THE CASE OF Samuel Richardſon, of London, Printer; With regard to the INVASION of his PROPERTY IN The Hiſtory of Sir Charles Grandiſon, Before PUBLICATION, By certain BOOKSELLERS in Dublin.
[]THE EDITOR of The HISTORY of Sir CHARLES GRANDISON had intended to ſend the Volumes of it, as he did thoſe of the HISTORY of CLARISSA HARLOWE, to be printed in Ireland, before he publiſhed them himſelf in London. Accordingly, when he had printed off ſo conſiderable a Part of the Work, as would have conſtantly employed the Preſs to which he purpoſed to conſign them, he ſent over 12 Sheets of the Firſt Volume to Mr. George Faulkner; intending to follow it with the reſt, as Opportunity offered.
He had heard an Iriſh Bookſeller boaſt, ſome Years ago, That he could procure from any Printing-Office in London, Sheets of any Book printing in it, while it was going on, and before Publication; and Mr. Faulkner cautioning him on this Subject, with regard to this Work, he took particular Care to prevent, as he hoped, the Effects of ſuch an infamous Corruption, as it muſt be called; ſince it could not be done but by bribing the Journeymen or Servants of the London Printer. He gave a ſtrict Charge, before he put the Piece to Preſs, to all his Workmen and Servants, as well in PRINT (that it might the ſtronger impreſs them), as by Word of Mouth, to be on their Guard againſt any out-door Attacks. This was the Subſtance of the printed Caution which he gave to his Workmen, on this Occaſion: ‘"A Bookſeller of Dublin has aſſured me, That he could get the Sheets of any Book from any Printing-houſe in London, before Publication. I hope I may depend upon the Care and Circumſpection of my Friends, Compoſitors and Preſs⯑men, that no Sheets of the Piece I am now putting to Preſs be carried out of the Houſe; nor any Notice taken of its being at Preſs. It is of great Conſequence to me. Let no Stranger be admitted into any of the Work-rooms. Once more, I hope I may rely on the Integrity and Care of all my Workmen—And let all the Proofs, Reviſes, &c. be given to Mr. Tewley" [his Foreman], "to take care of."’
He had no Reaſon to diſtruſt their Aſſurances; moſt of them being Perſons of experienced Honeſty; and was pleaſed with their declared Abhorrence of ſo vile a Treachery, and of all thoſe who ſhould attempt to corrupt them. Yet, to be ſtill more ſecure, as he thought, he or⯑dered the Sheets, as they were printed off, to be depoſited in a ſeparate Warehouſe; the Care of which was entruſted to One, on whom he had laid ſuch Obligations, as, if he is guilty, has [2] made his Perfidy a Crime of the blackeſt Naturea. Having Three Printing-houſes, he had them compoſed, and wrought, by different Workmen, and at his different Houſes; and took ſuch other Precautions, that the Perſon to whoſe Truſt he committed them, being frequently queſtioned by him as to the Safety of the Work from Pirates, as frequently aſſured him, That it was impoſſible the Copy of any complete Volume could be come at, were there Perſons in his Houſe capable of being corrupted to attempt ſo vile a Robbery.
What then muſt be his Surprize, when Intelligence was ſent him from Dublin, That Copies of a conſiderable Part of his Work had been obtained by Three different Perſons in that City; and that the Sheets were actually in the Preſs? The honeſt Men publiſhed their own Names, in Three different Title-Pages ſtuck up, in Dublin, in the following Words:
‘"Dublin, Aug. 4. 1753. Speedily will be publiſhed, The HISTORY of Sir CHARLES GRANDISON. In a Series of Letters Publiſhed from the Originals, By the EDITOR of PAMELA and CLARISSA. In Seven Volumes. Dublin: Printed by and for HENRY SAUNDERS, at the Corner of Chriſt-Church-Lane."’
The Second:—‘"Aug. 4th, 1753. In the Preſs, The HISTORY of Sir CHARLES GRANDISON" (as in the other). "Dublin: Printed by JOHN EXSHAW, on Cork⯑hill."’
The Third:—‘"Dublin, Aug. 4th, 1753. In the Preſs, and ſpeedily will be publiſhed, The HISTORY of Sir CHARLES GRANDISON" (as in the Two others). "London: Printed for S. Richardſon:" [Vile Artifice!] "Dublin: Reprinted for PETER WILSON, in Dame-ſtreet."’
The Editor had convincing Proofs given him, that one of theſe Men had procured a Copy of a conſiderable Part of the Work in Octavo; another in Duodecimo; and that they were proceeding to print it at ſeveral Preſſes.
Terms having been agreed upon between Mr. Faulkner and the Editor, in Conſideration of the Preference to be given him (One of which related to the Time of publiſhing the Dublin Edition, that it might not interfere with the Appearance of the London one) Mr. Faulkner, in conſequence of the ſucceſsful Corruption, ſignified to the Editor, that it was needleſs to ſend him any more than the 12 Sheets he had ſent him; and that he had obtained a Fourth Share of theſe honourable Confederates: But that (to procure this Grace, as is ſuppoſed) he had been compelled, as he calls it, to deliver up to them, to print by, the Copy of the 12 Sheets aforeſaid, which had ſome few Corrections in them, which occurred on a laſt Reviſal; but which are of no Moment with regard to the Hiſtory: Tho' poſſibly this worthy Confederacy may make uſe of thoſe few Corrections in thoſe 12 Sheets, in order to recommend their ſurreptitious Edition as preferable to that of the Proprietor. Of what will not Men be capable, who can corrupt the Servants of another Man to betray and rob their Maſter?
The Editor, who had alſo great Reaſon to complain of the Treatment he met with in his Pamela, on both Sides the Water, cannot but obſerve, that never was Work more the Property of any Man, than this is his. The Copy never was in any other Hand: He borrows not from any Author: The Paper, the Printing, entirely at his own Expence, to a very large Amount; Returns of which he cannot ſee in ſeveral Months: Yet not troubling any of his Friends to leſſen his Riſque by a Subſcription: The Work, Copies of which have been ſo immorally [3] obtained, is a moral Work: He has never hurt any Man; nor offended theſe: They would have had Benefits from the Sale, which the Editor could not have, being not a Bookſeller; and he always making full and handſome allowances to Bookſellers.
But nothing leſs, it ſeems, would content theſe Men, than an Attempt to poſſeſs themſelves of his whole Property, without Notice, Leave, Condition, or Offer at Condition; and they are haſtening the Work at ſeveral Preſſes, poſſibly with a View to publiſh their piratical Edition before the lawful Proprietor can publiſh his. And who can ſay, that, if they can get it out before him, they will not advertiſe, that his is a Piracy upon theirs?
Yet theſe Men know, that they have obtained the Parts of the Work they are poſſeſſed of, at the Price of making an innocent Man unſafe in his own Houſe; and of diſhonouring him in the Opinion of his Employers; who, probably, may not chooſe to truſt their Property in the Hands of a Man, who cannot ſecure his own from inteſtine Traitors.
Since the above was written, Mr. Richardſon has been acquainted, that his Work is now print⯑ing at Four ſeveral Printing-houſes in Dublin, for the Benefit of the Confederacy; viz. Two Volumes at Mrs. Reiley's; One at Mr. Williamſon's; One at Mr. Powell's; One at Mr. M'Culloch's; and that they hope at Mrs. Reiley's to get another Volume to print; and are driving on to finiſh their Two Volumes for that Purpoſe.
The Work will make Seven Volumes in Twelves; Six in Octavo; and he apprehends, from the Quantity he himſelf had printed, when the Fraud was diſcovered, that the Confederacy have got Poſſeſſion of Five entire Volumes, the greateſt Part of the Sixth, and of ſeveral Sheets of the Seventh and laſt; but the Work being ſtopt when the Wickedneſs was known, they can⯑not have the better Half of the concluding Volume.
He is further aſſured, that theſe worthy Men are in Treaty with Bookſellers in Scotland, for their printing his Work, in that Part of the United Kingdom, from Copies that they are to fur⯑niſh; and alſo, that they purpoſe to ſend a Copy to France, to be tranſlated there, before Publi⯑cation: No doubt for pecuniary Conſiderations; and in order to propagate, to the utmoſt, the Injury done to One, who never did any to them; and who, till this Proceeding, he bleſſes God, knew not that there were ſuch Men in the World among thoſe who could look out in broad and open Day.
It has been cuſtomary for the Iriſh Bookſellers to make a Scramble among themſelves who ſhould firſt intitle himſelf to the Reprinting of a new Engliſh Book; and happy was he, who could get his Agents in England to ſend him a Copy of a ſuppoſed ſaleable Piece, as ſoon as it was printed, and ready to be publiſhed. This Kind of Property was never conteſted with them by Authors in England; and it was agreed among themſelves (i. e. among the Iriſh Bookſellers and Printers) to be a ſufficient Title; tho' now-and-then a Shark was found, who preyed on his own Kind; as the News-papers of Dublin have teſtified. But the preſent Caſe will ſhew to what a Height of Baſe⯑neſs ſuch an undiſputed Licence is arrived.
After all, if there is no Law to right the Editor and ſole Proprietor of this new Work (New in every Senſe of the Word), he muſt acquieſce; but with this Hope, that, from ſo flagrant an Attempt, a Law may one Day be thought neceſſary, in order to ſecure to Authors the Benefit of their own Labours: Nor does he wiſh, that even theſe Invaders of his Property in Ireland may be excluded from the Benefit of it, in the Property of any of the Works to which they are, or ſhall be, fairly and lawfully intitled. At preſent, the Engliſh Writers may be ſaid, from the Attempts and Practices of the Iriſh Bookſellers and Printers, to live in an Age of Liberty, but not of Property.
N. B. This is not a Contention between Bookſellers of England and Ireland, and on a doubtful Property; but between a lawful Proprietor of a New and Moral Work — AND [...] Let Meſſieurs Wilſon, Exſhaw, and Saunders, reflecting upon the Steps they have taken, and making the Caſe their own (for they no doubt have Servants)—fill up the Blank.