:: :: University of Virginia Library

In the first three years both woodblock and imprint went through numerous changes (a-e for the one, 1-16 for the other), all disclosing in one combination or another a number of variants easily classified and ordered. Over the next twenty-one years, however, these features change much less frequently (d-f, 17-24), and any one combination may persist for a considerable period: (d) 19, for example, extending over 25 months without interruption, and (e1) 21 lasting once for 17 and once again for 26 months. As these points become stabilized it is therefore necessary to introduce new variables, these preferably of a kind exhibiting, in editions now of greatly enlarged issue, reimpressions from standing type.

Whatever its extent, no list of points will encompass every contingency. Press-figures, the most convenient index, have occurred only once before, in May 1732, and then as a single asterisk dropped in the course of printing. Figures again appear several times in 1734, there signifying all sorts of confusion,[22] but then disappear forever. Broken headline types, cited last year by Mr. Leed to differentiate certain 1742 variants, provide no clue as to the order of printing and—as I have already determined—fail to distinguish the revised impressions of 1745-1746.

Certain other evidence, though also ineffective for rapid reimpressions of the 1745-1746 type, does provide, usually, a ready means for ordering the variants. Apart from the two points now considered (woodblock and imprint), this may be discovered in three other features: (3) last entry to left of woodblock, ordinarily recording the most recent periodical issued in London; (4) last entry to right of woodblock, noting papers—but not by name—printed elsewhere; (5) ornamental block heading first page of text, hereafter identified by central figure. With some exceptions all five points remain in a certain combination, or in a typographical skeleton, only from

100

one to three monthly numbers.[23] Hence original editions set within that particular skeleton will establish the date of reprints similarly enclosed.

A resetting precisely defined by these means appears in the January 1741 number:

Points 1-2	3	4	5
(d)2010	Englishman	Sherborn	head	[Copy C]
(e)2011	Champion	Sherborn	cherub	[Copy G]

The later edition, citing 11 volumes available, indicates an issue in 1742 (1731+11), and reference to The Champion further limits the issue to May or June of that year.

The several 1742 variants identified by Mr Leed are also susceptible to this approach. These are listed in his sequence, but with key letters reordered, if necessary, to account for the point latest occurring in the combination (signified by an asterisk) and the date of that occurrence (entered to the right).

January 1742 (three editions)
A.	(e)2011	Hyp Doctor	Sherborn	sun
C.	* (e1)20	Whitehall Ev Post	Cambridge	vase	[April 1746]
B.	(e)2011	*Champion	Sherborn	cherub	[May 1742]

Edition "B," it will be noted, displays the same combination as that used in the later edition of January 1741. Edition "C", though representing elements all occurring as early as April 1746, doubtless was not printed until 1747, for it still mistakenly carries, in the skeleton first page of text, a reference to that year.

February 1742 (one edition partially reimpressed[24] and, as now determined, a second setting)

A1-2.	(e)2011	Hyp Doctor	Sherborn	sun
B.	(e2)2011	*World	Glasgow	rose	[Jan. 1753]

Though edition "B" again cites 11 volumes as then available, the reference now merely imitates the earlier imprint proper to 1742. The woodblock also is the same, though here deteriorated to state 2, first evident in December 1751. At this later date entry to right of block is invariant (Glasgow being represented from September 1749 to January 1767), but the one to

101

left, The World, occurs only from January to October 1753 and thus among these points becomes the limiting factor.

Less significant but still differentiated are the two numbers next cited.

March 1742 (one edition twice partly reimpressed[25])

A1.	(e)2011	Hyp Doctor	Sherborn	sun
A2-3.	(e)2011	Hyp Doctor	Sherborn	*cherub [April 1742]

October 1742 (one edition reimpressed)

A1.	(e)2011	Westminster Journal Sherburn	sun
A2.	(e)2011	Westminster Journal *Birmingham	sun [November 1742]

Not to be distinguished by either means, Mr. Leed's or my own, are two other numbers in 1742. Here the first signed pages (401 and 457) have as further references in direction line:

August	[1] none	[2] (August 1742)
September	[1] (August 1742.)	[2] September 1742.)

To discover these, and perhaps other variants of greater consequence, one must resort to direct collation.

For certain numbers in 1734-1736 the several variables occasionally reveal, in the two leaves to which they apply, a duplicate setting simultaneously printed of these leaves only. This situation may arise whenever, in half-sheet imposition, there is an extra two-leaf fold which, if unduplicated, would occupy only half a forme. Thus in the three successive 1734 collations given below an alternate setting should not be expected in August (with two doubletons, probably imposed together), but may be found both in September[26] (with three) and in October[27] (with only one).

August	September	October
π2 3D-3H4 3I-3K4	π2 3L2 3M4 3N2 3O-3S4	3T2 3U-3Z4 3A-3C4

For these and other monthly numbers with duplicate preliminaries (and hence differing woodblocks, letterpress, and ornaments), I list first the

102

points in control copy "C".[28] Entry to right of block, invariably Barbados throughout this series, is omitted.

1734
	September	(e)17	York 2 News	bowl
		(d)16	Gen. Ev. Post	sun
	October	(d)16	Gen. Ev. Post	sun
		(e)17	York 2 News	bowl
	November[29]	(e)17	The Prompter	sun
		(d)17	The Pramsteer	bowl
1735
	September[30]	(d)17	D. Gazetteer	head
		(e)17	D. Gazetteer	vase
	November[31]	(e)18	D. Gazetteer	vase
		(d)18	D. Gazetteer	head
1736
	March	(d)19	Lon D. Post	lyre
		(e)19	D. Gazetteer	head

In Supplements, where the only point is the ornament above caption title first page of text, this point alone will suffice, for no ornament can be used more than once in a duplicate setting. Thus the Supplement for 1750 exhibits in C and P copies respectively, a head and urn. At first glance it would appear that this number, like the one for August 1734, is not subject to duplication, since there are two quarter-sheets[32] which could be combined: 12 2-34 42 5-64. However, it must be remembered that the annual title and preface fold is printed with this extra number, and was here doubtless imposed with gathering 4, leaving 1 as an odd doubleton to be set twice.

With due reference to the several matters cited above, the following Table denotes, throughout by the symbol τ, some thirty-seven variants from the main impression as represented by "C" and equivalent copies. Among other variants yet undisclosed an appreciable number, I suspect, may be identified and ordered by the criteria now established.