more intimately
acquainted with the history of books and editions than perhaps any man of his time in any country. He died July
15, 1782. He first published his “Museum Typographicum,
” Paris, Bibliographic Instructive,
” Essay upon Bibliography.
” The merits of this work are universally acknowledged. The abbe Rive having attacked this work with
considerable asperity, De Bure replied in “Appel aux Savans,
” Reponse a une Critique de la
Bibliographic Instructive,
”
, an eminent bookseller, and a striking instance of the effects of
, an eminent bookseller, and a
striking instance of the effects of a strong understanding
united with industry and integrity, was born in Wine-street,
Bristol, on the 27th of October, 1742, O. S. After being
educated in his native city, he was apprenticed, in 1758,
to Mr. Andrew Millar, at that time at the head of his profession in London, anil the steady patron of Thomson, Fielding, and many other celebrated writers. In Mr. Cadell
he soon discovered a taste for business, a love of industry,
and an understanding uncommonly acute, which embraced
all the concerns of a trade that necessarily requires more
than mere mechanical talents; and Mr. Millar being Dow
advanced in life readily admitted Mr. Cadell into partnership in 1765, and in 1767, a year before his death, relinquished the whole to him. Mr. Cadell thus became, at a
very early period, at the head of his profession, and by
associating with himself the late William Strahan, esq.
secured the advice and assistance of a printer of corresponding liberality and taste. Introduced at the same time
by Mr. Millar to writers of the first rank in literature, to
Johnson, Hume, Robertson, Warburton, Hurd, &c, he
pursued the same commendable track, iind acting upon
the liberal principles of his predecessor in respect to authors, enlarged upon it to an extent, which, at the same
time that it did honour to his spirit, was well suited to the
more enlightened period in which he carried on business.
In conjunction with Mr. Strahan, already noticed, and
afterwards with his son Andrew Strahan, esq. the present
member for Aldborough, munificent remunerations were
held out to writers of the most eminent talents, and, as
Dr. Johnson was accustomed to aay, “the price of literature was raised.
” The names of some of the writers whose
works were brought forward under Mr. Cadell’s auspices
have already been mentioned; nor was he less fortunate
in the judicious connexions formed, upon the most liberal
principles, with Blackstone, Burn, Henry, Gibbon, and
many others whose works are to be found in every library.
Although in success such as Mr. Cadell experienced, and
which must depend ultimately on the pleasure of the public, chance may be supposed to have some influence, yet it
is but justice to add that Mr. Cadell had acquired, by whatever means, an uncommon discernment in the value of
books, which led him with apparent facility, and almost
always with success, to predict the future fate of what was
submitted to him; and when any plan of republication was
discussed in conjunction with his brethren, we have the
testimony of some yet living, and of many now off the
stage, that no man could see more clearly than Mr. Cadell
into the disposition and bias of the reading world, or
display more judgment in every arrangement of editions, &c
calculated to gratify public taste. Hence, in his individual capacity, it was universally remarked that he gave the
largest prices for the most successful works, and that at a
time when their success could be only in his own contemplation; and when that success seemed to be delayed beyond all reasonable hope, even in such cases the final
issue justified his original opinion, and proved that he had
formed it upon substantial grounds.
ut the year 1759 or 1760, he wrote a poem of some length, entitled “The Bard,” which was rejected by an eminent bookseller, perhaps justly, as the author did not publish
At what period he made the first experiment of his poetical talents is not known. He had, in conjunction with
Lloyd, the care of the poetical department in the “The
Library,
” a kind of magazine, of which Dr. Kippis was
editor, and he probably wrote some small pieces in that
work, but they cannot now be distinguished. About the
year 1759 or 1760, he wrote a poem of some length, entitled “The Bard,
” which was rejected by an eminent
bookseller, perhaps justly, as the author did not publish it
afterwards, when it might have had the protection of his
name. He wrote also “The Conclave,
” a satire levelled
at the dean and chapter of Westminster, which his friends
prevailed upon him to suppress. Thus disappointed in
his first two productions, his constant attendance at the
theatres suggested a third, levelled at the players. This
was his celebrated “Hosciad,
” in which the professional
characters of the performers of Drury Lane and Co vent
Garden theatres were examined with a severity, yet with
an acuteness of criticism, and easy flow of humour and
sarcasm, which rendered what he probably considered as a
temporary trifle, a publication of uncommon popularity;
He had, however, so little encouragement in bringing this
poem forward, that five guineas were refused as the price
he valued it at; and he printed it at his own risk when he
had scarcely ready money enough to pay for the necessary
advertisements. It was published in March 1761, and its
sale exceeded all expectation, but as his name did not
appear to the first edition, and Lloyd had not long before
published “The Actor,
” a poem on the same subject, the
Rosciad was generally supposed to be the production of
the same writer; while, by others, it was attributed to
those confederate wits, Colman and Thornton. Churchill,
however, soon avowed a poem which promised so much
fame and profit, and as it had been not only severely
handled in the Critical Review, but positively attributed to
another pen, he published “The Apology: addressed to
the Critical Reviewers,
”
79, he eent another book, entitled “Behemoth, or, A History of the Civil Wars from 1640 to 1660,” to an eminent bookseller, with a letter setting forth the reasons
Such were his occupations till 1660, when upon the king’s
restoration he quitted the country, and came up to London.
He was at Salisbury-house with his patron, when the king
passing by one day accidentally saw him. He sent for
him, gave Kim his hand to kiss, inquired kindly after his
health and circumstances; and some time after directed
Cooper, the celebrated miniature-painter, to take his portrait. His majesty likewise afforded him another private
audience, spoke to him very kindly, assured him of his
protection, and settled a pension upon him of lOOl. per
annum out of his privy purse. Yet this did not render
him entirely safe; for, in 1666, his “Leviathan,
” and
treatise “De Give,
” were censured by parliament, which
alarmed him much; as did also the bringing of a bill into
the Hou^e of commons to punish atheism and profaneness.
When this-stonn was a little blown over, he began to think
of procuring a beautiful edition of his pieces that were in
Latin; but finding this impracticable in England, he
caused it to be undertaken abroad, where they were published in 1668, 4to, from the press of John Bleau. In
1669, he was visited by Cosmo de Medicis, then prince,
afterwards duke of Tuscany, who gave him ample marks
of his esteem; and having received his picture, and a complete collection of his writings, caused them to be deposited, the former among his curiosities, the latter in his
library at Florence. Similar visits he received from several
foreign ambassadors, and other strangers of distinction;
who were curious to see a person, whose singular opinions
and numerous writings had made so much noise all over
Europe. In 1672, he wrote his own Life in Latin verse,
when, as he observes, he had completed his eighty-fourth
year: and, in 1674, he published in English verse four
books of Homer’s “Odyssey,
” which were so well received, that it encouraged him to undertake the whole
“Iliad
” and “Odyssey,
” which he likewise performed,
and published in De Mirabilibus Pecci, or, Of the
Wonders of the Peak.
” But his poetry is below criticism,
and has been long exploded. In 1674, he took his leave
of London, and went to spend the remainder of his days
in Derbyshire; where, however, he did not remain inactive, notwithstanding his advanced age, but published
from time to time several pieces to be found in the collection of his works, namely, in 1676, his “Dispute with
Laney bishop of Ely, concerning Liberty and. Necessity;
”
in Decameron Physiologicum, or, Ten Dialogues of Natural Philosophy;
” to which he added a book,
entitled “A Dialogue between a Philosopher and a Student of the Common Law of England.
” June Behemoth, or, A History of
the Civil Wars from 1640 to 1660,
” to an eminent bookseller, with a letter setting forth the reasons for his communication of it, as well as for the request he then made,
that he would not publish it till a proper occasion offered.
The book, however, was published as soon as he was dead,
and the letter along with it; of which we shall give a curious extract: “I would fain have published my Dialogue of the Civil Wars of England long ago, and to that
end I presented it to his majesty; and some days after,
vrhen I thought he had read it, I humbly besought him to
let me print it. But his majesty, though he heard me graciously, yet he flatly refused to have it published: therefore I brought away the book, and gave you leave to take
a copy of it; which when you had done, I gave the original to an honourable and learned friend, who about a.
year after died. The king knows better, and is more
concerned in publishing of books than lam; and therefore
I dare not venture to appear in the business, lest I should
offend him. Therefore I pray you not to meddle in the
business. Rather than to be thought any way to further
or countenance the printing, I would be content to lose
twenty times the value of what you can expect to gain by
it. I pray do not take it ill; it may be I may live to send
you somewhat else as vendible as that, and without offence.
J am, &c.
” However he did not live to send his bookseller any thing more, this being his last piece. It is in
dialogue, and full of paradoxes, like all his other writings.
More philosophical, political, says Warburton, or any thing
rather than historical, yet full of shrewd observations. In
October following, he was afflicted with a suppression of
urine; and his physician plainly told him, that he had
little hopes of curing him. In November, the earl of Devonshire removing from Chatsvvorth to another seat called
Hardwick, Hobbes obstinately persisted in desiring that he
might be carried too, though this could no way be done
but by laying him upon a feather-bed. He was not much
discomposed with his journey, yet within a week after
lost, by a stroke of the palsy, the use of his speech, and
of his right side entirely; in which condition he remained
for some days, taking little nourishment, and sleeping
much, sometimes endeavouring to speak, but not being
able. He died Dec. 4, 1679, in his ninety-second year.
Wood tells us, that after his physician gave him no hopes
of a cure, he said, “Then I shall be glad to find a hole to
creep out of the world at.
” He observes also, that his not
desiring a minister, to receive the sacrament before he
died, ought in charity to be imputed to his being so suddenly seized, and afterwards deprived of his senses; the
rather, because the earl of Devonshire’s chaplain declared,
that within the two last years of his life he had often received the sacrament from his hands with seeming devotion.
His character and manners are thus described by Dr.
White Kennet, in his “Memoirs of the Cavendish Family;
”
“The earl of Devonshire,
” says he, “for his whole life
entertained Mr. Hobbes in his family, as his old tutor
rather than as his friend or confidant. He let him live
under his roof in ease and plenty, and in his own way,
without making use of him in any public, or so much as
domestic affairs. He would often express an abhorrence
of some of his principles in policy and religion; and both
he and his lady would frequently put off the mention of
his name, and say, ‘ he was a humourist, and nobody could
account for him.’ There is a tradition in the family of the
manners and customs of Mr. Hobbes somewhat observable.
His professed rule of health was to dedicate the morning
to his exercise, and the afternoon to his studies. At his
first rising, therefore, he walked out, and climbed any hill
within his reach; or, if the weather was not dry, he fatigued himself within doors by some exercise or other, to
be in a sweat: recommending that practice tfpon this opinion, that an old man had more moisture than heat, and
therefore by such motion heat was to be acquired, and
moisture expelled. After this he took a comfortable
breakfast; and then went round the lodgings to wait upon
the earl, the countess, and the children, and any considerable strangers, paying some short addresses to all of them.
He kept these rounds till about twelve o‘clock, when he
had a little dinner provided for him, which he eat always
by himself without ceremony. Soon after dinner he retired to his study, and had his candle with ten or twelve
pipes of tobacco laid by him; then shutting his door, he
fell to smoaking, thinking, and writing for several hours.
He retained a friend or two at court, and especially the lord
Arlington, to protect him if occasion should require. He
used to say, that it was lawful to make use of ill instruments to do ourselves good: * If I were cast,’ says he,
‘ into a deep pit, and the devil should put down his cloven
foot, I would take hold of it to be drawn out by it.’ Towards the end of his life he had very few books, and those
he read but very little; thinking he was now able only to
digest what he had formerly fed upon. If company came
to visit him, he would be free in discourse till he was
pressed or contradicted; and then he had the infirmities
of being short and peevish, and referring to his writings
for better satisfaction. His friends, who had the liberty
of introducing strangers to him, made these terms with
them before their admission, that they should not dispute
with the old man, nor contradict him.
”
After mentioning the apprehensions Hobbes was under,
when the parliament censured his book, and the methods
he took to escape persecution, Dr. Kennet adds, “It isnot much to be doubted, that upon this occasion he began
to make a more open shew of religion and church communion. He now frequented the chapel, joined in the service, and was generally a partaker of the holy sacrament:
and whenever any strangers in conversation with him
seemed to question his belief, he would always appeal to
his conformity in divine services, and referred them to the
chaplain for a testimony of it. Others thought it a mere
compliance to the orders of the family, and observed, that
in city and country he never went to any parish church;
and even in the chapel upon Sundays, he went out after
prayers, and turned his back upon the sermon; and when
any friend asked the reason of it, he gave no other but this,
‘ they could teach him nothing, but what he knew.’ He
did not cone‘al his hatred to the clergy but it was visible
that the hatred was owing to his fear of their civil interest
and power. He had often a jealousy, that the bishops
would burn him: and of all the bench he was most afraid
of the bishop of Sarum, because he had most offended him;
thinking every man’s spirit to be remembrance and revenge. After the Restoration, he watched all opportunities to ingratiate himself with the king and his prime ministers; and looked upon his pension to be more valqable,
as an earnest of favour and protection, than upon any other
account. His following course of life was to be free from
danger. He could not endure to be left in an empty
house. Whenever the earl removed, he would go along
with him, even to his last stage, from Chatsworth to Hardwick. When he was in a very weak condition, he dared
not to be left behind, but made his way upon a feather-bed
in a coach, though he survived the journey but a few days.
He could not bear any discourse of death, and seemed to
cast off all thoughts of it: he delighted to reckon upon
longer life. The winter before he died, he made a warm
coat, which he said must last him three years, and then
he would have such another. In his last sickness his frequent questions were, Whether his disease was curable?
and when intimations were given that he might have ease,
but no remedy, he used this expression, ’ I shall be glad
to find a hole to creep out of the world at;' which are reported to have been his last sensible words; and his lying.
some days following in a silent stupefaction, did seem
owing to his mind more than to his body. The only thought
of death that he appeared to entertain in time of health,
was to take care of some inscription on his grave. He
would suffer some friends to dictate an epitaph, among
which he was best pleased with this humour, * This is the
philosopher’s stone'.
” A pun very probably from the hand
which wrote for Dr. Fuller, “Here lies Fuller’s earth.
”
rth, June 4, 1661, and elected fellow soon after. His writings became so popular, that Mr. Chishull, an eminent bookseller, declared, that, for twenty years together,
During the rebellion he was suffered to enjoy the studious retirement he had chosen, although he had made
himself obnoxious, by constantly refusing to take the covenant. He saw and lamented the miseries of his country;
but, in general, Archimedes like, he was so busy in his
chamber as to mind very little what was doing without. He
had a great esteem for Des Cartes, with whom he held a
correspondence upon several points of his philosophy. He
devoted his whole life to the writing of books; and it is
certain, that his parts and learning were universally admired. On this account he was called into the Royal Society, with a view of giving reputation to it, before its
establishment by the royal charter; for which purpose he
was proposed as a candidate by Dr. Wilkins and Dr. Cudworth, June 4, 1661, and elected fellow soon after. His
writings became so popular, that Mr. Chishull, an eminent
bookseller, declared, that, for twenty years together, after
the return of Charles II. the “Mystery of Godliness,
” and
Dr. More’s other works, ruled all the booksellers in Lon-.
don; and a very remarkable testimony of their esteem was
given by John Cockshuit of the Inner Temple, esq. who,
I by his last will, left 300l. to have three of his principal
I pieces translated into Latin. These were his “Mystery
of Godliness,
” “Mystery of Iniquity,
” and his “Philosophical Collections.
” This legacy induced our author to
translate, together with these, the rest of his English works
which he thought worth printing, into that language; and
the whole collection was published in 1679, in three large
volumes, folio. In undertaking the translation himself, his
design was to appropriate Mr. Cock’shuitY legacy to the
ifounding of three scholarships in Christ’s college; but as
they could not be printed and published without consuming
the greatest part of it, he made up this loss by other donations in his life-time, and by the perpetuity of the rectory
of lngoldsby, which he left to the college by will. He
died Sept. 1, 1687, in his seventy-third year and was buried in the chapel of his college, where lie also Mr. Mede
and Dr. Cudworth, two other contemporary ornaments of
that foundation.
his father’s seat, the Bodleian library.” This son, Sackville Parker, was afterwards for many years an eminent bookseller at Oxford, and one of the four Octogenarian
It must have been as the last effort of a desperate cause
when he sent a “Discourse
” to James, persuading him to
embrace the protestant religion, with a “Letter
” to the
same purpose, which was printed at London in 1690, 4to.
His works have but few readers at this day; and Swift
observes, that “MarvelPs remarks on Parker continued to
be read when the book which occasioned them was long
ago sunk.
” He left a son of his own name, who was an
excellent scholar, and a man of singular modesty. He
never took the oaths after the revolution. He married a
bookseller’s daughter at Oxford, where he resided with a
numerous family of children to support which he published some books, particularly, 1 “An English Translation of Tully de finibus, 1702,
” 8vo, in the preface to
which he has some animadversions upon Locke’s Essay concerning Human Understanding. 2. “An abridgment of
the Ecclesiastic Histories of Eusebius, Socrates, Sozornen,
and Theotloret,
” Reverendi admodum in Christo
patris Samuelis Parkeri episcopi de rebus sui temporis commentariorum libri quatuor,
” Bibliotheca Biblica,
” printed at Oxford in 5 vols. 4to, the first
of which appeared in two parts in 1720, and the fifth in
1735, with an account of the other writings of the author,
and some particulars of his life, drawn up by Dr. Thomas
Haywood, of St. John’s college, to whom were attributed
most of the dissertations in the work. He describes it as
“being a new Comment upon the five Books of Moses,
extracted from the ancient fathers, and the most famous
critics both ancient and modern, with occasional annotations or dissertations upon particular difficulties, as they
were often called for.
” Mr. Parker died July 14, 1730,
in his fiftieth year, leaving a widow and children. The
metrical paraphrase of Leviticus xi. 13, &c. in vol. Hi.
was written by Mr. Warton, of Magdalen college, father
to the late learned brothers, Joseph and Thomas Warton;
and the “Fragment of Hyppolitus, taken out of two Arabic
Mss. in the Bodleian,
” in the fourth vol. was translated by
the late Dr. Hunt. Mr. Parker never was in orders, as he
could not reconcile his mind to the new government; but
he associated much and was highly respected by many
divines, particularly nonjurors, as Dr. Hickes, Mr. Collier,
Mr. Dodwell, Mr. Leslie, Mr. Nelson, and Dr. Grabe,
whose liberality lessened the difficulties which a very large
family occasioned. He appears to have had a place in the
Bodleian library, as Mr. Wheatly, in a letter to Dr. Rawlinson, dated Dec. 1739, says, “Sam. Parker’s son I had
heard before was apprenticed to Mr. Clements: but the
account you give me of his extraordinary proficiency is
new. If it be true also, I hope some generous patron of
learning will recall him from the bookseller’s shop, and
place him in his father’s seat, the Bodleian library.
” This
son, Sackville Parker, was afterwards for many years an
eminent bookseller at Oxford, and one of the four Octogenarian booksellers, who died in 1795 and 1796, namely,
James Fletcher, at eighty-six; Sackville Parker, at eightynine; Stephen Fletcher, at eighty -two, and Daniel Prince,
at eighty-five. They were all born at Oxford, except
James Fletcher. The present worthy bookseller, Mr. Joseph Parker, is nephew and successor to Mr. Sackville
Parker.
at whose house he died. This lady died in 1791. His surviving sons were George and John, the latter an eminent bookseller, who died in 1780. Whiston had a younger
Whiston married, in 1 69y, Ruth, the daughter of the Rev.
Mr. Antrobus, master of Tamworth-school, by whom he had
several children, three of whom survived him. The eldest
a daughter, Sarah, was married to Samuel Barker of Lyndon, in Rutlandshire, esq. at whose house he died. This
lady died in 1791. His surviving sons were George and
John, the latter an eminent bookseller, who died in 1780.
Whiston had a younger brother, the Rev. Daniel Whiston,
frequently mentioned in his “Memoirs,
” and who appears
to have entertained an equal aversion to the Athanasian
Creed. He was curate at Somersham for fifty-two years;
but his principles did not permit him to accept of any living. He died in 1759, leaving a son, the Rev. Thomas
Whiston, who died in 1795. Of this Daniel Whiston, we
have heard nothing more remarkable than that he left behind him several hundred manuscript sermons, which he
had never preached.