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Notes
F[rancis] G[rant], note in Athenaeum, June 20, 1896, p. 810. Notes on other editions appear in the same journal, August 8 and 15, pp. 193-194, 227.
It should be observed that Luther S. Livingston's assertions, as first presented in Athenaeum (April 21, 1900, pp. 499-500) and later amplified in The Bookman (N.Y., XII [1901], 563-567), were eventually withdrawn in an anonymous communication to The Nation (August 18, 1910, p. 141)—this as the consequence of Colonel W. F. Prideaux's examination (in N & Q, 11th ser., II [July 16, 1910], 41-42) of the textual relation between one of the "private issues" and the obvious reprint described as J in this study.
To illustrate the divergent opinion of recent years and the effect of certain statements on the rare-book market, I subtend a few quotations. First, the views of those who reject the legend: (1) Editions A, B, C "have been supposed, but without any good reason, to have appeared before the first quarto." R. S. Crane, CBEL (1940), II, 643. (2) Of edition D, "there is no evidence that it precedes the quarto and, in fact, reprints, if different in size at all, are likely and normally smaller than the original issue." W. A. Jackson, comment on item 452, Parke-Bernet Galleries Sale 1292 (Dec. 3-4, 1951). See also the present writer in Studies in Bibliography, IV (1951), 44, 48. Second, the views of those who accept the legend: (1) On edition B and later, in the same words, on D, "the first edition, privately printed." T. J. Wise, Ashley Library, II (1922), 150; VIII (1926), 140-41. (2) Apparently in reference to Wise's copy of B, "a very rare little book, privately printed." I. A. Williams, Seven XVIIIth Century Bibliographies (1924), pp. 146-147. (3) Concerning editions ranged in the order C, B, A, "the fact that there were three issues of this so-called 'privately printed' edition, somewhat weakens one's faith in a privately printed issue . . . though I can understand why [Griffin] should venture on small 'trial editions'." Temple Scott, Oliver Goldsmith Bibliographically and Biographically Considered (1928), p. 246. (4) In an account of Lord Rothschild's copy of edition C: "first edition, first issue . . . very rare, privately printed 'trial issue' of the poem." John Hayward, English Poetry, An Illustrated Catalogue (1950), item 184. It is my understanding that this description is to be corrected in the forthcoming catalogue of the Rothschild Library. Third, in consequence of these sensational pronouncements, a record of extraordinary prices realized on the market: Maggs, July 15, 1929: £640 ($3110 at the exchange rate then prevailing). Gabriel Wells, June 16, 1930: £450 ($2190). Anderson Galleries, Jerome Kern sale, Jan. 7-10, 1929: $3900 and $1200; the Roderick Terry sale, May 2-3, 1934: $1300; the Courtland Bishop sale, April 5-8, 1938: $2100.
Actually the reference did not originate with Percy in 1801, as commonly supposed, but in the 1777 Dublin Poems and Plays, the ultimate copytext for a series of editions extending into the 19th century. In the 1777 edition (and usually in the many reprints) the poem is mistakenly advertised on its flyleaf as "First printed in M,DCC,LXIX"; and the entire book (together with some of the reprints) claims to present "several Additions and Corrections never before printed; being the only perfect one ever published of this celebrated Author's Poems." Neither assertion is acceptable. Against the first is the specific notice in the Daily Advertiser for Saturday, May 26, 1770, that the Deserted Village was to be published "This Day at Twelve." Against the second is an evident indication that, for this one poem, the "Additions and Corrections" comprise various readings chosen at random from the earlier separate printings. Thus at lines 67, 101, 111, 184, and 315 the 1777 edition follows readings which appear only in Q1, at 108 a revision first introduced in Q2, and at 81-82 and 125 revisions first introduced in Q4. (For citation of revisions, see Section II.) This conglomerate text is followed in the 1780 London edition similarly titled, in the one volume Poetical Works (n.d.), in the Perth edition of the Miscellaneous Works (1792, vol. II), Bishop Percy's "new edition" of this (1801, vol. II), and in various anthologies such as Chalmers' English Poets (1810, vol. XVI) and the Chiswick Press British Poets (1822, vol. LXIV).
Beyond the scope of this inquiry, but possibly of some concern to an editor of Goldsmith, is a later octavo edition in half-sheets, passing as the "Fourteenth," and imprinted "for G. Lister, No. 46, Old Bailey, and sold by all Book-sellers, New's-carriers, &c. in Great Britain and Ireland. M,DCC,-LXXXVI." Like the collected editions cited in fn. 5, this has a conglomerate text, but of quite a different kind. At 81-82, 101, 111 it corresponds to Q1; at 67, 108, 184, 315 to Q2; and at 125 and 147 to Q4.
Of the unrevised Miscellaneous Works—a group not to be confused with others similarly titled (cf. fn. 5)—I have not seen the two editions reported by Professor Crane (in CBEL, II, 636-37) as imprinted London 1780 and Edinburgh 1791, but presume that these reproduce the text carried through 1778. At line 248 in that edition, the earlier reading "lean to hear" is corrupted to "learn to hear". This alteration reappears in the separate edition G, in the later Works of 1782 and 1784, and in two editions of Poems, By Dr. Goldsmith published by J. Wenman in 1784 and 1786.
That there were others now lost may be inferred from the fact that, whereas the "rare private issues" (A—D) are fairly common, only one copy is known of the six editions E—H, K, and N. Moreover, between some of these editions there are considerable intervals, ranging from two to fourteen years (C to E or D to J), which may have been filled by other texts. Even for related editions issued in the same year, such as 1775 and F, the designation of the latter as the "Fourth" presupposes others with earlier edition references. It would seem, then, that the editions I have found represent only a few of the many in existence at the time.
The figures normally used by Griffin's pressmen are 1, 2, and 3. Elisions, occurring frequently throughout the "Village," cumulate with each successive reprint. For typical examples of the other alterations, generally evident in all reprints, observe the hyphenation at 11, 44, 144 (never-failing, hollow-sounding, a-year) and the modern spelling at 46, 93, 128 (echoes for ecchoes, group for groupe, cheerful for chearful). Notes on quarto text and paragraph divisions will be found in Section II.
One edition of Goldsmith's Essays, supposedly printed by Griffin, also appears in 12° half-sheets; but this too, as Professor Friedman has demonstrated (Studies in Bibliography, V [1952], 190-193), is doubtless a piracy. The reading "wo" occurs at lines 162, 316, 346, 374, 394, and 415. It so reads in all the earlier 12° reprints (A—E), reverts to "woe" in the succeeding 8° editions (F, H—J), and reverts again to "wo" except at line 374 in the derivative 12° G.
It is not surprising that the year of Griffin's death should be unknown both to the trade in that day and to scholars of our time (cf. Morison and Plomer), for it is unmarked by any obituary even in the newspapers of which he was the proprietor. It may be noted, though, that his will, proved on June 27, 1775, leaves his estate to his wife Elizabeth (the 'E. Griffin' cited below); and from the imprints of the two papers he conducted it may be assumed that he died about June 14. As there is some little variation in the earlier form of these imprints, the significance of which is not readily apparent, I reproduce all versions for both papers through the year 1775.
- Jan. 2—Mar. 4. Printed for and Sold by William Griffin, No. 6, in Catharine-street, Strand. . . .
- Mar. 6—Apr. 7. Printed and Sold by &c.
- Apr. 8—June 13. Printed by &c.
- June 14—17. Printed at No. 6, &c.
- June 19—Aug. 26. Printed by E. Griffin, at No. 6, &c.
- Aug. 28—Dec. 30. Printed by R. Haswell, Catharine-street, Strand. . . .
Morning Post
- Jan. 3/5—June 13/15. Printed by W. Griffin, Bookseller, No. 6, Catharine-Street in the Strand.
- June 15/17—Aug. 3/5. Printed by E. Griffin, at No. 6 &c.
- Aug. 5/8—Aug. 24/26. Printed by R. Ayre and G. Moore, at No. 6, &c.
- Aug. 26/29—Dec. 28/30. Printed by R. Ayre and G. Moore, (from the late Mr. Griffin's) at No. 5, Bridges-Street, opposite Drury-Lane Theatre.
Middlesex Journal
Of this a unique copy was once in the possession of I. A. Williams, and described by him in the London Mercury, VI (1922), 633, and in Seven XVIIIth Century Bibliographies (1924), pp. 167-68. From the data offered there it may readily be assumed that, as the four selections (including Retaliation [6 pages], Edwin and Angelina [6], the Double Transformation [3⅔], and A New Simile [2⅓]) occupy exactly the same amount of space and occur in exactly the same grouping as in the final gathering of the Works, all four poems, like the separate "Village" (F), constitute a reimpression. Further, both in the Select Poems and in the separate poem, the dividing rules in the Works have been replaced by ornamental lines. In the Poems group, however, "Retaliation," appearing in the Works as the last of the series of four, was moved to the first position. Thus the pirate, alias "Griffin", ignorantly juggled a poem which actually belonged to Kearsly, while excluding from this selection the one poem owned by the man whose imprint he had assumed. Even if we condone the infraction of copyright, the multiplicity of impressions at this late date, and the peculiar styling of their title-pages, we may not ignore the advertisements for this year, all of which indicate that the collection the real Griffin had in press was entirely different from the one offered in these unannounced Works. As noted in the issues of his own Morning Post for April 18-21, this was to consist, not of material often printed in earlier years, but of "Poems written by the late Dr. Goldsmith, David Garrick, Esq. And the Dean of Derry. Never before published." [Advts. in Griffin's Middlesex Journal for April 18-27 read "Others" for "the Dean of Derry."] Very probably the Goldsmith items were among the papers which Griffin, as a creditor, seized at the time of the author's death. Unfortunately, however, as the publisher himself died shortly after this announcement, his intentions were never fulfilled.
Periodicals quoting directly from Q1 are the Critical Review, Gentleman's Magazine, London Chronicle, London Magazine, Monthly Review, and the Town and Country Magazine. As an instance of prevailing tastes I may observe that, while the extent of reprinting varies with each magazine, all cite lines 139-194 (on the village preacher), none lines 253-304 or 339-408.
II (1770), 168, 185-186. The same practice is generally evident and generally acknowledged in the Scots Magazine.
One such production, in my possession, is A Collection of Scarce, Curious and Valuable Pieces, Both in Verse and Prose, imprinted "Edinburgh: Printed by W. Ruddiman. M,DCC,LXXIII."
See T. B. Reed and A. F. Johnson, History of the Old English Letter Foundries (1952), pp. 340-341, and, for the use of this type elsewhere, John Alden, Studies in Bibliography, III (1950), 270-274. Besides its use in edition A, in the Weekly Magazine, and in Ruddiman's Collection (cf. fn. 18), it also appears in edition D, in the separate and collected issues of 1775, and, as Alden observes, in the first (Edinburgh) edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica (1771), Tait's Poetical Legends (imprinted London, 1775, but printed by J. Donaldson of Edinburgh) and Woty's Poetical Works (also imprinted London, date 1770, printer unknown).
For a succinct account of these and other suspicious characters, see F. A. Pottle, The Literary Career of James Boswell (1929), items 20, 50.
These two are further editions of the "unrevised" sequence under this title, but with imprint now reading "for W. Osborne, and T. Griffin, in Holborn." Unlike their predecessors of 1775 and 1778 which, as we have noted, appear to have been issued under false pretences, these were printed when the various rights were expiring and by persons who freely acknowledge their identity. Osborne was a recognized publisher, and his partner may be the "Thomas Griffin" mentioned as a brother in William's will of 1775. If the two editions were allowed, the authority certainly did not extend to the anonymously printed G nor to its (pirated?) copytext ca. 1783.
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