APPENDIX

A pleasant and memorable chapter in the history of the Ballantyne Press is its connection with the Edinburgh International Exhibition of 1886, held in the West Meadows. The position occupied by Paul’s Work relative to the literary history of Edinburgh since the beginning of last century, as well as other considerations, induced the firm to make an exhibit of ancient printing materials and of Early Bibles and other books in the Old Edinburgh buildings of that Exhibition; and to show a working model, so to speak, of an early printing-house. This was considered to be a very attractive feature of the Exhibition, and thefollowing account of it appeared in the Scotsman of September 15, 1886.

“THE BALLANTYNE PRESS IN ‘OLD EDINBURGH’“Passing through the Nether Bow Port, and keeping to the left, visitors to the Exhibition will come upon the reproduction of an old house in Dickson’s Close, now improved away, and supposed to have been originally the work of Robert Mylne, the builder of the modern portion of Holyrood, and peculiar from its upper storeys and open galleries projecting for several feet beyond the basement—a not uncommon feature of the architecture of olden times. This house, or a near neighbour to it in the same ‘land,’ was at one time the abode of David Allan, the Scottish Hogarth. Above the door is an old-fashioned swinging signboard showing ‘Ye Ballantyne Presse, 1796,’ while the windows are adorned with stained glass. Here Messrs. Ballantyne, Hanson & Co., Paul’s Work, have gathered together a goodly display of the old implements of the ‘prenters,’ ancient Bibles and other books, as well as a number of other curios.“Prominent among the typographical antiquities is a venerable wooden hand-press, nearly two centuries old, and substantially identical with those used in the early stages of the art. This press is worked by a genial and chatty representative of Caxton, ina neat sixteenth-century costume. He is engaged printing off sundry jobs, using the old-fashioned hand-balls or ‘dabbers’ for putting the ink on the types, a method of inking which came in with the art, and which was superseded by the modern ‘roller’ only about fifty years ago. Within the cases on the counter of this old curiosity shop are to be seen ancient composing-sticks, type moulds, punches, matrices, &c., for casting types. In the cases are also a number of relative curiosities, lent for exhibition by the Oxford University Press, and originally the property of the celebrated Dr. Fell. Among these is a small quarto book, printed in 1700, containing the Lord’s Prayer in upwards of 200 languages. Here also is a parcel of Icelandic type, given to the Oxford Press by Francis Junius about 1677, and some music type of the seventeenth century.“In one case is a proof-sheet of the ‘Life of Napoleon,’ by Sir Walter Scott, with the author’s corrections. One page of this proof-sheet, which is the property of the Earl of Rosebery, has a characteristic remark by James Ballantyne, the printer, in reference to one of Sir Walter’s footnotes. It was to be expected from the connection the Ballantynes had with Scott that some relics of the author of the Waverley Novels would be shown, and here are to be seen the chair and desk reserved for his use in Paul’s Workwhen he came to correct his proofs or transact business.“Around the walls are also to be seen a number of pictures, among these being a copy by Maris of Raeburn’s portrait of Scott; a proof copy of the well-known engraving of Scott and his contemporaries; Caxton in Westminster Abbey; old views of Edinburgh, one of them dated 1579, &c. A remarkably fine etching shows the bookselling shop of Jacob van Liesvelt at Antwerp in the sixteenth century. Liesvelt was condemned and beheaded at Antwerp, because in the annotations of a Bible he had edited and printed, it was said that ‘the salvation of mankind proceeds from Christ alone!’ A number of old playbills also adorn the walls, some of these having portraits framed along with them, such as that of Mackay as Bailie Nicol Jarvie, Mrs. Siddons as Lady Randolph, and Mr. Liston as Dominie Sampson. One old playbill is shown of the Kelso Theatre, printed by Ballantyne at the Border Press, before Scott induced him to remove his printing-office to Paul’s Work, Edinburgh.“There are here a number of old newspapers—theKingdom’s Intelligencer, thePerfect Diurnal, theCourant,Caledonian Mercury, &c. One of theDiurnalscontains a despatch of General Monk, dated from his headquarters at Dalkeith in August 1654; and aCaledonian Mercuryof August 26,1822, contains a subscription list for the National Monument on Calton Hill, and themenufor the banquet given by the municipality of Edinburgh to George IV. in Parliament House. There is also an early number of theScotsman, of 1855, shown by way of contrast to the present issues of the journal.DESK USED BY SIR WALTER SCOTT IN PAUL’S WORK“To many visitors, however, the interest in the Ballantyne Press exhibits will centre in the fine collection of Ancient Bibles and other books which have been gathered together. The gem of this collection is a copy of the very rare ‘Mentelin’Bible, printed about 1466—one of the earliest printed by the aid of movable type, in fine condition, with initial letters filled in by the hand, of beautiful design and colouring. The table of contents extends to eighteen pages, and is all in MS. of various colours. Another rare Bible is the Hans Lufft, or first edition of Luther’s Bible in two volumes, printed in 1534. This Bible is in its original binding of wood with brass mountings, and has a great number of woodcuts printed along with the text, which in this copy were afterwards coloured by hand expressly for the Prince Protector. The existence of this Bible was frequently denied by learned men of Germany, owing to its great rarity, caused by the destruction of most copies by the Roman Catholics. John George of Saxony was unable to obtain it for himself, and was obliged to be contented with the sight of one, then supposed to be unique. A copy of this work sold at a very high price at Lord Holland’s sale in 1860. The engravings throughout the work, and especially in the Revelation of St. John, are curious and full of anachronisms—the patriarchs and prophets being clad in the German costume of the sixteenth century. Another Lutheran Bible here is one printed at Nurnberg, in 1720, by Andrea Enolters. This is said to be one of the finest of all the ancient German Bibles, and has, besides a number of beautiful engravingsof Biblical scenes, several portraits of well-known German princes. It is also in its original binding with metal ornaments. A copy of the first edition of the Paris printer Robert Stephens’ valuable Greek Testament, in two volumes, published in 1546, may also be seen. A former possessor has enriched the margins of this copy with a copious supply of Latin notes and comments in very small MS. There were other editions of this book published in 1549, 1550, and 1551. That of 1551, published at Geneva, was divided into verses as we have theBible now, a plan which the printer Stephens was the first to put into actual use.SIR WALTER SCOTT’S CHAIR IN PAUL’S WORK“Of a more purely local interest, however, is a copy of another Bible we find here, that of the first one printed in Scotland, with the date of 1576. This work, printed by Alexander Arbuthnot and Thomas Bassendyne, has a history of its own. It was put in type from the Genevan version, and has the well-known ‘breeches’ translation of Genesis iii. 7, and contains also the side-notes, to which King James is said afterwards to have strongly objected as ‘partial, untrue, and seditious,’ when arrangements were being made for the Authorised translation of 1611. Besides being connected with the first Bible printed in Scotland, Bassendyne’s printing-office, which was situated in a close nearly opposite John Knox’s house, is repeatedly referred to in the evidence of the accomplices of the Earl of Bothwell in the murder of Darnley, an event which took place in the lifetime of the old printer. In the deposition of George Dalgleish, one of those who were executed for their share in that crime, it is stated that, ‘efter thay enterit within the Nether Bow Port, thai zeid up abone Bassyntine’s house, on the south side of the gait, and knockit at ane dur beneth the sword slippers, and callit for the Laird of Ormestounes, and one within answerit he was not thare; and thai passit down a cloiss beneth Frier Wynd, and enterit in at thezet of the Black Friers.’ This reference clearly indicates that Bassendyne’s workshop was situated near the Nether Bow, whence was issued the folio Bible which is here shown.“Another Genevan or ‘breeches’ version, printed by Christopher Barker in 1586, is also in the collection, this one having the Book of Common Prayer at the beginning. There is here, too, King James’s own copy of the first edition of the Authorised Version of 1611, printed by Robert Barker in black letter. It is in fine condition, with the Royal arms on the massive outside boards, and contains the well-known and curiously elaborate genealogical tables by John Speed. Taking thought for the common people, King James is said to have given orders that a smaller and cheaper edition of the Authorised Version in Roman type should be prepared in quarto size. This was also printed by Robert Barker, and published in 1614, and is to be seen here, along with many other Bibles, some with curious bindings, and others with music to the Psalms. Several of the more important of the Bibles above mentioned have been lent for exhibition by the Rev. Dr. Ginsburg of London.“One of the most curious black-letter books in the Ballantyne collection, and with an interesting history, is a copy of the first complete Concordance to the English Bible, written by John Marbek (or Merbecke), and printed by Richard Grafton,in 1550. This John Marbek was organist to the Royal Chapel at Windsor, and his book bears the following title: ‘A Concordance, that is to saie a worke wherein by the ordere of the letters A. B. C. ye maie redely finde any worde conteigned in the whole Bible, so often as it is there expressed or mentioned.’ Marbek, after various difficulties, had gone on with his Concordance as far as the letter L, when all his papers were seized, and he was apprehended and imprisoned. ‘He was arraigned, for that he had with his own hand gathered out of divers men’s writings certain things that were expressly against both the mass and the sacrament of the altar. He was arraigned and condemned with three others—namely, Anthony Persone, priest; Robert Testwood, singing-man; and Henry Filmer, tailor; on account of the Six Articles in the year 1544; the three last were burned at Windsor, but the innocence of Marbek gained him the King’s pardon.’“When he was set at liberty, as his papers were not restored to him, he had his Concordance to begin again; and this, when completed, he showed to a friend, who promised to assist him in having it presented to the King, in order to have it published by his authority; but Henry VIII. died before that could be brought about, and it was accordingly dedicated to Edward VI. This folio black-letter Concordance gives a good specimenof the printer Grafton’s rebus or monogram, agraftinserted into atun.“A number of other interesting curiosities, and a library of ancient books, too numerous to be detailed here, are in various cabinets and bookcases in this shop of Old Edinburgh. Many of the volumes are over 300 years old; several are in their original bindings; and all are in fair condition. Classics from the printing-presses of the Elzevirs, Stephens, Gryphius, Foulis, Ruddiman, and other printers whose names are now historical, are all to be seen, besides a goodly array of fine art and other books, the more recent productions of Messrs. Ballantyne, Hanson & Co.”—W. T. D.

“THE BALLANTYNE PRESS IN ‘OLD EDINBURGH’

“Passing through the Nether Bow Port, and keeping to the left, visitors to the Exhibition will come upon the reproduction of an old house in Dickson’s Close, now improved away, and supposed to have been originally the work of Robert Mylne, the builder of the modern portion of Holyrood, and peculiar from its upper storeys and open galleries projecting for several feet beyond the basement—a not uncommon feature of the architecture of olden times. This house, or a near neighbour to it in the same ‘land,’ was at one time the abode of David Allan, the Scottish Hogarth. Above the door is an old-fashioned swinging signboard showing ‘Ye Ballantyne Presse, 1796,’ while the windows are adorned with stained glass. Here Messrs. Ballantyne, Hanson & Co., Paul’s Work, have gathered together a goodly display of the old implements of the ‘prenters,’ ancient Bibles and other books, as well as a number of other curios.

“Prominent among the typographical antiquities is a venerable wooden hand-press, nearly two centuries old, and substantially identical with those used in the early stages of the art. This press is worked by a genial and chatty representative of Caxton, ina neat sixteenth-century costume. He is engaged printing off sundry jobs, using the old-fashioned hand-balls or ‘dabbers’ for putting the ink on the types, a method of inking which came in with the art, and which was superseded by the modern ‘roller’ only about fifty years ago. Within the cases on the counter of this old curiosity shop are to be seen ancient composing-sticks, type moulds, punches, matrices, &c., for casting types. In the cases are also a number of relative curiosities, lent for exhibition by the Oxford University Press, and originally the property of the celebrated Dr. Fell. Among these is a small quarto book, printed in 1700, containing the Lord’s Prayer in upwards of 200 languages. Here also is a parcel of Icelandic type, given to the Oxford Press by Francis Junius about 1677, and some music type of the seventeenth century.

“In one case is a proof-sheet of the ‘Life of Napoleon,’ by Sir Walter Scott, with the author’s corrections. One page of this proof-sheet, which is the property of the Earl of Rosebery, has a characteristic remark by James Ballantyne, the printer, in reference to one of Sir Walter’s footnotes. It was to be expected from the connection the Ballantynes had with Scott that some relics of the author of the Waverley Novels would be shown, and here are to be seen the chair and desk reserved for his use in Paul’s Workwhen he came to correct his proofs or transact business.

“Around the walls are also to be seen a number of pictures, among these being a copy by Maris of Raeburn’s portrait of Scott; a proof copy of the well-known engraving of Scott and his contemporaries; Caxton in Westminster Abbey; old views of Edinburgh, one of them dated 1579, &c. A remarkably fine etching shows the bookselling shop of Jacob van Liesvelt at Antwerp in the sixteenth century. Liesvelt was condemned and beheaded at Antwerp, because in the annotations of a Bible he had edited and printed, it was said that ‘the salvation of mankind proceeds from Christ alone!’ A number of old playbills also adorn the walls, some of these having portraits framed along with them, such as that of Mackay as Bailie Nicol Jarvie, Mrs. Siddons as Lady Randolph, and Mr. Liston as Dominie Sampson. One old playbill is shown of the Kelso Theatre, printed by Ballantyne at the Border Press, before Scott induced him to remove his printing-office to Paul’s Work, Edinburgh.

“There are here a number of old newspapers—theKingdom’s Intelligencer, thePerfect Diurnal, theCourant,Caledonian Mercury, &c. One of theDiurnalscontains a despatch of General Monk, dated from his headquarters at Dalkeith in August 1654; and aCaledonian Mercuryof August 26,1822, contains a subscription list for the National Monument on Calton Hill, and themenufor the banquet given by the municipality of Edinburgh to George IV. in Parliament House. There is also an early number of theScotsman, of 1855, shown by way of contrast to the present issues of the journal.

DESK USED BY SIR WALTER SCOTT IN PAUL’S WORK

“To many visitors, however, the interest in the Ballantyne Press exhibits will centre in the fine collection of Ancient Bibles and other books which have been gathered together. The gem of this collection is a copy of the very rare ‘Mentelin’Bible, printed about 1466—one of the earliest printed by the aid of movable type, in fine condition, with initial letters filled in by the hand, of beautiful design and colouring. The table of contents extends to eighteen pages, and is all in MS. of various colours. Another rare Bible is the Hans Lufft, or first edition of Luther’s Bible in two volumes, printed in 1534. This Bible is in its original binding of wood with brass mountings, and has a great number of woodcuts printed along with the text, which in this copy were afterwards coloured by hand expressly for the Prince Protector. The existence of this Bible was frequently denied by learned men of Germany, owing to its great rarity, caused by the destruction of most copies by the Roman Catholics. John George of Saxony was unable to obtain it for himself, and was obliged to be contented with the sight of one, then supposed to be unique. A copy of this work sold at a very high price at Lord Holland’s sale in 1860. The engravings throughout the work, and especially in the Revelation of St. John, are curious and full of anachronisms—the patriarchs and prophets being clad in the German costume of the sixteenth century. Another Lutheran Bible here is one printed at Nurnberg, in 1720, by Andrea Enolters. This is said to be one of the finest of all the ancient German Bibles, and has, besides a number of beautiful engravingsof Biblical scenes, several portraits of well-known German princes. It is also in its original binding with metal ornaments. A copy of the first edition of the Paris printer Robert Stephens’ valuable Greek Testament, in two volumes, published in 1546, may also be seen. A former possessor has enriched the margins of this copy with a copious supply of Latin notes and comments in very small MS. There were other editions of this book published in 1549, 1550, and 1551. That of 1551, published at Geneva, was divided into verses as we have theBible now, a plan which the printer Stephens was the first to put into actual use.

SIR WALTER SCOTT’S CHAIR IN PAUL’S WORK

“Of a more purely local interest, however, is a copy of another Bible we find here, that of the first one printed in Scotland, with the date of 1576. This work, printed by Alexander Arbuthnot and Thomas Bassendyne, has a history of its own. It was put in type from the Genevan version, and has the well-known ‘breeches’ translation of Genesis iii. 7, and contains also the side-notes, to which King James is said afterwards to have strongly objected as ‘partial, untrue, and seditious,’ when arrangements were being made for the Authorised translation of 1611. Besides being connected with the first Bible printed in Scotland, Bassendyne’s printing-office, which was situated in a close nearly opposite John Knox’s house, is repeatedly referred to in the evidence of the accomplices of the Earl of Bothwell in the murder of Darnley, an event which took place in the lifetime of the old printer. In the deposition of George Dalgleish, one of those who were executed for their share in that crime, it is stated that, ‘efter thay enterit within the Nether Bow Port, thai zeid up abone Bassyntine’s house, on the south side of the gait, and knockit at ane dur beneth the sword slippers, and callit for the Laird of Ormestounes, and one within answerit he was not thare; and thai passit down a cloiss beneth Frier Wynd, and enterit in at thezet of the Black Friers.’ This reference clearly indicates that Bassendyne’s workshop was situated near the Nether Bow, whence was issued the folio Bible which is here shown.

“Another Genevan or ‘breeches’ version, printed by Christopher Barker in 1586, is also in the collection, this one having the Book of Common Prayer at the beginning. There is here, too, King James’s own copy of the first edition of the Authorised Version of 1611, printed by Robert Barker in black letter. It is in fine condition, with the Royal arms on the massive outside boards, and contains the well-known and curiously elaborate genealogical tables by John Speed. Taking thought for the common people, King James is said to have given orders that a smaller and cheaper edition of the Authorised Version in Roman type should be prepared in quarto size. This was also printed by Robert Barker, and published in 1614, and is to be seen here, along with many other Bibles, some with curious bindings, and others with music to the Psalms. Several of the more important of the Bibles above mentioned have been lent for exhibition by the Rev. Dr. Ginsburg of London.

“One of the most curious black-letter books in the Ballantyne collection, and with an interesting history, is a copy of the first complete Concordance to the English Bible, written by John Marbek (or Merbecke), and printed by Richard Grafton,in 1550. This John Marbek was organist to the Royal Chapel at Windsor, and his book bears the following title: ‘A Concordance, that is to saie a worke wherein by the ordere of the letters A. B. C. ye maie redely finde any worde conteigned in the whole Bible, so often as it is there expressed or mentioned.’ Marbek, after various difficulties, had gone on with his Concordance as far as the letter L, when all his papers were seized, and he was apprehended and imprisoned. ‘He was arraigned, for that he had with his own hand gathered out of divers men’s writings certain things that were expressly against both the mass and the sacrament of the altar. He was arraigned and condemned with three others—namely, Anthony Persone, priest; Robert Testwood, singing-man; and Henry Filmer, tailor; on account of the Six Articles in the year 1544; the three last were burned at Windsor, but the innocence of Marbek gained him the King’s pardon.’

“When he was set at liberty, as his papers were not restored to him, he had his Concordance to begin again; and this, when completed, he showed to a friend, who promised to assist him in having it presented to the King, in order to have it published by his authority; but Henry VIII. died before that could be brought about, and it was accordingly dedicated to Edward VI. This folio black-letter Concordance gives a good specimenof the printer Grafton’s rebus or monogram, agraftinserted into atun.

“A number of other interesting curiosities, and a library of ancient books, too numerous to be detailed here, are in various cabinets and bookcases in this shop of Old Edinburgh. Many of the volumes are over 300 years old; several are in their original bindings; and all are in fair condition. Classics from the printing-presses of the Elzevirs, Stephens, Gryphius, Foulis, Ruddiman, and other printers whose names are now historical, are all to be seen, besides a goodly array of fine art and other books, the more recent productions of Messrs. Ballantyne, Hanson & Co.”—W. T. D.

THE END

NEW PAUL’S WORK, EDINBURGH

FOOTNOTES[1]“I remember it was a thing of daily occurrence, that after he had made himself master of his own lesson, I, alas! being still sadly to seek in mine, he used to whisper to me, ‘Come, slink over beside me, Jamie, and I’ll tell you a story.’”—James Ballantyne’s “Memorandum.”[2]Afterwards published in 1801, and coldly received.[3]Lockhart’s “Life of Scott,” ii. 42, 43.[4]The Count was a native of Russian Poland, and was in early life patronised by a Polish lady, with whom he visited various countries of Europe. He resided for some time in Paris, but quitting it shortly before the Revolution came over to this country. He exhibited himself at fairs, and was a favourite with the public, to whom he recommended himself not only by his diminutive stature, but by his intelligence and genial disposition. He eventually realised enough to enable him to spend the last thirty years of his life in comfort. The Count’s height was exactly 35½ inches, and his person was a model of symmetry. His remains were interred in Durham Cathedral, near those of his intimate friend, Stephen Kemble.[5]This and the view of Kelso market-place in 1797, atpage 3, are also given through the courtesy of the present proprietor of theMail.[6]Endorsed by Professor Saintsbury (“Sir Walter Scott,” Famous Scots Series): “The earliest form of the ‘Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border’ is a very pretty book: it deservedly established the fame of Ballantyne as a printer.”[7]“A History of Accounting and Accountants” (T. C. and E. C. Jack, 1904).[8]The following note gives the residents in the little street in James Ballantyne’s time:—No. 1, the old street guardian.No. 2, Mr. Ewart and two sons, officials in the Chancery Office.No. 3, Dr. Brunton, Professor of Hebrew and Oriental Languages, Edinburgh University, and Mrs. Brunton, authoress of some religious novels, which had considerable popularity in their day.No. 4, Mr. Phillips, Commissioner of Customs.No. 5, Mr. Alexander Cowan, the well-known papermaker.No. 6, Mr. Andrew Bogle, Secretary Royal Bank of Scotland.No. 7, Mrs. McLeod, widow of McLeod of St. Kilda, with a large family of daughters and one son, who rose to the rank of General in the Indian Army.No. 8, The Countess of Hyndford.No. 9, Miss Suttie, an old lady from East Lothian.No. 10, Mr. James Ballantyne.No. 13, Mr. Speid, W.S., laird of Ardovie, Forfarshire.No. 14, Mr. Andrew Ramsay, Advocate; and, later on, Mr. Alexander Ballantyne.No. 15, Mr. Trotter, the laird of Morton Hall.—Derived fromMr. Charles Cowan’s “Reminiscences” (1878).[9]“The Book-Fancier” (1886), p. 80.[10]Lockhart’s “Life of Scott,” iii. 120, 121.[11]Lockhart’s “Life of Scott,” v. 218.[12]“James Ballantyne has taken his brother Sandy into the house, I mean the firm.”—“Scott’s Journal,” Feb. 21, 1829.[13]See also James Ballantyne’s suggestions as to the “Field of Waterloo,” given onp. 67; and a fuller treatment of this topic inChapter IX.[14]Lockhart’s “Life of Scott,” ii. 201, 202.[15]“My father never could forgive Scott his concealment of the Ballantyne partnership.”—Ruskin, “Fors Clavigera,” Letter liv.[16]“Constable and his Literary Correspondents,” i. 376.[17]“The book was among the most unfortunate that James Ballantyne printed, and his brother published, in deference to the personal feelings of their partner.”—Lockhart’s “Life,” iii. 298. See further on this point, Chapter V., p. 46.[18]“The conclusion of the matter was that the Ballantyne publishing company found a haven in the capacious bosom of Constable, who believed in the Star of Scott, advanced some £4000, and took off the sinking ship the useless burden of the valueless books.”—A. Lang.[19]“He was a prince of booksellers.... He knew, I think, more of the business of a bookseller in planning and executing popular works than any man of his time.”—Scott’s “Journal,” July 23, 1827.[20]Willison was his own press-reader. He was rigid in his ideas of punctuation, and gave much trouble to the Reviewers by his finical particularity in this respect. A story is told of his having on one occasion sent Jeffrey a second proof (technicallyrevise) of a portion of one of his criticisms, with a note on the margin, that “there appeared to be something unintelligible in this passage.” Jeffrey returned the proof unaltered, with a note to the effect that “Mr. Jeffrey can see nothing unintelligible in this passage, unless in the number of commas, which Mr. Willison seems to keep in a pepper-box beside him, for the purpose of dusting the proof with.”[21]A complete set of theSale Roomin good condition is very rare.[22]Charles Cowan’s “Reminiscences.”[23]Lockhart’s “Life of Scott,” vi. 67.[24]“Perhaps the very best specimens of Scott’s powers in this direction are the prefaces which he contributed much later and gratuitously to John Ballantyne’s ‘Novelists’ Library’—things which hardly yield to Johnson’s ‘Lives’ as examples of the combined arts of criticism and biography.”—Saintsbury’s “Sir Walter Scott” (Famous Scots Series).[25]Lockhart’s “Life of Scott,” vi. 328, 329.[26]“Literary Lives” (Hodder & Stoughton).[27]“To dethrone the Scot’s one-pound note, the Palladium of the ancient kingdom.”—A. Lang.[28]“Meadowbank taxed me with the novels, and to end that farce at once I pleaded guilty, so that splore is ended.”—Scott’s “Journal,” Feb. 24, 1827.[29]Smiles’ “Life of John Murray,” i. 457, 461.[30]Many manuscripts of modern authors are execrable, and little care is taken to make what is written plain and intelligible, resulting in “errors of the press,” though, owing to the vigilance of the press reader, comparatively few of these meet the eye of the public. In the preparation of their “copy” lawyers of high repute will leave technical and foreign terms in a truncated or misspelt way; divines frequently show an aversion to both punctuation marks and capitals, the omission of which would bring scorn and contempt upon the compositor and the reader. Many instances of faulty manuscripts could be cited. A few will suffice. A learned professor in a northern university wrote in such a shocking spidery hand that the men were paid a third more for putting it in type; a divine, long since gone over to the majority, wrote his sermons on any scrap of paper he got hold of—old bills, torn envelopes, &c.—and thus caused an infinity of labour in arranging these oddments in a readable way. If any particular bit got transposed from its proper place, it did not appear to matter very much; it was as well there as anywhere else. Similar to this was a famous writer, well known at Paul’s Work, who, prior to his morning prowl among old bookshops, would fill his pockets with scraps of paper—envelopes and such-like—on which he noted the particulars of his daily finds; and these were afterwards sent to the printer to be arranged for a book. Another reverend writer, whose works were many and sold well, would take a quarto sheet of paper to write on—beginning with a narrow centre column for the first draft of his subject; to this would be added afterthoughts by branching lines to the centre column, till the whole sheet was full—like a rushing river gathering in fresh supplies from meandering rivulets on either side of its course. But this topic is a wide and curious one, and instances might be given where an author was unable to read his own “copy,” and had to see a proof of what could be set in type before he was able to remedy an unreadable passage or supply an obscure or missing word.[31]By permission of the Curators of the Library there is here given a facsimile of a page of “Waverley.”[32]The following note is from C. G. Leland’s translation of Heine’s “Pictures of Travel” (i. 258): “Of all great writers, Byron is just the one whose writings excite in me the least passion, while Scott, on the contrary, in his every book gladdens, tranquillises, and strengthens my heart. Even his imitators please me, as in such instances as Willibald Alexis, Bronikowski, and Cooper, the first of whom, in the ironic ‘Walladmor,’ approaches nearest his pattern, setting before our souls a poetic originality well worthy of Scott.”[33]Hutton’s “Life of Scott.”[34]An old name for hand-pressmen, as “cuddie” was for the compositor: both now gone out of use.[35]Lockhart’s “Life of Scott,” v. 344, 345.[36]It may be interesting to reproduce here the statement of accounts, &c., of the paper at the time of the sale:ReceiptsSale of Newspapers£2390Advertisements1055Total£3445ExpenditureAnnual cost of stamps and paper£1425Printing570Advertisement duty360Clerks’ salaries, office rent, &c.250Allowance for bad debts230Profits610Total£3445—Edinburgh Newspapers, Past and Present(1891).[37]Andrew’s “British Journalism,” &c.[38]See also a letter of Scott to Ellis (Lockhart’s “Life,” iii. 145):—“An Edinburgh Annual Register, to be conducted under the auspices of James Ballantyne,who is himself no despicable composer.”[39]“The Greville Memoirs,” i. 251.[40]Tait’s Magazine(1839), pp. 657, 658, 668.[41]“Leaves from My Autobiography.” By Rev. Charles Rogers, LL.D.[42]Miss Martineau’s “Biographical Sketches,” pp. 347, 348.[43]“No man was better fit to arbitrate in this difficult dispute than Chambers was.”—Claudius Clear, in theBritish Weekly, January 1907.[44]Fraser’s Magazine, 1835.[45]Seefootnote, pp. 47-48.[46]Letter of James Ballantyne in “Constable and his Literary Correspondents,” iii. 5.[47]Lockhart’s “Life of Scott,” ii. 125.[48]“Constable and his Literary Correspondents,” ii. 197.[49]Journal, Aug. 29, 1826.[50]In connection with this a curious fraud may be noted here. At the sale of Dr. Laing’s library there was disposed of a number of odd lots of pamphlets and papers, and amongst these a quantity of undamaged sheets of the Ballads and Poems of Dunbar. Whoever bought these was determined to make a profit out of them, for an Edinburgh “book-hunter” discovered one day in a second-hand bookseller’s shop a nicely bound gilt-top quarto volume, bearing the title “Ancient Poetry of Scotland. Edinburgh, 1508,” and having the device of Andro Myllar on it. Facing the title was “Imprinted Glasgow, 1800. Limited to 50 copies, 10 on thick paper, 1 on vellum.” The book looked tempting, and was bought; but, to the bibliophile’s disappointment, it proved most fragmentary, as it contained only a limited portion of the sheets of the Ballantyne reprint several times repeated, irrespective of consecutiveness, throughout the book, and many of the pages bore traces of the accident which befell the original work.[51]“Constable and his Literary Correspondents,” iii. 305, 310.

FOOTNOTES

[1]“I remember it was a thing of daily occurrence, that after he had made himself master of his own lesson, I, alas! being still sadly to seek in mine, he used to whisper to me, ‘Come, slink over beside me, Jamie, and I’ll tell you a story.’”—James Ballantyne’s “Memorandum.”

[2]Afterwards published in 1801, and coldly received.

[3]Lockhart’s “Life of Scott,” ii. 42, 43.

[4]The Count was a native of Russian Poland, and was in early life patronised by a Polish lady, with whom he visited various countries of Europe. He resided for some time in Paris, but quitting it shortly before the Revolution came over to this country. He exhibited himself at fairs, and was a favourite with the public, to whom he recommended himself not only by his diminutive stature, but by his intelligence and genial disposition. He eventually realised enough to enable him to spend the last thirty years of his life in comfort. The Count’s height was exactly 35½ inches, and his person was a model of symmetry. His remains were interred in Durham Cathedral, near those of his intimate friend, Stephen Kemble.

[5]This and the view of Kelso market-place in 1797, atpage 3, are also given through the courtesy of the present proprietor of theMail.

[6]Endorsed by Professor Saintsbury (“Sir Walter Scott,” Famous Scots Series): “The earliest form of the ‘Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border’ is a very pretty book: it deservedly established the fame of Ballantyne as a printer.”

[7]“A History of Accounting and Accountants” (T. C. and E. C. Jack, 1904).

[8]The following note gives the residents in the little street in James Ballantyne’s time:—No. 1, the old street guardian.No. 2, Mr. Ewart and two sons, officials in the Chancery Office.No. 3, Dr. Brunton, Professor of Hebrew and Oriental Languages, Edinburgh University, and Mrs. Brunton, authoress of some religious novels, which had considerable popularity in their day.No. 4, Mr. Phillips, Commissioner of Customs.No. 5, Mr. Alexander Cowan, the well-known papermaker.No. 6, Mr. Andrew Bogle, Secretary Royal Bank of Scotland.No. 7, Mrs. McLeod, widow of McLeod of St. Kilda, with a large family of daughters and one son, who rose to the rank of General in the Indian Army.No. 8, The Countess of Hyndford.No. 9, Miss Suttie, an old lady from East Lothian.No. 10, Mr. James Ballantyne.No. 13, Mr. Speid, W.S., laird of Ardovie, Forfarshire.No. 14, Mr. Andrew Ramsay, Advocate; and, later on, Mr. Alexander Ballantyne.No. 15, Mr. Trotter, the laird of Morton Hall.—Derived fromMr. Charles Cowan’s “Reminiscences” (1878).

[8]The following note gives the residents in the little street in James Ballantyne’s time:—

No. 1, the old street guardian.

No. 2, Mr. Ewart and two sons, officials in the Chancery Office.

No. 3, Dr. Brunton, Professor of Hebrew and Oriental Languages, Edinburgh University, and Mrs. Brunton, authoress of some religious novels, which had considerable popularity in their day.

No. 4, Mr. Phillips, Commissioner of Customs.

No. 5, Mr. Alexander Cowan, the well-known papermaker.

No. 6, Mr. Andrew Bogle, Secretary Royal Bank of Scotland.

No. 7, Mrs. McLeod, widow of McLeod of St. Kilda, with a large family of daughters and one son, who rose to the rank of General in the Indian Army.

No. 8, The Countess of Hyndford.

No. 9, Miss Suttie, an old lady from East Lothian.

No. 10, Mr. James Ballantyne.

No. 13, Mr. Speid, W.S., laird of Ardovie, Forfarshire.

No. 14, Mr. Andrew Ramsay, Advocate; and, later on, Mr. Alexander Ballantyne.

No. 15, Mr. Trotter, the laird of Morton Hall.

—Derived fromMr. Charles Cowan’s “Reminiscences” (1878).

[9]“The Book-Fancier” (1886), p. 80.

[10]Lockhart’s “Life of Scott,” iii. 120, 121.

[11]Lockhart’s “Life of Scott,” v. 218.

[12]“James Ballantyne has taken his brother Sandy into the house, I mean the firm.”—“Scott’s Journal,” Feb. 21, 1829.

[13]See also James Ballantyne’s suggestions as to the “Field of Waterloo,” given onp. 67; and a fuller treatment of this topic inChapter IX.

[14]Lockhart’s “Life of Scott,” ii. 201, 202.

[15]“My father never could forgive Scott his concealment of the Ballantyne partnership.”—Ruskin, “Fors Clavigera,” Letter liv.

[16]“Constable and his Literary Correspondents,” i. 376.

[17]“The book was among the most unfortunate that James Ballantyne printed, and his brother published, in deference to the personal feelings of their partner.”—Lockhart’s “Life,” iii. 298. See further on this point, Chapter V., p. 46.

[18]“The conclusion of the matter was that the Ballantyne publishing company found a haven in the capacious bosom of Constable, who believed in the Star of Scott, advanced some £4000, and took off the sinking ship the useless burden of the valueless books.”—A. Lang.

[19]“He was a prince of booksellers.... He knew, I think, more of the business of a bookseller in planning and executing popular works than any man of his time.”—Scott’s “Journal,” July 23, 1827.

[20]Willison was his own press-reader. He was rigid in his ideas of punctuation, and gave much trouble to the Reviewers by his finical particularity in this respect. A story is told of his having on one occasion sent Jeffrey a second proof (technicallyrevise) of a portion of one of his criticisms, with a note on the margin, that “there appeared to be something unintelligible in this passage.” Jeffrey returned the proof unaltered, with a note to the effect that “Mr. Jeffrey can see nothing unintelligible in this passage, unless in the number of commas, which Mr. Willison seems to keep in a pepper-box beside him, for the purpose of dusting the proof with.”

[21]A complete set of theSale Roomin good condition is very rare.

[22]Charles Cowan’s “Reminiscences.”

[23]Lockhart’s “Life of Scott,” vi. 67.

[24]“Perhaps the very best specimens of Scott’s powers in this direction are the prefaces which he contributed much later and gratuitously to John Ballantyne’s ‘Novelists’ Library’—things which hardly yield to Johnson’s ‘Lives’ as examples of the combined arts of criticism and biography.”—Saintsbury’s “Sir Walter Scott” (Famous Scots Series).

[25]Lockhart’s “Life of Scott,” vi. 328, 329.

[26]“Literary Lives” (Hodder & Stoughton).

[27]“To dethrone the Scot’s one-pound note, the Palladium of the ancient kingdom.”—A. Lang.

[28]“Meadowbank taxed me with the novels, and to end that farce at once I pleaded guilty, so that splore is ended.”—Scott’s “Journal,” Feb. 24, 1827.

[29]Smiles’ “Life of John Murray,” i. 457, 461.

[30]Many manuscripts of modern authors are execrable, and little care is taken to make what is written plain and intelligible, resulting in “errors of the press,” though, owing to the vigilance of the press reader, comparatively few of these meet the eye of the public. In the preparation of their “copy” lawyers of high repute will leave technical and foreign terms in a truncated or misspelt way; divines frequently show an aversion to both punctuation marks and capitals, the omission of which would bring scorn and contempt upon the compositor and the reader. Many instances of faulty manuscripts could be cited. A few will suffice. A learned professor in a northern university wrote in such a shocking spidery hand that the men were paid a third more for putting it in type; a divine, long since gone over to the majority, wrote his sermons on any scrap of paper he got hold of—old bills, torn envelopes, &c.—and thus caused an infinity of labour in arranging these oddments in a readable way. If any particular bit got transposed from its proper place, it did not appear to matter very much; it was as well there as anywhere else. Similar to this was a famous writer, well known at Paul’s Work, who, prior to his morning prowl among old bookshops, would fill his pockets with scraps of paper—envelopes and such-like—on which he noted the particulars of his daily finds; and these were afterwards sent to the printer to be arranged for a book. Another reverend writer, whose works were many and sold well, would take a quarto sheet of paper to write on—beginning with a narrow centre column for the first draft of his subject; to this would be added afterthoughts by branching lines to the centre column, till the whole sheet was full—like a rushing river gathering in fresh supplies from meandering rivulets on either side of its course. But this topic is a wide and curious one, and instances might be given where an author was unable to read his own “copy,” and had to see a proof of what could be set in type before he was able to remedy an unreadable passage or supply an obscure or missing word.

[31]By permission of the Curators of the Library there is here given a facsimile of a page of “Waverley.”

[32]The following note is from C. G. Leland’s translation of Heine’s “Pictures of Travel” (i. 258): “Of all great writers, Byron is just the one whose writings excite in me the least passion, while Scott, on the contrary, in his every book gladdens, tranquillises, and strengthens my heart. Even his imitators please me, as in such instances as Willibald Alexis, Bronikowski, and Cooper, the first of whom, in the ironic ‘Walladmor,’ approaches nearest his pattern, setting before our souls a poetic originality well worthy of Scott.”

[33]Hutton’s “Life of Scott.”

[34]An old name for hand-pressmen, as “cuddie” was for the compositor: both now gone out of use.

[35]Lockhart’s “Life of Scott,” v. 344, 345.

[36]It may be interesting to reproduce here the statement of accounts, &c., of the paper at the time of the sale:ReceiptsSale of Newspapers£2390Advertisements1055Total£3445ExpenditureAnnual cost of stamps and paper£1425Printing570Advertisement duty360Clerks’ salaries, office rent, &c.250Allowance for bad debts230Profits610Total£3445—Edinburgh Newspapers, Past and Present(1891).

[36]It may be interesting to reproduce here the statement of accounts, &c., of the paper at the time of the sale:

—Edinburgh Newspapers, Past and Present(1891).

[37]Andrew’s “British Journalism,” &c.

[38]See also a letter of Scott to Ellis (Lockhart’s “Life,” iii. 145):—“An Edinburgh Annual Register, to be conducted under the auspices of James Ballantyne,who is himself no despicable composer.”

[39]“The Greville Memoirs,” i. 251.

[40]Tait’s Magazine(1839), pp. 657, 658, 668.

[41]“Leaves from My Autobiography.” By Rev. Charles Rogers, LL.D.

[42]Miss Martineau’s “Biographical Sketches,” pp. 347, 348.

[43]“No man was better fit to arbitrate in this difficult dispute than Chambers was.”—Claudius Clear, in theBritish Weekly, January 1907.

[44]Fraser’s Magazine, 1835.

[45]Seefootnote, pp. 47-48.

[46]Letter of James Ballantyne in “Constable and his Literary Correspondents,” iii. 5.

[47]Lockhart’s “Life of Scott,” ii. 125.

[48]“Constable and his Literary Correspondents,” ii. 197.

[49]Journal, Aug. 29, 1826.

[50]In connection with this a curious fraud may be noted here. At the sale of Dr. Laing’s library there was disposed of a number of odd lots of pamphlets and papers, and amongst these a quantity of undamaged sheets of the Ballads and Poems of Dunbar. Whoever bought these was determined to make a profit out of them, for an Edinburgh “book-hunter” discovered one day in a second-hand bookseller’s shop a nicely bound gilt-top quarto volume, bearing the title “Ancient Poetry of Scotland. Edinburgh, 1508,” and having the device of Andro Myllar on it. Facing the title was “Imprinted Glasgow, 1800. Limited to 50 copies, 10 on thick paper, 1 on vellum.” The book looked tempting, and was bought; but, to the bibliophile’s disappointment, it proved most fragmentary, as it contained only a limited portion of the sheets of the Ballantyne reprint several times repeated, irrespective of consecutiveness, throughout the book, and many of the pages bore traces of the accident which befell the original work.

[51]“Constable and his Literary Correspondents,” iii. 305, 310.

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