To the PUBLIC.

MR. Faulkner of Dublin having, in the News-Paper which bears his name, of November 3. 1753. publiſhed a ſort of Defence of his own conduct in the tranſaction that paſſed between him and the Editor of the HISTORY of Sir CHARLES GRANDISON; in which he inſinuates, that what was done by him and ſome of his Brethren in trade, in Dublin, was in purſuance of a cuſtom long eſtabliſhed among the Dublin Book⯑ſellers: And having alſo written Letters to ſeveral perſons of cha⯑racter in London, endeavouring to juſtify himſelf, without having that ſtrict regard to veracity in them, which particularly becomes a man of buſineſs; yet intrepidly deſiring that theſe Letters might be ſhewn to Mr. Richardſon: And, laſtly, having joined with his Brethren to ſhut the Dublin Preſſes againſt his juſt complaints of the treatment he has met with from ſome of them; Mr. Richard⯑ſon thinks he ſhall be excuſed for taking this opportunity to lay before the Publick an account of the whole tranſaction; and the rather, as the Invaders of his property have done their utmoſt to make a NATIONAL CAUSE of the meaſure they compelled him to take; and as he preſumes to think, that the CAUSE OF LITE⯑RATURE in general is affected by their uſage of him.

He will begin with tranſcribing Mr. Faulkner's Defence of himſelf.

[5] Genuine Hiſtory of the Tranſ⯑action.

Mr. Faulkner knew, though he does not here ſay he did, how the three Bookſellers came at the Sheets. In his Letter, dated Dublin, Aug. 4. he ſent Mr. Ri⯑chardſon the firſt news of the in⯑vaſion of his property. ‘"I am very ſorry," ſays he, "for the ill-treatment, and the diſap⯑pointment that you and I have met with in the Hiſtory of Sir Charles Grandiſon; four ſheets of which Work I received by the laſt Poſt: But, to my great ſurprize, I find FOUR other [6]more of the ſame Work, in Octavo and Duodecimo; which they have ſhewn me, and left with me to compare."’

He then gives proof of the in⯑iquity, as it came out on his ex⯑amination of the ſheets.

‘"Theſe circumſtances," pro⯑ceeds he, "will, I hope, convince you of the truth of what I have aſſerted" [He had be⯑fore given cautions to Mr. R. againſt the attempts of his Bre⯑thren the Dublin Bookſellers upon the morality of his men], "and of the villainy and fraud of your Journeymen, who have robbed you, and injured me: For which reaſons, it will be troubleſome and unneceſſary for you to ſend me any more of this Work, as the perſons who have printed the in⯑cloſed Titles, with ANOTHER Bookſeller, claim the ſole property of this Work: And if I can prevail upon them to give me a ſhare, it will be only a fifth part."’ Might not a man, with whom he was in treaty, and who had given him, as will be ſeen, an undeſerved preference, have expected advice and offers of aſſiſt⯑ance from him on this baſe attempt (the rather, as he ſeemed very ſenſible, for his own ſake, of the injury done Mr. R.) inſtead of endeavouring to prevail on ſuch a Confederacy to admit him into a ſhare with them in a Copy ſo vilely obtained? And this, without conſulting Mr. R. or propoſing to him to acquit him of his engage⯑ments to him! At that time, the corruptors of the honeſty of Mr. R's ſervants had made no progreſs in the Work: And Mr. F. knew, that Mr. R. was in the way of ſending him ſheets by every Poſt; and (intending to publiſh but two Volumes at a time) that Mr. F. would have the ſheets early enough to anſwer the intentions and the engagements of both.

Three of the four perſons are named in the Title-pages he in⯑cluded in his Letter; WILSON, EXSHAW, SAUNDERS: But Mr. Faulkner, for reaſons beſt known to himſelf, has not, to this hour, named the Fourth; who is believed to be a Bookſeller in Dublin, who ſerved his apprenticeſhip with him.

Mr. Richardſon, in his Anſwer to this Letter, dated Aug. 10. gave Mr. Faulkner great opportunities to recollect himſelf. After complaining of this cruel treatment, he informs him, ‘'That he had put a ſtop to the printing of the Work; and that he would appeal to the World upon it.'’ He deſires, ‘'that he would not mention the corrections in the ſheets he had ſent him over, tho' matter of nicety rather than neceſſity; ſuppoſing it poſſible' [as [7] it has proved] 'that men, who could act as theſe Confederates had acted, would be capable of advertiſing the pirated edition as preferable to the genuine.'’ In order to put Mr. Faulkner upon offering him his aſſiſtance in ſuch way as he thought beſt, though forbidden by him to ſend him any more ſheets, he deſired to know if he was to conclude that all dealings between them were abſolutely at an end. He the rather put this to Mr. Faulkner, as he, before he made his court to the Confederates, had beſpoke twenty-five ſets in Octavo; of which Mr. R. never after heard one word, though they did not propoſe to propagate their piracy in that ſize. No doubt, he thought, that 25 ſets in Octavo, ſold by him for Mr. R. might be a deduction of as many from the ſale of his and his new partners Edition in Duodecimo.—So wholly was he, in an inſtant, detached from Mr. R. and attached to them, and his and their common intereſt.

Mr. Faulkner, in his Reply, dated the 14th and 16th of Auguſt, acquaints Mr. R. that the three Bookſellers had got the Firſt and Se⯑cond Volumes complete in both Editions; Wilſon the Octavo, Exſhaw and Saunders the Other; and that each of them had laid himſelf out to get the Work, as ſoon as they ſaw, by the Adver⯑tiſements in the London Papers, that it would be publiſhed the following winter. An Advertiſement put into thoſe Pa⯑pers, that the World might not take another Book of a Sir Charles Goodville, in a Series of Letters, for that expected from Mr. R.

Mr. Faulkner declares, in this Letter, that the liberty taken by Wilſon of advertiſing his intended Edition [London: Printed for S. Richardſon: Dublin: Reprinted for Peter Wilſon, in Dame⯑ſtreet.] to be printed for Mr. Richardſon, was a licence never be⯑fore taken in Dublin, unleſs the Work were printed for the Author's benefit. He adviſes Mr. Richardſon againſt ſending over any of his Books to Ireland; and to write to the Invaders, the Corrup⯑tors, to induce them to pay him their ſhares of the Seventy Gui⯑neas, ſtipulated by him to be paid, had he had the whole to him⯑ſelf; declaring his willingneſs to pay his quota for the ſhare they would allow him to have. ‘"I am ſorry to tell you," proceeds he, in this Letter, "that when theſe People produced their ſheets, and obliged me" [Mean man!] to ſhew mine, that I was com⯑pelled to give them up, in order to obtain a ſhare with them."’ His very words!—

This ſtep, beſides the advantage they afterwards (on publiſhing their pirated Edition), took of it, as Mr. R. had foreſeen, to recom⯑mend that Edition, ſecured Mr. Faulkner of their ſide. By it he ab⯑ſolutely gave up Mr. Richardſon; and, no doubt, it ſpirited them to proceed, as they then had reaſon to look upon him as their own, and had no diverſion to apprehend from him in Mr. R's favour.

‘"Your ſending me more ſheets," continued he, "will be uſe⯑leſs—I ſhould be ſorry your dealings and mine ſhould be at an [8] end; as I have the higheſt honour and regard for you, for your many virtues and integrity."’

But theſe were only words. He offered not to Mr. Richard⯑ſon any ſervice, any aſſiſtance. He knew that he and his Confede⯑rates ſhould be able to ſecure in their intereſt the Dublin Preſſes. He had diſcouraged the ſending over any of the genuine Edition; and thought it right to conclude with repeating his advice, that Mr. Richardſon would meanly court the Corruptors, as he had done; intimating his deſire to have a copy of what he thought fit to write to them; leſt his new Confederates ſhould not have con⯑fidence enough in him, to ſhew him what he ſuppoſed Mr. R. would write.

In Mr. Richardſon's Anſwer to this Letter, dated Aug. 24. he tells Mr. Faulkner, ‘'That he never could conſent to propoſe terms to men who had bribed his ſervants to rob him; and who were in poſſeſſion of the ſtolen goods: And cautions him to confider how far his own honour was concerned in the engage⯑ments he had entered into with them.'’

But let us ſee what he further ſays in his printed Defence.

Will Mr. Faulkner ſay, that it is an eſtabliſhed, invariable, con⯑ſtant cuſtom among the Bookſel⯑lers of Dublin, to renounce their agreements with men they had contracted with, on their being notoriouſly robbed, and to join with the Corruptors, to ſupplicate a ſhare with them in the plunder? How wickedly does he ſlubber over this part of his conduct, to the juſtification, as may be ſaid, of that of his new Confederates!—Can ſuch a man as this be too ſeverely (if juſtly) dealt with?—Surely no!. He cannot expect that we ſhould longer let ſleep an affair, that, till now, in tenderneſs to him, he has never been re⯑minded of, and muſt believe had been entirely forgotten. But, firſt, we will tranſcribe a paragraph, which will ſhew the ſenſe he affected to have then of the fraudulent means by which the Cor⯑ruptors obtained the power they had of injuring Mr. R.

‘"You muſt have more rogues in your houſe than one," ſays he; "as your two Editions have been ſent to different people. If I could find out," proceeds he, "any of my Journeymen that would ſerve me in the ſame villainous manner, I would immediately diſ⯑charge them in the moſt infamous manner, and publiſh their crimes in the moſt public manner in all the Papers; which, I am told by a very old French Journeyman Printer, is a conſtant [9] practice in Germany, France, Holland, and Switzerland; and that care is taken to ſend thoſe advertiſements to all the Print⯑ing-offices in thoſe countries, to prevent Maſters from being im⯑poſed on: And I am further told, that Journeymen and Appren⯑tices will not converſe, or ſuffer theſe nefarious Villains to be in⯑terred in the earth; but kick their dead carcaſes from place to place, as they would dead cats or dogs, rats or mice. Perhaps," adds he, "I have been too warm in my reſentment againſt ſuch bad men: But, as I have been much injured by them, I hope you will excuſe any raſh words in this Letter, when I do aſſure you, that I am, for your many virtues, genius, generoſity, and abi⯑lities, your moſt obedient^a, &c."’

In this very Letter it was, that Mr. Faulkner declared his in⯑tentions to endeavour to prevail upon the Corruptors of thoſe nefa⯑rious villains, as he juſtly calls them, to allow him a fourth or a fifth ſhare in their ſnacks. It is Machiavellian policy to love the treaſon and hate the traitor. The dead carcaſes of the corrupted Journeymen are to be kicked about the ſtreets, it ſeems; while the living Corruptors are to be ſupported, and united with, ac⯑cording to an eſtabliſhed, invariable, and conſtant cuſtom of the Bookſellers of Dublin.—Will Mr. Faulkner aſſert this?

We now come to the tranſaction which, we ſuppoſe, Mr. Faulk⯑ner had forgot, having never been reminded of it—The information of which was given to Mr. Richardſon, in a Letter written to him from Dublin, dated Nov. 12. 1741. by an Engliſh Printer of character and integrity, then there. ‘"I was yeſterday," ſays he, "in company with ſome Printers that I knew in London: Among other things in converſation, they familiarly commended Mr. Faulkner's great diligence in London; and, after naming ſeveral pieces of which he had procured early copies, I underſtood he had been furniſhed with the Third and Fourth Volumes of Pamela, ſheet by ſheet, as far as is done, from your Preſs; and is printing them off here with all ſpeed—The truth of this in⯑formation," adds he, "may be depended upon."’

Mr. Faulkner actually printed theſe Two Volumes for his own entire benefit, the copy ſo ſurreptitiouſly obtained^b; of [10] which ſee more p. 22.—But we will further attend to his printed ſtate of the preſent caſe.

Mr. Faulkner ſtaid not for this Poſt, as is evident from the very Letter to Mr. R. in which he gives him the intelligence of the injury done him. He tells Mr. Richardſon in it, that he received his firſt four ſheets on the 3d of Auguſt. On the 4th, the very next day (ſuch was his haſte to join with the Corruptors!), he forbid, as above-mentioned, Mr. Richardſon to ſend him any more ſheets; and ſignified his reſolution to endeavour to prevail on the Aſſociates to admit him into their partnerſhip for a fourth or fifth ſhare. But then, indeed, he was ſo gracious as to intimate, that he would pay Mr. Richardſon his proportion of the 70 guineas, according to the ſhare the Pirates would allow him to hold with them; which for a fifth would have been 14 guineas.

As to what he ſays of there being four or five Volumes printed before Mr. Richardſon ſent him any ſheets, that was not ſo. Not more than two were completed: Three Volumes more, indeed, were compoſing by different hands in his houſe; but they went on at convenience; Mr. Richardſon, as Mr. Faulkner knew, on⯑ly intending to publiſh two at a time; though the Pirates after⯑wards obliged him to alter his meaſures.

[10] In two or three Letters following, ſays he? How ſlightly is this mentioned by Mr. Faulkner! He had been parading to Mr. Ri⯑chardſon, from his Letter dated [11] Aug. 4. to the 15th of Septem⯑ber; ſometimes pretending to de⯑teſt the part his new partners act⯑ed; ſometimes ſeeming to have it in view to procure Mr. Ri⯑chardſon redreſs; at other times to intimidate him into their mea⯑ſures. All which made it neceſ⯑ſary for Mr. R. either to ſubmit to the injury, or to endeavour to lighten the weight of it, by an⯑ticipating them.

What he ſays of the delay in ſending the ſheets directly from the Preſs, as he pronounces Mr. Richardſon ought to have done, will be further taken notice of in another place. See p. 18.

This offer was not made till in his Letter of Sept. 15. and at the perſuaſion of two of Mr. R's friends, for the ſake of his own character; and then it was thus ungracefully expreſſed in that Letter—‘"However, notwith⯑ſtanding their (his partners) ill-treatment of you, and particu⯑larly of me [which he reſented by joining with them!] you may draw upon me, at diſcretion, for any ſum you think proper UNDER the ſum ſtipulated between you and me; AS I know you to be a man of probity, honour, and conſcience."’

He had told Mr. Richardſon in a former Letter, that he knew he would not ſuffer him to be out of pocket.

He adds, ‘"I bluſh for my Brethren" [But why ſo, if they have done nothing but what he could conſcientiouſly have joined them in, according to the eſtabliſhed, invariable, conſtant cuſtom of the Bookſellers in Dublin?] "But let them," proceeds he, "anſwer for it at the great day of account. I know that you have been much, and moſt injuriouſly, villainouſly, and unprecedentedly, treated by your more than helliſh, wicked, and CORRUPTED ſervants."’ By whom corrupted? Let him anſwer. Might he not as well have named his new partners?

Mr. Faulkner knows, that Mr. Richardſon never once hinted holding him to it. The ſum ſti⯑pulated for, was to be paid for ſending him the ſheets before publication; and the contract was virtually at an end, when, after receiving the firſt parcel, he for⯑bad Mr. Richardſon ſending any more to him. Nor could Mr. Faulkner think himſelf under any, when, in the ſame Letter in [12] which he gave notice of the invaſion, he prohibited ſending him any more of the ſheets, and declared himſelf, with as much ſe⯑dateneſs, as if it were a thing of courſe, determined to attach himſelf to the Corruptors. His offer afterwards to pay a ſum un⯑der that ſtipulated for, was, that he and his new partners might go on unmoleſtedly in reaping the fruits of their baſeneſs: Nor is it improbable, that their refuſal to conſent to pay their parts, was owing to their view of intimidating Mr. Richardſon, by means of their new partner, to give a ſanction to it, which Mr. R. had refuſed to do; in which caſe, Mr. Faulkner, who has ſo happy a talent of diſplaying his merits, would hardly have found himſelf a ſufferer, when he and his confederates had come to divide the ſpoil.

Strange man! He never hint⯑ed to Mr. Richardſon, that his deſire of this would determine him. Indeed, in his Letter of September 15. he ſays, by way of poſtſcript, ‘"I would be glad to exonerate myſelf from this ſet of men; and will do it, if poſ⯑ſible, at all events."’ But, for a conſiderable time after this, he continued their willing partner; and made a merit to his other partners in the piracy of refuſing to Mr. Richardſon the common civility of his News-paper, to do himſelf reaſonable juſtice. Well did he know Mr. Richardſon's mind as to his adhering to his engagement with his new partners; for thus Mr. Richardſon wrote to him in his Letter dated Aug. 24. ‘"You, Sir, will beſt judge, whether your own honour will not be ſullied by a concern with ſo vile a confederacy. What can a fourth or fifth ſhare in a Work, ſo treacherouſly obtained, do for any one? And if they proceed, I ſhall be obliged to make uſe of the names of all the Proprietors in the Dublin Edition, that I can come at."’

[12]Mr. Faulkner had in his hands at this time Mr. Richardſon's rea⯑ſons for this delay, not at all to his advantage.

It was, then, nothing to Mr. R. whether Mr. Faulkner held or quitted. He ſet his face, and in⯑deed his whole ſtrength, againſt the genuine Edition; though he knew, that if he had given the aſſiſtance he ought to have given to one whom he repeatedly al⯑lowed to be an injured and inno⯑cent man, it had never been ſent over to Ireland.

[13]It is poor to ſay, ‘"that he knew not in what manner the Work was then carried on, having never ſeen a ſingle ſheet, or even a page, of the Iriſh Edition;"’ when he had told Mr. Richardſon, that it was print⯑ing page for page with the genuine one; and when he had partners, who wanted not his direction, nor any thing of him, but that he would countenance them, and, by ſeparating himſelf from the man with whom he had contracted, deprive him of the aſſiſtance he could have given him. Mr. Richardſon would perhaps think himſelf very cruel, were he to put the poor man upon the ſolemn atteſtation he offers to make. But why, it may be aſked, did he diveſt himſelf of a ſhare which he had ſo meanly crept to the Con⯑federates to obtain, if he and they had agreed to join together, in purſuance of an eſtabliſhed, invariable, conſtant cuſtom among the Book⯑ſellers of Dublin? And another queſtion we put to the Publiſhers of the Iriſh Edition, Why, if they have kept within this cuſtom, have they publiſhed it without affixing their names to it, or any names, but aſcribed to the Bookſellers of Dublin, in general, a publication of which they themſelves ſeem to be aſhamed?

So much for Mr. Faulkner's defence of his conduct, as printed in the Paper which bears his name.

As it has been ſaid, that the cauſe of Literature, and of Au⯑thors in general, is concerned in this tranſaction, we will further intrude, by way of narrative, on the Reader's patience.

Mr. Richardſon, in his Letter of Aug. 24. 1753. in which he declared, that he could not follow Mr. Faulkner's advice, to ſue to the Corruptors of his Workmens honeſty to obtain a poor conſider⯑ation for the injury done him, and in which he had cautioned him of the diſhonour that might accrue to him (Mr. Faulkner) by join⯑ing with them, thus writes: ‘"I am very earneſt, that you will yourſelf—let theſe men know my reſentments, reſolutions, &c. If they have any regard to juſtice; if they have any compaſſion for 30 or 40 men of my houſe, who may be ſuſpected, and to one abſolutely diſcharged; I think I might rather expect ſatiſ⯑faction from them, than they propoſals from me.—It is a very great grievance for a man, who uſes all his Workmen well, to be obliged to go on furniſhing work and money for boſom-traitors; and not to know how to help himſelf."’ Mr. Faulkner's anſwer is dated Dublin, Sept. 8. He will thank himſelf, if the tranſcribe⯑ing it here gives him uneaſineſs.

Mr. Richardſon, thus threatned to be attacked in more countries than one, particularly in Scotland, thought it was time to draw up a State of his Caſe, and to lay it before the Public; abſolutely [15] hopeleſs of any ſatisfactory reſult from the meeting of theſe worthy men, which was to be had ſeven days after the date of the above alarming Letter^a.

Mr. Faulkner's next Letter gives the reſult of the meeting of his Aſſociates and him; as follows:

[16] October 2. 1753. Mr. Faulkner writes to Mr. Richardſon, ex⯑preſſing his ſurprize that he had not an anſwer to his of the 15th paſt; wiſhes in it, that Mr. R. had taken more time to conſider his Caſe before he publiſhed it; and blames him for the delay in ſending him the ſheets, to which he aſcribes the cauſe of all that had happened from the Pirates. He refers himſelf to a Letter written to Mr. R. in his favour, by a worthy friend of Mr. R. who had been induced to think well of him from his offers of making an affidavit, to prove upon the Confederates their being in poſſeſſion of the ſtolen goods, and to remit to Mr. R. the whole ſum ſtipulated for between them at firſt.

The Gentleman did write a warm Letter in Mr. F's behalf. Mr. Richardſon laid before him, in anſwer, the ſtate of the Caſe, from the Letters that had paſſed between Mr. Faulkner and him. The Gentleman then put the ſincerity of Mr. F's offered ſervices to the teſt; and was ſoon convinced that Mr. R. had nothing to expect from him. Mr. Richardſon has not aſked the Gentleman's leave to give particulars. Mr. Faulkner, about the ſame time, appealed to ſeveral Gentlemen of character in London, as an innocent man; and even deſired them to ſhew what he had written to them to Mr. Richard⯑ſon. Theſe ſeveral circumſtances engaged the latter to write a long Letter to him, dated the 13th and 15th of October, recapi⯑tulating the above facts—Whence the following extracts^a.

Mr. Richardſon then quotes to Mr. Faulkner paſſages from ſeve⯑ral Letters that paſſed between them, to demonſtrate, that his charge of delay had no foundation to ſupport it; and then ſubjoins as follows:

[20] We take leave to obſerve, that Mr. Faulkner had in his hands the Letter from which the above extracts are made, when he printed, in his own paper, the paragraph which he deſigned to paſs for a juſtification of himſelf; the truth of every part of which he offers to atteſt in the moſt ſolemn manner.

But poſſibly Mr. Faulkner had not received that Letter, when he wrote the following.

After this Letter, could it be credited, had it not been publiſhed by himſelf, that he was the Author of the paragraph of November 3. 1753. before animadverted upon; by which he would make the world believe, that, in joining with the Undertakers of this pi⯑rated Edition, he and they had done no more than was warranted by the eſtabliſhed, invariable, conſtant cuſtoms of the Dublin Book⯑ſellers?

In a Letter written by one of Mr. Richardſon's friends, dated Dublin October 27. intimation was given him, that the Aſſociates propoſed to ſurrender up all they had printed, which they gave in as near Two Volumes only, at prime coſt, amounting to ſome⯑what above 50 pounds. Mr. Richardſon wrote back his willing⯑neſs to be the purchaſer; but ſome new chicane ſeemed to be de⯑ſigned by this overture; for, in a fortnight or three weeks after, they were ready to publiſh Six Volumes.

They accordingly publiſhed them; but, as hath been obſerved, without putting any Bookſellers names to the Titles; and tho' the genuine edition was put at the price ſuch books are generally ſold for in Ireland, they, as Mr. Faulkner had foretold, underſold the Edition of the lawful Proprietor.

Mr. Richardſon will not, were it true, report, that the ſaving of Two Shillings (in the purchaſe of Six Volumes, the price of which cannot be found fault with) will be a ſufficient reaſon with the Gentlemen and Ladies of Ireland, to prefer the ‘"pirated Edition, the copy of which, to borrow Mr. Faulkner's words, in his [] Letter of Oct. 20. was ſo baſely and fraudulently obtained."’ But he has been heard to take comfort in the following paſſage tranſcribed from the Letter of a friend to him: ‘"What I fear, is, that the high merit of the Work will procure the Pirates more cuſtomers than I wiſh. But as it is inimitably well calculated to do good, the injury done you, will certainly afford me one ſa⯑tisfaction, and a great one; that the excellent Performance will be more univerſally read, for the buſtle that hath been made about it. Who knows, dear Sir, but the glorious Sir CHARLES may teach ſome honeſty and dignity of ſoul, even to him who buys it, as ſtolen goods, a few ſhillings lower from the Pirates than he could from you."’

The ſecreting the name of the Fourth Bookſeller has been often mentioned above. Mr. Richardſon wrote to one of his friends in Ireland his ſuſpicions as to the perſon, grounded on facts that had been communicated to him by another friend reſiding in Dublin. This produced the following paſſage in the anſwer of the Gentle⯑man, dated October 22. 1753.

‘"From what you ſay of a fourth perſon, not named either to you, or to your friends here, I gueſs it was that very perſon who corrupted your ſervants, and furniſhed the three Book⯑ſellers named, with the ſheets. Theſe three name themſelves in the Title-pages they at firſt poſted up, becauſe, perhaps, no corruption can be proved on them; but conceal the fourth Aſ⯑ſociate, leſt he ſhould be proſecuted. If this is the caſe, and nothing can be more probable (for Wilſon hath, by affidavit before the Lord Mayor, purged himſelf of the corruption, and Exſhaw and Saunders declare they can do the ſame), then Mr. ******** is ſtill more evidently the ſcandalous Aſſociate of the Corruptors, inaſmuch as he conceals the moſt criminal, and, in ſome meaſure, abets the reſt."’

Be this as it may, theſe three men cannot clear themſelves of the piracy founded on that corruption, and of the parts they acted, and propoſed further to act, in extending the injury to France and Scotland, as charged in Mr. Faulkner's Letters of Sept. 8. and 15. before-cited.

The Pirates have endeavoured to make a National cauſe of the tranſaction. But is not the Nationality of theſe men a cover for the baſeſt Selfiſhneſs? Are Meſſieurs Exſhaw, Wilſon, Saunders, and the fourth concealed perſon, and Mr. Faulkner joined with them, the Iriſh nation?

Mr. Faulkner, in one of his Letters to Mr. Richardſon, ſuſpect⯑ing Mr. Main would be employed by him, though then Mr. R. had not mentioned him, nor even thought of him, ſtigmatizes him as a Scotiſh agent. But may we not aſk, What are theſe Book⯑ſellers of Dublin, that they think themſelves intitled to prey upon the property of every other man in every nation round them; yet [22] join to hunt down any other ſubject of the ſame Prince, if he at⯑tempt to get bread among, or near, them?

Mr. Richardſon has been accuſed in an Iriſh public Paper, of having formerly engaged with a Mr. Bacon, of Dublin, in a ſcheme which, the Author of that Paper ſays, was likely to be very detrimental to the Printers and Bookſellers of Dublin in general.

This was the fact: Mr. Bacon, an ingenious man, now in or⯑ders, an Iriſhman, or one who had always had his connexions with that kingdom, and profeſſed a love even to partiality for it, kept a coffeehouſe, of note and credit, in Dublin, at which were frequently held auctions for books, and merchandize. He had been concerned with the Preſs as a Corrector, and propoſed to ſet up a public Paper there, and to take up his freedom of the Com⯑pany of Stationers in Dublin. He did both. The latter in the month of November 1741. The Paper was called The Gazette. The Advertiſements of the Public Offices were printed in it. He ſet up entirely on the Iriſh footing, and purpoſed to employ Iriſh Printers, to buy his paper of Iriſh Stationers, and to avail himſelf, as other Iriſh Printers and Bookſellers made it their endeavour to do, of ſuch copies of books publiſhed in London as he could pro⯑cure early, and fairly, by conſent of the Proprietors.—Crime enough in that, perhaps! for Mr. Faulkner, at contracting with Mr. Ri⯑chardſon, was deſirous that his Dublin Brethren ſhould not know that he gave any conſideration for the liberty of reprinting The Hiſtory of Sir Charles Grandiſon. Mr. Bacon was an abſolute ſtran⯑ger to Mr. Richardſon, brought to him by Mr. Thomas Oſborne, of Gray's-inn; and Mr. Richardſon then knowing not any other Iriſh Bookſeller, or Printer, and being about to publiſh his Third and Fourth Volumes of Pamela, was induced to enter into agree⯑ment with him, and to furniſh him with the ſheets as they came from his Preſs, in order to his reprinting them in Dublin. The ſheets were accordingly ſent him over: But Mr. Faulkner, as is before-mentioned, p. 9. having, by his extraordinary diligence, clandeſtinely got at the ſheets as printed at Mr. Richardſon's, he (Mr. Bacon) was deprived of the intended benefit; and alſo fore⯑ſtalled in the ſale of the genuine Edition; 250 of which were ſent him, in reſentment of ſuch baſe treatment.

Tho' Mr. Bacon's proſpects were at that time very favourable; and tho' he wanted not any other ſort of diligence, but that for which ſome of his Brethren have made themſelves famous; yet Mr. Richardſon's concern with him, to Mr. Bacon's great regret, held but one year. And his furniſhing Mr. Bacon with the ſheets of Pamela, Vol. III. IV. to be reprinted in Ireland; his engagement, ſome years afterwards, to ſend over to Mr. Faulkner the ſheets of Clariſſa, for the ſame purpoſe, notwithſtanding his treatment of him [23] in Pamela; and thoſe of his Grandiſon now lately, notwithſtanding his treatment of him in Clariſſa; evidently demonſtrate that he had no intention to interfere with the Bookſellers and Printers of Dublin, by ſending over his books ready printed, till the atrocious injury he received, and the determined perſeverance of the In⯑jurers, made him think it adviſeable to endeavour to anticipate Confederates, who had ſo vilely, by the corruption of his ſervants, as hath been often ſaid, obtained the power of hurting him in a property ſo abſolutely his own.

This further may be ſaid, That Mr. R. printed not a number, with a view of ſending any over to Ireland: But ſuch a one only as his friends thought rather ſhort of anſwering the Engliſh de⯑mand; and it has proved, that all he ſent over to Dublin would have been ſold in England at a better price, as Printing and Paper here are more coſtly than in Ireland; tho' he had cauſed them to be ſold in Dublin at the Iriſh price, from the firſt.

Mr. R. has been put to great expence by theſe men, and to great trouble in the altercation with them. But he is bringing himſelf to look upon their unprovoked treatment of him, as a puniſhment for aſſuming the pen, at the expence of his health, and to the giv⯑ing up every rational amuſement, when he had a buſineſs upon his hands which was enough to employ his whole attention; and which, as his principal care, he never neglected.

It has been more than once ſaid, that this Cauſe is the Cauſe of Literature, in general; and it may be added, it is even that of the honeſt Bookſellers and Printers of both Nations: We therefore hope that our prolixity will be forgiven.

We will take upon us to add, that every man in Mr. R's ſtation has not the ſpirit, the will, the independence, to hang out lights to his Cotemporaries, to enable them to avoid Savages, who hold themſelves in readineſs to plunder a veſſel even before it becomes a wreck.

London, Feb. 1. 1754.