nation and he would profit. He founded | large number of books issued from his
the newspaper now known as the Times, logographic press. I have before me a
to prove that newspapers as well as books
could be printed far better and more
cheaply than by the system in common

use.

list of fifteen of these works which appeared between 1784 and 1790. But the system had to be abandoned at last. It had several practical and insurmountable The "logotype " system of printing con- drawbacks one of these being that the sists in using whole words or parts of mass of ready-made words was too bulky words in place of single letters; thus the and cumbersome to admit of being as compositor, instead of building up each readily handled as the corresponding mass word, has the word ready made to his of single types; another being that, if the hand. This looks very simple, and the cost of composition were less, that of corapparent simplicity of the scheme has al- | rection was very much greater. Many ways been its chief attraction. Mr. Wal-years later an effort was made to revive ter took counsel with Sir Joseph Banks, the system. Major Beniowski, an ingenthen president of the Royal Society, and ious and a plausible Pole, made some received his approval in the most emphatic changes in it for which he procured letterms, the new system being pronounced ters patent, and he obtained the assistance by him to be "a most useful acquisition of Captain John Greene, for many years to the literary world, and deserving the member for Kilkenny, in furthering and highest encouragement and support from advocating it. In 1854, Captain Greene the public." Mr. Walter corresponded succeeded in getting a select committee of on the subject with Benjamin Franklin; the House of Commons to investigate the he had the satisfaction of learning that matter, and he did so despite the opposi Franklin looked with favor upon the new tion of Mr. Gladstone, then chancellor of system, and as Franklin was not only a the exchequer. The report of the comshrewd man but a practical printer, his mittee was to the effect that, as the evigood opinion carried great weight. Not dence was conflicting, no decision had merely did Mr. Walter hope to economize been arrived at concerning the scheme. in printing both as regards time and cost, The Times, which had suffered severely but he also anticipated a great extension from the delusion of logographic printing, of the art by the use of "logographic" naturally wrote in condemnation of Major types. In the Universal Register for the Beniowski and his invention. 12th of August, 1786, he announced that having established a type foundry for casting logographic types, he was "able to supply any gentleman with logographic types who may have reasons for execut ing any work of secrecy or amusement, as the types of the words are so easily used in preference to single letters, and, consequently, the knowledge of printing may be acquired with facility. The experiment already made by a nobleman of the first rank and abilities, both in station and knowledge, fully evinces the truth of what is asserted." It is probable that the Duke of Portland is the nobleman here" referred to, that nobleman having handed to the king a copy of Mr. Walter's pamphlet on logographic printing.

In addition to setting up his newspaper with these types, Mr. Walter used them in his general printing business, and a

Not long after the Universal Register became known as the Times, it ceased to be printed by logotypes. The first number under the new name, which appeared on the 1st of January, 1788, contained an address to the public on the subject of printing, wherein Mr. Walter returns thanks for the reception accorded to his efforts to improve that art, states that he purposes issuing a pamphlet containing his grievances, and gives as a specimen the fact that, being in want of apprentices, he sent an advertisement asking for them to the General Advertiser, which was 'generally read by the lower orders of the people," but that Mr. Jenour, the printer of the paper, refused to insert the advertisement after taking payment for it. It is probable that the readers of Mr. Walter's paper cared little for his disputes with rival printers and were luke

warm supporters of his inventions. They had a clear piece of evidence against the success of the new system. The Universal Register was sold for 21., being a halfpenny less than any contemporary, the reduced price being said to be a proof of the saving effected by the new plan, whereas the price was raised to 3d. when the paper assumed a new name.

The first number of the Times, or Daily Universal Register, was a folio sheet of four sides, of which more than one-half was filled with advertisements. It resembled its contemporaries in nearly all respects, being, like any of them, as Cowper stated in "The Task,"

The folio of four pages, happy work,
Which not even critics, criticise.

In that number the foreign intelligence occupies a little over half a column, and consists of four paragraphs from Warsaw dated the 5th of December; two from Frankfort dated the 14th of December; one from Constantinople dated the 10th of November; two from Paris and one from Rotterdam dated the 25th of December. Ten short paragraphs are given of London | news, amongst them being a paragraph to the effect that "the indisposition of Lord Salisbury is a public evil," a fact which, if announced now, would doubtless be expressed in corresponding words. Under the heading of the "Theatre," a short notice is given of "Hamlet," then performing at Drury Lane, and of " Henry the Fourth at Covent Garden. A column headed the "Cuckoo" is filled with those paragraphs of gossip and scandal which were greatly to the taste of our forefathers, which do not appear unacceptable to readers of the present day, but which are excluded from the London daily press and now form the staple fare of some weekly journals. A column and a quarter headed "The Times," contains a statement as to the change in the title, and an exposition of the policy of the paper. The gist of the explanation is that the name Universal Register was as "injurious to the logographic newspaper as Tristram was to Mr. Shandy's son," and that, as most readers spoke of it as the Register, it was commonly confounded with the Annual Register, the Court and City Register, and | certain disreputable publications. For these reasons and others, "the parents of the Universal Register have added to its original name that of the Times, which, being a monosyliable, bids defiance to corruptors and mutilators of the language."

The writer thus proceeds to comment

on the new name: "The Times! What a monstrous name! Granted - for the Times is a many-headed monster that speaks with a hundred tongues, and displays a thousand characters, and in the course of its transformations in life assumes innumerable shapes and bumors." Mr. Walter defends the change in the title as follows: "The alteration we have made in our head is not without precedents. The World has parted with half of its caput mortuum and a moiety of its brains. The Herald has cut off half of its head, and lost its original humor. The Post, it is true, retains its whole head and its old features; and as to the other public prints, they appear as having neither heads nor tails." The chief reference to politics is in these terms: "The political head of the Times, like that of Janus, the Roman deity, is double-faced; with one countenance it will smile continually on the friends of Old England, and with the other will frown incessantly on her enemies."

Mr. Walter may not have thought it necessary to lay down any programme, because this paper was the continuation of an established one, and not a new venture on a fresh plan. In the Universal Register for the 29th of June, 1785, he had distinctly announced his aim: "Uninflu enced by party, uncontrolled by power, and attached solely to the public interest, every exertion shall be urged to ensure a continuance of that support the journal has already experienced." More than half a column of No. 940 is occupied with a poem, which is rather worse than the poems that then found places in newspapers, being an "Ode for the New Year" by the poet laureate. One marriage is announced, and one death. The advertisements are as interesting as anything else in the paper. C. Sharp, perfumer and razor-maker to the Prince of Wales, vaunts the superiority of his concave razors; John Young is anxious that the nobility and gentry should try his "Caledonian macabau "snuff, assuring them that they will find it as good as his Irish snuff; Mrs. H. M. informs ladies that her "opera fans," showing the numbers of the boxes and names of subscribers, are ready for delivery; C. Walsh recommends his refined liquorice to all who wish to get rid of coughs; while other medicines are advertised for sale, not for emolument, but out of philanthropy, the prices, however, being high enough to leave no small profit. These quack medicines are quite as won derful as others of a later day: they com.

teen months he was liberated on the intercession of the Prince of Wales. In the reigns both of George the Third and his son, imprisonment for libel occasioned as little disgrace as it did in France during the reign of the third Napoleon, when some of the best men were in prison and some of the worst in office. However, Mr. Walter was so disheartened by the treatment which he received that he contemplated giving up the Times, and confining himself to printing and publishing books. The journal was conducted at a loss, and to be subjected to fine and im prisonment, in addition to losing money by the journal, was as trying to his temper as to his pocket.

prise the Opiate of Life, which is "most sovereign for weak stomachs, and infallible to all consumptive complaints," and costs 7s. a pot of eighteen doses; the Golden Pill, which prevents pains in the head and eyes, restores a lost memory, and beautifies the complexion, is composed "of the wholesomest and scarcest articles as are not even to be had in Europe," the box containing twenty-four pills costing 10s. 6d.; Danish pills, a remedy for gravel, costing 6s. a box. Only one firm amongst these advertisers still survives; this is the Messrs. Burgess, who call attention to their smoked salmon and Dutch herrings, French olives and rich sauces. John Abernethy informs the public that he will begin a course of anatomical lectures. Instead, however, of discontinuing to Nine works printed at the Logographic publish the Times, Mr. Walter wisely as Press are advertised, and three firms set sociated his eldest son in its management, forth at length the reasons why lottery and in 1803 made him sole conductor. tickets should be purchased from them. Mr. John Walter, jun., was born in 1776; Such are the salient features in the first like Henry Sampson Woodfall, the emi. number of the journal bearing the name of nent editor of the Public Advertiser, he the Times. was educated at Merchant Taylors' The success of the Times was not rapid. | School. He went to Trinity College, Writing in December, 1789, Horace Wal- Oxford, afterwards, where he remained pole asks the Countess of Ossory, "Have one year only. He studied at Oxford you seen Mr. Cambridge's excellent with the view of entering the Church, but, verses, called The Progress of Liberty'? at his father's request, he abandoned his They were printed last Wednesday in a original intention. He had been regunewspaper called the Times, but they are larly apprenticed to his father, and had ascribed to a young lady." Mr. Walter mastered the art of printing. It was for often felt his post of editor a most trying the purpose of giving the Times another one. In 1786 he had to pay a fine of 150%. | and a last chance that John Walter, jun., for a libel upon Lord Loughborough. In was admitted to a share in its manage1789. being convicted of libelling the ment. He had the great qualification, in Dukes of York, Gloucester, and Cumber- addition to remarkable natural gifts, of a land, the libel consisting of the remark, thorough acquaintance with the details of probably well founded, that they were printing and publishing. He was twenty"insincere "in their professions of joy at seven when he undertook the sole manthe king's recovery, he was sentenced to agement of the Times, an early age it is pay a fine of 50l., to stand for an hour in true, yet not so early by eight years as the pillory at Charing Cross, to be im- that at which Henry Sampson Woodfall prisoned in Newgate for twelve months, became editor of the Public Advertiser. and to find security for good behavior for The connection of John Walter, jun., with seven years after leaving prison. When the Times was the beginning of its prosin prison two other libels were laid to his perity and the true source of its fame. charge: he was accused of publishing that He found it a struggling and feeble jour the Prince of Wales and the Duke of nal; he left it the most successful and York had demeaned themselves so as to powerful journal in the world. On obincur the just disapprobation of his Maj-taining the power to give effect to his esty, and that the Duke of Clarence had policy, he set himself to reorganize the returned home without authority from the staff of the Times, to do everything that Admiralty or his commanding officer. Mr. he could to accelerate the production of Walter was brought from Newgate on the the paper, to fill it with fresh and trust3rd of January, 1790, to receive sentence worthy intelligence, to discard any arfor these heinous offences. For both rangement and terminate any understandlibels he was sentenced to a year's imprising which might interfere with free action onment in Newgate, to date from the ex- and fearless criticism. It was then the piry of the year he had to serve, and to custom to take payment for theatrical pay 2001. After being imprisoned six- puffs, but he distinctly intimated that no

such custom would be acted upon by him, | his wishes. He had greater trials to bear and he adhered to his determination, despite a pecuniary loss to the paper. His father did not approve of his scrupu lousness; he desired the paper to be independent of any person or party, but he did not object to accepting payments which were consecrated by usage, and which he considered to be a fair remuneration for service rendered.

than the loss of official patronage. The public was eager for news respecting the wars then raging on the Continent, and he had made arrangements for getting exact and early information. His plans were purposely frustrated by order of the government, the officials at the outposts being enjoined to stop all the parcels of papers addressed to him. On remonstratNo London journal at the beginning of ing at the Home Office he was informed this century was strikingly superior to any that if he would accept these packets as a other, nor had any of them a preponderat- favor, which would imply some return on ing circulation and influence. Four thou- his part, they would be duly transmitted. sand copies constituted a large circulation He firmly declined even to listen to such for any paper in those days. Whilst conditions, and at a later date, when comColeridge was a contributor to the Morn-plaining of another high-handed act of ing Post that journal attained a circulation subordinate agents, he expressly refused of seven thousand copies, to the surprise the still milder terms of compromise to of the proprietors as much as of the pub- the effect that he should distinctly inti lic. None was a special favorite with mate which political party he purposed advertisers. A certain class of advertise- supporting. The ministry then in office ments would be found in a particular had his support; but he would not make paper; the Morning Post containing any conditions, even with that ministry, most of those relating to horses and carriages, the Public Ledger of those relating to shipping and sales of foreign merchandise, the Morning Herald and the Times of those relating to auctions, and the Morning Chronicle of those relating to books. John Walter, jun., tried to change this by making his paper equally complete and attractive in every department office. ment, and, by increasing its circulation, to render it a favorite with all advertisers, obtained his information from abroad, at whilst rigidly preserving its impartiality and upholding its independence.

He described in the Times for the 11th of February, 1810, how many trials he had to encounter in carrying out this policy. On purely patriotic grounds he supported the administration of Lord Sidmouth. When it was succeeded, or rather displaced, by Pitt's second administration, the conduct of Lord Melville was strongly blamed in the Times, the result being that Mr. Walter, sen., was removed from the office of printer to the customs, which he had filled for eighteen years, while all government advertisements were withdrawn from the Times. The Administration of All the Talents, which took office after Pitt's death, having been supported by the Times, it was suggested to John Walter, jun., that he should memorialize the government in the hope of recovering the patronage which had been withdrawn. However, not only did he decline to take any part in such an application, but he intimated to those who proposed to make - despite his refusal to sign it — that they were acting in direct opposition to

one

which might in the smallest degree fetter or seem to affect his independence. It was sometimes his good fortune, whilst rigidly declining any favor, to outstrip the government in the conveyance of intelligence; thus he was able to announce the capitulation of Flushing forty-eight hours before the news had reached any govern

The manner in which John Walter, jun.,

a time when regular communication between this country and the Continent was stopped, is practically disclosed in a letter from him to Mr. Croker. It is written on the 9th of May, 1811. After setting forth in it the extraordinary difficulty in getting French newspapers, the writer says that a smuggler, "who is in collusion with a French officer near a certain port, is willing to exchange this contraband traffic in which he has been hitherto engaged for one which is perfectly innocent with respect to its operation upon the public revenue

namely, the_conveyance of French papers only to England."* He proposed that, if the Admiralty would give orders not to seize the vessel while so engaged, copies of the papers thus obtained would be forwarded to the government. The result is not told; but the ingenious plan was designed to serve the government as much as the Times.

The conductors of other journals were able to collect foreign news from the same sources as the Times; but the conductor

Croker's Correspondence and Diaries, vol. i., p. 37

of that journal was not satisfied to do that |
which any rival could perform with equal
ease. He determined to have foreign in-
telligence from an agent of his own, and
for his exclusive use - in other words, he
resolved to employ on the Continent a
special correspondent. The gentleman on
whom his choice fell, and who fully merited
the confidence reposed in him, was Henry
Crabb Robbinson. He was the forerun-
ner of many distinguished men, who have
given a new impulse and new character to
journalism. Their names are known as
well as honored: other contributors to the
press are as little known to the reading
public as "Junius;" but every one is ac-
quainted with the names as well as the
achievements of such men, amongst many
others, as Dr. Russell and Wingrove
Cooke, of Mr. Gallenga and Mr. McGahan,
of Mr. Archibald Forbes and Mr. G. A.
Henty, of Mr. Beatty-Kingston and Mr.
Hilary Skinner, of Mr. Sala and Captain
Cameron.

charged his duty with a fidelity and effect. which has seldom been surpassed by the most daring and brilliant of his successors. He lived to a great age, dying in his ninety-fourth year; and those who, like myself, had the pleasure of his personal acquaintance during his later years, found his lively and most interesting spoken reminiscences even more fascinating than the printed pages which have been given to the world under the skilled editorship of Dr. Sadler. Of John Walter, jun., whose friendship he retained till death, Crabb Robinson always wrote and spoke in terms of the warmest admiration.

Whilst the conductor of the Times was gradually but surely rendering it the leading journal, he was suddenly confronted with a danger which threatened to shipwreck the result of his incessant labor and to mar the fruition of his cherished hopes. Towards the end of May, 1810, the pressmen in his office made a demand for increased wages. These men supplied the manual labor for working the printingpresses, and their services were indispensable. At the same time the compositors combined to demand not only higher wages, but the disuse of a new size of type which had been then introduced. The men bound themselves by an oath to be united and firm in demands to which they considered that resistance was hopeless. John Walter, jun., had a private intimation of the strike a few hours before it took place on a Saturday morning, Hastily collecting a few apprentices and unemployed compositors, he worked con. tinuously for thirty-six hours along with them in preparing the Monday's issue, which, to the astonishment of the workmen on strike, appeared in the usual course. During several months the business of printing the journal was conducted under difficulties, the workmen on strike molesting those employed in the office. The lives of the latter were often in peril during the struggle. At length it was resolved to prosecute the men on strike for conspiracy, as well as for illegal combination, the result being that twenty-one were put on their trial at the Old Bailey on the 8th of November, 1810, that nineteen were found guilty of conspiracy, that two ringleaders were sentenced to impris onment for two years, three others for eighteen months, three for twelve months, and eleven for nine months.

Crabb Robinson notes in his diary how, in January, 1807, he received, through his friend J. D. Collier, a proposal that he should proceed to Altona and reside there as the Times correspondent. He had returned from a stay in Germany, where he studied at the University of Jena. He had not only become well versed in the German language and literature, but he had made the personal acquaintance of the most eminent Germans of the day, Goethe and Schiller being numbered amongst them. Later in life he enjoyed the friendship of the chief Englishmen of his time, and he was the most intimate friend, perhaps, that Wordsworth ever had. Crabb Robinson sent to the Times a series of letters from "the banks of the Elbe," wherein he set forth the condition of things in Germany during the agitated period which closed with the fall of Dantzig, the battle of Friedland, and the treaty of Tilsit. On returning home, after having had several narrow escapes from capture and imprisonment, he acted as the foreign editor of the Times; and in the year 1808 he was despatched to Corunna, there to act again as special correspondent. The letters which he wrote during this mission were dated from "the shores of the Bay of Biscay" and "Corunna," and they appeared between the 9th of August, 1808, and the 20th of January, 1809. Crabb Robinson was a worthy representative of the class which has Not long after having successfully renow become famous; he had all the activ-sisted this attempt to wreck the Times, ity requisite for performing the onerous its conductor lost his father, who died at task which he undertook, and he dis- Teddington on the 16th of November,