Shadows of the Old Booksellers |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
acquaintance Addison amongst Andrew Millar Anecdotes appear Barn Elms Bible Boswell Cadell called catalogue Cave century Chapter character Charles Clarissa coffee-house common copies Curll described Dodsley Dryden Dunciad early edition Edmund Curll eminent England English famous father fortune genius Goldsmith guineas History honour hundred Jacob Tonson John Dunton John Newbery Johnson Kit-Cat Club Kit-Cat portraits knowledge labour Lackington ladies learning letter Lintott literary literature Little Britain London looked Lord master ment Millar never Newbery Nichols novel old booksellers paper Paul Whitehead Paul's Churchyard period poem poet poor Pope pounds printed printer profit published Ralph Griffiths reputation Review Richardson Robert Dodsley Samuel Richardson says scarcely seller selling shadow shillings Society sold Strahan Street success taste Thomas Gent Thomas Guy tion told town trade translation volume write written wrote young
Popular passages
Page 244 - I perceived that he had already changed my guinea, and had got a bottle of madeira and a glass before him. I put the cork into the bottle, desired he would be calm, and began to talk to him of the means by which he might be extricated. He then told me that he had a novel ready for the press, which he produced to me.
Page 107 - now you talk of translators, what is your method of managing them ? ' ' Sir,' replied he, ' these are the saddest pack of rogues in the world : in a hungry fit, they'll swear they understand all the languages in the universe. I have known one of them take down a Greek book upon my counter and cry, "Ah, this is Hebrew, and must read it from the latter end.
Page 121 - On the day the book was first vended, a crowd of authors besieged the shop ; entreaties, advices, threats of law and battery, nay cries of treason, were all employed to hinder the coming out of the " Dunciad ; " on the other side, the booksellers and hawkers made as great efforts to procure it.
Page 205 - Is not a Patron, my Lord, one who looks with unconcern on a man struggling for life in the water, and when he has reached ground, encumbers him with help...
Page 107 - Now damn them ! what if they should put it into the newspaper, how you and I went together to Oxford ? what would I care ? If I should go down into Sussex, they would say I was gone to the Speaker. But what of that ? If my son were but big enough to go on with the business, by G — d I would keep as good company as old Jacob.
Page 72 - Ridotta sips and dances, till she see The doubling lustres dance as fast as she; F— loves the senate, Hockley-hole his brother, Like in all else, as one egg to another.
Page 104 - Durfey's, who is your only poet of tolerable reputation in this country. He makes all the merriment in our entertainments, and but for him, there would be so miserable a dearth of catches, that, I fear, they would put either the parson or me upon making some for 'em. Any man, of any quality, is heartily welcome to the best toping table of our gentry, who can roar out some rhapsodies of his works...
Page 74 - Kit-Cat, A club that gave direction to the State ; 'Twas there we first instructed all our youth To talk profane and laugh at sacred truth ; We taught them how to boast, and rhyme, and bite, To sleep away the day, and drink away the night.
Page 133 - It is by no means a short book, but they fairly listened to it all. " At length, when the happy turn of fortune arrived, which brings the hero and heroine together, and sets them living long and happily, according to the most approved rules, the congregation were so delighted as to raise a great shout, and, procuring the church keys, actually set the parish bells ringing.
Page 308 - They crack their brains to find out selling subjects and keep hirelings in garrets, at hard meat, to write and correct by the great; and so puff up an octavo to a sufficient thickness; and there is six shillings current for an hour and a half's reading, and perhaps never to be read or looked upon after.