384 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 156. 



•which he refers ; only reminding him and you (I 

 retui-n his letter) that his proofs to the contrary 

 amount to this, and no more, — " I ever thought so, 

 and think so still : " according to which form of 

 logic I might, with equal propriety and more truth, 

 affirm that the edition to which he refers was the 

 last published with the name of H. S. Woodfall in 

 the title-page. 



The first genuine edition — " the author's," as 

 Junius calls it — was published on the 3rd March, 

 1772. Of that thei-e can be no doubt. (See ante, 

 p. 224.) Junius, we know, was very angry at the 

 delay which had taken place in the publication of 

 " the author's edition." In Private Letter No. 51. 

 (Jan. 10th) he says: "I am truly concerned to 

 see the publication of the book so long delayed." 

 In No. 55. (17th February) he reiterates his sur- 

 prise and regret : " I could not have conceived it 

 possible that you could protract the publication so 

 long. At this time, particularly before Mr. Saw- 

 bridge's motion, it would have been of singular 

 use. You have trifled too long with public ex- 

 pectation." Thus stimulated, Woodfall appears 

 to have roused himself. If he could publish " be- 

 fore Sawbridge's motion," it might be of " singular 

 Tise," and would certainly gratify Junius ; and it 

 appears from P. L. No. 57. (29th February), that 

 Junius was gratified at the possibility that it 

 would, could, or might be done. It was, however, 

 in sporting phrase, a neck-and-neck affair. Thus 

 in the Public Advertiser of the 3rd of JNIarch, it is 

 announced by advertisement, Junius' s Letters are 

 '■'■this day published ;" and in same paper the fol- 

 lowing figures as first paragraph of news : — " We 

 have authority to assure the public that Mr. Saw- 

 bridge's motion for shortening the duration of 

 Parliaments will be made to-morrow^ 



Had the edition published on this 3rd of March 

 a Table of Contents and an Index ? If it had not, 

 the question is decided against the " affirm " of 

 Franciscus. I think it had not, and for these 

 reasons : — 



It was just before the 3rd of February that such 

 Table and Index were first mentioned ; and Junius, 

 no doubt frightened by any possible apology for 

 further delay, immediately protested against them. 

 Junius was for publication — immediate publica- 

 tion ; and he knew, what we all know, that an 

 " elaborate index " of thirty-eight pages, such as 

 was evidently contemplated, and did eventually 

 appear, was not to be hurried out in a moment, 

 or completed as soon as it was thought of and de- 

 cided on. Further, though the advertisements of 

 the edition published on the 3rd of March are 

 more than usually minute in their description, 

 they make no mention whatever of Table of Con- 

 tents or Index ; and I have three copies of the 

 edition of " 1772," one in the original marble 

 covers " sewed," without either : and, conclusive 

 as I believe, Junius says in the very letter. No. 59. 



(5th March), wherein he acknowledges the receipt 

 of the " sewed " copies : " If the vellum books are 

 not yet bound, I would wait for the Index. If 

 they are, let me know by a line in P. A" This, 

 I think, is proof that the first edition, or first issue 

 of first edition, had no Index ; and that disposes of 

 Franciscus and his " affirm." 



As I am on this subject, I may as well help to> 

 solve the question, when the Table of Contents 

 and Index were published ? although a few inci- 

 dental notices are all I have to offer. 



The following is the " line in P. A'' of the 6th 

 March, in answer to Junius's letter and instruc- 

 tions of the 5th : — "They are not in hand, there- 

 fore DIRECTIONS shall be punctually complied wilh."^ 

 After this there appears to have been some private 

 communication from Woodfall, to the effect, I sup- 

 pose, that the Index would take time in preparing, 

 as Junius replies. No. 61. (3rd May) : "I am in 

 no manner of hurry about the books." 



I indeed believe that the first intimation we have 

 of a perfect copy of any edition (I mean with 

 Table of Contents and Index) is in Woodfall's 

 letter, No. 64. (7th March, 1773), and the proba- 

 bilities are that the delay had been consequent on 

 the time required to prepare the Index, which was 

 to be inserted therein according to the instructions 

 of Junius, No. 59. From the expressions in that 

 letter, it might not unreasonably be inferred that 

 Junius had not, and could not, have seen a copy of 

 either Contents or Index ; for Woodfall says : " If 

 the manner of the Contents and Index are not 

 agreeable to you, they shall be done over again, 

 according to any directions you shall please to 

 favour me with." 



Whether the Table of Contents and Index were 

 first issued with a new edition, or added to copies 

 which remained on hand of the first edition, I can- 

 not say. I believe that H. S. Woodfall issued 

 more than one literal reprint, observing the same 

 forms, and using the same type ; so that it is diffi- 

 cult to distinguish the one from the other. I only 

 know that I have two copies with Table of Con- 

 tents and Index, and with the engraved title-pasre 

 of " 1772." 



I come now to the edition respecting which 

 Franciscus does not " scruple to affirm." First, 

 let me ask you, who are experienced in such mat- 

 ters, whether an edition takes rank according to 

 priority of printing or of publication ? for on this, 

 I suspect, turns the question whether the edition 

 to which he refers is to be considered as the fourth, 

 fifth, fortieth or fiftieth. The facts I take to be 

 these. Some few years since, on clearing out the 

 accumulations from the warehouses of Mr. George 

 Woodfall, there was found an edition of Junius's 

 Letters, which apparently had been printed at some 

 dull season for a future demand, then stowed away 

 and forgotten. These piles of paper were imme- 

 diately despatched to one of the trade auctions. 



