following memorandum preserved in a copy of Mr. Nelson's Life of Bp. Bull*, sold out of the Piercefield library in 1795: "Some of these Works were burnt in the fire, that destroyed Mr. Bowyer's printing-house, at four o'clock, Jan. 30, 1712; and particularly a sheet written to be added to it by Dr. Hickes, which he was too infirm to write again.-There were also destroyed XII of Mr. Jonathan Davison's Sermons, ten of which were printed under the care of Mr. Doughty. Also, a new edition of Sir Roger L'Estrange's Josephus, in three volumes, 8vo, printed with a fine Elzevir letter never used before; two volumes were finished, all the paper for the third was burnt, which cost 150l. The fifteenth volume of Rymer's Fœderat.-Thoresby's Ducatus Leodiensis §.-An old Book of Monarchy, - * "Besides the Life of Bp. Bull, which was all burnt, there were 1000 copies of one whole gathering (18 sheets) of the Works of Bp. Bull also burnt; for which I bought paper, and reprinted the said 18 sheets, to make good the number. And whereas Richard Smith, proprietor of the paper mentioned in the annexed accompt to be burnt [to the amount of 1361. 11s.] did, on the 6th of February, 1712, sign and execute a paper of release to discharge W. Bowyer from making him any satisfaction for the said paper burnt, nevertheless the said W. Bowyer hath discharged off the said Mr. Smith's accompt the entire dividend of 5s. 44d. in the pound, what the other sufferers have received." W. B. + Probably Jonathan Davison, B. D. of St. John's college, Cambridge. These Sermons were irrecoverably lost. So violent were the flames, that immense torrents of melted types poured down from the upper rooms in all directions. I have a small lump of metal, dug out of the ruins; which, by having been compressed between two solid substances, exhibits on its opposite sides an impression of a few lines of this volume of Rymer in creux and relievo. See Mr. Edward Rowe-More's "Dissertation on Typographical Founders," &c. pp. 67, 97. § Of this work there appears from an accompt-book to have been about 50 sheets worked-off. It was re-printed at some other press, without any notice of the delay that had been occasioned by the loss of so considerable a part of the work, and intituled, "Ducatus Leodiensis; or the Topography of the antient and populous Town and Parish of Leedes, and Parts adjacent, in the West Riding of the County of York, with Pedigrees of many of the Nobility and Gentry, and other matters relating to those Parts; ex tracted by Mr. Fortescue* of the Temple, in Saxon, with notes upon it, printed on an extraordinary paper. Mr. Howel's copy of his third volume of his Synopsis Canonum; and several other books." The following authentic papers are a proof of the general benevolence of that age, and will shew the very high opinion that was entertained of Mr. Bowyer by his contemporaries. "To the Right Honourable Sir Samuel Stannier, Knt. Lord Mayor of the City of London, and to the Worshipful the Court of Aldermen ; "The humble Petition of William Bowyer, of the Precinct of White Fryars, within the City of London, printer, most humbly sheweth, tracted from Records, original Evidences, and Manuscripts. By Ralph Thoresby, F. R. S. To which is added, at the Request of several learned Persons, a Catalogue of his Museum, with the Curiosities natural and artificial, and the Antiquities, particularly the Roman, British, Saxon, Danish, Norman, and Scotch Coins, with modern Medals. Also a Catalogue of Manuscripts; the various Editions of the Bible, and of Books published in the Infancy of the Art of Printing. With an Account of some unusual Accidents that have attended some Persons, attempted after the Method of Dr. Plot. London, printed for Maurice Atkins; and sold by Edward Nutt, at the Middle Temple Gate in Fleet-street. 1715." In some copies, instead of "Edward Nutt," there is the name of " Henry Clements, at the Half Moon in St. Paul's Church-yard," Two Dedications, one to the Marquis of Carmarthen, the other to the Mayor, Recorder, and Aldermen of Leedes, are dated July 30, 1714. * This was a work of Sir John Fortescue, intituled, “The Difference between an absolute and limited Monarchy, as it more particularly regards the English Constitution: being a Treatise written by Sir John Fortescue, knt. lord chief justice, and lord high chancellor of England, under King Henry VI. Faithfully transcribed from the manuscript Copy in the Bodleian Library, and collated with three other Manuscripts. Only eight sheets of it had been printed; but it was again put to the press, and completed with some remarks by John Fortescue-Aland, of the Inner Temple, esq. F. R. S. 1714; 8vo; with a Dedication to Lord Chief Justice Parker. There is a manuscript of this work in the Cotton library, in the title of which it is said to be addressed to Henry VI. but many passages in it shew it to have been plainly written in favour of, and for the service of, Edward IV. A second edition, with amendments, was published in 1719, 9vo; and will be noticed under that year. "That "That on the 30th of January, 1712, there happened a dreadful and sudden fire in the nighttime, which not only burnt down to the ground the dwelling-house of your Petitioner, and demolished and damaged others adjoining to the same, but also consumed all the household goods, apparel, books of accompts, wares, stock in trade, printingpresses, and other utensils of his profession, together with several hundred reams of paper bought and prepared for printing, and great numbers of divers and sundry books, and parts of books, printing and printed, as appears by the oath of your Petitioner and others. That the whole loss, upon a moderate computation, amounts unto the sum of 51461. and upwards. "That your Petitioner and family (who before this sad accident happened lived in a reputable manner, and had acquired a considerable substance, and were helpful to others) are now reduced to extreme want and poverty, and not able to support himself and family without the charity of her Majesty's loving subjects. Your Petitioner therefore humbly prays your "To the Right Honourable Simon Lord Harcourt, May it please your Lordship, "We whose names are hereunto subscribed, being the Mayor, Aldermen, and Justices of the Peace, of 1 of the City of London, and other inhabitants of the said City, do humbly certify your Lordship*, That it hath been made appear to us, upon the humble petition of William Bowyer, of the precinct of White Fryars, within the City of London, printer, That, on the 30th of January, in the year of our Lord 1712, there happened a dreadful and sudden fire in the night-time, by accident unknown, which, by reason of the suddenness and violence thereof, forced the said William Bowyer, with his wife and children, to fly for their lives out of their beds, with only such a small part of their common wearing apparel as could on the sudden be taken with them, though not sufficient to cover them; leaving a gentleman of their family behind, who perished in the flames, and was burnt to ashes: and in a very short time the said fire not only burnt down to the ground the dwelling-house of the said William Bowyer, and demolished and damaged others next the same, amounting to the value of 802l. 158. 7d. as appears by the oaths of George Quick and Edward Bayley, creditable and substantial workmen, but also totally consumed all the household goods, apparel, books of accompts, wares, stock in trade, printing-presses, types, and other the utensils of his profession, together with several hundred reams of paper bought and prepared for printing, and a great number of divers and sundry books and parts of books, printing and printed, to the value of 4344l. 2s. 5d. or thereabouts, as appears upon the oath of the said sufferer; so that the whole loss, upon a moderate computation, amounts The form of this petition was taken from an earlier one (of which I have a copy in MS.) to Lord Chancellor Cowper, by which it appears, that on the 9th of February, 1707-8, there was so dreadful a fire in the parishes of St. Clement Danes and St. Martin in the Fields, as to burn down 36 houses, and demolish 14 others, to the impoverishment of 100 families, who lost 17,880l. 58. 6d. † Mr. Charles Cock; ring with this motto, 1712, agé 76." for whom Mr. Bowyer had a mourningC. C. passé par Feu au Ciel, 30 Jan. to to the sum of 5146l. 18s.* That the said poor sufferer, before this sad calamity, had acquired considerable substance, and lived in a creditable manner, but is now reduced to extreme want and poverty, and not able to support himself and family without the relief of her Majesty's loving subjects. We therefore recommend the premisses to your Lordship's charitable consideration, to the end your Lordship will be pleased to grant unto the said poor sufferer Her Majesty's most gracious letters patent, licence, and protection, under the great seal of Great Britain, for a collection of charity, for the relief of the said poor sufferer and his family, as to your Lordship shall seem meet. Given under our hands, this 6th day of March, 1713." A brief was accordingly granted; of which the clear amount was 15147. 138. 44d.: from which Mr. Bowyer received 13771. 98. 4d. being a dividend of 5s. 44d. in the pound on his own proportion of the whole loss. The remainder (136l. 148. od.) he thought it his bounden duty to divide amongst the other sufferers. The following paper was in the mean time circulating among his private friends; among whom Mr. Bowyer always held himself particularly under obligations to Mr. Timothy Goodwin, an eminent * The particulars here stated were verified upon oath by Mr. Bowyer; who thus concludes: "And this deponent doth verily believe this to be so moderate a computation, that it is rather much less than the true value of the whole loss, than in any wise to exceed the same. WILLIAM BOWYER." +" Mr. Timothy Goodwin published Dr. Welwood's "History of an Hundred Years." "He is esteemed a very honest man; and what he engages upon is either very useful or very curious. Mr. William Rogers, Mr. Harris, and myself, were once partners with him in publishing some Dying Speeches; and I observed a more than ordinary openness and justness in his dealings. He is very exact and punctual in trade. He is Dr. Sherlock's Bookseller, and printed Abp. Tillotson's Works, in conjunction with Mr. Ailmer." Dunton, Life and Errors, p. 284.Mr. Goodwin was joint Printer of the "Votes of the House of Commons," from 1694 till his death in 1720. book |