owing to me in New England, I began to think it worth my while to make a voyage of it thither." Landing at Boston, after a voyage of four months, he consoled dear Iris by sending her sixty letters by one ship. Half of his venture in books had been cast away in the Downs. He was away nearly a year, trafficking without much profit, for he says of the inhabitants of Boston, " he that trades with them. may get promises enough, but their payments come late." He has more to tell about his platonic friendships with maids and widows, than of his dealings. with the four booksellers of Boston, to whom he was "as welcome as sour ale in summer." On his return to England he found his affairs in a bad condition, and sought to mend them by a voyage to Holland.

At this period the young bookseller's capital was evidently much wasted already, by improvident speculations, by his unstable habits, and by becoming surety for summer friends. Yet he boasts that of the six hundred books he printed during his career, he had only to repent of seven. One project was a decided success, and has associated his name with the discovery of the power of periodical publication, as applied to other subjects than news. Of The Athenian Mercury,' the first number appeared on March 17, 1690. With all his versatility, John Dunton kept on this penny tract, of a single leaf, till February, 1696, when he proposed to publish his Mercuries' in quarterly volumes. He decided upon this course, "as the coffee-houses had the Votes every day, and nine newspapers every week." He designed, however, to resume his weekly half-sheet

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"as soon as the glut of news is a little over." In 1696 William III., after his glorious campaign, had to struggle against the plots of St. Germains; and the nation, amidst the discovery and punishment of treason, had little time for the solution by the "Athenians" of "the nice and curious questions proposed by the ingenious." Regarding the nineteen volumes of the Athenian Mercury' as the precursors of a revolution in the entire system of our lighter literature, which turned pamphlets and broadsides into magazines and miscellanies, I may call up the shadow of John Dunton, to linger a while on the scene with his "Athenian Society," which he avers "had their first meeting in my brain." He had three associates in this Society,-Richard Sault, a Cambridge theologian; Samuel Wesley; and the Rev. Dr. John Norris. They contrived to persuade the world that they were "the only knowing men of Europe," by keeping their names "religiously secret.” In The History of the Athenian Society,' by one of the members (published in 'The Athenian Oracle,' a selection from the periodical work) it is maintained that "England has the glory of giving rise to two of the noblest designs that the art of man is capable of inventing the Royal Society and the Athenian Society." Of the latter, the aim is "to advance all knowledge, and diffuse a general learning through the many, and by that civilize more now in a few years, than Athens itself did of old during the ages it flourished."

Of the success of his little periodical, and of the fame which it brought to him, Dunton was naturally

proud. Poems in its honour "were written by the chief wits of the age." The Marquis of Halifax perused it; and "the late Sir William Temple, a man of clear judgment and wonderful penetration, was pleased to honour me with frequent letters and questions." Another record is more curious: "Mr. Swift, a country gentleman, sent an ode to the Athenian Society, which, being an ingenious poem, was prefixed to the fifth supplement of the Athenian Mercury." This was the Ode of which Johnson speaks: "I have been told that Dryden, having perused these verses, said, 'Cousin Swift, you will never be a poet;' and that this denunciation was the motive of Swift's perpetual malevolence to Dryden." The poem is to be found in all editions of Swift. We are startled when we read,

Pardon, ye great unknown, and far-exalted men,
The wild excursions of a youthful pen."

But how far more surprising is it to find Jonathan Swift, the haughtiest of mankind, sounding "the very base string of humility," in his letter "to the Athenian Society," dated from Moor Park, February 14, 1691: "For the Ode enclosed, I have sent it to a person of very great learning and honour, and since to some others, the best of my acquaintance (to which I thought very proper to inure it for a greater light), and they have all been pleased to tell me that they are sure it will not be unwelcome, and that I should beg the honour of you to let it be printed before your next volume (which I think is soon to be published), it being so usual amongst books of any great value

among poets; and, before its seeing the world, I submit it wholly to the correction of your pens. I entreat, therefore, one of you would descend so far as to write two or three lines to me of your pleasure upon it; which, as I cannot but expect from gentlemen who have so well shown upon so many occasions that greatest character of scholars, in being favourable to the ignorant, so I am sure nothing at present can more highly oblige me, or make me happier." Ingenuous young Secretary of Sir William Temple, how much hadst thou to forget of the "pride which licks the dust," and to learn in the world's school of ambition and insolence, between 1691 and 1711! When Harley promised thee a bishopric for doing the dirtiest offices that a great intellect ever stooped to, thou would'st have made short work with the "devils of Grub-street rogues," such as John Dunton and his Athenians.

During the course of publication of the 'Athenian Mercury,' Dunton was relieved from some of his early difficulties, by coming "into possession of a considerable estate," by the decease of his cousin. "The world," he says, "now smiled on me. I sailed with wind and tide, and had humble servants enough among the Stationers, Booksellers, Printers, and Binders." Honours awaited him. "Now the Master and Assistants of the Company of Stationers began to think me sufficient to wear a livery;" and he paid his livery-fine of twenty pounds. The business of bookselling had, upon the accession of William and Mary, attained that freedom which had been denied to authors and publishers by Charles I., Charles II.,

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and James II. "The Liberty of Unlicensed Printing," so nobly advocated by Milton, was established, although some restraint upon the Press still remained till 1694. Dunton's character of the several licensers with whom I have had concerns" offers a curious peep behind the scenes. Sir Roger L'Estrange is the first on the list, and he is not simply dismissed with telling the world that his sting is gone, but is thus characterized :-"A man that betrays his religion and country in pretending to defend it; that was made Surveyor of the Press, and would wink at unlicensed books if the printer's wife would but smile on him." "Mr. Fraser," Dunton says, 66 was our chief Licenser for several years. He licensed for me the Athenian Mercuries,' The Works of the Learned,' 'The Royal Voyage,' and such a numerous company of other books, as advanced his fees, for bare licensing, to thirty pounds per annum, which I paid him for several years together. . . . . No man was better skilled in the mystery of winning upon the hearts of booksellers, nor were the Company of Stationers ever blessed with an honester Licenser." He names several others, always with commendation. John had no doubt learnt "the mystery of winning upon the hearts" of the Licensers. There was a

jackal of these lions in the path of publishers who is thus described:-"Mr. Robert Stephens is Messenger to the Press,' as well as a printer. I know Robin has many enemies that grunt at him (and perhaps they have reason for it); but if I will praise the bridge that I went over, I must say he never did me the least injury; for, if I printed a book that had