  Vol. i. p. 55, footnote, for “Schlabrendorf,” read “Schlaberndorf.” Vol. i. p. 84, line 7, for “(including his own mother, in Skinner Street),” read “(including his own mother) in Skinner Street.” Vol. i. p. 170, line 20, for “Heeding not the misery then spoken,” read “Heeding not the words then spoken.” Vol. ii. p. 200, line 7, for “Moghiteff,” read “Moghileff.” Vol. ii. p. 216, line 12, for “Zela,” read “Zella.” In 2 vols. Crown 8vo, with 2 Portraits, 24s. JOHN FRANCIS AND THE ‘ATHENÆUM.’ A LITERARY CHRONICLE OF HALF A CENTURY. By JOHN C. FRANCIS.
‘The career of John Francis, publisher of the AthenÆum, was worth telling for the zeal with which, for more than thirty years, he pursued the definite purpose of obtaining the abolition of the paper duty.... With equal ardour did Mr. Francis labour for half a century in publishing the weekly issue of the AthenÆum; and these two volumes, which describe its progress from its birth in January, 1828, to the full perfection of its powers in 1882, are a fitting record of the literary history of that period.’—Academy. ‘Anybody who wants a complete summary of what the world has been thinking and doing since Silk Buckingham, with Dr. Stebbing and Charles Knight and Sterling and Maurice as his staff, started the AthenÆum in 1828, will find plenty to satisfy him in John Francis, a Literary Chronicle of Half a Century.... Mr. Francis’s autobiography is not the least valuable part of this valuable record.’—Graphic. ‘As a record of the literature of fifty years, and in a less complete degree of the progress of science and art, and as a memento of many notable characters in various fields of intellectual culture, these volumes are of considerable value.’—Morning Post. ‘The volumes abound with curious and interesting statements, and in bringing before the public the most notable features of a distinguished journal from its infancy almost to the present hour, Mr. Francis deserves the thanks of all readers interested in literature.’—Spectator. ‘No memoir of Mr. Francis would be complete without a corresponding history of the journal with which his name will for ever be identified.... The extraordinary variety of subjects and persons referred to, embracing as they do every event in literature, and referring to every person of distinction in science or letters, is a record of such magnitude that we can only indicate its outlines. To the literary historian the volumes will be of incalculable service.’—Bookseller. ‘This literary chronicle of half a century must at once, or in course of a short time, take a place as a permanent work of reference.’—Publishers’ Circular. ‘Some valuable and interesting matter has been collected chronologically regarding the literary history of the last fifty years.’—Murray’s Magazine. ‘We have put before us a valuable collection of materials for the future history of the Victorian era of English literature.’—Standard. ‘John Francis was a faithful servant, and also an earnest worker for the good of his fellow-creatures. Sunday schools, charitable societies, and mechanics’ institutes found in him a patient and steady helper, and no one laboured more persistently and unselfishly to procure the abolition of the pernicious taxes on knowledge.’—Daily Chronicle. ‘Such a life interests us, and carries with it a fruitful moral.... The history of the AthenÆum also well deserved to be told.’—Daily News. ‘A worthy monument of the development of literature during the last fifty years.... The volumes contain not a little specially interesting to Scotsmen.’—Scotsman. ‘Rich in literary and social interest, and afford a comprehensive survey of the intellectual progress of the nation.’—Leeds Mercury. ‘It is in characters so sterling and admirable as this that the real strength of a nation lies.... The public will find in the book reading which, if light and easy, is also full of interest and suggestion.... We suspect that writers for the daily and weekly papers will find out that it is convenient to keep these volumes of handy size, and each having its own index, extending the one to 20, the other to 30 pages, at their elbow for reference.’—Liverpool Mercury. ‘The book is, in fact, as it is described, a literary chronicle of the period with which it deals, and a chronicle put together with as much skill as taste and discrimination. The information given about notable people of the past is always interesting and often piquant, while it rarely fails to throw some new light on the individuality of the person to whom it refers.’—Liverpool Daily Post. ‘Our survey has been unavoidably confined almost exclusively to the first volume; indeed, anything like an adequate account of the book is impossible, for it may be described as a history in notes of the literature of the period with which it deals. We confess that we have been able to find very few pages altogether barren of interest, and by far the larger portion of the book will be found irresistibly attractive by all who care anything for the history of literature in our own time.’—Manchester Examiner. ‘It was a happy thought in this age of jubilees to associate with a literary chronicle of the last fifty years a biographical sketch of the life of John Francis.... As we glance through the contents there is scarcely a page which does not induce us to stop and read about the men and events that are summoned again before us.’—Western Daily Mercury. ‘A mine of information on subjects connected with literature for the last fifty years.’—Echo. ‘The volumes are full of interest.... The indexes of these two volumes show at a glance that a feast of memorabilia, of gossip, of reminiscence, is in store for the reader.’—Nonconformist. ‘The thought of compiling these volumes was a happy one, and it has been ably carried out by Mr. John C. Francis, the son of the veteran publisher.’—Literary World. ‘The entire work affords a comprehensive view of the intellectual life of the period it covers, which will be found extremely helpful by students of English literature.’—Christian World. ‘No other fifty years of English literature contain so much to interest an English reader.’—Freeman. ‘To literary men the two volumes will have much interest; they contain the raw material of history, and many of the gems which make it sparkle.’—Sword and Trowel. RICHARD BENTLEY & SON, NEW BURLINGTON STREET, Footnotes: [1] Leigh Hunt used often to say that he was the dearest friend Shelley had; I believe he was the most costly.—Trelawny’s Recollections. [2] Mrs. Shelley’s letter says twelve days, but this is an error, due, no doubt, to her distress of mind. She gives the date of Trelawny’s return to Leghorn as the 25th of July; it should have been the 18th. [3] Mrs. Mason. [4] The Hunts. [5] See Godwin’s letter, page 96. [6] So it happened, however. [7] Mrs. Hunt, an amateur sculptress of talent, was also skilful in cutting out profiles in cardboard. From some of these, notably from one of Lord Byron, successful likenesses were made. [8] Lord Byron. [9] Fanny Wright subsequently married a Frenchman, M. Phiquepal Darusmont. Under the head of “Darusmont” a sketch of her life, by Mr. R. Garnett, containing many highly interesting details of her career, is to be found in the Dictionary of National Biography. [10] Miss Robinson. [11] “Recollections” in the original; “Records” in the later and, now, better known edition. [12] Page 191. [13] Allegra was buried at Harrow. [14] Jane’s mother. [15] In The Last Man. [16] The heroine of Valperga. [17] Things have changed at the British Museum, not a little, since these words were written. [18] In a letter of Clare’s, before this time, referring to the marriage of one of the Miss Robinsons, she remarks, “I am quite glad to think that for the future you may only have Percy and yourself to maintain.” [19] The Miss Robinsons. [20] Lodore. [21] Such as the following, taken from the Preface: We have lately been accustomed to look on Italy as a discontented province of Austria, forgetful that her supremacy dates only from the downfall of Napoleon. From the invasion of Charles VIII till 1815 Italy has been a battlefield, where the Spaniard, the French, and the German have fought for mastery; and we are blind indeed if we do not see that such will occur again, at least among the two last. Supposing a war to arise between them, one of the first acts of aggression on the part of France would be to try to drive the Germans from Italy. Even if peace continue, it is felt that the papal power is tottering to its fall,—it is only supported because the French will not allow Austria to extend her dominions, and the Austrian is eager to prevent any change that may afford pretence for the French to interfere. Did the present Pope act with any degree of prudence, his power, thus propped, might last some time longer; but as it is, who can say how soon, for the sake of peace in the rest of Italy, it may not be necessary to curtail his territories. The French feel this, and begin to dream of dominion across the Alps; the occupation of Ancona was a feeler put out; it gained no positive object except to check Austria; for the rest its best effect was to reiterate the lesson they have often taught, that no faith should be given to their promises of liberation. [22] She had published her last novel, Falkner, in 1837. [23] Carlyle’s epitaph on his wife. [24] “My belief is,” she says in the preface to her edition of Shelley’s prose works, “that spiritual improvement in this life prepares the way to a higher existence.” This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will be renamed. |
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